Another short chapter as we near the finale!

"Sage, can you find Rawkus? I need a BattleKey now." Vert said anxiously.

"I will locate him." Sage replied from his com, and momentarily a Key appeared on the hood of his car.

"Thanks Sage." Vert replied quickly, every instinct on edge and heart pounding with nervous anxiety. He opened the portal, entering the BattleZone and driving with caution. "Rawkus?" Vert called, scanning for the stone warrior. "Rawku-"

"I know why you're here." The gravelly tone replied instantly from behind him. Vert sighed in relief, then paused.

"Can you help me?" He asked. Vert would have begged without a second thought.

"That will be determined." Rawkus replied coolly, and anger seized him.

"Why not? I'll do anything, you hear me?" He yelled.

"It's not as simple as a matter of morality." Rawkus stopped him. "I have told you before, my control over time and space is limited. I've already exercised this ability within the past year. Going back in time would nearly twice as unstable, and the barrier between the Shadow Zone and your world is becoming thin."

"I'll do anything, Rawkus." Vert said with cold determination.

"I know. You're impulsive. That's why you need to know the risks." Rawkus replied in an equally emotionless tone. "Going back in time is a lot more complicated than pausing it. Hours in your life will be replaced by the time it takes to go back, causing them to disappear entirely. I cannot predict which memories will be erased, nor can I account for how it will change you."

"No memory is more important to me than she is." Vert said directly.

"And that's why I am hesitant." Rawkus replied. "Finally, no one can see you on your mission. I can't take a chance in changing the future."

"Then why are you helping me?" Vert asked. Rawkus sighed.

"Because if you let her die, the future will be a very bad place to be."

Vert was taken aback, but recovered.

"Let's go, then."

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"Remember, you cannot be seen. You have exactly one hour until the portal that brought you here closes; an hour in your past that will be gone. Are you sure this is worth it?" Rawkus gave him one last chance, and by way of response Vert continued driving, right into the portal to Vandal.

Or Vandal as of forty-eight hours ago.

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Vert remembered the spot as if Agura had been pricked only seconds ago. He entered the same area of foliage she had been in, being deathly careful where his hands strayed. Grasping the plant, he extracted it from the thick jungle, removing the poisonous spikes. Vert placed the plant in the center of the clearing, knowing his team would be sure to see it. Satisfied, he re-entered his car and drove through the portal, curious as to what hour had been erased.

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As Vert drove into the garage, he noticed someone had removed all the Sentient tools from the top level.

Probably a good idea in case Sheriff Johnson stops by. He nodded, walking over to the elevator that would take him to their hidden base. But when he did get there, all he found was a blank wall.

What? Vert thought, stunned. Was it one of Spinner's pranks? Sage remodeling? There was nothing. Vert spun around, looking for a hint to explain the situation.

Wait, where are the pictures? He clearly remembered a photograph of the entire team hanging on that wall, and…had someone finally managed to clean up that spot where Stanford has spilled his hair gel into a small leak of oil? They had tried for days to clean up the resulting goo, and now it had simply vanished?

Something was wrong. He caught his reflection in the distorted image of an old hubcap.

Where was his Shocksuit? And…whose car was behind him? Vert whipped his head around. The Saber was gone; his pre-Battle Force 5 car in its place.

What...

"Rawkus?" Vert yelled to thin air, his com-link gone. "Rawkus!"

"I warned you, Vert Wheeler." Rawkus said coldly from behind him. Vert turned.

"What happened?" He demanded flatly.

"I told you. An hour was erased. Think about it." The golem said, driving off. Vert's heart froze in his chest.

"You erased the hour I met Sage."