Chapter 4: Common Cold War

(Intro)


On the Sark home world, Zemerik has gathered his army to witness his latest discovery. "Behold! My latest discovery." He said as he held out his hand, revealing a blob of liquid metal. "As rare as it is powerful. The Phase Metal." "Excellent…uh…blob, my Lord." Zug said. "This 'blob' is a parasitic control virus." Zemerik said. "Observe." He activated his whip and whipped one of the Zurk sentries into a salute. "Zurk! Self-terminate." The Zurk tore off its own arm and started attacking itself until it finally self-terminated itself. "Bravo, sir. But Zurk mindless. They do whatever you say anyway." Zug said. "True, Zug. But you have free will, do you not?" Zemerik asked. "Um, yes?" Zug said. "So, if I order you to self-terminate?" Zemerik asked. Zug just chuckled, thinking it was a joke. "Good one, Lord Zemerik! It is a joke, right?" He asked. Zemerik just smirked and tossed the Phase Metal at Zug. The metal merged inside Zug's body. "Zug! Self-terminate!" Zemerik ordered. Zug then started walking towards the edge of the tower like a mindless drone. "Halt!" Zemerik ordered. Zug stopped before he could take one more step over the edge. Zemerik then used his whip to pull Zug back to his side. The Phase Metal released Zug from its control and hopped back into Zemerik's hand. "Using the Phase Metal, one of the earthling vehicles will soon be mine. And then, SO WILL EARTH!" Zemerik shouted.

Meanwhile, the team were in the Wheelers' garage fixing up their rides. Sherman and Spinner were out picking up pizzas from Zeke's. "My stomach is louder than this fusion wrench." Vert said, feeling his stomach growl. "Hey, where are those 2 with the pizzas?" Olivia asked. "Don't know. Let's just hope they get back soon before my stomach eats itself." Ivan said. "This is gonna be a working lunch, right guys?" Talia asked. "Now that's funny, Talia." Olivia chuckled. "Guys, patience is a virtue." Zoom said. "Not one of mine." Vert said. "Or mine." Olivia said.

While the team waited, Agura walked over to Stanford after noticing him working on the Reverb from a distance. "Hey." She greeted. "Oh, hey." Stanford greeted back. "Listen, I wanted to ask you something. Why do you feel distant towards the rest of the team? Like when you sat by yourself instead of with us at Zeke's?" Agura asked. "I…I never interact with other people due to my…isolation." Stanford said nervously. "My brother, Simon, was the only family I had left after our parents died from a plane crash." Agura felt awful about Stanford's loss. "Your parents aren't really gone, Stanford. They're watching over you from Heaven." She said as she comforted him. That was enough to bring Stanford to smile a bit. He felt safe and comfortable around Agura.

Just then, the garage door opened and Horace sped right in with the Defender. Stanford nearly got hit, which he dodged in time with a surprised yelp, as Horace drifted to a stop. "Are the Cortez brothers back with lunch yet? I'm starving!" Horace complained as he got out. "Why don't you watch where you're driving?! You nearly hit Stanford!" Agura shouted as she scolded him. "Guy's got a serious high-tech sound machine and doesn't even have a horn?" Horace asked sarcastically. That made Stanford angry. Suddenly, a wrench was telekinetically lifted off the table and tossed at Horace, hitting him on the head. Everyone turned to see as Horace fell to the floor, holding his head. "Who threw that wrench at me?!" Horace asked angrily. The team just muttered with denial. Stanford had a look of guilt on his face from what happened.

"Ah! Incoming za! I call first slice!" Zoom called as the Buster rolled in and skidded to a stop. "Here we go!" Spinner called as he hopped out with 2 pizza boxes. He handed one to Zoom and the others. "One plain cheese for the band of bland, that's you guys. And one jalapeño and fire sauce for the stomachs of steel. That's me and Sherman." But suddenly, after Spinner took a sniff of the pizza box, when he opened the lid, he saw 5 slugs eating the pizza. He screamed as he dropped the box. "Whoa! Slugs!" Vert exclaimed. "And we recognize the species!" Olivia exclaimed. "What are they?" Talia asked. "That's a Blastipede. They can fire dozens of little blue bombs from their backs and set them off with their antennae." Vert explained. "The pink one's called a Bubbaleone. They can inflate their bodies like a balloon and can spit soap bubbles." Olivia explained. "That one's an Arachnet. They can spin webs like a spider to catch opponents." Vert explained. "This one is called a Tormato. They can blow strong gales of wind and create powerful tornados." Olivia explained. "And that one's a Lavalynx. They can spew blobs of lava like a volcano." Vert explained. "But how did they get up to the Surface?" Olivia asked. "Wait. Remember, our friend said that slugs can find their way up to the Surface, but also stay hidden from topsiders." Vert said. "Oh yeah. I remember now." Olivia said.

"But how did the slugs even get inside the Buster and in the pizza box?" Zoom asked. "Oh! I left the Buster's hatch open when me and Sherman were picking up the pizzas. They must've hopped in and hide in the back where I put the pizza boxes when we got back. Guess we didn't know we had some stowaways." Spinner said. Vert and Olivia's slugs hopped down and joined their fellow slugs in the pizza feast. "Oh well. At least we got a second pizza." Spinner said, taking the plain cheese pizza from Zoom. But as he sniffed it, he caught a cold scent. "Oh no! Oh, cold pizza is a GERM MAGNET!" He exclaimed, grabbing a scanner from Agura and scanning the pizza for germs. Then the scanner gave a clean beep. "Whew! False alarm. Pie's still a safe tip." Spinner said, taking a slice. But before he could take a bite, Sherman blew his nose. "Sorry. Think I caught the cold." Sherman said. Then he sneezed onto the pizza. "Huh? OH! Sneeze cheese pizza!" Spinner exclaimed as he tossed the pizza slice away, hitting Agura in the face. Stanford gasped at this. "Spinner! I'm gonna-" Agura started to exclaim as she marched up to Spinner as he hid behind Sherman. "Agura, cut him some slack. You know how he is with germs." Vert said. "Yeah. He's very germophobic." Olivia said.

Just then, the alarm blared. "Saved by the bell." Zoom said. "Battle Force 10, I am sensing a Stormshock portal opening. T-minus 6 minutes." Sage called over the intercom as the team boarded their vehicles. The slugs hopped along for the ride. The team then drove out into the Salt Flats. "The portal will open in quadrant 9, bearing 2-46." TRINA said. As they drove, Sherman was eating a slice of pizza. "Is…that the pizza that you…sneezed on?" Spinner asked. "Not sure. Found it on the floor." Sherman said. Spinner was disgusted. "You know that's covered in germs, right?" He asked. "And a lug nut. Save you for later." Sherman said after finding a lug nut on the slice.

"Sage, anything in your memory that'll tell us what we're in for?" Vert asked. "Incomplete Battle Zone data indicates…a type of huge lifeform." Sage said. "A huge lifeform?" Rayona asked. "That could mean anything from the Loch Ness Monster to my old headmaster, Mr. Wigglebottom, during my online classes." Stanford said. "Seriously. Wigglebottom?" Vert asked in amusement. "Actual name. I swear." Stanford said with a soft chuckle. "Checking memory for Battle Key location coordinates. File empty. Sorry, team." Sage said. "Great. I love a mystery." Agura said in annoyance.

Suddenly, as the team was nearing the Stormshock, Sherman sneezed again near Spinner's feet. Spinner started cringing from the germs and accidently activated the Buster's chains and steering them towards the Tangler. Agura pulled away before she could get hit. "You're in control! In control!" Agura exclaimed to herself as she fell behind the others. "I'm in control. So not happening."

"It's storm riding time!" Vert called as the team entered the Stormshock. The portal opened and the team entered the Battle Zone. "Okay, you know the drill. Find the Battle Key, lock down the zone and look good doing it." Vert said. "As if there's any other way to do it." Olivia said jokingly. "Wait. Where's Agura?" Rayona asked. Just then, the Tangler joined the others through the portal just as it closed. "Glad you could join us, Agura. What happened?" Vert asked. "Spinner happened! That's what!" Agura exclaimed. "Oh. You see, Sherman sneezed and-" Spinner tried to say. "You say gesundheit! You do not open fire on your teammate! Unless you're trying to send me a hint." Agura warned. "Okay, break it up, guys! We're on the same side, remember?" Olivia said as she reminded them. "Sherman, what have you got?" Vert asked. Sherman took a look through his periscope. "Whoa. Cool. This place seems to be a symbiotic mixture of organic elements and metallic compounds." He said as he scanned the surrounding environment. "And for the non-geeks." Zoom said, annoyed with the big talk. "We're inside a creature." Sherman said. "We're in a WHAT?!" Horace exclaimed in shock. "Hence Sage's affirmation of huge lifeform." Ivan said. "Whatever. It's a Battle Zone." Vert said. Just then, a slob of goop landed on the Buster's windshield. "Grossest…Battle Zone…ever." Spinner said with disgust.

As the team looked around, a slow beat was being heard echoing. "Hey, anybody else feeling the beat in here?" Agura asked. "Would you care to dance?" Stanford asked. "Sure. I'd love to dance with you, Stanford." Agura said. "What?! It was just a joke!" Stanford exclaimed, feeling embarrassed. Agura chuckled at this. Vert checked the source of the beating. "That's a heartbeat! Stanford, echo-map the source." He said. "One echo-map coming up." Stanford said, activating the Reverb's echolocation speakers and sending echo-mapping soundwaves across the Battle Zone and locking onto the heart. "Locking on the heart. And guess what's keeping it company." He said. "The key!" Vert said. "That kinda figures." Olivia said. "Sending coordinates." Stanford said, sending the coordinates to the team. "Zoom, lead the way." Vert said. "Always." Zoom said, leading the team towards the heart. Little did they know, they were being followed by a Sark drone.

Meanwhile, the Sark were already at the heart trying to steal the Battle Key. Zug sent one of the Zurk up the walls, but it couldn't get traction and fell off the wall just as Zemerik arrived. "Status update." Zemerik said as he exited his Zelix. "The Zurk still cannot get Battle Key, Lord Zemerik." Zug said. Zemerik opened up a hologram from his drone, seeing that Battle Force 10 was on their way, eyeing Agura's Tangler. "Inconsequential. Soon the Battle Key will be mine. As long as I have this and that." He said, holding up the Phase Metal. "You have your orders." A Zurk walked up and took the Phase Metal.

Meanwhile, as Zoom continued leading the team, he suddenly stopped in his tracks. "I'm sensing a weird vibe here." He said. "What kind of vibe, Zoom?" Rayona asked. "Tell me we're not in this thing's digestive tract." Spinner said. Suddenly, a group Zurk drove out of nowhere and leapt over Zoom. "The Sark!" Vert exclaimed. As the Zurk drove towards them, Vert smashed one of them. Stanford and Horace blasted them. One of them nearly crashed into the Buster, but Sherman steered it out of the way, only to crash into a zit, splattering the contents on the windshield. "Giant zit. Gross!" Sherman chuckled. Spinner cringed, accidently activating the Buster's mace. Agura leapt the Tangler over the mace, but crashed on the landing. "Spinner! Attack the Zurk! Not me!" She shouted. "Uh, keep the rage, change the target." Vert said.

As one last Zurk drove towards the Tangler, Agura activated the grappling hook and pulled herself up, latching onto one of the intestines. Then she redirected the grappling hook at the Zurk to stop it in its tracks. She then dropped down and used the Tangler's claws to saw through the Zurk's vehicle like a buzzsaw. But then the Zurk opened its hatch and tossed the Phase Metal onto the Tangler underneath. "Huh?" Agura said as the Tangler's instruments began to glitch.

"Now I've got you." Zemerik said as he seized control of the Tangler.

The Tangler pulled itself off the Zurk as it split in half. "Hey. Wait! What's going on?!" Agura asked as the windshield darkened itself. Then the Tangler drove off. "Knock it off, controls! I'm in control! Please!" Agura exclaimed as she tried to reclaim control of the Tangler to no avail.

Meanwhile, Vert and Olivia met up with the others. "Check in, everybody. Damage report." Vert said. "I'm good." Zoom said. "I'm alright." Stanford said. "I'm okay." Talia said. "Me too." Rayona said. "I'm good here, buddy." Ivan said. "I'm better." Horace said. "I'm 100%." Sherman said, blowing his nose. "I'm nauseous." Spinner said as another gunk blob dripped onto the Buster. Vert and Olivia chuckled at this. "What about Agura?" Stanford asked. "Agura? What's your 411?" Vert asked over the com.

"Vert! Can you hear me?! Major systems malfunction!" Agura exclaimed, trying to get through the coms to the team.

"I am fine. One of the mighty Sark damaged my fuel injector." A false Agura voice said through the com. "Mighty Sark?" Spinner asked in confusion. "Did that sound ominous to anyone else?" Rayona asked. Stanford raised his hand almost immediately. Horace just shrugged.

"What? Guys, that wasn't me!" Agura exclaimed. "I'm heading back for repairs." The false voice said as the Tangler drove back to the Earth portal. "Don't sweat it, Agura. We'll keep after the Battle Key." Vert said.

"Wait!" Agura exclaimed as she tried to bust out of the Tangler. Just then, a hologram of Zemerik's head appeared inside, cackling. "Zemerik!" Agura exclaimed venomously. "You're a prisoner in your own vehicle, organic. As my own creator whimpered before I destroyed him, never trust a machine." Zemerik said. "No, Zemerik! I swear, I'll-" Agura tried to say. "What? If you hadn't noticed, organic, you have no control." Zemerik said. As the Tangler got close enough, Agura saw that its identity module opened up the portal back to Earth. That's when she realized Zemerik's plan. "You're gonna use the Tangler to open the Earth portal! Think again, Zemerik. No identity module, no portal." She said as she grabbed her identity module and broke it apart. Without it, the Earth portal closed. "Actually, I anticipated that move." Zemerik said, shocking Agura. "So, let's take a shortcut to the heart of the problem, shall we?" The Tangler turned around and headed back towards the heart and the Battle Key.

As the team continued on, the Tangler came up right behind them. "Well, look who's come back for that dance, Stanford." Horace teased. Stanford felt embarrassed by that tease. But then the Tangler bashed into the Reverb and the Defender, making them crash into the side. "I think slam dancing's a little pass." Stanford said with a groan. The Tangler drove above the Saber and the Jetray. "Agura, what're you doing up there?" Vert asked. The Tangler dropped down on both vehicles and started driving up towards Zoom, Rayona and Talia. "Guys, behind you!" Vert called. Zoom leapt the Chopper up and hovered out of the Tangler's way. But the Tangler bashed past the Pom-Pom Pouncer and the Steaming Wok. "Has she lost her mind?!" Rayona exclaimed. Then the Tangler came up to the Buster and the Dune Cat. "Where's she going?" Sherman asked. "Going crazy!" Spinner exclaimed. Suddenly, the Tangler drove over them and went ahead. But the Buster, Chopper and Dune Cat slowly started catching up. "You can't stop my friends, Zemerik. They're coming after me." Agura said. "Precisely." Zemerik said. Agura realized that he was leading them into a trap. The Tangler stopped and brought out its claws. It then drifted in a circle, cutting into the flesh beneath it. "Agura! Whatever's wrong, just pull over! Let's talk!" Vert called. "Yes. We should definitely talk about this." The false voice said as the Tangler stopped, allowing the team to catch up. "Stop! It's a trap!" Agura called. Too late. The cut ground gave away as the Saber drove over it, and the team fell into a giant pothole one by one. "NO!" Agura cried.

Luckily, the team crashed in a lower level of the creature. "Um, watch out for that pothole?" Zoom said as he and the team recovered. "Too little, too late there, Zoom." Olivia said as she got out of the Jetray. "Everyone okay?" Vert asked as he got out of the Saber. "Yeah, I think we're all good, Vert." Ivan said. "Except for Agura." Stanford said. "Yeah! We all know how annoying Spinner can be. But why take it out on the rest of us?" Horace asked. "Hello? I'm right here." Spinner said. Just then, another glob of juices dripped on the hatch. "Oh, good. We're in snot world." Spinner groaned with disgust. Just then, there was another rumbling. Vert and Olivia looked up to see that the pothole was sealing itself. "Whatever this thing is, looks like it heals itself pretty quick." Vert said. "Too bad the Buster can't. It's got a burnt-out differential control." Sherman said. "Replace it and let's get out of here." Vert said. "Just need someone small enough to crawl under there." Sherman said. Everyone looked up at Spinner. "You want me to lay down…on THAT?!" Spinner exclaimed in disgust. "You're the only one small enough for the job." Olivia said. Vert and Sherman nodded in agreement.

Spinner got working on replacing the control while the slugs were watching him. "Smells like an armpit down here." He muttered, sniffing his own armpit. "Oh. It is my armpit." Suddenly, something touched his leg. As he looked to see, it moved right past him. He scurried out from under the Buster. "What's wrong?" Vert asked. "I saw something move!" Spinner whimpered. Just then, everyone saw a lot of something moving in the shadows. As one moved past the slugs, they shrieked and rushed back to their owners. "Zoom, hit your headlight." Vert said. Zoom lit up his Chopper's headlight, revealing the creatures. Living alien germs!

Meanwhile, the Tangler made it to the heart where the Sark were waiting. "The key." Agura said, seeing the Battle Key. Under Zemerik's control, the Tangler sped up to the wall and began to climb it. "Once she has retrieved the Battle Key, dispose of her." Zemerik said. Zug chuckled. Agura could just watch as the Tangler climbed its way towards the heart and the Battle Key.

Meanwhile, the team watched as more and more germs appeared and surrounded them. "Fortunately, we have an expert on germs. Spinner, what do we do?" Olivia asked. "RUN!" Spinner screamed as the germs shrieked at them.


"Oh boy." Vert said as the germs got closer. "Science lesson: germs attack organic matter." Sherman said. "LIKE US!" The team hustled back to their vehicles as the germs began to attack. But as Sherman started up the Buster, the wheels wouldn't move. "We're not getting any power to the wheels! Spinner, didn't you fix it?!" He asked. "Who knows? I was too busy screaming." Spinner said. Just then, a germ hopped onto the windshield, making Spinner scream, which made Sherman and the slugs cringe from how loud it was. "Like that." Spinner said. "Fine! I'll do it! Guys! Cover me!" Sherman called. "On it!" Vert called as he hopped back into the Saber and started it up, pushing back several germs. Sherman used his strength to lift up the Buster. "Need a lift?" Vert asked as he used the Saber to help lift the Buster. The rest of the team pushed back the germs, but they just kept on coming.

Meanwhile, the Tangler continued its way up towards the heart and the Battle Key. Agura was running out of time and options on how to break the Tangler free of Zemerik's control. Especially since the Tangler was almost in range of the Battle Key.

Meanwhile, the team continued to hold back the germs while Sherman fixed the Buster. "There's too many of them!" Talia cried as she kicked a germ away. "We're not gonna make it! And I don't know of any formulas for the Wok to take on a bunch of living germs!" Rayona called. "Wait! I have an idea." Olivia said. She brought out her blaster, loaded Sirenix into it and took aim at the germ army. "Put them to sleep, girl." She said, slinging her slug. Sirenix transformed and started singing Sleepytime. The germs began getting drowsy from the song and fell asleep on the spot. "Nice work, girl." Olivia said as Sirenix hopped back to her. "Good thinking, Liv." Vert said. "Huh. I didn't think germs could sleep." Spinner said.

"Done!" Sherman called as he finished fixing the Buster. Vert hopped back into the Saber and pulled it out from the Buster's tires. Sherman drove the Buster to lead the team out. "Sherman, bust a hole out of here!" Vert called over the com. "Hang on!" Sherman called as he burst the Buster through the flesh wall with most of the team following. But just then, the germs woke up and started chasing Zoom and the hole was healing itself. But Zoom managed to squeeze through before it fully healed. "Battle Key coordinates reacquired!" Stanford called as the Reverb reacquired the location of the heart and the Battle Key. "Got it! Now let's get it!" Vert called as he led the team towards the heart.

Meanwhile, the Tangler was almost to the heart. The team had reached the heart and watched from a distance. "Agura's working for the Sark?" Horace asked in shock. "It can't be!" Talia exclaimed quietly. "I don't get it." Zoom said. "I don't want to believe it, but when you do the math." Sherman said. Stanford was heartbroken, seeing his own 'possible' crush working for their enemy. "I don't get it either, guys. But we can't let Zemerik get that key. Kick it!" Vert called, driving into battle. "Right behind you, bro!" Olivia called as she followed. The Wheelers bashed through several Zurk. Zemerik saw them coming and hopped into his Zelix. Vert activated the blades on his wheels and flipped over a couple of Zurk, cutting off their heads. But they were still active, wandering blindly. Olivia picked up the spare, activating the Jetray's boosters and bashing the headless Zurk into pieces.

"I almost have the key. Zurk, destroy them!" Zemerik ordered. More Zurk came out of a tunnel and joined the fight. "Stanford, Horace, left side!" Vert called. Stanford and Horace fired from their weapons, blasting down every Zurk in range. "Rayona, rust those bots!" Olivia called. "One formula for instant rust coming right up." Rayona said, mixing up the proper chemicals and expelling the gas onto the Zurk's vehicles. And in an instant, the Zurk and vehicles all began to rust and power down. "Spinner, Talia, take those Zurk out!" Vert called. Spinner and Talia activated their weapons and began swatting down every Zurk that came their way. A couple of them flew over Zoom and Ivan before crashing down behind them. "Good work, team!" Vert called. But suddenly, Zoom and Ivan saw more Zurk were driving towards them, with one of them with blades ready. "Sherman! Zoom and Ivan need a boost!" Olivia called. "Activating ramp, bro! Hang on!" Sherman called as he spun the Buster around and activated the ramp. "Zoom, Ivan, up and over! Watch your backs!" Vert called. Zoom and Ivan drove towards the Buster and rode off the ramp. The Zurk crashed into the Buster as the ramp closed up. Zoom activated the Chopper's blades and sliced up a couple of Zurk as he landed. As Ivan landed, he activated his Dune Cat's chainsaws and sliced up 2 other Zurk. "Nice!" Vert called.

But Zemerik had just gotten the Tangler onto the heart. Agura looked on in horror as the Tangler snagged the Battle Key. "The key is ours." Zemerik said. The Tangler leapt off the heart, drove back down to the ground and allowed the Zelix to take the key. "Zurk! To the Earth portal!" Zemerik called, driving towards the Earth portal with the Tangler following. But Vert and Olivia blocked the way. "Oh no, you don't!" Vert exclaimed. "You're not getting to Earth, Zemerik!" Olivia exclaimed. "We'll see about that." Zemerik said, controlling the Tangler to drive up to them. "Agura?! What's going on?!" Vert exclaimed in shock. Agura tried to regain control again, but it was hopeless. The Tangler ensnared the Saber between its front tires. "Whoa! Agura!" Vert yelled before the Tangler threw him and the Saber to the side. "Agura, what are you doing?!" Olivia asked. But the Tangler swung its front right tire and swatted the Jetray to the other side. "NO!" Agura cried. "Follow." Zemerik said, continuing on to the Earth portal with the Tangler, Zug and remaining Zurk following as ordered.

Vert and Olivia recovered and drove after them. "Battle Force 10, with us!" Vert called. The team exited the heart and followed the Sark down a spine. "I knew it! She's a traitor!" Horace accused. "Pump your brakes, Horace! You don't know that for sure." Vert said. "Yeah. She wouldn't betray us. I know it." Stanford said. "Something's not adding up. It's like she's brainwashed or something." Spinner said. "Spinner's right, guys. Something's off. But what?" Olivia asked. "Sherman, scan the Tangler for anomalies." Vert said. Sherman scanned the Tangler and spotted the Phase Metal underneath it. "It's Sark technology. Like a remote control." He said. "That's why she attacked us. Zemerik has control of the Tangler." Talia said. "They're getting too close to home, guys! If we don't get ahead of them, Earth is toast!" Vert exclaimed. "Then let me get off track!" Sherman exclaimed. He steered the Buster off the track and bashed through the Zurk, giving the team their chance to catch up. "What?" Zemerik said in surprise as the team caught up to them.

"Spinner, think you can tip the Tangler up on 2 wheels?" Vert asked. "Of course, he can. He's been practicing all day." Zoom joked. "Ha-ha." Spinner said sarcastically. Just then, the slugs started chittering. "Wait. I think the slugs want to help." Spinner said. "That's a good idea! Use the slugs to tip the Tangler!" Olivia exclaimed. "Use the Bubbaleone first. Load them into the Buster's concussion cannons. That should give them enough speed to hit velocity and transform." Vert instructed. As Spinner hesitantly loaded the Bubbaleone into the Buster's cannon, Vert, Olivia, Zoom, Talia and Ivan drove ahead to box the Tangler in. Zemerik saw this and controlled the Tangler to try and break free. "Stanford, Horace, get ready to play sniper just in case." Vert said. Stanford and Horace got their blasters ready.

"Brace for impact!" Spinner called as the Buster rode up beside the Tangler. "Do it, Spinner." Agura said. But before Spinner could do anything, a stray germ snuck inside the Buster and landed on the control, making him scream. "Spinner, where's that Bubbaleone impact?" Vert asked. "I got one of those cooties in here with me! It's on my controls!" Spinner exclaimed. Just then, the Arachnet hopped up and spat a dozen webs on the germ, tying it up and letting it fall off the controls. "Wow! The little web spinner just saved me!" Spinner exclaimed in amazement. "That slug must've understand your fear of germs and wanted to do something about it, big bro." Sherman said. "We can discuss that when we get home! Fire the slug quickly!" Olivia called. "Agura, if you can hear me, I'm really, really sorry about this." Spinner said. Agura did hear him over the com, knowing what was coming. Spinner fired the Bubbaleone from the cannon under the Tangler. She inflated herself and pushed the Tangler onto its side. "Now fire the Blastipede! Use her bombs to blow off the controller!" Olivia called. Spinner loaded the Blastipede and fired her. She tossed one of her bombs at the Phase Metal and when she popped back into her Protoform, she detonated it with her antennae, destroying the Phase Metal and the Tangler was free from Zemerik's control. "Impossible!" Zemerik exclaimed in anger.

"Agura?! Agura!" Vert called. "Are you okay?!" Olivia asked. "Vert! Olivia! Do you copy?" Agura asked, regaining control. "Hey! We're gonna stop the invasion of our home planet! You in?" Vert asked. "My pleasure." Agura said. "You gotta stop Zemerik. He has the Battle Key." Olivia said. "It's payback time!" Agura exclaimed as she sped on ahead.

Zemerik was close to the Earth portal. He cackled as the portal opened and he was about to cross over into Earth. But just as he passed through the portal, he was pulled right back into the Battle Zone. He shouted angrily as he tried to pull free, seeing that Agura had his Zelix snagged on the Tangler's cable. "Oh no, you don't." Agura said. She activated her Tangler's blades and cut through the flesh around Zemerik. "No!" Zemerik exclaimed as he fell into a pit. Hundreds of germs started coming through the cracks as the team pulled up. "Hey, Sherm, you still got that pizza?" Spinner asked. "Didn't you say it was a germ magnet?" Sherman asked as he brought out the pizza slice. "That's what I'm counting on." Spinner said as he took the slice, loaded it into the cannon and took aim at the Zelix. "Say cheese!" He fired the slice and hit the Zelix in the windshield, startling Zemerik. "Bullseye!" "Great shot, buddy." Agura said. The germs all began to surround the Zelix as they swarmed over the pizza. Unfortunately for Zemerik, the additional weight caused the floor to give way. But the Zelix was still snagged on the Tangler's cable. "Yeah." Agura said as she snagged the Battle Key from Zemerik and dropped him into the pit. Zemerik screamed as he watched the pit heal itself, sealing him in.

Agura used the key to open up the portal back to Earth and the team exited the Battle Zone. Agura closed up the portal. "Guys? Thanks for not giving up on me in there. I can only imagine what you must've been thinking." She said. "I, for one, knew all along that our beloved Agura would never betray us." Horace lied. The others chuckled and shook their heads at this. "He totally bailed on me, right?" Agura asked. "They did too!" Horace exclaimed. "I didn't." Stanford said out of embarrassment. "Neither did Spinner. He and his slugs had your back." Agura looked at Spinner, who smiled sheepishly. "Figured I owed you cause sometimes I get a little, you know, out of control." Spinner said. "Trust me. I've been there. So, we're cool?" Agura asked. "Yeah. We're cool." Spinner said, shaking hands with Agura. The slugs chittered as they hopped up to Spinner. "And I couldn't have done it without you guys." Spinner said, holding out his arm for the slugs. The slugs chittered as they hopped on. "Yeah. Welcome to the team, little guys." Vert said as he and Olivia walked over with their slugs. The slugs welcomed their fellow slugs to the team with a high-five.

Just then, the germ got free of the webs, hopped out of the Buster and prepared to attack. But as it leapt for Spinner, he actually caught it in a cage. "And I've had enough of you for one day, pal! You're gonna stay in there until you learn some manners!" Spinner exclaimed. The germ whimpered from this. The team laughed at this.

Well, how's that for a chapter? Zemerik gained a new powerful weapon and Spinner's germaphobia had put Agura and the Tangler under Zemerik's control. But with the help of some new slugs, Spinner has managed to make up for his mistakes. And now Spinner has some new slugs of his own, along with a new pet alien germ. What else awaits Battle Force 10? Will the others' Zodiac powers awaken soon? Leave a review if you want.