It didn't take Diana too long to get back home. At the speed she was traveling, it only took about an hour, and that was only because she had to hit the main roads eventually and slow down. Still, it was enough time for her to calm her nerves. She was still upset, but she felt like she could have a civil confrontation now. She let out an agitated sigh as she pulled into her driveway.

Diana Linden was a lot of things, but level-headed had never been one of them. Despite her outward appearance, she always felt a hair's breadth away from spiraling into a fit. These days especially. She thought back to everything the Battle Force had told her, all of the stories about aliens and robots and inter-dimensional travel. She thought back to her recent battle against the Red Sentients. She thought about everything she thought she knew and decided that it all added up well enough for her to give them a second chance.

She stepped out of the car and trotted up the porch. She had answers she needed to get and she refused to let them slip from her grasp a second time. A good night's rest and some extra supplies from home and she'd be ready to go.


BF5's two resident geniuses were in the lab, lost in discussion about the hieroglyphs. They had been tossing theories back and forth for some time now and still hadn't managed to reach a consensus.

Tezz was convinced there was some hidden purpose; a logical reason for the layout of the room and the etchings on the walls.

Sherman believed the whole thing was madness and only held meaning to the person or people who built it and nothing more.

"It is most fascinating how the inner room was designed," said Tezz as he and Sherman went over the photos he took for the umpteenth time. "Especially the structure that held the Key. It almost appears to be a sort of... alter, perhaps? Some kind of monument maybe."

Sherman hummed in thought. "Yeah, maybe. But what for? The Sentients?"

"It is possible."

"Didn't Sage say that the markings were an incoherent fusion of Sentient lore? Maybe whoever, or whatever, built this place thought they were some kind of divine beings. Maybe the whole thing is one giant tribute."

"But why rig it to self-destruct once the Key was removed? It makes no sense."

"It's obvious that the Key wasn't meant to be moved then, but I see your point. Maybe we're over thinking this. Maybe it was just a deranged Sark, like Tors-10."

Tezz let out a frustrated groan as he closed his eyes and willed himself not to make any snide remarks. As much as he and Sherman were both invested in science and Sentient history, the younger Cortez often irritated him with his unwillingness to dive deep into things. There was no such thing as over thinking; it was obvious they weren't thinking this through enough.

Sherman bit back a yawn. Between the battle with the Reds and the current situation, he was feeling drained. "Why don't you take a break, Tezz? It's already pretty late."

"I will continue my research alone then," he said, back already to Sherman as he faced the screens once more.

"Suit yourself," the younger Cortez said with a shrug. He left and went straight for his room.

Tezz turned to look at the empty spot where Sherman once stood. With a sigh, he went back to inspecting the images. His biggest roadblock was not being able to decipher the markings on the walls and structure. If he could just know what they were saying, he was certain he'd have the entire thing figured out by now. He sat back down and forced himself to focus.


It had been dead quiet for hours until the door slid open. Vert's sudden entry into his lab startled Tezz from his notes. He let out a gasp as he whirled to face the door.

"Sorry," said the blonde as he strode in wearing an apologetic frown.

"Is it not common courtesy to knock?" came Tezz's disgruntled reply. He folded his arms to hide the steadying breath he took. "I am surprised to see you up so late." As absorbed as he was in his research, he was careful not to lose track of too much time. Several incidents with delicate experiments forced him to be more aware of when he needed rest.

At two-thirty in the morning, even he was reaching his limit.

"Listen, Tezz, I didn't come here to be lectured about social etiquette by you of all people." He let out a heavy sigh and willed himself to keep his cool. "I'm sorry. I'm just... frustrated. With everything that's happened I–"

"You are still angry with me about earlier." It didn't even need to be said.

Vert sighed again and rubbed his forehead. As tone deaf as Tezz was when it came to social interactions, if even he was picking up on his emotions, they weren't being very well-concealed.

"I understand why you are so upset. I don't blame you." He turned to his notes and began saving his findings before shutting everything down. "You were right; I should have at least waited for a more suitable time. If you want me to try and remedy the situation, I will." He turned back to find Vert staring at him, eyes wide and mouth agape.

"...Are you... Is this an apology?" He got an annoyed sigh. "I'm sorry, I just wasn't expecting you to... own up to it so quickly. Or at all."

"Even I know when I have made a grave miscalculation, Vert. I just could not help myself. The readings, her secrets... I had to know what she was hiding with that car of hers."

"Well, now that we do know, no more snooping. Got it? We can't afford to chase her off like this again. She might not come back the second time."

"You seem convinced she is coming back this time," he countered.

"Agura's instincts seem to be." Tezz opened his mouth–likely to point out that instincts were not fact–and Vert brought his hand up. "The real reason why I came here was to apologize about snapping at you before. I shouldn't have done that, especially not in front of the others."

"I know there is more to it than that," he said with a small smile.

"And I thought I'd make sure you didn't pass out in your lab again. We really don't need you burning down the Hub."

They shared a chuckle.

Waving a hand, Tezz said, "I am hardly ever wrong and when I am, I make sure not to make the same mistake twice. I was actually just about to retire. I have not made much progress with the hieroglyphs, though they have proven fascinating to study."

"We'll get 'em figured out eventually. Between you, Sherman and Sage, I expect something by the end of the week." Vert yawned before saying goodnight and leaving to turn in.

Tezz stretched and followed Vert's lead, heading to his own room to get some much-needed rest.