The room was incredibly wide, as the walls of the basement had then finally fully opened up.

A light turned on, revealing a room full of white tiles all round.

In the room, several other technological pieces of equipment were present. Some that looked like weapons, others that looked looked like vehicles and others that could not be described.

Rose: Woah.....!

Ken: Indeed.

Luke: (whistle) Yeah....

Max cockily walked inside with his hands behind his head.

Julianne: Tiffany Chang, Rose Wright, Luke Parks and Kenneth Stone.

The teens all turned to her.

Julianne: Welcome... to... my lab.

The teens continued to look at it in awe. To think that such a place would be found right under her house.

Rose: This place is......

Ken: You said it.

Rose: .... so huge!

Julianne: You got that right.

She walked over to the centre of the room and a podium with a computer on the top popped up from the ground right in front on her.

Julianne: Impressive, isnt it?

Rose: Yeah, it's so cool!

Max: I know, right?

Rose: Uh huh....

She turned the computer off and all the machines and vehicles begun to sink into the ground.

Julianne: This room is my personal private laboratory. It takes great inspiration from labs back in my home planet, Neutron, as well as inspiration from some Earth labs. It's where I conduct research when I have free time.

Ken: I see.

Luke: Its quite impressive.

Julianne: Think so? Why, thank you.

There was a charm to her.

The three teens walked around the lab, inspecting every nook and cranny. There was a touch of an other worldly feeling to it. In a sense, the room itself felt a bit alien.

Ken's eyes turned red and he was about to scan before looking at a disapproving Tiffany, who shook her head, much to his disappointment.

Julianne: Oh, you have scanning and detection software.

Ken: Well... yes.

Julianne: Ooh! Could I have a peak? Oh wait no... I shouldn't have asked just yet. Sorry. maybe I could make a deal... no. That's not right either.

Ken: Err....

It was an odd thing for Ken to be weirded out by something, especially considering how much time he'd spent with weirdos such as himself.

Julianne: Oh sorry, I weirded you out, didn't I?

The looks of shock on all their faces were quite something. And as for Max, he was completely unsurprised. this was his mother, after all. He knew her too well to be surprised by this.

Ken: No, no.... it's... fine.

Julianne: Phew...good. I got a little side tracked there. Anyway, this is where you'll all be training today. Pretty spacious isn't it?

Rose: It really is.

Luke: Yeah.

There was, however, one glaring issue.

One that only a tough person could bring up.

There is such a thing as accommodation. And when one is accommodating, it is a very rude and almost cruel thing to turn that person down.

Tiffany: It is... but....

The thing was, big as it was, there was a chance that they would end up destroying it in the process. And so, Tiffany spoke up.

Tiffany: ... well....

It wasn't like it was easy to turn her down, given all that had happened. But she knew from years of discipline, that such a thing was necessary.

Tiffany: .... what if we destroy the place?

Julianne: Hmm?

That statement seemed to have actually shocked the mother.

Tiffany: I mean... it's just....

She gritted her teeth as discretely as she could. What if she ended up saying the wrong thing? What if she offended his mother?

Tiffany: ... well... for example.... Luke has super strength. What if he.... destroys your lab?

She meant it in the most sincere way she could. In a sense, one could say it was the most sincere and innocent side of Tiffany.

Rose: Oh... Tiff.....

Even Rose agreed.

Ken: Well, now that you mention it....

Luke: Yeah...

None of them, however, had the gall to look her in the eye while they said that.

Max: (thinking: Is something wrong with these guys?)

Max knew they'd met. But he didn't know what had happened between them. Also, he'd never once given it an inkling of a thought. And so, he didn't understand as to why they all looked so perturbed.

Julianne: Oh... that?

As a scientist and an intelligent person, she was one with a habit. A habit that is quite common to those that are much smarter. That habit being, forgetting that she knew something that the others did not.

She walked to the rest of the team.

Julianne: (giggle) I completely forgot.

Her reaction shocked the teens.

Julianne: Tiffany?

Tiffany: Y... yes?

Julianne: Strike the floor with your katana. As hard as you can.

Tiffany: Huh?

Julianne: Go on!

She made a warm and inviting smile.

Julianne: It's ok. Trust me.

And now she had no choice.

Tiffany had to strike the ground. She could, of course, use less force, but if she didnt, it would make her look suspicious.

Being so manipulative and pretentious truly disgusted her. But she had no choice.

She pulled her blade out, gave Max's mother one more look in her lack of assuredness, and then struck the floor as hard as she could.

The result?

It didn't penetrate the floor.

In fact, it seemed that some kind of force field kept it from being penetrated by her blade.