The other teams that heard Marie's orders to support the civilians were the teams still standing, like Team I. Despite their losses, they decided to fulfill their duty. However, after the loss of their leader, Olaf, the team's morale was at rock bottom.
Xen, who controlled Eliot's body, had other plans. He knew the base had been attacked based on what Marie said during the communication, and he saw the perfect opportunity to recover the stolen material. So, using Eliot's voice from within his body, he spoke:
"I think the best thing to do is return to base. There's not much more we can do for anyone," he said, trying to sound convincing.
Anais, upon hearing those words, felt something inside her crack. She took a deep breath, steadying herself before speaking. As the next in command after Olaf's death, she knew she couldn't afford to hesitate. Not now. With firmness, she raised her voice, letting her determination resonate among those present:
"We're grieving because we lost our great leader… but what value can we give to Olaf's sacrifice if we retreat to the base like cowards? If he were alive, he would tell us without a doubt to go out and fight. We just faced mind-controlled enemies… and we survived! At what cost, we know all too well. But we did it. Though we didn't defeat them, we're still standing. What makes us think we can't handle some robots?"
Her voice vibrated with a mixture of pain and conviction, each word charged with the strength she sought to instill in her team. She looked at each of them individually, ensuring her eyes conveyed the same resolution as her words.
Eliot—or rather, Xen inside him—tried to interrupt:
"But we're injured…"
However, Anais didn't let him finish. Her tone was now passionate, filled with unwavering conviction:
"I know! We're hurt, tired, and broken… but if we can save lives with this, I'm satisfied. Besides, we belong to a great unit, Unit 'I.' We can't give up."
Cris, moved by Anais's words, began to clap. With determination in her eyes, she exclaimed:
"Leader Anais of Unit 'I,' I'm with you! And for Olaf, I'd do it without hesitation—he would have wanted it this way."
One by one, the team members began to react. First Miguel, then Berta, Patricia, and finally Travis, who stared intently at Eliot before saying:
"I'll do it… for our new leader, Anais, and for Olaf."
Inside Eliot, Xen thought with frustration: I'd kill them all right here and now, but it would be too suspicious. My master hasn't contacted me yet… I'll play along a little longer.
Eliot, under Xen's control, forced a smile and nodded:
"Very well… For Olaf and for our new leader, Anais."
Anais, satisfied, nodded firmly:
"Good. Where do we start?"
"We're on the coast of Spain, near the border with Portugal. Let's start with that city in the distance—it looks like it's on fire," Anais said, pointing toward the horizon.
Everyone prepared to disembark. Luckily for them, the ship that Eliot had found—well, the one the other Eliot had given him—hadn't suffered the same fate as the others, which had been transformed into killer robots. Once on land, Patricia pulled out a pair of binoculars to assess the situation.
"Look!" she exclaimed, pointing ahead. Two people were running desperately, being chased by what appeared to be a robotic washing machine and a microwave armed to the teeth.
Anais didn't hesitate for a second:
"I think it's time to act. Give the order to fire."
Berta and Miguel opened fire with their rifles, coordinating their shots with precision. The bullets struck the machines' chips directly, deactivating them instantly.
"Well done!" Cris shouted, thrilled.
The fleeing couple stopped, visibly relieved, and called out from a distance:
"Thank you so much!"
Anais quickly approached and instructed them:
"Take refuge in a place far from technology, like this beach. It's safer."
The couple nodded and ran toward the indicated spot. Team I, now led by Anais, prepared to continue their mission with renewed determination.
"Do you see anything else, Patricia?" Travis asked, his gaze still fixed on Eliot with growing distrust. Ever since their return from that mission in the woods, his friend's behavior had changed drastically. Moreover, acquiring an enemy ship so easily raised too many suspicions and questions that wouldn't stop swirling in his mind. He couldn't shake it off.
"No, there's nothing ahead," Patricia responded after a few seconds of observation through her binoculars, adjusting the focus as she scanned the horizon.
"Good, then we need to move further in," Anais interrupted firmly, cutting off any side conversations and reaffirming her leadership with a tone that brooked no argument.
Everyone began walking toward the burning city. Travis, seizing a moment alone with Eliot, approached him discreetly.
"Are you feeling okay?" he asked, scrutinizing him closely.
Eliot smiled naturally, though inside, Xen was alert to every word and gesture.
"Yes, I'm perfectly fine. Actually, I should apologize for being such a downer earlier—I felt fear and weakness. Losing the boss hit me hard, but if we have to save lives, then we must do it," he replied, noticing how Travis never took his eyes off him for even a second.
Travis nodded slowly, not entirely convinced.
"You're right… I owe you an apology too. It's probably because of everything we've been through, but I had this feeling that you've been distant."
Eliot extended his hand forward for a friendly handshake.
"Yes, maybe all the things that happened have slightly changed my personality. But we're still friends, aren't we?"
"Yes," Travis replied, accepting the handshake. However, both felt something strange about the gesture, as if it were forced, as if they both knew something was wrong.
Miguel suddenly appeared, breaking the awkward silence.
"Well, are the lovebirds done sorting things out?" he teased, seeing that they had fallen behind.
"Yes, everything's fine. We were just clearing up a few things," Eliot quickly responded, moving ahead to avoid further questions.
When Eliot walked away, Miguel turned to Travis.
"What's going on with you? You seem worried."
Travis lowered his voice, making sure no one else could hear.
"There's something about Eliot that doesn't sit right with me. It's like he's a different person since he came back, and everything that's happened lately isn't helping."
Miguel shrugged nonchalantly.
"Relax, he's probably just having one of those days. You'll see, he'll snap out of it." He said mockingly.
But Travis wasn't convinced.
"The Eliot I know would never abandon a mission, even in the face of adversity."
Miguel looked at him more seriously.
"If you want, I'll keep an eye on him for you."
"Good, but be careful," Travis warned before continuing to walk.
Inside Eliot, Xen coldly reflected on the situation.
Something must be up with this fool. He suspects something. I'd better dig deeper into Eliot's thoughts to avoid revealing anything that could put me at risk. I need to retrieve that object for my master.
Xen smiled inwardly as he analyzed his options.
If this keeps up, I may need to take him out. And what better opportunity than on the battlefield? I could say one of those robots shot him or something like that. Yes, that's what I'll do.
A cold laugh echoed in his mind as he considered the possibilities.
I can't kill everyone—it would look too suspicious if only I returned. They'd see it as an unusual coincidence, like what happened in the forest. But taking out one person… No problem there.
On the outside, Eliot continued walking as if nothing was wrong, displaying impeccable calm while hiding the dark plans brewing within.
"Look, there are people who need our help!" Patricia exclaimed, spotting through her binoculars as more robots approached them.
"All of you, prepare to attack!" Anais commanded firmly, her voice cutting through the air like a whip as she and Cris opened fire on the advancing robots. Bullets traced luminous lines in the air, striking the machines' weak points with precision.
Miguel, strategically positioned atop a small rise, covered his teammates from behind with precise bursts of his weapon, acting as a full-fledged sniper. Each shot found its mark, deactivating the most dangerous robots before they could get too close. His concentration was absolute, his eyes glued to the telescopic sight, ensuring no one on his team was left unprotected.
"Berta, you and Travis go for the civilians," Anais instructed, pointing toward a group of trapped people.
"Yes!" both responded in unison.
But then, something unexpected happened: Eliot ran forward toward two people lying on the ground, shouting:
"Come this way!"
Travis and Berta had no choice but to follow and cover him as he ventured into the dangerous zone.
What the hell…? Earlier, he wanted to retreat to base, and now he's running around like nothing's wrong to save these people. Am I losing it, or is he really starting to act like the old Eliot again? Travis thought, confused by his companion's sudden change.
"More enemies incoming!" Miguel shouted as he quickly reloaded his weapon, joining the crossfire alongside Patricia, who had also sprung into action.
Meanwhile, Eliot helped lift the wounded civilians. He turned to Travis and said:
"Give me a hand, friend! We need to get these people out of danger."
Without hesitation, Travis helped rescue more people, leading them to a safe place far from the robots that were still attempting to attack.
Out of nowhere, a robot emerged from the shadows and lunged at Travis, its knife-like claws gleaming under the dim light. Time seemed to freeze as Travis screamed from the ground:
"Eliot, help!"
Eliot hesitated for an instant, frozen. Inside him, Xen seized the moment to murmur coldly:
This is my chance to finish him… I just need to pretend it was a stray bullet while trying to take out that fast-moving robot.
But before Xen could act, a weak yet firm voice resonated within Eliot. It was Eliot himself, fighting to regain control, if only for a few seconds. With a superhuman effort, Eliot raised his weapon and fired at the robot just in time, saving Travis from being impaled by its lethal claws.
Xen, furious at the interference, intensified his influence over Eliot, roaring internally:
"I am the one in control, you fool!"
Eliot's body convulsed violently, as if an internal storm were tearing him apart. For a few moments, he stood completely still on the outside, his expression vacant, leaving the others bewildered.
Moments later, Xen regained control of Eliot's body and approached Travis with a calculated smile.
"Are you okay?" he asked, feigning concern.
Travis nodded, still somewhat shaken but responded with gratitude:
"Yes… thank you."
Though Travis didn't notice, Eliot's smile carried a hint of coldness that didn't reach his eyes.
Finally, they managed to eliminate all the robots in the area. The people they had saved approached them to express their heartfelt thanks.
"Thank you so much! We don't know what would have happened if you hadn't arrived on time," they said, visibly moved.
The team prepared to move on to the next town when Travis approached Eliot.
"I owe you an apology for doubting you. I thought you were someone else, but I see now that you just needed time. You're still yourself," Travis said, offering a sincere smile.
Internally, Xen smiled coldly at Eliot.
"Yes, you're right, friend," Eliot replied with an apparently genuine smile, though inside, Xen thought disdainfully:
What a fool you are… And I almost killed you.
A cynical laugh echoed in his mind as he continued reflecting:
I think I got rid of suspicion with that little maneuver of helping others and saving him from that robot that 'came out of nowhere.' Pretending heroism always works. Now I've regained their trust.
Xen reveled in his own cunning, savoring how he had managed to deceive Travis and the team without raising suspicion. To him, every action was a strategic move in his larger game.
At that moment, the grateful civilians pulled Eliot aside to thank him and present him with a small gift as a token of gratitude, temporarily drawing him away from Travis.
Then, Miguel appeared behind Travis and playfully tapped him on the head with a teasing grin.
"See? I told you. Any moment now, he'd be back at Eliot, you know. You were worrying too much," Miguel said in a relaxed tone.
"I guess so… I got paranoid. Well, Leader Olaf told me to keep an eye on him, and seeing how he was acting gave me even more reasons to do so. But I see now it was just a phase, and he's regained confidence in himself. He's back to being the same old Eliot," Travis replied, scratching the back of his neck nervously.
"For a moment… Did Olaf really tell you that?" Miguel asked, suddenly serious.
"Yes, but I think his hunch wasn't entirely accurate," Travis added, trying to downplay its significance.
Miguel frowned and crossed his arms.
"I don't know, friend," Miguel said with a penetrating gaze, his voice heavy with gravity as he locked eyes with Travis. "If the boss entrusted you with this, his hunches were always spot-on. There must be something behind all of this. It's better to stay on alert."
Miguel let his words hang in the air, ensuring Travis understood that he didn't share his newfound calm. There was something in his tone, in the way his eyes remained fixed, that conveyed more than just a suggestion—it was a silent order to remain vigilant, to not let his guard down so easily.
Travis nodded slowly, feeling the weight of Miguel's words reignite his doubts. Maybe he was right; maybe trusting so quickly had been a mistake.
Anais called everyone over with a firm gesture, gathering the team as she quickly assessed the situation. With a mix of pride and determination in her voice, she said:
"Good work, team. Now, let's move on to the next place that needs help."
As she spoke, she pointed into the distance, where another city loomed on the horizon. From that far, they could see columns of smoke rising into the sky and intermittent flashes of light—clear signs that an intense battle was raging there as well. The team, though exhausted, nodded with resolve, ready to continue their mission.