Over a week later, The New Heroes and their leader, Pepe, departed from The Capital and towards a battle. Determined, they traversed the outside lands in military vehicles.
Stark, Matteo, and Hafen rode on the back of a military truck. They wore military uniforms, and they marveled at the sights of the grasslands and forests.
"It's so beautiful," Stark commented.
Hafen and Matteo nodded in agreement.
The military truck sped down the paved road, and the scenery passed by.
After a long drive, the convoy of vehicles halted.
The New Heroes had arrived at the outskirts of a battlefield.
Matteo, Hafen, and Stark hopped off and looked around.
Nearby, Pepe stood and stared at the battlefield. He remembered what he read from the folder detailing their first mission.
A human city was under siege by The Evil Cyborgs. It was their mission to drive them off.
Soldiers, in vehicles, drove to the front lines. They wore helmets and armor. Some of the soldiers drove tanks. In the sky, helicopters flew overhead.
In the distance, explosions occurred, and the ground was destroyed. A couple of buildings crumbled in the horizon.
An armored car arrived and pulled up beside the kids.
As the windows rolled down, a soldier urged, "Join our radio channel. Quick. It's 94.5." He drove to the other reinforcements and relayed the same thing.
Pepe grabbed his radio and blinked in curiosity. He messed with it, inputting 94.5, and he was surprised to hear General Bobby's voice.
"General Gideon, head towards the rear," General Bobby commanded.
"Roger," General Gideon replied.
Pepe listened and learned that the radio channel was used to communicate between squads. "General Bobby, The New Heroes are here," he informed.
General Bobby smiled and asserted, "Pepe. Go to the front lines and assist the soldiers. Show them what you and your squad are capable of."
Pepe affirmed and called for the other members of his squad.
All the members gathered around him.
Lucius inquired, "What are our orders?"
Pepe took a deep breath. "We're going to the front lines to fight. Prepare yourselves," he declared.
The New Heroes nodded and moved out.
As they walked towards the front lines, Hafen, Stark, and Matteo were stunned by the scene. They had never seen a battle like this before.
Their new enemy, the cyborgs, were ahead. They fought in formation and fired lasers.
Explosions and gunfire sounded.
A helicopter flew by, firing at a group of cyborgs.
Cyborgs fired back and easily plummeted the helicopter.
Matteo gasped. "This is crazier than our battle against the zombies," he pointed out.
Hafen nodded and asserted, "This is war."
Suddenly, a group of cyborgs ambushed The New Heroes and fired lasers.
Pepe was taken aback. He clenched his teeth and shouted, "Everyone, charge!"
With a yell, The New Heroes rushed towards the cyborgs.
Hafen lifted rubble and threw it.
Stark tackled and beat down a cyborg.
Matteo dodged lasers and kicked another cyborg to the ground.
The New Heroes employed their elemental weapons and their own fighting skills.
Vines sprouted from the ground and restrained the cyborgs, and boulders fell from the sky. A large fire also engulfed them.
The Evil Cyborgs were alarmed by their abilities. As they were being overwhelmed, one of them alerted, "We need help over here!"
A larger squadron of cyborg reinforcements hurried over to aid them.
Pepe noticed them and exclaimed, "Fall back! There's more coming!" He pressed his hands to the ground and muttered, "Rock Wall."
Hoping to buy some time, a Rock Wall rose in between The New Heroes and The Evil Cyborgs.
The cyborgs chuckled and shot lasers.
As a spectacle, the lasers were infused with energy, and they penetrated the Rock Wall. They, unscathed, flew into the other side of the wall.
Pepe's eyes widened, and he braced himself. "Take cover," he demanded.
The New Heroes turned, and they were surprised. They were bombarded with lasers. As many of them collapsed to the ground, blood spewed from their wounds. Some of them screamed and writhed.
Fellow comrades carried them and retreated. After an arduous battle, they were able to drive off the cyborgs, but not without a cost.
Lucius carried an injured soldier and pleaded, "I need a medic!" He panted and desperately looked around.
Medical personnel arrived.
Stark, Hafen, and Matteo were horrified. They witnessed a gruesome sight.
Pepe was saddened. "People died under my command. It's all my fault," he lamented.
In an instant, the radios beeped, and a robotic voice echoed, "Stribora will be ours, and humans will be driven to extinction. You stand no chance against a superior race."
"What is going on," Pepe wondered.
Just then, a couple of helicopters landed nearby.
General Bobby jumped out. "Everyone, get inside one of the helicopters! We're retreating," he urged.
"Why," Hafen questioned.
General Bobby seemed serious and divulged, "Our base was raided. They hacked us, so they knew our movements."
"Does that mean we lost," Matteo asked,
Hafen gritted his teeth and mumbled, "Those lives taken. What were they for?"
"We have not lost, yet," General Bobby reassured.
"We can take the base back from them," Stark suggested.
General Bobby solemnly looked at them and alleged, "Yes, but retaking our base right now is not worth anymore lives. What I can say is that we will be back. The fight is not over."
Stark nodded.
"We must leave the area and regroup. We'll meet at Ritopia City, a city to the south in the Dominion of Nova. Our new channel is 99.1," General Bobby elaborated.
The New Heroes obliged.
Lucius helped the wounded and carried them to the helicopter.
At the same time, Pepe checked on his soldiers with the medics. "Are they going to be alright," he inquired.
"It depends on the extent of their injuries," a medic replied and loaded the harmed soldiers into a helicopter.
In a melancholic manner, Pepe looked away. He spotted and walked over to a familiar figure, cowering in a corner.
Aaron trembled and sat on the ground. He cried with his legs to his chest.
"Aaron, we have to go. Are you alright," Pepe asked.
"I don't like this. My ambitions are so reckless," Aaron whimpered with fear.
Pepe placed his hand on his shoulder. "Hey, everything is going to be fine," he assured him with a smile.
Aaron looked up at him. His eyes were teary, and he sweated profusely. "I want to go home," he admitted.
"We will. We will after we find our lost friends," Pepe muttered.
Aaron slowly breathed deeply. He nodded and stood up after he had calmed down.
The two of them headed for a helicopter. They flew away and headed for Ritopia City.
On a different helicopter, Matteo, Stark, and Hafen looked below as massive explosions covered the battlefield. Their eyes narrowed with ferocity.
The New Heroes were left in shambles after their first round of war. How would they return and face The Evil Cyborgs?