At The Headquarters, Pepe entered Commander Darius's office.
With a cigarette in his mouth, Commander Darius greeted, "Hey, you're back."
Without a word, Pepe handed him the reports of the battle. He had a stern expression.
The assistant leaned against the wall and observed. Her hands were behind her back.
Commander Darius placed his cigarette down and congratulated, "The New Heroes have done well. Nice job."
Pepe frowned and inquired, "Why did you order us to continue fighting? A retreat would have kept more of us alive."
Commander Darius smirked and claimed, "I did it for humankind." He turned around in his chair and suggested, "Look outside the window."
Pepe obliged and walked to the window. He witnessed a massive crowd celebrating.
"We are thankful for your victory, squad leader," Commander Darius asserted.
Pepe turned to him and tried to analyze his intentions.
Commander Darius further explained, "If you didn't continue fighting, then, the cyborgs would have been closer to The Capital. You saved people with your sacrifices. We will make sure their deaths are not in vain. Right?" With a stern look, he stared in anticipation.
Pepe was hesitant, but he nodded.
Commander Darius chuckled and handed written orders to him. "Squad Leader Pepe, this will be your squad's final mission. After this, you are free," he declared.
Pepe furrowed his eyebrows and read the written orders. His frustration grew as he read.
Commander Darius elaborated, "We have finally located the main force of The Evil Cyborgs. The New Heroes will dispatch to resecure an important fallen fortress, Hopeshire Fort, at the port city, Starkport City."
Pepe growled and remarked, "What is this? You are sending us to our deaths again."
Commander Darius bluntly replied, "I am."
Pepe was flabbergasted.
"We are already in a tight spot. If the cyborgs were to move forward from the port, The Capital will be easily captured, and humanity will cease to exist," Commander Darius revealed.
Pepe was speechless. He stammered and questioned, "Why are we going alone?"
"Other units will simply hinder you, and they are needed elsewhere," Commander Darius replied.
Pepe raised his eyebrows and pleaded, "You can't expect us to defeat The Evil Cyborgs by ourselves. We could train more soldiers to master the elemental weapons."
"The Evil Cyborgs have confiscated our elemental weapons, and most of the others were buried too deep in the Zombies War. Even if we did, there's not enough time. Pepe, you must understand that your squad is the last hope for humanity," Commander Darius alleged.
Even so, Pepe desperately expressed, "My squad have risked their lives for three years in pursuit for peace and freedom. They expect to go home after all this, but you're sending us on a mission far more dangerous than any before. How? How do I tell my comrades that instead of peace and freedom, death awaits them?"
"It's your duty as their leader," Commander Darius asserted.
Pepe shook his head and proclaimed, "Maybe so, but my duty is also to my squad." He scrunched his written orders and tore them apart.
"What are you doing, soldier," Commander Darius demanded to know.
"I refuse to let my friends face certain death, anymore! You don't care about your own soldiers! I bet you don't even care about the fate of humanity! I could have formulated a better plan than this," Pepe shouted in anger.
The assistant was startled.
Commander Darius slammed his hand on the desk and slightly rose from his chair. His eyes were wide, and its white was red. "Stand down, Pepe! Let me remind you that you are my soldier! You're not some politician! I gave you a direct order, and I demand you to carry it out," he exclaimed back.
Pepe clenched his fists. He was determined to stand up against him.
Commander Darius scowled menacingly. Seeing no other option, he turned to his assistant next to him and signaled to her.
The assistant glared at Pepe.
In an instant, Pepe felt weakened and confused, and he glanced at the assistant's pointy ears and soulless eyes. He fell to his hands and knees. Sweating, he was dizzy, and he grasped his head. "What," he stuttered and groaned.
After a few seconds, Commander Darius looked down on him and remarked, "I'm not going to let anyone get in the way of my goals. Pepe, do you understand your orders?"
Pepe breathed deeply. He raised his head and answered, "I do, sir."
Commander Darius sneered and murmured, "Good. You are dismissed."
Pepe obeyed. Emotionless, he stood up and exited the room.
Afterwards, Commander Darius sighed in relief. He looked at his assistant and commented, "Each passing day, I grow more fearful of The New Heroes. With their following, they might pose a bigger threat than The Evil Cyborgs or The Union. They could easily attempt taking our power over the continent. I, now, consider them the same as monsters." He stood up and stared out the window.
The assistant affirmed and added, "Hafen, Matteo, Stark, and Pepe cannot be human, and only one of them has signs of the ancients. The others could even be monsters in disguise." Her mouth was motionless.
As smoke oozed out of his mouth, Commander Darius pointed out, "I regret creating The New Heroes. I prefer them dead." With a stern look, he muttered, "If not for their achievements and glory, they would have been executed, a long time ago. Then again, humankind needed a hero, someone to believe in, someone who would not fail them." He smiled and continued, "They will die as heroes, and so, uniting the people of Stribora under us."
The assistant approached him, and her mouth parted open. She attested, "My leader has seen their fate. No matter what they do, fate will not listen to their pleas. The New Heroes will not survive. They are no different from others who have fallen."
Commander Darius was surprised, and he chuckled. He turned back to his assistant and noted, "With you being telepathic, it has been a while since I heard your sweet voice out loud." He whispered, "Thank you for staying by my side as my assistant."
Close to each other, the assistant murmured, "I will always be by your side."
Commander Darius moved her hair over her pointy ears and assured, "I will never reveal your real identity to The Union. You're protected as long as I'm supreme commander."
"I know that. I'm even a member of them. Still, we must be cautious of Claudius. He's getting close to finding out about our secret," the assistant urged and smiled.
Commander Darius grinned and teased, "Oh. Are you referring to what we made together, almost nine years ago? Who would've thought that both of our hair colors would make purple?"
The assistant was speechless. Her eyes were wide, and she blushed. "Huh? No! Not that, specifically," she stammered.
After a while, Pepe gathered his small squad to explain their mission.
Nearby, news of the war could be heard on a monitor.
"So, what's the verdict," Lucius questioned.
Pepe prepared to announce their final mission. He took a deep breath.
Just then, the reporter informed, "I am saddened to inform humanity. General Bobby, the last Legendary War Hero, was killed in battle."
Watchers murmured in disbelief.
Pepe halted, and his eyes widened.
Hearing about the news, Lucius, Stark, Matteo, and Hafen rushed to watch.
Everyone was shocked.
"What happened," Lucius queried.
The reporter solemnly muttered, "Our longtime hero died defending Hopeshire Fort from The Evil Cyborgs. This might mean the fall of the Dominion of General Bobby. If that's the case, then, part of Stribora will now be under the rule of The Evil Cyborgs. What a devastating day."
Hafen narrowed his eyes. "Our home is in danger. The Sacred Forest is in the Dominion of General Bobby," he divulged.
Stark and Matteo worryingly looked at each other.
As he was filled with grief, Pepe sat down and whispered, "General Bobby, I'm sorry. I should have been there." His tears dripped down to the floor.
The reporter mentioned the death of many Striborans.
Pepe lowered his head and slowly entered a trance.
Has General Bobby truly died? What does this mean for The New Heroes? What's the relationship between Commander Darius and his assistant? What are their goals?