Just then, a familiar soldier urgently entered the room and witnessed the knocked-out soldiers. "What's going on," he questioned in shock. He stopped and gasped as he recognized the boys from earlier. "You again? And you've hurt these men," he added.
Matteo and Stark turned to him with defensive stances.
Hafen gritted his teeth, and his elemental katana slid out of its sheath. "Lead us to the exit," he demanded.
The soldier held up his hands in a gesture of peace. He assured, "Okay, okay. I will take you there, but the base is under attack."
"Under attack," Matteo repeated with confusion.
"By monsters? Is it the zombies," Stark queried.
"No, it's not zombies. It's something else. Something worst," the soldier explained with a fearful look. He pointed to the door and urged, "Follow me."
They ran out of the lab and into the hallway.
The hallway was a scene of controlled chaos. The blaring alarm continued. Soldiers sprinted past, and their faces filled with fear and determination. The few non-combat personnel like a technician and a cook scrambled towards the reinforced doors of the designated shelters.
Suddenly, a deep, earth-shaking roar tore through the base and vibrated the walls.
Hafen winced as his ears rung.
"What was that," Matteo panicked.
The soldier glanced back, and his face remained forcefully stoic. "It's coming this way," he gulped. He picked up his pace and headed towards a door labeled: "Vehicle Bay".
The vehicle bay was a large, open space with a high ceiling. Tanks, jeeps, trucks, and helicopters were parked in neat rows. A large, opened hangar door on the opposite wall led to the outside world.
Finally seeing sunlight peeking from outside, Matteo, Stark, and Hafen separated from the soldier and ran to the hangar door.
"Wait," the soldier called out from behind.
At the same time, another soldier hid behind a crate.
Dr. Plinius voice spoke from the radio, "Keep an eye out for three boys! They can't leave! Use lethal force if necessary!"
The soldier peeked and saw the boys. He raised his gun and aimed at them. "Sorry, kids," he muttered.
Stark noticed and turned around. "Duck," he shouted and tackled Matteo and Hafen to the ground.
The bullets shot over their heads and hit a nearby jeep.
"Crap," the soldier cursed and reloaded.
Matteo swiftly got up and ran towards the soldier.
The soldier fired again. "You'll stop right there, deserters," he threatened.
Matteo sprinted to the side, dodging the bullet bombardment and kicking dust into the air. He kicked the soldier's chest but was caught.
The soldier grinned, holding him upside down in the air. "Gotcha," he exclaimed.
Matteo struggled and held his breath. He turned his body and swung his other leg.
The soldier was caught off guard and hit in the chin. He groaned in pain and entered a daze, stumbling around on his feet.
Matteo flipped onto the floor and landed with a childlike grace.
Behind, the soldier regained his composure and towered over Matteo. He spread his arms out and prepared to grasp him. He sneered mischievously in anticipation.
"Phew," Matteo sighed in relief. He wiped sweat off his forehead with his forearm. When he swung his arm back, his elbow accidentally connected with the soldier.
The soldier's jaw dropped, and he shrieked in agony. He collapsed to the ground and rolled around, holding his groin.
"Sorry," Matteo apologized, looking back, and ran back to his brothers.
"Nice elbow," Stark complimented.
"Um. Thanks," Matteo responded with an awkward smile.
Instantaneously, a tank rolled into the bay and stopped in front of the boys. The main cannon swiveled to point directly at them.
Inside, the driver questioned, "Why are we supposed to fire at kids again?"
The gunner replied, "They're not ordinary kids. They're the same ones who defeated a prince of the zombies. Now, they're dangerous. They took out a dozen soldiers. One of them held me hostage earlier."
Stark, Matteo, and Hafen looked at the tank with a confused expression.
"What kind of monster is that," Matteo stammered in awe.
"It looks like a tough one to defeat," Stark commented while scratching his chin.
Hafen examined it with a thoughtful frown.
The gunner popped up from the hatch of the tank with a binocular in hand. He looked through his binoculars and smirked at the boys. He shouted, "You boys are in a lot of trouble! You stand no chance against a tank. Now, surrender, and we'll take you back to the lab."
"They're using monsters to fight us," Matteo alleged with a surprised look.
"How despicable," Stark murmured with a disappointed frown.
Hafen glared at the gunner, recognizing him, and unsheathed his elemental katana. "Not a chance, hostage," he refused and pointed his katana.
A surge of energy flowed through his katana, releasing a ray of lightning at the tank. The lightning bolt hit the barrel of the cannon and traveled up the length of the tank.
The gunner yelped as a hint of electricity coursed through his body.
The tank's engine sputtered with a puff of black smoke.
"The system's fried," the driver reported with a cough.
"Bring it on," Stark shouted in front of them and readied his fists.
The gunner growled in fury. "Fine! I'll do it my way," he announced. He reached into a pocket and pulled out a grenade. He removed the pin and threw it at the boys.
The grenade flew through the air and landed by Stark's feet.
Hafen, Matteo, and Stark raised a brow each. They looked at each other and back at the grenade.
The grenade exploded with a loud boom.
The gunner chuckled with satisfaction. "That will teach you not to mess with the Striboran Armed Forces," he taunted and peeked out to see the remains of his enemies.
The driver smiled as the tank turned back on and drove towards the blast site. They gasped as the smoke cleared.
Unscathed and unaffected by the explosion, Stark brushed off his shoulders and glared.
The gunner stuttered in fear, "That's impossible."
"He should be dead," the driver stammered in disbelief. His face paled.
Hafen, Stark, and Matteo charged at the tank.
"No! No! No," The gunner screamed.
"Shoot! Shoot," the driver pleaded. He swerved and slammed the tank into a nearby jeep. The jeep flipped over.
The gunner fired the cannon with a deafening blast. The shell hit Stark's chest directly and exploded into a fireball.
Stark flew back and landed on the floor with a thud. His battle suit was scorched, and his skin was burned. He gasped for air and coughed. He clutched his ribs and blinked through the settling dust.
"Stark," Matteo and Hafen shouted in unison.
The tank fired again.
Hafen grabbed Matteo and jumped to the side, narrowly avoiding the blast.
The force of the blast threw them back. Smoke filled the air.
Hafen slid across the floor and crashed into a crate. "Ow," he groaned and clutched his head.
Matteo rolled to a stop. "That hurt," he complained and got up.
In the middle of the smoke, Stark sat up and clenched his fists.
The gunner lowered his binoculars and gasped. "Impossible! He survived again," he muttered.
"How is that possible," the driver queried with a bewildered look.
The gunner huffed and decided, "Doesn't matter if we run him over."
The driver nodded.
The tank turned in Stark's direction and traversed to him.
Stark pressed both hands on it. His feet dragged across the ground as the tank pushed him back. He clenched his teeth and stuttered, "I'll be the strongest. I'll be stronger than anything!" With a determined snarl, he planted his feet firmly and bent his legs. With a mighty roar, he stopped the tank in its tracks. Then, he took a step forward.
The tank halted and screeched under the strain. It started to go the other way.
The gunner and the driver exchanged looks of shock and confusion.
The gunner poked his head out of the hatch. His eyes widened as he saw a small boy pushing back a tank. He held on for dear life.
Loud clanks echoed as Matteo and Hafen leaped onto the tank. They climbed the sides with determined looks.
Stark let go and joined them.
The driver panicked in awe and fear. "How can mere kids?! They're on the tank!"
"Get them off! Shake them off," the gunner ordered with a tremble. He attempted to hit them with the cannon.
The driver obeyed, and the tank spun wildly.
Matteo, Hafen, and Stark held on tightly.
Matteo peered through a hole and looked inside. He asked, "Hey tank monster, are you allied with the soldiers?"
Hafen felt its texture and concluded, "A tank is another vehicle."
"Oh," Matteo blurted out with a blank stare. He questioned, "How can we stop it from trying to kill us?".
Stark punched the tank and created a dent. He grinned widely. He punched the tank repeatedly.
The dents deepened, and the tank wobbled.
The gunner demanded, "Stop that! Get off!" He grimaced and swung the cannon around.
Hafen and Stark evaded it.
However, the cannon hit Matteo's face with a loud metal clank.
Matteo's head snapped back, and he tumbled down. He slammed against the concrete floor.
Hafen had reached out to him but missed the opportunity.
"Matteo," Stark called out. He held onto a metal bar on the side of the tank. "We need to stop this thing," he suggested.
"Agreed," Hafen responded.
Stark clenched his teeth. He hurled himself towards the hatch.
The gunner emerged. "Not so fast," he grunted, and he aimed his rifle at Stark.
Stark grabbed the barrel and pushed it away from his face.
The gunner gasped.
Stark, angered, punched his adversary's face with his free hand. "That's for my brother," he declared.
The gunner became dazed and slumped over with broken teeth. Blood streamed down from his nose.
The driver sweated profusely and almost waivered after seeing his comrade fall. He slammed the brakes and stepped on the gas repeatedly.
The tank jerked violently.
Stark grunted in effort, and his world spun around. He jumped off and rolled on the floor. He rubbed his temple and stood up.
From a distance, Matteo slowly got up and shook his head. He tasted blood in his mouth and winced.
Stark ran to Matteo's side and held him. "Are you alright, Matteo," he asked with concern.
"I'll recover," Matteo reassured. He wiped the blood from his lip and looked up. His eyes opened unbelievably wide in shock.
The tank charged towards them with the driver shouting.
Simultaneously, Hafen jumped inside the tank and looked around. He found the driver in a panic. He grabbed him by the collar and demanded, "Stop this tank!"
The driver trembled in fear. "I-I won't. You aren't kids. You are monsters! Monsters deserve to die," he stammered. He reached for his gun.
Hafen scoffed and hit him across the face with a backhand.
The driver's head snapped to the side.
Hafen threw him out. He shook his head, looking around, and took the driver's seat. He pushed the pedal.
The tank sped up and barreled towards Stark and Matteo.
"Whoa," Hafen blurted out. "How do you stop this thing," he worryingly whispered to himself.
Stark and Matteo's eyes widened as they realized their imminent death.
Hafen accidentally sped up the tank. Will he figure out a way to stop the tank in time? Will Stark, Matteo, and Hafen become heroes or villains? Or will they succumb to an early death? What is the nature of the monsters that have invaded the base? What will General Bobby do?