A massive stone monster dug and emerged from the ground. It had huge arms, a gaping mouth, and glowing blue eyes. It roared and charged at them.
The Exalted One laughed and signaled the other monsters to follow him. "Enjoy your stay, boys. I'll be watching," he teased. He disappeared into a portal of darkness with his monster army.
The stone monster smashed its fist on the ground, creating a crater. He grasped a large chunk of concrete and tossed it.
Hafen, Matteo, and Stark dodged the attack and ran.
Matteo tripped and fell. "Ow," he cried out.
Hafen stopped and yelled, "Matteo! Watch out!"
The stone monster raised its other fist and prepared to crush him.
"Matteo," Stark screamed. He jumped and tackled him away.
The fist came down and hit the ground with an immense force. The ground cracked apart and trembled.
"Thanks, Stark," Matteo thanked.
"Don't mention it," Stark grunted. He helped Matteo stand.
Hafen slashed the stone monster's arm with his elemental katana.
A slash of water emerged with the swing and hit the stone monster with an explosion.
The stone monster staggered back and roared angrily.
Just then, more soldiers arrived on the scene. They aimed their guns and fired at the stone monster.
The bullets bounced off its hard body with no effect.
The stone monster swung its arm and knocked them away.
"Go around it. We can't let the boys escape," a soldier ordered.
The soldiers obeyed and spread out.
Stark, Matteo, and Hafen looked at each other and nodded. They ran towards the gates.
"Hurry before the soldiers block our way," Matteo urged and swiftly ran ahead. He quickly reached the gates and waited for his brothers.
Stark and Hafen followed.
The soldiers fired at them, and the bullets whizzed past their heads.
Deterring the pursuit, the stone golem caught up to the soldiers and mercilessly swung its arm.
Soon, Stark and Hafen finally reached the gates and met Matteo.
"Go! Go! Go," Stark urged with a shout.
Matteo, Hafen, and Stark ran through the gates and entered a small forest.
Multiple soldiers pursued them into the forest. A helicopter's searchlight scanned the area.
Hafen, Stark, and Matteo climbed on the trees' branches and hid. They panted and watched the soldiers and the helicopter pass by.
One of the soldiers radioed, "No sign of the deserters, doctor. We lost them. They must have gone deeper into the forest."
"Keep searching! They can't have gone far," Dr. Plinius replied with frustration. His voice crackled from the radio. "They are the most valuable assets we have."
"But doctor, isn't it unethical to force them to join us," a soldier questioned. He paused as if afraid of the answer.
"Unethical? They are not humans like us. They are monsters. They are experiments. They are weapons for us to use as we see fit," Dr. Plinius argued in a cold tone. "I thought I made that clear earlier," he murmured.
Matteo frowned as he overheard the conversation.
Hafen glared.
Stark clenched his fists and muttered, "If we ever see that doctor again, I'll break his neck."
"Yes, sir. Sorry for asking," the soldier apologized.
Matteo sighed and commented, "I guess the military is not as good as we thought."
"I think you're the only who thought that, Matteo," Stark murmured and looked askance at him.
Hafen nodded in agreement. "We have to find a way back to The Sacred Forest," he declared and leaped to another tree. He landed on a branch and looked at the sky. The moon shone bright, but it felt distant and cold. He remembered The Boundless One and wondered if he was real or a hallucination. He touched his abdomen, where the bullets had pierced him, and felt nothing but smooth skin. He whispered, "Who am I?"
At the military base, General Bobby stood in the command center, surrounded by screens and maps. He frowned as he heard about The Exalted One's attack. He turned to a monitor and saw the footage of Hafen, Matteo, and Stark in the lab. He observed them defeating Dr. Plinius, the soldiers, and the tank. He clenched his jaw and pressed a button. "Dr. Plinius," he called.
Dr. Plinius appeared on a monitor, and he straightened up. "Yes, General," he answered with a nervous tone. He clasped his hands together on his lap and forced a professional smile.
"What were you thinking? You disobeyed my orders, which was simply to fill out the forms for them. Instead, you treated them like your lab rats," General Bobby accused.
Dr. Plinius flinched. "I'm sorry, general. I was just doing what I thought was best for Stribora," he tried to justify.
"Best for Stribora? Is this how we treat our new soldiers? By restraining them and injecting them with unknown substances? By lying to them," General Bobby questioned with a stern expression.
Dr. Plinius countered, "They have powers beyond our comprehension. We need to understand them, to harness them. It's like you said, sir. They are the key to winning this war."
"Or they could be the spark that ignites a new one," General Bobby retorted. He groaned in frustration and scolded, "Listen, I understand your curiosity. I share it, but you went too far. You even bypassed the chain of command. You violated my trust and theirs. My decision is that you'll be discharged indefinitely."
Dr. Plinius's expression soured. "Discharged? But, general, I have so much more to give," he pleaded.
"Then, give it somewhere else. You are no longer welcome in my army," General Bobby declared. He ended the call and leaned back in his chair. He rubbed his temples and shook his head. He muttered to himself, "I hope you boys will forgive me for what happened."
Just then, a soldier entered the room and saluted. "General, we have a report from the other half of our army. They achieved our first victory over the zombies. With our help, Marcus and Pepe defeated whom they named Toddler Zombie Prince and Toddler Zombie Princess." He handed a folder to General Bobby.
General Bobby took it and opened it. He scanned the report and smiled. "Good work," he commended. He looked up at the soldier and inquired, "I managed to convince them to help us in their visit days ago. Any word on their continued alliance?"
"Yes, sir. They request to meet with you once they return with the rest of your army. They agreed to help if the military hands over the boys," the soldier replied.
"Understood," General Bobby acknowledged. He glanced at the monitor. He closed the folder and put it aside. He stood up and adjusted his hat. "I'll be at the conference room. We have an unexpected visitor from The Union. She always chooses the weirdest time to make an appearance," he asserted.
In a different part of the military base, a large, modern conference room had a long table with chairs around it. The walls were decorated with paintings of Striboran history and General Bobby's military achievements.
At the head of the table, General Bobby sat waiting. He heard footsteps approaching the door.
The door opened.
A young woman in a black and white suit entered. She had long, bluish-grey hair and piercing yellow eyes. She was beautiful but cold. She sat across from General Bobby and crossed her legs. "You're General Bobby, right? It's nice to meet you," she greeted with a polite but unsettling smile that didn't reach her eyes.
"We've met before. You look well," General Bobby responded with a careful, neutral tone.
"Thank you. You seem a bit tense. Is a war finally getting to you," the woman queried and raised an eyebrow. She poured herself a glass of water from a carafe.
"It's nothing you need to worry about. Just a minor incident. I'm sure you noticed the aftermath during your flight here," General Bobby dismissed with a wave of his hand.
"An incident? What kind of incident," the woman pressed. She sipped her water and stared at him over the rim of her glass.
General Bobby hesitated. He didn't want to reveal too much, like The Exalted One or the boys. He knew she would use any information against him if she could. "Just a skirmish. Nothing serious," he lied.
"Skirmish? How interesting. Could a skirmish, alone, have caused so much damage to your base," the woman asked. She set the glass down and folded her hands on the table. Her eyes narrowed slightly as she probed.
"Hardly. That damage came from a... training exercise," General Bobby lied again. He felt a sweat trickle down his neck. He hated dealing with her. It was as if she could read his mind.
"A training exercise? With live ammunition? You have some very advanced, dangerous training methods," the woman remarked sarcastically. She leaned forward and looked around the room. "Or maybe you're hiding something from me," she hinted.
"Of course not. I have nothing to hide," General Bobby countered. "So, what brings you here? I doubt it's just a social visit," he changed the topic.
The woman smiled again, and this time, it was more genuine. "You're right. I'm not here for pleasure. I'm here on behalf of Darius, Supreme Commander of Stribora." She paused and tapped her long fingernails on the table. Narrowing her eyes, she sought to know, "Do you still think ill of him? Are you willing to back him in the upcoming election?"
General Bobby sighed. He had been a loyal soldier of Stribora, but he no longer recognized the country he first served. "Commander Darius is a ruthless ruler. He has killed many rivals and enemies to secure his position. He changed the Striboran society and culture to suit his own agenda. He banned religion, freedom of speech, and any form of opposition. He has turned the country into a military dictatorship where one must revere him. I could never back him," he elaborated with a disappointed but determined frown.
The woman's lips tightened and curled inwards. "Your status and past achievements keep you safe for now. Without you, humans would cease to exist. However, if you run for supreme commander or publicly oppose him, Darius will have you killed," she warned with an unreadable look.
General Bobby chuckled and raised his hands at the ridiculous threat. "I understand. I may not like him, but I won't outright oppose him. And I don't have interest in leading your mayhem," he alleged with a forced, proud smirk.
The woman's breath hitched. She glared at him for a moment.
General Bobby laughed nervously and corrected himself, "I meant to say, the country's mayhem. His mayhem." He stopped laughing and turned serious. His dangerous assumptions about her were right.
The woman's expression didn't change, and her yellow eyes remained cold and indifferent. "Who do you think I am," she asked with a chilling tone.
"I think you're Darius' daughter," General Bobby joked with a forced chuckle.
The woman sighed and relaxed her expression. She ignored his joke and leaned back on her chair. "You should consider your words carefully, general. I was about to...," she suggested.
"Don't worry." General Bobby interrupted. "I won't oppose the supreme commander. I'll keep myself alive to protect my people," he asserted with conviction. He stood up and straightened his uniform. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have other matters to attend to."
"I know what happened earlier. The Exalted One breached your base," the woman abruptly claimed.
General Bobby tensed. How did she know about the true nature of the damage? Did she already know other details of the attack? "Yes, we managed to repel him, but he left a lot of casualties," he admitted.
"Of course, you did. You're the hero of Stribora, after all, but be careful. An encounter with him leads to an inevitable, gruesome death," the woman warned, and a smile crept across her face. She stood up and extended her hand. She remarked, "I wish you luck, General Bobby. We'll meet again soon."
General Bobby shook her hand and felt a cold shiver run through his spine. "What are you really after," he questioned and searched her eyes.
The woman chuckled softly and professed, "I'm just doing my job. And my job is to help Darius ensure Stribora's survival. I'll see you around, General Bobby. I'll leave you to find those special recruits that escaped." With that, she turned and walked out of the room, leaving General Bobby alone with his thoughts.
Recruits?
General Bobby frowned. He had promised them freedom to come and go as they pleased. But, how did she know about them? And what did she mean by ensuring Stribora's survival? Was she warning or threatening him? "Where are you, boys? I need you alive," he murmured and looked out the window.
Stark, Matteo, and Hafen have escaped the military. With the threat of the zombies still lingering, what would they do next? Stuck in a random forest, where would they go?