A heavy silence follows, broken only by the rustle of leaves stirred by the wind.
A sly smile spreads across Scarface's lips, revealing sharp, gleaming white teeth set in perfect symmetry. He rises to his full height and fixes his gaze on Las and the others.
Behind him stand five more lizard rebels—tall, nearly two meters, their bodies muscular and imposing. Some grip heavy clubs in their hands, while others hold shotguns. Each of them wears a green cap marked with stripes.
Scarface:
"Interesting… It's been years since I last saw a monkey."
Las pulls his head back, eyes wide with cartoonish unease.
Las:
"Back off....you're creepy."
One of the lizardmen approaches, his tone serious as he speaks to Scarface.
Lizardman:
"It's rare to see children wandering the heart of chaos. Don't you think it's a bit excessive, trying to play the hero against something far beyond your strength?"
Scarface turns to Eli with a bright, almost playful grin.
Scarface:
"Come now, don't hold it against them. They're just kids; it's only natural they'd be weak."
Eli's eyes harden, a spark of anger slipping through her calm.
Eli:
"Want me to show you otherwise...with a kick?"
Scarface slips his hands into his pockets, peering into the undergrowth, and calls out in a lazy, mocking tone:
"Come on out—I don't eat kids. I'm on a diet."
Whispers stir from the brush.
Skav:
"If he comes any closer, I'll smash those sunglasses with the metal pole."
Vrum:
"Shut up...he'll hear us."
Piu:
"Can I ask something? Why did we hide in the bushes?"
Scarface makes a quick leap, landing right in front of the thicket.
The grass whips back from the impact, revealing three figures.
Scarface looks at them and laughs with the carefree cartoonish mischief of a child.
Skav, Vrum, and Piu freeze, eyes wide in cartoonish panic, and yell:
Skav, Vrum, and Piu:
"HE SAW US !"
Eli closes her eyes, pressing a hand to her forehead, and whispers with a sigh:
Eli:
"cringe"
Suddenly, a foolish, childlike scream rings out.
Scarface turns his head sharply, looking back.
From deep in the forest, a panicked voice cries:
"He's coming! He's coming! HE'S COMING!"
Out from between the trees stumbles a small lizard, dressed in medical scientist robes with thick glasses sliding down his snout. He throws his hands into the air, tears streaming as he wails:
WE'RE ALL GOING TO DIE ! WE RE FINISHED
He charges straight toward Las. Las stares, stunned, frozen in place—
The little lizard crashes into him, and the two of them tumble to the ground together.
Las lies flat on the ground, eyes sparkling like stars as he stares up at the sky.
The little lizard scrambles to his feet, shouting, "We're going to die!"
Scarface places a firm hand on the lizard's shoulder.
The lizard jolts in fright, leaping into the air.
"Mommy!"
Scarface:
"Don't worry, Bobo. We're not going to die—don't be afraid."
Bobo:
"We're all going to die—he's coming!"
Scarface:
"Who's coming?"
Heavy footsteps echo through the forest.
A deep, furious voice rumbles closer.
Everyone turns, eyes wide.
Suddenly, from between the trees, a massive car is hurled—launched like a catapult straight at them. The group stares in terror.
Las scrambles to his feet, shouting in shock:
"Get out of the way—now!"
But Scarface remains calm. A crooked grin spreads across his face as he leaps lightly into the air. With a single, powerful knee strike, he smashes into the flying car—splitting it clean in two.
Scarface drops to the ground, brushes the dust from his clothes, and peers toward where the car came from.
Suddenly, a towering, hulking Black Wolf—five meters tall—steps out of the trees, clutching a huge, razor-sharp knife. He eyes the shattered car, then fixes Scarface with a brutal, gravelly voice.
Black Wolf:
"So you're the tough guy huh? You'll die first.... you @itch."
lizardmen brace themselves, muscles coiled, ready to surge at the towering wolf.
Scarface stands calm, hands in his pockets, almost bored as the tension crackles in the air. He glances at his comrades, then shrugs, speaking with lazy confidence.
Scarface:
"Leave him. I'll take care of this. I want to go home , I'm getting sleepy."
The wolf roars like a beast, hoisting his knife as he barrels toward Scarface.
Wolf:
"You'll die, green @itch!"
Scarface stands motionless, a mocking smile tugging at his lips.
The wolf brings the blade down with brutal force. Scarface springs—avoiding the strike with a quick forward burst, then flips backward over the wolf's head, landing behind him.
Scarface lands lightly on the ground, dust scattering around his feet. His head tilts just enough for his sunglasses to catch the light, that crooked grin never leaving his face.
Scarface:
"So tell me… that knife, and that big, sculpted body of yours—are they for killing? Or are you just auditioning for a fashion runway?"
Wolf:
"I'll tear your tongue out!"
The wolf barrels forward like a raging beast, knife raised high—aiming to cleave Scarface in two.
Scarface moves with impossible speed. He launches himself onto the wolf and lands a brutal, Flying Knee Strike to the face. The hit lands with a sickening crack...the wolf's jaw and teeth shatter under the blow, a wet sound of breaking bone and blood filling the air.
Skav, Vroom, and Piu stare wide-eyed, mouths hanging open in awe at Scarface's devastating strike.
The wolf's massive body, lifted clean into the air by the kick, twists helplessly. His hulking frame begins to plummet, falling directly toward Las and the others.
Eli screams, her voice breaking with raw fear:
Eli:
"He's coming down—move, now!"
Everyone bolts in opposite directions as the colossal body of the wolf crashes down, threatening to crush everything beneath it.
The wolf's massive body slams into the ground with crushing force, the impact shaking the earth and making the nearby houses tremble as if struck by an earthquake. A thick cloud of dust erupts, swallowing everything in its wake.
Las raises his elbows in front of his face, shielding himself from the rolling dust cloud.
Las ...What the hell?
Eli, furious, shouts as she stares at the wolf's unconscious body:
"Seriously?! Can someone show some mercy for once? No more dumbos, please!"
The dust clears.
Scarface watches with a grin, straightening his black sunglasses, then brushes the dust from his hands.
Scarface:
"All right. That's done."
Bobo stares at him, furious and trembling in a cartoonish, frightened voice.
Bobo:
"You idiot… you almost killed us!"
Scarface:
"You didn't die, though. That's a good sign, right?"
Bobo:
"I'll kill you."
Eli looks over, annoyed.
Eli:
"No need , there are others ahead of you
Skav, Vroom, and Piu gaze at the wolf's massive body.
Skav:
"Incredible… that's exactly how I want to look!"
Vroom smirks, arms crossed.
Vroom:
"Sure. Just lose a mountain of weight and maybe..maybe in a hundred years you'll get close."
Suddenly, in the distance, the Sergeant appears—still bearing the lump on his head. His eyes widen in shock as he sees the massive wolf's body sprawled across the ground.
Sergeant:
"No… it can't be…"
Scarface turns to him, a creepy smile spreading across his face.
Sergeant:
"Oh no… no!"
A few minutes later…
The Sergeant is now shown weeping, bound in chains alongside other Black Wolves, all tied around the enormous fallen wolf.
The lizardmen free the imprisoned animals from their cages, shattering their chains.
Frightened creatures emerge from their half-collapsed wooden homes, eyes wide with uncertainty.
Scarface:
"Another interesting day comes to an end."
Suddenly, Bobo sneaks up behind Las, snatching the papyrus from his belt.
Bobo:
"Hmm… interesting. Let me take a look at this."
Las's face twists with anger—he raises Sifu's staff and charges after Bobo.
Las:
"Give back my papyrus, you stupid lizard-glass-geek!"
High above, perched on a towering tree, a shadowy figure appears. A black cloak and hood conceal its face. He holds in his hands a black rifle, its dark surface glinting faintly in the light as he steadies his grip.
. The figure tilts its head upward just slightly, revealing piercing green eyes that cut through the branches.
Eli glances toward the treeline, her voice breaking with fear.
Eli:
"Someone's up there!"
But when everyone whirls to look—the shadow is gone.
Piu:
"I don't see anything."
Eli, shaken, insists:
"I swear, I saw it."
Las halts his chase after Bobo, turning to Eli with a teasing grin.
Las:
"You're so rattled, you're seeing Black Wolves everywhere
Eli:
"I swear to you—I saw a shadow!!!"
Las:
"Yeah, yeah, of course you did!!!"
Eli:
"Shut up, banana-head!"
Bobo peers at the papyrus through his thick glasses.
Las turns toward him.
Las:
"Oh right , you! Hand over the papyrus, you stupid lizard!"
Las charges at him, but Bobo, still reading, casually sticks out a foot and trips him. Las crashes to the ground.
Las:
"My head…"
Eli:
"Isn't it nice banana head ?
Scarface steps up behind Bobo, lowering his head to peer over his shoulder at the papyrus.
Scarface:
"What are you staring at so intently? Do you even understand this nonsense? What the hell does it even say?"
Bobo's face shines with sudden excitement as he studies the map in his trembling hands.
Bobo:
"Look—right here! A mountain crowned with the sun, rivers flowing all around!"
His eyes widen as he lifts his head, arm outstretched toward the towering peak that rises beyond the forest, bathed in fading light.
Bobo:
"It's the same… exactly the same!"
Scarface glances at the papyrus with a bored expression.
Scarface:
"And why should I care? Are we looking for treasure or something?"
He snatches the map from Bobo's hands.
Bobo:
"Give back the papyrus!"
Scarface folds it into a paper airplane and casually tosses it toward Las.
Las:
"Are you an idiot?!"
Bobo, fuming with anger:
"I want my papyrus back!"
Las smooths out the crumpled parchment with a smug grin.
Las:
"It's mine, you four-eyed lizard geek!"
Scarface props his elbow on top of Bobo's head, yawning lazily.
Scarface:
"Are you done? Can we leave now?"
Bobo:
"Not without my papyrus!"
Eli:
"Leave? And go where, exactly?"
Bobo shouts, grinning with excitement:
"To Forest City—our home!"
Piu:
"Yeah… that doesn't sound like a bad idea."
He glances at Skav and Vrοοm.
"Guys, you in?"
Skav and Vrοοm both cheer at once, bursting with enthusiasm:
"Yes!!!"
Scarface turns his gaze toward Las and Eli.
Las tucks the papyrus into his belt, grabs his sack, and prepares to head back to the camp.
Scarface:
"So what about you, little babies? Are you coming along?"
Eli:
"We're heading back to our camp. There are friends we need to warn."
Scarface raises an eyebrow, smirking.
Scarface:
"Friends, huh? Interesting."
Bobo beams, throwing his hands up with excitement.
Bobo:
"Our crew is growing—yeaaaah!"
The sun is nearly set, painting the sky in fading orange and gold.
Scarface steps closer to Eli and Las.
Scarface:
"Are you sure you can make it back on your own?"
Las:
"Yeah—we can."
Scarface smirks.
Scarface:
"I like that confidence."
One of the lizardmen approaches Eli and hands her a flare gun.
Scarface:
"If you run into danger, fire it into the sky. We'll come right away."
Eli takes the weapon, then looks at Scarface curiously.
Eli:
"Nice tool… but how will we find you?"
Scarface chuckles, mocking yet calm, his sunglasses glinting.
Scarface:
"You won't have to. We'll find you soon enough—don't worry."
Eli frowns, tense.
Eli:
"What do you mean by that?"
Meanwhile, the lizardmen close in on the bound Black Wolves. The Sergeant snarls, broken teeth flashing as he complains through his pain.
Sergeant:
"The Marshal will crush you… you'll pay for this!"
Scarface:
"Sorry, I don't carry cash. Only a few leaves that fell from the trees. Want those instead?"
Scarface, with Bobo and the bullying trio at his side, prepares to depart. Behind them trail many of the animals once enslaved by the Black Wolves, while the lizardmen load the bound wolves onto an iron cart and begin to drag it away.
Scarface adjusts his sunglasses, throwing a glance at Las and Eli.
Scarface:
"We'll see you in a few hours, kids."
Eli scowls, muttering to Las.
Eli:
"That lizard is getting on my nerves."
Scarface and the others vanish into the forest's shadows.
Las rests Sifu's staff across his shoulder, and together with Eli, makes his way back toward the camp,and Grov.
To be continue