"Of course I think so! What are you rambling about? Those bastards killed my wife and kidnapped my children!"

"Sorry. I'm just one step away from going insane."

"Get a grip. We've been through the worst of it so far and we've managed to complete the mission. We'll go back to Atlantis, tell headquarters everything, get honored for our bravery, and maybe get some money and fame too. Now, sit down for a bit and rest so we can think about how we're going to get back!"

"We can't go back. How are we supposed to return with that giant that ate Keno, and those damned trees?"

"We'll contact the battalion at the camp and ask them to come help us in the forest. As for the giant, we'll go around it and sneak until we reach the forest. It won't be too difficult. Besides, I don't think it will kill Keno that easily. He'll find a way to escape."

Yousef threw his body down next to Akira and looked at the sky in silence.

They remained in this state for ten minutes, but their silence was broken by the sound of something moving—no, things moving. Akira got to his knees and turned to look around, but he saw nothing. He heard the sound getting closer, and its features began to become clearer little by little. It was the sound of metallic feet coming from the direction of the golden bridge. Akira and Yousef stood up and looked toward the bridge, only to find a surprise that made their hearts tremble and their very beings shake. They saw an army of robots advancing toward them, crossing the bridge. And to their bad luck, they had already crossed the bridge and were now on the black sand, treading on it with their metallic feet. They were all similar, the size of a normal human, and their faces resembled humans but were cold and emotionless. Their faces, feet, hands, chests, and backs were a distinct white color, and the rest of their bodies were like transparent glass, inside which blue energy flowed. And their numbers exceeded one hundred. Above them flew robotic bodies that resembled bees in their physiological structure, flapping their wings powerfully, and behind them, five giant robots that resembled spiders in their composition crossed, moving slowly as they crossed the bridge. Akira felt his emotions roil and darken. He didn't know whether to be afraid, happy, or angry that he saw them. He felt a mixture of overflowing emotions coursing through him relentlessly. But rage was what finally took control, making him lose his mind and charge toward the robots, screaming with force as he fired at them. Yousef looked in horror and shock at what his reckless, foolish friend had done. He chased after him to save him and began to fire at them as well. The machines noticed them and returned fire, while the giant robotic bees flew toward them and began to fire at them as well. Akira began to dodge the shots and fire at them, hatred and loathing seeping from his eyes and moving him non-stop, as if he had lost consciousness and didn't know what he was doing now. Hate was the only thing moving his body.

Yousef chased after him to save him from the clutches of the robots. He was hit by several shots, but the suit protected him. He began to fire at them, taking down five robots, while Akira took down about ten. The robots began to line up and fire in an organized formation, with the first row kneeling and the second row standing so that everyone could fire at the rebels. They fired a volley of bullets and rockets at them that hit them and knocked them to the ground, but the super-suit proved its effectiveness; it was much stronger than all this.

"You idiot! What are you doing?!" Yousef shouted. "Get back here! Don't let the hate take over! Let's go back to Atlantis! We can't hold out against them!"

But it was like shouting into the void. Akira continued to dodge the shots and rockets and charged toward them, firing a volley of bullets, taking down many of the robots. The bees surrounded him from the sky. He fired at them, taking one of them down, while the other robotic bees threw an energy net on him that caused the suit to shut down, and everything turned to darkness. Akira screamed with force as he boiled inside the suit with anger. "You won't be able to stop me, you bastards! You won't be able to stop me with this nonsense!"

Akira shook his body with force, and blood burst from his head. He felt as if his eyeballs were going to pop out of their sockets because of his exaggerated anger. He didn't feel that he was in control of his body, as he was on the brink of a fiery pit. He shouted, his eyes bloodshot, "Get this net off me, you accursed ones! I'll finish you! I won't leave any of you alive! Where are my two daughters? What did you do to them?"

Yousef saw what was happening, and he felt his chest tighten until it was almost crushed between his ribs. Fear and anxiety began to take over his body. He began to fire at the machines non-stop and ran toward Akira to free him, while some bullets passed by him and others managed to hit his body, but the suit was protecting him. He began to fire at the metallic bees and took one down, while the bees dodged his random shots. After he reached Akira, who was in a state of convulsions, he bent his body down toward him to free him from the net, but a robotic bee spat a net on him as well, and he fell next to Akira, motionless. He tried to free himself from the suit, but to no avail. He didn't know how to take it off, and it seemed Akira was in the same boat.

Two of the robots approached them. One of them carried Akira while the other carried Yousef, and they headed toward the bridge. Some of the other robots stopped to treat and repair their destroyed comrades, and the larger part continued on its way. Akira lost consciousness from the intensity of his anger and the terrible effort he had exerted, while Yousef began to watch the huge army crossing the bridge in the opposite direction from them. It was clear that they were heading toward their comrades in the camp. He wished he could communicate with them to warn them, but his suit was completely disabled. He resigned himself to the situation and continued to watch the terrifying sight of the machines moving in harmony and rhythm. He thought that this giant army's real destination might be Atlantis! He hoped that he was wrong and that the energy shield that covered Atlantis would hold out against this large army, whose beginning could not be seen from its end.

The robot carrying him continued to walk until he had crossed the bridge. The armies were still coming out of the city, and with them were some strange, advanced machines. Yousef also saw huge, armored robots three meters tall, their hard metal covered in black, walking in rows, crossing the bridge. After a long walk, they finally reached the city gates with the last ray of sunlight.

[11]

Omar stood contemplating the plain after the sun had set and the night had announced its arrival. The cloak of darkness turned to cover the area, and the captain and the two volunteers who had gone with him had not returned. He went to some of his comrades who were talking to each other and announced to them his dismay and concern about the captain's delay for all this time. They told him that they were also worried and had decided to follow Keno, in case something bad had happened to him. He suggested that they ask for help from everyone and head toward the forest to search for the captain. They agreed to his request, and they split up and began to talk to the rest of the battalion. Many agreed to their proposal and forced those who did not agree to go with them, as it was safer for them than staying here alone. They gathered themselves and began to move toward the dark forest. They turned on the lights to see what was in the forest, and the forest was very terrifying at night. The strange animals were moving between the branches and around the trees cautiously and slowly, making some sounds that sent terror into the soldiers' hearts. The soldiers continued to walk for several minutes until they came out of the first forest, safe, amazed, and terrified by what they had seen in it. But no harm had come to them other than the fear of the unknown. They then entered a darker forest, but the lights that were directed toward the leaves revealed the vibrant colors of the trees and their strange shapes. After walking for a few minutes cautiously and expectantly, the roots appeared to attack them, as had happened with those before them. They pulled one of the soldiers by his leg. Terror spread through the soldiers' veins, and they did not know what was happening. They saw some soldiers flying in the air, screaming for help amidst the pitch darkness. Some of them directed their lights toward the soldiers flying in the air. One of them saw the roots and shouted, "There's a tree root lifting him in the air! Aim well and fire at it! And try not to hit the soldiers!"

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