After a while, the military van left The Capital and drove towards a fortified military base, surrounded by soldiers and vehicles. It was The Battleborn Arena, and it resembled a coliseum from the outside. Still, its function was different.
Inside, hundreds of soldiers ran drills and underwent intense training.
Hafen, Stark, Matteo, and Pepe were amazed.
"This way," the assistant signaled and led them inside a building. She opened a door, and they walked downstairs.
"Where are we going," Matteo inquired.
"We're headed to one of our discreet training grounds," the assistant explained.
After they went through a couple of turns, a soldier demanded, "Hey! Stop right there! This is a restricted area!"
Stark readied his fists.
"Here, look at this," the assistant muttered and approached with her badge.
The soldier furrowed his eyebrows and glanced at it. His eyes widened. "I'm so sorry. Go ahead," he apologized and bowed. He opened the door ahead and lowered his head again.
The assistant nodded and signaled to the kids.
Soon, they were outside once more.
Outside, there was a giant field with training dummies and a track. It was walled off.
Pepe, Stark, Hafen, and Matteo witnessed dozens of soldiers vigorously training with elemental weapons. They were awestruck.
Among them, Lucius, a soldier from General Bobby's army, trained with an elemental trident, as well. Being saved in the Zombies War, he joined the movement to master the elemental weapons.
Electricity zapped into the air, acid splashed against the ground, and a large boulder exploded on a cluster of dummies.
"Hello there, what brings you here," a middle-aged soldier greeted and approached. He wore his prestigious military uniform, lathered in medallions. Even so, he bowed before the assistant.
"General Godfrey, I brought more recruits for you. There is one more on the way from Pearlshire City, too," the assistant elaborated.
General Godfrey glanced at the kids and raised an eyebrow. "Huh? You're telling me that these little kids are the new members. How old are they," he patronized. He looked down on them with a condescending expression.
Stark was appalled. "I am stronger than you, old man," he alleged.
General Godfrey chuckled. He turned back to the assistant in a serious and concerned manner. "As someone who's responsible for training our recruits, they are too young for this war," he asserted.
"Commander Darius handpicked them, so they are going to join the squad. They already mastered their elemental weapons, so you don't have to worry about training them. They're just here to meet their future comrades," the assistant refuted.
Pepe reached out a hand towards General Godfrey. "It's nice to meet you. I'm Pepe, squad leader of The New Heroes," he introduced himself with a tiny smirk.
General Godfrey was flabbergasted. He reluctantly shook his hand. "Leader? I'm surprised," he muttered.
The assistant handed him the folder, detailing their first mission. "You have no choice. Commander Darius' orders are absolute," she murmured.
General Godfrey sighed and agreed. "Let's go gather the squad then," he relented and motioned.
"He's missing an arm," Hafen pointed out to Matteo.
Matteo noticed and gasped.
As they loomed close, General Godfrey stopped and took a deep breath. He shouted, "Attention!"
The soldiers, all over, obeyed and stopped. In unison, they saluted.
Behind General Godfrey, the assistant turned to the kids and encouraged, "Your squad is waiting for you. You should introduce yourselves."
Stark was the first to step forward. He was followed by Hafen and Matteo. They exchanged glances and nodded.
The soldiers observed with curiosity. All eyes were on the kids.
"Hey guys, I'm Stark. These are my brothers, Matteo and Hafen. It's nice to meet you," Stark exclaimed.
"Are you the same kids that defeated the zombies in the Dominion of General Bobby," a soldier sought to know.
Hafen chuckled and attested, "We are."
Matteo nervously gazed around the dozens of soldiers. Just then, he spotted Lucius and felt bold. "Is that you, Lucius," he asked and waved.
Lucius greeted and confirmed.
Pepe finally stepped forward. He stood in front of his siblings and looked around.
The soldiers immediately recognized his green hair and bowed. "Welcome, leader," they expressed.
Pepe smiled. "We are going to be fighting together. I, Pepe, will command you, and we, side by side, will take down the cyborgs," he declared and raised his fist.
With excitement, the soldiers cheered. They seemed ready for anything.
Accepted by them, Pepe rallied his squad. He proclaimed, "The future of humanity counted on us!"
After the training grounds were set ablaze by them, the passionate soldiers headed to their barracks for the night. They carried Hafen, Matteo, and Stark and celebrated their accomplishments.
On the side, Pepe, General Godfrey, and the assistant convened.
"In a week, The New Heroes will depart for their first mission," the assistant revealed to Pepe.
General Godfrey gave the folder to Pepe. "Here are the written orders. Take care of your squad," he muttered.
Pepe thanked the assistant and General Godfrey.
General Godfrey yawned and commented, "I must rest for tomorrow. See you in the battlefield, Squad Leader Pepe."
Pepe nodded.
Suddenly, the assistant's radio went off.
"Hello, are you there," Commander Darius surveyed.
The assistant grasped her radio. "I'm right here. What is it," she queried.
"Our last recruit of The New Heroes just got here. Can you transport him," he requested.
"Yes sir," the assistant replied. She turned to Pepe. "I'm going to be right back," she asserted.
Pepe nodded. On his way to the barracks, he was welcomed by his soldiers. He was escorted and shown his room. After he settled in his room, he opened the folder and reviewed his written orders.
All of a sudden, there was a knock on the door.
"You can come in," Pepe permitted.
Lucius entered. "Sorry if I interrupted something," he apologized.
"It's okay," Pepe assured.
Lucius smiled and informed, "We prepared food if you're hungry."
Pepe's eyes lit up. He quickly closed the folder and hurried out of his room. He thanked Lucius.
In the cafeteria, the soldiers greeted him. They urged him to sit and eat.
Pepe chuckled and sat at a table. A large plate of food was set in front of him.
Nearby, Matteo, Stark, and Hafen were also eating.
Towers of empty plates were collected on another table.
Pepe gobbled down through plates of food. His cheeks were puffed up.
The soldiers were perplexed by the kids' appetite.
"How many plates do you think they will eat? Let's make a bet," a soldier whispered to another soldier.
Lucius stared at the kids and inquired, "Where are you, four, from?"
"We live in The Sacred Forest, which is really far away from The Capital," Hafen answered.
The soldiers were confused. "I have never heard of it," a soldier remarked.
"There's giant trees and waterfalls. In the middle, there's an orphanage where we stay. It also has four districts with different people and stores. Walking through it, you get a feeling of tranquility and replenishment. It's home." Stark described.
"It's a large forest. It's hard to miss," Matteo pointed out.
Lucius smiled. Even though he never had a home, he felt comforted hearing about The Sacred Forest.
Simultaneously, the assistant had entered the cafeteria. She stood by the entrance and stared at Lucius.
Lucius noticed her.
The assistant averted her gaze and approached Pepe. "Pepe, can I borrow you for a moment?"
"Oh, you're back," Pepe mumbled and swallowed.
"Be careful," Hafen warned.
"Stop being paranoid," Pepe suggested. He excused himself out.
In the halls, he questioned, "So, is the new recruit here?"
The assistant nodded and explained, "Yes. He's the last addition to your squad, and he wants to meet with you first."
After hearing her words, Pepe pondered and asked, "What's his name?"
The assistant replied, "His name is Aaron." She led him to a room, and she opened the door.
Inside, Pepe distinguished the last recruit.
Aaron slept on the bed. He had brown hair, and it was parted in the middle.
"Aaron, I brought you the squad leader," the assistant announced.
Aaron's eyes fluttered open. He slowly got up.
"I wish you the best of luck," she expressed. Then, she walked off.
"What a long ride. I'm exhausted," Aaron murmured.
Pepe turned to Aaron. "Hey," he greeted.
Aaron yawned. He observed him with seriousness. "You're the squad leader, right," he wanted to know.
Pepe approached the bed. "Yes. I am Pepe. Nice to meet you, Aaron," he expressed and extended his hand.
Aaron looked at it. He got up and hesitantly shook his hand.
"How come you wanted to meet me first," Pepe queried.
Aaron looked away. "I wanted to let you know that I'm not here to fight cyborgs. I'm not here to fight at all. So, don't rely on me," he admitted.
Pepe was surprised. "What? Why," he interrogated.
Aaron clenched his teeth and claimed, "War only brings conflict. Plus, I'm not here to die for humanity." After a moment, he walked past him.
Pepe stopped him. His face was more serious than before. "Then, why did you join the military?"
Aaron sighed and divulged, "My friend joined the military, but I have not heard from her. Apparently, she went missing." He clenched his fists and continued, "But she cannot be dead. We made a promise, so I must find her."
After hearing his words, Pepe realized the familiar situation. "I understand you. We are similar," he noted.
Aaron looked at him and inquired, "Are you also searching for someone?"
Pepe nodded and placed his hand on his shoulder. "My friend also disappeared, and I have not seen her since. I get it. You must follow your heart," he compelled.
Aaron was stunned. "Her name was Bridget. Have you heard of her," he demanded.
Pepe shook his head. He reassured, "Still, we could search for her, together."
Aaron turned away and sighed. He murmured, "I should have known. A kid can't help. Listen, I'm not going to fight for you. That's all." He walked off.
In the hall, the assistant leaned against the wall. She overheard their conversation.
Aaron ignored her and walked by.
At the same time, Pepe remembered his promise to Old Man Blacksmith.
In a week, The New Heroes depart on their first mission. What would they encounter? Who would they face? Would they succeed?