Smoke and dust still lingered in the air. The team stood frozen, their eyes locked on the figure who had just saved Franco.
A man with silver hair, a black coat fluttering behind him, and a glowing blade pulsing in his hand.
Franco (shocked):
"Dad…?"
The man lowered his visor, revealing sharp, tired eyes.
???:
"I go by Cero now. Franco... there's no time to explain everything. But yes. It's me."
Savio (whispering):
"No way… The legend? The man who vanished during the Zakrota raids ten years ago?"
Marco:
"You're supposed to be dead."
Cero:
"Not dead. Just hiding. Zakrota wanted me erased. But I learned too much… and now, they fear what I know."
Napol groaned under the rubble, electricity sparking from his armor.
Franco (angrily):
"You left us! You let mom die… I watched our home burn, and you weren't there!"
Cero lowered his head.
Cero:
"I know, son. I failed you. But everything I did... was to protect you. Zakrota had your DNA. They were cloning you, building weapons from your blood. I couldn't risk them using me to get to you."
Franco (gritted teeth):
"Then why now? Why show up now?"
Cero:
"Because you're finally strong enough. And because I'm done running."
He tossed Franco a small, cube-shaped device.
Cero:
"This holds a map. To Vault Zero. The heart of Zakrota's empire. If you want answers, real ones—about your past, your powers, and their ultimate plan—you'll need to go there."
Lucchini (scanning the device):
"Encrypted tech. Way beyond anything we've seen. This is next-level."
Rocco:
"Why is the final boss base always named something like Vault Zero? Can't it be Snuggle Island or Cheesecake HQ just once?"
Savio:
"Rocco… not now."
Rocco:
"Fine. But I'm just saying, evil naming is very predictable."
Suddenly, Napol's voice echoed again.
Napol (rising, mask shattered):
"Family reunions are… touching."
He extended his arm—and a swarm of nano-blades launched out toward the team.
Cero (shouting):
"Get down!"
He jumped in front of Franco, deflecting the blades with a glowing energy shield. Sparks flew as the impact knocked them both backward.
Cero (strained):
"I can hold him off. Go! Head to the old transport tunnel, 400 meters north!"
Franco (yelling):
"I'm not leaving you again!"
Cero:
"You have to! You're the key, Franco. You were always the key!"
The ground trembled as Napol's core started glowing—his systems going into overdrive.
Marco (grabbing Franco):
"Let's move before this place turns into a crater!"
The team retreated through a side corridor as the battle between Cero and Napol raged behind them—two titans clashing in the flames.
As they emerged into the cold mountain air, Franco looked back one last time.
Franco (softly):
"…Dad…"
---
Hours Later – Hidden Camp
The team sat around a small fire, silent.
Lucchini:
"That man… Cero. I read about him in the war logs. He was a hero once. Before he vanished."
Savio:
"If he's alive… who else might be?"
Marco (serious):
"If Vault Zero exists, and it really holds Zakrota's darkest secrets—we'll need more than guns to survive it."
Franco (looking at the cube):
"We'll need the truth."
The camera pans up to the dark mountains ahead, and somewhere far beyond them…
A massive structure waits, hidden beneath the ice.
Vault Zero.