The red light of the Zacrota machines blazed in every corner of the base, while the ground shook beneath their feet from the intensity of the explosions. The life-and-death battle was escalating at an unprecedented pace, and the pressure was at its peak. Franco's team was at the center of the chaos, moving through the rubble and debris, each one on high alert.
Franco was facing the command robot alone now, his eyes blazing with defiance, despite the wounds covering his body. Every step was a challenge, and every breath he took felt like he was facing the entire world.
Command robot (in a cold, electronic voice): "You will not survive. This is the end, Franco Pato."
Franco (smiling bitterly, catching his breath): "Those who think they are writing the end often forget that there is always a new chapter."
At that moment, Franco fired a bullet directly into the robot's heart, but something was off. The missile bounced off it, as if the metallic monster was dodging the attack.
Franco (his voice getting louder): "What?! This is impossible!"
Command droid (laughing metallically): "I was expecting this attack. You weren't supposed to complete your journey here, but that's okay. We'll add more complications."
Then, suddenly, the surfaces surrounding the droid began shifting as if they were shifting into new defensive zones. Sharp blades emerged from the walls, and radiating electrical wires surrounded him, trapping Franco in a circle of potential death.
As Franco tried to escape, he heard a familiar voice calling to him from the distance.
Marco (shouting): "Don't give up, Franco! There's still hope!"
Moments later, Savio and Irina emerged from the rubble, while Columbo sat behind a computer screen, rapidly punching buttons.
Savio (running toward Franco): "This is your only chance, come on! Use the weapons the secondary systems left us!"
Franco (looking exhausted, but smiling slightly): "I think I'm going to need help this time."
Irina (pulling a high-tech weapon from her bag): "There's no room for failure now."
Then, in a bold move, Franco detonated a portion of the ground beneath the command robot's feet, partially collapsing the robot's steel frame. That was the decisive moment. Franco seized the opportunity and rushed at full speed toward his target, grabbing a special weapon in his hand.
Franco (screaming as he fired): "This is your end! There won't be another chance!"
The command robot tried to escape, but Franco's missile struck its heart, igniting its components with a deafening explosion.
But before it could fall, the command robot delivered a final blow to Franco. At the last moment, it was Marco who leaped in front of it, aiming his blow away from Franco.
Marco (breathing heavily): "I thought I was escaping death, but it seems I was in its heart the whole time."
At that moment, everything fell silent, and when the smoke cleared, Franco stood surveying the area. It was the end, but also the beginning of a new phase. Zacrota had finally been destroyed, but the danger wasn't over yet.
Franco (in a calm voice): "We did it... but we know the war isn't over yet. Zacrota is just the beginning."
He then turned to his colleagues who were approaching him. They were all tired, but there was a glimmer of hope in their eyes. Columbo gave a small smile.
Colombo: "Now, I think I'll start thinking about what life will be like after Zacrota."
Irina (looking at Franco seriously): "What do you do next?"
Franco (looking at them confidently): "Now, we rebuild what was destroyed. This isn't the end... it's the beginning."
At that moment, the team began heading toward the exit gate. Franco was the last to leave the base, the devastation still lingering behind him. But in his heart, he was well aware that his journey wasn't over yet.
Franco (whispers to himself): "I won't let this world fall apart... I will fight for the rest."
And here he is, beginning a new chapter in Venosa's history, where hope is never killed.
The End... or the Beginning.