"No! It only caught one of them. That's not good. I'll have to escape, or I might get trapped," Zane said as he got up from his seat and took the exit from his office.
*****
Sam ran up to the wreckage of the ship, searching for Steven's body. Sam could now see Steven's burnt body covered in dust. He pulled him out of the wreckage and knelt beside him.
"I shouldn't have convinced you to go. I was supposed to go, but I was too weak to fight, even for myself. All I do is sit back and let people do my job. You were my only friend, and now I've lost you. I'm sorry," Sam said, crying.
Lucas walked to Sam's side and patted him on the shoulder. Lucas knelt beside Steven's lifeless body, his heart heavy with grief. He had tried to save his friend, but it was too late. Steven was gone.
"I'm sorry for putting you through this. I've lost someone too, a friend so dear to me. I know how you feel. If only I could bring him back, but I... wait, there's actually a way I can bring him back," Lucas said as he remembered the Alpha Box. He had been told that it had the power to transfer energy, to revive the dead. It was a long shot, but Lucas was desperate.
Lucas dashed right back into Ray Tech's facility in search of the Alpha Box. He knew it would be in the same room his ship had been kept.
"Zane was too carried away by his experiments to remember to take the Alpha Box with him, knowing that he needed it to activate the ship, and he was not done with his research. We still have a chance," Lucas thought.
Lucas stormed into the room where his ship had emerged and immediately saw the Alpha Box on a workbench. He ran to it, grabbed it, and was ready to storm out of the room.
But Lucas felt uneasy in the place he was, as if he were being watched. His eyes scanned the room for any sign that stood out, but there was nothing too suspicious—only an old mech robot hanging in a corner of the room.
"It's just an old robot," Lucas said as he stormed out of the room. In an instant, he was by Steven's side again.
"The box has been damaged by the experiments they did on it, without any regard for how it worked. From what I can tell, it can't create alpha energy anymore. But I believe it can transfer its stored-up energy. I think that would be enough to do the trick," Lucas said.
"But I thought you needed it. You've got what you wanted, so please, just go already," Sam said, sobbing.
"Yes, I've got the box, but the energy stored in it wouldn't be enough for me to match my brother's power. And your friend here has helped me in ways I cannot imagine," Lucas said, looking down at Steven's lifeless body.
Lucas carefully placed the Alpha Box on Steven's chest, its glowing blue lines pulsing with energy. At first, nothing seemed to happen. But then, a faint hum filled the air, and the box began to glow brighter.
Suddenly, a burst of energy shot out of the box, enveloping Steven's body. Lucas watched in amazement as Steven's chest began to rise and fall, his eyes flickering open.
"Steven?" Lucas whispered, hope rising in his chest.
Steven's eyes focused, and he looked up at Lucas, confusion etched on his face. "Lucas? Sam?" he croaked, his voice weak but alive.
Lucas helped Steven sit up, the Alpha Box still glowing on his chest. "You were dead, Steven," Lucas said, his voice shaking with emotion. "But the box... it brought you back."
Steven looked down at the box, then back at Lucas, a hint of a smile on his lips. "Thanks, Lucas. I owe you one."
"No, you've done enough. It's the only way I can pay you back," Lucas replied. Sam hit Steven on the head, "You don't die on me, ever again."
*****
General Peter had just gotten up from where he had been knocked out. "That alien, I'll need something bigger to win against him. He's strong; I can't argue that. I'll have a run for my money," Peter said, turning around.
From a distance, he could see Zane Morris hurriedly heading his way. "Where are you running off to?" Peter asked.
"Well, I'm heading out. I have a lot of things to attend to," Zane Morris said, trying to sound convincing. Peter could see sweat running down Morris' face; he knew something was off.
"Let me guess, you've screwed things up?" Peter asked, his brows furrowing.
"No... well, not really. It's just a little error. I think you might be able to handle it," Zane replied.
"I'll need something bigger if I'm going up against that alien again," Peter said.
"Fine, get to the laboratory room. You'll find a mech robot. It might be difficult to operate, but you'll get the hang of it," Zane said as he ran off, heading for the exit.
Peter also ran in the direction of the laboratory room. The sounds of his footsteps could be heard through the hallway. He clashed with his second-in-command, John. "Get a sniper. Get to the top of the roof," Peter ordered.
"Yes, sir," John replied. They both split and went their separate ways.
Peter was now at the laboratory room. He hopped into the mech robot and activated it. "Here I go," he said as he stormed out of the laboratory room. Peter burst through the walls of the facility, heading for Lucas.
Peter now had the same strength and speed as Lucas with the help of the mech robot.
*****
Lucas was still beside Steven and Sam when he could feel the ground vibrating. He knew something was headed their way, and it was fast. "Something's heading this way, and it's approaching fast!" Lucas said. He stood up, ready for whatever was coming.
From a distance, Lucas could see the mech robot he had earlier approaching, and it was fast.
Lucas charged forward, his fists clenched and his eyes blazing with determination. Before him stood a towering mech robot, its metal body gleaming in the light. The robot's eyes glowed red, and its massive arms ended in razor-sharp claws.
A gunshot was heard, and the next thing Lucas knew, his shoulder was bleeding. "What? I've been shot. Where did it come from?" Lucas thought, his eyes scanning around as he fell to his knees.
"My, my, you've been shot. I guess you should know, it's one of my soldiers," Peter spoke from within the mech. But with the pain, Lucas tried to fight back as he launched a powerful kick, but the robot swatted him aside like a fly. Lucas crashed into the ground, rolling to avoid the robot's follow-up attack. He sprang to his feet, dodging the robot's claws by mere inches.
The robot unleashed a barrage of laser fire, and Lucas sprinted to the side, avoiding the blasts by mere centimeters. He leapt into the air, delivering a flying punch that struck the robot's chest with a deafening clang. The robot stumbled back but quickly regained its footing.
Lucas landed hard on the ground, his knees buckling beneath him. The robot seized the opportunity, pinning Lucas to the ground with its claws. Lucas struggled, but the robot's grip was unyielding.
The robot raised its arm, preparing to deliver the final blow. Lucas screamed in defiance, but his voice was drowned out by the robot's deafening roar. The ground shook beneath him as the robot's claws came crashing down, mere inches from his face.
Lucas tried to squirm away, but the robot's grip was too strong. He was trapped, with no escape. The robot's claws gleamed in the light, ready to strike the final blow.
Suddenly, the robot's arm froze, its claws mere inches from Lucas's face. The robot's eyes flickered, and its body shuddered. Lucas took advantage of the reprieve, delivering a series of rapid-fire punches that sent the robot stumbling back.
But the robot quickly regained its footing, its eyes blazing with renewed intensity. Lucas knew he was no match for the robot's superior strength. He tried to retreat, but the robot was too fast, its claws snapping shut mere inches from his heels.
Lucas dodged and weaved, avoiding the robot's attacks by mere centimeters. But the robot was relentless, its claws striking the ground mere inches from Lucas's feet. Lucas knew he couldn't keep this up for much longer.
Finally, the robot's claws struck true, pinning Lucas to the ground. The robot raised its arm, preparing to deliver the final blow. Lucas closed his eyes, bracing for impact...
Meanwhile, soldiers stormed out from the corner of the facility, aiming their guns at Lucas, who was pinned down by the mech.
Steven knew this could be Lucas's last breath if he didn't do something. While thinking of what to do, Steven could feel a surge of power coursing through his veins. His body began to crackle with lightning, and everything around him seemed to move in slow motion. In an instant, Steven dashed out with unbelievable speed, knocking out every single soldier, one after another.