Roberto had fled from the robots, or at least that's what he thought. And now he had found the right path to the castle. It turned out that inside the castle was a laboratory, rather than some long hallways or elegant living rooms. He hoped that the reward promised by Alizandro would be worth it.
Roberto turned his head and, from his rocky hiding place on the cliff path, looked at the open doors. He couldn't hear anything from inside, so Roberto made his move. He clumsily emerged from his stony concealment and stealthily crept toward the open doors.
Once inside the castle, he realized that everything smelled of chemicals. There were tubes everywhere, flowing with some neon-colored solutions. That wasn't even the craziest part, as capsules lined the entire room.
Roberto approached one of the capsules and peered inside. He wasn't completely sure, as he couldn't see clearly, but he thought he saw...
A person. - something behind him completed the thought.
Roberto quickly turned around. It was some disheveled scientist. No, it must have been THAT scientist!
Neo Leo. - Roberto spat out challengingly.
Ha, ha, how did you recognize me like that? - Neo Leo chuckled in his frantically scientific voice.
What's going on here? - Roberto continued, ignoring the scientist's question.
Oh, nothing special, I'm just using human minds to power my outstanding robot army to control all of Andorra! - Leo blurted out, not realizing he was revealing too much.
What happened with the train accident? It was you, wasn't it? And what about the passengers? - Roberto asked as if in an interview.
What accident? Oh, ha ha! I was just joking, of course it was me! But don't worry, I didn't harm anyone, they're all alive... in my laboratory! - the scientist cackled like a raven infected with rabies.
Alright, clear, which door can I go through? - Roberto was about to leave, as his reconnaissance work was done.
Oh, oh, oh, you're not going anywhere! I've revealed too much to you. Robots! Capture him! - Neo Leo commanded, and Roberto immediately began a tactical retreat.
The unstable scientist laughed so much that he didn't even notice how Roberto managed to loop around and set a course directly towards him. Bam! Roberto knocked the crazy genius off his thin legs. The remote that Leo had tightly held in his hand was now lying on the ground—smashed into a million pieces.
The scientist got back on his feet and hurried to the front door with the robots. Roberto didn't even notice that, as his attention was drawn to the capsules, which had just begun to open. He already knew that there were people inside them, but it was only now that he discovered they were there...
Charles Bridgerton awoke in a capsule located in some kind of laboratory. He sat up. In the adjacent capsules were Harold and Elizabeth. Further along, there were more capsules with additional people.
Then his gaze met that of a Spaniard standing by the exit. He was calling out to him and gesturing. Charles understood nothing of it. However, it occurred to him that this was the same old goodorman who had once taken him and Harold to Luxembourg.
He wants us to follow. - Harold, who had just awakened, concluded.
The three friends scrambled out of their comfortable capsules and ran straight towards the Spaniard. Roberto immediately led them outside and helped them into the carriage that Alizandro had already brought beforehand, in case of evacuation.
The Spaniard urged the horse onward. With a neigh, it began galloping forward, pulling the carriage along with it. The others didn't quite understand where they were being taken until they noticed another carriage further ahead. That, of course, was Neo Leo's carriage.
In the mad scientist's carriage sat a group of robots. The other carriage was driven by a couple of robotic horses.
Then that's the villain! We will never catch up to him! Look how far ahead he already is! - Elizabeth lamented.
The distance between the two carriages was indeed significant, approximately 50 meters.
Roberto says that he knows a shorter way. - Harold exclaimed so that the others could hear through the clattering of the carriage.
After a moment, Roberto executed his previously mentioned secret maneuver for the shorter route. This surprised the others, who were unprepared. He veered off the dusty mountain road into a cave, or rather, a tunnel.
Upon entering the tunnel, pitch-black darkness enveloped them all. They couldn't see a thing. They could only hear the determined sound of the horse's hooves. The friends began to wonder if this was really the right way or if it was indeed a dead end. Several heavy falls onto the ground with the carriage only further unsettled and disoriented them. But finally, a magnificent daylight, rather evening glow emerged.
The outside world was epic and golden. A sunset was currently happening, enhanced by countless millions of small clouds. None of them had ever seen such a breathtaking view and sky before.
In any case, the mad Leo's carriage was only 10 meters away from the friends' carriage. The scientist glared at them menacingly. He began rummaging through his scientific bag. Then, apparently, he found what he was looking for - a rope!
He began to swing the rope above him like a cowboy. Then he dramatically threw it. As a good throw resulted, it ensnared both carriages together. Neo Leo immediately sent all four robots over the rope. In a flash, they were already climbing over the friends' carriage towards their own!
Roberto! Steer the cart! - Elizabete, as always, took the lead.
Roberto, of course, didn't understand, so Herolds quickly translated. Now the situation had drastically changed - Elizabete was battling against the grips of two strong robots, while both Charles and Herolds exchanged blows with the robots.
With great effort, Elizabete managed to heroically free herself from one metal man's grip. She immediately ruthlessly shoved him under the wheels of the cart, where he quickly turned into scrap metal. Next was the other robot, which she firmly grasped with both hands, not allowing it to come at her. Then Elizabete kicked it hard in the snout with all her strength. The robot's head literally exploded. The scientist then tossed its body over the edge, deep into a very steep gorge.
The androids were cornering both Charles and Herolds. Elizabete came to the rescue, as she could see her friends were in serious trouble. The brave scientist knocked both metal men away from her friends and closer to the edge of the cart, where Herolds and Charles tripped them right on time. The frightened robots toppled backward into the distant gorge.
Yes! - all three shouted at once.
We are a good team. - Elizabete concluded.
Then the friends turned toward the robotic cart and went pale. The path was coming to an end, but the start of the gorge was getting closer. And what's more, Leo had somehow summoned three more robotic companions. "Science," thought Elizabete.
Cut the rope! - quick-thinking Charles yelled.
And that's exactly what she did. She pulled out scissors from her tool belt (which only had an ice pick and scissors). Then she partially climbed up the rope to reach the thinner part. Then she cut it. In an instant, the wind threw her back, landing her tightly in the grips of Charles and Herolds.
Roberto quickly slowed the horse, just in time to let only a few pebbles roll down. The robotic cart had disappeared. Everyone looked down, but nothing significant was visible.
At least that's settled now. - Charles concluded.
Yes, Andora is finally free. - Herolds added.
As the ox driver was about to drive the horse backward, suddenly something LARGE emerged from the gorge. For a moment, no one believed it, but in the next moment - it was clear. Neo Leo gleefully chuckled from his enormous airship, which had a large, bright, and repulsive "R" letter on its "roof."
It seems Neo Leo is once again coming through unscathed! - the crazy scientist grinned hysterically.
Elizabete just rolled her eyes. The young scientist pulled out a previously unnoticed tool from her golden work belt. It was a golden sphere that opened when pressed. The ball slowly unfolded and transformed into a very scientific hoop and a very interesting arrow.
The scientist placed the arrow in the bowstring, pulled it back, and released. The arrow shot across the canyon at a supernatural speed and went straight into the dirigible's balloon. The arrow, which was actually a syringe, began to inject something inside the balloon.
"What's inside that arrow?" Charles asked casually.
"Fire gas," Elizabeth replied, inspecting her nails.
"Oh," Charles sighed before the dirigible turned into a fireball that raced down into the canyon at an astonishing speed.
When it reached the bottom of the canyon, it exploded into an even larger fireball. The sight was spectacular.
"We need to see if he's alive," Charles suggested.
"In my opinion, nothing could survive such an explosion, but fine. We need to make sure he doesn't escape," Elizabeth said grumpily.
Herald commanded the driver to take them to the burning wreckage of the dirigible. The Spaniard also drove them down some forbidden and remote mountain road. When they finally reached the canyon's bottom, the heroic and adventure-filled day was beginning to fade into twilight.
There was no one there, so they were already preparing to leave for the city, away from the massive bonfire. After examining the surroundings, the four of them concluded that Neo Leo had indeed been defeated, so they all got back into the carriage.
"Wait," Herald called, motioning for Roberto to stop, as he had noticed some movement in the fire.
Now the others had noticed it as well. And now, from the merciless inferno, the corporeal Neo Leo himself emerged.
"Neo Leo is too clever to die!" he shouted before a heavy, burning piece of the dirigible crashed down on him.
No one said anything further. Only Charles felt that at the last moment he had seen something like a glitch, which typically happens when, for example, a hologram disappears. But he kept that to himself. Then Herald mentioned that he wanted to sleep, and everyone else agreed. So, the fateful canyon was left behind.
They were all taken back to Andorra la Vella. They spent the night at Alizandro's place, who also, by the way, had partially helped with the entire operation — with the carriage. His house was located on a quiet side street.
None of them wanted to think about what they had done. Not everyone believed that Leo was really dead.
"Fons," Charles briefly thought, before drifting off to the land of dreams.