Protective Sound?

"You guys alright, tios?" came a warm voice from behind them.

"'Tios'?" Patricia repeated with an ironic smile. "We're still young, aren't we?"

Everyone quickly turned toward the voice and saw a thin man dressed like a flamenco guitarist. He wore impeccably pressed dark pants, a long-sleeved shirt in a subdued tone, elegant yet comfortable leather shoes, and held a classic wooden guitar that seemed to carry a thousand stories. His blonde hair gleamed under the dim light, and his green eyes radiated calm and confidence.

"Hostias, sh*t!" Antonio exclaimed, using a typical expression from the region. "I meant 'chavales or guys.' Good thing I found you all! I arrived just in time." He paused dramatically before introducing himself. "I'm Agent A-12, but since we're among colleagues, you can call me Antonio Navarro. What are you doing around here? Where's my colleague Olaf? It's been a while since I saw him." As he spoke, Antonio began looking around for Olaf, but he noticed how everyone lowered their gaze, filled with sadness.

"Why the long faces?" Antonio asked, sensing something in the air.

An uncomfortable silence fell over the group. No one wanted to be the first to speak, until Anais, tears in her eyes, broke the silence. "Olaf... he died in battle. He was trying to save us."

Antonio nodded slowly, bringing a hand to his chin with a thoughtful gesture. His eyes narrowed slightly, as if weighing each word before speaking. "I see... Someday his recklessness was bound to catch up with him. For all of us, sooner or later, the bill comes due," he murmured with a calmness that contrasted sharply with the chaos still vibrating in the air.

Without saying more, he lifted his guitar and began to play a melody that resonated through the tense silence of the battlefield. It was a sad but comforting song, like a whisper of hope amidst the desolation. His fingers glided across the strings with an almost reverential delicacy, drawing out notes that seemed to float in the air like threads of golden light. Each chord wove an intimate atmosphere, wrapping those who listened in an invisible embrace that soothed even the most agitated hearts.

The notes mingled with the wind, carrying with them a sense of peace that seemed to say: "Not everything is lost." Berta, who had been on the verge of tears, felt the weight of her anguish begin to lift. Patricia, beside her, closed her eyes for a moment, letting the music carry her away, as if it were speaking directly to her soul.

"There's no need to be sad," Antonio said softly as he played. "We must move forward, always remembering him. If you'd like, I can help you." He then shifted the tune to something catchier and more cheerful, which made some members of the group smile again.

One by one, the team members began to thank him for saving them. Even Eliot, who had recently been reserved, approached to thank him without raising suspicion.

"I already took care of the controlled ones around here," Antonio explained with a modest smile. "But then I saw that the machines started coming to life. Luckily, I always carry this wooden guitar with me—it doesn't use any technology. With it, I can play my songs and help fill the world with joy. When I saw this chaos, I stepped in to calm things down and save the people. I'm glad to know you were also saving lives after losing Olaf."

In addition to his music, Antonio had a special gift for connecting with people. Berta, who had been quiet until now, dared to speak. "Besides your voice... The song was beautiful. What a lovely tune, wasn't it?" she said, blushing slightly.

"Ah, miss!" Antonio replied with gallantry, taking her hand and kissing it gently. "Seeing a beautiful face smile would make anything worthwhile for me."

Cris, observing the scene with a raised eyebrow, muttered: "Well, this agent turned out to be quite the Don Juan."

"There's love for everyone—I'm only 18," Antonio joked with a laugh, making some of the girls giggle shyly but genuinely.

Eliot, uncomfortable with the situation, clapped his hands together to interrupt. "We need to continue with the mission," he said firmly.

"You're right," Antonio agreed, returning to a serious tone. "If you want, you can follow me. We can help evacuate the injured and civilians through a search-and-rescue operation. We also need to take down the robots. I think I heard that you're running out of ammunition."

"Yes," Travis confirmed, nervously adjusting his weapon.

"Good. I saw an armory around here. It might have some ammo. Follow me," Antonio instructed confidently, taking the lead. His voice was firm, but a shadow of doubt crossed his face as the words left his lips. "An armory... seriously," Anais muttered to herself skeptically, quickening her pace toward the location she had spotted earlier.

The group followed in silence, each lost in their own thoughts. The air was thick with tension, mingled with the metallic scent of dust stirred up by the recent explosion. Finally, they arrived at the armory. It was a low, sturdy building with rusted metal walls and a large sliding door that seemed to have withstood the test of time.

"This is it," Antonio announced, breaking the silence. He approached the door and placed both hands on it, trying to move it with all his strength. His muscles tensed under his shirt as he pushed, but the door barely budged a few inches, emitting a high-pitched screech that echoed through the air.

"This isn't going to be easy," Cris remarked, watching Antonio struggle against the heavy structure.

"It doesn't matter. If there's something inside that can help us, we need to get in," Anais responded with determination. "Please, help him," she ordered Cris and Miguel. Together, Antonio, Cris, and Miguel began pushing the door, but even their combined efforts couldn't budge it.

"It's stuck... It seems they sealed it shut," Cris and Miguel commented after several failed attempts.

"Maybe we need everyone to push," Anais suggested. But before they could organize a joint effort, something broke through the door from the inside with a deafening roar.

It was colossal. "Father of all bulls!" Antonio exclaimed, pointing at the towering beast before them. The bull was the size of a house, its red fur blazing like embers under the sun, and its sharp horns gleaming with a menacing metallic glint. On its front legs, two automatic machine guns slowly rotated, ready to spit death. Its long, flexible tail moved like a living sword, slicing through the air with sharp whistles.

"Watch out!" Berta and Patricia shouted in unison, their voices cutting through the chaos. Cris reacted just in time, lunging toward Anais and pulling her out of the path of the gigantic creature charging forward, destroying everything in its wake. Miguel, with his immense strength, lifted Travis and Eliot—one under each arm—and placed them safely behind a nearby wall.

"That was close," everyone murmured, catching their breath. But Anais barely had time to relax. She looked on in horror as the bull's weapons came to life, firing bursts of bullets that pierced the asphalt and shattered windows. "Quick, we need to find a safe place!" she shouted, turning to see a crowd of people emerging from nearby buildings, running desperately and disoriented amidst the hail of fire.

"Oh no! The people!" Anais exclaimed, but before she could move, Cris pulled her toward a nearby wall to protect her. Just then, a voice rang out in the air: "SOUND BARRIER." Without missing a beat, Antonio began playing his guitar. Small shields shaped like musical notes sprouted from his instrument, intercepting the bullets and deflecting them to the ground, creating an improvised refuge for the civilians.

"Thank goodness you're here," Patricia said to Antonio, positioning herself beside him. "It's better if you help the people evacuate. I'll handle that thing," he responded with determination, not stopping his strumming. Patricia nodded and, along with Berta, began guiding the civilians to safety.

Anais, still sheltered behind the wall, removed Cris's hands from over her head. "I'm fine, Cristopher," she said firmly, though her cheeks flushed slightly as she realized how close their faces had been. He looked at her, also blushing, and stepped back uncomfortably. "I was just protecting you," he muttered, avoiding her gaze.

Anais turned her attention back to the battlefield. She saw how Antonio had managed to save the civilian population thanks to his ability. "Thank goodness that guy is here," she thought aloud. Then, turning to Cris, she added with a mischievous smile: "Stop making that dumb face; we have work to do."

"Yes, sir... I mean, ma'am," he stammered, quickly straightening up.

"While Antonio deals with that thing, let's get into the armory and find ammunition to support him," Anais ordered, cautiously advancing toward the nearest building.

"Let's go," Cris replied quietly, following closely behind her. Anais grabbed him by the shoulder and pushed him forward. Then she signaled to Miguel to join them, knowing his strength would be key to carrying multiple weapons. She gestured to Travis and Eliot to focus on the evacuation.

Upon entering the armory, the three of them were left speechless. There was an impressive amount of weaponry—enough to equip a small army. "This looks like a military warehouse," Cris remarked aloud, eyeing the rows of rifles, crates of ammunition, and tactical gear.

"No time for guesses. It's time to act," Miguel said urgently. He began loading several weapons into a heavy chest he found in a corner. As he moved the case, his eyes landed on something hanging high up: a bazooka. "That would be great, boss. Can I grab that weapon?" he asked, pointing to the devastating weapon.

"Of course, why not? It'll help us deal with that metal beast," Anais replied, referring to the giant bull still wreaking havoc outside.

Miguel set the chest down for a moment and quickly climbed some nearby scaffolding to reach the bazooka hanging high up. Once he had it in his hands, he examined it in awe. "Wow! It's lightweight and seems to be made of high-quality material," he murmured, running his fingers over its metallic surface as he inspected it from top to bottom.

"Alright, grab some ammunition too," Cris instructed, pointing to several crates of projectiles stacked next to the chest. Once they were fully armed, the three of them exited the armory to assess how the battle outside was progressing.

Antonio was in the middle of his duel with the mechanical bull, waving a red cloth he had found among the rubble. "Aha, Toro! Come at me!" he shouted, provoking the gigantic beast. For some strange reason, the cloth seemed to enrage it even more, as if the artificial creature still retained the same instinctive reactions as a real bull. Antonio smiled to himself, thinking: It seems it hates the color red just as much as one made of flesh and bone.

The metallic bull charged at him with overwhelming fury, its sharp horns aimed directly at the musician's chest. The machine guns on its legs began firing, but Antonio remained unfazed. With the fluid motion of his guitar, he created a barrier of musical notes that deflected every bullet, shielding him from the relentless attacks of the mechanical beast.

"It looks like he has everything under control," Anais observed from her position, keeping her eyes fixed on the confrontation.

"Then this is our chance," Miguel responded, seizing the moment when the mechanical bull moved away from Antonio. With the bazooka firmly rested on his shoulder and his finger ready on the trigger, he took aim. The projectile launched with a deafening roar, striking the bull directly on its side. An explosion shook the air, enveloping the gigantic robot in a cloud of smoke and fire.

"I think that did it, machine," Cris said with a half-smile, confident that the attack had been devastating. However, when the dust cleared, the mechanical bull was still there, unscathed. Its armored body gleamed under the sun, and its eyes glowed with an expression of hatred and bitterness that seemed almost human.

"That thing must have tank-level armor or something," Miguel commented, frustrated to see that the powerful missile hadn't managed to destroy the robot.

Suddenly, a rocket emerged from the bull's back, slicing through the air with a sharp whistle, heading straight toward where Miguel, Anais, and Cris stood. "Watch out!" Antonio shouted from a distance, but it was already too late. The missile struck with a thunderous explosion, sending up a column of fire and earth that completely obscured the three companions.

"Oh no!" Berta exclaimed, terrified, as she watched the scene dissolve into chaos. Tears began streaming down her face at the thought that they had lost their friends in a single devastating attack.