The Beginning of the War (G)

The Beginning of the War (G)

Then Afonso and Sebastião stood at the front of the ship, and once again, they spoke about Thanatos and the war. Then they left the ship and... Nothing? Would they have to search the whole planet? Well, it was certainly a large planet, and it would take them a long time to find what they were looking for. So they split into teams to search for Thanatos. Oh, and strangely, the air was breathable.

The teams were: Behavior and Tomb, Titan and Catarse, Afonso and José, Genivaldo and Sebastião, Verana and Master Turtle, Harbinger and Wladeírson, and Thomas and Zoe, who, despite being weak, was slightly stronger now on the planet where her powers originated.

Then they set off, but Will and Tomb stayed a little longer on the ship to "scan" the planet and make a "map." Then they started talking.

"John, what about this guy Harbinger?"

Tomb, already transformed, sat on a sofa inside the ship, crossed his arms, and responded with a look of disdain.

"I don't know. One minute Michel was pissed off with him, and then they're all 'cool'? Plus, he's all closed off. And we never solved that FBI case involving him."

Will turned and frowned, with a thoughtful expression as he looked down, arms also crossed.

"You're right, this is really strange, and the FBI case is still open. I don't trust him completely, but if he saved us from those things in space to manipulate us? I don't know…"

Then a "plin" sound came from the ship's monitor. The system had already scanned the planet, and the map was ready for them to go.

Everyone left to search for Thanatos. The formation of the honored ones handed the Immortals one of those devices from the suits, which are worn on the heroes' arms like bracelets. They would use them as communicators and trackers.

As each team followed their path, the silence of the planet was disturbing. Afonso and José walked through a rocky gorge, alert for any sign of movement.

"This place is too quiet…" José murmured, adjusting the bracelet on his arm.

Afonso nodded, his eyes scanning the horizon. "Thanatos might be watching us right now. We need to stay alert."

Meanwhile, Behavior and Tomb were walking through a dense forest. The vegetation seemed to have a life of its own, leaves moving without wind, shadows stretching in strange ways.

"I have a bad feeling," said Behavior.

Then Tomb grumbled, kicking a fallen branch.

"Since when do you not have one?"

In another region, Titan and Catarse advanced through a cave illuminated by bluish crystals. The echo of their voices reverberated off the walls.

"If Thanatos is hiding, places like this are perfect for a lair," commented Catarse, touching one of the crystals.

"Or for a trap," replied Titan, clenching his fists.

From the top of a hill, Genivaldo and Sebastião observed the valley below, filled with ancient ruins. Sebastião activated the tracker on his bracelet, trying to detect any anomalous energy.

"Something strange... There's an energy source coming from the center of these ruins," he said, adjusting the visor.

Genivaldo tightened his belt.

"Then that's where we're going."

Harbinger and Wladeírson, on the other hand, walked through a swampy terrain. The air was thick, and each step sank slightly into the mud.

"I hate swamps," grumbled Wladeírson, trying to shake the mud off his paws.

Harbinger, always serious, simply observed his surroundings.

"Stay alert. Something is watching us."

Meanwhile, Thomas and Zoe crossed an open plain, the red sky reflecting in Zoe's eyes. She felt a strange energy flowing through the environment.

"This planet... It gives me strength, but also makes me restless," Zoe confessed.

As everyone explored, an alert appeared on their bracelets: "Anomalous signal detected. Coordinates sent."

The alert on the bracelets made everyone stop for a moment. Afonso looked at the device on his arm and noticed the coordinates flashing on the screen. He looked at José, who had already understood the message.

"Let's go there."

Without wasting any time, the two started running through the gorge, avoiding loose rocks and staying alert.

On the other side of the planet, Behavior and Tomb received the same notification. Tomb muttered something inaudible before looking at Behavior, who was already checking the right direction.

"Looks like someone found something. Let's go."

The dense forest made progress more difficult, but they didn't hesitate. Behavior felt that something was wrong, and the closer they got to the indicated point, the stronger this feeling became.

In the ancient ruins, Genivaldo and Sebastião also received the signal. Sebastião checked the visor one last time before pointing to an underground passage among the debris.

"The energy is coming from here."

Genivaldo nodded, holding a small blade. Without saying another word, the two began descending into the dark passage.

In the cave illuminated by the crystals, Titan and Catarse analyzed the coordinates. Titan gritted his teeth, already anticipating that it wouldn't be a peaceful encounter.

"If Thanatos is there, we need to act fast."

Catarse agreed, and the two set off, the crystals emitting a faint glow as they followed the rocky trail.

Harbinger and Wladeírson, still in the swamp, saw the notification on their bracelets. Wladeírson moved his paws, sinking slightly into the mud before letting out a sigh.

"Do you think it's him?"

Harbinger looked at the cloudy sky, feeling the shift in the energy around them.

"Yes."

Thomas and Zoe, in the plain, also received the coordinates. Zoe felt a different vibration in the air, as if the planet itself was reacting.

"It's close."

Thomas simply nodded and quickened his pace alongside her.

Meanwhile, in a mountainous region, Verana and Master Turtle analyzed the signal they received. The heroine held her bracelet for a moment before looking at the master beside her.

"If everyone received it, we can't fall behind."

Master Turtle, with his serene posture, simply closed his eyes for a moment, feeling the energy around him.

"Destiny calls us. Let's meet it."

Little by little, the teams converged toward the same point. The ruins, the gorge, the forest, the cave, the swamp, the plain, and the mountains all led to one location: a vast open field, where the ground seemed cracked and worn, as if something very powerful had passed through there before.

And in the center, a solitary figure surrounded by strange ships awaited them. Thanatos was there.

As they all approached him, Thanatos stood up and looked at Afonso.

"Long time no see. Hahaha. Is this your army?"

Afonso clenched his fists, still a long way off, having to shout to communicate.

"Yeah. I picked the strongest."

Thanatos grinned slyly and looked directly at Afonso.

"And what if they die?"

Afonso was concerned; he hadn't thought of that option. Thanatos continued speaking, shaking his head in disdain.

"My 'army,' if it can be called that, is made up of some dumb, unconscious creatures, hahaha. They wouldn't make a difference. They act purely on instinct."

Afonso remained silent, his face hardening, and they didn't stop walking. Meanwhile, Will activated a function on his bracelet that would make the ship follow them, and as they passed the first row of ships, Afonso stopped, as did the others. Soon, they donned their suits.

Then, from behind, came Thanatos' army. They were deformed, horrific creatures, completely mindless. Yet, they obeyed Thanatos. He ordered them to stop behind him.

Thanatos then smiled, pointed his scythe forward, where the heroes were, and said:

"LET THE WAR BEGIN"

As soon as Thanatos' words echoed across the battlefield, the silence was shattered by a collective roar from the creatures. They moved in a disordered fashion, like a chaotic wave of flesh and shadow, but there was something terribly menacing about their presence. The ground trembled as they advanced.

Afonso didn't hesitate.

"Everyone, stay together! Defend yourselves and advance!"

The bracelets glowed as the suits were fully activated. Each hero positioned themselves according to their abilities, ready for the first impact.

Titan charged first, punching the ground with enough force to raise a stone barrier and prevent the creatures from surrounding them immediately.

Verana drew her twin blades, spinning them with skill as she assumed an attacking stance.

"We need to make our way to Thanatos! If we get stuck in this horde, we'll be crushed!"

Master Turtle stood firm beside her, his serene expression hiding the tension of the moment.

"Don't underestimate these creatures. They may be irrational, but that makes them even more unpredictable."

Sebastião fired bursts of fire, knocking down some of the creatures that were approaching. Behavior and Tomb fought side by side, synchronizing their attacks to keep the enemies at bay.

Thomas and Zoe were further back, ready to provide support. Zoe felt the planet's energy reacting to the battle and tried to channel it.

"There's something strange here… it's like this planet is alive!"

Sebastião analyzed the data on his visor, narrowly avoiding a grotesque claw strike.

"That explains why the energy here is unstable. Thanatos might be using the planet itself against us!"

Meanwhile, Harbinger and Wladeírson advanced along the flank, cutting their way through the creature ranks. Wladeírson used his sharp paws to slice through the enemies, while Harbinger seemed to anticipate each attack before it even happened.

From above, Will's ship hovered over the battle, ready to provide support if necessary.

Thanatos, watching it all, wore a satisfied smile.

"You fight well, I admit. But you still don't understand…"

He raised his scythe, and the sky itself seemed to tear open. From above, dark energy began to fall, like black spears.

"This war was already won before it even began."

The black spears plummeted from the sky like meteors, destroying the ground and sending waves of dark energy everywhere. The impact sent several heroes flying. Afonso protected himself with an improvised force field, but the pressure from the explosion almost made him lose his balance.

Sebastião rolled to the side, narrowly avoiding one of the spears that slammed into the ground next to him. He looked up at the sky, his eyes wide.

"He's trying to crush us before the fight even begins!"

Titan rose from the rubble and growled.

"Then we need to end this quickly!"

Without hesitation, he jumped and punched the ground again, creating a shockwave that pushed the creatures back. But they kept advancing. Every one that fell seemed to be replaced by three more.

Sebastião frantically looked at the data on his bracelet, analyzing the readings while dodging a brutal strike from one of the creatures.

"This doesn't make sense! These things shouldn't be endless… But the energy reading shows they're still coming from the ground itself!"

Verana sliced through enemies with precision, but upon hearing this, she looked at him.

"Are you saying Thanatos is creating them from the planet?"

Sebastião nodded, dodging another blow.

"Exactly! If we don't cut off the source, we'll be crushed!"

Master Turtle twirled his staff and took down a group of enemies with a single blow.

"Then we need to find that source before it's too late."

Meanwhile, Thanatos laughed in the center of the battlefield, watching the struggle as though it were merely a spectacle. He raised his hand, and new cracks appeared in the ground, releasing even more creatures.

"Don't you see? This planet is already mine. Every step you take only brings you closer to defeat."

Afonso gritted his teeth. They needed a plan, and fast.

Tomb then called everyone's attention and said:

"I'll fly over here and see what's going on!"

Thanatos noticed and decided to chase him, running along the ground, but this didn't allow him to catch Tomb. Then, something about 5 kilometers away from where Tomb had started caught his eye, it was terrifying.

A mystical machine was siphoning power from the core of the planet. Tomb realized that the creatures were coming from there and that the failures in Zoe's power were linked to it as well.

After that, he returned to where he was and informed the others of what Thanatos was doing. A plan was then formed:

The teams we saw earlier split up to board the ships and also to fight on the ground. And so, this war had truly begun.