Joy City is receiving millions of migrants coming from the north; Aaro has allowed aid for those wounded animals. “They didn’t leave anything behind!” said mountain goats, exchanging water bottles.
Giving a helping hand to his guests, Aaro distributed blankets and food. “Don’t worry! You’re now safe with us!”
Gibeon walks around the streets positioning his warriors. “I want every chopper deployed from the yard, every sniper on his wall, every big dog in the front line! Now move it!” Tanks and army trucks drove passed him in the road. The guns were tossed from cars as fit animals grabbed hold from beneath and ran for cover.
Gary, the eagle, flew across the sky to land next to Gibeon the grizzly. “They are at the Greenlands, six miles away from us” he said, sitting on top of an electrical wire.
Phoenix, followed by Alex, set their feet on the edge of a mountainside while their kind filled the sky. A huge lake separated them from Joy City; Phoenix took a gold arrow once more and locked eyes with her target. She released the string and ten seconds later, the speedy gold arrow passed the lake and struck a hundred solders in a straight path heading towards its destination. Animals were stunned by the troops falling down without seeing or hearing the deadly shot. Gibeon’s ear picked up something, but he could not detect it in time. A few moments later, a hole filled his chest next to the stunned eagle. Gibeon tried to close his wound with disbelief as the blood passed down to his knees. Time stopped as the bear fell down. Emergency vehicles speeding across the streets stopped next to Gibeon who had been hit.
Gibeon laboured: “Gary! You now lead this war to men. The master will come back for all of us – just keep everyone on their feet long enough!” he said as a helicopter took him aboard and flew away.
Phoenix took a leap over the cliff and joined the other human birds in the attack. The dead and injured animals were removed from the streets. “Take them out!” screamed Gary as he flew past his front army, launching fire bombs.
Herald captained his spaceships, shooting back at the animals while closing in across the lake. Humans shielded themselves behind Herald’s spaceship wagons. “Everyone attack!” The animals ran to assist the front shooters, holding back the human invasion to Joy City. Some of Herald’s spaceships fell due to technical problems as Gary continued to build a strong wall with his heavy guns. Humans tried to lift up the falling ships which stood as their defence line. The prolonged shooting from the damaged ships forced Gary to use trucks to line up as a shield before his men met their early deaths from a direct hit. “Fall back! Fall back!” Gary said when he saw the territory had been invaded. The kings were the first to touch the countryside; trucks were turned over by the amazon women.
Aaro moved the defenceless to a safe house, herds of different species ran to his door carrying heavy bags and babies and trying to not panic. Shots could be heard from miles as Aaro and his guards waited long enough for everybody to make their way to them. “We should go look for others who seek refuge” his associates agreed. Aaro looked back at his frightened family in the full house then closed the metallic door.
At the front doors of Porto, Gabriel is dressed for a fight. “But you will get killed!” pleaded Ember, begging Gabriel to stay.
“I can take care of myself, don’t worry” said Gabriel, on top of her big cat.
“And if you fail, who will become the queen of Porto?” asked Kate.
“You both worry too much I’ll be back before you know it!” and she whirled her ride towards the open road. “I need to make a name for myself and give people something to respect me for!” Kate and Ember stared at each other, wondering what the hell she was taking about!
“I will return from this war a better queen, and you will all praise my name!” With great pride, she took the pace of the big cat away from the walls of Porto, as her friends looked on.
Igor fractured the backs of wild dogs with his cudgel; Dre rolled his spinal chain forth and choked necks, spinning heads off from the ground. Barbara and his wild humans ate the bulls alive. Herald was without his fallen ships, blasting off buildings on foot. Civilians jumped out from windows when their houses were violated. Aaro worked with the troops to see the civilians rushed back to the safe houses.
Gibeon was treated with medical care when his wounded chest was bandaged. The bear pushed doctors aside as they warned him about his unstable condition. He jumped out of the aid helicopter to land on his feet; the mad bear perceived the empty ghost town then took the direction towards men. Watchdogs and herds from hidden walls joined the grizzly on his path back to war. The kings met at the central district as their best men stood behind. Animals were overpowered all over their land.
Herald asked: “Have we won really won this Great War, my friends?” welcoming the two ego maniacs. “I have killed 12 780 in all” bragged Ken, joined by Kevin Mayhew in the middle of a spat.
“But I have shot more than 13 000, making me the best gun stunner on this planet!” Kevin Mayhew said.
Phoenix landed nearby: “I’m fairly unimpressed that you’re not concerned with the numbers you’ve both lost. We barely made it to Joy City with only half the blood of our own army!”
Igor walked past fallen giants: “Yeah! I lost most of my warriors compared to all your kingdoms!”
“Correct me if I’m wrong, Ken, but I imagine we may have our last gruesome battle with the great ape who fathered your wife!!!” Barbara, the midget, commented on his arrival.
Ken was weary. “Let’s re-group and wait for that one. I need something to eat” he said, wiping his hair away from his sweaty face.
Igor offered: “My men are the best chefs in town. They will cook our enemy’s flesh within thirty minutes tops!” Raising a dead skull with the cudgel, they all enjoyed laughter beside Phoenix and the worried Barbara.
The humans ruled the west side of the city, Ken and Kevin Mayhew possessed all the weapons with their troops. Igor chopped off animal heads as his reward.
Gibeon led the walk, followed by a thousand natives and immigrants. Close to him was the African Big Five gladiators who horned past any object, wrestled trucks aside from their path, swayed forth like hunting predators, trampled trees and tall buildings, crushing them against the ground while the roar of the gladiators could be heard from afar.
The humans stood their ground with their kingdom flags. Every dead animal had a burning head held up by Igors, who sang aloud. The kings led the march with Phoenix in-between. Barbarians beat drums, stamping over the bloodied ground. Herald’s men shot fire bombs in the sky; the dark nitrogen intoxicated the dust of the human presence.
Gibeon, before his final stop, walked the long street between them and the humans. The bear brought casual fighters who walked out of their houses with screwdrivers, kitchen knives and shovels. The Pain Gang brought along their rat army, holding gun machines, riding pigeons across the dark clouds, screaming like wild riders.
Humans also halted their steps in the city, enclosed by broken buildings. Gibeon and Phoenix’s standoff was in the middle of an empty street. Alex joined them carrying her heavy axe, burning on end. Phoenix pulled out her golden arrow once more, setting it alight from the sharp point beside Alex, then walked a few yards to release her powerful bow. Gibeon did not blink at the coming arrow, but with his speedy fist, he managed to grab hold of the golden arrow, the burning tip searing his paws.
Phoenix was stunned among the kings: “That’s impossible!”
Alex said from behind her: “He has God in his eyes!”
Phoenix raised her bow again: “I’ll kill them both!” The kings took flight to fight the last battle.
Gibeon broke the golden arrow in mid-flight, then made a fist punch, encouraging the animals’ faith before running to meet the humans.
Gabriel made it to Joy City looking at the burnt out buildings. Slowly she moved around demolished objects, riding her huge leopard. Linda began to pick up the pace. “We have company!” she said.
They heard a Code 14 engine make its way toward them, hidden between the tall buildings. A man carrying a sword jumped on top of buildings in their direction; Linda took a sharp corner and was joined by a man with bow.
Gabriel asked: “Who are they?” looking up at the charging strangers.
The bow man released his first arrows but missed the agile leopard. Darting against damaged vehicles, the sword man flew closer to catch Gabriel but she took out her sword to defend herself. Linda ran fast to a crossroad then tried to outsprint herself straight ahead. Mr Beast, driving his ugly truck, hit the leopard from the side which struck her to the ground. Gabriel fell and hit the flat road, rolling away from Linda against her will.
Mr Beast said: “Okay boys, nice catch!” closing the door of his truck with broken windows behind him. He walked towards Gabriel, rolling his axe playfully. Gabriel, wounded, tried to crawl backwards as the spear man joined Mr Beast soon after their friend with the bow touched the ground.
Mr Beast: “You know, since our last departure from Porto, we’ve lost a lot of men and women due to the harsh conditions we’ve found ourselves in” he said.
Gabriel pleaded with the angry men: “I’m sure I was not advised of your ill treatment by Ken’s leadership. We can find a way to solve this!” she noticed her blood spilling across her foot.
Mr Beast was furious: “There’s nothing you can do to bring our wives back, so let us share our grief with the king!” he seized his axe and the edge of the sun was reflected in the blade once more as Gabriel could not fight her way up.
Unable to complete his execution, Mr Beast and his friends saw a ghost standing next to Gabriel.
“How did he get here?” asked Mr. Beast, taking a step back.
Tom stood tall with his tight fists and transparent robes; Gabriel was still shaken by the events, staring at the ghost from his feet up close, all the way up his tall physique, facing in the direction of her executioners.
Tom’s eyes were glowing blue as he got ready for action. The three men were spooked and ran for it, so Tom helped them with their escape, blowing a hurricane in their direction. The truck Mr Beast drove took off from the ground and blasted them away as they cried. Tom then extended his hand to Gabriel but she hesitated. She was not sure whether the new Tom, with superpowers, was still the same man who loved her. She selfishly loved him, and this was the very same man who has just saved her life, so why wouldn’t she take his hand?
Tom grabbed Gabriel’s small hand and helped her find her footing. Gabriel’s open wounds healed from his touch and she could not believe her skin was renewed in such a short amount of time. Tom didn’t ask too many questions, but immediately tried to kiss her. Gabriel fought her thoughts in his arms, but soon gave in as Tom intruded on her lips.
Linda got back up with the help of Tom and he kissed Gabriel one more time before walking a few steps ahead to disappear from their sight; Gabriel was still kissing roses in her mind long after the man took his path.
The animals got the upper hand with their great numbers with standing human guns, elephants dragged barbarians against the building walls with their trunks, then threw them away with broken wings. Gibeon knocked out the lights of Igors with single blows from his fists.
Igor shouted: “I want that bear’s head now!” and he sent more men to take down Gibeon.
Alex, single handed, killed rhinos with her burning axe, slicing through the giants to make a shield with an axe, while another rhino tried to horn her with its sharp tusk. Phoenix fought a pack of three lionesses, and in her defence, she used her bow which was sharp as a sword on the edge. The lionesses kept her from taking off, cornering her in circle. Alex saw her majesty being bullied, then tossed the axe which hit the ring leader on the neck. The remaining two lionesses got distracted by Alex and lost sight of Phoenix who made an escape and found her target. Adjusting her aim hidden behind the fallen lioness, she quickly released the golden arrow which shot the other lionesses’ heads, before taking down a giant in its path, then struck Gibeon’s shoulder from a mile away.
Alex flew in to pull out her burning axe from a dead lioness.
Phoenix shouted: “Let’s finish him!” and she took to flight, followed by Alex.
Dazed, and holding his wounded shoulder, Gibeon tried to make a run, bumping his bloody shoulder against the walls, the Pain Gang joined in, distracting Phoenix from going after the grizzly, releasing bullets in their path.
Ken from the roof top, saw that most animals were thrusting humans against the ground. “Blade! It’s time!” he yelled, standing next to his brother. They took to their wings and disappeared into the clouds.
King Herald was sitting down against his fallen ship. Barbara the midget king attacked an elephant matriarch head on, locking her tusks with a spear as his feet battled to get a grip on the ground. His warriors’ backups arrived and shoved their spears into the giantess who didn’t want to fall. Finally, the matriarch trumpeted her last cry and pushed Barbara further until he tripped over stones and that’s where the elephant saw its opportunity. She landed on top of Barbara during her fall.
Kevin Mayhew and Igor were also cornered by a buffalo herd seizing them in a circle with their heavy horns. Igor groaned: “I’m losing strength. I’ve fought too many battles in too short a while!” but still he managed to scare off the bulls, rolling his long heavy cudgel.
Kevin Mayhew panted: “We can’t give up now! Not after all we’ve gone through together!” he shot at the horns with his platinum guns from both hands.
The earth begun to vibrate tremendously as the giant machine drillers rolled their way out from the ground. Animals fell down to the ground as the drillers didn’t wait any longer to fight with the primates. Great amounts of water shot up from the holes the drillers emerged from. Soon after, Cobos emerged from the sky and splashed into the stream that had filled the entry hole to the Joy City war. Animals were shocked by the turn of events, staring at the monstrous machines looking down on them, and finally realizing that their fate had been sealed. Gibeon climbed to the top of one of the buildings and saw he was outnumbered.
“Retreat!” Gibeon said.
All the animals ran away from the Cobos, who blasted everything around them.
“Joy City is mine!” shouted Ken.
Ken and Blade’s Hego transformed into the atmosphere, stretching out their machines’ wings to help chase the animals at gun point. The human birds flapped their wings in triumph. The animals did not stand a chance against the hard core gun stunners as drillers developed fish tails to help them swim and drown animals against the floods.
The house castle of the great scientist was surrounded by a giant whirlpool. The dark house remained dry in the rotating sea flood which kept mounting in height. The castle was lit by bright lights which showed against the open doors. Peter and his bug staff members flew as computers electrified across the lab; paper work and experimental tools took to the air without gravity.
Inside the chamber, Godevo battled to open his eyes from his long journey to fuse his heart as a Darden…the glass chamber cracked as he woke up a different man, the Darden evolution machine had reached 100%.
***