Several robots were flung from the stall that bore a hand-scrawled sign reading: Don Pepe. Amid the chaos of twisted metal and acrid smoke, a boy emerged. His hair was unruly, golden with orange tips, as though he carried a fragment of the sunset with him. His cerulean eyes shimmered with electric fluctuations, tiny sparks that seemed to dance like contained energy, giving him an almost supernatural aura. Despite his youthful appearance, he couldn't have been older than twelve. His outfit was unremarkable: a faded orange polo shirt, black shorts, and worn-out sneakers. Yet there was something about him that made him stand out. The sound of his footsteps on the pavement echoed calmly as he surveyed the battlefield.
The people who had taken refuge inside the shop began to peek out timidly. Some whispered among themselves; others simply stared at the boy in awe. He had defeated the robots without breaking a sweat, without showing even a hint of fatigue. The silence was broken only by the metallic crunch of machine remnants scattered across the ground.
"Damn junk heaps," Diego muttered, scratching the back of his neck in annoyance. "They ruined what was supposed to be a great meal, according to the reviews. I really wanted to try it… and I'd already paid!"
The people who had been hiding slowly emerged, some still trembling, others with tears in their eyes. An elderly man approached him, his voice raspy but sincere, and thanked him. Diego raised a hand to stop him before he could say more.
"Don't thank me," he replied, frowning as he gazed toward the horizon. "There are more of those things lurking around. I can feel it. You should find a safe place."
The civilians nodded, thanking him again before dispersing. But just as Diego was about to leave, a cool breeze swept through the air. It carried the scent of wet earth and freshly cut grass, a curious contrast to the lingering metallic heat. A feminine voice rang out from above, clear and firm.
"Diego! There you are!"
The boy turned his head skyward, squinting against the sunlight. From above descended a graceful and elegant figure: a young woman with cloud-like blonde hair and warm brown eyes, the color of melted chocolate. Her bronzed skin glowed under the midday sun, and her attire contrasted sharply with Diego's casualness. She wore an immaculate white blouse, fitted enough to accentuate her figure, paired with a black miniskirt and pointed heels that clicked with every step. When she touched down, she crossed her arms with a mix of authority and exasperation.
"To you, I'm Agent A-10," he said, his tone dripping with sarcasm, leaving no room for argument.
"Foolish Diego Lopez," Clara shot back, noticing how the boy deliberately drawled his words. Her voice carried a note of irritation, though her eyes sparkled with contained amusement.
"I already know who you are," Diego responded, feigning seriousness as he raised his hands in a dramatic gesture. "My superior, right?"
Clara glared at him, but a small smile tugged at the corners of her lips despite herself. She was used to his cheeky attitude, though that didn't mean she was going to tolerate it completely.
"Yes, Clara Morales, Agent A-3," Diego said, dragging out her name with exaggerated flair.
"It's Morales, not how you say it, you arrogant brat. You always have to annoy people and ignore your elders."
"Yes, of course, ma'am," Diego replied, feigning seriousness while exaggerating the pronunciation of her last name.
"I'm not a 'ma'am'! I'm still young—I'm eighteen!" Clara protested, crossing her arms.
"Sure, sure," Diego said, rolling his eyes dramatically.
Clara took a deep breath, trying to regain her composure.
"Where were you? I've been looking for you for an hour. We have work to do. There are rogue robots attacking people, and this is happening all over the world, just as we were informed over the radio."
Diego glanced down at the scattered metal remains at his feet and gestured dismissively.
"You mean these? I already took care of them."
Clara blinked, incredulous, then shook her head.
"It's not just like this. There are more. We need to help the people here."
Diego huffed, crossing his arms.
"Well, I'm not leaving until I get my enchilada. Those junk heaps destroyed my food, and I have already paid for it. Now I'm out of money."
Clara studied him for a moment, assessing his stubborn expression. Finally, she sighed and relented.
"Fine. If you help me, I know a place that makes good enchiladas. Hopefully, it's still standing. I'll pay."
Diego grinned triumphantly, as if he'd won a personal victory.
"Deal."
"Well, you did say 'let's kick some metallic butts,'" Diego exclaimed with a mischievous smile as an electric field began to form around him. A low, vibrating hum filled the air, causing his body to rise slightly off the ground. Blue and white sparks danced across his skin like contained lightning, illuminating his face with a determined glow.
Clara looked at him with a mix of admiration and exasperation.
"Wow… What a sudden change. Is all this determination really just for a meal?" she murmured, though she couldn't help but smile. With an elegant motion, the invisible wind around her came to life, enveloping her like a warm, steady current. Her light hair floated gently as she ascended alongside him, as if dancing in the air.
Both set off on their journey, cutting through the skies with speed and purpose. As they flew, Clara took the opportunity to share something important.
"Listen, Diego. What's happening in the world is serious. First, there were the orphaned children being controlled, and now these maniacal robots… According to what Marie indicated, this isn't going to end here. Next, there will be a super-giant dinosaur," Clara joked.
Diego, however, seemed distracted, gazing at the horizon with disinterest. Clara frowned.
"Were you even paying attention to what I said?" she asked, crossing her arms.
"Yes, yes… Good thing other people are handling the controlled ones," he replied casually, though it was clear his thoughts were elsewhere. All he wanted was to finish off the robots so he could finally enjoy his long-awaited enchilada.
Suddenly, the boy pointed downward enthusiastically.
"Look down there!" he exclaimed, interrupting her abruptly. "There's a huge crowd of people. They must be celebrating something. Let's check it out!"
Without waiting for a response, Diego descended rapidly, diving toward the ground with feline agility. Clara, annoyed but accustomed to his impulsiveness, followed quickly, landing with the same silent grace that always characterized her.
"I don't think they're celebrating anything," Clara murmured as she took in the scene before them. The crowd was being chased by strange skull-shaped robots wielding guitars. However, those "guitars" were actually deadly weapons—machine guns disguised as musical instruments.
"Quick, protect them!" Clara ordered the boy, who nodded with determination.
When the robots began to fire, Diego acted immediately. He thrust both hands forward, and a brilliant electromagnetic field materialized in front of him. The bullets froze midair, paralyzed by the intense magnetism.
"ELECTRIC SHIELD!" he shouted firmly, his voice resonating like thunder.
The electromagnetic shield glowed intensely, repelling every projectile and sending them hurtling back toward the skull robots. They exploded in a shower of sparks and metal fragments, leaving the crowd safe.
"My electric shield always works," Diego commented proudly, positioning himself in front of the people to protect them. "The electric shield paralyzes anything metallic in its path."
Clara watched him with a mix of satisfaction and concern.
"Good. Now then, where are my enchiladas? You promised," Diego said, turning to her with a triumphant smile.
But before Clara could respond, an earsplitting roar shook the air. Both of them looked up to see a gigantic robotic taco speeding toward them, its metallic structure gleaming under the sun like a living monument.
"Piece of cake!" Diego exclaimed, launching electric bolts at the colossal robot. But instead of destroying it, the taco seemed to absorb the energy, growing even larger and more aggressive.
"You're just giving it more power!" Clara shouted, incredulous. "The giant taco looks recharged and even more aggressive! Stop launching your attacks—you're only feeding it energy!"
Diego took a step back, frustrated.
"Damn energy-eating robot!" he muttered under his breath.
At that moment, a man with thick glasses and a prominent mustache ran up to them, sweaty and visibly nervous.
"I'm sorry, kid, but that taco-robot is basically a walking battery. At the company, we fused several experimental parts to develop it, but something went horribly wrong," the man explained, adjusting his glasses awkwardly. "And you're just feeding it more energy."
Diego looked at him with a mix of disbelief and annoyance.
"Why are you stating the obvious?" he retorted sarcastically, rolling his eyes.
The man swallowed nervously, clearly uncomfortable, as the giant taco continued advancing menacingly.
"I'll handle it," Clara said firmly as small whirlwinds began to form in her hands. With an elegant and precise spin, she launched the whirlwinds toward the colossal taco-robot. As they moved, the whirlwinds grew in size and strength, transforming into two massive roaring tornadoes that enveloped the towering taco from both sides.
"TORNADO TWIST!" she shouted, her voice echoing with powerful resonance. The tornadoes merged into an unstoppable vortex that lifted the robot off the ground, spinning it uncontrollably like a leaf caught in a storm. Finally, the taco was flung skyward, disappearing into the clouds.
Diego observed the scene with a mix of admiration and frustration.
"So that's what happened to the taco… But who makes a robot shaped like a taco?" he asked, scratching his head in disbelief.
"Well, the truth is, those were parts that got attached to an animatronic shaped like a taco—the company's mascot," explained a girl from the group of people still nearby, trying not to sound too guilty. "But I think you didn't really hurt it," she added nervously, pointing toward the horizon.
The giant taco fell back to the ground with a deafening crash that shook the earth beneath their feet. However, it was completely unscathed. It rose slowly, but this time its cheerful taco expression had transformed into one of absolute fury. Its eyes glowed with an intense crimson red, and its aura now felt menacing.
"I think you made it mad," Diego said with a mocking smile, though he couldn't help but glance at the robot with some concern. "Now I won't be able to eat my spicy food."
"Well, you're the one who recharged it," Clara retorted, crossing her arms as she glared at him.
Both began arguing heatedly, momentarily ignoring the danger looming before them. It was then that one of the company workers intervened urgently:
"Calm down! The taco is going to attack again!"
As if waiting for that cue, the taco-robot let out an earsplitting roar, like a robotic war cry. Suddenly, its stomach began to open, releasing an avalanche of tiny metallic tacos that shot out in all directions.
"Are you serious?" Clara's eyes widened in disbelief as she watched the mini-tacos start to surround them. "This is utterly absurd."
"You should leave," she said, addressing the workers, who nodded quickly before running off. "We'll try to defeat it," she added, though more to herself than to anyone else.
However, the man who had explained the robot's origin stayed behind, observing the scene with a thoughtful expression.
"If you want to beat it, you'll need a stronger attack. In other words, you'll have to overload its core," he finally said, adjusting his glasses nervously.
"And where is that?" Clara asked impatiently.
"In its stomach. You'll have to open it up and overload it. Only then can you defeat it."
Diego exchanged a quick glance with Clara before electrifying his hands again, ready to face the colossal adversary.
"Let's get to it," he said with determination, striding toward the giant taco with purposeful steps.
"Thanks for the info," Clara responded dryly, following close behind. Before leaving, she turned to the worker and added, "You should take cover. Things are about to get ugly."
As they ran toward the robot, Diego couldn't help but think about his meal.
"Will the young electrician ever taste an enchilada? Find out in the next chapter."