Amari woke to the soft glow of morning light filtering through the curtains. Rubbing the sleep from his eyes, he stretched and wandered into the kitchen. He poured two bowls of cereal, placing one carefully on the table for Daniel before heading to wake him.
"Daniel, come on," Amari called, nudging his brother's shoulder. "Breakfast is ready. Eat up—we've got a long day ahead."
Daniel yawned, rubbing his messy hair. "Okay… thanks."
The boys ate quickly, neither of them saying much. Their minds were already on the mission. As soon as they finished, they made their way underground, descending into the hidden base.
Sam was already waiting for them. "Good morning, sirs," the robot greeted, his metallic voice calm but welcoming. "Your clothes are ready."
"Thanks, Sam," Amari said with a small nod.
They suited up, fastening their power gear and placing earpieces in their ears. Sam's voice immediately crackled through.
"Testing, testing. Can you hear me?"
"Yes," Daniel replied.
"Good. Remember—three taps on the earpiece will bring you back. Focus on the person you want to teleport to, and the portal will take you there directly."
Amari and Daniel exchanged a look, then bowed their heads slightly. "Thank you, Sam. For everything."
"Don't worry about it," Sam said warmly.
The brothers joined hands, focusing on the faces of their mom, dad, and grandpa. The air shimmered, and a glowing portal swirled open before them. Together, they stepped inside.
The world twisted—and when it settled, they were standing in a dark, cold prison.
A weak voice broke the silence. "Amari? Daniel? Is that… really you?"
Their eyes widened. They turned toward the sound. "Mom! Grandpa! Dad!"
Daniel's fists clenched. "We've been training nonstop. We came here to take you back."
"There's no time for talking," Amari cut in, urgency in his voice. "We need to hurry before someone finds us."
With a roar, Daniel gripped the iron bars of the cell. Muscles straining, he tore them apart and smashed the chains that bound their family. But before they could escape, a mocking voice echoed through the prison.
"Well, well, well. I knew you were stupid… but I didn't think you were this stupid, coming straight into our base."
Amari grit his teeth. "Shut up, Vasa."
Another figure stepped forward, sneering. "Heh. Vasa, let's kick their butts like last time. Only difference—this time we kill them."
Vasa smirked. "Yeah."
The two lunged forward at blinding speed. Amari and Daniel dodged, countering with quick punches that forced their enemies back.
"You think you're all that just because you got a little stronger?" Vasa snarled. His body began glowing with dark energy. "We've been training too."
Both he and Roach roared, their auras exploding around them. Their power surged, faster and more dangerous than before.
Vasa vanished, reappearing before Amari in a blink. His fist slammed into Amari's ribs, sending shockwaves of pain through his body. Before Amari could recover, Vasa struck from behind, then appeared in front, delivering a flurry of brutal blows. Blood dripped from Amari's lip as he staggered.
"Amari!" Daniel cried, distracted.
That was all Roach needed. He dropped from above, seizing Daniel by the neck and slamming him into the stone floor. Dust erupted around them. Roach pinned him down, smashing his fist into Daniel's face with devastating force.
Amari staggered to his feet, chest heaving. "I didn't come here… to lose. I came here to save my family… and get revenge for them!"
His eyes flared, glowing an unnatural green and black. His body pulsed with power. His vision sharpened, every movement of the enemy crystal clear.
Daniel roared as well. "I'm going to finish this!" His own eyes turned green and black, his aura crackling with raw energy.
The brothers charged forward together.
Amari appeared behind Vasa in an instant, blasting him with a beam of energy before vanishing again, reappearing in front to deliver a storm of punches. Vasa crashed into the ground, groaning.
Daniel clashed with Roach, their fists colliding with bone-rattling force. Roach grinned, prepared to counter—but Daniel shifted positions in a blink, reappearing at his flank. With all his strength, he delivered a crushing blow to Roach's stomach, followed by a vicious strike to the jaw, sending him tumbling into Vasa.
Amari raised his hand, power swirling around him. "It's time to finish this. I summon… the Green Dragon!"
A massive dragon of emerald energy coiled into existence, roaring with fury. It soared toward Vasa and Roach, crashing into them with an explosion that shook the prison walls.
The boys wasted no time. They rushed back to their family. "Hold onto us!"
Their mom, dad, and grandpa grabbed tight. Amari and Daniel tapped their earpieces three times, and in a flash of light, they vanished.
When the world steadied, they were back at the base.
"W–what is this place?" Grandpa asked, bewildered.
Daniel smiled faintly. "This is where we've been training. All thanks to Sam."
"Sam?" their dad echoed.
A familiar voice answered. "That would be me. I am a highly intelligent robot, built to guide and train. Down here you'll find the training room, weighted wardrobe, weapons room, teleport chamber, and locker facilities."
Their mom's eyes widened. "Incredible…"
Amari grinned. "Come on—I'll show you where we've been living."
They took the elevator up, the metallic hum carrying them toward the surface. Their dad let out a low whistle. "This is… far underground. And inside a tree?"
Daniel spread his arms proudly. "Welcome home."
Grandpa smiled warmly. "This is a nice house you boys have built."
"Thanks," they both said in unison.
They stepped inside. The exhaustion from battle weighed on them, but their mom, dad, and grandpa insisted on cooking dinner.
"You should rest," Amari argued. "You're hurt."
But Grandpa shook his head. "No—you boys saved our lives. You're the ones who need to rest. Let us take care of you this time."
The brothers exchanged a look and relented. Together, the family enjoyed a warm meal, the first in what felt like forever.
As they ate, Daniel looked at Amari. "I just realized—I never asked. Back at the mansion… what happened to Vandel?"
"Oh." Amari blinked. "You didn't know? He went back to his hometown before you woke up that day."
"I see…" Daniel said softly.
The meal ended, the dishes cleaned. Showers washed away the blood and dust of battle. And when they finally lay down to sleep, for the first time in a long while, they slept not as warriors, but as a family reunited.