The aircraft cut through the skies at incredible speed.
Three hours later, it hovered above a dense stretch of woods.
"Here?" Fenric stood at the cabin's edge, scanning the ground below. Apart from some withered ginger trees, he saw no sign of a base.
"Yes." Tom nodded with certainty. "I've been here once before. This is the place."
"You've been here?" Fenric asked with a faint smile. "Then why did you leave?"
Tom sighed. "Back then, John wasn't the leader. The place was chaotic and unsafe."
"Let's go down."
"Wait!" Tom suddenly interjected. "Sir, be careful. Have you seen the wreckage of those destroyed Terminators? This area is full of magnetic mines, laid to trap them."
As he spoke, Tom's eyes flicked instinctively toward Nami.
Fenric nodded. "Then only the three of us will go. Nami, you and the eagle stay nearby."
"Yes, Master." ×2
Fenric, Tom, and Amy leapt down from the aircraft. Tom struggled under the weight of a large package—precious food supplies.
Though he had been here once before, Tom's heart still carried unease. Bringing his daughter to this place was a gamble. He didn't know if the Resistance truly lived up to its reputation.
Soon, they reached the entrance of the Resistance base.
The stronghold was buried deep underground. Its entrance was nothing more than a small, narrow hole—an attempt to escape Skynet's surveillance.
A surveillance camera pivoted toward them. A harsh voice crackled from the speaker.
"Who are you? What business do you have here?"
Fenric remained silent. Tom stepped forward quickly. "We're human—flesh and blood, not those damned machines! I heard this was the last safe haven for mankind, so I brought my daughter here."
"Stand by and wait."
Minutes later, the iron gate clanked open. Several armed soldiers emerged.
Their leader, a tall black man, eyed them sharply. "Where are you from?"
"Los Angeles," Tom replied.
The soldiers exchanged wary glances.
"That's not close," the leader said. "How did you make it this far?"
Tom, quick on his feet, avoided the truth. He wouldn't reveal the aircraft. "The journey was hard. We lost many companions along the way."
The man frowned but didn't press. He gestured. "We'll need to check your package. No dangerous items allowed inside."
"It's only food."
Tom opened the bag, revealing rows of canned goods.
The soldiers' throats bobbed as they swallowed. Hunger was etched into their faces.
Clearly, the base was suffering a food shortage.
Tom, ever shrewd, pulled out a few cans and offered them. The soldiers' hostility softened instantly.
Thanks to his gesture, Fenric and the others were allowed inside.
The underground base was suffocating. Despite ventilation shafts, the air was stale and heavy with dampness. The stench of sweat, mold, and unwashed bodies lingered everywhere.
It was dirty. Chaotic. Oppressive.
Fenric's initial curiosity about mankind's survival in this apocalypse evaporated at once.
"I want to see your so-called trump card—the deformable car," Fenric said flatly.
The soldiers exchanged glances, then burst into mocking laughter.
One hot-headed soldier sneered. "Who do you think you are? The trump card isn't a toy you can just demand to see!"
The black leader was calmer. "Sorry, sir. Our trump card is not for display."
Fenric's eyes narrowed. "He's not for display… because he belongs to me."
The words landed like a thunderclap.
"You bastard!" one soldier snarled, raising his gun. "Say that again, and I'll put a bullet in your skull!"
"The trump card is our protector! He is sacred!"
"Take back your words, or I'll fight you right here!"
Fenric was more surprised than angry. The machine he had left behind—Number Zero—was not only alive but had become a symbol of faith to these desperate humans.
"What's going on here?"
A man approached.
He was in his forties, tall and broad-shouldered, with a face carved in steel and eyes full of resolve. His very presence commanded silence.
"Leader!" the soldiers snapped to attention.
The black officer stepped forward. "This man insulted the trump card."
The newcomer's gaze fixed on Fenric. "Sir, do you take issue with our trump card?"
"Yes." Fenric's lips curved into a smile. "I want to know why he disobeyed my order and started playing savior to the world."
The soldiers exploded in outrage.
"Kill him!"
"He dares insult the Savior!"
"Chief, let us execute him now!"
John Connor raised a hand, quieting them. His sharp eyes never left Fenric.
"I don't care what delusion you suffer from," John said coldly, "but no one is allowed to disrespect the trump card. Leave now—you are not welcome here."
"I'm afraid that's not possible." Fenric's smile vanished. His voice cut like steel. "I came to reclaim what's mine."
The moment the words fell, Fenric's mental power surged.
In an instant, every soldier froze in place.
"W-what the hell… I can't move!"
"It feels like invisible chains—"
Tom cried out nervously, "Sir, wait! Calm down, please—let's talk this through!"
But Fenric ignored him. A soldier's rifle twisted in his hands, the barrel swinging toward John's head.
"Now," Fenric said evenly, "tell me where the trump card is."
John, to his credit, didn't flinch. "You'll regret this," he replied. His confidence rested on one truth: once Fenric met the Savior, the machine would obey him, not this arrogant intruder.
Minutes later, Fenric was led to a vast cavern.
In its center rested a single old vintage car.
"Zero," Fenric said, his tone commanding. "Your master is here. Why don't you greet me?"
The vehicle shuddered.
Clank. Click. Grind.
Before the stunned eyes of the Resistance, the car unfolded, gears and panels shifting until a towering Transformer loomed above them.
"Savior!" John shouted. "Destroy this man! He's a Skynet spy!"
But what happened next silenced the base.
The machine did not move against Fenric. Instead, it dropped to one knee, bowing its massive head.
"Master," Zero intoned. "I am loyal only to you."
Gasps rippled through the crowd. Mouths fell open. Even Tom and Amy stood frozen in disbelief.
"Zero," Fenric asked coolly, "what order did I give you before I left?"
"You commanded me to hide, Master. To never be found."
"And why did you disobey?"
"Forgive me, Master. I obeyed at first. But then an artificial intelligence appeared, intent on wiping out mankind. These humans discovered my hiding place. Because they were of your kind, I chose to help them."
Fenric frowned slightly, deep in thought.
He wasn't petty. Zero aiding humanity was no sin.
But now that Skynet's end was near, he couldn't leave the Transformer here.
If humanity survived, they would inevitably turn on Zero—study him, dismantle him, hunger for his technology. Fenric knew mankind too well.
Zero could not remain.
"Enough. You're coming with me," Fenric ordered.
"Yes, Master."
John's face paled. "No! You can't take him! Without the Savior, we'll be slaughtered by Skynet's machines!"
"What does that have to do with me?" Fenric replied, his tone icy.
John faltered.
Fenric continued, "Skynet will be eliminated soon. Wait for the news."
Without another word, he turned and left.
No one dared to stop him.
Even after Fenric's departure, John stood motionless, stricken.
Tom placed a hand on his shoulder. "Chief… don't despair. Skynet's end is near."
"You actually believe that man?" John asked, stunned.
"Of course," Tom said, eyes alight with reverence. He pointed skyward. "He was sent by God to save us."
John stared at him as if he were insane.
"Believe me," Tom pressed. "I saw it with my own eyes. He destroyed a T-800 barehanded. The food I carried? He took it from Skynet's own storage base, after tearing through dozens of Terminators."
Meanwhile, on the surface, Fenric emerged with Zero at his side.
Boarding the aircraft with Nami, they set off. Fenric's goal was clear: exterminate the Terminators, then crush Skynet itself.
But first—he needed to fill his kill count.
If Skynet fell too early, the machines would collapse, leaving nothing to count toward his mission.
So Fenric began scouring the globe, destroying Terminators city by city.
For half a month, his legend spread. Survivors whispered his name. They called him Savior.
Then—
"Master," Zero reported, "I intercepted a signal. Skynet has ordered all Terminators to return to headquarters."
Fenric's eyes narrowed, a cold gleam flashing.
"So… it wants to gather its forces and face me head-on."
A smile tugged at his lips. "Perfect. Saves me the trouble of chasing them."
He stood.
"Go, Nami. Take me to Skynet's headquarters."
"Yes, Master."