Tiny ships came from behind the big ship of Generation Zero. Hawk jumped off the hill and made his way to the cabin. Inside were Tlaw and Eto, eating something.
‘What was that sound?’ Eto asked with his mouth stuffed. Hawk looked at them seriously.
‘There is no time. Generation Zero is here!’
The old man looked at Hawk and he knew exactly what he thought. It wasn't a coincidence that they arrived here after Eto and Hawk had come.
‘We must leave,’ Tlaw said and he got up and pulled Eto with him.
‘Grandpa, look,’ Eto said and they all looked at him.
The glow Hawk had seen on the space station and Eto was training with Tlaw seemed to go on and off on his arm.
‘What can that mean?’ Hawk whispered but Tlaw said they had no time.
They made their way to the door but outside, a huge bang was heard.
‘No,’ Tlaw said and they could hear a lot of footsteps outside.
‘Open the door for the captain,’ was heard from a robotic voice.
Tlaw accepted they had no choice as this whole area seemed to be surrounded.
Slowly he opened the wooden door to see what was outside.
A medium ship in the same black color as the big ship had landed a little bit further. The cabin was surrounded by black robots who all seemed to carry rifles.
In between the cabin and the ship stood a knight dressed in black armor. His helmet had horns and white paint formed a skull on his helmet.
‘Well, well, well,’ the knight said as he slowly stepped to the cabin.
The group had stepped outside but both Tlaw and Hawk kept Eto behind them.
Tlaw and Hawk quickly looked around. The other hills and forests in the distance were being attacked and burned.
‘We are looking for you, Professor Hawk, as you like to call yourself. And the boy,’ the knight said. He stopped a few meters away.
‘How do you know who I am?’ Hawk asked angrily.
The knight laughed. His voice was muffled by the helmet.
‘Your master told us to retrieve you. And the subject you stole,’ and the knight’s helmet turned to Eto.
Eto looked worried as he looked from the knight to Hawk.
‘Who is that?’ he whispered but both Tlaw and Hawk didn’t respond. Their attention was on the knight.
‘Eto,’ the knight said and the boy looked back at him.
So he also knows his name, Hawk thought to himself.
‘It seems our master wants you back alive but I would love to see you die in an accident,’ the knight said.
Tight to his side, he pulled up a large black sword which was long and thin.
‘Get them,’ the knight said and the robots started to walk towards the group.
Hawk pushed Eto back and grabbed a blaster he had borrowed from Tlaw.
Tlaw grabbed a stick with which he trained Eto and they started fighting the robots.
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The robots started to fire but both Hawk and Tlaw dodged the shots and Hawk fired back, taking down some robots.
Eto wanted to help but he was a little shocked by how many robots were attacking. Then he remembered the words his grandpa had told him about the holy knights. How they must be brave in any situation.
Eto pulled himself up and started to run, joining the fight.
‘No, no. You are mine,’ the knight said and he jumped towards Eto with speed.
He grabbed his sword, ready to attack while Eto was struck by fear of the coming attack.
The sword was swung and it reached Eto.
The boy prepared himself for the blade to hit him but when he closed his eyes, he felt nothing. Only a push on his side.
He opened his eyes and what he saw widened his eyes with unbelieve.
Hawk had jumped in, pushing Eto away.
In the process the blad swung down and cut off Hawk’s arm.
Blood flew everywhere and Hawk screamed of the pain as he crashed into the ground.
‘No!’ Tlaw said and he pushed a robot away to jump in.
He wanted to reach Hawk and Eto but the knight quickly turned around and pressed his sword in the old man’s belly.
‘That’s what you get for hiding fugitives,’ the knight said before he pulled his sword out.
While Hawk laid on the ground in pain, the old man fell to his knees with blood coming from his stomach.
‘No!’ Eto yelled and fear grabbed him. His grandpa and his best friend were both hurt because of the knight.
‘You bastard,’ Eto told the knight who started to laugh from behind the mask.
‘You will pay!’ Eto screamed and the light in his arms and legs returned, only this time, also his eyes were starting to glow.
He got up and punched in the direction of the knight.
A huge blow of light erupted from his arm, pushing the knight away and the robots off the cliff. Even the ship behind them slowly moved to the back.
The light faded away and Eto was breathing heavily.
Hawk looked at Tlaw to see what was going on. He quickly grabbed a medic pack from his coat which sealed off his arm for more blood loss.
Eto ran and jumped to the floor next to his grandpa.
‘No, no, nooooo!’ he yelled and he started to cry as he looked at his grandpa.
The old man, who gave off a little smile.
Eto. It is time for you to leave. You have a bigger role to play.’
‘No,’ Eto said and he tried to grab his grandpa, hoping he could help him.
‘Yes’ Tlaw said as he stopped Eto in grabbing him.
‘Eto, get to the center of the galaxy. You must. It's the galaxy's only hope!'
Eto didn’t understand what he meant by it but he was more occupied with the pain his grandpa went through.
Then the old man raised his hand and touched Eto on his forehead.
A light erupted from his hand and went into Eto’s head, vanishing.
Flashes appeared in Eto’s head and pain got hold of him.
‘It is best if you don’t remember this. You must start anew, find your own path,’ Tlaw said and the boy looked at him with confusion.
‘I hope someday you remember me and we get to see each other again. I have grown quite fond of you,’ the old man said and he gave Eto something.
He pulled a red scarf he was wearing and wrapped it around Eto’s neck.
‘Goodbye,’ Tlaw said with a smile and tears.
He put his hand on Eto's chest and suddenly with a loud bang as if a ship was entering the atmosphere, Eto was shot away and disappeared into the air and space without leaving a trace.
Hawk looked at what happened and he couldn’t believe his eyes.
The boy had been blown away by Tlaw and he couldn’t tell where to.
‘You must go,’ Tlaw said in pain to Hawk who was standing up.
At the other end, the knight also returned.
Hawk said he needed to help him but Tlaw yelled at him.
‘No! I am done. Get out of here. Find Eto and guide him. Don’t tell him anything that you know. Let him find out on his own.’
Hawk wanted to help him but the old man made his decision.
Tlaw looked at the group that was returning and his eyes demanded Hawk to leave him.
Quickly, Hawk turned away with regret and made his way to the ship.
The black knight appeared a few meters from the old man.
‘You bastard. Where is the boy?’ he yelled from behind the mask but Tlaw did not respond.
‘Dammit,’ the knight said and he pushed a button on his helmet for the communicator.
‘Contact the master. Tell him to swallow this world in darkness,’ he said angrily as he returned to the ship.
Hawk made his way back to the ship and jumped in. The coordinator asked for an entry for departure and Hawk quickly pushed some buttons.
‘Anywhere,’ he mumbled as he looked at his arm, which got held together by a medic pack.
The computer started talking.
‘Autopilot activated. Destination marked for Capgelu.’