The Savage Lands Prt 1.

Antauri's POV.

I've been travelling across the Zone of Wasted Years for almost an entire day, following Ellie's voice. She lead me to a tunnel that lead to an underground jungle. The area was radiating with the Skeleton King's presence, but I can sense Ellie's light clearing a path for me.

I still cannot believe what has happened. Eleanor sacrificed herself to save Shuggarzoom from the Dark One. Purified the Power Primate from its corruption. But why her? She was still too young.

My body was engulfed by the white flame again. A surge of pain pulsed through my head. Hovering above my head, an apparition of Ellie appeared before me. She looked like the same before she sacrificed herself.

Do not fret, Antauri... I'm still here with you... Follow the path I laid out for you... Come find me...

With that, the apparition and the white flame vanished. I can see the path clearly. It was leading over the jungle, to the other side.

I placed my hand over my heart, "I will find you, Ellie. And I will find a way to bring you back."

With that, I followed the path over the jungle, to the other side.

*Meanwhile, Inside the Super Robot...*

Chiro's POV.

It's been nearly a day since everything happened. Skeleton King successfully freed the Dark One from its egg, infused with it. Ellie sacrificed herself to seal the egg and purified the Power Primate from its corruption. And Antauri has ran off somewhere.

Ever since Antauri ran off, I have been hearing Ellie's voice inside my head. She was calling my name. Telling me to find her. But, I'm not sure if my mind is playing tricks with me, how to react or tell the others.

With the repairs of the Super Robot complete, it was time to find Antauri. Jinmay joined to help us.

Otto tried adjusting the communicator signal, "I'm not getting anything. He must be out of range."

"I still don't understand why Antauri ran off." Jinmay spoke up.

"He's more connected with the Power Primate than the rest of us." Gibson answered.

"Maybe Antauri believes Ellie's still alive somewhere." Otto suggested.

Sparx shook his head with a sulk, "I wish it was possible, but it's not."

I sulked. Suddenly, the alarm went off and the Central Computer showed Shuggarzoom with a red beacon outside the city.

"There's still a chance." Gibson spoke up, "I've got a faint trace on his signal."

"There's no time to waste." I spoke up, then called, "Monkeys Mobilize!"

With that, The Monkeys and I used the elevators to our stations. Jinmay took my seat in the Command Center. We drove the Super Robot to follow Chiro's signal.

"Antauri's signal is coming from the Zone of Wasted Years." Sparx noticed.

"That region has been the source of many Skeleton King attacks." Gibson pointed out.

The Super Robot found Antauri's signal and landed nearby. The Monkeys, Jinmay and I exit the Robot and find a tunnel that lead underground. Ellie's voice echoed in my head, telling me to go inside.

Gibson looked over his scanner, "Antauri's last transmission eminated from this location."

"Then that's where we're going." Otto encouraged.

"What if he comes out and we miss him?" Nova pointed out, "Someone's gotta wait here."

The Monkeys and I looked at each other. Then Jinmay volunteered, "I'll do it. I'll stay."

Otto gave her one of our spare communicators, "Don't worry, Jinmay. You can use this to call us, if you need to."

Jinmay smiled, "Thanks, Otto."

With that, the Monkeys and I entered the tunnel, following Gibson's scanner. The tunnel grew dark, but there was a little lumination, so we could see where we were going.

I looked across and saw a green light. "Hey, what's that over there?" I pointed.

The Monkeys stopped and followed my gaze. I felt something calling out to me. Like a distant memory or a supernatural force.

I followed the tunnel and the Monkeys followed behind me. The tunnel lead to what looked like an untamed jungle.

"Somebody tell me I'm dreaming." Nova gasped.

"A hidden aquatic jungle world." Gibson spoke up, "Not a dream, Nova. A Skeleton King created nightmare."

Sparx nodded, "Yeah. And who knows what's crawling around down there." Then he sighed, "Great."

"So why do you think Antauri came down here?" Otto asked.

"We're gonna find out." Sparx spoke up, "Follow me."

Then Gibson cleared his throat, "Sparx. I have the tracker."

Sparx pouted, while Gibson smirked. With that, we used our rocket packs to fly over the jungle, to where Antauri was located.

*Meanwhile, at the other side of the Jungle...*

Antauri's POV.

I arrived to the other side of the jungle with minimal resistance. The other side of the jungle revealed an abandoned tree-house. It looked like it has been here for years, and yet it feels very familiar somehow.

I walked toward the green double-doors and opened them. I entered the house. It was dark and covered in cobwebs and dust. Another familiar door opened. The light from the outside revealed the room to be the laboratory from our nightmare. The same lab Sparx, Nova, Otto, Gibson and I were created.

I placed my hand on a switch and a pair of blue doors opened. In a flash of light, a holographic screen appeared with the face of my creator. Ellie's father. The Alchemist.

"My time grows increasingly short. So, I fear this will be my last recording. I make in hopes that when I'm gone, my life's work will not be forgotten. It was here, in my labratory, that I merged primates with science and magic, to create 6 cyborg warriors."

I looked over to my left and found five dust-covered tubes. The same tubes we were born in.

"This is where my Monkey Team came to be."

I wiped a handful of dust. The tube of full of purple liquid. This was the tube that created me. I remember waking up and seeing young Ellie looking at me with a smile. Another surge of pain pulsed through my head.

"They are my final hope. My last effort to protect the universe from an evil beyond imagination. Even now, the Dark Force approaches and I am helpless to defy its vile power. For I have drawn too close... Soon, the good side of me will be consumed... By the bad... I beg of you. Remember me not as the creature I will become... But as the person I was."

Tears welled up in the Alchemist's eyes as he continued.

"The person I am! My Little Light. Do not believe you failed to save me. You have done so much more. You have made me very proud."

The hologram vanished and a light switched on to reveal a spiral staircase leading to a large platform with a large control console and a library. I followed the staircase to the platform. In the center was a tube covered in dust.

I wiped the dust from the tube. Inside was a mechanical skull and spine. How long has this been here? I don't remember this.

Another recording of the Alchemist played by the bookshelves.

"The Silver Monkey. The pinnacle of my robot warrior evolution. The perfect fighting machine, but ultimately... A failure."

A bookcase opened to reveal a silver helmet and other endoskeleton parts.

"For the battle against the evil requires more than metal parts and computer circuits. It demands living energy. The unleashed power of the Primate."

I took the helmet and something clicked in my mind, "Ellie..." The Silver Monkey can be used to bring Ellie back!

I took the pieces and laid then around the tube. I walked to the central control console and pulled the switch. The pieces and the skeleton fit together and created a Robot Monkey in a similar model to the rest of us.

Its eyes were a sapphire blue. The casing was silver with a black accent. Almost like a ghost. Its weapons were morphing its hands into a pair of indigo ghost claws with a black skeletal feature. Similar to mine and Ellie's.

With that construction complete, it was time to find a way to release Ellie into the robot monkey.

"Antauri!" I heard a familiar voice called from behind me.

Chiro's POV.

"Antauri!" I called.

We followed Gibson's tracker to the treehouse on the other side of the jungle. We were attacked by the plant life, but were rescued by a mysterious entity. The Monkeys and I followed Antauri's footprints into the treehouse, into the lab, and found Antauri on a platform, working on something.

Antauri turned to us, "Monkey Team? What are you doing here?"

"We're here to help you." Sparx answered.

"What are you doing, Antauri?" Nova asked.

Antauri stepped aside to reveal an operating table. Laying lifeless on the table was a silver monkey robot. Similar model to the others. Silver casing with a black accent. Sapphire blue eyes.

"You're rebuilding Ellie?" Otto guessed.

Gibson shook his head, "This is entirely unnatural. Not to mention impossible. Ellie is... No more."

Antauri hissed at Gibson, "You're wrong!" Then he grabbed the silver monkey and ran into a corner of the bookshelves.

Gibson drew one of his drills and whispered, "I did bring tranquilizor darts, should we need to subdue him."

I lowered his cyber-back drill, "There's no need for then, Gibson."

Moaning echoed around us.

Antauri hugged the silver monkey close.

"We miss Ellie too." Nova told him in a sad tone.

Antauri looked at the silver monkey, and buried his head into its chest. I placed my hand over his shoulder. He must have really cared about Ellie. I can understand his pain. Ellie was like a sister to me. I would've done anything to protect her.

Then the moaning got louder. A trio of black Formless attacked. They weren't like the regular Formless we've fought before. They were all black and feral.

The Monkeys summoned their weapons to fight them. However the Formless were able to knock the Monkeys down. Nova defeated the trio and they melted into ooze. However there was a fourth one and it knocked her down.

Antauri charged toward the Formless and attacked it with his claws, defeating it. Once everything calmed down, the Monkeys and I got back to our feet.

"What were those things?" Sparx asked.

"I would speculate some sort of Guardian Formless. Adapted to this jungle setting." Gibson answered, rubbing his head.

Growling and moaning came from all around us. The Monkeys and I looked around and we were surrounded by more of the Guardian Formless. And they were approaching us.

"There's too many!" Otto shouted, as we summoned our weapons again.

Antauri turned to the silver monkey on the floor, "Ellie!"

"Antauri, wait!" Nova called after him.

Antauri grabbed the monkey and placed it on the center of the platform. He pulled a lever and the monkey was encased in a glass tube. He pushed the switch and electricity illuminated the entire room.

The Guardian Formless continued to approach us, ready to fight or eat us. Sparx, Gibson and Nova were knocked down again.

"Antauri! We gotta make a run for it!" I shouted.

However the Formless got me and Otto. Antauri shut down the console and the silver monkey fell. No signs of movement or life.

Antauri kneelt by the monkey and shook it, "Ellie! Ellie, wake up!" Then sulked.

The Formless surrounded Antauri and he screamed.

To be continued...