It had been exactly 72 hours since the fall of the Heart Thief. Max enjoyed the fame, Carlos updated his defense algorithms, Marta finally slept eight hours straight, and Alex... well, Alex was trying to understand how all of this had started with a simple walk to take the dog out.
— And to think that all of this started because Max escaped to smell a tree — he said, reclining on the sofa, with a Pikachu blanket over his legs.
But something was off. It wasn't just the silence. It was that feeling in the air... like when someone is watching you from the darkness with intentions of... organizing a villain dance.
Carlos burst into the room with a pale face.
— Guys, emergency! The final villain has awakened!
— Final villain? Was that real? — asked Marta, pulling a unicorn-shaped taser from her backpack.
— The Reptilian Protocol! A covert military experiment to create the first super-spy chameleon! Its name is Rex!
Max jumped off the sofa with a mix of excitement and alarm.
— A lizard? Crazy scientists again? Why can't it be an invasion of dancing pugs? — murmured Alex.
— Rex has hacked the underground zoo's system and has released all the combat-trained animals!
— ...What? — said Marta.
Carlos just nodded gravely.
— There's a monkey that does parkour, a goat expert in jiu-jitsu, and a snake that knows how to pick locks with its tongue.
Max growled.
— I am tired — said Alex —. But not so tired as to let a reptile ruin my weekend.
In the underground of the city, the undercover zoo, called "EcoZeta," was a secret research base that used animals for "supposedly ecological" purposes, although in reality everything pointed to a dystopian future dominated by pets with superhuman abilities.
When the team entered, they noticed that Rex's cage was empty. A note hung on the wall: "If you can't adapt... you will be eaten. Rex"
— Why do all villains write phrases that could be on a t-shirt? — asked Alex.
Suddenly, the lights went out. A green laser beam crossed the room. A voice resonated from the PA system.
— Welcome to the new reptilian order!
The room lit up and Rex appeared: a giant chameleon, with a black cape, dark glasses, and a terrifying smile.
— Why do they always wear capes? — said Marta.
— Fashion is power — replied Rex, and pulled out a list —. Today we will free all the animals. And tomorrow... we will dominate social media with the reality "The Zoo of Chaos"!
Carlos was trembling.
— He has crossed the line... He has designed branding! He has a logo and everything!
Rex activated the defense protocol and a flock of robotic pigeons attacked them with rolled-up toilet paper as projectiles.
— RUN!
Amid explosions, confetti, and automatic vines, the team managed to reach the control center, where Marta connected her game console to the central system.
— Are you sure that's going to work? — asked Alex, dodging a ninja duck. — In my console is my only copy of the simulator "Zoo Tycoon Armageddon," version modified by Carlos. Carlos nodded. — It has a mode called "Pacifying Zoos with Rhythm." — "Pacifi... what?" Then, the system filled with colorful lights and electronic music. All the animals began to move... to the beat of the music. — We've hacked them with music! — shouted Marta. Max, in the center, began to dance. First shyly, then with passion. Rex, from above, tried to resist, but his tail started to move to the rhythm. — I can't... resist it! This... this is... funky! — he shouted before starting a reptilian moonwalk. Alex took the moment to jump to the power panel and cut the control system. A silence... and then an explosion of applause. The animals, freed from Rex's mind control, began to applaud Max. A squirrel gave him a medal made from a soda cap. Carlos sighed. — Officially, we saved the world... again. Days later, in the neighborhood, a big party was organized. Alex wore a cowboy hat, Marta a space suit, Carlos brought robots that served ice cream, and Max was crowned as "The Hero of Pets." Even Cupi appeared, now reformed, giving away cookies decorated with motivational phrases. — I have learned that love... is earned, not stolen — he said in a soap opera voice. Alex raised his soda glass.
— For the pets. For the adventures. And for the weekends that are never normal. Everyone toasted. And Max, from his throne made of cushions and kibble, only wagged his tail, happy, satisfied, and full of cookies. END.