Fusion and Iron

10. You Still Wanna Be a Hero

The day everything went down south in the Forsaken Valley was one to remember, probably one of the worst days in Niles' military career. Even starting out at age twelve and staying in this fight for eight years long, none of the deaths or atrocities which happened on various fronts could simply compare. It began like no other, starting off as a fresh morning in a fusion-tanged waste. The green sky was temporarily hued to the blazing sun stretching high over the eastern horizon. Its golden rays pierced through the dense canopy of the jungle, casting a warm glow that painted the verdant foliage in hues of emerald and amber. The jungle itself seemed to come alive with the first light of day, as birdsong echoed through the treetops and the gentle rustle of leaves hinted at unseen fusion creatures stirring from their slumber. The jungle sprawled out like an untamed beast, its thick canopy stretching as far as the eye could see, punctuated by ancient trees and tangled vines that intertwined like a living tapestry of geographical beauty.
The soft wisp of flowing water gently spread from the riverbanks, a waterfall quietly crashing down in between some of the rock in its own private little corner. Beside this small riverbank, a wooden bridge had been completely destroyed. Several logs which held the beams and rope in place were the only thing that remained, as charred planks held together by rope dangled idly in the current of the river.

Large craters from powerful blasts showed the history of this area, including the powerful barrages fired off by Mandark's ship. The lanky palm trees which one stood were completely fried and left to fall to ash. The grass and dirt underneath had burned to an earthy crust, turning the forest itself into an obstacle course with how many of these there were. It was easy to get lost in this forest, since the sun fought hard through not only the green sky but also the thick treeline. It would peer through and shine down on glimpses of the grass and exposed spots but leave it to a partial darkness nonetheless.
Planted dead center in the center of the forest was the long, rectangular black remnants of one of Mandark's mightiest military inventions: the ship. The nose had pierced the veil of the ground, its rear end sticking up and towards the sky. The engines in the back had gone out, a large puff of smoke billowing from several exhausts to indicate its damage. Hulking scrapes and deep tears were carved alongside both sides of the ship, including the bottom. With either claws or drills the size of construction equipment, this ship took a heavy beating before it was inevitably pulled down and forced to crash on land. The metal hull groaned and creaked under the strain of its impact, adding a well-known tension in the air. Every now and again, sparks flew from the wreckage, indicating that it was a ticking time bomb that would go off at any moment.

Lying beside one another back to back on the ground were the remaining bots mandark created to serve as soldiers on the ship. They were neatly stacked together like sardines in lines while the ones who were assimilated from the crash were having their metal limbs gathered from the crash sight and destroyed pieces of metal all around. A handful of fusion-infested dinosaurs were calmly stepping onto these robots and hacking up fusion matter from the confines of their stomachs and their lungs. Their puke slowly filled in between the parts like glue, allowing the influence of Fuse to slowly take over and reanimate them to his cause. The process was slow and tedious, each dinosaur working on their own separate pile of units while the others fetched more to construct. However, the long run proved to be beneficial as it was more fire for Lord Fuse to channel. Sick irony was his favorite, and not the robotic kind.
Rested on the top of a mountainside overlooking the entire valley, a tiny camp with a puff of smoke nuzzled comfortably. Three poorly made tents were bundled together around the fire though it had little to no life within it. Despite the two trees which the camp rested underneath in, the wide and open view of the valley was strategically perfect.

A single man sat cross-legged and his arms clasping a black scrunchie in his lap, his eyes closed while listening to the calming sounds of the hillside wind around him. His long black hair flowed elegantly in the wind, the white komoto he wore slightly twisting a certain way. Next to him in the grass was a sheathed katana with a gold and black handle, a pair of sandals on his other side. Despite the unfortunate circumstances around him, he seemed to be at total peace. The loose strands of black hair which tickled his forehead and nose didn't seem to bother him, his mind a bulwark of pure will power.
Samurai Jack was the longest standing warrior positioned in the Forsaken Valley; he alone had been responsible for gatekeeping nearly thousands of Fuse's troops from the Dark Lands as a whole. By the front door to the main foothold of the tyrant's operations, many of the troops sent to either destroy Mandark's ship or cross the seas to the other lands were stopped. He always had prep time, and if he didn't, he still had the command over a robot army to help assist in his fights. Almost notably well known for his one-man fight for the dogs against the drones Aku had sent initially first in the future, the legendary title of 'one man army' still held true to this day. He was unkillable on the battlefield, one of Fuse's most despised enemies during this entire fight. Even getting to be able to slip past a small number of monsters was a victory in Fuse's eyes, as he knew that ninety percent of them would be wiped out by his steel.