Carlos bent down in front of the golden HH token, was about to pick it up, but it was the moment when his ears were shaken first by a sharp scream, followed by the sound of a gun being fired, Carlos, hearing the shots, felt something unimaginable, his brown eyes widened uncontrollably, all his senses trembled but fear was gone, he felt nothing but certainty, strength, madness, Carlos looked to his right and saw first a shocked bald scientist who had thrown aside his night vision goggles.

It wasn't the most shocking thing but the image of a few holes in his shirt, holes that surprisingly missed the body only damaging the colored shirt between his hands, armpit and right shoulder, shocked Hank lowered the gun for a moment because he didn't expect it, in his wildest dreams he never thought that today he will fail so much that despite his familiarity with weapons, his excellent accuracy, he will miss seven times today, and his target will show no fear even now, instead the brown eyes barely visible in the darkness of the night did not represent the slightest fear or fear, instead Carlos stood in front of Hank, looking from him to the double HH gold Token lying there until he tried again to reach for the gold token.

Hank immediately raised the gun again and squeezed the trigger, but this time there was no sound because the magazine was empty and Carlos seemed to be more of a lunatic who still reached for the gold token.

- enough, stop, you can't take this from me. Hank said taking the first step forward.

- why, after all, I found this thing, and besides, I will not listen to the man who wanted to kill me, not you. Carlos said, his voice firm, strong with a note of regret for the unknown man.

- Carlos, please stop, I'm a scientist, I need this item very much.

- how do you know me.

- I knew you'd lead me to it once, I'm asking questions here, I work for the government, you have to step back from the token, it's the only item that will give us a chance to recreate our great project and give a chance to colonize others, you!. Hank shouted, biting his tongue and remaining silent because he had already said and revealed too much.

- so you want to open a portal with this, and let me guess, it's the only item that will allow you to open a portal, right. Carlos asked, but his previous speaker had no intention of answering his question, he only demanded.

- I'm not going to answer your questions, I work for the government, and with that, back off or else. Hank said, reaching into his jacket pocket.

- you're going to finish me off anyway, you've already said too much true, there's no other way for me, besides a portal, another world, colonization, say it straight, see what the truth is, it's not about good, you want to make a fortune right!, it's about just for money. Carlos said without moving from where he was, just staring at the gold token, and a crazy idea suddenly popped into his head, as crazy as anyone who wants to change something in their life by doing something really crazy, grab a token and move to somewhere another world.

Seeing the madness in Carlos's eyes, Hank remembered the image of Alex's madman's face, his blue eyes and mad smile, what he had done, how he had taken everything from them now began to repeat itself again, and it was right in front of his eyes, Hank could not let one more time.

Hank quickly loaded the colt with Magnum cartridges and aimed again at the madman shouting at the top of his mouth to stop the madman.

- you know what it is, it's Magnum bullets, they'll make a mess of you!. Hank shouted, aiming his gun again, but his words only brought a smile to Carlos's face.

- I know what it is, I saw this Eastwood movie, it's great cinema, but you won't stop me or scare me with this, and you know why. Carlos said, leaning over to the scientist in the black suit.

- for what, do you want me to really make you bigos, you want it!. Hank shouted again.

- the truth is simple, I want it, I don't care what you want to do with me, maybe I'm even aiming for it, anyway, I've always wanted to find the truth, I knew I'd never find it here, if it takes me to another world, maybe my greatest dream will come true, to break free from this world ruled by fear and lies, and maybe even thanks to this, I can build my own world or become part of a new one, shoot anyway, you can't stop me, go ahead. Carlos said with a big smile, and his courage was truly unwavering because not only his own madness gave him great courage, but also the token in front of him, because Carlos was already sure that what lies before him chose him and he cannot die now.

Carlos with a big smile on his lips looked at the scientist's eyes for the last time and reached for the token, at the same time Hank screamed for the last time and then pressed the trigger, his colt fired seven times and each time seven bullets stopped right in front of the crazy man, Before reaching for the token, Carlos laughed out loud, letting the scientist know that he had lost today.

- no please, you can't, if you do I will kill all your loved ones no!. Hank screamed, throwing himself up but he couldn't because his feet stuck in the ground as Carlos wanted and the gold token suddenly began to glow with inexhaustible brilliance, illuminating the falling sphere and the entire small crater.

- you can't, you can't!, I'll kill them all, you hear!. Hank continued to scream helplessly.

- Then what do you have to offer me besides threats that I'm not afraid of anyway. Carlos asked, stepping away from the golden token for a moment, and his words immediately made Hank feel a surge of confidence and joy, his bald forehead even smoothed out as a smile appeared.

- yes, yes!, I will give you everything, I will find your father, I will do everything, please do not run the token into your hands, it will release the hidden power of the chosen one in it. Hank said, slowly regaining his composure and light breathing.

- I don't choose it, it's only my choice, it's my way, it may have chosen me, but the final choice is mine alone!. shouted Carlos and his momentary outburst of anger surprised the scientist because after these words Hank himself did not know what to expect, but not what followed now.

Carlos, not looking at the scientist, having no words, threats, requests, everything, reached for a gold token from the ground and, holding it in his hands, began to recall a conversation he had with a certain man and his friend Malinowski, on that day a certain common man said that the final choice depends from them, and that's exactly what happened.

- you can not!. Hank shouted, but his words bounced off Carlos like rain off a roof.

The golden token began to glow more and more and Carlos suddenly threw it into space, that was the moment the token broke, an ever-growing portal was created, a portal leading to the unknown but all you could see was a world where the blue sky and clouds showed that you could go there to live, Carlos took a big breath knowing that again everything ultimately depends on him, everything was his choice, the token only found him but the final move and step depended solely on him.

- crazy why you take it away from us, like Alex Kowalski and Lucas Nowak used to. Hank said, and his words suddenly stopped everything.

Carlos suddenly standing in front of the open portal looked back at the angry and now defeated scientist who could only curse at the image of another failure and defeat, because using a token meant his final loss, but this was the moment when Carlos remembering the headlines in the newspapers with the image of the two missing, Alex two months ago, Lucas a month ago, it made Carlos smile even more knowing, confident that they too had found their way to another free world, the only question was whether the portal that was waiting for him today led to the same place where in any case, everything lay solely in his hands and will.

- so I'll be the third one to go through the portal, so let it be like that somewhere out there. Carlos said before being abruptly interrupted.

- you fool, you can die there, tell me if you want it, right now!. Hank shouted because he knew the truth, he knew the answer to this question, the crazy man that Carlos is was not afraid of anything, he decided, he made decisions and today he will leave the known world as the third.

- you chose, madman, you, you, you!. shouted Hank.

- Yes, I know I'm quite a lunatic, don't I. It said itself Carlos then walked through the open portal.

When Carlos went into the unknown to the other side of the portal, the portal itself suddenly disappeared and, released from the power, Hank fell to his knees, furious, beating his head on the ground, furious at everything and most of all at the madman who took everything from him, everything that was needed to create a portal leading to a new world and earn millions to become a great man written forever in the history of the world, and today everything has been lost by another madman.

- why, why, why, why history repeats itself again, why, up to a hundred tons of fat why!. Hank shouted, looking only at the ground and the hole left by the open portal.

- we lost again, let the goose kick it. An angry Hank added.

At the same time, six agents ran to the large hole and looked down the crater at the image of the defeated scientist who was kneeling helplessly in the empty earth.

- Boss what happened. asked the driver.

- where is this man, we heard the screams, we saw the lights. another agent asked as a third passenger from behind the driver's seat picked up a yellow bicycle.

- nice bike, my son has always dreamed of something like this, and where is this man. the agent asked, tucking a yellow bicycle under his arm.

- You!. Hank hissed, looking back at his agents.

- where were you, where, all lost, Carlos disappeared into another world, took another of our tokens, all lost. Hank said bitterly as he got to his feet and walked to the rim of the crater utterly defeated and defeated.

Despite all his anger, Hank no longer had the strength to take it out on the agents, he waved his hand at everything because he knew that what was and is not entered in the register, he knew that this was already a lost cause, and nothing would change it, nothing.

- Boss, we couldn't find you, our night vision goggles. The driver tried to explain.

- good enough, it's definitely the fault of that damn token as well, yes it was his power that stopped the bullet, and his power caused us a lot of trouble today, damn it, we were losers anyway!, but, but!. Hank shouted suddenly, knowing there was still a chance, because he and Steve had one more madman on the list.

- it's not all lost, we have one more of them, maybe it will work, if he finds another token in his lifetime, it must work. Hank added, quickly picking up his phone and calling a friend currently working in Washington.

- hello, hello Steve, can you hear me.

- hello, not so good, Hank is you.

- let it be, aside, you need to find a field. Hank said as he walked forward leading six agents.

- a field, but we are in the middle of a large field. Said the passenger holding Carlos' bike, a gift for his son.

- this is not the field. Said the driver agent.

- I know, just for fun, sometimes we are too serious. Said the passenger agent holding the yellow bike tightly.

The six agents laughed, following their boss constantly, and Hank, lifting the phone high and spinning to the right, then to the right, was still looking for the right place where the field would be strongest, every now and then the phone would connect and lose it, every moment everything changed and the night starry sky was still showing its beauty to the agents, what was still avoiding the eyes of the fierce scientist, finally Hank stopped on the hill where Carlos used to sit and watched the sky, it turned out that the field was the strongest here.

- I finally found the field. Hank said.

- It's not a field, it's a mountain. Said the agent with the bike under his arm, which was again reflected in loud laughter among the agents.

Meanwhile, too grown-up, too serious, Hank didn't even heed the joking words of his agents, he was constantly racing against time, instead of stopping once in place, he was constantly chasing something, something or someone on his way to his goal, and now Hank quickly number and called his friend, this time Hank heard his friend's voice without too much trouble.

- Hello Steve, can you hear me.

- loud and clear. Steve replied.

- that's great.

- Hank you found it, you have a token with you, that's right, Carlos led you to another token.

- here's the problem. Hank said, not knowing where to start, what to say, how to announce his defeat.

- what exactly, hello, Hank can you hear me!. shouted Steve, unable to imagine that his friend could fail.

- I'll be honest.

So go straight from the bridge, no Hank, what happened.

- I lost.

- What!. Steve shouted because he wasn't expecting that.

For a moment there was silence, for a moment Hank was unable to say a word, knowing that he had lost, that he had failed despite the possibilities, the facilities and the reliable people, but everything turned against him.

- Hank, what happened there, tell me.

- so listen, this token chose Carlos and he chose a token, this damn token sabotaged our vehicles, night vision goggles, I shot this man but the power of the token stopped even Magnum bullets. Hank said, this time there was silence on the other end of the phone.

- Hello Steve, can you hear me. Hank asked, but was again answered by silence, broken only by his friend's heavy breathing, and for a moment Steve couldn't utter a single word until the sound of coughing on the other end reached everyone.

- so that token sabotaged you from the beginning, amazing, so another portal opened and Carlos crossed over to the other side like this.

- Yes, and I couldn't do anything, this power even grabbed me, I guess we were losers from the beginning. Hank said, and it made a veritable torpedo and a swirling hurricane explode in his friend's head, because something suddenly imposed itself on his tongue.

- so is it possible that two months ago, or even three, that's why we were never able to use the power of the first one, because its power influenced us, forcing us to investigate further, it means that even getting a token would mean nothing to us she didn't and would make this Carlos reach for his power anyway. Steve asked, and Hank, listening, jumped, unable to fathom the possibility that everything they had done was of the token's will.

- no, don't even think that, Steve, remember, we have one more madman on the list.

- and so what if the token chooses.

- Steve, listen. Hank said violently as a real cyclone swirled in his head.

- Steve listen, do you remember what Alex said, what Lucas said after we read his last words from his lips. Hank asked.

- Well, they said the last choice was his. Steve said.

- exactly, it's their final choice, even when they find the tokens, it's all up to them in the end, if he said no!, you know what that can mean, they will betray the one who chose them and then the token will have no choice. Hank said.

- so what do you propose. Steve asked.

When Hank thought for a moment and new ideas poured out of his head like a river from a broken dam, the agent listening to him with a bicycle under his arm whispered bright words to his colleagues.

- they are crazy aren't they. Agent Father said, and the other agents burst into soft laughter.

Agent father with a yellow bicycle under his arm looked at the sky and wondered what his seven-year-old son is doing today, what he dreams about, what great ideas he has, because recently his son dreamed of being an archaeologist and digging up dinosaurs, and he knew a lot about dinosaurs.

- how rushed we are, why we forgot about our own childhood dreams, why we don't see simple children's dreams so much, when I come home and my son I will give him this bicycle as a gift and you. the agent asked, bicycle in hand.

- I will certainly educate my girlfriend. Said the driver agent and the other agents also decided to take care of simple household matters while listening to their children's dreams.

While all the agents pondered over simple matters, dreams and yet so important, Hank smiled like a man with a plan and an advantage over all, devising a great plan for a certain Malinowski.

- Steve, listen to me, I'm going to need more people, a certain Malinowski needs to be watched, but this time we need to talk to him in secret, we'll need psychologists, soul engineers, he'll lead us to the next token and say no!. shouted Hank.

- unless the portal rises automatically from another world, as it happened in New York. Steve said jokingly.

Hank immediately gripped the phone tightly, because he knew that if it happened as Steve said, if the portal were to open in another world, the chance to react to anything was impossible, but for now Hank couldn't afford it, he didn't want to think about it and to believe it, he wanted to believe that Malinowski would be the man to lead them to the next token, but for that to work, he also had to influence him to choose a different path, to say no.

- Steve, please don't even scare me like that, you have to believe, this man is ours and the last chance.

- if he was chosen by a token, the fact that he is a madman does not mean that he has been chosen.

- Steve, please, you're scaring me again, enough, please, enough, come once and reassure me even if it's a lie, I want to finally hear positive news.

- good Hank you got it, yes this man, Malinowski will lead us to another token and this time we will win and you know why. Steve said and Hank loosened his grip on the phone his eyes widened, expecting the first good and uplifting answer even if it was a lie.

- No Steve, what do you mean.

- I'm coming to you, do not let this man out of your sight, Malinowski is to be under constant supervision, together we will bring this matter to an end. Said Steve, and the real and sudden joy in the scientist's heart made Hank jump, believing that tomorrow, a new day, they would find another token, but there was a lot to do and today.

THIS TIME THE OUTLANDS

A portal formed on the barren ground, a luminous disk formed its arms, and suddenly Carlos burst through it, fully armed with the green and brown armor the Doom Slayer usually wears.

- what happened, what's up, visor, these gloves, gun, bow?, Crucible, what is it, is it possible. Carlos said to himself, looking at his open palms and weapons appearing in both hands, both ranged and melee weapons.

It was the moment when Carlos realized who he had become now, who the hero of one of his favorite games was, but as it turned out, it wasn't the only power, but before Carlos could test his powers, a great shadow appeared above his head, and a huge transporter, a black, red and yellow vehicle and its thunderous engine made the ground tremble slightly, but that wasn't the scariest thing, but the words of the unknown unseen from the upper deck.

- ah, soon this whole world will be destroyed, we will remake this world and squeeze its juices, we will harvest the power and sell it on the black market, nothing will stop us, us and our revenge!. shouted an individual whose skull rose half a meter, an individual in a brown robe, an individual with visible obesity, this made Carlos grab his gun, feeling his Super Shotgun in his bones and knowing that only he stands now between the freedom of this brave world of floating islands and the destruction that has returned and threatens all.

- my world, that's all, I won't let them destroy it all, it's time for heroes. Carlos said as he gripped the imaginary Super Shotgun with both hands, it was allotted and given to him by the power of teleportation itself and the power of the Gold Token, and nothing was more certain now, nothing.

L

As it was meant to be, the next chosen one found the Token just as the Token found him, but it was up to him to use the Token's power, it was his free choice, and he did, now that the greatest darkness has enveloped the world of Skylanders it seems that the first spark of light has come that will brighten everything or be the undoing of all, it remains to be seen.