ZERO ONE: ONE HOPE!

The sky above Junkyard Junction was still dark. Only a faint purplish-red tinge on the eastern horizon signaled that dawn would soon arrive.

But the atmosphere in the hidden corner of the old, ruined factory was already as bustling as a midday market.

The clanging of metal, hammers striking with precision, and shouts of encouragement occasionally interspersed with curses or laughter, created a unique symphony of labor.

Junkyard Junction, which usually looked like a lifeless sea of scrap metal, had now been transformed by seven daredevils into a giant, living workshop full of hope.

Heaps of previously ignored junk now became the raw materials for something impossible.

"Alright, everyone! Keep that spirit up!" Hariel shouted, with an enthusiasm that seemed endless. He leaped onto a pile of metal plates, his fist punching the air. "It's time to make history! It's time to build... the world's first Sky Ark... made entirely from choice junk!"

The group of ex-bandits looked at each other with mixed expressions of exhaustion and slight inspiration.

"Are... are you sure this will work, Captain?" Bolt asked, with a skepticism he couldn't hide.

"Of course!" Hariel answered. "We have Niki, the greatest scientist in all of Gizmograd! Right, Niki?"

Niki, who was busy drawing a sketch on a worn piece of paper, shrugged without looking up. "In theory, perhaps," he said, in his typical flat tone. "The design I've drafted isn't too large. It's the most viable form we can create from the materials here."

He added, "Think of it as a foundation. A prototype. Just enough to carry the seven of us to explore the skies. We'll continue to perfect it during our journey."

"Don't be so pessimistic, my friend!" Hariel exclaimed. "A prototype that can continuously evolve is way cooler! The most important thing is that we work together as a team!"

And so, they began to work.

CLANG! PING! BANG!

The sound of Bolt's hammer striking metal created a steady rhythm of labor.

In another corner, the hiss of Wrench's welding torch fused parts of the frame with precision, emitting a bright blue light.

Grease and Pipe moved quickly, adjusting used gears and taking measurements.

Meanwhile Hammer, with his great strength, lifted massive metal beams that should have required three men.

Niki ran back and forth, from one station to another, giving technical instructions from his sketch. "Not that one, Pipe! We need gear number seventeen! Bolt, the angle is off by three degrees!"

And Hariel? He was the main source of energy.

"Need this lifted, Captain!" "Okay!" "Need this bent a little!" "Leave it to me!"

A small flame would flicker at his fingertips, helping to melt or bend stubborn metal according to Niki's directions.

From a formless pile of junk, slowly, something new began to take shape. The foundation of a dream.

Suddenly, something strange moved above their heads.

Hariel looked up and saw... nothing.

"Hey, you guys," Hariel called out, his tone puzzled. "Do you feel something strange?"

The group stopped working and looked at each other. "Feel what, Captain?" Bolt asked.

"Like... something is floating and watching us from above..."

"It's probably just your imagination, Captain. Or maybe... winged rats?" Grease said with a shrug.

"Or maybe... a junkyard ghost!" Wrench said, her voice trembling, causing Hammer to immediately hide behind "The Rusty Bucket" in fear.

Lumi, who had been observing in silence, finally rolled her eyes with an exasperated expression.

She decided to reveal herself.

"You all are so noisy. I can't even concentrate," she said curtly, suddenly appearing in their midst in her glowing, fairy-like form.

"WHAT IS THAT CREATURE?!" Bolt yelled, with a high-pitched shriek that didn't match his tough appearance at all. He reflexively raised his giant wrench.

"It has wings and it's glowing!" Grease exclaimed in shock. "Is it a fairy from the legends?" Pipe asked in awe. "Or the guardian demon of this junkyard?" Wrench asked in horror. Hammer had already fainted in his hiding spot.

"I've told this boy already, I am not a fairy, not a demon, and certainly not a junkyard ghost!" Lumi said, her tone growing more annoyed. "I am Lumi! I am Hariel's guide and navigator!"

The group of ex-bandits gaped, disbelieving.

"A... a guide?" Bolt stammered. "You mean... you're some kind of guardian spirit or a genie from a bottle?"

"No, you foolish carpenters!" Lumi retorted curtly. "I am... oh, never mind. It's too complicated to explain to you."

Hariel roared with laughter. "I knew your reaction would be like this," he said. "Everyone, meet Lumi. She's my guide, and she's also the one who told us about the power source we need."

"That power source, where is it located?" Niki asked, having just finished his sketch and approached, his eyebrows raised with interest.

Lumi nodded, now looking at Niki seriously. "I can sense the faint remnants of its energy in some of the rare components in this place," she said. "I can show you where we might find its main source. But... that place will certainly not be safe. There are many other parties who want it too."

"No problem!" Hariel exclaimed, with burning spirit. "We'll face anyone who dares to stand in our way!"

Niki was silent for a moment, looking at Lumi with the gaze of a scientist who had just discovered an extraordinary new phenomenon, then smiled faintly with conviction.

The sky above Junkyard Junction became a witness to how that hopeful atmosphere was suddenly shattered by a deafening explosion.

BOOM!

A massive explosion destroyed one of the giant metal heaps near their work area. Hot iron shrapnel flew in all directions like bullets, forcing Hariel and his friends to immediately take cover behind the half-finished frame of their Sky Ark.

"ATTACK!!!"

The sound of an organized battle cry echoed from all directions.

From behind the peaks of the tallest junk heaps, dozens of black shadows began to descend, moving with military speed and precision. The Gear Phantoms.

"Damn it!" Niki hissed. "They're back!"

"Bolt! Everyone! Ready your 'tools'!" Hariel shouted, his voice no longer cheerful, but sharp and full of command. "Let's give them a welcome they'll never forget!"