For Love or Money
An Anizoid Spinoff/Side Story

Zoids does not belong to me. This story was created without permission and is intended for entertainment purposes only. Further disclaimers are unavailable as I can't afford a lawyer to translate for me.

The concept of anizoids does not belong to me. Anizoids are the brainchild of Wolfkcing, a very talented fanfic writer. His latest story, Anizoid Interactive, was the inspiration for this story. My thanks to Wolfkcing for allowing me to use his creation in this story.

Wolfkcing's Anizoids fic is set a couple of years after the end of Zoids: New Century Zero.

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A petite young girl ran up to dark youth in his late teens, her cheeks flushed and her white-blond braid bouncing in excitement.

"Oh, Finn, he's just so wonderful!" she enthused.

Finn Gest watched his 15-year-old sister's expression with a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach.

The two of them had been on their own for a long time, and Finn knew that Juliet, despite her love of travel, sometimes craved a home of her own. He wished he could provide that for her, but as things stood, they had to keep moving. That last job he'd done had made him a few enemies, and he wasn't going to stick around waiting for payback.

That didn't lessen his trepidation regarding his sister's latest paramour. He knew the object of her affection, one Simon LeBon, and the man had not only left a trail of broken hearts behind him, he had a cruel streak.

Apparently he hid it well, if Juliet was this enamored. And now she was actually contemplating marriage? Unacceptable.

The problem was, how could he prevent his sister from becoming a pawn in Simon's game without hurting her in the process?

His lips set in a grim line. He would think of something. He always did.

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A dark figure crept along the perimeter of the base. An emaciated dog sniffed after it, hoping for a handout. The figure turned and kicked the hapless animal, sending it yipping in pain.

He didn't have a chance to turn around again, as he found himself trapped in a grip of steel, a cold metal blade against his throat.

"I see your true colors are starting to show," a low voice rumbled.

Simon LeBon relaxed as he recognized the voice.

"My dear Phineas, what would your sister say if she saw you manhandling her fiancé?"

"You will not marry my sister."

Simon chuckled. One would think he didn't still have a dagger pressed against his Adam's apple. "I regret to inform you, I will marry your sister."

"Over my dead body," Finn said, meaning every word.

Simon ignored the implied threat. "She's a little slight for my taste, but I'm sure she'll grow accustomed to being in my bed every night."

Finn felt the cold knot in his stomach grow. He had heard tales of Simon's bed sport, none of them pretty.

Simon grew bold at Finn's silence. "Perhaps when I'm bored with her, I will share her with some of my friends," he mused. "She's young and can be trained. And her skills in the kitchen will give her something to do when she's not in the bedroom."

Finn's grip on the handle of his dagger tightened. His mind played out different scenarios in rapid-fire succession. As long as there was breath in his body, his sister would never fall victim to this man.

Simon noted Finn's inner struggle, and decided to press his momentary advantage. Unfortunately for him, his graphic explanations of what he planned to do to the mercenary's sister did not have the intended impact, and they made Finn's solution to the problem a simple one. Simon realized too late exactly why so many people were afraid of crossing Finn Gest.

The body of Simon LeBon slumped to the floor as Finn released it. The blade of his dagger glistened with fresh blood.

"…and nobody calls me Phineas," he muttered to himself, as he set about taking care of the corpse in front of him.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Finn held his sister's weeping form in his arms, stroking her back soothingly and resting his chin on her head. This one had hit her especially hard.

"I can't believe he's gone," she sobbed.

'Ah, Juliet,' he thought. 'The pain would have been much greater if I had let you marry him.'

No matter how many times his sister had her heart broken, Finn would never get used to her tears. He gave her a slight squeeze.

The story he had concocted wasn't terribly creative, but somehow he thought Juliet would take the news better if she thought her beloved had fallen victim to a pack of starving wolves. The scrawny puppy had put that idea in his head.

Speaking of the little mongrel…

Finn gently pulled from his sister's embrace, tilted her chin up, and wiped the still falling tears from her pale face with his callused thumbs.

"I have a surprise for you," he said gruffly.

She closed her eyes and leaned her forehead against his broad chest, shaking her head against him.

"I don't want anything," she said in a thin voice.

Finn gently stepped away from his sister and walked to the entrance of their temporary home. He kept his eyes on Juliet's slight form as he pushed the door open. A gangly puppy peeked in the door warily.

Juliet's hands covered her face as she wiped at her tears.

The dog padded over to her and placed a paw on her leg.

She looked down, tears blurring her vision, and noticed the animal attached to the furry foot on her thigh.

"Finn!" she exclaimed, reaching down to pick up the dog.

She cradled the puppy, nuzzling her face into its mangy fur as if it were made of the finest cashmere. Her tears started anew.

"Thank you," she wept into the fur.

Finn took one last look at his sister, and then went outside. It would take some time, but she would be all right.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Finn, isn't he adorable?" Juliet asked.

He was outside working on his Zoid as his sister was playing with Simon, that mangy mutt he'd picked up a few months earlier.

He turned from the Cobra Fang to watch the ill-named canine's latest accomplishment.

Juliet had trained him to walk on his back legs, and the animal was prancing around, its front legs dangling in front of it. Juliet had placed a cap on his head, which bobbed up and down with every shaky step. It was actually quite comical.

The corners of his mouth quirked up slightly before he carefully schooled his expression into neutrality.

It was too late.

"I knew you'd like it!" she exclaimed happily.

Finn sent her a meaningful glance before turning back to his Zoid. He pretended not to notice the triumphant grin on his sister's face.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Juliet knelt at the tiny grave to place a bouquet of flowers there. She had just finished singing a rather melancholy tune in eulogy for the tiny pup. She wiped the tears from her face with the back of her hand and sniffed loudly.

"I'll miss you, Simon," she said softly.

She stood, and felt her brother's hand on her shoulder, reassuring her. She knew that the animal had gone to a better place, but she missed him. She could tell that her brother felt guilty about what happened to Simon. She didn't know the whole story, but she knew that Finn had been up to something. He was out late at night again, and that was never a good sign.

Sometimes she was convinced that her brother thought she was stupid. She knew he crept out at night quite often, thinking she was fast asleep. Usually it didn't bother her, but every now and then there would be nights when she felt a chill in the air while he was gone.

Her brother always returned unharmed, and she would discount her sense of unease until the next time.

The night that Simon the dog died, she had such a sense of foreboding.

She turned to her brother and put her arms around him.

"It's not your fault, Finn," she said softly. He tensed under her embrace. Ah ha, so she was right. Somehow Finn had gotten himself into trouble.

"He saved me," her brother whispered, surprising both of them with his admission.

She squeezed even harder, almost as if to reassure herself that her brother was alive and well and standing right next to her. His head bowed, and he put his arms around her.

The two of them stood there for several long minutes before Juliet felt Finn's body stiffen once again.

Juliet released him, and he dropped his arms as she did so. She glanced up. His eyes were dry, but his face - it looked as though he had slammed a door on his emotions, so blank was his expression.

Tempted as she was to force him to open up, she knew her brother would be mortified if he allowed himself to openly demonstrate an emotion such as sorrow. She didn't think she'd ever seen her brother cry, not in all the years they'd been together.

Finn turned and headed back into their humble home. His form displayed none of his anguish, and he moved as smoothly and gracefully as ever.

Despite her sorrow over the loss of their pet, Juliet couldn't help but smile. Her brother would never admit it, but he had grown attached to that "little scrap of fur."

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Finn was in a quandary. Juliet's sixteenth birthday was in a week. He wanted to do something special for her, and knowing Jules, that would mean a party. He hated parties.

They had been living in Bastion City for nearly a year, and it would be time to move on again soon. Juliet had made many friends here, or, at the very least, was friendly with most of the townsfolk, and he knew she would sorely miss them when they left. He was really left with only one option to really provide her with something memorable. A surprise party. That meant he'd have to be the one to extend the invitations. Time that could be spent fine tuning the Cobra Fang, or watching replays of Zoid battles. Time that could be spent actually earning money instead of spending it.

He sighed inwardly. What was he earning the money for, if not to provide for his only family? His sister's happiness was his top priority. Resigned to his fate, he set out in his plan to make Juliet's birthday an event she'd remember.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Finn, thank you so much for taking me out to dinner," Juliet gushed.

Finn led the petite blonde inside the double doors of the restaurant. He gave his name to the hostess who led them into one of the back rooms.

"SURPRISE!"

Juliet's eyes grew wide just before they filled with tears. She turned and threw her arms around her brother. Despite his embarrassment, he was pleased with her reaction.

Juliet stood on her toes to plant a kiss on his cheek before mingling with the guests.

It was many hours later that the last guest departed. Finn had remained standing with his arms folded the entire time. He would have preferred leaving altogether, but he didn't want to hurt Juliet's feelings. He also felt he should stick around in case anyone tried anything. As it was, he bristled every time she spent more than a few minutes in the company of any man.

It had been difficult issuing invitations to this party. Most people eyed him warily, as if they suspected a trap. However, they all knew and liked Juliet, and despite their unease around her brother, they felt obligated to attend, for her sake. Even if they hadn't, they were afraid to defy Finn.

It had been worth it, he noted with satisfaction, seeing the rosy glow on Juliet's cheeks.

"Oh, Finn," she sighed, rejoining her brother. "I can't believe you did this for me!"

Finn grunted in reply. Juliet surveyed the colorful paper decorations and the pile of gifts on one table. Finn, prepared as always, pulled a box from under one of the tables along the wall, and the two of them started filling it with Juliet's gifts.

"Did you know that Jake won another Zoid battle?" she asked softly.

Of course Finn knew that. He glanced at Juliet as he placed a bolt of light purple satin in the box and saw her dreamy expression and flushed cheeks. His stomach dropped. He had been afraid this would happen.

Juliet rambled on with all the details of the last battle Jake Bane had been in. As she continued, Finn realized she was giving him a detailed synopsis of the various tactics Bane and his brothers had used. If he were the type to show emotion, his grin would have gone from ear to ear. By the time they returned home, he knew more about Bane's battle than if he'd been there himself.

The Chronos Team had hired Finn a few weeks earlier in an attempt to break their losing streak. The next battle was going to be very interesting indeed.

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"The area within a ten-mile radius has been scanned. Battlefield all set. The Bane Team versus the Chronos Team. Battle mode 0982. Ready…FIGHT!" the judge announced.

The Bane brothers and their Iron Kongs charged their opponents. The members of the Chronos Team remained in position. Marty, the leader of the Chronos Team, still wasn't convinced that the strategy Finn had concocted was going to work, but the mercenary had been highly recommended. He couldn't help feeling that his Dibison was a sitting duck, though.

Then he squinted at the Iron Kong on the left and realized that Finn had been right. The Zoid was limping slightly. You wouldn't notice if you weren't looking for it. A grin broke across his face. The mercenary's plan might just work after all.

Finn's Cobra Fang slithered around the three Kongs and disappeared, leaving the Dibison and the Command Wolf to fend for themselves briefly.

Marty launched a full attack at the Iron Kong in front of him.

Marcus, Jake's brother, laughed aloud. Did that cumbersome buffalo really think its cannons were going to put his Kong out of the game? His Zoid stood up and beat against its chest proudly.

Marty grinned. He had been waiting for that. It seemed that Marcus couldn't resist showing off just before launching his own assault of armaments.

The Dibison charged, head down, and hit the Kong right where Finn had specified, flipping the Zoid over with its horns. The gorilla Zoid, thrown off balance, crumpled onto its weakened leg. The angle of its impact with the ground caused a System Freeze. Marcus stared at his control panel in disbelief.

Jake saw what happened and gritted his teeth. How many times had he told his youngest brother to wait until after grasping victory before indulging in a display of superiority?

The Command Wolf was firing at his brother Silas. He knew Silas could take care of himself, so he headed for the Dibison. He would get rid of that Zoid before taking care of Juliet's smug older brother.

The Command Wolf pilot, Max, stood his ground. He didn't trust Finn, but he trusted Marty, who trusted Finn, and that was good enough for him. Besides, he'd seen Marty fell the mighty Iron Kong. Even if his Command Wolf was going to be used as bait, he was still scoring individual points for the artillery that he was launching at Silas.

Which he had to remind himself as Silas knocked him out of the battle all too soon. He felt some vindication when he saw the tail of Finn's Zoid out of the corner of his eye, just before the head reared up and bit through the Iron Kong. Silas was out of the battle, and Finn's Zoid disappeared beneath the sand.

Jake had dispatched the Dibison in a matter of minutes, and he waited for the Cobra Fang to reappear.

He could be as patient as that emotionless bastard. He was going to take great delight in defeating the legendary Finn Gest. The man needed to be taught a lesson.

The snake burst out of the ground behind him. He whirled around, firing his Zoid's wrist cannon while dispatching the missiles. The snake easily dodged the fire, flattening itself onto the ground and slithering around him.

Jake grinned. He was going to stomp that worm right into the sand.

He realized that the head of the Cobra Fang was behind him, but he couldn't see the tail end of the snake. Too late, he remembered the coiling ability that Finn's Zoid was customized with. He should have paid more attention to that twit Juliet when she was bragging about her brother, he thought to himself, as his control panel displayed a System Freeze.

"The battle is over. The battle is over. The winner is…The Chronos Team!"

"I told you he was worth the money," Marty crowed.

Max just grunted. He was still miffed about the damage his Command Wolf took.

Marty chuckled in response.

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Fortunately for Finn, Juliet had met another Zoid warrior earlier that day, and had forgotten all about her infatuation with Jake Bane.

She regaled Finn with tales of this warrior's exploits as she served dinner. She paused in her monologue as she watched her brother shovel in his food. She sighed. She wished he'd take a little time to enjoy his meals. One might think they were still eating stolen crusts of bread like they had when they were children.

"Do you think Blake's team is going to win?" she asked.

Finn shook his head. Was it him, or did all these men have virtually the same name?

Juliet mistook this gesture as a response to her question. "Why not?" she asked.

Finn realized his mistake immediately and mentally kicked himself. How could he be so careful around everyone else and let so much slip in front of her?

"Just a feeling," he said noncommittally.

Juliet nodded. She trusted her brother's instincts above everyone else's, including her own.

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After dinner, Juliet eagerly set up the Zoid simulation game. Finn had promised to show her how to play, and she couldn't wait to get started. She actually didn't care about the game itself as much as the opportunity to spend time with her brother. She knew that he was working himself to death to provide for her, but she'd be happy with less, as long as they were together. She tried to tell Finn that several years ago, and he had looked so hurt at the thought that he was neglecting her that she'd hurriedly assured him that it was just a "female thing" and that he needn't pay her any mind.

She knew he worried about her, knew he thought she was rather fanciful and flighty. He didn't understand that she couldn't help following her heart.

As much as she loved Finn, he could be so closed in. She often thought that all he needed was to find the right woman. She laughed to herself. She couldn't think of anyone who was good enough for her brother.

She felt, rather than heard, Finn enter the room. He looked at the game board and nodded slightly. She warmed to his approval.

He briefly explained the principles of the game. She nodded as he explained how the game was a combination of might and strategy.

"Ready?" he asked.

She beamed at him.

"Born ready," she said with a wink.

Finn watched his sister with amusement as she started the game with a highly aggressive, yet extremely risky, move. She had a lot to learn.

An hour later, he struggled to keep his mouth closed as he watched Juliet's simulated Zoid make short work of his. Again.

Juliet laughed as she watched her brother blink once, then twice.

"Don't worry," she said, gracefully getting to her feet. "I’m sure it's just beginner's luck…" she headed for the kitchen area, pausing in the doorway. "…Phineas."

She heard his nearly imperceptible grunt as she disappeared into the kitchen. Peals of laughter reached her brother's ears.

Once she was out of sight, Finn allowed himself to smile slightly.

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Juliet's infatuation with Blake Carlton was short-lived, as she was there to witness his defeat in a Zoid battle against the team that had hired her brother.

It wasn't his lack of prowess as a warrior that caused her to rethink her feelings. It was his reaction following the battle that did it.

"Gest!" Blake ran after Finn as the mercenary headed toward his sister.

Finn ignored him.

"Don't think you can just walk away, Gest," Blake said, reaching out to grab the other man's arm.

As soon as he felt Blake's hand on his arm, Finn stopped.

Carlton didn't seem to notice.

"You think you are better than any of us!" Blake shouted. "You aren't so great. I heard you demand extra money for that stunt you pulled at the end. You may have everyone else fooled, but I know that you just got lucky. I can't imagine why anyone would bother hiring you. Your skills are highly overrated!"

Finn stood there, listening to the other man's pathetic attempts to get a rise out of him. If he had any respect for Carlton, he might have been angered at the man's insults, but he knew they were out of jealousy and spite. Although part of him felt he should defend himself, he was loath to reward the man with a reaction. He hadn't gotten this far in life by letting such trivial insults provoke him.

His sister took care of it for him.

"Blake Carlton!" she huffed.

Finn couldn't resist turning to look at Blake as his sister stormed up to them. Carlton's face had lost all its color.

"I can't believe you would lower yourself to such petty insults!" she chastised. Finn was amused at his sister's choice of words, but his expression remained unchanged.

Chagrined, Blake released Finn's arm and put his own arms out in supplication as Juliet railed at him.

"…Baby," he said, "it's not like that…"

Finn chuckled inwardly. Carlton was dead now.

Juliet's palm connected with Blake's cheek.

"Despite what you might think, I know that it is like that," she said coldly, her normally warm blue eyes full of ice. "You have insulted the Gest family name, taken advantage of my regard for you, and brought disgrace upon yourself." She practically spat the last sentence at him before stalking off past the two men with her head held high.

After taking a couple of paces, she turned and gave Blake one last piercing stare.

"And don't call me Baby," she said, her tone deadly, before turning and walking away.

Finn didn't bother gracing Blake with a backward glance as he followed his sister to their jeep. There was hope for her yet.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Don't bother telling me 'I told you so,'" Juliet told her brother as he met her in the jeep.

Finn said nothing. They both knew that he had never actually uttered those four words to her.

She let out a small shriek of frustration. "How could I have been so blind?" she wailed, covering her eyes. Now that it was just the two of them, she could drop her icy cold demeanor.

Finn just put his hand on her shoulder. She peeked up at him and smiled faintly.

"Some day, Finn, I hope I find a man just like you," she said. "Someone brave and loyal. Someone who would never deceive me."

Finn's insides clenched at her last words.

Oblivious to her brother's internal conflict, Juliet reached behind him and picked up his long ponytail.

"You should really let me plait this for you," she said. "It's so soft, yet you twist it into this stiff rope. It's hair, not a weapon, you know."

He grunted. Juliet dropped the tail, and it fell against his back with a thump.

She toyed with her own waist-length braid as Finn drove them home.

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Juliet hadn't given up on Finn's hair; he discovered when they arrived home. She insisted he sit in front of the worn couch. Despite his misgivings, he sat on the floor, his legs stretched out in front of him, his muscles slightly tense.

Juliet, seated on the sofa with her legs crossed, chuckled softly. Her brother rarely denied her anything. This time she would do something for him.

She pushed his shoulder blades forward in order to grab the heavy ponytail. She placed it in her lap and carefully removed the leather ties that criss-crossed through her brother's hair. She slowly untwisted the length of hair and picked up the brush next to her.

She started humming as she stroked the brush through the thick black hair, allowing the bangs to fall forward in their natural manner. He looked so much less severe with the fringe of hair framing his forehead. She marveled at how soft it was - even softer than her own. How odd that someone as rugged as her brother could have such feminine hair, she mused, running her fingers through the disentangled strands. She raised a lock of hair to her face and nuzzled it impulsively. She had a brief recollection of snuggling someone with soft dark hair. Almost as soon as it had come, the memory was gone.

Finn's eyes were closed, and he was leaning back against the couch. The feel of the brush against his head was oddly relaxing. Juliet finished brushing out the tangles and started massaging his scalp and temples. He loved when she hummed. It usually meant she was content and happy. Then the tune changed, and an old memory flooded through him.

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"Momma," a small dark-haired boy said, tugging at his mother's skirt.

His mother was holding an infant to her breast, her own dark hair spilling about her shoulders and draping over the child. She smiled down at her son.

"Your sister is hungry," she chastised gently. "You can see her in a moment."

The boy sulked for a moment, then peeked up at the tiny golden head that was barely visible.

His mother started singing a lullaby of her own creation. The boy cocked his head to one side. He had always loved that tune. He'd fallen asleep many nights as his mother sang softly. He was sure no one had a prettier voice than his mother. It didn’t matter that he hadn't actually heard anyone else sing in his short life.

The infant was done feeding and began to fuss. Her brother peered up at her anxiously.

Their mother smiled. "Phineas, would you like to hold her?"

His dark eyes grew wide with panic at the thought of holding such a delicate creature, then he grew bold and stood up straight.

"Yes, ma'am," he said.

She graced him with one of her smiles, the smile that told him he wasn't just an ordinary boy, but one who was very special.

She knelt down next to him and he held his arms out. The infant was placed in his arms, and his hands moved to properly support the tiny head and neck. It didn't matter that the baby was fussy. He would be brave.

As soon as Phineas held the baby against his chest, she stopped fussing and cooed happily. He felt a sudden surge of protectiveness for the tiny female.

His mother beamed at him.

"See, Phineas? Juliet recognizes her big brother," she said, smiling fondly. As an afterthought, she added, "no matter where life takes you, you will always have each other."

Neither Phineas nor his mother ever suspected that, soon after, they would only have each other.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Juliet continued to hum her favorite tune as she braided her brother's hair. She didn't know where she had heard it before, but she had always loved it, ever since she could remember.

She glanced down at her brother's face, and was pleased to see his eyes closed and his features relaxed. This was what she had hoped to achieve.

She tied the last bit of leather around the end of his braid with a vigorous tug, but her brother didn't move. Juliet grinned before dropping the length of hair over Finn's sleeping form. From her position on the couch, she reached over to grab a basket that was on the floor and pulled it into her lap. While her brother dozed in front of her, she pulled out a garment she'd been working on and started sewing.

Finn woke with a start an hour later. Juliet was in the kitchen preparing supper. He got up and stretched. It had been a long time since he'd allowed himself to relax.

It was Juliet's fault. If only she hadn't hummed their mother's special song. It brought him back to those more peaceful days of long ago. He didn't even think Juliet had been old enough to remember. Their parents had died in an attack on the village where they lived, and Finn had managed to find his sister in the rubble. The two of them had escaped in their father's Zoid, with Finn barely able to pilot the thing. It hadn't been easy for a child on his own, let alone one who was taking care of an infant, but he had been determined to succeed at all costs.

He shook the unpleasant thoughts from his mind. It had happened a long time ago, and he was a stronger person now from the experience.

The aroma of Juliet's apple pie tickled his nose. He allowed himself to smile. They had only recently had enough money for luxuries like dessert. The first time Juliet was able to try her hand at cooking something that wasn't meat or bread, she was ecstatic. Finn had been pleasantly surprised at how nice it was to eat something just for the enjoyment of it, and not because it was needed for survival.

As a result, Juliet had made it a point to come up with a new dessert every week. Finn hated to admit that he had developed quite a sweet tooth. He could easily give up eating the sugary foods, but as long as they could afford it, he would never turn down one of Juliet's culinary confections.

His face returned to its normally blank expression, and he entered the kitchen, seating himself quietly.

Juliet couldn't have heard him enter, but she said, without turning around, "I was wondering when you'd join me."

Finn grunted in reply. Juliet smiled to herself. She knew that these grunts were reserved for her only. Normally Finn wouldn't bother to provide even that much of an answer to anyone else.

Juliet set a full plate in front of her brother, kissed him on the cheek, and sat down next to him.

Finn noted with wry amusement that she had moved her seat several inches closer to him. He waited.

"Finn, I've been thinking…" she began.

He said nothing, just placed another forkful of mashed potatoes into his mouth.

"You're gone during the day quite often, and I'm stuck here alone," she said. Finn continued to eat, giving no sign he was listening other than a slight tilt of his head in her direction. He tamped down the feelings of guilt she stirred in him.

"I don't always know when to expect you back, and it would be really nice if I could go into town to pick up groceries…" she continued.

He stared at her. He hated knowing she was cooped up like a bird in a cage, but there was no way he was going to allow her to walk all the way into town unescorted.

"…so I thought maybe it was time you taught me how to drive the jeep," she finished.

He hated when she could read his thoughts.

He said nothing, but he was chewing much more slowly as he considered her request.

"Oh, please, Finn, I need to learn sometime, and who better to teach me than you?" she pleaded, grasping his arm for emphasis.

He was tempted to roll his eyes. How such a little slip of a girl could manage to wrap him around her little finger was embarrassing.

Juliet recognized his silent acquiescence. A beatific smile graced her face as she launched at her brother, wrapping both arms around him and nearly knocking both of them to the floor. "Thank you, Finn, thank you so much!"

He grunted in reply.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The following day, Finn was working, adjusting the linkages on his Cobra Fang. He had promised his sister that he'd start her driving lessons as soon as he was done fine tuning his Zoid.

The more he thought about it, the more he realized that learning to drive would actually be in Juliet's best interest. He should have thought of it himself. After she'd reminded him of how often she was left alone, he realized she was basically trapped here. At least she could drive somewhere for help if anything happened. His stomach clenched at the very thought of his sister being in danger while he was away, especially if his own actions were to blame.

Once again he regretted some of the things he'd done in the past. It would be bitterly ironic if anything happened to Juliet as a result, when everything he'd done was for her sake. He hadn't exactly made many friends in his line of work.

He pushed the negative thoughts to the side and tightened the last bolt. He removed a rag from his back pocket and carefully wiped his hands. Now that he was done working, there was no reason that he needed to remain as dirty as he was.

He went to the spigot on the side of the shed and washed his hands. The door to their home opened up and Juliet stepped outside.

He splashed water on his face and turned off the faucet before turning in her direction. By this time, she had moved to the driver's side of the jeep. Finn nodded at her, and she opened the door and climbed in.

He got in on the passenger side before he noticed her attire.

She was wearing pants. Not only that, but her outfit looked remarkably similar to Finn's practical attire, even down to the serviceable boots on her tiny feet.

He quirked an eyebrow up at her, and she blushed.

"What do I do first?" she asked.

"Put one foot on the brake and one on the clutch," he instructed. "Then turn the key in the ignition."

She glared at him, but did as she was told.

He guided her through starting from first gear and when to shift into second, then third. He had her come to a complete stop and repeat the process. After a couple false starts, she gritted her teeth and managed to get the vehicle in motion without grinding the gears.

Juliet surprised him again. Once she had overcome her initial difficulty, she drove like she had been born behind the wheel. Finn couldn't help but notice that she seemed as in tune to the jeep as he was with his Cobra Fang. He idly wondered how well she'd perform as a Zoid pilot. He grinned as he thought of her battle tactics in the simulation game.

"What's so funny?"

Finn realized he had done it again. He'd dropped his cold façade in the company of his sister. Then he wondered how the hell she could have known he was grinning. He glanced at her from the corner of his eye. She was still watching the road, her slim fingers curled around the steering wheel.

"Ever think of piloting a Zoid?" The words spilled from his lips before he could call them back.

Juliet was silent for a moment.

"Yes," she finally admitted.

Finn waited for her to continue, but she fell silent. It was unlike Juliet to avoid conversation. His curiosity was piqued, and he turned around in his seat and just stared at her.

She ignored him. He noticed she was biting her lip.

After several long minutes, Juliet's laughter broke the silence.

"I'm sorry," she chortled. "It just occurred to me that, with all this silence, it's like there are two of you in this jeep," she managed to choke out before laughing again.

Finn eyed the road briefly to assure himself that Juliet's outburst had not affected her driving before turning his gaze back on her. She allowed herself to lose her temper at his seemingly cold regard.

"Forget it, Finn, you're not the only one with secrets." Mentally she slapped herself in the head. She had meant to imply that he wasn't the only one who could play the close-mouthed game, but now she had just come out and suggested that she was hiding something from him. He would never let the matter drop now.

To her surprise, Finn just faced the windshield and folded his arms across his chest. His face was grim, but he said nothing.

Juliet drove in silence until they reached town. She pulled up in front of Finn's favorite parts store and turned off the ignition. Finn noted that she'd figured out she needed to keep the clutch depressed before turning off the ignition in order to avoid making the car buck.

Neither of them said anything as they got out and entered the store. The two of them were greeted with several wolf whistles. In response, Finn's eyes snapped to the slight form of his sister.

Now that she was standing next to him, he realized that the slim pants hugged her hips and thighs, and her breasts filled out the front of her shirt. Several wisps of hair had escaped her braid and clung to her face enticingly.

With a start, Finn realized his sister was no longer a little girl.

Although his expression didn't change, he moved closer to Juliet, and his eyes grew cold and dangerous.

The men that had been ogling his sister shuddered involuntarily. They developed a sudden fascination for an exceedingly overpriced set of ballistic missiles against the wall.

Finn guided Juliet to the counter in silence.

The bespectacled man behind the counter was rounding the corner when he spied the waiting couple. He almost fell over himself in his haste to reach them.

"Ah, laddy, we are still waiting for your special order streamlined pod rockets," he said apologetically. "But the surface-to-air missiles arrived just this morning."

Finn nodded coldly.

"And who is this bonny young lass?" the older man asked. "Don't tell me you've finally decided to settle down!"

Juliet giggled. "I'm his sister," she emphasized the word. "Juliet," she offered.

"Pleased to meet ye, Juliet. I'm Ian," the gray-haired man said with a slight chuckle. "Where have ye been hidin' her, lad?"

Finn glared at his sister and the shop proprietor.

"He's teaching me to drive," Juliet supplied helpfully.

Juliet asked Ian about his family, and the older man regaled her with stories of his "wee grandchildren" and their latest antics. Finn finally got tired of waiting and pulled a slim wallet out of his front pocket. He plucked the invoice from the Ian's hand, glanced at it, and counted out a few bills, which he placed on the counter. He then turned and walked out of the shop, but not before giving the men who had whistled at Juliet earlier a death glare.

To Juliet's surprise, Finn had not taken the driver's seat.

She climbed into the jeep, put it in gear, and drove away.

Once they arrived home, Juliet hopped out of the jeep and walked around to the passenger door. She beamed at him. He pretended not to notice.

She dangled the keys in front of him. He continued to ignore her.

She opened his door, grabbed the thick braid, and tugged.

That got his attention. He tumbled out of the vehicle and onto the ground.

Juliet laughed again and dangled the keys over her head.

"I'll bet someone would really hate to misplace his keys…" she taunted.

Finn got to his feet, dusted himself off, and crossed his arms over his chest again.

"Ooooh," Juliet made the noise as if she were talking to a baby…or a puppy. She held the keys over her head with one hand and squeezed her brother's cheeks with the other, causing his lips to pucker. "I see widdle Finny is wearing his pouty face…"

She didn't get any further than that when she saw the brief flash of challenge in her brother's eyes. She dropped the keys and started running.

Finn's hand swooped down to pick up the keys as he took off after her. He was behind her in seconds, and she shrieked with laughter as she tried to outrun him. She kept changing direction to avoid his grasp.

Too late, she realized he had been re-directing her every move so her path led right to the water barrel. She howled as he picked her up and held her over the barrel menacingly.

"PHINEAS! Put me down this instant!" she shrieked.

"As you command, my lady," she heard before the hands that had been supporting her withdrew, and she was dropped into the water barrel.

She placed her hands on the rim of the barrel and hoisted herself out. She glared at her brother as she pulled her shirt out of her pants and wrung out the lower half.

She realized that her hair had gotten wet as well, and she whipped her head around, "accidentally" striking her brother with her braid, just hard enough to leave a long, wet trail on his shirt.

He was smirking at her slightly, his back towards the jeep, when all of a sudden he tensed and his face became carefully neutral. He turned around, crossed his arms, and waited for something.

The something appeared ten seconds later - Juliet counted - a figure approaching their homestead with a wave. When it got closer, she saw it was a man with shaggy blond hair. He was quite a good-looking young man, too, with well-formed muscles, gorgeous blue eyes, and a devil-may-care expression.

If it weren't for the fact that Finn's stance had not relaxed one iota, Juliet would have fallen instantly in love.

"What are you hiding there, Gest?" the young man asked as he neared the two of them. "Is it true that the brooding mercenary really does have family? And here I was beginning to think you had crawled out from under a rock."

Finn didn't grace him with a reply. It wasn't until the young man started to walk around him that he reached out a hand and blocked the blond's progress.

"I think it best if you made sure you were invited before showing up at someone's home, Jackson," he said calmly. "One might think you had the manners of a barnyard animal."

Rogue Jackson gave an amused chuckle as he looked around the rather humble homestead.

"Come now, Gest, I do believe that only one of us is, shall I say, intimately acquainted with the manners of barnyard animals?" he said with a leer.

Finn would have ignored the other man until he got bored and left had he not noticed the younger man's gaze fixed on something behind him. Rogue had realized he had a clear view of Juliet, who was still standing behind her brother. His mouth dropped open.

Finn realized at once why the other man was staring. His sister's clothes, now wet, clung to every curve. The only thing that kept Rogue from having the life choked out of him was Juliet's presence.

"I suggest you leave," Finn said tightly, his voice cold.

Rogue gave up leering at Juliet and stared at Finn in disbelief. He started to comment, but the dangerous glint in Finn's eyes made him rethink his opinion. Rogue's sudden intake of breath had him choking on his own spit, and he immediately hated Finn for making him afraid.

"I came to offer you some work," he rasped. "But I see you are a little too testy for such a delicate operation. I'll be sure to let everyone know that they would be better off hiring someone else," he spat.

Rogue turned on his heel and stalked away.

Finn didn't turn around. "Go inside and change," was all he said.

Juliet ran inside to do as she was told.

"Drat and double drat," she muttered as she struggled to peel off her wet pants. "I finally get Finn to indulge in a little harmless fun, and that - that - person shows up and has to ruin it." She threw her pants on the pile of laundry in the corner of her room.

"I may never get Finn to loosen up like that again," she lamented angrily. "It's all that stupid buffoon's fault, too," she told the closet door as she changed into her usual attire of a simple skirt and blouse. She shoved her feet into her shoes with some difficulty. "Stupid shoes," she accused.

In a rare fit of temper, Juliet kicked the closet door. She couldn't help but feeling a rush of satisfaction at the act. A look of determination came over her features.

"Juliet, my girl," she said to the reflection in the mirror. "It's time to find out what big brother has been up to."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A trio of dark-clad men waited in an alley between two ramshackle buildings. They spied their intended prey and prepared to surround him as he walked past.

They waited, and waited, but the figure they'd been stalking did not appear.

"He was right here a second ago," hissed one of the voices, as they ran out onto the street.

"Looking for someone?" a low voice queried.

They spun around to face the tall figure that had somehow managed to creep up behind them.

"Gest," said the tallest, the apparent leader of the gang. "We need to discuss that job."

"There's nothing to discuss," came the smooth reply. "Task completed. No witnesses. Bill paid. End of transaction."

"That's where you're wrong," said the leader. "You left one witness. And we're going to silence him right now."

The three of them rushed at once, knives flashing. The first one dropped to his knees as the glint of steel in their target's hand sliced his throat.

"Joey!" cried the shortest of the trio before turning to Finn. "You bastard! I'll kill you for what you did!" he exploded, no longer caring if he attracted attention.

Unfortunately, the leader was not impressed with the noise his crony was making. With one smooth motion, he plunged his own dagger into the shorter man's back.

"Good help is sooo hard to find," he despaired. "It's too bad I couldn't use you again, Gest." He smiled wickedly. "But I can't let anyone think I've grown soft, now, can I?"

In a flash, he raised his arm, bringing the knife down in a vicious thrust that Finn narrowly avoided. The two men began to grapple. Finn held the other man's wrist and used his thumb to apply pressure to it in an attempt to make him drop his knife. When that didn't work, he brought his knee up to the other man's groin. Hard.

The other man fell to his knees, clutching the front of his pants. "Dirty…shot…" he managed to squeak.

"Effective battle tactic," corrected Finn, just before he put the man out of his misery.

He viewed the scene with distaste. He'd known as soon as the job was offered to him that he was targeted. For that reason, he'd accepted the job. He might as well get paid for his trouble before they decided to take him out. At least that way he could have some control over when the attack would take place.

He smiled grimly. They were so predictable, these young syndicate types. They made such a big deal out of a simple job, and prided themselves on their no-survivors code. They didn't discriminate. Their best free-lance employees or their worst - all of them signed a death warrant simply by having a skill that caught the interest of the mob. It wasn't like the old days, Finn thought wryly. He'd done many jobs for local "businessmen" all over Zi. He'd actually gained a certain amount of respect for many of them. They knew when to play hard ball and when to use a more subtle approach. These days, however, it was all a matter of one-upmanship. Finn's reputation was still well known in many circles, however, and the underground network continued to provide him with the occasional side job.

Finn flatly refused to accept positions as a hired assassin. He felt that killing was personal, and that hiring someone else to do the dirty work was tantamount to saying your reasons for wanting the person dead were frivolous. He only killed out of necessity, to save his own skin or that of his sister.

On the other hand, theft was a game to Finn. He had no qualms about breaking and entering, whether it be a fortress or a humble abode. He wasn't always proud of stealing from those who seemed to have very little, but he also knew that appearances weren't everything. He had learned over the years to scout a job before accepting it. Once he had refused a job simply because the matriarch of the family in question had long dark hair and a warm smile - so much like his own mother's.

His occasional refusals had actually enhanced his reputation, and most people were willing to offer him more money because they perceived that he was highly selective in the jobs he accepted.

Speaking of money, these gentlemen certainly weren't going to need theirs anymore. Finn made short work of emptying their wallets before slipping away into the night.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

He heard the familiar purr of his own jeep's engine when he was a mile from home. His first thought was panic that someone had attacked Juliet and then stolen the jeep.

When he saw the blonde hair behind the wheel, his second thought was, 'I'm going to kill her.'

She stopped the jeep in front of him, the engine idling as the two stared at each other. He climbed into the passenger side and she drove him home.

Neither of them spoke until they entered the house.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Finn exploded. "It's the middle of the night! You could have been attacked!" he yelled. "Robbed! Mugged!… Raped!" he choked out the last word.

"How do you think I feel?" she countered angrily. "You slip out of the house in the middle of the night…" she stopped as her gaze fell on Finn's hands.

"Oh my God, Finn, you're bleeding," she said, her voice trembling.

Finn looked down at his hands. He didn't remember getting cut. Then he realized it wasn't his blood.

"It's fine," he said gruffly.

Juliet ran over and fussed over him, pulling his hands to the sink and washing them off carefully. She inspected his skin thoroughly and was relieved to see she didn't have to administer first aid. It wouldn't be the first time she'd had to tend to her brother's wounds, but she'd always assumed they were gained during Zoid battles or overzealous workouts.

She took several calming breaths.

"Finn," she pleaded. "Where were you? I was worried. I knew something was wrong…"

Finn felt those all too familiar pangs of guilt at her distraught expression. He pushed them aside.

"Regardless of where I was or what I was doing, you had no business trying to follow me. You have no idea what is out there and no way to protect yourself. I don't want you sneaking out at night anymore, do you understand?" He put his hands on her arms as he spoke.

Juliet looked into her brother's concerned eyes and felt her own guilty conscience prick at her.

"If anything happened to you, Jules…" Finn said. His eyes were full of pain at the thought.

"I promise I won't follow you anymore," she said. 'Unless I think you really need me,' she added mentally.

He wrapped his arms around her and squeezed, dropping his head onto her shoulder. Juliet could feel the tension in his form as he struggled to keep his breaths slow and steady.

'Jules,' he thought to himself. 'You must never know where I go at night. Not ever.'

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Finn dropped his fighting stance and walked over to his opponent. He moved his adversary's arms and legs into a more defensive position and nodded approvingly.

"This isn't very comfortable," Juliet said good-naturedly.

Finn shook his head, but graced her with a fond smile. He had agreed to teach her to defend herself. First and foremost, she had to learn to fight without weapons.

He wasn't surprised that she readily took to offensive tactics, but her defensive strategy needed work.

"You won't always be in a position where you can attack, Jules," he pointed out. "You have to learn to block an assault, too."

Juliet blew at a few stray hairs that were obscuring her vision and nodded.

"Aye, aye, cap'n," she said smartly.

He reached in and chucked her under the chin.

"Gotcha," he pointed out, as she glared at him.

Juliet was sweaty and out of breath by the time her brother had decided she'd had enough. She was almost sorry she'd asked him how exactly he expected her to protect herself when he was gone. Almost.

She wiped a sleeve across her brow. She still couldn't believe how much time she'd finagled from Finn during the past couple of weeks. First a surprise party, then nightly Zoid simulation games. Driving lessons. And now Finn was teaching her self-defense.

She walked into the house and washed up before preparing dinner. She really couldn't ask for better family. Finn was all she had, and if she could learn to protect herself, then perhaps she could use that knowledge to help protect him sometime.

If Finn wondered about the very large grin on his sister's face as she served dinner, he didn't show it.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Finn ran through a mental checklist of adjustments needed on the Cobra Fang as a result of his last battle. He hadn't expected that modified Redler to be able to fly that fast with all the additional armaments strapped to its back. It had taken him by surprise with a full assault from above when his Zoid was fully erect. He rarely underestimated his enemy. This one had served a hefty blow to his pride, but it was a mistake he wouldn't make again. He hadn't lived this long by repeating mistakes.

He double-checked the response time on the Cobra Fang and finally decided he was satisfied.

He stood back, arms crossed, and nodded.

Other than the run-in with the Redler, things were going rather well these days. He was feeling much better about leaving Juliet alone, too. She was surprisingly capable when it came to defending herself. She didn't pack a lot of power in her punches, but a few well-placed kicks or punches could buy her the time she needed to make an escape. She also knew a few places where a simple jab with a fingernail could temporarily disable an assailant.

He had to practically force her to learn to use a dagger. She had blanched at the thought of drawing blood from another living being, but he had finally persuaded her to see things his way.

He grinned. The last thing his sister had expected was for Finn to look at her with soulful eyes. He didn't think he'd put that much into his expression in the past ten years. It had worked like a charm. He chuckled to himself. The look on her face alone was absolutely priceless.

He looked at the fading sun and his grim expression was back. It was time.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

An elegantly dressed man with flowing black hair escorted a haughty young woman into the ballroom.

"Peasants," she scoffed, as she surveyed the guests in attendance. She turned to her escort and gave him a sulky pout. "Must we waste our time?"

He smiled at her indulgently. "Marisa, you must indulge the proletariat and their whims on occasion," he said, stroking her jaw line with a gloved finger. "Be a love and turn on the charm."

Her eyes gleamed wickedly. "It could be quite…entertaining…" she admitted. "You have convinced me, darling. Just remember, I expect to be…compensated…later."

Her escort gave her a small bow and leered at her convincingly before they parted company and mingled.

Marisa was an expert in charm, Finn mused. She knew all the right words, the right conversational topics, and was an accomplished flirt. He had to admire her tactics. She had a knack for gleaning information from people, men and women alike. However, Finn felt nothing but distaste for the frigid silver-haired beauty. Marisa was nothing like his sister, warm and loving. She was cold and heartless, and took great satisfaction in crushing hopes beneath her dainty slippered feet.

He hated having to play the part of Marisa's boy-toy, but it served him well when he needed information. In truth, he felt Marisa would ordinarily shun someone with coloring like his, but she took twisted pleasure in the shocked expressions of her family when she first announced her intention to seduce the mysterious stranger.

He circulated the room, oozing sophistication and worldliness from every pore, acting the perfect escort for the Ice Princess. It was like every other function they had to attend. She dragged him along to show off her exotic looking prize, worked the room to make sure everyone knew she was there, and then sauntered away with her escort in tow to work off her pent-up "aggression."

Finn never would have guessed that someone like Marisa would have a masochistic bent, but she did. Perhaps it was because all her aggression didn't produce the desired reaction from her dark-haired lover. She was petulant when he would not indulge her whims in the bedroom, but that never stopped her from trying again the next time.

A few hours later, Finn slipped out of the king-sized bed and quickly dressed. Marisa lay on the bed snoring. He grinned wryly. He would love to see the expression on her face if he allowed himself to inform her of this annoying habit of hers. She'd sputter and deny it, he was sure. However, it would cut off his source of information, and he wasn't ready to do that just yet.

He snuck out of her mansion and made his way home, wincing slightly as his shirt rubbed against the deep scratches she'd dug into his back during the night. It still surprised him how some people blurred the line between pleasure and pain just a little too much. She had been more than peeved when she'd failed to get him to use some of her more interesting accoutrements.

Something else was bothering her. Finn knew he'd manage to wheedle the information out of her eventually, but he wasn't sure how many more visits it would take.

At least he had managed to obtain information that would help him with his next theft. Some of Marisa's friends had some computer chips that were highly sought after. Thanks to Marisa, he now knew which friend had the chips this week and where exactly they were kept.

He was tempted to do the job tonight, but he didn't want the chips to disappear on the same night he'd crept out of Marisa's bed. Marisa would never admit that she'd been abandoned during the night, but she'd know. He'd make sure he chose a night when blame could be placed elsewhere, a night when blame would be placed elsewhere.

Finn checked on Juliet, who was fast asleep when he crept back into the house. He sighed with relief as he stepped into the shower. It had been a long night. One evening in Marisa's company made all those nights of staking out campsites seem like a walk in the park.

He lathered his hair. He hated wearing it loose, but it did much to enhance the illusion he'd created. As Marisa's escort, he felt he was little more than a vapid pretty boy with all the right phrases. He shuddered at the thought of her cold hands roaming over his body during the night and scrubbed vigorously at his skin. If it weren't for the fact that she made his blood run cold, he'd laugh at how he was acting like a virgin teenager.

Marisa was a dangerous adversary. He couldn't get the information he needed too soon. He'd be glad to move on again.

The water ran cold before Finn deemed himself cleansed of Marisa's poisonous scent. The scratches on his back still stung, so he left his shirt off and climbed into bed. His scratchy mattress had never felt so good.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Juliet was awake just before sunrise. She padded to the kitchen to pour herself some juice. It was quiet. Had Finn gone out again last night? She peered outside. Both the jeep and Finn's Zoid looked exactly as they had the previous evening.

She peeked into his bedroom and was surprised to see him curled in a ball. Finn always slept sprawled out on his bed. What had happened last night?

He was still asleep when she returned a few minutes later carrying a tray. She set the tray down and nudged her brother, who curled into a tighter ball. Juliet grew concerned and violently shook him awake.

His eyes flew open, and Juliet saw a brief flash of panic in them before he realized who he was looking at. He sat up abruptly and held a hand to his head.

Without a word, Juliet handed him an aspirin, then reached to grab a glass of juice from the breakfast tray. Finn took the glass from her gratefully, drained it, and handed it back before letting his head fall back onto his pillow.

Juliet set the glass down before turning to look at her brother. He had closed his eyes.

"You know I'm not going anywhere until you tell me what happened," she said.

"Lapse in judgement," was all he said.

Juliet felt a wave of relief rush over her. Could it be that her brother merely had a hangover? He so rarely allowed himself to overindulge in anything. If so, why the sudden panic?

"Afraid you woke up in the wrong bed?" she teased. His eyes snapped open and he looked at her in shock before sitting up again.

Juliet giggled. "I'm not speaking from experience," she hastened to add. Did he really think she didn't know what men and women did when they were together? Besides, brother or not, she knew that Finn was extremely attractive to the opposite sex.

In fact, as she looked at the expressions crossing his face, she was sure that he had kept company with some woman the previous evening. He didn't look pleased.

"Double bagger?" she asked, handing him a plate.

"Juliet!"

She giggled again. His shocked expression changed to one of mirth, and the two of them started laughing. Juliet breathed a sigh of relief as her brother relaxed. She sat on his bed as he ate his breakfast. She didn't comment on the fact that his hair was unbound, even if she did think he should wear it like that more often, impractical as it was.

She gathered up the dishes and was ready to leave when Finn's hand on her arm stopped her. She set down the tray and sat back down on the bed, turning to face her brother.

Finn pushed his bangs out of his eyes in frustration, then pulled her close, resting his head on her shoulder and putting his arms around her.

"Thanks, Jules," he mumbled into her shoulder. A lump formed in her throat as she stroked his hair. She felt insanely protective of her older brother. Whoever he had been with the night before had affected him deeply. Was Finn nursing a broken heart?

The thought actually cheered her. A broken heart she could deal with.

She smiled at her brother affectionately.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Neither of them alluded to the episode in Finn's bedroom, and for that Finn was extremely grateful. He knew that Juliet suspected something, but whatever it was, she had seemed satisfied with her deduction, and hadn't pressed the issue.

Things returned to normal for the two of them. Juliet spent her time sewing or watching Finn train. When he decided to go into town to see Ian, Juliet insisted on accompanying him.

While Finn and the shopkeeper discussed changing the alloy in the fangs of the Cobra, Juliet browsed through a fabric store nearby.

She was fingering a colorful bolt of velvet when a low voice purred in her ear.

"A fan of the tactile, I see."

Juliet turned and was face to face - well, technically, face to breast - with the most stunning woman she'd ever met. The woman had wild midnight blue hair and was clad in matching leather. Juliet idly wondered how the woman used the bathroom in that get-up.

The woman paid her no more heed, but sauntered away. Juliet couldn't help but staring after her. Every move the other woman made was calculated to obtain a reaction. Her hips swayed seductively, the leather clinging to every curve. She noticed that every man in the shop, almost all of whom had been dragged there by a significant other, was ogling the figure in leather.

The woman walked out of the shop and disappeared around the corner. It wasn't until conversation in the shop resumed that Juliet realized the shop had fallen silent when the woman entered. It seemed it only took those seven words, spoken to Juliet in a husky tone, to capture the attention of everyone there.

She fingered the velvet again. A fan of the tactile, eh? She decided that yes, she most certainly was, and took great pleasure in purchasing several yards of the cobalt material.

It wasn't until she and Finn arrived home that she decided to mention the woman to Finn.

Finn's face registered a moment of surprise before he waved his hand dismissively. "Vixen" was all he said.

"Vixen?" Juliet pressed.

He shot her a look as it to say it wasn't worth pursuing, but he humored her anyway.

"Zoid warrior. Hasn't been in these parts in years. Probably here to check out Ian's shop."

Juliet carefully studied her brother for any sign that he was interested in the woman he was describing. She saw nothing. She sighed. Obviously this "Vixen" wasn't the cause of Finn's aching heart.

Finn noticed the scrutiny on Juliet's face, but shrugged it off. If he knew her, she was planning on doing a little matchmaking. She didn't try often, but every now and then she'd meet someone that she thought would be perfect for him.

He shook his head, glad that Vixen was just passing through town and that Juliet would forget about her. He looked back at Juliet again.

On the other hand…if Juliet were preoccupied with trying to arrange a match between the two Zoid warriors, then she wouldn't spend any time worrying about where he'd been the night before. Only by strength of will did he manage to avoid shuddering. The thought of being with Marisa again…

Finn decided to leave things as they were. If Juliet wanted to spend time trying to fix him up with someone, he'd let her. That didn't mean he'd agree to go along with her, but at least it would keep her mind occupied.

As for Marisa, he'd deal with her when the time came. For now, he still had to arrange the break-in to obtain those computer chips.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Finn pried at the electrical outlet carefully and was rewarded with a satisfying "click." He removed the false wall receptacle and reached into the crevice, pulling out a static-resistant bag. He pocketed his treasure, then carefully replaced the outlet. He also repositioned the thread that had been placed there to indicate if anyone had tampered with the hiding place. Amateurs. They probably wouldn't notice the chips were missing for days. Finn slipped out of the house and reset the alarm without leaving any sign that he'd been there at all.

An hour later, Finn counted the credits he'd been given. When he was satisfied that it was all there, he reached into his pocket and handed over the chips. The buyer thanked him with a little bow, then disappeared into the shadows. Finn was pleased with the transaction. He waited a full minute before melding into the shadows himself.

The next morning, Finn was up before Juliet as usual. He was out checking on his Zoid. He liked to insure no one had tampered with it during the night. All his telltale indicators were still in place, but he checked the Zoid core anyway. When he had assured himself that everything was as it should be, he returned to the house. He was greeted with the aroma of Juliet's cooking. It smelled like ham and eggs today.

On impulse, he gave his sister a peck on the cheek before taking a seat at the table. She beamed at him, and he smiled in return.

Juliet chattered happily as they ate. Finn nodded at the appropriate intervals until she mentioned Leland. His eyebrows quirked. That name was new.

Apparently Juliet had met this Leland at the marketplace when she went out to buy eggs the previous day. He had invited Juliet to accompany him to a "gala event" that evening.

"So can I go?" Juliet asked.

Finn grunted. If he wasn't mistaken, Marisa was going to attend that same event. However, he couldn't forbid Juliet to attend without arousing suspicion. He nodded in acquiescence.

Juliet threw her arms around him in gratitude, then practically threw the dishes in the sink as she ran to her sewing basket. She still had a bolt of lavendar-colored satin that she'd received for her birthday. She'd been itching to use it.

Finn sat at the table and swallowed. He knew he could handle just about any situation. He just hoped he wasn't put to the test by running into Juliet and her latest paramour at the charity event this evening.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

He worried needlessly. He didn't do more than catch a brief glimpse of Juliet's pale hair in a far corner of the room upon his arrival with Marisa. The Ice Princess had insisted on making a grand entrance, late, of course, and all eyes were on her rather than on her escort. She made her rounds rather quickly, then returned to Finn with a gleam in her eye. The two of them departed without a word.

Half an hour later, Marisa was basking in the afterglow. If she had noticed that Finn was detached from the action, she didn't care. Hell, she probably preferred it that way half the time, cold and clinical, much like herself.

She was rather talkative afterwards. She must have resolved whatever was bothering her the last time they were together, because this time, Finn got the information he had been seeking. Inwardly, he rejoiced. He was not going to miss kowtowing to Marisa one bit. Hopefully she was telling the truth. As soon as he verified the information, he would be free of the bitch. He was anxious to leave this city.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Apparently the night had gone well for Juliet, too, for she was extolling the virtues of a Zoid pilot named Dante as she washed the breakfast dishes the next morning.

"What happened to Leland," Finn teased.

Juliet swatted him with the dishtowel. "We're just friends," she said firmly. Finn believed her. His sister didn't often keep men as friends when the romance fizzled, but it did happen on occasion. His guess was that Leland was close to Juliet's age.

She didn't ask him about his appearance at the banquet the previous evening, so he knew she hadn't seen him with Marisa.

Speaking of Marisa, the information she'd supplied turned out to be accurate. He was glad she hadn't lied to him. He had begun worrying that she'd suspected there was more to her paid escort than he'd led her to believe. He supposed she was tiring of him. Although she enjoyed a challenge, she grew bored if she didn't feel she was making any progress. Besides, she could certainly find more enthusiastic partners when she wanted a quick tumble, if she were in the market for one. Her sexual tastes varied, as Finn had discovered, and he was more than happy to let someone else handle her carnal appetite.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

As usual, Juliet felt a mixture of excitement and sorrow at the thought of moving on. She loved the thrill of seeing new places and enjoyed meeting new people, but sometimes she just wanted a place to call home.

She shook her head ruefully. Home was where the heart was. It didn't matter that she didn't have a white picket fence and a garden. She had Finn.

At least Leland had taken it well. She smiled to herself. They really had formed a brief friendship. He had spent much of the charity event pointing out some of the ridiculous outfits that people were wearing, and Juliet had laughed in spite of herself.

Even after she'd met Dante, and her breath was taken away, she had enjoyed spending time with Leland. He'd noticed her gaze following the Zoid pilot, though, and encouraged her to "go for it." She grinned at her companion, gave him a quick kiss on the cheek, and sped after the older man.

Ah, Dante. It hadn't lasted long, but he was the perfect gentleman. Finn had sized him up the first time he'd come by to pick up Juliet. It was a glorious three weeks. As quickly as Juliet had fallen in love, she abruptly fell right back out.

Finn had raised a questioning eyebrow when he found out that Dante was involved with a popular little redhead in town, considering the bearer of the news was Juliet herself. She had actually set the two of them up, she'd announced proudly.

She carefully folded the linens and placed them in a box. They had few personal possessions, so packing was never very time consuming. Except that Juliet usually had to spend time doing the large pile of laundry that formed in the corner of her room. Finn had started calling it Mount Laundress. Despite the fact that she'd stuck her tongue out at him the first time he'd called it that, she'd laughed. She loved when Finn teased her. Sometimes he could be so very human.

She frowned briefly. She worried about her brother. It seemed that the only thing he cared about, besides herself, was money. She gave a wistful smile as she thought of Finn's Zoid. She knew that the gold color was quite practical, as it was easily camouflaged when the battles took place in desert regions. At least that's what Finn had told her. She didn't doubt him, for she had seen the Cobra Fang blend in with its background on more than one occasion. However, knowing her brother as she did, she was sure that the gold color was a constant reminder of his primary goal - money.

She sighed. She wished, not for the first time, that some woman would see the warm, caring person that was her brother. Finn needed to be loved - the kind that existed between two soul mates. Juliet firmly believed that everyone, no matter who they were, needed to find someone to love. It was one reason why she was never afraid to take a chance with her heart. A prize worth having was worth the pain of obtaining.

She looked around the tiny room. Stripped of the few personal touches, it looked large and empty now. Her hope chest sat in the corner alone, almost mocking her. She wondered where they'd end up next. Finn never told her their destination, and she sometimes wondered if he knew ahead of time. They led a rather itinerant lifestyle, wandering from town to town, but he always had a place lined up when they arrived in their new town.

Despite the fact that she was going to miss it here, she was looking forward to being on the road again. She enjoyed spending time with Finn, camping out under the stars and eating meals cooked over an open fire. It reminded her of one of the first times they'd headed out, back when she was going through her vegetarian stage. She couldn't have been more than seven at the time…

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A small blonde-haired girl sat and fidgeted. She pulled at the hem of her skirt and looked around impatiently for her brother.

A boy of about twelve came out of the woods carrying a rather large squirrel by the scruff of its neck. The boy looked as though he'd gotten into a tussle with the creature, if the scratches on his arms and face were any indication. The girl cried out in dismay and ran to her brother.

Instead of comforting him, however, she glared at him menacingly before removing the struggling animal from his grasp. She sat down with the squirrel in her lap and cooed at it.

The dark-haired youth scowled at her. "That's dinner," he protested.

The girl pointed to the trees. "Fruit is good for you," she said, not bothering to look up.

The boy scowled at her again, then climbed the tree to obtain the fruit she had indicated. He mentally cursed his sister's soft heart. Did she expect them to live on plants and vegetables all the time?

He voiced this opinion when he descended the tree with his bounty.

The blonde girl's upper lip quivered, sending a jolt of panic through the boy. No, she wasn't going to - was she?

She sniffled, then started outright bawling. The boy dropped the fruit he had gathered and rushed over to comfort his crying sister. The squirrel hissed menacingly at him and he pulled his hand back abruptly. The animal then nuzzled the crying child, whose tears had slowed to hiccups. She finally stood up, still cradling the squirrel against her chest.

"You are so MEAN, Phineas Gest!" she yelled, stomping her foot for emphasis. Her voice softened, and she stroked the animal in her arms. "Isn't that right, Rocky?"

Finn slapped himself on the head.

"Jules," he protested. She turned and glared at him. He sighed. 'I didn't go through all that trouble of tracking him just so you could have a pet,' he finished mentally.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Juliet grinned as she closed the box she had been packing. Finn had let her keep Rocky as a pet until the little critter died the following summer. She had always felt at ease with animals. Eventually Finn got better at sneaking up on them when he was hunting, but she was able to coax animals to come to her willingly. It was as if they knew she only wanted to befriend them. She had nearly given Finn a heart attack when he saw her cozying up to a bear when she was only ten, but she'd never felt any threat from her friends in the animal kingdom.

She sighed again. She would really love to have another animal, but ever since Simon had died, Finn was adamant. No more pets.

She glanced at the clock. Finn wasn't scheduled to be home for at least a couple of hours, and she was tired of being cooped up with nothing more to do than laundry and packing. She grabbed the keys to the jeep off the hook in the kitchen and decided to head into town to do a little window-shopping. It would also give her a chance to see everyone again before she and Finn left the town for good.

She parked outside Ian's shop and ran in to say good-bye. The gray-haired man actually came out from behind the counter and hugged her.

"Ah, I'll miss ye, lassie," he said. "Ye always brought a sparkle to my eyes."

Juliet smiled at him, a few stray tears slipping down her cheek. "I'll miss you, too, you old coot," she said fondly. She wiped the tears from her face with the back of her arm and hurried out of the shop.

She didn't even know Ian that well, but he was the closest thing to a father she'd ever had. It wasn't that Finn didn't provide for her or protect her. It was just that he was her brother, not her father. She couldn't explain why it mattered all of a sudden.

Tears blurring her vision, she accidentally wandered into a building she hadn't been in before, but one that she knew Finn frequented. She noticed all the monitors on the walls and stared at them open-mouthed. Bets were being made on the sly as the monitor displayed a judge capsule landing in what looked like the middle of nowhere.

Juliet made her way over to an empty chair and sat down, her eyes riveted on the screen. Seeing the entire battlefield on a monitor was like watching a battle for the very first time. She heard the judge announce the battle mode and the names of the teams. One of the teams was the Baxter Team. That was the team that had hired Finn.

She couldn't resist clapping excitedly when she saw her brother's Cobra Fang on the screen. Half an hour later, her heart was in her throat as she saw a Gunsniper's tail lengthen and shoot what looked like an electrical beam at Finn. There was no way he could have seen that coming! Moments later, the tables had been turned, and the Gunsniper was out of the battle. Juliet was ecstatic to hear the judge announce that the Baxter Team had won, but she couldn't help feeling just a little bit sorry for the losing team. They looked so shocked and disappointed.

"What's the matter, sweetheart, lose some money, did you?"

Juliet turned to the speaker, a brash young redhead dressed in green. He was smiling at her. When their eyes met, he reached for her hand and gave her a little bow. His emerald eyes twinkled in merriment.

Juliet's breath caught in her throat. He laughed at her look of surprise and gestured to the empty chair next to her. "May I?"

She realized her mouth was hanging open and she closed it before nodding vigorously. The young man chuckled and held out his hand again, which she shook heartily.

"Alair Watson," he said with another grin.

"Juliet Gest," she responded in a breathy voice.

"So, Juliet," he said, inclining his head toward the screen. "What did you think? Ever seen a Zoid battle before?"

She turned her gaze to the screen and then back to Alair, shaking her head.

"Not really," she said, her cheeks pink. She couldn't have remembered anything he asked her at that point.

Alair leaned closer. "You have missed some really great battles, then. You should have seen the one last week! Did you see that serpent Zoid today?"

Finn's Zoid. She nodded mutely.

"Wow, that pilot is deadly! He was working for another team last week, and everyone in here was betting against them. Next thing you knew, it was like an entirely new team. They weren't charging in with guns blazing as usual." He laughed. "You might think that the serpent had charmed the other Zoids."

Juliet beamed at him as he continued to extol the virtues of the mysterious mercenary in the gold Cobra Fang.

Another hour passed before Juliet glanced at the clock. She jumped up. "I have to get home and make dinner," she apologized to Alair.

"Will I see you again?" he asked hopefully.

She smiled wistfully. "I would love to, but I am afraid it isn't very likely," she apologized.

He bowed over her hand again, placing a kiss on her knuckles.

"Then I was truly lucky to have had the pleasure of your company this evening. Take care, Juliet Gest."

He winked at her, then she turned to leave.

She was home before Finn, and she had just started supper when he entered the kitchen. He sniffed the air delicately, noticing the lack of any distinct aromas as of yet.

"Where have you been all day?"

Juliet flushed as she turned to her brother. Her face was glowing. Finn recognized that look, and was sorry he asked. Without waiting for her reply, he turned on his heel and walked towards his room.

"But Finn, he was SO nice," she said, running after him.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Finn decided to head to New Helic City next. It would mean a long trip across the Elemia Desert, but the trek would give him a chance to lay low for a while. It would have been nice to take Juliet to the old Helic Republic's Capital City, but he hadn't had an amphibious Zoid since he traded in his father's Barigator at the ripe old age of thirteen in order to create his own Zoid. He didn't know why he'd chosen to modify a Stealth Viper. He supposed it was because he'd dealt with snakes in the desert and had always been impressed with the speed of their attacks.

That had gotten him to thinking about the limitations of the Stealth Viper compared to some of the real serpents he'd encountered, and he decided he needed a project. It was the first time in his young life that he'd actually spent money on something extravagant.

Due to his age, quite a few people felt that he was just another spoiled teen with a hobby. As long as they followed his exact specifications and didn't try to overcharge him, he didn't much care what they thought.

First he'd decided he wanted the Zoid to be able to burrow. That meant the standard Stealth Viper artillery had to be heavily modified or replaced. If the snake Zoid emerged from the ground with sand in its cannons, it might as well be unarmed. On top of that, it wasn't going to burrow very effectively unless its weaponry was as streamlined as the Zoid itself. Collapsible arsenals had cost a pretty penny, but in this case, Finn felt the money was well spent.

He had planned the next modification well before the first one was completed, and the two alterations went hand-in-hand. Finn had always been fond of highly maneuverable Zoids, but he felt that the serpentine shape of the Viper lent itself to so much more. Some snakes trapped their prey by coiling around them, literally suffocating them. Finn decided that the Viper needed to have that ability as well.

The most difficult part was adding the extra body segments to make that possible. There were times when he'd felt he was chasing a dream, but he was determined to see the project through to the end. The Cobra Fang came into being after Finn added the saber fangs. His endeavors were rewarded with his first Zoid battle a year later.

He had known that he was hired as a joke, a scruffy young kid in an oversized snake Zoid. That hadn't bothered him. He had watched many Zoid battles rage on during the year he'd worked on the Cobra Fang, and he had gotten pretty good at predicting the outcomes. It would be interesting to put some of his spectator knowledge into practice.

It wasn't the first time Finn's abilities had been underestimated. The look on the veteran warriors' faces after Finn put two of them out of the battle within minutes was something he wouldn't forget as long as he lived. It was the first and only time that Finn's face openly showed triumph in battle. The tables had turned on him rapidly, and he was quickly reminded that pride goeth before a fall.

That battle had also gotten him hooked. He wasn't lucky enough to find a team willing to hire him on, not with his spurious background; and mercenaries were a dime a dozen.

The first battle had been exhilarating, even if he'd let his excitement get the best of him. It had been so long since he'd done honest work, and he'd never really enjoyed any of the jobs he'd done. Being part of a team was foreign to him as well, but the challenge thrilled him.

Eventually another team hired him on out of desperation when they needed a last minute replacement. Finn had actually seen this particular team in action before, and had an idea of what they did wrong. His keen observations resulted in his barking orders at his teammates, who were so stunned at his affrontery they meekly followed his suggestions. Finn's tactics were rewarded with his first victory. Over the next few months, both his tactical and his fighting skills improved quickly, out of necessity more than anything else. He was a bit of a curiosity, a fourteen-year-old boy who seemingly came from nowhere. The only thing anyone knew about him was that he was fiercely protective of his younger sister.

As Finn got older, he tried to keep Juliet out of the limelight as much as possible. He didn't need people connecting Finn Gest the Zoid warrior with the thief and reprobate he'd been and still was at times. Although he didn't always use his real name when he was moonlighting, he didn't want to take any chances on anyone realizing that he had family. He hadn't dragged Jules all over Zi since she was three just to allow his past to catch up with them.

Finn finished his ruminations and patted the Cobra Fang fondly. It was hard to believe that he'd been away from their hometown for nearly 15 years. Maybe some day he would have the guts to go back. In the meantime, they were bound for New Helic City.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Unfortunately, it took Juliet less than a day to fall in love once they settled in New Helic City. This time the object of her affections was a young man by the name of Curtis Knight who looked so much like Rogue Jackson, Finn hated him on sight.

He knew he was being ridiculous, and that he couldn't judge a book by its cover, but it bothered him nonetheless.

Therefore he felt justified in spying on Knight when Juliet wasn't fawning all over him. He wasn't at all surprised to discover that the young man frequented several seedy little bars in the downtown district.

He watched the blond youth buy his friends another round. Where had Knight gotten all this cash? Hadn't he hinted to Juliet on more than one occasion that he couldn't take her out to dinner because he didn't have enough money? Finn wondered, not for the first time, why she couldn't at least pick someone with a decent financial standing. He didn't want to forbid Juliet from using her own money on things like dates, but he also didn't want her to be taken advantage of. Of course, Juliet, the romantic that she was, had decided that picnics in the park and other less expensive dates were even better, and she would often take a basket of food with her as she planned on meeting with Knight.

The man certainly wasn't hurting for funds tonight. Finn clenched his fists slightly when he saw him motion over one of the barmaids. The young blond tugged at her hand and she tumbled into his lap, laughing that artificial laugh that was typical of women working in this type of environment. Disgusting.

Finn had seen enough. He thought of approaching Knight, but decided that he was going to use a less direct approach to the problem this time. After all, in battle, it was prudent to vary your tactics from time to time.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Jules," Finn said as she was cooking dinner.

"Mmmm?" she responded, as she tasted some of the stew she was laboring over.

He swallowed uncomfortably. 'It's for Jules,' he reminded himself.

"There is a 'getting acquainted' party tonight for the local Zoid warriors. It would be a good way for me to make some contacts. Would you like to go?"

Juliet whirled around, her eyes bright and her grin wide.

"Really, Finn?"

He gave her a look that said 'what do you think?' and she squealed with excitement.

She handed him the spoon and ran off to her bedroom. He got up to taste the stew himself when he heard her voice ring out.

"Formal or informal?" she asked.

He sighed.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A few hours later, the two of them made a rather striking couple as they entered the base of the Calhoun Team. Finn was dressed in black, but Juliet had suggested a "splash of color" and had added a sapphire tie to his ensemble. She had also insisted that his hair come out of its rigid twist, so he had allowed her to braid it for the occasion, although he refused to let her replace his leather ties with the black bands she had shown him. As a result, she refused to let him slick back his bangs, and they fringed his forehead, causing his severe expression to look softer somehow.

Juliet was dressed in silver, giving her an ethereal look. Her hair was piled on top of her head with a few tendrils gracing her neck. If not for her warm smile and sparkling eyes, she would have looked unapproachable.

Normally Finn would have preferred to discourage the attentions of the young men who were captivated by his sister, but he needed to purge Juliet of this infatuation with Knight.

He was beginning to despair when a young gentleman with light brown hair asked Juliet if she'd like to dance. She glanced at Finn for approval and he gave her an imperceptible nod. She smiled at her partner and let him lead her out onto the dance floor.

Finn silently prayed that Knight had not convinced Juliet that he was head over heels for her, because if so, his plan would never work.

He breathed a sigh of relief when the young gentleman returned a blushing Juliet to his side, thanking her for the dance and expressing a desire to see her again in the future.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Juliet eyed the ripe strawberries on display and decided they were perfect. She reached into her pocket only to discover she didn't have enough money.

Her brow furrowed in consternation until she remembered that she'd given her allowance to Curtis.

He had insisted that it was a loan and that he'd pay her back, but she'd refused. She knew how much of a struggle it could be when a person didn't have enough money. She just hoped that she had managed to cheer him up. When she first met him, he had seemed so melancholy. Lately, however, his mood had seemed much brighter.

She had very nearly turned down a date the previous evening. She hadn't wanted to betray Curtis, especially since he so obviously needed her. The last time she was with him, however, he seemed to be in much lighter spirits, so when the serious young man she'd met at the Calhoun Team base had asked her to dance, how could she refuse?

Juliet grinned to herself. And the butterflies. She didn't think she'd ever tire of the giddy feeling she got when she was sure she'd met her true love, although it would be nice if her gut feelings turned out to be right some day.

She was eternally optimistic. She knew that one day they would be. For example, right now, she was sure that Alastair was the right one. The fact that she'd met him while attending a social function with her brother, a rare event indeed, was just icing on the cake.

Juliet whistled cheerfully as she headed towards the fountain in the center of town where she had promised to meet her brother. She would just have to find something else to use for dessert tonight.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When Finn had concluded his business in New Helic City, he agreed to take Juliet to visit the Wind Colony. Her excitement at exploring the nearby ruins and visiting a city steeped in history made Finn smile. Sometimes she was so easy to please.

He wasn't sure whether to stop in Mount Orinbosu next or to head for one of the more metropolitan areas, like Romeo or Flyheight City. He was sure he'd have a more definite plan in mind before they were halfway across the Elemia.

They had been on the road for a couple of weeks when they reached Leo City. Finn regarded the city with distaste. He had hoped to be through this city before nightfall, but he hadn't planned on Juliet driving over a nail and getting a flat. He really needed to consider renting a transporter Zoid next time.

There was no way he was going to book a room in that city. He and Juliet could replenish their food supply and make camp on the outskirts of town.

He and Juliet were in the food marketplace where Juliet was evaluating the quality of the potatoes in one of the bins when he heard something about a Zoid. He pretended to examine a papaya in order to get a little closer.

"…it 'lives' in this box called an R.U.," one of the men was saying.

"I don't know, it sounds like something out of a movie," his friend replied.

"No, really, my sister's friend has one of them. She said it's just like Fido was."

"Fido. The dog that died a while back."

"Exactly what I said. But my sister insists that you couldn't tell the difference, at least not personality-wise."

The men moved on, leaving Finn to ponder what he had heard. Some kind of Zoid that lived in a box, but had the personality of a dead pet? There was a lot more to this story. Somehow he would have to find out what it was.

Juliet had cut up the chunks of meat Finn had purchased earlier and was grilling them over the fire when he found out that he wasn't the only one who had been eavesdropping at the marketplace.

"Finn, have you ever heard of something called an 'anizoid'?" she asked.

"No," he said, looking at her in surprise.

"Well," she began, "I don't know all the details, but it sounds like it involves some kind of organ transplant from a dying, or recently deceased, animal, into this box called a Rover Unit, or R.U. They eat this processed gel or paste, and the R.U. can display a holographic image of the original animal."

She added some pepper to the pan, deftly flipped the cubes of meat, and resumed her summary.

"It seems to be a blend of surgical organ transplants and Zoid technology. Apparently it works best with domesticated animals and pets. Other animals can be unpredictable and even dangerous."

Juliet frowned at the idea that any animal could be dangerous.

Finn gaped at her.

"I thought you hadn't heard many of the details," he said.

She blushed and gave him a guilty smile. Seeing the familiar red color in his sister's cheeks, Finn groaned. 'Well, at least she got something useful out of this one,' he comforted himself.

After dinner, they made camp. Once Juliet had gone to sleep, Finn scouted the area to insure her safety, and then slipped away, back into Leo City.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Finn eyed the establishment in distaste. He wasn't particularly fond of dives like this, but they did serve as a fountain of information once the liquor had loosened the lips of the regulars.

He chose a seat at the bar, near the door. This was his preferred seat. Not only did this position prevent him from getting trapped in a corner, it also allowed him to see what drinks were being ordered. They were like calling cards; you could tell who was in the bar just by the type and frequency of the drink orders.

Finn disdained alcohol himself, hating to dull his senses, but for appearances' sake, he asked for a mug of ale. He could nurse it all night if he had to.

Several hours later, a couple of Zoid warriors stumbled in, straight from some kind of victory celebration, if appearances could be believed. Finn's keen ears picked up something about anizoids. Just as they started going into a detailed play-by-play of the battle, bragging about how one of their anizoids had won the battle for their team, a young man, roughly Finn's age, sat down next to him.

"Gonna drink that anytime soon?"

Finn barely spared the man a glance before turning his gaze back to the glass mug in front of him.

"Hey, bud, it can't be that bad. You'd feel better if you talked about it."

Finn knew ignoring the man wouldn't work, but he tried anyway.

"Your lady dumped you, didn't she? Man, I know how that feels."

Finn fought the impulse to grip his mug until the glass shattered. The young man, oblivious, continued.

"Yeah, I remember being in love. Her family, though…never fall for a rich girl," he advised Finn. He took Finn's continued silence as agreement.

"You, too? Real uppity families, aren't they? Judge everyone by their bank accounts. Or, in my case, lack of! Forget moral bankruptcy! Feckless or stellar, as long as your monetary standing is up to par, then you're one of their ilk," he said with a derisive laugh.

Within half an hour, Finn knew more about this stranger to his left than he did about some of the teammates he'd worked with. Did the man ever shut up? Finn wasn't sure which was worse, his incessant chatter or his annoying habit of twirling a butterfly knife as he spoke.

"Glad to see you're not drowning your sorrows, though," the talkative youth was saying. "Last week, for example, there was this guy…"

Finn's ears instantly perked up as the stranger informed him about a failed love affair of a Zoid warrior. A warrior that Finn would be facing on the battlefield in less than 48 hours. That information could prove useful. It never hurt to know your opponent's weaknesses, after all.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Finn checked on Juliet when he returned, and was relieved to see that all was well, and that she was sleeping soundly. He always hated leaving her alone. He had almost decided to stay with her, considering how close they were to Leo City, but he had noticed a few animals roaming in the vicinity. He wasn't sure why, but somehow he'd felt that they would protect Juliet from harm.

He ran a hand through his hair before making one last check of the area where they were camping. Once satisfied, he turned in for the night.

The following day they found a roving marketplace. Several vendors were plying their produce from carts and wagons. The roving marketplace was entirely portable. It picked up and moved on from place to place. This made the wares available vary depending on where the vendors had last done business. Juliet was in her element, examining all the different fruits and vegetables on display.

Finn surveyed the other shoppers, wondering if he could find any useful information while they were here. From a kumquat vendor, he managed to find out a few things about the next town over, but nothing he found of vital importance.

He realized that Juliet had moved on from the stalks of green vegetables she had been examining. Where had she disappeared to this time?

He spotted her platinum braid a couple of kiosks over.

"How did you get that scar?" she was asking a young brunette with a brown leather backpack. When Finn walked toward her, she must have sensed his approach, because she turned and smiled at him, her cheeks slightly flushed.

"There you are Finn," she said. "I'd like to introduce you to someone."

"Hi, Finn," said the youth from the bar. He extended his hand. "Saxon Ombra, professional raconteur and bindle stiff, at your service," he said with a wink. Then he turned back to Juliet. "This is courtesy of my ham-handed youth. 'Just a flesh wound,'" he quoted, referring to the small V-shaped scar that ran through his right eyebrow. He punctuated this statement with a twirl of his butterfly knife.

Finn had to agree that the man was certainly adept at telling stories. He narrowed his eyes upon seeing the katana at Saxon's side and the Guylos Empire emblem on his shirt, but he accepted the proffered hand.

"Did you ever get over that girl?" Ombra asked him. Juliet's eyes grew wide at the remark.

"What girl?" she asked.

Finn remained silent. Ombra jumped in.

"I dunno, but he sure looked like he was singing the lonely heart blues last night," he offered helpfully.

"Last night?" Juliet said with alarm. Finn could have cheerfully strangled the stranger. His sister carefully examined his face, then shook her head.

"He's always like that," she explained.

Ombra peered up at Finn's face as if testing Juliet's theory, then shrugged.

"Nice seeing you again, Smiley," he said. He and Juliet started walking through the marketplace, Finn seething inside as he followed the pair. Of all the guys, Jules…

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Zoid battles?" Sax shrugged. "They're OK, I guess."

As they walked around town, Juliet wondered at Sax's nonchalance regarding her brother's livelihood. There were few people she'd met in her lifetime that weren't involved in Zoid battles in some manner.

As if he heard her thoughts, Sax continued.

"It's like this. Some folks are bona fide cretins, and should never set foot near a Zoid, let alone in one. Most battles boast a collection of loudmouthed braggarts and ostentatious pantywaists, but few truly capable pilots.

"See, to most of us plebes, Zoid warriors are elite upper-echelon sorts. You know, the 'champagne wishes and caviar dreams' kinda thing. But me, I've seen all walks of life just run hell-for-leather into battle. You'd be surprised at how many so-called warriors have no concept of what a Zoid battle is all about."

Juliet recognized this as a prelude to one of Sax's soapbox topics, and she clasped her hands in front of her in anticipation as he began.

"You, Juliet, I think understand this. A Zoid is more than just a machine. It's a living being. People know this, but they don't know it, if you catch my drift.

"My pop, well, he respected Zoids. I do, too, but I like to think I'm pretty pragmatic as well. I rake in a few bucks here and there as these overly affluent simpletons continue to wreck their Zoids. Blast and tarnation, they even go so far as to blame their Zoids when they muck things up, instead of owning up to their own inadequacies. Bunch of ultracrepidating morons."

Sax snorted in derision, as he often did whenever he mentioned what he considered the scourge of society, the upper class. Then his expression relaxed, and he laughed before launching into a story about his father, filling in Juliet on some of the antics of his adolescence.

Juliet thought that perhaps Sax missed his father just a bit. His face brightened when he talked about the "ol' patriarch" and it was obvious that he held the older man in high esteem. She could certainly relate to the nomadic lifestyle that Sax led, having traveled with Finn all over Zi, but she couldn't imagine doing so on her own, leaving her only family behind in the process.

Of course, she thought it incredibly romantic that Sax had left his hometown all for the sake of love. She sighed dreamily.

"Is my diatribe a bit too loquacious for you, fair Juliet?"

She blushed furiously. "I - uh, well…" she stammered.

Sax smiled at her indulgently. She was a good kid, cute as button and sharp as a tack. Well, except when it came to matters of the heart. From her demeanor, he was willing to lay odds that she'd never even been kissed. He knew Juliet had a crush on him. He'd have to be blind not to notice. The stars in her eyes shone like beacons whenever she fixed those beautiful baby blues on him. At times he felt a bit guilty for not returning her affections, but she was not for him. He sincerely hoped that she would someday find that special person she was so desperately searching for. Someone she could settle down with, not a tregetour like himself. Someone who not only loved her but fully appreciated her for who she was. She needed someone who noticed little things about her, like how her eyes changed colors with her moods, like those tacky rings from his childhood.

Dang, when he got philosophical like this, he felt much older than his twenty years. He shook his head and looked at Juliet's red face again before meeting her eyes briefly. His grin widened. It was kind of funny that this effervescent young girl, with her innocently high hopes, lofty dreams, and pie-in-the-sky view of life, could be related to that wet blanket, the dark brooding mercenary he'd met in a bar. It didn't surprise him, but he found it highly entertaining.

He decided to spare Juliet further embarrassment and resumed his narrative. He absently reached into one of his pockets and withdrew his butterfly knife, twirling it as he spoke.

"It's a wicked shame that anyone with a whole lotta cabbage can just plunk down the boodle and voilà, they're in like Flynn. They just climb into a Zoid and proclaim themselves perfectly proficient pilots. Sorry for the alliteration," he grinned at her.

"Piloting a Zoid is not everyone's forte; it's certainly not mine. It's too bad so many people fail to recognize that. To be fair, I suppose a lot of 'em do tend to get better over time, maybe even realizing they've got a lot to learn. On the other hand, there are those snooty patrician types who think their moolah makes them omniscient. Those folks refuse to change their mumpsimus, no matter how many times they're proved wrong. Although they do tend to make the best marks," he admitted.

Juliet gave no sign that she disapproved of his last comment, but it was quite possible that she didn't believe that Sax was truly capable of swindling or stealing from anyone. She had a lot to learn about life if that were the case. Sax was inclined to believe that even her brother had probably done a few things in his lifetime that he'd rather Juliet didn't know about. 'Stop woolgathering, Sax,' he chided himself.

"Now, anizoids, on the other hand..." he said, "Well, that gets into a realm that I'd rather stay out of. Seems to be a penchant of those whose coffers are overflowing. Just another trophy. They should really adopt homeless animals if they need companionship, but I guess that wouldn't be very trendy."

He continued to offer his opinion of the "capricious whims of the stratospherically rich" and their "lah-dee-dah pseudo-pets" before holding out his arm to Juliet. They walked back towards the jeep Juliet had "borrowed" from her brother again. Sax regaled her with a few anecdotes of some of the more interesting jobs he'd been hired to do as a free-lance mechanic. When they arrived at the jeep, Sax took one of her hands in his and bowed over it gallantly. She giggled, her cheeks crimson, and then climbed behind the wheel.

"Tell Smiley I'm still willing to fix that little problem of his if the price is right," Sax told her. After Juliet pulled away, he walked towards his motorcycle, whistling cheerfully. He was sure Gest would break down and hire him. The man had pride, and was tight-fisted as all get out, but Finn also knew that he was one of the best mechanics in the area. Sax was sure that Juliet would be sent to fetch him soon. If not, he certainly wasn't going to lose any sleep over it.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Sax taught me a new game, Finn," Juliet said as they ate dinner.

Finn raised an eyebrow at her. "Game?"

That was all she needed. She excitedly explained how she and Ombra had played a couple of rounds of this game, and that he was kind enough to teach it to her.

"It's a lot of fun. I think that you might be good at it!"

He sighed in resignation. She recognized this response and quickly rummaged through her skirt pocket for a deck of cards. With deft precision, she dealt out a few face down. Finn had a sinking suspicion he knew exactly what "game" Ombra had taught his sister.

They went a few rounds, with Finn losing every time. He was grudgingly impressed with how well Juliet had picked up an age-old street game in the scant three hours she'd spent with Sax. There was no way you could win. Juliet laughed at his expression.

"I am just teasing, Finn, I know that the game is rigged." Finn nearly choked at her admission.

"Oh, Finn, I thought you had a better sense of humor than that," she admonished, her eyes twinkling.

Sometimes his sister never ceased to amaze him. She'd just learned one of the most popular con games, and she thought it was done merely in fun?

If he ever decided to start a life of crime, Juliet would make the perfect partner. Just a few weeks shy of seventeen, her innocent demeanor combined with her knack for memorization would make her a vital ally. He just hoped that Ombra didn't have the same plans for Juliet.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"I wish I could have seen the look on his face!" laughed Sax. Juliet had just finished telling him about Finn's reaction the previous evening when she had shown him her latest skill with a deck of cards.

Juliet smiled shyly at him, her cheeks pink. As comfortable as she was around Saxon Ombra, she still felt butterflies in her stomach every time she was near him. She was convinced, just like all the other times, that he was the one.

Sax reached into a pocket along his right thigh and pulled out a slingshot.

"Want to see something neat?" he asked her with a wink.

She flushed even deeper and nodded in response.

He pointed with his slingshot to a tree in the distance. Juliet obediently looked in that direction as Sax pulled a smooth stone from another pocket. He quickly took aim and sent the stone flying. It sailed toward the upper branches of the tree. A moment later, something fell from the tree and hit the ground.

Sax nodded, then held out his arm to Juliet. She hooked her arm through his as he led her towards the tree, spinning a tale about the legend of a mysterious hunter from the past who had come across a great treasure.

"Let me tell you, this was no ordinary hunter," Sax relayed. "He was enchanted. Or cursed, depending on your point of view. He was human at night, but during the day he took the form of a majestic stag. This animal was quite a sight to behold. The deliciously ironic part is that many of his former comrades spent long hours in wait, hoping to be the one who would bag this magnificent creature.

"However, the hunter knew that there was no loyalty among his louche friends when it came to the chase. He wasn't safe as long as he was in his cervine form.

"Now this was no run-of-the-mill enchantment, mind you. Although the curse wasn't irrefragable, this animal form he took during the day wasn't waiting for something as pedestrian as true love."

Juliet, who was listening to his tale spellbound, blushed slightly. She did love listening to Sax. His speech was a mix of what he called "high falutin' vernacular" and "outdated colloquialisms."

"No," Sax continued. "In order for this spell to be broken, our hunter friend had to somehow turn one of his cronies into a die-hard vegetarian. Harshly surreal, eh?

"You can imagine that this wasn't gonna be easy. The hunter suspected his friends would rather become cannibals than eat rabbit food.

"He was a pretty wily fella, though, and he had a few tricks up his sleeve. So to speak, anyway," he acknowledged with a grin.

"During the night, while in his human form, he hooked up with this old curmudgeon. Kinda a wizard-type dude. He discovered that he could influence his friends through their dreams, but only if he could get them to consume some of this magical powder before going to sleep. Quite a bit for him to perpend. Of course, not being a wizard himself, he didn't have the Galloping Gourmet's Recipe Rolodex for magical potions. The old dude gives him a list of ingredients for this powder, but warns him that it could take a while to find them all.

"Well, he certainly had nothing better to do all day, unless he planned on giving up the ghost and starting a four-legged family with a doe-eyed female that had been giving him hints," Sax grinned at Juliet.

"So, as you can guess, our cursed friend decides to set out and seek the plants he needs to make this powder. He spends the next few weeks gathering up all these ingredients. Eventually he has all but one.

"Meanwhile, his amigos were plenty bored by now and had kinda lost interest in lollygagging around, hoping for a glimpse of this creature just so they could end up with some groovy hood ornament when all was said and done. The hunter overheard them talking. They were planning on heading back home the following day. Totally bogus.

"Well, our hero couldn’t have that, so he decided to throw together the ingredients he had, all higgledy-piggledy, to make this veritable farrago of jackleg powder anyway, hoping for the best. What difference could one little plant make, right?"

At this point, Juliet was completely enraptured in the tale. They had almost reached the base of the tree where Sax had aimed the stone.

"As luck would have it, the missing ingredient was actually one of the most important elements in the potion."

He bent down and picked up a small leather bag that he had knocked from the tree branches earlier. He untied the drawstring and took a whiff of the bag before extending it towards Juliet.

"Can you guess why?" He waved the open bag under her nose. She sniffed delicately, but couldn't detect anything. Noticing her look of confusion, Sax placed the bag in her hands. She brought it to her nose and inhaled deeply.

And promptly started sneezing.

Sax howled with laughter.

Juliet realized she'd been duped and her cheeks flushed bright red. She continued to sneeze a few more times.

"You sound like a chipmunk. Or at least what I imagine a chipmunk would sound like, if I ever heard one sneeze," Sax told her.

Once she recovered from Sax's prank, he patted her on the back.

"You're a good egg, fair Juliet," he told her. His eyes scanned the ground briefly. He spotted his smooth stone and picked it back up. The leather bag and the stone both went into one of his cargo pockets before he pulled out his butterfly knife and started playing with it as they walked back towards town.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Finn was staring at his Cobra Fang, his hands on his hips and his expression grim. He didn't regret using a little psychology during the last Zoid battle, but he hadn't expected his broken-hearted opponent to start bawling on the battlefield like a schoolgirl just because some woman had dumped him.

The crying wouldn't have bothered Finn, except that his opponent's teammates were apparently overprotective of their softhearted chum. Finn received the full brunt of their attack as his own teammates just gaped at him. He shook his head. They certainly hadn't expected Finn to do something as uncharacteristic as opening the vid link and saying anything to the young warrior, either.

Motivation was a key factor in battle. Finn had learned that long ago. He grudgingly admired the team's sense of unity. They hadn't been pushing themselves to their fullest potential until they'd decided they had a common enemy. Finn. The Gordos had surprised him the most. It had somehow managed to ram into one of the control segments of the Cobra Fang. It was almost touching.

Of course, that didn't help Finn's situation with his Zoid. It had been out of commission for the past two days. He still needed to replace a circuit board located in the damaged segment.

Although he knew when Juliet and that annoying Ombra arrived, he ignored them. Even when Ombra stood next to Finn and placed his hands on his own hips, deliberately copying Finn's stance.

"Well, doctor, what do you think?" Sax asked.

Finn said nothing, just wondered whether or not he should upgrade that circuit board or not.

"Well, nurse," Sax said, in a much deeper voice. "I think the patient needs mouth to mouth."

Finn ignored the other man's attempt at humor and remained silent. Sax took one look at the damaged circuit board and walked over, butterfly knife at the ready.

Finn's hand shot out and grabbed him by the collar.

"Hey, chill, Smiley. Watch."

Curious despite himself, Finn released him. Sax knelt next to the damaged board and popped off a few connections with his knife. He reached into one of his pockets and pulled out a piece of wire. With a few twists, he quickly looped the wire around the remaining connections, then tapped the loose ends into place using the tip of his knife. Finn watched with interest.

Sax stood up and dusted off his hands.

Finn's eyes quickly checked the connections that Sax had made. He couldn't see anything wrong with the haphazard wiring.

"It's almost cheating," Sax said, "but the connections are still sound. Not pretty, but it does the job."

"What do you think, Finn?" Juliet asked.

Finn studied the board again.

"It'll do," he said, then went inside.

"He's impressed," Juliet told Sax.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Finn was too tired to slip out that night for his usual reconnaissance.

The next morning, Juliet was still abed when he woke up. As soon as he sat down at the kitchen table, she appeared, yawning.

"Oh, Finn, I'm sorry!" she apologized. "I don't know why I'm so tired."

He stood up and walked over to her, placing the back of his hand against her forehead.

"Are you all right?" he asked.

She flushed. He felt her cheeks to see if they had grown warm. She smiled up at him.

"I'm fine, Finn," she said softly, then went to the stove to make breakfast.

"I'm going into town later, Jules," Finn said to her backside. "Want to come along?"

"Uhhhh…no, I think I'll just stay here and do some mending," Juliet said.

It wasn't until Finn climbed into the jeep and headed into town that he realized that the reason Jules hadn't wanted to go into town with him is because she'd probably gone last night. The gas tank, which had been nearly full yesterday, was now half-empty.

That little minx! He wasn't sure whether to laugh or strangle his sister. Well, it was his own fault that she didn't know how dangerous it was out there. He sighed. Instead of wasting time regretting his sheltering Juliet from life's dangers, he decided to use the trip into town to do a little background check on their friend Ombra.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When Finn arrived in town, he found a crowd gathered around a kiosk. He wasn't surprised to see Sax standing on the other side, brandishing a deck of cards. He noted with wry amusement the number of people who fell prey to Ombra's simple card tricks.

When the crowd dissipated a couple hours later, Sax carefully folded the cloth that had covered the kiosk and placed it in his backpack. He walked over to one of the other vendors and counted out a number of bills into his hand, then continued walking towards a dark alley. Finn followed several paces behind, making no effort to conceal his movements.

Sax stopped suddenly. "What's up, Smiley?" he asked, not bothering to turn around.

Finn didn't grace him with a reply, and Sax kept walking. Finn followed him down the alley.

"Ya know, you could get a lot more information from me if you'd bother to ask," Sax suggested. He stopped when he reached a motorcycle parked next to a brick building. He straddled it, shifting his katana slightly, then reached into a pocket and pulled out a key. He started the engine and sat there, letting it idle until Finn had caught up to him.

Sax felt he should force the grim-faced man into conversation, but he just wasn't in the mood. Besides, he knew what Finn wanted. He sighed.

"Listen, Smiley, don't worry about your sister. Nice kid, but not my type. Yeah, she came looking for me last night after she heard that I was living on the street. I told her she needn't lose any sleep worrying 'bout me and sent her home lickety split."

Finn just stared. Sax shrugged. "Believe me or not. It's no skin off my nose, dude." With that, he increased the throttle and took off in a cloud of dust.

Finn watched his departure. For some reason, he believed the man. With a sigh of relief, he headed back to town to finish his errands before heading home.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

By the time Finn got home, he hadn't learned much about Saxon Ombra that he hadn't already figured out on his own. It had been obvious from the start that the man was a con artist. A few days earlier, he might have been surprised to hear about Ombra's freelance work repairing Zoids, but Sax seemed to know his way around the Cobra Fang, and had given Finn a few well thought out suggestions for improvement.

He wasn't exactly happy about Juliet's latest love interest. Finn had never been overly fond of people who didn't seem to have a goal in life, and Ombra appeared content just having a "jolly good time," to quote the man himself. At least Ombra wasn't taking advantage of Juliet. He did seem to have some kind of scruples, in his own weird way. Finn supposed it could be worse. Knowing his sister, it probably would be once she was over her current infatuation.

He ran a hand through his hair, causing his bangs to fall forward, much to his annoyance. He was eager to get moving again. Finn had heard of a few Zoid teams in Romeo City that were looking for warriors. He was sure he could find something. Then maybe a trip to Flyheight City. He just hoped his teammates wouldn't turn out to be complete morons. That was the trouble with getting information through the grapevine; you had to rely on other people's observations, and worse than that, on their memories.

He didn't mind taking the long circuitous route to their next destination. Traveling in a straight line just made it easier for someone to tail you.

He'd also been thinking of spending the money on changing the look of his Cobra Fang. The gold color seemed to mock him, reminding him of how easily he sold his own scruples for money. Maybe something silver or platinum, similar to the color of his sister's hair.

Thinking of his sister, he realized it would be nice to have her stationed where there were other people around for a change. He blew his bangs out of his eyes and went inside to tell Juliet to start packing.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Author's Notes: The time frame at the end of this story is a few months before the Venom Team hires Finn, which takes place in the beginning of the Anizoids fic.