Zoids: Call of the Fire 2 Written by Razorclaw X (spiceoflife@hotmail.com) http://www.angelfire.com/art/rcxshizuka/index.html Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to Zoids, I am borrowing the names, settings, etc. under fair use and without making a profit. This work cannot be sold for profit or retransmitted and reposted without my express permission. Continuity: Takes place after the Raynos appear in the series. ------------------------------------------------ Wasteland Stardust Camp, 1900 Hours, Day 3 Three warriors sat around their modest campfire, staring at the dancing flames, while guarded all along the outer circle by their three Zoids-- a manta-like Sinker, a standard Cannon Tortoise, and a quadrupedal aerial Redler, a purple winged lizard-like creature. It was an uncommon sight to see a team composed of one male and two female warriors, much less warriors that owned such a strange diversity of Zoids, but the three members of the Stardust Team have proven themselves seasoned veterans in their own right. "Yesterday," one of the girls, who held her hair in a pony-tail, said, "the Blitz Team lost to the Fire Wheel Team." "I heard that too," the second girl, who kept her hip-length hair free, confirmed. "I mean, could you believe that such losers could beat one of the better teams?" "I'm a little surprised," their leader, Johan, replied. "For people with so little resources the Fire Wheels, by all rights, should've lost." He scratched his chin thoughtfully. "Maybe the Blitz Team isn't all they're cracked up to be, losing to the best Class A team and then the worst Class A team." "It's gotta be luck," the long-haired girl stated. "So you're itching to see what they've got, Chika?" the pony-tailed girl guessed. "Just because one of the most hyped teams lost a couple battles doesn't mean we're going to win." "So you'd rather take on the Fire Wheels instead, Ayame?" Chika asked in return. "Won't it help us more if we beat the guys who beat the Blitz Team?" Ayame wondered, staring off into the sky. "I mean, I know we can't beat the Lightning Team, so why don't we?" "We'd garner more prestige," Johan countered, "if we defeat the Blitz Team." The warrior got to his feet, and dusted off his pants. "I'm going to transmit a challenge proposal to the ZBC tomorrow. I'm sure our opponents will accept." Turning away from the campfire the leader of the Stardust Team regarded his Sinker. "I'm dying to test the new thruster modifications I installed in this sucker." Ayame cast her eyes toward each of the Zoids. It was true that the Sinker was the star of the Stardust Team, as it possessed the greatest amount of missiles and guns. The Cannon Tortoise was only armed with a single mortar on its back, and the Redler its strike claws on each of its four feet and a blade attached to its tail. Arguably the Redler held an advantage over other quadrupedal Zoids in that it could fly and was just as good in the air as on the ground, but its lack of projectile weaponry killed a lot of strategies. Yet, melee combat was what Ayame thoroughly enjoyed. Chika was too scared to get into melee combat, which made the Cannon Tortoise perfect for her, even though Johan tried and failed to convince her to trade it in for a Gunsniper instead. It didn't surprise her, as the Cannon Tortoise was also well-armored, despite being incredibly slow and a huge target. Panic often settled in for each battle in which the opponent got within the Tortoise's minimum attack range, so Ayame and Johan made it a point to help maintain Chika's health and sanity as much as possible. Johan himself was a speed fanatic, and hated the feeling of a Zoid running through the wastes, which is why he settled on a hovering model instead. Chika claimed Johan got sick in the stomach driving a Shield Liger, but the leader would deny it always. Ayame simply didn't care, so long as Johan was good enough to continue fighting. Other than speed customs Johan added four top-mounted missile launchers, two to each side of the cockpit. Ayame thought it was for surface- to-air, but Johan insisted it was meant to hit things behind him. Customs often ended up being the cheaper choice, as the Stardust Team did not earn enough money to buy a new Zoid outright. "Blitz Team, huh?" she mused. Toros Base, 0900 Hours, Day 4 It seemed to Toros that his team all but forgot the battle two days prior, and he felt it was a good a time as any to accept another battle. He stared at the screen mounted on his desk, then reclined in his chair, and stared at the ceiling of his office. It was the Stardust Team, another Class A team looking for a piece of the Blitz Team's reputation, but Toros knew right away that this team wouldn't lay claim to that. His mind wandered back to the battle two days prior; the Fire Wheel Team certainly seemed more than the records indicated. It seemed that their skill levels were evenly-matched to the members of his own team, but Toros dismissed the thought, appending the fact that they were playing with an unofficial handicap. Certainly, it was interesting to see some good competition every once in a while, but now that he saw them in action Toros resolved that the next time his team went up against the Fire Wheels the outcome would be different. It wouldn't hurt to regain the team's confidence by destroying a more reasonable-leveled team, he decided. Fire Wheel Base, 1100 Hours "'Backdraft Group?'" Mizuki said, perplexed. It was one thing to get an unsolicited call from someone you didn't know, but it was another to be interrupted while in the simulator. On one screen was Shizuka, who was holding the call, but the Fire Wheel leader wasn't paying her any attention; her eyes were forward, concentrating on manipulating the Death Stinger on the virtual battlefield. It was like learning how to ride a bicycle all over again. "What do you want me to say to them?" her apprentice asked. "I don't care," she replied. "Just get rid of them." * * * Killing the transmission to the simulator, Shizuka faced another monitor, which she placed on hold. The creepy-looking guy with the tear-shaped sunglasses was waiting on the other end, some Major what's-his-name, was it? She snorted; military types were major pains in the rear. She sat back in her seat, and stared at the three- screen console, and listened to the music Major Moron was probably getting sick of, propping her feet on the desk. Suppressing her grin, she reached back over with her heel, and put the Backdraft guy back on. "Well?" he asked, with a tone of impatience. "Sorry, Major Asshole--" "That's Palta," he corrected, now more than irritated. "Get it right!" "Whatever," she replied, waving her hand off in a mock salute. "Not interested." What was it they wanted? she asked herself again. Oh yes. The Backdraft Group heard that the Fire Wheels beat the Blitz Team, and wanted them to do it again. Shizuka sighed. "Hell, you guys don't make very good offers." "We are offering five-times the normal prize money if you win." "Five-times won't cover all our expenses, especially if they trash our Zoids. Besides, what happens if we lose?" "The Backdraft Group will confiscate all your Zoids as compensation." Shizuka's eyes narrowed. "Are you dumb, or just plain stupid? If we run a risk fighting and losing our Zoids if we win, and lose them if we lose, then why the hell don't you just come down here and shoot me? That's the biggest load of crap I've ever heard." Major Palta groaned, and looked about ready to slam his head on the desk in front of him. It was more than obvious he wasn't enjoying this, and for that Shizuka could draw a little satisfaction. "Don't be surprised if you hear from us again in the future, Fire Wheel Team!" No sooner had the Backdraft representative killed the transmission, another line was ringing in. Annoyed, Shizuka once again tapped the console with her foot. This time it was a wild-eyed looking young man, his hair cut neatly. The kid's backdrop caught Shizuka's attention, as it seemed to be some kind of hangar-- one filled with lots of Zoids. "Greetings, Fire Wheel Team," he began. "I am Harry Champ, a man destined to be king!" Immediately Shizuka's expectations dropped a few notches. Putting on her most bored tone, she asked, "And what would His Majesty want, such that he'd grace our lowly hovel?" "I'm so glad you asked!" Harry replied, obviously missing the dripping sarcasm. He pressed his face closer toward the screen conspiratorially. "You're the one known as 'Silencer,' are you not?" "Yeah, what about it?" Somehow she knew where this was going. "It seems that you're registered as a mercenary, my friend," he said, briefly flashing some printed records. "Which means it's possible for you to fight on behalf of another team." "Dear god, no," Shizuka said, flat-out refusing. "I don't work for peanuts anymore." "W-wait!" Harry cried, his tone settling into panic. "I need your help! You beat the Blitz Team!" She rolled her eyes. "You, too? Who do I look like, the Tooth Fairy?" "But I need to defeat my rival!" he pleaded. "You must've beaten him, at least!" Rival? "Well, now, that's interesting. You want me to beat up your 'rival,' huh? And how much are you willing to pay me to fight him?" "You'll do it?!" he exclaimed, obviously excited. "Name your price!" "Maybe if you fixed-up all our busted Zoids, and bought me a particle cannon...." "Deal!" Harry yelled, ecstatic. His attention was now turned away from the screen. "Bit Cloud, you will regret the day you got between me and Leena!!" "'Bit Cloud?'" the warrior whispered to herself. "The junker is this guy's... 'rival?'" She sighed. "Moron, I didn't agree to this...." Champ Base, 1100 Hours "Harry!" Sebastian, one of two robot warriors in the Champ Team, protested. "Why did you just agree to give her the particle cannon ahead of time?" The leader of the Champ Team turned away from the console, having finished conducting business with the Fire Wheel. "She says she needs it if she's going to take on Bit Cloud." "And you're trusting her on this?!" Benjamin, the second robot, complained. "Didn't the last time you hire a mercenary we still lost?" "But this time we've got one that beat Bit already!" Harry claimed. "This time I'm sure to win!" Fire Wheel Base, 1200 Hours "Going out, I see." Professionally, people called her the 'Spider' because her analytical mind was very good at weaving carefully planned webs of deception, but off-duty others knew her as Kanna. She leaned with her back against the hangar door, between the interior and the exterior, once to the darkness and once to the light of the noon sun. Her arms folded, eyes narrowly open staring toward the other side of the entrance, she barely made out Shizuka walking out a beat-up motor bike out of the corner of her eye, out of the gloom. "Yeah," the other girl replied, kicking the stand on the bike to slip on her sunglasses and scarf. The beat-up motor bike was nothing like any real motorcycle; it was more of a dirt bike, caked with dried mud in all the appropriate places, and beat up from age. "Don't stay out long," Kanna directed. "We're supposed to go into town tomorrow to buy some more parts to finish the Death Stinger." "Yeah, I know," Shizuka moaned, sounding as if she'd heard the same conversation ten times before. "I think I've just been volunteered to help someone, so I'll go and come back, okay?" Kanna opened her eyes fully, and eyed the other warrior. "You mean someone actually bought you out?" she asked neutrally, maintaining her poker face. "How could I refuse? The guy came up on my offer to pay for the repairs of all our Zoids if I fought his rival. It's not my fault if he doesn't know what we have." "So you're saying you're doing this for the good of the team?" "I'm comin' back, you know," Shizuka insisted. "I mean, I wouldn't have gotten this far if it wasn't for Mizuki, so I owe her at least that much." Kanna snorted. When it looked as if the Fire Wheel Team was going to go under due to financial difficulties Shizuka opted to change her registration to reflect herself as a mercenary, and hoped that there would come a time that someone would hire her out and she wouldn't have to feel bad about deserting like some others did. It was a rather cowardly way to say that she wanted better financial stability, but it amazed Kanna that Shizuka stuck around for as long as she did; she had monitored her transmissions for the first six weeks going to Shizuka and it seemed that she had been getting offers from other teams. Yet, the only conceivable reason Kanna could formulate that would keep Shizuka from going was that each of those teams did not possess the same kind of facilities the Fire Wheels did. It was as if she wouldn't settle for anything that was below her perception of a normal life, even if it was at a near-poverty level. Financially the Fire Wheels could have avoided their money problems had they sold their more 'useless' Zoids, the Warshark and Salamander, but both Kanna and Shion refused to part with their machines. The Dragoon Nest, too, was expendable, but nobody seriously offered it up, particularly since the rooms in it beat sleeping on the dirt. It was simply expensive to keep that many Zoids around, especially if they weren't being used. Shizuka lifted her scarf over her mouth and nose, signing off with a mock two-finger salute before revving her motor bike. Kanna watched impassively as the girl sped off into the desert, the sound of the motor echoing across the landscape. "You're getting more clever all the time," she noted, recalling what Shizuka told her of the terms. "The Death Stinger Mark II prototype, unfinished as is, will surely benefit from being sponsored." Kanna cast her eyes back into the dark hangar. "It's fortunate that completing it won't require too many extensive modifications, I suppose. I only wonder how well that'll do in practice." Toros Base, 1300 Hours The moment the sliding double doors to the lounge opened, Toros shouted, "Guess what, people!" The lounge was centered around an oval table, as low as a coffee table. To each of the oval ends were comfortable padded seating, with Brad lounging across one of them as if he owned it, and Bit and Leena sitting across from him, eating lunch. Jamie sat in another padded, but one person, seat at the opposite end of the table from Toros, folding laundry quietly, as usual. All of their eyes, except for Brad, of course, were now on Toros. He held up a data card. "We've got a match scheduled tomorrow against the Stardust Team." He tossed the card gently to the table, allowing it to clatter against the table's surface. "'Stardust Team,' huh?" Bit said, reaching for the data card. "Is this another nobody team?" "Stardust is the splinter group from the Fire Wheels," Brad said, keeping his eyes shut in his relaxed manner. "It's three people who broke off from the bigger team because they didn't want to deal with their financial problems." "How come I didn't know this?" Leena asked. "It's not as if they're very well-known," Jamie chipped in. "There's just so many three-person teams out there that they don't really stand out as much as the Fire Wheels." "But they're good on their own, too," added Brad. "Seems to me they want a piece of us now that their former teammates beat us." "Well, then," Leena said, suddenly fired-up. "We'll just have to show these guys that we're not push- overs!" "Or maybe that you aren't," Bit murmured. "What did you just say?!" He held up the data card for Leena to see. "Just look at this: a Redler? A Cannon Tortoise? A Sinker? Does this sound very good or what?" "Don't try to change the subject!" she yelled, fuming with anger. "I'll show you who's a push-over!" "Uh-oh, here it comes," Brad said, sitting up quickly. Champ Base, 1400 Hours Standing in the Champ hangar was like coming to one of the great wonders of the world, Shizuka thought. She turned about, her eyes cast upward, passing from Zoid to Zoid, awe-struck. "Impressed, eh?" Harry said, smirking. "If I had all the pilots in the world working for me, and this hangar, I'd conquer the world!" she declared boastfully. "I'm glad you approve," the leader of the Champ Team replied. She broke herself out of the reverie, turning her full attention toward the young man. "Um, about our arrangement... this will be one-on-one, or not?" "Of course not!" he answered. "I want to be there when you beat Bit Cloud in front of Leena!" "Okay, whatever." She sighed. "So, what Zoid are you best using?" "Uh, the Dark Horn, I guess...." A loud explosion interrupted him, throwing both Harry and Shizuka to the floor. Debris rained down from above, and Shizuka felt something fall over her-- probably Harry, trying to be a hero. She risked a glance upward, ignoring the foppish guy, and indeed the ceiling was blown away, revealing the sky. Or rather, it seemed as if the ceiling was peeled open like a can of sardines. High above, a silhouette in the sky, Shizuka could make out some sort of aircraft, vaguely fish-shaped. Immediately her view of the aircraft was obscured by another, much larger aircraft, descending into the hangar. More correctly, it was closer. A black, bat-form Zoid was landing, followed by two more. Shizuka had no idea what this new type of Zoid was, nor did she know why they descended, but the moment the lead Zoid's cockpit hatch opened she knew. It was the same guy from before, Major What's-his- name, with the teardrop sunglasses. "We can do this the hard way," the Backdraft officer stated, a smile on his face. "I do prefer it like this." * * * "So that's the Backdraft Group," Kanna said, leaning closer to the console monitor of her Warshark. Submerged beneath the sands meters under the ground the land-modified Warshark served as Kanna's personal submarine in the sandy ocean; she even had a tracker periscope mod added on for such things. Sitting only a mile outside the Champ Team base she watched the black Whale King pry open the hangar, and deploy its black bat Zoids. They only remained in the hangar for a mere two minutes before taking off again. She waited a few moments until the Whale King started to leave, then checked her instruments to make sure that Shizuka was indeed no longer in the hangar. One life sign remained, for sure; it was probably the other person Shizuka was meeting. Retracting the periscope, Kanna powered-up the Warshark. She shook her head. "Sometimes, Shizuka, I wonder about you." Undisclosed Location, 1900 Hours She spent most of her time in the dark cell sitting Indian-style, with her head down. Meditation was hard for Shizuka, but Mizuki insisted it was a good exercise in discipline-- to bring chaos into order. For what it was worth, Shizuka tried it, but it would do nothing to prevent her from pondering the meaning of life. By the time the cell door opened, and the man with the black cape entered, Shizuka realized she spent all of her time trying to push questions about the Backdraft Group out of her mind, essentially making her more edgy. This newcomer was different from the major guy; his head was devoid of any hair, and he wore dark goggles that looked like they were designed for night vision, but really was probably nothing special. A fashion statement, maybe? "Please excuse our Major Palta," he began, his voice deep, but with a touch of arrogance. "I am Colonel Martin, representing the interests of the Backdraft Group." "So far you haven't interested me," Shizuka shot back bitterly. "Our organization exists not for kidnapping or extortion, as you may or may not think," he said, turning to the side. "We are interested in Zoid battles worthy of entertainment. You, my friend, have attracted our interest." "You want me to work on your behalf; I've heard as much." "We want you to battle the Liger Zero for us," Martin said bluntly. "Although we understand you cannot give us any guarantee on that regard, your team has managed to defeat the Blitz Team once already. I consider it enough qualification that you could see through their tactics and defeat them; it should be no more difficult to defeat the Liger Zero." "What's the big fuss over the Liger Zero, anyway?" Shizuka asked. "It's 'Liger Zero this,' or 'Liger Zero that;' what's the big deal?" "That's not important," the officer told her. "What is important is that Liger Zero is an obstacle to our vision. We must have it." "That's right," she recalled. "You confiscate Zoids when the opposing team loses. So you want the Liger Zero yourselves. If you guys recall, I don't want to play under those rules." "And here is we make a revision to our offer," Martin said. "Fight for us, Shizuka, in one battle. After the battle you are free to go, and your Zoids remain yours. The Backdraft Group will leave you alone. If you win you will receive five times the prize money. If you lose... there is no penalty for losing. We want you to fight for us." "So what if I refuse?" The colonel glared at her, and Shizuka understood that she didn't want to know that answer. "I see. Well, you know, I don't have my Zoid with me or anything...." "One will be provided to you. It has special modifications which may interest you." "Fine," Shizuka said, shaking her head. "So when's this battle, anyway?" Martin smiled. "Tomorrow." Zoid Battlefield, 0800 Hours, Day 5 Leaving the Cannon Tortoise and Chika behind the Redler and Sinker rushed out, flying low over the ground at high speeds. The landscape was devoid of any rocky crags or outcroppings; it was simple flatland, the battleground where the Redler and Sinker could truly take advantage of their off-surface speeds. It was a simple enough plan, Johan thought. Chika always remained at the border of the battlefield, launching heavy shells into the battlefield to keep the opposing team on their toes, while Ayame and himself took care of the three opponents. Rarely, if ever, did anyone get past their two Zoids without a fight. The Redler's low flight speed and its strike claws was usually enough to tear good holes in Zoid armor, and the Sinker's guns and missiles were usually on their mark, but sometimes the Cannon Tortoise did hit things. "I'll show you, Mizuki," Johan said to himself. "We will beat this Blitz Team and make your victory look insignificant in comparison!" * * * "Two incoming fast!" the Blitz Team warriors heard Jamie warn. Bit's Liger Zero, outfitted with the Jager unit, was intended to help match the predicted high speeds of the Sinker and Redler; Jamie said, according to records of previous battles, the two Stardust Team warriors seemed addicted to speed. The Redler dragon-type never took off into high atmospheric flights, making surface-to- air modifications unnecessary. With the Command Wolf and the Gunsniper to each of his flanks, Bit lead the charge. "Well, Liger," he said, "it's time to show these guys what speed is all about!" * * * "This sucks," Chika complained, pounding the dash of the Tortoise's cockpit. "Every time I always have to stay back here." She watched the Redler and Sinker blips on the radar, moving ever closer into the 10-mile-radius area the Judge declared to be a battlefield. Every battle the Stardust went into she always had to stay behind in the Tortoise, and just shell anything she felt like shelling. It was almost as if Ayame and Johan felt she was a burden. Ayame always said it was because Chika would not get hurt, but Chika realized they only needed her for three-on-threes. If the battle went as it usually did the Sinker would run circles around the opponents, drawing fire for the Redler to make rushing tackles. The Redler had the advantage of being an aerial Zoid with standard melee equipment, giving it better maneuverability than a Shield Liger or Saber Tiger, but lacking in decent range weaponry. The only time Chika got someone was if the opposing team somehow forgot she existed, and that only worked once per battle. Although it was just as annoying, co-piloting her brother's Salamander was more enjoyable than sitting around all day. Chika sighed. "What good is it to be on a Zoid team if you're not even participating?" * * * "That thing's faster than they usually are," Leena noted, as the Gunsniper's targeting computer was having difficulty pinging a lock on the Sinker. She directed to the Hover Cargo, "Someone get a calculation compensation for the Sinker's extra speed!" "I'm working on it," Jamie assured her. "What's with this Redler?!" she heard Brad shout in surprise. "It's trying to run into me!" "They're just playing with us," Bit realized, and Leena checked the radar to confirm those words. Both the Sinker and Redler were making quick passes at each of them, probably to shake them up. Impatience got the better of the Gunsniper pilot. Flipping switches, Leena input her best guesses into the targeting computer, and fired off a salvo of six missiles at where she guessed the Sinker would fly into. But surprise was not on her side, as the Sinker veered off away from the Gunsniper, and the dumb-fired missiles missed completely. "Jamie, where's that calculation?!" she complained. * * * "I think we've got things under control," Ayame said, psyching herself up for the strike claws. "I'm going for the Command Wolf!" "Gotcha," Johan replied. "The Liger Zero is mine!" Smiling to herself, Ayame prepared to shut off the Redler's boosters, circling around for one more pass on the Command Wolf. This time the Wolf fired several shots at her, some barely missing, but one shot got the left wing. Deciding she had to cut to the chase sooner than expected she killed the booster, and extended the Redler's legs for ground position. The Zoid's claws sank into the ground, into the dirt, against her former velocity. Bracing herself against the cockpit from the rough, forced landing she barely felt the Redler being shaken by the Command Wolf's shots. "No," she groaned, "it can't be over this early!" Forcing the Redler into a run Ayame charged the Command Wolf head-on, wishful that her Zoid had a cannon on it. She dodged to the right, avoiding the latest shot, then leaped into the air. "Eat my Strike Claw!" she yelled, rearing back the Redler's front right claw. Ever watchful, the Command Wolf fired again, this time on the Redler's underbelly. Ayame cried out in surprise, feeling herself and the Zoid recoiling backward against her forward momentum, slamming her back against the seat. The Redler landed upside-down, and Ayame looked up to see only dirt. A high-pitched whine echoed, breaking the sudden silence, and she knew it was already over. "Over before it even began," she said, chuckling to herself. "Johan's in for it this time." * * * "What the hell?!" Johan yelled, listening into the Judge's transmission, disqualifying Ayame's Redler. "Ayame! What the hell did you do?!" Gritting his teeth, the Stardust leader shut out the rest of the world, focusing on the Liger Zero. The lion Zoid was right on his tail, having not fired a single shot his direction, but it was gaining ground every time the Sinker banked on a turn. The Gunsniper was still sitting idle, and the Command Wolf was about ready to come after him, too. "Chika," he transmitted. "Fire on the Gunsniper and Command Wolf!" "What?" he heard the Tortoise pilot say, as if she were not paying attention. "Shoot them, dammit!" he ordered, fuming. "Gee, thought you'd never ask." Johan didn't particularly care which target she shot at; the Liger Zero was going to catch him eventually. He had no idea that Zoid could keep up with him, but suddenly he realized it was the boosters on the beast's back. So he's a speed demon, too, eh? He flipped on the top-mounted missile launchers, which were oriented skyward. Adjusting the targeting computer, hoping for a good hit, Johan launched two of the deadly warheads, and hoped for a miracle. * * * "What?!" Bit exclaimed, bringing the Liger Zero to an emergency halt. Almost by reflex he bounded the Liger off to the left, away from the missiles the Sinker fired off into the air that suddenly fell. "He's using the missiles like mines," Jamie informed him. "So he's sick of this 'follow the leader' game, too, right?" the pilot decided. "Well, this is the game I want to play, too! Right, Liger?" Just as predicted, the Sinker was making a hard turnabout for a strafe run against the Liger Zero. Its wing-mounted cannons fired off its deadly gatling volley, blowing up a dust trail in the ground before Bit and Liger, but each shot was getting closer each fraction of a second. He began to power-up the Strike Laser Claw. "Now I've got you!" he heard Leena shout. "What the...?!" Bit cried, and the Liger aborted the attack to escape the volley of missiles coming his direction. The explosion rocked him in the cockpit, and his eyes barely caught the Sinker flying into, and through, the inferno. "What's the big idea?!" he shouted, directing his ire at Leena. "Missed?!" she yelled in disbelief. "Don't get in my way, Bit!" "He's mine!" Bit claimed. "Not if I get him first!" Leena countered. "I'll get him!" Brad decided. Yet the protests were cut short when the heavy shell landed. The impact of the shell blast the Liger Zero off its feet and onto its side, knocking Bit against the cockpit. An even greater fireball sprung to life, and the radar fritzed for a few seconds. As he got Liger back to its feet, the radar returned, but this time with one less friendly. "I'm down!" Brad yelled. "My computer's still good," Leena reported. "It's a little cooked over here." By now the smoke had cleared somewhat, and Bit realized that it was the Cannon Tortoise. "Jamie!" he shouted. "Where's that Cannon Tortoise?" "I got it," Jamie replied. "It's on the other end of the battlefield, and it looks like it's getting ready to fire off another shot." "Thanks; I'll get the Tortoise." Directing his attention back to Leena, he added, "The Sinker is yours if you can catch it!" "Stay out of my way," she replied. "The Sinker will sink if I can help it!" Firing up the Jager's boosters, checking for any signs of the Sinker, Bit rushed off, hoping to get the Cannon Tortoise before another shell did something like fry Liger again. "I'm with you, partner," he said. "I hate being shot at like that!" * * * "This is kind of pathetic," Shizuka noted, sitting in the cockpit of the black Backdraft Zoid, monitoring the battle zone the Whale King was about to breach. "Trust me, it'll become more interesting in a moment," Martin assured her. "It is rather fortunate the Liger Zero is relatively unharmed." Yeah, and a total luck shot by Chika, at that. "We'll see about that." "Remember," the Backdraft officer informed her, "you will not have the luxury of the ejection system available to you. Secondly, if you try to attack us we have armed an explosive device under the seat, which I can detonate by remote here on the Whale King. Fight well, and you may live. Do we have an understanding?" "Clearly," Shizuka said, nodding slowly. The thought passed in her mind to open fire while still in the hangar, but thought better of it; not only would she take out herself and that jerk Martin, but anyone else who was unlucky enough to be on the ship, and Shizuka didn't want that on her conscience when going down. Yet something about that bomb bugged her. * * * "Warning!" the Judge announced. "You are in violation...." The white Judge had no time to finish its sentence when a large, boulder-like black sphere crushed the capsule like a tin can. "What?!" Jamie shouted, just as another capsule landed near where the first judge capsule used to be. Out from its crater the dark capsule raised, opening to reveal the familiar Backdraft Dark Judge. "It's the Backdraft Group!" Jamie informed Bit and Leena, just as Brad entered the Hover Cargo's bridge. "This battle has been taken over by the Backdraft Group!" the Dark Judge declared, just as the black Whale King descended to the ground. * * * "What the hell is this?!" Johan yelled, bringing his Sinker to a halt. The Whale King's mouth, the loading ramp of the airship, opened its toothy maw. As the Dark Judge droned on, declaring the presence of the Raijin Team, two black Zoids emerged-- Rev Rapters, each armed with cannons mounted on their fore claws. The two Rev Rapters marched down the ramp silently, then moved to each side to await their leader. "Stay out of this battle if you know what's good for you," came a transmission over the comm system. "That voice," he noted, trying to remember who it belonged to. Those thoughts were interrupted by another, a man Johan was unfamiliar with. "We are the Backdraft Group. The Raijin Team hereby challenges the Blitz Team's Liger Zero to a match, one-on-one." "'One-on-one?'" he heard the Liger Zero's pilot echo. "Isn't your guys' style 'no rules?'" "If you refuse, I will destroy each person on this battlefield until only you are left." "What?!" Johan exclaimed. "Who the hell do you think you guys are?" Both Rev Rapters started firing in his direction, and it was all Johan could do to minimize the damage by quickly retreating. * * * "Now that's fighting low!" Bit complained. "Fine; I accept your challenge!" "Good," the Backdraft officer replied. "And here is your opponent; you will receive five times the regular prize money for victory. If you lose, the Liger Zero is ours." Both of the Raijin Rev Rapters stepped back into formation, and Bit knew his opponent was emerging from the Whale King. The panther-like Zoid, decked out in black plated armor, strolled down the ramp, acting as if it owned the world. It came with its standard twin forward-facing 20mm cannons mounted under the head, but from there it was obviously heavily-customized. Mounted on a turret on top of its back was a double- barreled CP-4, similar to the one Brad used on his Command Wolf. Mounted to each side were twin beam cannons, running a cable from the back of the cannons to the Zoid's power plant. Each of those weapons, too, were decked in black plated armor. Bit only saw this type once before, but it was easy to recognize the familiar Backdraft Group's custom Stealth Helcat. "Come on," he shouted, "don't you guys have anything better than that?" "The ones you fought before were amateurs," the Raijin assured him. "This time I've acquired an expert in stealth units. I believe you've met." As if on cue, another view screen flickered to life. As the Raijin commander promised, Bit did recognize the pilot on the other end. Although it had only been a few days since they first met in the desert Shizuka looked incredibly bored and depressed, slouching back in the pilot seat as if chained down. She removed the knot from her pony tail, wrapping the chord around her left hand, across all her fingers. "You won't believe how many people want to see you lose," she said bleakly, sounding a bit tired. "Time to earn my pay." "Why are you working with the Backdraft Group?!" Bit demanded. She shrugged. "Well, the plot sucks, but I'm willing to do it anyway." She gave the universal hand sign for 'money.' "Shall we begin?" "Looks like we have no choice, then," he decided. "Alright, Liger, this should be a piece of cake!" She doesn't look like she's going to try, Bit thought. How hard can it be? * * * Up periscope, and Kanna was just in time for the Dark Judge to declare the battle. "That Helcat is built with a similar thought as the Stealth Viper," she mused. "Obviously, whoever is in charge of this Backdraft Group isn't stupid. The question is, will Shizuka use it to her full advantage, or hold back?" Kanna scratched her chin thoughtfully. Although the Zoid was different the principle was the same; the stealth models were designed for hit-and-run when on the offensive. If she guessed correctly, the Helcat was also equipped with the same secret weapon as the Stealth Viper. She moved the periscope to focus on the Whale King, which, after collecting the two Rev Rapters, was lifting off. "My Warshark doesn't have the capabilities to hit things that high in the atmosphere, but... there is something that can!" Lowering the periscope, Kanna sat back in her seat, and scanned for the Cannon Tortoise's position. * * * The Helcat pivoted in place as it fired its twin beam cannons, carving a dust trail right behind the Liger Zero. Bit felt a rush, understanding that Liger knew the beam was slowly catching-up. He kicked on the Jager's thrusters, pulling out ahead of the beam and continuing in his wide arc around the Helcat. As Bit expected, the beam cannons could not sustain such a long burst like that. He guided Liger Zero toward the center of the circle of destruction, and powered-up the Strike Laser Claw. "Playtime's over; now we finish this!" he proclaimed. "Strike Laser Claw!" Liger Zero's front claws flared to life, and the great lion leaped into the air for a mighty swipe. At the last moment the Helcat jumped backward, allowing the Liger to smash the ground where it used to be, kicking up a great cloud of dirt into the air. "Nuh-uh," he heard from Shizuka. "You'll get dirt on my armor." Bit pulled Liger away from the Helcat's line-of- sight just in the nick of time, unwilling to fall for the same kind of tricks Jack's Lightning Saix would pull. As he made his escape the thought crossed his mind that the Helcat might actually be tuned to be faster, but discarded the thought, knowing that the Helcat can't be tuned to go much faster than it's going already; Liger Zero Jager at its top speed was already over twice as fast as the fastest Helcat. The only explanation was the pilot's reflexes were very good. On the other hand, if they were really that good, Shizuka should've hit him by now. Bit snorted confidently, comforted by the thought that his own reflexes were faster than hers. "We'll just have to hit faster, right, Liger?" * * * "What the hell are you doing?!" Martin demanded. "Stop toying with the Liger Zero and defeat it!" "Or you'll do what, blow me to smithereens?" Shizuka countered, toggling the 20mm cannons. "Then you'll definitely lose." "Use the cloaking field, NOW!" the officer ordered. "Hey, if I don't tell you how to run your Raijin Team, then you don't tell your hired gun how to play the game!" she thundered, taking two more shots at the fleeing Liger Zero. "I don't need your retarded cloaking field, OR your fake bomb!" Shizuka killed the visual link, tired of seeing Martin's head about to explode. She recalled many times in the past of Kanna insisting to skip using the cloaking field on the Stealth Viper and work with everything else; back then it made absolutely no sense to Shizuka. Today, however, she understood; it was not simply to maintain an advantage. The cloaking field was also a crutch, just as much as having too much ammunition-- you tend to rely on it even when you don't need it. She understood why the Backdraft Group never beat this Liger Zero; they were too stupid to realize this. The difference between her and their stealth pilots was that Shizuka didn't need the cloaking field to win her battles, and, as such, it remained her advantage. There was also another issue; if the Liger Zero was equipped with heat sensors then it wouldn't be difficult to spot the Helcat. While all Helcats were designed with heat suppression this Helcat, unlike her own Stealth Viper, did not have the extensive amount of heat sinks that effectively masked her presence from all but the top-of-the-line sensors. Shizuka would not consider using the cloaking field until she was 100% certain Bit Cloud wasn't going to see her; it meant the difference between a successful attack and a dead merc. After that, the last major issue was that the cloaking field merely obscures vision, but not the Helcat's presence. Unlike the Stealth Viper, which could 'meld' its shape into its surroundings, the Helcat was still the same oversized panther it was when visible. Raising a big dust cloud, for instance, would help alert the opponent of her presence as the cloud formed around the Helcat's huge frame. She was certain Bit Cloud knew this; it was one of her disadvantages to be fighting out in a loose-sand desert like this, and she would have preferred a rocky canyon. The Liger Zero turned for another pass for the Strike Laser Claw, and Shizuka brought the CP-4 online, buying time for the beam cannons to recharge fully. It was her hope that her 'ameteur,' mistaken use of the beam weapons would prove her edge later. The thought of ensnaring the Liger Zero into her trap made her giddy, and suddenly the blood drained from her arms, replacing it with the same tingling sensation as before. Shizuka twitched involuntarily at the sudden change, and her heart beat like a drum. It took all of her effort to slide her thumb over the firing trigger, and she gritted her teeth. The targetting computer registered the Liger Zero into her firing range, and she squeezed the trigger. One after another, chain-liked fire, the 20mm cannons and the CP-4 fired, each hitting wide and very off the Liger. She cursed herself, trying to regain control of herself, but her shots continued to fly wide of the opposing Zoid. And then the Liger Zero's claws flared to life. In reflex reaction Shizuka oriented the broad side of the Helcat toward the attacker, then darted out of the way as the blue and white beast leaped into the air. * * * "Missed again?" Jamie exclaimed, surprised as he monitored the battle from the Hover Cargo. "The Helcat can't move that fast!" "It's actually not," Toros explained, just as Brad and Leena entered the room. "The Helcat's pilot is predicting Bit's movements and reacts accordingly." "Somebody want to explain to me what's the deal here?!" Bit demanded, his voice over the comm link betraying a hint of panic. "Bit, you've got to use the Jager's boosters to help hit the Helcat before it has a chance to escape," Toros suggested. "The Helcat is watching your movements." "Yeah, I know," he replied, calming down a bit. "But if I use the Jager boosters I might overshoot her." A pause, then Bit continued, "You think we can do it, Liger? Well, let's give it a shot!" "There they go again," Brad said, and Bit and Liger were maneuvering for another pass. "The Helcat pilot was always given a few seconds warning every time Bit charged the Strike Laser Claw," the leader of the Blitz Team mused, scratching his chin. "Most people stand around like deer to headlights on a mountain road, but this one's overcome that innate fear enough to recognize the danger. So the only way around that is to force a lapse in judgment." * * * "Geez, you're trying to pull the same crap again?!" Shizuka muttered, checking to make sure the beam cannons were full. "Third time's a charm, I guess!" She oriented the Helcat's forward direction toward the Liger Zero, but her readings suddenly registered something Shizuka didn't want to see. "That damn fool is speeding up?! He'll miss and crash at this velocity!" To use the Strike Laser Claw at such high speeds would require Bit to power them on early. Shizuka switched the chain-linking of her cannons and set them to single burst, which would discharge all sets of cannons at the Liger Zero at once. She had no intention of backing out of this chicken match-- not this time. * * * Far from the battling feline Zoids Chika monitored the two Zoids, unsure as to who to root for. Johan quickly transmitted that the Helcat pilot was Shizuka, recognizing her voice alone. The thought confused her and Ayame, as neither of the two girls imagined their former comrade would pilot anything other than that snake she cherished like a baby. Leading herself to the second surprise of the day, as a new transmission kicked in. "Hello, Chika. Long time no see." This time Chika had no doubts about who it was. "Kanna? What are you doing here? Where are you?" "I'm not on the Whale King, if that's what you're asking," Kanna replied. "I'm right under you. I need a favor to ask you, because I don't have any weapons on me." "Still don't have enough money?" she jabbed. "You guys drive me nuts; you won't sell any of the surplus Zoids for money and would rather have them sit around while you eat rice and noodles every day. What good is having a nice place to live if you have to live there in poverty again?" It disgusted Chika that her former teammates, each coming from families that couldn't afford Zoids and now suddenly had access to some, chose to live at that old military bungalow living the same way as they had before. Mizuki and her followers refused to give up on anything they found, but Johan got sick of this attitude. He chose to live nicer even if that meant camping out in the desert every day. The Stardust Team was better-off financially for that reason; they were willing to make sacrifices to live decently, while the others were crazy enough to remain content as poor packrats. The Dragoon Nest alone would've commanded enough money to satisfy their food and weapons needs, at the very least. Kanna shook her head. "No, it's not that. I was supposed to go into town to buy some parts, but I have to look after Shizuka. She gets in trouble when she's by herself, you know." Chika nodded, knowing this to be true. "So you're cutting me a deal... with a rival?" "I'm not cutting deals; I'm asking a friend for help. We aren't rivals." "Kanna, this is probably going to be my last battle anyway. What's the use of recruiting me back onto your team like this when I'm so useless?" The Spider remained silent. "We've always a place for you. Ayame and Johan, too. But that's neither here nor there. Help me, please." "And what can this stupid bucket do?" Chika demanded, frustrated with herself. "Cannon Tortoises are slow and are just big moving cannons; I want something more... like a Sea Panther." "A Sea Panther? You're joking; that's practically the same thing." The Tortoise pilot shook her head. "Nuh-uh! They look like hermit crabs, have a really big cannon, a bunch of other cannon attachment options, and a really good missile box! They're faster than the Tortoise to boot!" Kanna groaned. "Geez... you pirate. Fine, but we'd have to do some trading...." "I don't care about the Tortoise; if you get me a Sea Panther I'll do anything you say." "Anything?" Kanna echoed in disbelief. She nodded confidently. "Well... uh... okay." * * * "Let's do it, Liger!" Bit screamed. "Strike Laser Claw!" He felt the rush of the boosters propel the Liger Zero's leap forward. The right claw tore through the air quickly, and it seemed to Bit that he would hit his mark; the Helcat wasn't budging. Then the nasty surprise came for him; the reason the Helcat stayed put was that it was going to retaliate this time. All six cannon barrels mounted on the black panther Zoid fired at once; both beam cannons fired their stream shots past Liger Zero, but the other four cannons found their mark. Yet it was not enough to kill Liger Zero's forward momentum, as the Jager's boosters continued to propel Bit and Liger forward. Yet, the impact of the shots was enough to force Liger to miss its mark, redirecting the attack on the front left leg to shear the left beam cannon off instead with Liger's full body. Crashing into the dirt hard, Liger got up and quickly shook off the dirt. Bit recovered from the momentary shock, throwing a look over his shoulder to see the state of the Helcat. Now minus one beam cannon the Helcat was now off-balance, putting more weight on the right side of the frame. While the attack wasn't a complete success, it wasn't a complete failure, either; Liger Zero escaped with minor damage. "Nice shot," he heard Shizuka say, congratulating Bit. "Too bad it wasn't what you intended." "You're not so bad yourself, if a bit crazy," Bit replied. The girl laughed. "'Crazy?' That's the nicest thing someone could call it, I suppose." The Helcat turned to face the Liger Zero. "Now, then, where do we go from here?" Another voice interrupted, this one belonging to the Backdraft Group officer. "What are you doing?! Destroy the Liger Zero!" "I think I've wasted enough time here, then," Shizuka decided. "Give me everything you've got, Bit Cloud!" Shizuka cried, and the Helcat suddenly lurched into motion. "I hear ya, then," Bit agreed, a smile forming on his face. Liger Zero rushed to meet the charge. A great explosion rocked Bit around the cockpit. He stopped in his tracks, as did the Helcat, and looked up into the sky, to see that the Whale King's left wing was smoking. "Someone's attacking the Whale King?" he said, surprised. * * * "What in the world is going on?!" Marin demanded, as he was thrown from his command chair. "We're under attack from an unknown surface location!" one of the technicians reported. "It's not coming from the Hover Cargo, or any visible unit within the general area!" "Is it the Zoid Battle Commission?" he wondered, hearing that Altile was wrung into a similar trap before. "Get us out of here before they shoot us down!" "What about the battle?" "Forget the battle!" Martin yelled, seething. "We cannot lose the Whale King over this!" * * * "There's two!" Chika announced, launching a second missile into the air. This time the missile hit the Whale King near its trailing engine, and the great airship wavered in the sky. Dark smoke poured forth from each new fissure. She waited for the third hardpoint to load up, but the Whale King was already trying to retreat. "That'll teach you goons to ignore me!" * * * Bit's eyes followed the Backdraft Whale King retreat, followed by the Dark Judge capsule that was withdrawing from the battle. He sighed; it looked like they weren't going to get the Backdraft prize money after all. "It looks like we'll have to settle this another time, then," Shizuka said, sounding disappointed. "Yeah," Bit agreed. "The Dark Judge is gone, and the regular Judge is out of commission." The other pilot snorted. "Well, then, until next time." The Helcat began to leave. "Wait, Shizuka!" he yelled, trying to get her attention. "Why were you working with the Backdraft Group?" The Helcat stopped in its tracks, and the panther Zoid's head turned back to look. "Like I said, there seems to be a number of people who are interested in defeating you. I've got to go collect my pay, so I'll be seeing you later-- hopefully, extra rich." Bit raised an eyebrow, having no idea what the girl was talking about. * * * "She's gotten better," Ayame noted, sitting back against her Redler's leg. Her eyes moved over to Johan, who was sitting on top of his Sinker to get a better view. "I can't believe she got that thing to move faster than the Liger Zero," Johan said. "How did she do that?" Ayame shrugged. "I don't know; why don't you ask her?" Johan sighed, then looked back down at her. "Well, then, maybe I will. Coming?" Champ Base, 1000 Hours The noise of construction workers busying themselves with repairing the hangar filled the air, as Harry stared up at the black Helcat that suddenly showed-up. Behind him, his two robot assistants slowly backed away, clearing the creature's shadow, as it blotted out the sun above. "Harry Champ," Shizuka said sternly, "where's my money?" "Money?!" Harry cried. "You didn't beat Bit Cloud already, did you?" "'Beat?' Who said anything about defeating the guy; you agreed to hire me to fight him." "What? Are you joking?" He heard the sound of a button press, followed by a mildly-distorted voice: "And how much are you willing to pay me to fight him?" Next came the part Harry wished he didn't remember: "You'll do it?! Name your price!" The color drained from his face when he realized what he'd done; Harry jumped the gun and forgot to be specific. "Maybe if you fixed-up all our busted Zoids, and bought me a particle cannon...." Click. The Helcat's head lowered closer to the ground. "You can keep the particle cannon; I'll feel bad if I took that, but the rest stands," Shizuka added. "Well, then, Mr. Champ?" Fire Wheel Base, 1500 Hours Kanna was definitely impressed with Shizuka as Rowan finished going through their newly-acquired black Helcat. Shizuka claimed that the Backdraft officer said there was a bomb on it, then added there wasn't a bomb. Kanna had to make sure of it before allowing the Zoid into the hangar. When Rowan came back with the confirmation, she was relieved. She was also suprised that Shizuka saw through the ploy, as often it was either true, or designed to scare into cooperation-- sometimes both. But then, Shizuka reasoned, they'd be shooting themselves in the foot by destroying one of their own units like that. Silently she watched as Ayame's Redler and Johan's Sinker arrived. Chika already changed her registration back to the Fire Wheels, waiting for the Sea Panther she was promised, and now it was Kanna's task to make sure to reabsorb the other two members of the Stardust Team. It wasn't the rewards from her boss, Mizuki, that Kanna was after; she felt it necessary to look after her own teammates. She watched both Ayame and Johan disembark from their respective Zoids, approaching her wordlessly. "Welcome back," she greeted. "There's rumors going around," Johan replied, a sly grin on his face, "that you guys have earned a good sum of money." "It could only grow larger if we combine our resources," Kanna added, fully prepared to play the game of words. "The Stardust Team has done well for itself since then." "But not enough to beat the Blitz Team," Ayame added. "When you guys stole Chika back to your team we couldn't rematch them from the interrupted battle this morning." "Your Redler could use some weapons customs, don't you think?" "Yeah, maybe...." "And Johan; your Sinker can be pushed further. The Liger Zero's boosters could still overtake you. Wouldn't it be prudent to buy something more powerful?" "Yeah," Johan admitted, "there's this one engine I've been meaning to install, and.... Wait a minute. Are you trying to sucker me?" "We'll get you that engine," Kanna promised, "if we combine the assets of our Fire Wheel Team with your Stardust Team. It will be as it was before, only this time we will be able to keep our weapons and our lifestyles at the same time. We're going to fight more aggressively now that we've got this opportunity given to us. So, the question is, are you with us, or not?" The strategist was satisfied to see that Johan and Ayame paused to consdieration. She was already certain she hooked Johan, and now it was only Ayame who could hold out. The reason she never customized the Redler with cannons was out of pride, but this recent battle with the Blitz Team proved how ineffective she could be without a ranged projectile of her own. "No strings attached?" Ayame asked finally. Kanna shook her head. "Mizuki's got a surprise for you guys; it's a new Zoid. Once she's satisfied she can pilot it, we'll be unstoppable. Until then, we need you to help bring us the income with which to complete it." At last, she knew she had Ayame hooked. "Well, if you put it that way, count me in." Backdraft Group HQ, 2100 Hours Colonel Martin did not like standing in the presence of the elite heads of the Backdraft Group. The dark hall was devoid of all illumination save one-- the one light beating down over his head. The shadowy heads of the organization remained in the darkness, and Martin hated that; he would rather know who to hate by seeing them rather than go on ear alone. His reasoning for being there was simple: "Why did you allow the Helcat to be stolen?" For that, Martin could give no explanation. He could take any demotion and loss of prestige for the Raijin Team; that girl, and the Liger Zero, however, would have to pay. ----------------------------------------------- Author's Rant Another chapter from the Bad Guy Writer. Yes, the Stealth Viper's secret weapon is a cloaking field, as was alluded to in the first, and now in this, chapter. It isn't used for that given reason; you could call it personal handicap but it really isn't. Not only that but I am also trying to portray its pilot as having a nervous problem despite how good she is. I am not happy with Anime simply stating that somebody is 'excited' about the battle, because there is more to it than that; there's a certain exhilaration that goes with it, the fear of losing, the thrill of battle, and of course that certain numbness that seems to occur at the wrong times, such that you have to force yourself to keep moving. It's a strange feeling. The Raijin Team is made up, and so is Colonel Martin. It didn't feel right to have Altile or some random flunky do these things. -- Razorclaw X (spiceoflife@hotmail.com) http://www.angelfire.com/art/rcxshizuka/index.html