Zoids: Resurrection

Written by Timber Wolf

You know, sometimes you can’t walk away from a fight. And Bit Cloud never did. He took on more fights than even he could count. Using his weapon of choice, the Liger Zero, he brought down more Zoids than anyone though possible. He took the Blitz Team to higher levels than they had ever dreamed of. Together with Leena Toros, Brad Hunter, and Jamie Hermeros, they became the greatest team ever. After they brought down the Backdraft Group, they gained international fame. Steve Toros, Leena’s father, appeared on several TV shows, showing tricks and giving tips on tuning and maintaining Zoids. Later, he opened a school for repairing Zoids. Jamie stayed with the team for years, until he and his dad, Oscar, decided to move north and open a Zoid Repair shop. Brad went with them.

As for Bit and Leena, they worked out their differences, and, eventually, fell in love. They were married some time after. They stayed with Steve until Bit had earned enough money to buy a home in the south. Leena gave birth to their only son the day they moved in. Little Scott was the spitting image of his father. In fact, you could hardly tell the two apart.

Bit fought in Zoid battles for five more years, and Liger was a strong as ever. Though he had given up using the different armors, his battles were spectacular. Finally, he decided to give Liger a rest, and retired from competition. He sent Liger to Steve, and settled down with Leena. They had happy lives from then on.

Then the Backdraft Group reappeared.

Hearing in a bar one night that they were looking for them, Bit took Leena and Scott to live with Steve. He then planned to travel north to find Jamie. But Leena didn’t want him to go alone. She dug out her old, reliable Gun Sniper, and Bit regained the controls of Liger Zero. Together they went north. Little Scott was left to live with his grandpa.

The Backdraft Group took control of all Zoid battles. Deciding that if they couldn’t judge battles then no one would, they destroyed every single Judge Carrier in one, decisive strike. They then outlawed all Zoids and Zoid battles, forcing groups to surrender their Zoids or die. Some groups tried to fight back. Some joined with other groups to try to overthrow the Backdraft Group’s seemingly total control. None were successful. The Great Zoid War was brief, lasting only a year. The Backdraft Group destroyed literally thousands upon thousands of rebelling Zoids and their pilots. Those that survived went underground, hiding in old caverns everywhere on the planet. The Backdraft Group, now known as the Backdraft Union, didn’t bother to chase them. The Zoids they had used were made into a police force and dispatched throughout the world. Everyone was to afraid to do anything, so they succumbed to the Union’s rule.

Soon after the war ended and the Union took total control, Steve learned of his daughters death. The news had come via anonymous transmitting signal. She had died with Bit, just like she would have wanted. They had been ripped from their Zoids, and executed. The Liger Zero, seeing it’s pilot killed, let out a roar of grievance and fled. Steve, fearing for their safety, took little Scott and fled to the unknown parts of the west.

Twelve years past.

Scott, now nineteen years old, sat on the hood of his truck, an old beat-to-crap SUV he had reconditioned to reliable function. As he looked down on the town from the plateau, he couldn’t help but think of his grandfather. He had died of old age a year before. Scott could remember his last word to him.... Go out and find your heritage... find Liger Zero... free the Zoids... Scott buried his Grandfather that same day, on a hill he had frequented. The same hill where he told Scott about his father and mother. They were the best there ever was. And the Liger Zero... From his grandfather’s recollections, he knew the system as intimately as possible without hands-on experience. But knowing the system and actually using it are two different things. He knew how to pilot a Zoid, his grandfather had a few on the ranch they had lived at for twelve years. Liger Zero was, from what he knew and had seen in recordings, a completely different Zoid, one unique, with a control system unlike any other. Without actually seeing them, he was going to have a little trouble.

Scott opened his eyes, the memories now past, and looked down upon the quiet town. He had traveled non-stop to get here. He hoped he could find one of dad’s old friends here.

Making a decision to get moving, Scott hopped off the hood and got into the drivers seat. He turned the ignition and the engine started. Taking one last look down on the town before getting back onto the road, he hoped he would find who he was looking for. He had been disappointed too many times.

Brad sat at his usual table in the Rusty Zoid, the best (and only) bar in Chanselle. He had frequented this bar ever since he got into town four years ago. His usual drink sat half empty on the table. Brad didn’t used to drink, but ever since he heard that Bit and Leena were gone, it had become a regular event to sit down and have a cold one. It didn’t help him forget, mainly because he didn’t want to, but it helped him cope with the reality of it. And lately there was alot of reality to cope with.

His Shadow Fox and Command Wolf were hidden miles away in a cave that he, himself, had sealed. They had been there since he left Jamie and his dad five years ago. He had gotten a job in town selling used vehicle parts. It was almost like selling Zoid parts, but on a much smaller scale. It was boring to him. He missed the excitement of a battle, the thrill of victory. The most victory around here was when a fight broke out and knocked over his table. Normally, he wasn’t a violent man, but sometimes he had to let his aggression out. He also had done some street racing here, but that, too, got boring.

Now, sitting with nothing but a half empty glass and his thoughts, he wanted a fight to break out more than ever. As he returned to his drink, the door opened, and a kid, barely nineteen Brad thought, stepped in and let the door close behind him. The kid took one look around and walked over to the bar. The bartender came right over. Brad was a little distance away, but picked up the entire conversation, even over the loud mariachi music that some drunk had picked on the juke box.

“Excuse me, but would you know where I could find a man named Brad Hunter?” Brad’s interest perked up. Someone looking for him? What had he done now?

“Son, we don’t allow you young people in here. You’ll have to leave,” the bartender said harshly.

“I will, but I want to know if there’s a Brad Hunter in this town.”

“Kid, you’ve got three seconds to walk out that door before I hop over this bar and beat the hell out of you.” The bartender had adopted an angry stance.

“Look, I just want to find Brad Hunter, Ok?” The kid hadn’t moved an inch.

“Bruno!” the bartender shouted. “We got an under aged trouble maker here!”

From a door off to the side of the bar came a big, burly, mammoth of a man, cracking his knuckles as he walked over to the kid, who simply looked on as he approached. When he was standing over the kid, he leaned down and spoke in a gruff voice. “Listen, kid. Either you’re gonna leave quietly, or I’ll smash yer face in.”

“Dude,” replied the kid. “All I want to know is where Brad Hunter is.”

“OK, kid, I warned ya!” With that, the big man took a mighty swing. It looked as if it was going to connect with the younger face, but with lighting quick speed, the kid ducked and came up with a right of his own. It didn’t look impressive, but the big man was caught by surprise and fell to the floor.

“I don’t want any trouble,” the kid said to everyone. “I’m only looking for one man...” He was cut short by another usual who had been sitting at a near-by table. The man had leapt from his chair and tackled the kid. Now the others at that table joined in. Brad chuckled to himself and was about to return to his drink, thinking that the fight would be brief, when there were bodies flying past his table. And they weren’t young.

The kid had wrestled the pile of men off of him and was throwing fists and feet like there was no tomorrow. Even though his initial success caught them all by surprise, they were slowly gaining the upper hand on him. It was about time for Brad to lend a fist. Besides, there was something familiar about this kid. He got up slowly so as to avoid drawing attention to himself, picked his way around the tables, and then, without warning, dove into the crowd, fists a-flying.

He took down two of the guys, and worked his way toward the kid. The kid saw him coming, and, after finishing off the guy he was busy with, turned towards him. Brad could tell he was ready to take him on. Instead of throwing a fist at the kid, though, he threw one at the guy trying to catch the kid unaware. The kid watched him go by, gave a slight smile, and returned to what was in front of him.

Twenty minutes later, Brad and Scott were standing in an alley, panting and gasping for air. They had narrowly escaped the bar. When they made their exit, some of the brawlers saw fit to chase them. They had ran for a five blocks before the people gave up.

When he had his breath back, Scott turned to his new comrade-in-arms. “Thanks man,” he said. “I owe you one.”

“Don’t worry,” Brad replied. “I needed the exercise anyway.”

Scott smiled. “I’m glad one of us got something out of that.”

“You might be wrong on that observation,” Brad said, crossing his arms and leaning against the wall. “Now, why were you looking for me?”

Scott straightened up. “You’re Brad Hunter?”

“Only one I know.”

“Do you have any idea how long I’ve been looking for you?”

“Not really,” Brad replied. He was starting to feel that he shouldn’t have helped this kid.

“Dude,” Scott began, “I need your help. You were with Jamie Hermeros before the Backdraft Group took over.”

“How do you know Jamie?”

“He fought with my dad in Zoid battles. My grandpa told me about him and you.”

“Oh? And who was your dad?”

“Bit Cloud.”

Brad felt his jaw drop. “You mean... You’re Scott Cloud?”

“Yeah, for about five years. Since then, I’ve been living under the last name Toros.”

“That’s right,” Brad said, remembering. “Bit sent you to live with Leena’s dad when he came to find us. They were a good pair, him and Leena. I was sorry to hear about their deaths.”

“I know. What’s past is past. Right now I’m looking for dad’s Zoid.”

“The Liger Zero? Why are you looking for that?”

Scott began to tell him of how his grandfather had taught him about the Liger Zero as he led him to his SUV. He told him what Steve Tauros had said on his death bed. He had finished the story when they got to the truck.

“Wow,” Brad said. “That’s pretty complex. I’m sorry to hear that Dr. Toros is gone.”

“So, will you help me?” Scott asked.

Brad looked over at him, then walked over to the passenger side door, opened it and sat down inside, closing the door behind him.

“I’ll take that as a yes,” Scott said with a smile.

As they drove out of town, Brad told him to head east first. “There’s something we need to pick up.. Well, actually a few somethings.”

As Scott stopped the truck, Brad got out and looked towards the cliff face. From where he stood, he could see the rocks that hid the cave. Scott got out and looked up. He too saw the rocks.

“They’re up there?”

“That’s right.”

“Well how are we gonna get up there?”

Brad looked over at him with a smile, and started climbing.

“Oh, hell no,” Scott said, backing away from the cliff. “Hell no am I gonna climb up that and try to break my neck.”

“Fine,” Brad called back, not stopping. “Stay here. I’ll go myself. But when the Union Zoids get here, I’d prefer to be armed.”

Scott had a reply on his tongue, but he held it in. He looked up at the rock covered cave, then back towards the town. There was a dust cloud rising in the distance. He knew that Union Zoids were already on their way, maybe ten or fifteen miles back. Cursing, he began to climb the cliff.

“Bravo lead to Bravo Element. We are nearing the last reported area of the suspects. Proceed with caution.”

The Gun Sniper ran along the road at a good speed, it’s tail swishing behind it, almost as if it was having fun. It’s pilot, however, was all business. He had three other Zoids on his team; a Dibison, a Spino Snapper, and Venomous Viper. They all had good pilots, but had little combat experience. Even though there were no reports of renegade Zoids, the local Field Marshal was always cautious. So he sent this squad out to find the suspects.

“Bravo lead, this is Bravo 2,” said the pilot of the Dibison. “I have the truck on long range view. It’s non-mobile.”

“Roger, 2. All elements, proceed with caution. It could be a trick.”

At two miles out, they slowed their pace. By the time they had reached the truck, the two suspects were nowhere in sight.

“Command Base, this is Bravo Team, Bravo lead here.”

“Go lead.”

“Have found the vehicle. No sign of it’s driver or passenger.”

“Roger lead, stand by.”

The Gun Sniper pilot tapped his throttle anxiously. He didn’t like being out in the open like this, even if there was no danger of attack.

“Bravo lead, you are ordered to search the surrounding area.”

“But sir, there’s nowhere to hide out here. I have my Venomous Viper up on top of the cliff, and the Dibison and Snapper are fifty meters to my left and right. They all report no sightings either in the area or for miles in any direction.”

“Very well, lead. Where are they then?”

“I don’t know, sir.”

“Well they can’t have just vanished. They’re there.”

As if on command, part of the wall some ways up the cliff side blew off with a thunderous explosion. From the hole there stepped a Shadow Fox.

“Sir, we have unidentified Zoids coming out of the cliff side!” shouted the pilot as he brought his Gun Sniper around. The Zoid roared in challenge, which the Shadow Fox answered with a mighty roar of its own.

As it leapt down, a Command Wolf with a twin auto cannon mounted on it’s back appeared and fired on the Dibison in the short distance. It went down quickly.

“Jesus, these guys are tough, Command! I am engaging one Shadow Fox, and a Command Wolf is firing on my Team from the cave!”

“Calm down, soldier. Engage with caution, there may be more.”

“Roger,” the pilot replied, and threw his Gun Sniper into action. He opened up with the Heavy machine guns that were attached to the sides of it’s arms, raking the side of the Shadow Fox, but doing no real damage. He then opened fire with the missile pods that were standard issue for Gun Snipers. The Shadow Fox dodged the missiles, and opened fire with it’s own top mounted auto cannon. The Gun Sniper took all the rounds in the chest plates, and fell to the ground, its computer frozen.

As the Gun Sniper went down, the Command Wolf had turned its sights on the Spino Snapper to the right. It opened fire, but the Snapper dodged, and fired its own missiles, forcing the Command Wolf to leave it’s firing position. It jumped down, and began to run directly at the Snapper.

The Snapper’s pilot, seeing that it was going to be close combat, brought it’s twin slasher saws to the front, and charged. They passed each other at top speed, both connecting, the Wolf with it’s front right paw, the Snapper with it’s right blade to one of the auto cannon barrels, shearing it in half. The Snapper tripped from the force of the hit, and skidded along the ground for a second before stopping. The Wolf skidded to a sideways halt, rotated its remaining auto cannon toward the Snapper, and opened fire. The Snapper bucked under the assault, and finally rested as it’s computer shut down.

Meanwhile, the Fox had turned toward the Viper, and was firing its auto cannon. The Viper, seeing it had no chance, stopped moving, shut down, and raised its canopy, the signal of surrender. The Fox, stopped firing.

“Smart move,” Brad said to himself. Scott’s picture appeared on the display screen to his left.

“Got mine, how you doin?” he asked.

Brad smiled. Just like his old man. “I’m done. Let’s get going.”

“Right.”

The two Zoids turned and began to run north. The pilot of the Viper stood in his cockpit and watched them go. He thought about calling in their direction, but something inside told him not to. No, these two had beaten him and his team, and their reward for the victory was a free pass to leave. And he was going to let them leave because Vince Claws was an honorable man. When he was defeated, he accepted it and went on with his life. An idea suddenly popped into his head. He sat down, reactivated his Zoid and closed the canopy. Those two were good. Maybe he would become a better pilot if he joined them.

Field Marshal Derrick Alcons was not pleased. Three of the Zoid Squad he had sent out had barely made it back, all with heavy damage. The fourth Zoid, the Viper, was missing. And, on top of it all, there were two renegade Zoids on the loose, presumably piloted by those two people he had sent the squad after. This day had turned out to be a bad one for him. When he reported in to the Main Control Building, he got his butt chewed out royally. He was given orders to track them down, using any means necessary.

Now he paced in front of a map screen of the area further north. It didn’t have a name, but, then again, no continent did. After the Great Zoid War, the Union simply removed the names of the continents. The satellites that he had under his control were all scanning the area, looking for any trace of the two Zoids. From the pilot’s debriefing, these two were extremely skilled, and that meant they might be able to use the terrain to hide from the satellites, assuming they knew the satellites were looking for them. He also had sent out three squads of fast Zoids to find their trail. It was only a matter of time.

“Hey, Brad,” Scott radioed. “Where are we?”

“This place has no name,” Brad replied. “It’s just a forest.”

“Well, DUH!”

“Don’t worry kid, we’re close.”

“Ok. One more thing.”

“What?”

“Don’t call me kid.”

Brad chuckled as Scott’s image disappeared, cutting the link. They had been traveling for a day, non-stop. Scott had fallen asleep half way, and his Zoid almost tripped once. Brad woke him up and reminded him to put the Wolf on autopilot. They were in a snow covered forest now, far north from Chanselle. Jamie’s shop shouldn’t be much farther, he thought. Just another few miles. He took the lead, his Fox moving swiftly but slowly. The trees in this forest were much taller than his Zoid, which made maneuvering difficult. Scott brought the Wolf in behind him. It was minus one auto cannon, thanks to that Spino Snapper. Still, he had done well in his first battle. When the got to Jamie’s, he meant to say so.

As they moved thru the forest, Scott kept turning the head of the Wolf to one side, then the other, searching for any other Zoids. Suddenly, he stopped. His sensors had picked up a Zoid, pretty far behind but closing fast. He radioed Brad with this, and turned to face the newcomer.

It was the Viper Brad had beaten yesterday. It slithered to a stop twenty meters away from Scott, opened it’s canopy, and shut down. It’s pilot stood up, and shouted, “Hey! Remember me?”

Brad activated his external speakers. “Yeah. What do you want?”

“I want to go with you. I’m tired of working for the Union.”

“Why do you want to go with us?” Brad asked, a little puzzled.

“Because you two are good pilots. I want to get better, so I thought I’d learn from you.”

“I got news for you,” Scott said over his speakers. “That was my first battle. The only reason we won was cause we caught you by surprise.”

“All the more reason to join you,” Vince replied. “You know how to fight, and that makes you better than the Union. Their idea of a fight is overwhelming forces.”

Brad nodded to himself, remembering a few battles where the Backdraft Group had dropped numerous Zoids right into the middle of it. “Ok, but how do we know you won’t turn on us?”

“I’ve got no reason to. I have no idea why you’re out here or what you’re looking for. Besides, I don’t like the Union much anyway. They took my dad down during the war.”

Scott closed his eyes, sympathizing with the guy. He opened a channel to Brad and asked what he though.

“I dunno, Scott. How bout you?”

“Well, part of me is sympathetic. Another part of me thinks we might need more Zoids. The last part of me says he’s lying. Of course, that part is out-voted two to one. I say we let him come along.”

“Ok. What’s your name, pilot?”

“Vince Claws. Registration number 343230.”

“Ok, Vince. You can come with us, but if I even think you’re gonna turn on us, I’ll wipe my armor with your face.”

“Don’t worry, I’m with you,” Vince said as he sat down. His canopy closed, and his Zoid appeared on Brad’s radar, indicating that he had powered back up. Brad silently hoped he was right in letting this guy go with.

“Jamie?” Brad called. “Hey Jamie!” They were finally at the shop. Brad and Scott had dismounted, but Vince had stayed in his cockpit. Brad had told him to keep an eye out. Scott had gone around to the back to see if anyone was back there.

“Come on, Jamie! It’s me! It’s Brad!”

“Brad,” Vince called. “I have a Zoid coming in from the west. Flying type.”

“Hide your Zoid, Vince,” Brad replied, and Vince moved his Zoid into cover behind a row of trees. Brad, himself, jumped into his Fox, and hid. Oh crap, he thought, Scott’s still out there! Quickly, he turned on his speakers. “Scott! Get into the Wolf! We got incoming!”

Scott, hearing the warning, dove for the cockpit, and jumped the Wolf into a large group of bushes. He then trained his gun toward the sky.

The Reynos was performing perfectly, despite being well over twenty years old. Jamie was pleased that his Zoid had held up for so long. The Pteras he had owned before was nothing like this. It was slow, ungainly, and weak compared to this Reynos. He had to be careful though. Never know when a Union Zoid would pop out.

He was nearing his old shop. He hadn’t been here much, not since his dad died. It seemed like forever to him, but it was only eight months ago. Still, he had avoided the shop for too long.

He brought the Reynos around in a wide circle, checking the terrain for a landing spot. Once he found one, he brought it in, nice and slow. The landing was smooth as silk. He walked the Zoid closer, and opened the canopy. He unlatched his belts, stood, and took a deep breath. It had been way too long since he had done that in a forest. The many smells that hit his nose filtered in, and it brought him pleasure. Then he caught a familiar scent. Machine oil. Like the stuff used on a Zoid. Taking a look around real quick, he shouted, “Who’s out there?”

A Shadow Fox walked itself out from behind a line of trees Jamie hadn’t even noticed. But he did recognize the Zoid.

“Brad!”

“Hey, Jamie,” Brad replied. “How’s everything?”

“Not too bad. I haven’t been here in eight months.”

“Why not?” Brad asked as two more Zoids appeared, one to his Zoid’s right, the other to the right of Brad’s Zoid.

“Uh...” Jamie said, uncertainly. “Are we in safe company?”

“As safe as a baby.”

“Ok. Just checking. Why don’t you guys come in? I think I still have some cans of coffee in there.”

“Sounds good to me,” Brad said, walking his Zoid over next to the Reynos.

Vince sipped at the coffee gingerly. It wasn’t that it was too hot, but it was bitter. Jamie had had a can of coffee that was good enough to brew, but he didn’t have an ounce of sugar in the entire place. Though it tasted foul, he hid any trace of emotion from Jamie. Scott, himself, had declined coffee, opting instead for a bottle of water that had been in the store room’s fridge. Scott had never developed a taste for coffee.

Brad drank the coffee like it was the best cup of coffee he’d ever tasted. Though no one else knew it, he was drinking away too many years of drinking alcohol. The coffee’s bitterness was, to him, sweet relief. He and Jamie caught up on old times, and Scott got bored quickly. Eventually, he wandered out to the garage, and was amazed to see how many Zoid parts Jamie had here. Gun Sniper limbs, Hel Cat tails, and even a leg from a Saber Tiger. Given enough time, he could build a while new Zoid. Call it Frankenstein's Zoid. He gave a laugh at the thought, then put it out of his mind. He was after only one thing. Liger Zero.

“Sheesh, Jamie,” said Brad from behind Scott. He hadn’t even heard them come in. It startled him. “I’da thought you would have sold all these parts.”

“Yeah, me too,” said Jamie. “After you left, business slowly went downhill. Since the Union wasn’t letting anyone have Zoids, I lost all my customers.”

“Amazing,” Vince said. He had never been in a real Zoid garage.

“Well, Jamie,” Brad said finally. “Down to business. Where is Liger Zero?”

“Liger Zero?” Jamie thought for a moment. “I think it’s downstairs, in the lower garage.” He led them to an elevator, and they went down into another level of the shop. When the elevator opened, they stepped into a darkened cavern of a room. Jamie flicked a switch, and the lights above turned on. Scott found himself starring at a white armored Liger model Zoid. It was even more magnificent in real life.

“It came here after Bit died. Somehow, it opened the garage door, lowered itself down here, and shut itself off,” Jamie explained to Scott. “We weren’t able to get it’s systems back online at all. It was like it was blocking us. I think the Organoid chips inside it were saddened by the loss of Bit. It’s like a person, that one. It feels, thinks ahead, anticipates, and reacts. It also has feelings.”

Scott had walked over and was gingerly running his hand along one of the claws on Liger Zero’s feet. “Liger Zero... wow.. This Zoid used to be my dad’s.”

Brad, Vince, and Jamie just watched as he walked around it. Finally, he stopped in front of it. “This Zoid is the best ever built,” he said at last. “It carried my dad into battle. I don’t know how, but I’m gonna get you up and running again, Liger.”

“It’s got alot of damage,” Jamie said. “I couldn’t find replacement parts for some things, and the ones I did find, I don’t know if they work. Like I said, we couldn’t get it to start up.”

“You think the Hover Cargo would have the parts?” Brad asked.

“Maybe,” Jamie replied. “But how are we gonna get it here?”

“Leave that to me,” Brad said. “Vince, you come with me.” Vince okay’d him. “Jamie, you and Scott try to get Liger started. We’ll be back in a few days.”

Scott watched the Zoids go from the garage where the Command Wolf and Reynos were parked. Part of him wished he was going with them. Another part of him wanted to get Liger Zero working again. The third part of him wanted to avenge his dad’s death, and the only way to do that was to get Liger to work. Of course, the part that wanted to go with Brad and Vince was outvoted.

Scott and Jamie tried everything they could think of to get Liger’s systems to even register. From hard booting the main computer to bypassing the start-up programs. Nothing worked. By the beginning of the third night, Jamie gave up.

“This old Zoid isn’t gonna respond, Scott,” he said, exasperatedly. “Let’s go to bed.”

“You go,” Scott replied. “I’m gonna stay here and get the damn thing to start.”

Jamie shrugged his shoulders and walked to the elevator. Scott looked over his shoulder and watched him go, then looked up at Liger.

“Come on, Liger,” he said out loud. “I know you’re in there somewhere. Open up already.” He went back to the monitor attached to the diagnostic port. Running a quick system check, his attention was on the monitor. He didn’t notice the flicker of the cockpit’s light, nor the turning of the head. It wasn’t until he heard the metallic growl behind him and turned that he noticed the Liger Zero had brought it’s head down right behind him. Startled, he jumped back and fell over the diagnostic port, taking it down with him. When he had regained his senses, he found himself starring up at the head of the Zoid. As he watched, it opened the cockpit and waited. Bewildered, Scott stood and walked over. “I did it,” he said at last. “I did it!!” He let out a whoop of joy. The Liger simply stood there and waited.

“Ok,” Scott said finally. “It likes me. This is a good start.” Slowly, he climbed up into the pilots seat, found and pressed the appropriate buttons, and lowered the canopy and Safety Bar. The Liger responded by lifting it’s head and giving a tremendous roar.

“Ok, Liger. Let’s see what you can do,” Scott said. He pushed the pedals and the controls forward, just as he had been taught, and the Liger went into motion, walking toward the bay elevator. With a quick push of a button, the elevator raised itself up onto the main bay where Jamie was still locking the doors. Upon seeing the Liger come up on the elevator, he gave a yell of joy. The Liger turned its head toward Jamie, and Scott spoke over the speakers. “Jamie, open the main door.”

“How’d you do it?” Jamie asked as he re-opened the door.

“I don’t know,” Scott replied. “I just talked to it.” The doors were open wide now. Liger gave another mighty roar and, when Scott pushed the controls and pedals, ran out into the night. Jamie ran over to his Reynos, and soon was following after.

The Liger maneuvered the trees with ease, and Scott was surprised to see that it handled much easier than he thought it would, him not being his dad. In the end, he figured he looked enough like his dad to convince Liger Zero.

“Scott, are you receiving me?” Jamie asked from high above.

“I read you, Jamie,” he replied. “This Zoid is intense.”

“I know. Your dad said the same thing the first time he piloted it.”

Scott made a few hard turns, then tried to Zig-Zag, but almost tripped the Zoid. Apparently, one of the legs was still too damaged to perform that kind of move. He told this to Jamie.

“I know,” Jamie replied. “When Brad and Vince get back with the Hover Cargo, we’ll get it fixed right.”

“Great,” Scott said. The more he drove it, the more he liked it. He was about to ask about weapons, when Jamie radioed.

“I’m picking up a radio distress call from the south. Not far, but not exactly in the same area as us right now.... It’s Brad!”

“What?”

“They’re in trouble. Sounds like the Union was waiting for them somewhere along the way back.”

“Well, let’s go help them,” Scott said, and Liger roared in agreement.

“Liger’s too damaged,” Jamie protested.

“If we don’t help, there won’t be any way to get it fixed, will there?”

“You’ve got a point... Ok,” Jamie said at least. “Let’s get moving. I’ll fly ahead, you get there as fast as you can.”

“Roger,” Scott said as the Reynos pulled away. Scanning the controls as the Liger came out of the forest, he found the main Booster control and activated it. He was suddenly shoved back into the seat as the Liger accelerated to past 200 MPH. He gripped the controls and hoped he would arrive in time.

Brad’s Shadow Fox was doing alright against the five Union Zoids, but it wasn’t going to last. He and Vince had found the Hover Carrier fine, but these Zoids had decided to jump him when he was 98 miles away from home. Vince had to stay in the Carrier. He was driving it, after all. Brad had to fend for himself. He had told Vince to send the distress signal, but it didn’t look like any help would be arriving. As he finished off the second Zoid, a Hel Digunner, he was struck from behind. The third Zoid, a Red Horn, had come in behind him and opened fire at close range. His Fox was severely damaged from the first two, and this last hit put his Zoid out of action. He radioed Vince to keep going, and waited to see what would happen. To his surprise, Jamie’s Reynos appeared above, strafing the Zoids and breaking them up. What he hadn’t expected was for the Liger Zero to show up. It came in hot and heavy, taking the Red Horn down with a Strike Laser Claw attack, then followed up by firing it’s Shock Cannon at the War Shark that was trying to submerge into the ground. It got itself stuck when the shells hit it. The last Zoid, a Saber Tiger, turned to run, its pilot deciding it wasn’t worth it. But Scott wasn’t going to have any of that. He ran it down and had Liger tackle it and rip off its left rear leg with it’s jaws. The Saber Tiger stopped moving.

“Brad, you ok?” Scott radioed.

“Yeah, thanks to you,” Brad replied. “I see you were able to get the Liger Zero to work.”

“Yeah. Vince is gonna bring the Hover Cargo over, and we’ll get you back to the shop in no time.”

“Swell. I could use the rest.”

“Scott, wake up,” Jamie was saying.

They had been home for just over five hours, and Scott had been asleep for about two of them. The Hover Cargo had indeed had the parts needed to completely repair the Liger Zero, and even had the extra parts used to change modes. All were in close to working order. Scott had parked Liger, checked out the parts, then hit the sack. He was dreaming of sitting in a field of dandelions, Liger sitting not far away, starring up at the sky and clouds, when Jamie’s voice cut through.

“Come on, Scott, get up.”

Groggily, Scott replied, “What?”

“There’s someone here.”

“Yeah,” Scott replied as he drew the covers of his bed back up to cover him. “Us.”

“No,” Jamie said, pulling the covers back down despite Scott’s protests. “Someone else I mean. She came to find you.”

“Well, tell whoever it is that I’m sleeping,” Scott said, roughly pulling the covers back.

“She’s rather insistent,” Jamie said. “She wants to see you now.”

“Whatever it is can wait, alright?” Scott was starting to get angry. He was not a morning person.

“No,” Jamie said, ripping the covers off the bed and dropping them to the floor. “Get up, already. She wants to talk to you.”

“Damnit, Jamie,” Scott said, finally getting up. “I’m too tired. I was up all night last night, remember?”

“Your fault for not going to bed,” Jamie replied. “Now come on. She’s in the living room.”

“Alright. I’m awake anyway. Might as well see whoever it is.”

Naomi Flugel sat and drank her tea in silence. She had talked to Brad an hour ago when she first arrived. Her Gun Sniper had carried her some two thousand miles over a period of four days. The red and burgundy paint job was scored and marked from sand and wind, making it look as old as it was. Even though it was over nineteen years old, it still carried her better than any other Zoid she had piloted.

After speaking to Brad and catching up on old times, she asked Jamie to get Scott for her. She had heard about the battle outside Chanselle. “Two renegade Zoids attacked and destroyed a defenseless patrol near the Chanselle Cliffs,” she recalled to them. “They obliterated three Zoids and took the fourth hostage. No ransom has been received, and Union officials suspect that the Zoid was dismantled and the pilot killed after the attack, presumably while he tried to escape heroically.”

“Least people will think I’m a hero,” Vince commented.

“I doubt that,” Brad replied. “No real hero ever won a battle by dieing for his country.”

Now Naomi sat, sipping tea, relaxing on the refurbished couch. She was extremely tired, but she needed to speak to the son of Bit Cloud as soon as she could. Brad sat across from her, drinking a cup of tea as well. Even as dirty as she was, she was still attractive to him, but he made no sign of emotion. Soon, the door slid open, and Scott stepped in, followed by Jamie and Vince, who had caught up with them in the hall.

“So,” Scott said. “What’s so important I get woken up after only two hours?”

“You must be Scott Cloud,” Naomi said, placing her tea on a near-by table and standing. “I’m Naomi Flugel. Nice to meet you.”

“Pleasure’s mine,” Scott replied.

Naomi smiled as the shook hands. He’s exactly like his dad was. They all sat, and waited for Naomi to begin.

“I’m here because of a secret promise I made your dad before he died. He told me how he wanted his son to be safe, but he knew he wouldn’t be around to protect him. He asked me to find him, you, and keep you from harm. After he went down, I search and searched, but I wasn’t able to find you anywhere. As the years went by, I gave up looking. Then, about five days ago, I heard about a battle in which a Command Wolf and a Shadow Fox had single handedly destroyed a patrol. I saw the footage from the gun cameras, and I recognized the Zoids. I figured that either Brad had found you, or you had found him. I knew there was only one place you could go, so I headed out, and here I am.”

Scott listened intently. “Well,” he said after she had finished, “I don’t think I need much protection. I can basically take care of myself.”

“So I saw. Still, the promise I made to your dad is something I’ve waited too long for. Therefore, I’m going to protect you by joining you.”

“What the hell,” Brad said. “We could use the help.”

“And she’s the best sniper ever to step into a Zoid,” Jamie said.

“I have no problems with it,” Vince said. “Besides, that Gun Sniper of hers looks like it could take out a Whale King from a mile away, old as it is.”

“Well,” Naomi said, “I’d at least nick it’s armor.”

“Ok, Naomi,” Scott said. “You can hang with us.”

“Thanks,” she replied, and yawned. “For now though, I think I need some rest.”

“You can use my room,” Brad volunteered.

She thanked him, and said good night. Jamie led her to Brad’s room, and left her to rest. It was messy, but she had expected that from him. She didn’t know why she was attracted to him. Something inside her liked the way he was. Cool, diviner, charming, and an excellent Zoid pilot besides. Flopping down on the bed, she pulled the covers over herself, and dropped right off to sleep.

Scott, having returned to his room as well, dreamed again. It was the same as before. The sky, the clouds, the flowers, Liger Zero. All was the same. Then the horizon erupted in fire. Scott bolted upright in his dream, seeing the flames from miles away. He looked up at Liger, who roared mightily. Suddenly, he was in Liger, running at top speed towards the fire. It was a city that went on forever. The fire was on the far side of it. He runs Liger thru the streets, turning this way and that, trying to get to the fire and help extinguish it. Out of nowhere, a Lightning Saix springs out and tackles Liger. Scott is bounced around a bit, but is unharmed. The Saix pilot takes aim with it’s beam cannons, pointing them directly at the cockpit of the felled Liger. Scott looks up in horror, and bright light envelops everything...

Scott bolted upright, shouting out loud. He looked around, trying to remember where he was. It was his room, he was in his bed, and his covers were down around his knees, leaving his chest and lower torso uncovered. His skin was covered in sweat. It was a dream, nothing more. He swung his legs over the edge of the bed and stood, walking over to the bathroom. He turned on the faucet and splashed water on his face. He looked up into the mirror, remembering the dream. It was so vivid. Shaking his head, he walked back to his bed and lay back down. He lay there for several minutes, then, deciding that sleep was done with him, he got out of bed and dressed.

After leaving his room, he headed for the kitchen. He briefly wondered where everyone was, then he looked over at the wall clock. 4:30 in the morning. Wow. Grabbing a juice container and a left over doughnut from the fridge, he headed out to the garage where Liger Zero stood. Using one of the personal lifters, he brought himself up to the head. Liger, sensing it was him, opened it’s cockpit and let him step in. He sat down and the cockpit closed. Setting the juice down on one side of the control board, he activated the frequency scanner, and set it to search for radio and video transmitting signals. That being done, he took a bite out of his doughnut, drank some juice, and sat back, relaxed.

For five minutes, nothing could be heard in the cockpit except Scott’s munching and drinking. Then a radio signal was picked up.

“.... anyone listening... help me.... twenty miles south.... forest. Repeat... need help... Union Zoids chasing... can’t hold out... please..”

The signal was garbled, but Scott had heard enough to convince him. Someone was being chased by Union Zoids, and was only twenty miles from the edge of the forest, making it about thirty-five miles from the shop. Quickly, Scott powered Liger’s systems, and hit the remote door opener. He happened to look down towards the bottom of the door, and saw Naomi standing there, watching Liger power up. He activated the external speakers, but turned the volume down so as to not wake anyone else. “What are you doing up?”

“I was just about to ask you the same thing,” she replied. “I was also gonna add ‘and where are you going.’”

“I picked up a signal thirty-five miles from here. Someone is getting attacked by Union Zoids. Was gonna go see if I could help.”

“I’m coming with you then,” Naomi said, running to her Gun Sniper. “Wouldn’t be much of a protector if I didn’t.”

Scott waited for her to power up, and they both moved out of the garage at a run. Scott took the lead, having gotten a fix on the signal. Within minutes, they had reached the area. Four Zoids, all with Union paint and markings, were circling one Hel Cat with leg damage. The radio signal was clear now. Scott and Naomi picked up everything.

“Didn’t you know that having a Zoid is illegal,” one of the Union pilots said to the Hel Cat pilot. Another one added, “It’s an offence punishable by death.”

The Hel Cat pilot, a girl, replied, “Real big of the Union, sending four Zoids to take on one girl and her Hel Cat.”

“Heh,” the third pilot said. “We do what we want, and that includes confiscating illegal Zoids and dealing with their pilots.” He took aim with his Zoid’s back mounted auto cannon, targeting the head. He never got the shot off, though. Naomi had positioned herself upon a small but useful hilltop half a mile away, and had fired her sniper rifle, proving why she was the best at what she did. All Union Zoids turned toward her. “Hey, what gives,” one asked.

“You Union soldiers are brave against one Zoid, let’s see how you do against two,” Naomi said and fired again, taking the third pilot down. The Union Zoids were about to charge her, when from out of nowhere, Scott showed up, tackling the second pilot, and saying, “Or how about three?”

Confused and startled by the rather quick demise of their companions, the remaining Zoid pilots fled the scene with little more than a few wild shots. After making sure that they were gone, Scott brought Liger over next to the Hel Cat. “Are you ok in there?”

The girl opened her cockpit and looked up at the Liger. “I am now,” she replied.

Naomi ran her Gun Sniper over next to them. “Everyone ok?”

“She’s fine, Naomi,” Scott responded. Turning back to the girl, he said, “What’s your name?”

“Fiona. Fiona Sunny.”

“Nice to meet you, Fiona,” Naomi replied, and introduced herself and Scott. “We’re staying at a shop about thirty-five miles from here. Think you can walk that thing there?”

Fiona laughed and replied, “This old Cat could make it that far on three damaged legs.”

Scott parked Liger in it’s spot, then opened the canopy and looked over at the Hel Cat. Jamie, Brad, and Vince, who had just woken up, were looking it over.

“Right rear leg is damaged beyond repair,” Jamie said.

“Weapons systems are completely gone,” Vince called from the cockpit.

“Overall diagnostic read is that the Zoid is trashed,” Brad said from the diagnostic port attached to the Hel Cat. Fiona, listening to their reports, looked down-hearted. Scott finally got a good look at her. She was barely 5 foot 7 inches, blue/gold hair, and a figure most women dream of. Not bad, he thought as he climbed down from Liger. Not bad at all. Liger let out a light chuckle, which snapped Scott’s head back to look at it.

“What’s so funny?” Liger just chuckled a little more, and visibly shook with laughter. At least as much laughter a Zoid could make. It was more like a stuttering roar. “Shut up! I know what you’re thinking, and it isn’t like that at all!” The Liger just laughed more until Scott finally turned and waked toward Fiona.

“What’s with your Zoid,” she asked when he got there. “Is it having power surges?”

“No,” Scott replied, folding his arms and looking back at the Liger, who was finally calming down. “It just thinks it’s funny.”

“It thinks what’s funny?”

“Nothing. It’s just a comedian sometimes.”

“Oh.” She returned her gaze to her battered and broken Zoid. “Looks like my fighting days are over.”

Scott looked at her. “How do you know? There are bound to be more Zoids out there somewhere, just waiting for someone to find them.”

“You talk as if they were living things. They’re just machines, built years over years ago, used in wars, and discarded when they’re too far gone.” She looked up at the Hel Cat longingly. “Like my Cathrine here.”

“Is that what you call it?”

“Yeah.” She looked at him. “Hel Cathrine. Katrina doesn’t sound right to me.”

“Well, then you must think it’s a living being too.”

“How do you mean?”

“You gave it a name. Why would you do that unless you had a kind of bond with it?”

Fiona looked back up at the Zoid. “Yeah,” she said at last. “I guess I do.”

“See? Zoids are, more or less, living beings. We care for them, we use them, we love them.”

“I get what you’re saying, but it’s kind of....”

“Off?”

“Yeah.”

“I know. I told my grandpa that when he told me.”

“And what did he say?”

“He said, and I quote, ‘Well... of course it does. You’re not attuned to the Zoid’s feelings. When you get attuned, you’ll understand.’”

“What does that mean?”

“Attuned means ‘in touch with’ or ‘in harmony with.’ My first time piloting the Liger Zero was when I became attuned, and I was amazed how quickly it came to me.”

“So what you’re saying is... that I should become one with the Zoid.”

“Pretty close. You have to learn to work with your Zoid. Not just operate it. That’s the easy part. You and your Zoid have a singular relationship. That’s what has to develop.”

“How long did it take you?”

“Me? I had an advantage. Liger thought I was my father. It was attuned to how I think before I even touched the controls.”

“So you work together as a team instead of as man and machine.”

“Right,” Scott said, and turned to look at the Hel Cat again. “It looks like ‘Cathrine’ is done for. How about attuning yourself with a Command Wolf?”

“Tomorrow, maybe,” Fiona replied. “Right now I need to shower. I’m beat.”

“Go ahead and use my room,” Scott said. “It’s the third door on the right thru that door.” He pointed across the room.

“Ok, thanks.”

“No problem,” Scott said as she walked off. Something inside him stirred, giving him a funny feeling inside. It subsided after she was thru the door. Unfortunately, it was the wrong door. He heard a metallic clang, and Fiona re-emerged from the Janitor’s Closet, bucket on her head like a helmet, a broom handle sticking out the back of her shirt.

“I said that door,” Scott said, pointing to the door he had indicated earlier, which was right next to the closet.

“I knew that,” Fiona said. She took off the bucket and the broom and threw them back into the closet, then proceeded thru the right door.

“Remember, THIRD door on the RIGHT,” Scott called as she closed the door. From the other side of the Hel Cat, Naomi stood and watched, a smile on her face.

Field Marshal Derrick sat in his office, reading the morning reports. Three of the four squads sent out to track down those two Zoids had reported in with nothing. The fourth reported loosing two Zoids to two other Zoids, neither one a Command Wolf or a Shadow Fox. These new Zoids were special. One was a red Gun Sniper, the other... Derrick had to read it twice before believing it. The other was the Liger Zero? But it couldn’t be, Derrick thought. Bit Cloud is dead. I saw him die. Derrick, in fact, had been there when Bit and Leena Cloud were executed for crimes against the Backdraft Union. True, the Liger had escaped without it’s pilot. It was, after all, the Ultimate X Zoid. It was able to function without a pilot. Could it be that the Liger was seeking revenge for its long lost pilot? No, thought Derrick. It has to be a new pilot. Liger Zero must have chosen another pilot.

He leaned back and steepled his fingers, soaking in this new information. The Liger was a formidable Zoid. It’s power had been matched only once, but that was well over twelve years ago, during the Great Battle Royal when he had bested Vega and the Berserk Fury. Vega had taken what was left of his Fury and disappeared after the loss. Since then, no Zoid or pilot had been able to best the Liger one-on-one. Only overwhelming numbers were able to best it.

Now, it seemed that a very dangerous threat loomed on the horizon. One that could help, if not do single-handedly, topple the power of the Union. He would have to be very wary in the future, which was coming up fast.

He leaned back forward and pressed the call button on his Viz-phone. His secretary answered.

“Call up the best pilots we have and order them to report to my office ASAP,” he told her.

“Yessir,” she replied and cut the link. He leaned back again, but quickly straightened again to press the call button. His secretary answered again.

“Also, contact Main Headquarters for me, and ask them to send pilot number 5843.”

“Sir? You want me to request...”

“Do you have a problem with that,” he asked scornfully.

“No, sir. I’ll put in the call immediately.”

“Good,” Derrick replied, cutting the link once again. I have no choice, he thought. I have to send for the best we have... I have to send for Dark Dragon.

Brad sat alone in the control room, studying maps of the surrounding area. It had been a week since Scott had brought home that girl. They were in the garage right now, talking about god knows what. Scott had checked her out in his old Command Wolf. She was almost as good as Brad in it. She was also lucky he had had it rebuilt all those years ago, when the Blitz Team had won that big Battle Royal. He had taken his share of the prize money, taken what was left of the Command Wolf, and gone to an old friend of his. It had been rebuilt within six months, better than new.

Now Brad was studying maps. Why, he didn’t know. He was too pre-occupied with them to notice someone had joined him. He was startled when he heard a voice from behind him.

“Yes, there are miles of trees in every direction,” Naomi said.

“Don’t you make noise when you walk,” Brad asked, smiling.

She just shrugged her shoulders, and sat down next to him. “So what are you doing looking at these maps?”

“Nothing. Just needed something to do,” he replied.

“I hear ya,” she said, leaning back in the chair and putting her hands behind her head. “I remember when there was lots to do.”

“Yeah,” Brad said, mimicking her relaxation. “I hated waiting for the next battle though.”

“I know. It was really dull.”

“Yeah..”

They sat just looking at the map screen for a moment, then she said, “Why didn’t you go with Bit and Leena to the front line way back when the war was on?”

“I dunno,” he replied. “I guess my place was in the back.”

“Your place was never in the back. You’re too good for that.”

“Yeah, I guess.”

“Is this the same Brad I knew?” she said, straightening to look at him. “Cause the Brad I knew would never have talked like this.”

“I guess things have changed,” Brad replied.

“Bullshit, Brad. You always said you’d never change. What happened?”

“Nothing,” Brad said, looking away.

“Well, something mush have happened,” Naomi persisted. “Come on, tell me.”

“No, nothing.”

“Don’t give me that. I know you too well.”

“Do you, Naomi,” he said, straightening up again. “Do you really? After fourteen years of not calling me, not seeing me, do you really think you know me?”

“Brad, if it’s about that...”

“Yes, it’s about that. After Bit and Leena died, you disappeared. I tried to find you, but no one would tell me anything. Everyone who survived the rebellion said they didn’t know.”

“I was looking for Scott.”

“But you couldn’t tell me where you were? You didn’t think that I might want to help you?”

“I’m sorry, Brad. I really am. But when Bit died...”

“You decided to go off and be a hero on your own, right?”

Naomi stopped talking and nodded her head. “ I didn’t think..”

“You didn’t think I cared? Well, I’ve got news for you. I cared alot. More than you knew. I owed Bit more than anyone else.”

“Then why didn’t you go to the front with him??”

“I’m talking about you not coming to find me! If you had, we might have found Scott instead of him finding me fourteen years later!”

“I’m sorry, Brad.. I just didn’t think...”

“Did you ever?”

Naomi lowered her head as Brad realized that he was being a little more harsh than he meant. He looked over at her and saw the effect of his anger. She was close to tears, but he knew she wouldn’t let them come. At least not in front of him. She was too tough for that. He watched as she stood and said without looking at him, “I didn’t know you felt that way. I’m so sorry.”

She then turned and left, heading for her quarters, one that had been added on recently. She passed Vince in the hall, but when he asked what was wrong, she blew right by, telling him to leave her alone. Once she was inside and the door closed, she threw herself on the bed and wept. How could he be so... she thought, but she knew he was right. They had been an item for a while, and she had owed it to him to at least call. Still, he could have been a little less angry. She wept for a while before finally nodding off. Back in the control room, Brad sat, silently berating himself for what he had done. For what he had said. He knew he couldn’t take it back, but he could at least apologize to her. He vowed to himself he would never again get that angry at her. It had hurt him almost as much as it hurt her. He didn’t want to hurt her. He wanted to protect her. Somewhere in the midst of his self berating, he came to a realization. One that scared him as much as excited him: He was in love with Naomi. He sat and dwelled on it for a while before finally going to his room.