Erin Prazan

aka the Red Phoenix

 

 

 

Red Phoenix Part 4…..

 

            Leena and Bit finished with minutes to spare.  The Liger shot a small blast from its jets to get the feel of them again.   “Are you ready for today?”  Bit asked Liger after he and Leena were done.  Liger nodded and made a sound that sounded like purring.  Bit smiled.  I guess he wants to show everybody what a great Zoid he is.  Bit smiled again.  Liger shook itself and roared.  “Bit, are you ready?”  Came Doc voice over the Hover Cargo’s external speakers, the other Zoids being loaded.  The Liger lowered his head and opened its cockpit allowing Bit to climb in.  A couple minutes later they were on their way.  Bit was sitting in his room on the Hover Cargo, humming a rather pretty tune he had heard somewhere, he couldn’t remember where ha had gotten it.  Just then, Leena popped her head in. 

“Hey Bit, is that you humming?  I think I know that song.” 

Bit stopped humming and looked at her.  “You know the song’s name?”

Leena nodded.  “Dad used to sing it to me before I would go to bed.  It’s called “Beautiful Good-bye” by Amanda Marshall.” 

“Do you know the words?”

“Yeah, I think so.”

“Well, let’s hear it.”

Leena looked a little uneasy but cleared her throat and began to sing.

 

            “Fed up with my destiny,

            This place of no return,

            Think I’ll take another day,

            To slowly watch and burn,

            Doesn’t really matter how the time goes by,

            I still remember you and I,

            And that beautiful good-bye.

 

            Staggered through these empty streets,

            Laughing all along,

            The night had made a mess of me,

            The confessions kept me warm,

            I don’t really miss you,

            I just need to know,

            Do you ever think of you and I?

            And that beautiful good-bye”

 

            Bit listened through the entire song, surprised that Leena knew all the words.  Unknown to them, Brad, Dr.Toros, and Jamie were standing outside the door listening.  “Wow, I never knew you could sing so well.”  Said Bit after Leena was done.  “Um, thanks, do think I’m good enough to enter the talent show?”  Came Leena’s reply as the others continued to listen.  “Of course you are, I’ll bet my bottom dollar that you’ll blow them out of the water with your singing.” 

“You really think so?”

“Think so?  I know so.  You just wait.  If you sing that song, you might just impress that guy that you like.  And don’t ask, I know that look on your face when your out in your dream world, you have a crush, but I’m not going to ask who it is.  I respect privacy.”

Leena looked at Bit in shock, but in return, smiled at him.  At least he wasn’t pressuring her to tell him who it was, and she was a little reluctant to tell him anyway.  What would his reaction be if she had told him?  She smiled again to hide her nervousness and left the room, the others had long since left.  She went off to her room on the other side of the Hover Cargo.  She lay on her bed thinking, and humming “Beautiful Good-bye”.  She wondered if she should send a love letter to this “secret crush” that she had, but how would she send it?  Could she trust the others, or send him an e-mail or something?  She shrugged and turned to her left side.  She loved this boy, it was true.  But his reaction to her feelings would depend on how much he loved her.  He had begun to lean toward her the other day when she had gone with him on a run, and there was a saying that said, “You don’t know what you’ve got until you say good-bye.”  She had heard that in a favorite song, “Affirmation” by Savage Garden.  It was exactly right.  But she couldn’t let these feelings get in her way, with the battle with the Phoenix Team coming up in a couple days.  She would have to put them aside until later, after the battle.  She looked at a picture of the boy on her bedside table and muttered to herself, “I just hope Harry wouldn’t give him a hard time like he always does.”

 

            The team arrived on the fair grounds, inpatient to get out there and get on some rides.  “Damn, it’s not opened yet, not for another hour.  I guess or idea of getting here early was a bad idea.”  Said Doc as the others unloaded their Zoids.   “I guess we can explore around in our Zoids until it opens.”

“Not if I can help it.”

The whole team spun their Zoids and heads around to the source of the voice.  Standing on the sidewalk was a young girl about Bit and Leena’s age. She had long, messy black hair and the eyes the color of a new Reynos.  (Reynos’ are a light green.)  Bit couldn’t believe his eyes.  “Melody!  Girl how long has it been?”

“Way to long Bit Cloud, the other junk dealers are wondering how you’ve been since you won the Battle Royal.”  Said the girl as Bit ran at her.  They hugged and Bit introduced her to the team.  “Blitz Team, this is Melody Rodriguez of the Amazon Maidens and a fellow junk dealer, Melody, this is Brad Hunter, Jamie Hemeros, Leena Toros, and Dr. Steve Toros.  And that Zoid over there is my Liger Zero.”  Liger roared a hello in Melody’s direction and growled at a Hel Cat behind her.  “Thanks for introducing me to your Zoid and team, Bit.  That Zoid behind me is my Hel Cat, I just got her about six months ago.”  The Hel Cat roared at everyone and roared at the Liger, who roared back.  “Nice Zoid and you even have a Laser Vulcan Gun on her, a very nice gun.” Said Brad as they made their way to the Hover Cargo.  “I have that gun on my Shadow Fox.”

“I have a friend of mine who pilots a Shadow Fox, She’s fairly good, and she should be here today.”
”I’d like to meet her.”

 

            Melody took them and their Zoids to a large arena.  Several Zoids were already there, including some of the team Zoids from past rivals such as the Champ Team, Zabers Team, Lightning Team, and Flugal Team.  Leon was very pleased to see Bit again after so long same as Jack Cisco, who Bit greeted as normal but still a little shaken from the dream.  Naomi and Brad were really happy to see each other, especially since they had been dating since the Battle Royal.  Harry was a little too happy to see Leena, hoping that they could start again.  Leena wouldn’t have it and kept clutching onto Bit, making Harry even more upset.  Benjamin and Sebastian, Harry’s two robot companions, had to work extra hard to keep Harry at bay, as he kept trying to get at Leena.  Melody was over talking to a couple girls who looked oddly familiar to Leena as she recognized them from the Amazon Maidens.  One of the girls had long slick black hair, black eyes, and black clothes.  She stuck out because she was looking at the men in the room with malice in her eyes.  That must be Melanie.  Thought Leena and Bit together as the girl looked over at Bit with hatred.  Melanie showed she absolutely hated men just after she turned away by kicking Harry in the crotch.  “Ouch, that’s got to hurt.”  Said Dr.Toros as the Lightning Team helped Harry to his feet.  “You can say that again, I bet Harry’s going to feel that tomorrow.”  Replied Bit, “I wonder when they’re going to open the park.”  He turned to ask Leena this but she had left with Fiona and Melody to do a little window shopping before the park opened later that morning.  Melanie was checking over a Ptera Striker in the far corner, which upon seeing it Jamie squealed with delight, “That’s my old Pteras!”  Bit and Brad had to use all of their strength to keep Jamie for suffering the same fate that Harry did.  “Hey how could you tell, Jamie?”  Grunted Brad as he and Bit tried to restrain him. 

“I loved my Pteras so much I could tell it from a mile away.  Let me see my Pteras!” 

“Yeah sure then we’ll be letting you get your ass whooped like Harry.”

That did the trick.  Jamie stopped struggling; cursed Bit and Brad under his breathe, looked longingly at his Pteras for one last time, and went to take care of his Reynos.  Bit and Brad, tired from restraining Jamie, slouched onto the Liger’s paw to catch their breathe.  “Who thought he’d be that strong?”  Said Bit as they took a drink from their water bottles. 

“Not me, I thought he’d be weak like most 14 year olds, but I was wrong.  I guess that he was working more hard when you left to try and cure some kind of separation anxiety he developed when you left for your trip.  He’s quite attached to you.”

Bit stayed quiet.  He had missed the others on his trip and had turned to alcohol for a short time.  He had quit when he decided to come home.  Jamie was still working on his Reynos when Melanie came over.  She had the same look in her eyes that she wore when she first laid her eyes on Bit.