~*~Rises a New Moon~*~

Written By: Merlose Allienté

 

 

 

            It's been three months since the end of the last zoid fight, where Bit Cloud beat Vega Obscura in the final round of the final tournament. Since then, Bit and Brad Hunter of the Blitz Team went their separate ways on vacation while Leena Tauros stayed with her father and Jamie on the HoverCargo. Though neither absent warrior said they'd be back, it was assumed the two would return to take part in the Class S tournament. But now, there's less than a day until registration and neither has shown...

 

 

Chapter One: Alone

            It was late, and Leena Tauros was supposed to be asleep by now. But she couldn't stop thinking about everything that was currently stressing her out: Bit and Brad still being gone when there was only six hours and fourteen minutes until registration, the possibility that the Blitz Team may not be able to compete in the Class S tournaments when they'd worked so hard to get there, and the fact that she and Jamie had pulled a fast one on Doc by slipping a sleeping pill into his drink at dinner. He was so worried about the team's future prospects that he hadn't slept in days. It was unhealthy behavior, therefore Leena and Jamie both agreed that it would be better to have him mad at them than sick.

            So now Doc was in a drug-induced sleep, Jamie in a plain old exhaustion sleep, and Leena wide awake, kneeling on her bed and staring out the window at a moonlit landscape that was covered with shadows. She battled with a nauseous feeling her stomach that told her neither guy was coming back. No, they were going to come back. No matter what. They knew how much Doc, Jamie, and Leena needed them. The five of them had been through so much together. They wouldn't just blow it now, would they?

            Leena started thinking rather negatively. Maybe they'd teamed up with someone else. She suddenly got a mental image of Brad's Shadow Fox and Bit's Liger Zero running alongside someone else's zoid. Battling with someone else. Maybe Leena hadn't been good enough. A mental picture of Bit with some pretty girl made her insides flame with anger. And she remembered that Brad, being Brad, had been quite attracted to Naomi, Leon's partner. Maybe Leon would come back to the Blitz Team if Brad joined Naomi. But Leena honestly couldn't see herself fighting Bit or Brad. She wouldn't be able to bring herself to do it. She just felt too strongly towards them.

            Suddenly, she saw movement out of the corner of her eye. She looked out the window, hope blooming inside her. Nothing. What could she be thinking? This wishful crap was getting to her head.

            No...something was out there! For sure this time! It was a zoid! It was...Brad's old Command Wolf?! What in the...?

            Leena didn't wait for an explanation. The zoid was headed straight for their HoverCargo and didn't seem to be changing course. She leapt up, darted out of her room, and bolted towards the control room. Once there, she realized there was an incoming transmission. Jamming the button, she yelped "Hello? Hello?!"

            "Leena?"

            "Brad!!! Brad, is that you?!!"

            "Yeah, it's me. Don't yell so loud, my ears are ringing."

            "I can't believe you're back! Geez, you're late!" Leena was grinning ear to ear, though Brad couldn't see it. She didn't have the visual monitor on at the time, as she was too excited to even think of it. "Why are you in the Wolf? Where's the Fox?"

            Brad's voice darkened. "It got busted up good. I got in a fight with some random zoid and the pilot must have been angry when he fought me because he blasted me good. The Fox's armor was torn off and circuits blew. It wasn't possible to pilot it anymore. So I hunted down some guy with a Command Wolf. It looks just like my old one, doesn't it?"

            Leena nodded, remembered Brad couldn't see her, and answered in the affirmative. "Yeah. You want me to open the hangar door for you?"

            "Yes, that would be nice."

            She pushed the button and then ran down to meet her teammate. The Wolf ran in, stopped, and then Brad jumped out. "Hi!!" Leena cried, dashing down the stairs and giving him a hug.

            "Hey." Brad looked around. "Where's Bit? Am I not good enough for him anymore?"

            "No...he hasn't shown up yet." Leena's mood sank and she shook her head, letting go of Brad. "I should have expected this. I mean, Bit's a real drifter. He wouldn't just stick with us..."

            The mercenary shook his head. "No way. Bit's coming back. Trust me."
            Leena sighed. "I hope you're right."

 

Chapter Two: The Zoid Trials

            Following Doc's joyful 'welcome back' to Brad the next morning, the HoverCargo started towards the zoid trial grounds. Leena was moping around, now fully convinced that Bit wasn't coming back. No one's attempts to comfort her could get through, so they finally just gave up.

            When they arrived at the zoid trials, Leena and Brad brought out the Gunsniper and Command Wolf. "Dad, I don't really feel up for this," the former said half-heartedly.

            "Don't tell me that! Bit's absence will NOT affect your performance, young lady!" Doc snapped. "You get out there and get a good score!"

            Brad, who could perform well in any situation, did well (better than before anyway) coming in at 7th place. Leena, whose mind was clearly on another planet, placed 18th and infuriated Doc. But she was beyond caring. Instead, she hung around, listening to Brad babble on about the zoid warriors in the top spots.

            "Shaun Richards, Talon Asuntés, and Julia Taylor..." he read. "They're occupying the top spots. And, from my understanding, they're all on the same team - the Shadow Team."

            Suddenly, his breath caught in his throat. Because the next board update left him amazed and overjoyed at the same time. Because...

1.Julia Taylor: 1:08:29

2.Bit Cloud: 1:08:30

            "Good god, Leena, look!" he yelped, grabbing her shoulder and spinning her around. She looked up at the board wearily, then let out a startled scream. She then proceeded to look around wildly, as though she might be able to see him. Then she started to run off. Brad, unwilling to follow her off to who-knew-where, yelped "Leena, wait a minute, I - !"

            "Bit!! BIT!!" she yelled, running past people and underneath zoids. "BIIIIT!!!"

            Suddenly...a familiar flash of blonde. That same cocky grin. It had to be him...the red-and-white jacket! Standing next to the Liger Zero! Yes! Yes! It was him! It was...

            "Bit!!"

            He turned around. "...Leena...?" Blink blink. "Leena!"

            She leapt into his arms, hugging him fiercely. "Where have you been?! You had us worried sick! What are you doing here? Are you still a member of our team? Please say yes! Don't you dare tell me you're with some prettyyoungthingthatcanbarelypilotazoid!"

            "What?" Bit looked down at the top of her head in confusion. She pulled back and looked embarrassed. "I've been on vacation, like I said I would be. I'm sorry I worried you. I'm here for the zoid trials. Of course I'm still a member of your team. And I didn't quite catch the last part."

            "Ah, good." Suddenly, Brad appeared from behind a zoid.

            "Leena! What the...! Bit! Woah, you ARE here?!"
            The two exchanged a friendly (and quick) handshake. Then they began chatting about their adventures over the past few months. Leena couldn't take her eyes off Bit. His hair was a tint larger, his skin a tad tanner, but otherwise he still looked the same. Brad looked exactly the same as well. Guess guys weren't much for fashion trends.

            Bit got in the Liger and went over to Doc, who had his second freak-out session of the day. The whole team was talking when suddenly, someone said, "The Blitz Team, I presume?"

            Everyone turned around. A woman stood there, with long brown hair and icy blue eyes. She wore a long black coat, jeans, and a white top. Her hair was French-braided in a messy-on-purpose sort of way.

            "Yeah," Bit replied. "Who are you?"

            "Name's Julia Taylor. I'm guessing you're Bit Cloud. You're the only one who got so close to my time today. Even my teammates couldn't do that." She indicated two guys ten feet behind her standing next to three zoids grouped together with a flick of her head. One had sandy brown hair and hazel eyes. The other had black hair and dark eyes. It was hard to tell what color they were. "The one on the right is Shaun Richards. The other is Talon Asuntés."

            "So you're the legendary Shadow Team," Brad commented, looking a bit testy for some reason. He was staring at something intently, but from her angle, Leena couldn't tell what.

            "Yeah, if that's how you know us. Just thought I'd introduce myself, as you're our first opponents in the opening of the zoid fights."

            "Really? Cool." Bit smiled. "I heard you have a Shadow Liger. It'll be fun to test my Liger out on yours."

            Julia nodded with a small smile. Then she looked at Brad, who was silently fuming. She followed his gaze back to the zoid she knew belonged to Shaun. She couldn't quite figure out why that guy from the other team was eyeing it so distastefully. Instead, she turned around on her heeled boot and went back to her team. "Shaun, Talon, we're going back to the base."

            They nodded and got into their respective zoids. When they were gone, Brad muttered, "So it was Shaun."
            "What was Shaun?" Leena asked.

            "He's the one that fought me. Him and that zoid. They totalled the Fox."

            "I wonder if he was trying to put you out of commission before the battle we have between them?" Bit speculated. "Ah, whatever. Let's get back to the HoverCargo and have some of Doc's delicious grub!"

            Leena laughed as Brad grabbed Bit and started giving him a noogie, accusing him of only thinking of his stomach. She'd really missed them. Bit's antics, Brad's sarcasm. And, in some strange way, she could tell that the Gunsniper had missed the Liger and the Wolf. Somewhere, deep in that zoid's core, it had feelings for the two zoids that had saved its butt several times over.

            They were back together.

 

Chapter Three: The Shadow Team Attacks

            "BIT!!! BRAD!!! LEENA!!! GET UP!!!"
            Leena opened her eyes wearily. She'd forgotten what it was like to be a part of the morning grumble. She could hear Brad and Bit complaining through the walls and fought off the urge to laugh.

            "Doc...it's our first day back," Brad complained when he'd finally dragged himself out of bed fifteen minutes later. Leena was already standing there, anxious for the coming battle with the Shadow Team, which was in twenty minutes.

            "Your point? Hey, will the two of you go get Bit up? The kid can sleep for years if you let him," Doc muttered.

            Leena grinned devilishly. "I've been waiting to do this for months."
            "Oh, geez, Leena. Not that again!" Brad moaned, trailing after his female teammate as she went off to get her bucket. Seconds later, there was a splash, a yelp, and a few curses.

            "Language, Bit!" Doc yelled. Then he spotted something. "Hey, they're here you guys!"

            The Shadow Team had arrived. The three warriors got into their zoids and hurried out onto the battlefield, pumped up for the battle. There stood the Shadow Liger, Blade Saber, and Sykefire CS. They'd received information on all three zoids before the battle.

            Bit, sitting in the cockpit with soggy hair and with the Liger Zero in previously outfitted Jager armor, looked over all three zoids. "All right, the plan was for Leena to go after the CS and Brad after the Saber. Brad...try not to destroy it, all right? I know you're angry but really..."
            Brad grinned much like Leena had only minutes before. "Aw, why not, Dad?"

            "The Liger Zero. Hmm...Impressive armor. The Jager kind?"
            Bit nodded, smiling. "You've done your homework."

            Julia smirked. "I try to know everything I can about the enemy so I can be better prepared for battle. It's a good battle tactic to remember."

            "Heh, you sound more like a teacher than an opponent."

            "I can't help it. Natural gift."

            The judge capsule landed a few yards away from the two teams. "The area within a two-mile radius is a designated battle ground. Area scanned. Battlefield set up. The Blitz Team versus the Shadow Team. Class S Battle Number 2278. Ready...GO!"
            As though it was hyped up on steroids, the Liger Zero shot forward at the Shadow Liger. Julia jammed the controls into high gear and sped out of the way quite expertly. "Woah!" Bit yelped, whirling the Liger around. "I've never seen a zoid that can keep up with the agility of my Liger Zero Jager!"

            Julia laughed. "This is Class S, my friend. No more innocent battles for you. This is the hard-core stuff."

            "Good. I was getting tired of fighting people like Harry and Jack Sisco. I wanted some more serious competition."
            Funny how the two could carry on a normal conversation which launching attack after ruthless attack at each other. Leena fired her main cannon at Talon and he swooped out of the way. Shaun charged forward and tried to catch the Command Wolf in the Blade Saber's jaws, but Brad leapt aside just in time.

            "I don't think so!" Brad yelled. "You already destroyed my Fox, you're NOT getting the Wolf too!"
            "I did?" Shaun stopped for a moment. That cost him. Leena, who had briefly abandoned Talon, came running in from behind and fired her biggest missile at the Blade Saber's unprotected back. The zoid cried out, Shaun swore loudly, and the Saber dropped.

            "Woo hoo!" Leena whooped. "Great teamwork, Brad!"

            "Leena, watch out!" he cried. Too late. Enraged that he'd let Leena get away so she could freely take down Shaun, Talon swept back in and cut off the Gunsniper's main cannon, causing the whole zoid to explode in a small fireball. Leena was safe, the fireproof armor concealing her from the licking flames which quickly died. Brad and Talon immediately went after each other.

            Bit and Julia, realizing that unless they took out the other's teammate nothing would get accomplished, abandoned their Liger fight to chase after Brad and Talon. Bit managed to yell out a warning to Brad before he pounced on the Sykefire CS. When the Shadow Liger was nearly on top of him, Brad's Command Wolf beat a hasty retreat in reverse. Leena and Shaun had gotten out of their battered zoids and were now standing near the judge capsule, not saying much. Leena could see that Shaun was quite angry about something and she wasn't sure she wanted to test his nerves at the moment.

            Suddenly, there was a deafening cry. Without warning, Julia's Shadow Liger pounced out from behind a large boulder and its teeth landed directly in the neck of the Command Wolf. It tore out some wiring, causing the Wolf to fall. At almost the exact same time, Bit shot Talon with missiles, sending the flying zoid crashing to the ground.

            Now, all that remained were the two Ligers.

            As though it was some announcement from the gods above, lightning streaked down from the sky as the two zoids faced each other. The two were about sixty yards apart and neither was moving an inch.

            "Intense..." Leena muttered, watching the two. Brad and Talon dragged themselves out of their zoids and joined the two already standing by the judge capsule. Shaun and Talon began talking quietly. Brad and Leena didn't say anything, watching Bit and Julia stare each other down. It was intense, seeing as though either one could decide to attack the other at any possible minute.

            Suddenly, with a roar, the Liger Zero charged forward. Julia was ready to handle anything Bit threw her way. She put up a defensive stance and prepared. But nothing came because at the last moment, Bit stopped and said, "What's up, Doc?"

            "Very funny. I need all Blitz Team members to return to the HoverCargo right this instant."
            "Wait a minute...!" Talon began to protest.

            "The battle will need to wait. This is an extremely important matter," Doc explained.

            "It's all right, Talon," Julia said. "Contact us for the day when we can reschedule the match."

            By that time, the Gunsniper had recovered enough to get back into the hangar. The Liger Zero towed the Command Wolf inside as well. Once everybody was back, the three warriors headed to the control room where they found Doc looking very grave.

            "Dad...?" Leena asked.

            Five words turned all three Blitz Team warriors' stomachs to ice. "There has been an accident."

            Jamie was sitting by the computer, talking to someone quietly so no one else could hear. Doc appeared to be close to tears. Leena went over to him and put her hand on his shoulder. "Dad?" she repeated.

            He looked at her, his eyes shining with the most agony possible. "It's...the Flugal Team."

            "Leon and Naomi?" Bit asked.

            "Yes..." Doc choked back tears. "They...they're..."

            "Are they dead?" Brad asked, sorrow creeping into his voice as well. Doc didn't reply. Brad repeated his question, this time with more force.

            "Naomi is." Jamie had turned around in his chair and was staring straight at Brad. "Her zoid was blown to particles. Nothing...I mean nothing was found. Nothing of her zoid and nothing of Naomi herself."

            Brad looked like he'd been punched in the stomach. He rocked back and fell into a chair. It was no secret that he had had feelings for Naomi. He was taking it hard.

            "What about Leon, Dad?" Leena asked, her voice clogged with tears.

            "He's at the hospital right now. He was seriously injured and the doctors told me they doubt he'll ever be able to pilot a zoid again. But at least he's alive." There was something Doc wasn't telling them. Something the Blitz Team's warriors weren't sure they wanted to know.

            "Doc..." Bit began, a hand on Brad's shaking shoulder. "Who killed Naomi? Who injured Leon? Who was it?"
            Jamie answered for Doc once more. "It was Jack Sisco."

            "Jack Sisco?!" Bit yelped. "That guy...took down Leon and Naomi? He destroyed Naomi's zoid and Naomi herself? How is that possible?"

            "He acquired a new zoid from someone. We don't know who. It's called the Sykes Striker and this thing is wicked. It's a combination of a Lightning Sykes and some other ancient zoid, the Death Saurer. People are saying that he's become a member of the Backdraft Group."

            "Jack? Backdraft?" Bit shook his head. "No way. The guy's still got his pride."

            "It's true. And Leon said that Jack asked him to pass on a message to Bit," Jamie added gravely.

            "Oh yeah? What's that?"

            "He said 'I'm coming for you next and hitting you where it hurts the most'."

 

 

Chapter Four: Acquaintance

            Doc and Leena went inside Leon's hospital room. Bit and Brad wandered the hospital. Family members were only allowed in critical case rooms, so the other two warriors had to stay out.

            "How could she...be dead?" Brad asked absently.

            "Hm? Oh, Naomi?"

            "She...didn't deserve to die."

            "Of course she didn't. Nobody deserves to die young, Brad. We'll smash Jack Sisco and get back at him for this."
            "Is that all you're concerned about?!" Brad snapped angrily. "Revenge and 'smashing' Jack? Well, think about it and remember that there's something more important going on than your petty war with that mercenary."

            "Sorry..." Bit replied, crossing his legs.

            "Yeah, me too. This is getting to me. This is...insane."

            "Hey, guys."

            Julia was back. She entered from the corridor, heels clacking on the tile floor. Shaun and Talon followed her in. She sat down, swishing her long black coat out behind her before she sat down to avoid sitting on it. The other two leaned against the wall, silent.

            "What are you three doing here?" Bit asked curiously.

            "We're here to see what's going on with Leon." When Bit appeared surprised, Julia elaborated. "He was a good friend of Shaun's back in school."

            Both Blitz Team warriors as well as Julia looked at the person being spoken about. His head was down, his arms crossed. Talon sighed and pushed himself up off the wall. Then he threw a quarter in the air. "I'm gonna get a soda. Any of you want something?"

            Bit flicked four quarters at him. "Get all of us one. My treat."

            "Hey, thanks," Julia said when Talon had left.

            "No problem. My pleasure." Bit leaned back on the couch he and Brad were sitting on. It's a snack. Who knows how long we could be here?"

            "True."

            Talon came back, juggling five sodas. He apologized when Bit's exploded on him, saying it had slipped out of his arms. Julia smiled and muttered "Nice excuse" which Talon had replied to with a very snide "Thank you".

            "How long you suppose this is gonna take?" Bit asked, wiping sticky soda off his face.

            "Don't be such a jerk," Brad reprimanded. "Leon is Doc and Leena's family. They can take as long as they need to." He drank some soda and fell back into his stupor. Julia sank back against the couch and sighed, holding the can in one hand and playing with her hair with the other. Shaun was silent as well, still standing against the wall. Talon had sunk into a crouching position leaning on the same wall as Shaun. The five sat there for almost ten minutes, totally silent.

            The door opened and Leena came out crying. Bit stood up and held out his arms, which she gratefully fell into. "He looks so...pitiful," she sobbed. "He's hooked up to so many tubes and machines...I couldn't stay in there anymore."

            "Here." Bit handed her his can of soda and she drank some. Then he guided her to the couch and she sat down between Brad and Bit. That's when she noticed the other three. Once their situation was explained, Julia, Leena, Talon, and Bit began talking about zoid fights. Shaun and Brad remained silent in their own thoughts. A few minutes later, Doc emerged from the room, looking a great deal better than when he'd gone in.

            "Leena, Leon is fine," Doc assured his daughter.

            "I know, Dad. I just...I don't like seeing him like that."

            Doc nodded and put his arm around Leena. "Me neither." Then he looked at the Shadow Team members. "And what are you three doing here?"

            The situation was explained yet again. Then the two teams went back downstairs, since Shaun wouldn't be allowed to see Leon anyway. They reached the front doors, where they could see the zoids awaiting the return of their pilots, as well as the HoverCargo off in the distance.

            "Well, I suppose this is goodbye for now," Julia said, turning to head for the Shadow Liger.

            "Hang on a minute." Doc stopped her, looked to his team for confirmation, and continued when they nodded. "Why don't you three come have dinner with us? We'd like to talk to you. You're experienced Class S warriors and we're somewhat new to all of this. It's not some sort of trick to get your battle strategy, we're just looking for some aquaintences."

            Julia glanced at Shaun and Talon. Neither moved a muscle, which she took as a yes. "Sure. We'd be happy to come. Thank you."

            The Blitz Team members got back into their zoids (with Doc riding in Leena's) and headed for the HoverCargo. The Shadow Team members did the same. When they got there, they were all very surprised to see a man standing outside. Leena's mouth dropped. "Oh, god. No. It's..."

            "Harry," Bit and Brad muttered at the same time.

            Ah, the cry of love. The cry of passion, of remorse, of affection.

            "LEENA!!!!" (Romantic, hey?)

            Leena got out of the Gunsniper once inside the hangar. Slightly amused, the members of the other two teams hung back, watching. "Hi, Harry," she said, trying not to smack him.

            "I heard about your horrible tragedy!" Harry exclaimed, all his usual volume and annoyance intact. "I want you to know, Leena, that if you ever need a shoulder to lean on, I'm right here. I'm always here to listen to your problems." Smacking a hand on his chest, he puffed up. "Even though I am merely a lowly Class A warrior, I am still a caring person whose heart has been lost to a beautiful, amazing, wonderful woman such as yourself, Leena. Your eyes are -"

            "Ah, Harry?" Leena said impatiently. "Can't you see we have guests?" She indicated Julia, Talon, and Shaun. Talon smiled and waved mockingly but Harry didn't catch the sarcasm.

            "Oh, how shameful! I shouldn't be professing my love in front of voyeurs! For now, I bid you adieu. Meet me tonight by the rose bush in the garden, my love!" With that, he ran out of the hangar.

            "That was...weird," Talon commented. Bit shook his head.

            "You witnessed more than usual. She doesnt normally let him get to the 'your eyes' part before smacking him upside the head," he explained. As Leena walked by, she shrugged.

            "It's all in the presentation. I can't help it if my charming beauty affects all those who are lucky enough to cross paths with me."

            "Modest, isn't she?" Julia remarked. Laughing, the remaining warriors headed upstairs. Once they got there, Jamie appeared, decked out in an apron.

            "Welcome to Chez Jamié," he said in a heavy (and very fake) French accent. "Ladies and gentlemen, may I lead you to your places?"

            Bit had to stifle laughter as they followed him into their usually casual dining room. Now, it was set with candles and a whole boatload of food. Jamie sat each person down at 'their spot'. Julia, Brad, and Talon were on one side; Leena, Bit, and Shaun on the other. Then he said, in his normal voice, "Dig in!"

            It was chaos. While Leena and Julia retained their ladylike manners, the four guys dove into the courses like they'd been fasting for a year. It took only 20 minutes for all the food to be gone. Doc and Jamie ate in the kitchen while the six warriors discussed battle tactics and such. When they finally stopped talking, it was pitch black out. They retired to the deck of the HoverCargo. Brad and Leena sat on the two chairs, Julia and Talon leaned up against the railing, and Bit and Shaun sat on the ground.

            "The sky sure looks pretty," Leena commented.

            Julia nodded. "Lots of stars."
            Talon pointed. "Hey, look. A shooting star."
            They all watched it head for the ground. When it disappeared from view, Shaun leaned back and sighed. "They're supposed to be bad luck, aren't they?" he asked.

            "Yeah, I think so," Brad replied.

            "Hm... Maybe that's saying something about our upcoming battles in Class S," Bit suggested. "Maybe something really big is gonna happen. This thing with Jack Sisco is serious?"

            Leena suddenly giggled. "You know what I just thought? It feels like we're all one big team, ya know? We're all sitting here, discussing zoid battles and strategies, like we're all members of the same team." Then she shrugged. "Guess I found it a little ironic. Don't you?"

            Julia snorted. "Yeah, as funny as it sounds, I do. Usually, we don't have social functions with other teams. But..." She grinned. "You guys are all right."

            Brad smiled and said sarcastically, "I'm so glad we have your seal of approval."
            This set off another round of laughter and by the time they were done, all  six were gasping. Then, Julia pushed herself up off the railing. "Well, we Shadow Team members should be going. It's a little ways back to our base."
            One by one, they got up as if none of them really wanted the Shadow Team warriors to leave. But they eventually got in their zoids and took off in the distance. Leena sighed as she shut the hangar doors. Brad and Bit were settling in the zoids for the night and looked at her. "What?" the latter asked.

            "Oh, I don't know. I guess I had fun. I mean, they're pretty cool."
            Bit nodded. "Yeah, they're all right."
            "It was kind of cool having another girl here," Leena said, falling into total flashback mode. "Whenever one of you guys would say something asinine, Julia and I would exchange a look. Guess that's the kind of thing I miss being on a HoverCargo with four guys."

            "Heyyy..." Bit snapped. "When did any of us say something asinine?"

            "You're guys. Guys always say something asinine."

            The three headed into the 'dining room' where Doc and Jamie were cleaning up the dinner mess. "Well, did you have fun with your dinner party?" Doc asked. "Oh, yeah. We just got information on the Battle Royale. We can't participate, though, we only have three warriors and it calls for six."
            "Yeah..." The three wandered off.

            "Wonder what's with them?" Jamie wondered.

            Leena was about to go into her room when she stopped Brad and Bit. "Are you two thinking what I'm thinking?"
            "If you're thinking that we should invite the Shadow Team to join us for the Battle Royale tournament, then yes, I am," Brad replied.

            "Hey, that was what I was thinking," Bit exclaimed.

            "Then it's decided. We'll call them first thing in the morning!" Leena announced.