Yes, another idea I had featuring Zoids. This one, I think, is the only one of its kind. But, I could be wrong in that regard, and if I am, let me know. Anyway, I know I've done a story like this at least four separate times, but there will be several significant differences between this one and the others. Hope you guys don't mind. But, anyway, without further ado, let's get started!
*I don't own Zoids New Century Zero or How To Train Your Dragon!*
"Battle Mode 0982!" = Normal Speech
'Battle Mode 0982!' = Thoughts
'Battle Mode 0999!' = Dark Judge Speaking
"Ready, FIGHT!" = Someone Yelling
"Ready, FIGHT!" = Ending Narration
"Battle Mode 1001!" = ZBC Judge Speaking
"Organized under strict rules and regulations, Zoid Battles are fighting competitions held on enormous battlefields using mechanical combat units known as Zoids."
"The enthusiast young warriors put their pride on the line and sharpen their skills against one another."
"Battle Mode approved. Area scanned. Battlefield set up."
"Ready… FIGHT!"
Prologue - Damage of Two Rival Tribes!
Driving along through a desert was what appears to be some sort of truck. And driving it is a young man, about eighteen years old, with Auburn brown hair and green eyes. He has a compact build like that of an Olympic runner, and has a scar that looks like claw marks over his left eye. However, he can still see out of it. For clothing, he wore a black bodysuit with a green vest over the top and brown combat boots.
This is a young man by the name of Hiccup, a traveling Junk Dealer who scavenges the sites for Zoid Battles and collects discarded parts that are left behind on the battlefield. But so far, he hasn't been having much luck finding good quality parts, and he needs them to make his living.
Wait a minute, it looks like he's spotted something up ahead. Something that just might help him. He stopped his truck and made his way over to the object he spotted.
It was a Cooling Unit. And from the design and model of this particular Cooling Unit, it once belonged to a Dibison Zoid. A Bison Type Zoid that is meant for close and long range combat while maintaining a powerful defense. Hiccup smiled at his good fortune and loaded it up into the trunk of his car, where several spare parts and medical supplies are kept.
"Well, I guess today's my lucky day." Hiccup said to himself.
He turned around to get back in his truck when he noticed something over the next hill. It looked an awful lot like smoke. And Hiccup didn't like the looks of this, because there was too much of it to be something like chimney smoke or a cooking fire. And yet, it wasn't big enough to be a forest fire.
Not that a forest fire could start out here in the desert, anyway.
But anyway, Hiccup had a feeling he'd be needed wherever that fire was coming from and wasted no time getting into his truck and driving off in the direction of the fire. He only hoped that it wasn't caused by one of the three factions that he's been trying to avoid for so long.
The first of these factions is known as the Backdraft Group. An army of rogue Zoid Pilots and such who bring about dark battles that are far more dangerous than what the Zoid Battle Commission creates using a set of guidelines. While the ZBC prefers to create Zoid Battles that benefit both teams as well as the people who watch them, the Backdraft Group will illegally interrupt a Zoid Battle and use any means necessary to win. And if they do win, they steal all of the losing team's Zoids to add them to their own vast army. Hiccup's heard talk that these battles the Backdraft organizes are so deadly dangerous that pilots and personnel alike have died in them.
It's a scary thought, to say the least. Dying in a battle that was supposed to be a way to sharpen your skills and increase your team's ranking and glory, when it is suddenly changed into a life or death scenario that should only be seen in war.
Speaking of war, that brings us to the other two factions that Hiccup is hoping this wasn't caused by. The Hairy Hooligans and The Berserkers. Two rival clans that were founded by old war veterans of the second war between the Helic Republic and the Guylos Empire.
The Hairy Hooligans were formed from the rogue veterans of the Helic Republic, and originally followed the ideals of bringing about a new era for the world of Zoids through the use of diplomatic talks and peaceful campaigns rather than needless bloodshed. But as the generations went by, the ideals of the tribe became twisted and darker and ended up turning the Hairy Hooligans from a peaceful group of Zoid pilots into nothing more than mass murderers.
The Berserkers, however, were created from the members of Guylos who were still loyal to a man named Prozen, even after his death in the Bloody Death Saurer. They were violent and ruthless killers who wanted to overthrow the emperor and create a new era through martial law. And anyone who tried to go against those laws… would have been killed on the spot or given a Trial by Combat. Much like their name suggests, the Berserker tribe is well known for going berserk at totally random moments once they reach a certain age, and as such, they wear lock and chains as a way to stop themselves from harming themselves, and possibly killing their fellow tribesmen.
Both of the tribes train new warriors at a young age in the art of Zoid piloting in preparation for the never ending war between the two tribes, who are trying to claim each other's land for its resources and the like.
But he knows they don't stop there. They will both ambush any Zoid pilot who tresspasses in either territory, be it knowingly or unknowingly, and will even charge into sanctioned battles in order to slake their own bloodlust by attacking both competing teams with superior numbers and highly powerful Zoids.
No one EVER makes it out alive in those battles! Not for more than eight minutes, at least.
Hiccup finally got to the other side of the hill and saw exactly what confirmed his worst fear. There was smoke and fire in many places where it looked like missiles and beam weapons had been shot. Not to mention the fact that several patches of sand had been turned to smoldering puddles of glass.
No doubt the work of a Charged Particle Cannon, but from what Zoid, Hiccup can't tell from looking at the area alone. But he does know of several Zoids that possess that kind of weapon.
The Geno Saurus, the Geno Breaker, the Psycho Geno Saurus, the Death Saurer, the Bloody Death Saurer and the Death Stinger. But several of these Zoids have been ruled out, due to the fact that if they did have parts from them, at least, they would need to be mounted to turrets and used as a fixed weapon rather than an actual Zoid.
At least, that would be the case in the Death Saurer, Bloody Death Saurer and the Death Stinger.
So far, though, Hiccup hasn't seen any signs of any Zoids that have been in the area at the time of the attack. Maybe whoever, and whatever, did this attacked with the intent of stealing the Zoids and kidnapping the pilots for reprogramming and forcing them to be recruited.
But that wishful train of thought was missed when Hiccup noticed the trashed wreck of a single Zoid in the area. And the damage done to it made him utter a single word.
"Dagur…!"
The Zoid in question was a Dibison. Or, what was once a Dibison. It was barely recognizable and was damaged beyond all possible repair as its once proud, trademark 105mm 17-Shot Megalo Max Assault Cannons had been destroyed by something capable of blowing the barrels clean off their mount. The horns looked like they'd been torn off, and the armor was practically shrapnel. Upon closer inspection, however, Hiccup noticed that the Zoid's core was perfectly intact and salvageable.
If the pilot was still alive in there, he could salvage the core and combat data of the Dibison and have a new Zoid built around the original core. This would revive the Zoid with all of its memories still there.
And it seems Hiccup was right about there being a pilot in there. The cockpit canopy had been blown off as well, thus revealing that the pilot was still in there and was, hopefully, still alive!
He quickly pulled up next to the Zoid and got out before rushing over to the pilot and saw the one inside.
It was a girl who looked to be about his age. She had messy fuschia colored hair and porcelain skin that seemed paler due to blood loss. And that blood loss was caused by a slew of injuries, no doubt caused by this ambush. She was wearing an odd headpiece that had these two long parts that seemed to hover over the top, a yellow tank top that had a few rips in it from the shrapnel that got into the cockpit, and a light blue skirt that was, thankfully, still in one piece.
She looked like she'd been through hell and back with blood running down her temple, multiple bruises, and she no doubt had at least a couple of fractured, if not broken, bones.
"Oh my god…! What the hell was their motivation for doing this?!" Hiccup asked himself.
Taking out a small pocket knife, Hiccup cut the straps of the Dibison's safety belts that were meant to aid in safety for the pilot. They were jammed anyway, and with the way the Zoid's body was, it wouldn't be missed.
He quickly caught the girl as she fell forward in her seat, keeping her from getting any more injuries. She winced and made a pained noise as she cracked open an eye, revealing them to be a lavender-purple color, and saw Hiccup in her blurry vision. She didn't register much. Only that she was in the worst pain she's ever felt in her life.
"Ugh… Wha…? Who are…? What's going on…?" she asked through her pain.
"Easy there, little lady, I've got you. You're going to be okay." Hiccup assured.
He then proceeded to pick her up bridal style and carry her to his truck. The back seat had a flatbed like those used in medical stretchers to carry injured or immobilized patients, so her could drive her back to the place he'd been staying at for the vast majority of his time as a Junk Dealer.
He just hopes that whoever did this wouldn't be in the area any longer. With Leena safely loaded into the back seat of his truck, Hiccup got in and drove off to get her the best medical treatment he could give.
But if one were to look from the sky in an aerial Zoid, such as a Raynos, Pteras or a Storm Sworder, they would see that the devastation done to the area was done to look like an emblem of sorts. The emblem of the Berserker Tribe.
*To Be Continued…!*
I hope you guys enjoyed the prologue of this new story, as I thought I'd go about the beginning of this one in a different manner to how I usually start out. And keep in mind that this story will closely follow the Zoids New Century Zero continuum, so you'll be sure to see a lot of battles that closely resemble those of the Blitz Team's in canon. Also, be aware that this is your last chance to vote on the Zoid Hiccup gets in this story. Here are the results of the poll thus far.
Berserk Fury: 5 votes
Liger Zero: 2 votes
Gairyuki Shin: 2 votes
Energy Liger: 1 vote
Anyway, that's it for this chapter, so remember to cast your votes and I'll see you all in the next chapter! Thank you, and as I'll say… Ready, FIGHT!
Ending Narration (Hiccup): What happened to this poor girl to put her in such a condition, and why would anyone ambush her and do that to her Zoid? I tell you now, this has either the Berserkers or the Hairy Hooligans written all over it! What? She's part of a Zoid Battle team? And they have a match against the Tigers Team coming up? Oh, but this isn't good at all! Not only can she not fight, but now Dagur has interrupted their battle! Guess it's up to me to stop him and save the day. Next time on How To Train Your Zoid; Dagur The Deranged: Saving The Blitz Team. Ready, FIGHT!