The First Resort Invitational

A Zoids fanfiction by LookinGoodYamcha and Otalku17

Author's notes: What you're about to read is, more or less, my first ever fully realized idea for a fanfiction. Like a lot of people my age, I was once a Toonami faithful, and during that time, I was introduced to the glory that is Zoids in 2001. Roughly 10 years later, during my senior year of high school, I decided on a whim to get back into the series, and was a bit saddened to learn that it had fallen into relative obscurity over the years. Either way, I renewed my interest in Zoids for a short while and collected a few of the iconic model kits, imagining various scenarios with them that eventually turned into a fanfic idea that, for the longest time, never manifested. Call it lack of ideas, being busy with other stuff at the time, or just plain laziness, but I largely forgot about this idea until 2016 when I was working on the Dark Souls story.

Originally, this was to be a solo project. However, during that short resurgence Zoids had in my life, I had learned that my long-time internet pal and fellow fic writer Otalku17 was also a fan of Zoids, so I dragged him along for the ride, marking this story as my first real collaboration fic. Though it will only be posted on my account, feel free to give the guy your props, as he has provided me with many general ideas for the story as it goes along.

Oh, one last thing. Bit of a disclaimer. If you're a Chaotic Century/Battle Story purist who hated New Century/Zero and the tournament setting in general, I'd highly advise turning back now; this likely isn't for you and I'd rather not be flooded with complaints from people expecting something else. Same goes for anybody looking for something that strictly adheres to canon – there aren't too many major departures here, but this story will feature characters from various Zoids media in a fashion similar to Legacy. If you're okay with these things, then I hope you wholeheartedly enjoy this. See you on the battlefield.

Chapter One: "Tournament Legal"

In the far reaches of the galaxy lies the Planet Zi, inhabited by biomechanical lifeforms that possess superior combat capabilities. These are the Zoids! In the past, Zoids were used by the planet's military, until the Helic Republic and the Guylos Empire signed a peace treaty, uniting the two factions into a peacekeeping group known as the Guardian Force. In the present day, while this peace still lasts, Zoids are now utilized for the planet's most popular and dangerous sport! Organized under strict rules, Zoid battles are fighting competitions held on enormous battlefields! After the competitive circuit exploded into onto the scene, many aspiring warriors began to take interest. Some spend all of their waking hours developing new tactics and sharpening their skill! However, one... one was simply trying to catch a few of those sought-after extra winks...

"...got... that right. I'm the three-time... Zoid EVO champion... I see you're.. impressed..." said a well-built man as he shifted a bit in his warm, sky-blue bed, clearly still fast asleep as the sun had just barely risen over Zi. As he let the comforter begin to swallow him, his cell phone began to buzz and play some sort of rap music he'd set to his ringtone. It took a few rings to bring the man back to the waking world. He gave a lengthy stretch, and scratched at his black-and-white mullet. Barely regaining his vision, he tapped at the touch screen a few times until he hit his mark of the answer button. "...Whozis?"

"...Phelix! Phelix Phelix Phelix Phelix PHELIX!" resounded a young man's voice that was all too familiar to him. "I'm giving you exactly an hour to get your ass down to my hangar! You and me – we're hitting the biggest super-major on the fuckin' planet! If you don't start getting ready right now, on God I'm boutta... I will punch you through this very phone! You heard me! I will communicate my fist all the way to your-"

A... super-major? The hell is he ropin' me into...? It's always no choice with this guy... thought Phelix, before speaking. "...okay, okay, Shura... I'll be down there in a whole minute, but I gotta tell you, fam... you just interrupted the move I was about to make on not one, but multiple women of my dreams. That one's on you, pal." he said, ending the call without waiting for a response.

Phelix quickly began his morning routine, showering off and what have you. He toweled his hair off as it returned to its naturally lightly-curled shape. Thumbing through his closet, he opted for a stylish white track jacket with black stripes to go over his shirt, pulling it on as it contoured to his well-toned arms. "...'fam'. I knew I'd start using those dumb words if I hung around Shura long enough... only took me fifteen years." he muttered.

Deciding against making his bed, he perused his kitchen for something to eat. Two pieces of toast emerged from his toaster, and the idea of running out the door with them in his mouth crossed his mind. "What am I, a schoolgirl?" he asked himself, before heading outside his apartment to board the one thing that could get him to Shura's place in the amount of time he'd demanded – his Zoid.

"Ready to attack the day, old friend?" he said, addressing his Descat, a medium-sized panther-type Zoid, no doubt a rare model. With little hesitation, the Zoid gave a growl and lowered its head, allowing Phelix inside the cockpit and closing its canopy. Upon assuming control, Phelix turned a sharp corner, opting to minimize his time spent on the city streets as the Descat sprinted out into the deserts of Zi, on a path he'd taken more times than he could count. "I swear... this had better be worth interrupting my dreams, Shura!"

"I'm tellin' you right now, Phelix... my lifelong friend, my brother-in-arms... this... this is our chance to make it... and I mean really, really make it!" declared a man with strikingly purple hair flowing all down his back and ending in a sharp, uneven fringe on the front. He presented an article on his computer screen, which showcased the very thing Shura had called his friend over so urgently for.

Shura Violet was quite the sight to behold, largely because he made such an effort to be so. Matching his heavily dyed mane was a purple goatee. Over a white tee shirt, he wore a light hoodie emblazoned with purple peace signs all over, rounding it all out with some light blue baggy jeans and black-and-olive skate shoes. Standing up to greet Phelix, he was somewhat taller, and also considerably lankier. He lacked the defined muscle tone Phelix had, save for that of his arms, likely developed through years of Zoid combat.

"See? It's even got a video!" he continued, his hand twitching until he could click the play button.

"Area scanned... battlefield set up! Ready? Fight! You've seen it here first, Zoid warriors! The construction of the First Resort has reached its completion, and you, yes, you are invited to board its maiden voyage! One of the largest watercraft ever created, the First Resort features five-star hotel-quality rooms, a ballroom with professional DJ service around the clock, succulent seafood, top-shelf premium spirits, and.. oh, did we mention it's also the stage for the largest-scale Zoids competition the world has witnessed?! Teams of up to four can clash to their hearts' content on the deck of this magnificent vessel and compete for the largest prize pool in the history of the competitive circuit!"

As the announcer said this, a shower of countless gallos rained down over a golden Shield Liger . Shura pulled on Phelix's shoulder, urging him to lean in as he watched with an agape smile and dollar signs in his eyes.

"You heard me right, Zoid warriors! But be warned, this tournament will feature some of the strongest teams in the circuit. Many famous faces will be gracing this ship with their presence, including members of the esteemed S-class! If you have heard of them, they will be here, warriors! I invite you all to be a part of this once-in-a-lifetime experience and prove yourselves to the world! Do you have what it takes?"

With that challenge, the video concluded and Shura could no longer contain himself! "Oh, hell yeah! You bet we do! Phelix, my trusted cohort... we're going straight to the top!" he shouted, positively beaming.

Phelix was still taking in this sudden announcement. He gave his friend a confident smile, however. This is just like him. I must be developing some kind of immunity to his hijinx if I'm seriously considering this. He thought, before speaking. "Do I really have a say, Shura? You and I both know there's no stopping you once you've got those stars in your eyes." sighed Phelix. "I gotta hand it to you, this just might've been worth you ending my dream prematurely, hahaha."

"Can you believe it, fam?" asked Shura. "We've talked about entering a major for what – five years now? Not like we ain't worth it, tearing up these regionals like they're nothin'."

Phelix nodded and clenched his fist. "If you could swallow your pride for a whole minute, we could get a sponsor. Maybe from Joose or Jimmy's..."

"Nonsense!" proclaimed Shura. "We need not ally ourselves with delicious food and beverage! Besides, this tournament will make those other majors look like fan-organized locals by comparison!"

Phelix chuckled. "Fair enough. How 'bout a little walk-and-talk while we look our Zoids over, then? Been a whole minute since we caught up."

"Ah, Phelix, always thinking in the moment!" said Shura, flashing a peace sign as the two's footsteps began to echo through Shura's spacious hangar. "So like, what it do, fam? How's the new line o' work treatin' ya?" he inquired to Phelix.

"Ah, you already know what it is. Plenty of long nights in the hangar... lots of maintenance, controlled to the nth degree... getting yelled at by three different officers if the Descat's gun calibrations are off by an inch..." he answered, gesturing his hands as he spoke.

Shura's smile grew wider. "You still usin' the cat, huh? Aww, I was hopin' you'd get a new Zoid and... oh, could I buy it off you? Please, please, pleeeease? C'mon, name your price!"

"You and I both know that you'd total half of your precious hangar if you piloted that thing for a second, Shura." said Phelix with a narrow-eyed smile. "It's a wonder that kitty accepted me, even. I'd like to forget the day we tested it out, if you don't mind."

Shura pouted for a moment. "Yeah, but... it's so cool, Phelix! That sleek design... the dream of an aesthetics whore such as myself." he said, his pout slowly turning into a grin again. "...but then again, the way you pilot that thing... you've gotten us out of some really shitty matchups! Ah, you're so cool, Phelix!"

Phelix chuckled again and shook his head. "Nah, man. If anything, I admire you. I was browsing the power rankings earlier and noticed your individual points rating is almost twice what I've racked up... leader of Violet Team.". He said, finishing in a sarcastic tone. "Gotta say, I'm impressed you rigged this whole outfit up yourself. That training course of yours nearly kicked my ass."

"But it didn't!" exclaimed Shura, holding up a finger. "Because your skill as a Zoid warrior proved more than enough to earn a spot on the prestigious Violet Team."

"Fair enough." Phelix continued as they neared the exit of the hangar, where he'd left his Zoid. "How, about you? Get into anything cool these days?"

Shura put both of his hands behind his head as if relaxing on an invisible couch. "Same ol', same ol'. Scrub-tier warriors bring their Zoids to me, I make 'em better. Imparting my advanced techs upon them costs a lil' extra. Other than that, I just work on the Shield Liger, get my daily practice in, and read creepy stories on the internet until I pass out."

"Long as you're earning your bones, who am I to judge?" said Phelix. "How's he lookin'?" he then asked, pointing to the towering black animal mecha they had just approached.

Shura's eyes widened. "Oh, man! That body gives me the chills every time I look at it! And the cyan accents... mmm! Hope it kicks as much ass as I remember! Bring 'im over to the maintenance bay and I'll top off his ammo, maybe do a quick diagnostics check. Need anything else done, eh? More generator output? Maybe a charged particle cannon? Caaaandy paaaaint?" he said, drawing out that last suggestion enticingly.

Phelix held his hand up open-palmed. "Hahaha... nah, just load him up and look him over." he instructed his friend. Jeez. He won't be satisfied until he can make every Zoid he sees his next pet project. I can't believe he ever gets anything done.

After Phelix brought the Descat into maintenance, Shura began operating various machinery, from cranes to load in ammo, to a scanner he ran over the length of the Zoid's body to check for major damage or anything out of place. Meanwhile, Phelix leaned over Shura's PC, reading the article for the tournament in closer detail. "Hey, so uhh..." he said, raising his voice slightly over the loud machinery. "Says here up to four warriors'll be on each team. Not that I'm doubting our skill, but some of the top PR ranked warriors are gonna be showin' up. Dont'cha think we're kinda gimping ourselves by only having two?"

"One step a-WHOAH!" Shura attempted to spin around in the office chair he'd fixed to be at a comfortable level to the scanner controls, nearly falling off as the thing jerked to the left, quite literally held together by duct tape at this point. He caught himself with his hand and sprung back up, continuing. "One step ahead of you, Phelix old pal! As a matter of fact, our glorious Violet Team has been graced with a third member. She's experienced... she's tactical... and she's my heart's-"

"Oh, that's right, you did finally get yourself a girlfriend, huh? Boy, to think you'd beat me to that milestone... I gotta step it up. What was her name... Clarissa or somethin'?" interrupted Phelix, recalling now that Shura had recently made his foray into the world of romance.

Shura clasped his hands and cast his gaze upward with a blushing smile. "Claudia... she's everything I've ever wanted in a woman, Phelix! Not to mention a top-tier Zoid warrior... oh, Phelix, ya boy's become a man for real this time!"

"If anyone else said this, I'd be more than a little skeptical, bro..." Phelix said, holding back a laugh. "...but it's not every day you of all people would put somebody else above you on your mental tier list, you know? Where does this lady place on the Power Rankings?"

Shura reflexively scratched the back of his head. "Well, you see, she... didn't compete this season. Yeah, too busy with work I'm afraid. B-but she's really good, trust me fam!"

How odd... could someone that good really be unranked? thought the black-and-white warrior before humoring his friend. "Fair enough, I guess... How exactly did you meet this Claudia chick?"

Shura put his fingers on his chin and closed his eyes. "Ah, I thought you'd never ask. As a matter of fact, she's on her way now, but that should give me more than enough time for me to regale you with this fantastic tale... have a seat, and help yourself to one of those fine dranks in the minifridge. It all started the day I came into town to check out the local bar scene. I was on the prowl for new recruits for Violet Team, and it turned out only one place that served Hpno, the drink of choice for refined men such as myself..."

Four weeks earlier...

"...Aversa's Night, huh?" Shura thought aloud, gazing up at a mostly-black sign with lavender text and a smoky graphic effect applied. "Well, it's still day for me..."

Indeed the glaring sun of Zi beat down on Shura and the rest of the desert planet's citizens. The violet warrior took to tying his hoodie around his waist, and wiped one of the sleeves against his forehead to mitigate some of the sweat. "Man... I hope someone here's willing to fight for us. I can't believe this streak of zero luck.. who wouldn't want to join me? Either way, this can't be good for my flawless skin. Better head inside and sip on some dranks."

With that statement, the Zoid warrior casually strolled into the building. The interior was dark and smoky, the latter quality likely stemmed from customers enjoying cigars and weed judging by the pungent aromas. It was lit with a straight row of purple-tinted lighting. Shura pumped his fist downward. "Ohh, yeah! This is the place to be, fam!"

The lanky man slid up to the bar, surveying each customer and mentally judging whether or not they were Violet Team material. Who am I kidding? My judgment's no good right now. I need a little assistance.

"Ayyye, friendo!" shouted Shura, getting the attention of the barkeep. A man, about Shura's age with dark skin and a fade haircut, entered from the kitchen. He stacked up six martini glasses in a quick, articulate manner, asking what he could do for Shura.

"Yeah, lemme get a, uhhhhhhhh..." his voice trailed off as he took a closer look to his immediate left. On the bar stool next to him sat a woman that Shura positively could not avert his gaze from. She had a cascade of long, straight rose-pink hair, bangs held up by some sort of hairbands that Shura figured were of ancient Zoidian design. Her long, lavender skirt barely managed to contain her positively thick, voluptuous body as it spilled over her seat, and she wore a shirt in matching colors, her long sleeves meeting with a white glove on her right hand, evoking a certain pop singer of years past. "...Uhh, Hpnotiq! And one for this refined woman next to me, please."

Oh, yeah! Those hairbands holdin' up her bangs look like some kinda ancient Zoidian design! This chick means business! Shura, you're a certified genius! Keep this up and you'll have yourself a team member and a new waifu!

The pink-haired woman raised an eyebrow at Shura, who didn't even realize he was gazing at her with his mouth half-agape. "Well, this is unexpected. Thank you for the kind, gesture, though. You're kinda cute. Just who the hell are you?" she asked, putting a finger on her chin.

"The name's Shura Violet. Semi-pro Zoid warrior and leader of Violet Team. Apologies for my gazing... I couldn't help but admire you. You seem like that type of woman that could devour my very heart" he said with a smirk.

The woman couldn't help but blush slightly and play with her hair a bit. "I'm Claudia. Claudia Diamant. I'm also a..." she paused, taking a sip of the drink Shura purchased for her. "...a Zoid warrior. If I may ask, why the special treatment all of a sudden?"

Shura reflexively scratched the back of his hair. "Weeellll... in addition to your captivating beauty, I am also currently scouting the lands for talented Zoid warriors! My, uhh, team's a bit short-handed, you see? Just by looking at you, I can sense your aura, brimming with top-tier skill! Whaddaya say? You're already wearing purple, I can feel it!" he declared, almost not noticing that he was holding the lady's hands.

Claudia thought over the proposal for a moment. This was all so sudden, but on the other hand, it isn't like she had much else to do. "It's in my best interests not to let my piloting skills degrade, and I'm off of work for a while anyhow... very well, I accept your proposal, Violet. Shall w-"

"W-wait!" Shura interjected, keeping a light grip on Claudia's hands. "If I may be so bold, I have one other proposal. I normally don't believe in entering such a stage so early, but... would you also consider this to be... a date?"

Claudia gave a slight blush, but maintained a straight, composed face. "Fine, it's a date. Let's see what you've all about, Violet."

Shura beamed a grin ear-to-ear as the duo finished their drinks, giving a toast to the start of something potentially great. Claudia stood up and-

"No way, man! You can't be tellin' me it was that easy. Plus she's tall and thicc? How's that even-" said a chucking Phelix, interrupting Shura's grand tale.

Shura held out his palm. "Nah, fam! I'm tellin' you, that's how it happened! I-"

"...and I'm tellin' you, you're spittin' bullshit right about now! You don't have that much game!" Phelix said dismissively with his arms crossed.

Shura rolled his eyes. "Aaanyways, after that, we met up right here at the hangar! This, Phelix, my friend, was no ordinary date! Let me guess, you were wondering how someone unranked could be top-tier? You see..."

"Hol' up, you meant to tell me you ain't got a Zoid, lady?" said Shura, bewildered.

Claudia wasn't entirely sure how to explain her situation to Shura just yet. "The Zoids I piloted before were... let's say, under another owner."

"Ah, I understand completely..." began Shura with his forefinger and thumb on his chin. "...but I'll be damned if that's going to stop us today, my dear!" he shouted as he struck a pose with one finger held up. "Follow me."

Slightly confused, but interested nonetheless, Claudia followed Shura closely around the hangar, as the latter began to explain his intent further. "See, I come incredibly over-prepared for these kinds of things, it's the Violet way! Take a look around you, I have a modest collection of Zoids likely willing to accept a pilot as intoxicating as yourself."

Indeed, a sizeable array of Zoids lay dormant throughout the hangar, and in fairly good condition to boot. Shura began dragging Claudia by the arm to look each one over. "I've got the lightning-fast Lightning Saix – careful, he's a frisky one – then there's the Raynos if flying until you puke is your thing... oh! Then we've got a-"

Shura's list was cut short by Claudia dragging him to the rightmost Zoid in the lineup. It was a Zoid almost instantly recognizable to anyone who'd watched a tournament or two – a Blade Liger. Other than a deep silver coloration, it looked to be largely stock. "This is the one!" exclaimed the pink-haired lady. "Close combat is absolutely my forte! How did you know, Shura?"

The flamboyant warrior gave a pensive look. "...I didn't. I-I mean, call it my intuition! Now let me introduce you to this big fella! See, I won 'im as a tournament prize and figured I'd give him a go, but our sync ratio was in the garbage! No matter what I tried, the big kitty just wouldn't listen to me! That being said, I don't expect anyone else to earn this guy's tr- ehh?"

Before Shura could finish, his date was already aboard the Blade Liger, getting a basic feel for the controls. "Hmm... It's a Republic Zoid... but... yeah, I think I can work with this! Oh, Shura, let it be mine!" she swooned.

Shura's jaw dropped at the sight of this woman being able to sync with the Blade Liger he'd had such little success with despite his most adamant efforts, but quickly snapped to a triumphant grin. "My dear Claudia... it's all yours! However... The invincible Shura Violet doesn't give out Zoids for free. No, you'll have to show me that you can do more than make that big guy walk around! Come with me, outside!"

Shura joined Claudia inside the Blade Liger, and the two exited the hangar. Shura directed her to a group of crumbling ruins not far from his establishment. Confused, Claudia pushed her hair to the side and looked at Shura behind her with a raised eyebrow. "Why're we here?"

"Ah, a riddle for the ages!" said Shura, holding up a finger again. "...but this is no time to ponder our existence. As for why I directed you here... this is Violet Team's personal training course! If you want to prove yourself as a member of this glorious team, you must complete it yourself! Take a good look!"

The Blade Liger's head turned from side to side as Claudia surveyed the crumbling stone structures before her. "Looks like plain ol' ruins to me, sweetie." she said flatly.

Shura's grin grew wider. "Ah, but they are! I discovered these not long after establishing my business here, but after takin' a closer look, I thought to myself, 'ayyye, these ruins make a great training course!' and here we are now! You can see based on the layout that the objective is to make it to the end as quickly as possible."

"Looks awfully straightforward." said Claudia with a smirk. "You even were so kind as to give me a Zoid with a booster equipped. Is making the team this easy?"

"As a matter of fact... it isnt!" exclaimed Shura as he put his hands on Claudia's shoulders. "Remember all those Zoids from the hangar earlier? I've fitted each one with a sleeper unit. In lieu of my teammates, they shall be your opponents! Don't even bother trying to defeat them all, just reach the end and you'll have proven yourself more than enough!" With that, he pressed a series of buttons on his phone, prompting each of his Zoids to take position on the course.

Making note of where each Zoid positioned itself, Claudia's smirk grew wider. "I love it." she sighed, her grip on the Liger's controls tightening. "Say when, dear!"

Oh, man! I'm about to see this lady in action! I hope my body can take it! Thought Shura. "Okay... three... two... one! Let's see some spectacle!"

On Shura's mark, the Blade Liger sped forward quicker than he'd anticipated. From behind the stone walls, an Arosaurer and a Heldigunner sprung out with their guns blazing! With little effort, Claudia guided the Blade Liger to weave in and out of the gunfire. She made a sharp turn, angling the blades to strike both Zoids at once, disabling them.

Shura clutched his face like he didn't have a clue. She's so cool, fam!

Right as she straightened her Zoid out, the Lightning Saix came leaping over one of the low walls, sprinting with a Zaber Fang riding its tailwind. Claudia kept her body in a firm upright position, pulling back on the controls. The Blade Liger responded by stopping on a dime, and with a few clicks of her index fingers, the shock cannon fired a quick volley, accompanied by fire from the laser cannons attached to the blades. She had switched to them without Shura even noticing.

This is 'bout it, fam! The final stretch! If I wasn't in love before, you can go ahead and start planning the wedding! He thought with a blissful look. The Blade Liger had yet to take a single hit, and the final stretch lay before it. The Raynos wasted no time launching into the skies, diving towards the Liger with a hail of gunfire. There's no way she can outspeed the Raynos on foot... but she hasn't broken a sweat! What the hell is she?

The Blade Liger continued to gain speed, deploying its boosters as the Raynos blanketed the course with gunfire. "Go!" commanded the rose-haired pilot as she jerked forward on the controls. In a single move that Shura's eyes could hardly follow, the Blade Liger ran up to the highest point of the ruins, leapt off at an angle, and deployed its right blade. Rather than lunge forward with it, the Liger simply angled its blade upward slightly. The Raynos, unable to decelerate in time, soared straight into it, cleaving away its wing as its body skidded into the sands!

The Blade Liger landed safely, giving forth a triumphant roar as it folded its laser blade back in. Just like that, the woman who had managed to captivate Shura without trying had cleared his training course with a similar level of effort. "Nice." she said, cracking her knuckles. "I'm ready for my evaluation, Shura."

The violet-haired man was nearly speechless. Even he hadn't been able to manage a no-hit run yet. He shook his head in a quick side-to-side motion. "Th-that was phenomenal... you were able to achieve a completely stable sync ratio in just one go. Aww, looks like my course isn't any count.."

Claudia giggled. "No, your setup here was almost perfect. Those sleeper units move with near-human precision. Gotta say, I'm impressed!"

Shura reflexively ran his fingers through the back of his hair with a blushing grin. "Yeah, well... if anyone's impressed it's me, cause I thought I had you figured out! I didn't expect you to pull your blade back and let that Raynos slam its wing into you! Claudia, you're absolutely top-tier! Welcome to Violet Team." he beamed, extending his hand.

"Oh, Shura, you're top-tier too! I think I'm in love!" she gushed, meeting his offer instead with a warm embrace. "You're so amazing... and so handsome too..."

"...and then my hands drifted south, and then I gripped her by those plush love handles, and then, bro, and then and then and then we..." Shura swayed from side to side, holding his face with his eyes shut.

Phelix sunk into his chair. "Uh...huh. Giving the movie version of the tale, eh brother?"

"No, no! This is the full extent of my triumph! Fam, I'm-" protested Shura, furrowing his brow as he heard something outside. Near the entrance of his hangar, a flying Zoid had made its landing. Known as the Flyscissors, it was a chimera Blox Zoid vaguely resembling a beetle crossed with some other sort of insect. Its pilot emerged and entered the hangar, approaching the duo unassumingly.

Shura looked to Phelix nervously. "I'll be damned, she's here! ...and just when I was about to get to the best part of the story... how's my hair look?"

"Let's put it this way, you'd be impossible not to pick out from a crowd." Phelix answered with a raised eyebrow.

Shura fluffed his long locks slightly. "My unique flair is always on point, great to hear!"

Once Shura and Phelix were within earshot, a woman mostly matching Shura's description gave a quick, "Hi, boys!" and put one finger on her lip. Both men rose from their chairs to greet her. "Good to see you again, dear." she said warmly, wrapping Shura in a warm hug, to which he returned the favor. "...and you? I don't believe we've met."

Phelix gave a quick salute. "You can call me Corporal Phelix Black, of the Guardian Force."

"Oh? Shura knows how to pick his friends, it appears. My name is Lieutenant Colonel Claudia Diamant, commanding officer of Rottiger, also of the Guardian Force." she said with a rather surprised tone, mirroring his salute.

The skunk-striped warrior gritted his teeth and thought to himself, wait... I've heard of her before... why didn't I make such an obvious connection? "Shura! Why didn't ya tell me you were dating such a high-ranking officer?"

"Well, y'see... it wasn't relevant to the story!" he replied confidently, tousling his purple mane.

Claudia gave a confused look. "...story?"

"Indeed!" Shura beamed, putting his hands on Claudia's shoulders. "I was just treating my trusted pal Phelix with the tale of how you and I became 'us'! It's only fair that I-"

Crossing her arms, Claudia interjected. "...and which version of the story were you telling him, Shura? The one where I instantly began fawning over you like a teen girl and his anime husbando?"

Shura blushed, grinned, and laughed nervously. "I... might've spiced things up a little..."

"Hah!" Phelix exclaimed, pumping his fist. "I knew he was adding the Violet touch... what really happened?"

Claudia pulled up one of the many office chairs scattered about near the PC as Shura and Phelix took their seats again. "It's fine... he loves to tell that story to everyone we meet." began the woman as she crossed her legs. "Honestly, it's mostly what he's saying... but I definitely didn't collapse into his arms after the first date! He seemed strange and offputting at first. He's lucky I'm a natural risk-taker; I only dated the guy to see where it would go."

Shura leaned towards her with a sly grin. "...but...?"

"...but... I can't say I'm not liking where it's going so far..." she sighed. "He's an enigma, I'll tell you that... I thought he'd turn out kinda lame, but eventually we just got used to each others' weird shit and decided to work off of that. He's got a charm of his own, y'know?"

Phelix laughed a bit. "Ma'am, I've known the fella since the third grade. I'm accustomed to that brand of 'charm' better than most."

"...and I might not say it as often as he'd have you believe, but he is kinda cute. Skinny-ass..." she complimented Shura, putting one arm around him somewhat aggressively.

"Y'did good, brother!" Phelix said, congratulating his friend. "So, I gotta ask... what got you so into this lady in the first place? You always seemed like the guy with incredibly discerning tastes."

Before Shura could answer, Claudia rose from her chair and leaned her body on Shura's. "Yeah, Shura... tell your friend what it is that you like about me so much?" she teased condescendingly. "Is it this soft, straight hair of mine...?" she asked, slowly running her fingers through it to the tips. "...or is it my big, fat ass?" she continued teasing Shura, hanging her tongue out as she placed her rather sizeable rear on his shoulders, bouncing in a manner that made his chair squeak as it neared its breaking point.

Blushing beet-red, Shura attempted to push her off and take to his feet. "Jeez, love...! What's with you?! Does everything you eat magically go straight to your ass?! The hell do you want?!" he inquired his better half, knowing she only acted this way when she was determined to make him do her bidding. He made sure to keep an aggressive stance in an attempt to hide his obvious arousal, but his smile was clearly showing through his straight face. Phelix could do little other than look on in awe. Is this chick serious?

"What do I want? You're the one who called me down here. We should look over our Zoids before heading out. Better safe than sorry, after all." she said stoically, before dipping into a more excited tone. "Besides... I totally wanna check out my Blade Liger!"

Per Claudia's request, the team rose up and traversed the hangar until they reached a darkened corner. Claudia and Phelix looked at each other and shrugged as Shura flipped a heavy lightswitch, activating three sets of spotlights with echoing clicks in almost rhythmic succession. The lights began to illuminate a Zoid, as Shura posed in front of it and began to proudly announce its reveal.

"Introducing... The Shield Liger Mark II... Shura Special! ...or SS, if that's too much of a mouthful. Before you is what appears to be a normal Mk. II variant Shield Liger... but it's not just any! This beauty is the culmination of five years of my efforts! The forelegs are equipped with weapon binders, which are pretty much the best weapons ever! They're the perfect compliment to its standard eight-shot missile pods! In addition, the Shura Shield has completed beta testing! This E-shield is a whopping four times the strength of a standard one, surpassing even the Gojulas Giga!"

"...that can't be good for the Zoid." whispered Phelix to Claudia as the violet warrior continued his grand announcement.

Shura ran his palm over the Liger's claws. "...and if that happens to fail? The armor itself has been reinforced, unfortunately at the cost of some speed... but ignore that, and gaze upon its lovely deep purple!"

Indeed, the Liger's normally white segments had been entirely painted over in a glossy dark violet, with a finish worthy of a hot rod. The color complimented its smoky canopy rather well. Shura crossed his arms in a satisfied manner. "...Soooo. You guys feelin' this kitty, or what?"

"It, uhh... it looks kinda goofy." said Phelix flatly.

Shura gritted his teeth. He'd known Phelix long enough to know that 'goofy' was his way of saying something was dumb... unappealing... not his style! Claudia nodded in agreement. "As if those guns on the forelegs didn't slow the poor thing down enough... the reinforced armor's gonna bring it close to fixed-weapon status. I'm gonna have to see this thing in action to believe it."

Shura forced his grin back onto his face. "Yeah, well... you're right! When I get behind the controls, prepare to reshape your opinions! In any case, this guy's loaded up and in working order, as is Phelix's Descat. My dear Claudia... how about paying your lovely Liger a visit?"

The agreed without hesitation, and Phelix didn't stay too far behind, eager to hear something that wasn't Shura gushing over his own Zoid. With a few more paces, they'd reached another generously shaded spot near the back. Shura repeated the process, grunting as he threw the metallic switch, prompting another set of lights. They weren't entirely oriented properly, and nearly blinded his teammates as he pushed one of them to the proper angle with a resounding creak.

"Ahem! Rounding out our unbeatable team is the Blade Liger Claudia Special..." he began, holding his hands out at the silver beast. "CS might be easier, come to think of it... this Zoid is instantly recognizable to anybody who's anybody, but I've poured my blood, sweat, and tears into modifying it to be the ultimate romantic gesture toward the woman who managed to capture my attention without trying! The namesake laser blades have been replaced entirely, by my own patent-pending Shura Blades!"

"Does this guy name everything he makes after himself?" said Claudia with half-closed eyes through her teeth.

Without even looking at her, Phelix answered plainly, "Every. Thing."

"...these new-and-improved blades are far more rigid, developed by yours truly after I studied old tournament footage where Blade Liger pilots often snapped their blades in two when the got too rough with 'em!" he proclaimed, outstreching his arms to pantomime the Liger's signature weaponry in action. "Made of a Zoid magnite alloy, these things can really take a punishing! Oh, and the teal coloration exhibited when they're active? It's actually purely aesthetic. I chose it to match your hairbands, Claudia!"

She couldn't help but smirk a bit at this detail. "I admit, I must commend your efforts on this Zoid, Shura. All this for someone you've only known a month?"

Striking a pose, Shura swished his mane with both hands. "Ah, but what better way to seal the deal?" he then got back to his overview, evoking a popular salesman of years past. "...but wait, there's more! If you take a closer look at the forelegs, you'll see that I've mounted weapon binders, which any top-tier Zoid warrior would probably consider to be something close to the best weapons ever!"

Claudia opened her mouth to protest, but Shura caught her reaction and reassured her, "It goes beyond that! These were meant specifically to address the Blade Liger's lack of any method of indirect fire! Matchup coverage is the name of my game, my love! ...and finally, if you'd take a closer look inside..."

The lion Zoid lowered its head, allowing the three of them to peek inward as the canopy folded open. Capturing their attention was the seat that the Zoid provided. It was less of a seat and more of a small throne, adorned with extravagant purple and gold trim. "This one's purely aesthetic, but it's a Shura Violet original! The throne cockpit has been designed not only to provide comfort during battle, but to accommodate those bangin' curves! ...and on either side, I've installed a powerful bass-boosted sound system."

Phelix leaned over, confused as to what purpose this might serve. "...Ehh?"

"Oh, didnt'cha know? The lady loves her hardcore rap music. It helps her get in the zone when it counts." he elaborated, running his hand over the seat.

Claudia couldn't help but express gratitude over the gift she'd been presented. "Aww, Shura... thank you! It looks like you've put a lot of time into this thing since I had my first go with him. You aren't exactly what every man should strive to be, but... I wholly appreciate this gesture, dear."

Shura blushed brightly and once again, reflexively ran his fingers through the back of his hair. "Yeah, well.. you know how I do."

Claudia laughed and gave a confident smirk. "Just don't think that means you have me in the bag so easily."

Shura's eyes grew wide at this statement. He chuckled nervously.

"You still need to learn the difference between the dating and relationship stages, sweetie." she explained. "...and that'll be your incentive for the tournament! How's that sound?"

Shura's smile returned with these words. "Sounds... like a plan! I, Shura Violet, will prove myself as the optimal choice for Claudia Diamant! Bet!"

Phelix raised his hand sarcastically as if he were in class. "Uhh, question, Mr. Violet? All of this looks kinda expensive, dont'cha think? How the hell are you gonna cover the venue fee?"

Shura jerked his head toward the black-and-white warrior, his expression unchanging from a beaming smile. "I'm glad you asked, dear Phelix. You see, I thought of this so far head of time that I..."

"That you what? Now I'm really curious." Phelix raised an eyebrow.

C'mon, Shura... rip the bandaid off... "...that I took the liberty of pooling our funds together to pay off our grand voyage!" he said quickly, striking a pose with his hands held high.

Claudia and Phelix's brows both furrowed as they bore their teeth. "...our funds?!" they growled in unison, staring down the nervous-looking Shura with balled fists.

"Take it easy, team... besides, when you join Violet Team, your belongings are joint property of the team as a whole! Sorry, should've read the fine print!" he protested, holding up his arms as though he were in the headlights of a cop car.

Phelix jerked Shura backwards by the hood of his jacket. "Fine print, huh? I was saving that up for a high-rise apartment, I'll have you know!"

"Hey, hey, hey!" retorted Shura, straightening his clothes. "You guys aren't the only ones shelling out here! I paid most of the venue fee, not to mention all those resources I poured into the black Blade Liger only to give it to my girl-"

Phelix craned his neck to get a better look at Claudia's new Zoid. "Okay, okay, point taken. I still have several questions... don't you mean the silver one?"

"Silver? That's the special Black Edition Blade Liger! Don't you remember when we got our hands on it?" said Shura with a slightly offended tone.

Phelix crossed his arms. "Yeah, well I don't get a damn what it's called. It's so obviously silver!"

"It clearly says 'black' on the side of the armor! Are you blind?!" retorted Shura, mirroring Phelix with crossed arms of his own.

While the best friends bickered, Claudia excused herself behind them and gripped the controls of some apparatus Shura had installed near each of the maintenance bays. She fiddled with a set of colored switches and began to hold down on the trigger. In response, a dark red mist began to spray over the Blade Liger.

"...Shura, my Zoid is black! My last name is Black! If there's anyone in this room with the qualification to identify that color, it's me!" Phelix shouted, leaning in even closer.

Shura noticed his friend's tone. Phelix very rarely raised his voice, so he knew the guy meant business at this point. Regardless, his hard-headedness was not about to let him cave in. "I see your point, but would text printed on the body of the very Zoid in question lie? I..." he trailed off, noticing something clearly missing from the equation. "...where is Claudia...?"

The arguing duo turned their heads slowly, all the way behind them, to see the Blade Liger completely redone in a deep maroon, gleaming with silver accents all over. "You like?" Claudia said with a smirk. "I figured it could use a power color like this to keep in line with our esteemed Violet Team, eh?" This oughta shut the boys up.

Inconceivable... she used my paint dispensers... "I-it's beautiful, Claudia... You've captured the very spirit of Violet Team!" he swooned, before giving Phelix a hug. "Apologies, friend! Now let's head out before we miss our departure! The lady's Zoid needs some fresh air to dry! As for the both of you... you need not worry about the money. On my honor as a Zoid warrior, we'll make it all back threefold with those sweet, sweet winnings!" He grabbed them both by their clothes and pulled forth, moving the subject past his... method of payment. Violet Team boarded their Zoids and made their way to the docks, finally ready to shove off and prove themselves.

"Impressive, indeed. Hard to believe the thing floats." remarked Phelix, looking on in near-disbelief at the First Resort, docked in all its glory, with his comrades in similar states of awe. The impossibly gargantuan watercraft blocked out a good portion of the skyline, and the trio was forced to crane the necks of their Zoids to even get a good look at its silver, rigid construction. Naturally, it was moved a great distance away from the actual docks so as not to hinder other ships and Zoids from their daily business. Instead, a wide retractable bridge could be seen extending from a well-worn steel apparatus to the First Resort, with a smaller bridge on the left for humans and luggage.

"Fit only for the waters of Planet Zi, my friends... Check it out! The competing Zoids are already being loaded on!" Shura exclaimed, pointing at a line of ant-shaped Zoids carrying several familiar mecha onto the boarding platform. "Those Askari really put in the work! That's Dr. Maethius' Zoids for ya!"

Claudia was giving the Descat a thorough look-over. "Say, Phelix? Where'd you get a Zoid like that? I thought the Descats were destroyed a long time ago."

Phelix laughed to himself in response. "Well, since you asked so nicely, Lieutenant Colonel... This guy's a reconstruction. What you're lookin' at is made from blueprints, old war records, and plain ol' memory. He doesn't pack the same punch as the OG was said to, but he's got a trick or two of his own."

"Come to think of it, Shura never went over your Zoid like he did ours. What all is it packing?" she inquired.

The Descat turned its head to the Shield Liger. "Hear that, Shura? The fair lady wants to see what my Descat is all about. There's still time before we actually board this big boy... whaddaya say we show, rather than tell?"

"Issuing me a challenge, eh? Game on!" said Shura, very obviously already fired up as the Shield Liger met the Descat's gaze with a low growl. "The field a few paces behind us, I assume?"

Phelix leaned forward, aligning each of his fingers perfectly onto his Zoid's controls. "Yeah, that's what I had in mind. Sure you wanna do this in front of the lady, brother? Your win/loss record in solo matches isn't exactly somethin' you'd wanna bring up." he taunted to his friend.

Shura closed his eyes and smiled. "Ah, Phelix... still clinging to those superficial numbers, are we? See, since our last bout, I've been specifically training to hard-counter your Zoid! This time's gonna be different, pal! Waaay different!"

Running his hand over his curled hair, Phelix shouted back, "There's the Shura I know! Now stop lecturing and show me what you've got!"

With that, both Zoids dashed backwards as though nothing but air was beneath their feet. Claudia giggled to herself lightly and turned the Blade Liger their way, so she could watch the bout and make sure they didn't damage anything too expensive.

"All right, all right!" Shura yelled as his Shield Liger's dual cannons folded out to the side while the Zoid roared at its opponent. "This conveniently-located field is now a designated Zoid battlefield! All non-combatants must leave the area! Shura Violet versus... Phelix Black!"

While Shura recited his ad-libbed version of the Judge robot's call, Phelix flicked a switch on his control panel that folded out the Descat's gravity bullet cannon. "Area scanned." he said with a confident smile.

Shura's Shield Liger looked side to side warily. "Battlefield set up."

Both Zoids dug their heels into the dirt as their respective pilots announced, "Ready... fight!"

Shura commanded his Zoid to leap backwards twice as he prepared his opening move. With his reticule locked squarely on the Descat, he began firing off his weapon binders in a burst of three. Six heavy missiles soared from the beast's forelegs and arced downward, impacting the ground hard enough to shake even Shura up a bit! However, when the resulting smoke dissipated... the Descat was nowhere to be seen!

Flinching in his cockpit, Shura expressed his disbelief at the missing Zoid. "Hey, hey, hey! Not cool! I can't even see you! Leaving the battlefield disqualifies you, I'll have you know!" The Shield Liger was frantically jerking its head back and forth.

"What ever do you mean, bro? I haven't gone too far." Phelix taunted, bracing the Descat for a cannon shot.

The Shield Liger crouched slightly. "What's this sorcery?!" its pilot fumed.

"Active camo, son! A Phelix Black original, in this case! Didja think you were the only one with personal mods? Please." Phelix rested his finger on the main weapon's trigger, closing one eye. "Here, kitty kitty!" he bellowed, pulling the trigger. A bright cyan beam shot from the cloaked Zoid's back-mounted cannon, illuminating the crowd that had gathered to spectate.

Shura gasped, jerking his Liger to the left for a narrow dodge. "...The hell was that?! Missing from that range... unbecoming!"

Noticing Shura's Liger start to drag towards the Descat, Phelix pumped his fist downward. "Did I really, brother? You didn't think the name 'gravity cannon' was for style points, eh?"

Indeed, the Shield Liger's body was drawn to the source of the beam. Shura pulled back hard on the controls, but to little avail. Whether he liked it or not, he'd been caught in the gravity field. Drawing closer with each second, he racked his brain for a way to turn this around, when an idea struck him square in the head. If I can't pull away... I'll just go with the flow.

Shura gave a lever on the left of his control panel a solid push. In response, four panels on the Shield Liger's mane folded open and a gleaming white shield of energy enveloped the Zoid. "Wrong move, I'm afraid! That lovely beam gave your position right away! At this level of strength, my shield won't have any problems eating through a layer of that gorgeous armor of yours! Prepare!"

With that, the Shield Liger barreled toward the Descat with its shield up, ready for a full-body charge! He'd done it, he'd finally broken his shameful one-versus-one losing streak... when a gruff voice rang out that made both fighters grind to a halt. "The fuck do you think you two are doing?! You goons can't wait til the First Resort sets off to battle, can you?!"

It came from one of the men directing the competitors and their Zoids onto the ship. "Go on somewhere, wouldja?! It's last call for boarding, and I don't care how much you paid, we ain't waitin' up for you!"

Shura and Phelix reluctantly loosened from their tense state, and folded away their Zoids' weapons with a sigh that trailed into a hearty laugh. "You heard the man. We'll settle this another time, fam!" declared the violet warrior.

While the two men argued over who was about to win that battle, Claudia looked on at them with endearment. "These two are gonna be a handful. Not unlike Rottiger... my job just isn't ever done, is it?"

As Violet Team had their three Zoids loaded onto the colossal ship, the winds seemed ever in their favor. Already having stoked the flames of competition, they couldn't have been more ready to take this tournament on. The boarding platform folded in with a whirr, and the trio waved farewell to dry land with the breeze in their hair. The competitive Zoids circuit was about to be shaken up on a grand scale!

"It's me, Phelix! Y'know, normally, I'd still be pissed at Shura for digging into my bank, but I gotta admit, this is one sweet ship we got here. Top of the line rooms, a battle arena unlike any other, and even some sunbathing ladies to... add to the scenery. And the competition seems... kinda strange. I mean, some rich guy claiming to be a king? You can't be serious... and who's that pink-haired freak taggin' along with him? Either way you look at it, we're up against them as our first match. Descat and I have been itching to show off our... wait, what? What do you mean I'm not in on this action? Oh, well...Next time on Zoids, 'A Man Destined To Be King!' See ya on the battlefield! Better show 'em what you got, guys."