Disclaimer: I don't own Zoids. Wish I did, but alas, it is not so.
Team Phantom
Chapter 1: Beginnings
This is a story. My life story as a Zoids pilot and how my team helped save the world. This journey is not for the faint of heart, so read on only if you can make it to the end.
It all started when a group of bandits attacked my village when I was about ten years old. Most of the families had a Zoid, if only to help with transporting goods or around the farms. A few had Zoids to protect our humble little village. My family was one of them. Andrew, my best friend since we were in diapers, was playing a game with a couple of other kids when the bandits struck. My father and Andrew's father took the families Zoids out to battle them, a Saber Fang and Shield Liger respectively. During the battle my father's Zoid took a serious hit to the main body. I could feel the Zoid's pain, it was overwhelming. My mother ran out to make sure my father was alright when my worst nightmare came true, a stray shot from the bandits hit the Saber Fang's cockpit and killed both of my parents. I couldn't believe my eyes, I could only stare at where my parents where last at, not even breathing. Shortly thereafter, the bandits where driven away and everyone took stock of what was left. Andrew's parents took me in and raised me as their own. Then one day after I turned 17 it happened………….
"Cycludo, Andrew, can you come here please?" asked Andrew's mom.
"Sure thing mom," Andrew answered.
"What's up?" I asked.
"Well, I think it is time for you, Cy, to receive the gift your parents were saving till you got old enough." Mom answered. (I started calling his parents mom and dad after a few months to show the respect and thanks I had for raising me)
"Cool what is it?" I asked.
"Well, come with me and I will show you." She answered.
So we started walking toward the hanger we had for all the Zoids and when we got there Andrew's dad joined us.
"Here come over here." Dad said.
He took us to a previously unknown part of the hanger that Andrew and I never noticed.
"Here it is Cy, your gift from your parents." Dad said wit ha huge grin on his face.
It was unbelievable, and what I wanted more then anything else, my own Zoid. And one of the rarer breeds as well, a Blitz Tiger. And it was all mine.
"this is for me?" I asked, unable to believe my eyes.
"Yes, it is all yours, registered under your name and everything." Mom said.
"Wow, this is awesome. I can't believe my parents were able to keep this a secret from me. But, why didn't my father use it since it has more power then our old Saber Fang?" I wondered out loud.
"Well, the thing is, Cy, this is your Saber Tiger, reborn. It evolved shortly after your parents were killed. They were just going to give you the Saber Fang, but after they were killed, it evolved during the night into the Blitz Tiger and we had to move it so you two wouldn't find it. We are sorry for keeping it from you this long but it was what your parents would have wanted." explained Dad.
"And we have a surprise for you too, Andrew. We are giving you the Shield Liger." said Mom.
"Wow, you know what this means Cy?" asked Andrew.
"Yeah, it means we can finally start a team and compete in Zoids battles." I shouted excitedly. "Let's go for a run in our Zoids."
"Sure let's go." Andrew said.
It has been ten years since that day. A lot has happened. Andrew's Shield Liger evolved into a Blade Liger and we both have girlfriends that are also team mates. We have a mercenary and his wife on our team along with a couple of other warriors that liked what they saw in us. We are now the Team Phantom. All of our Zoids are painted black with boosters and optic camouflage. Our team includes me piloting Blaze, my Blitz Tiger; Andrew and his Blade Liger; Kerrigan, my girlfriend with her Konig Wolf DSR; Juno, Andrew's wife with a Shield Liger DCS-J; Tallus, the merc with a Gojulas Giga Cannon; his wife Zeo, with a Lightning Saix; Gokudo with his Griffin; and Kira and his Geno Breaker. How he got his hands on a Geno Saurer and got it to evolve, we don't know, but we're glad he's on our side. The girls all deal with the cooking and cleaning of our base while Kerrigan also handles the fiancés of our team. I am the leader with Andrew my second in command, so if I go down in battle he can take over during the battle. Tallus has been talking about dropping his mercenary title and signing on as a full time warrior. And we are currently waiting for the next Royal Cup to get to Class S. This is all a about 5 years before the Blitz team goes to Class S. I am meaning to use our victory in the Royal Cup to propose to Kerrigan and make her my wife.
"Well team we are just a few days away from the day we have been waiting for. Are yall ready for this?" I asked.
"Yes." They chorused back to me.
"Then let's have a practice battle to get ready then shall we?" Andrew suggested.
"Yes, lets. And hopefully some of us won't get caught up in the moment and forget this is training practice, not an actual battle." said Tallus with a pointed look in my direction.
"What? Why are you looking at me like that?" I asked. "So I get a little carried away sometimes. You all know how much I love Zoids and battling."
"Yeah, that's why we are saying it." said Kerrigan. "Last time we did this I almost lost my rifles and you almost shot one of the wings off Gokudo's Griffin. I mean, come on, it's not that hard to pull blows up. You do know how to have fun, right?"
"Of course I know how to have fun. I am having fun right now." I replied as I leapt towards her and started tickling her. "Are you having fun?"
"Yes, pl…please stop. I give. I give." She gasped thought laughter. Everyone was laughing at how red her face was getting from laughing.
"Alright you two, stop horsing around and lets get started." Said Kira, as always being the first one to be serious again and not forget what we had to do.
"Right, lets go." I said finally releasing Kerrigan from her torture.
"I'll get you back for that Cy, I promise." She said, still trying to catch her breath.
"So long as its you I pay too I don't mind." I replied.
We all got in to our Zoids shortly thereafter and jumped out of our Whale King combined base/hanger/living quarters. We figured that since we were a decent sized team we would just get a Whale and use it for everything we needed. We stared off the practice with runs to stretch our Zoids legs, and in the Griffin's case, wings. Then we had Kerrigan and Juno find a sniping point for their Zoids while the rest of us practiced using our attacks.
"Alright, Gokudo, you need to sharpen your turns and dives. You're slowing down and becoming a better target. And you're a little off on your bombing runs." I said.
"Roger that." He responded.
"Cy check your calibration on your Volt Cannon, it looked off to me, and try turning into which ever blade is doing the cutting for more cut time." Andrew told me.
"Right, thanks for the tip" I replied.
"Hey Zeo, you might want to look at your boosters after this, I noticed your acceleration was down from last weeks." Kira suggested.
"Ok, and your getting better at attacking while on the move. I haven't seen you as accurate as before." answered Zeo.
"Thanks." He replied.
"Ok we are in position Cy, and Tallus, you need to try to get a little father away from your target. You are close enough where they would still be able to see you targeting them." Kerrigan called out.
"Roger that." I told her. "Alright guys, now we need to move around a lot so they can practice their sniping."
Everyone started moving around at ¾ their top speed while Kerrigan and Juno started firing paint shells at us.
"Your tagged Andrew. Fall back and wait till its our turn." I said
"Roger." He replied.
As time went on, they got better at hitting moving targets and constantly moving around so we couldn't tell where the next shot was going to come from. Finally they tagged all of us and Andrew and I squared off.
"Ready for our training, Cy?" he asked me.
"I was born ready." I replied with a grin.
We both deployed our blades and proceeded to circle each other. Everyone settled back to watch. Suddenly we charged at each other full speed and blades glowing. The blades clashed together and we jumped apart only to charge again. This continued for about fifteen minutes when Juno fired her Shock Cannon at us. That was our cue to use optic camouflage for more of a challenge. Everyone else only saw occasional flashes and heard our blades clashing together till suddenly we reappeared with blades against both of our Zoid's necks.
"It's a tie. Wow, your getting pretty good at using those blades Cy." Andrew commented.
"Thanks, you have gotten better at turning and dodging." I responded in kind.
"Wow, you guys are insane. How can yall do that without hurting each other?" wondered Zeo.
"Simple, we trust each other totally. We have done this for years, ever since Andrew's Shield Liger evolved to a Blade." I answered. "Alright team, lets go back to the Whale, get some dinner, and then get some rest for the next few days. We are going to need it for the Cup."
"Roger that." They responded.
"Last one there does dishes!" shouted Zeo as she took off at top speed, breaking though the sound barrier before any of us could even move.
"Oh, that's so unfair." stated Tallus. "She knows she'll win , and I am the slowest, that's why she does this every now and then. Evil woman." He finished with a loving look in his face.
"Hahaha, don't worry Tallus, I'll help you out tonight." laughed Kira.
Dkiller: Next chapter is where we fight in the Royal Cup after working for it for years. As to the time gap, I didn't want to bore yall with five years worth of getting started and boring Class C and Class B battles. You'll see plenty of Class S battles though, all leading up to the final fight in Dragon-Raptors fanfic, Zoids: Ancient Legacies. I definitely recommend reading it as well. And I do have his permission to do what I am planning to do, so you can't sue me. Please R&R, some flames welcome, just keep it clean please.