Bit Cloud climbed to the top of the Blitz Team base and sat on the edge,
swinging his legs. The sun was setting, painting the mesas and canyons with
a filmy red light. The zoids were in the hangar below, turned off.
Except for the Liger Zero. Liger never seemed to be turned off, he was always a nagging presence in the back of Bit's mind. His blonde hair was blown by the wind, but he sat still, like a statue. So far, in the three years he had fought for the Blitz Team, no one had found his spot.
The sun hovered for a moment, like an orb of liquid fire, before it sank below the horizon. The stars popped out, into the dark sky. Bit sighed as he rested his chin in his hand. Liger Zero. Why had Liger chosen him, an untrained, untried junk dealer to pilot the Ultimate X?
Bit grinned slightly at a memory. Whenever he talked to the Liger Zero and got messages from it, people stared at him like he was insane. The messages from the Liger weren't words; they were images of color and light, showing the massive zoid's emotions.
The Liger was puzzled; why was he having these sad thoughts? He focused on that part of strength at the back of his mind that was Liger and sent the memory to the zoid.
The rain pounded on the cement sidewalk as Bit ran, his worn tennis shoes slapping the pavement. He had to get there in time, he had to!
A scrap of a faded jean jacket caught his eye. "AETHON!" he screamed. His younger brother, blonde hair plastered to his forehead with red blood, was sprawled there. Bit knelt and pulled his brother onto his lap, cradling his dying body.
Athon's lips were moving faintly; Bit leaned down, listening desperately. "Bit." He whispered. "Sorry." Aethon rolled over and plunged off the bridge.
Down, down, down into the roiling, wild night. A faint splash, a choked scream, a cry of death. The rain dripped down Bit's face, mingling with tears. Hot rage boiled in his blood. He threw his head back and howled, howled his rage and pain, sorrow and loss, into that strangled, desperate scream.
Bit finished sending the memory and listened for Liger's reply. A warm blue- green wave rolled through his head; Liger was comforting him. Bit grinned. "Thanks, buddy."
He stood and walked to the dark hatchway that led down into the hangar. Bit leaped into the hole, landing in a crouch on the floor. Jamie's voice echoed over the com-system. "BIIITT! DINNER!" Bit licked his lips, grinned, and bounded up to the rafters.
He slithered into the venting and stopped at the grating, looking down into the dining room. Leena was chowing down, eating the food in great gulps. Bit quickly pulled a paperclip out of his pocket, bent the end, and began using it to unscrew the grating. (AN: This really works.)
He pocketed the clip and screws, lifted the grating, and flipped his upper body out, hanging by his knees. Bit's gaze flicked to the other wall, the Blitz Team was oblivious to the Ultimate X pilot five feet above their heads.
Bit dug his fingers into a crack and leaped to the corner, screwing the grate in on his way. He watched them eat and coughed quietly. "Ahem." Jamie turned around and shrieked, falling backwards.
Leena stared. Bit was wedged in the corner of the ceiling, sitting quite comfortably. "What are you, Spiderman?!" Jamie shrieked. Bit shrugged, "No. I just got in from the venting. Burglary skills get rusty if you don't use them enough."
Brad couldn't resist. "How'd you learn that? You can't even learn not to steal Leena's cookies." Bit said quietly, "I know a lot more than you think, Hunter. I have memories that would send the strongest man into a madness from which there would be no redemption." With those chilling words, he sprang like a leopard from the corner, pushed off the wall, and disappeared into the vents. The Blitz Team stared at each other. "What was that all about?"
Bit sat quietly in his small room, waiting for his contact to reach him. The laptop in the corner bleeped, as he stood and flipped the screen up. "New job." The man hidden in shadows said roughly.
Bit grinned. "Really?" His features hardened as he slipped into his business mode. "Spill." The man gulped and began talking in a fierce steady stream. "Target is coordinates 852W, 276S. Zoid is a Genosaurer, standard paint job and weaponry. Pay will be 50,000. Your next job will be a collaboration with X."
The Blitz Team, watching through the camera hidden in the ceiling, was confused. What was this guy talking about? Bit sighed. "Genosaurer? You have got to start getting harder targets. This one seems like it'll be an hour and a half, tops."
The man nodded and went off the air as Bit looked up at the camera. His face stretched in a vicious grin as he leaped upwards, hanging from the ceiling with his countenance filling the screen. "I know you heard that. But I would advise you not to meddle with my affairs."
His hand came up and ripped the camera from the wires. Dimly Bit could hear Jamie's cursing from down the hall. He ran a hand through his hair and sent a message to Liger. Buddy? Keep the others from following me while I finish up this job, 'kay? The colors stilled and became orange; Liger was saying sure.
Thanks partner. Bit slid out of his vest and began gathering his stuff together. He strapped the black pouch around his waist and leaped out the window, into the roiling wild night.
TBC?
Except for the Liger Zero. Liger never seemed to be turned off, he was always a nagging presence in the back of Bit's mind. His blonde hair was blown by the wind, but he sat still, like a statue. So far, in the three years he had fought for the Blitz Team, no one had found his spot.
The sun hovered for a moment, like an orb of liquid fire, before it sank below the horizon. The stars popped out, into the dark sky. Bit sighed as he rested his chin in his hand. Liger Zero. Why had Liger chosen him, an untrained, untried junk dealer to pilot the Ultimate X?
Bit grinned slightly at a memory. Whenever he talked to the Liger Zero and got messages from it, people stared at him like he was insane. The messages from the Liger weren't words; they were images of color and light, showing the massive zoid's emotions.
The Liger was puzzled; why was he having these sad thoughts? He focused on that part of strength at the back of his mind that was Liger and sent the memory to the zoid.
The rain pounded on the cement sidewalk as Bit ran, his worn tennis shoes slapping the pavement. He had to get there in time, he had to!
A scrap of a faded jean jacket caught his eye. "AETHON!" he screamed. His younger brother, blonde hair plastered to his forehead with red blood, was sprawled there. Bit knelt and pulled his brother onto his lap, cradling his dying body.
Athon's lips were moving faintly; Bit leaned down, listening desperately. "Bit." He whispered. "Sorry." Aethon rolled over and plunged off the bridge.
Down, down, down into the roiling, wild night. A faint splash, a choked scream, a cry of death. The rain dripped down Bit's face, mingling with tears. Hot rage boiled in his blood. He threw his head back and howled, howled his rage and pain, sorrow and loss, into that strangled, desperate scream.
Bit finished sending the memory and listened for Liger's reply. A warm blue- green wave rolled through his head; Liger was comforting him. Bit grinned. "Thanks, buddy."
He stood and walked to the dark hatchway that led down into the hangar. Bit leaped into the hole, landing in a crouch on the floor. Jamie's voice echoed over the com-system. "BIIITT! DINNER!" Bit licked his lips, grinned, and bounded up to the rafters.
He slithered into the venting and stopped at the grating, looking down into the dining room. Leena was chowing down, eating the food in great gulps. Bit quickly pulled a paperclip out of his pocket, bent the end, and began using it to unscrew the grating. (AN: This really works.)
He pocketed the clip and screws, lifted the grating, and flipped his upper body out, hanging by his knees. Bit's gaze flicked to the other wall, the Blitz Team was oblivious to the Ultimate X pilot five feet above their heads.
Bit dug his fingers into a crack and leaped to the corner, screwing the grate in on his way. He watched them eat and coughed quietly. "Ahem." Jamie turned around and shrieked, falling backwards.
Leena stared. Bit was wedged in the corner of the ceiling, sitting quite comfortably. "What are you, Spiderman?!" Jamie shrieked. Bit shrugged, "No. I just got in from the venting. Burglary skills get rusty if you don't use them enough."
Brad couldn't resist. "How'd you learn that? You can't even learn not to steal Leena's cookies." Bit said quietly, "I know a lot more than you think, Hunter. I have memories that would send the strongest man into a madness from which there would be no redemption." With those chilling words, he sprang like a leopard from the corner, pushed off the wall, and disappeared into the vents. The Blitz Team stared at each other. "What was that all about?"
Bit sat quietly in his small room, waiting for his contact to reach him. The laptop in the corner bleeped, as he stood and flipped the screen up. "New job." The man hidden in shadows said roughly.
Bit grinned. "Really?" His features hardened as he slipped into his business mode. "Spill." The man gulped and began talking in a fierce steady stream. "Target is coordinates 852W, 276S. Zoid is a Genosaurer, standard paint job and weaponry. Pay will be 50,000. Your next job will be a collaboration with X."
The Blitz Team, watching through the camera hidden in the ceiling, was confused. What was this guy talking about? Bit sighed. "Genosaurer? You have got to start getting harder targets. This one seems like it'll be an hour and a half, tops."
The man nodded and went off the air as Bit looked up at the camera. His face stretched in a vicious grin as he leaped upwards, hanging from the ceiling with his countenance filling the screen. "I know you heard that. But I would advise you not to meddle with my affairs."
His hand came up and ripped the camera from the wires. Dimly Bit could hear Jamie's cursing from down the hall. He ran a hand through his hair and sent a message to Liger. Buddy? Keep the others from following me while I finish up this job, 'kay? The colors stilled and became orange; Liger was saying sure.
Thanks partner. Bit slid out of his vest and began gathering his stuff together. He strapped the black pouch around his waist and leaped out the window, into the roiling wild night.
TBC?