The mysterious Lunar Cat had the entire battle commission talking. When the battle commission heard about the Lunar Cat they knew they had to see what the zoid could do in person. Usagi was asked to put the Lunar Cat through her paces in front of the Zoid Battle Commission and the massive Ultrasaurus. And once the battle commission saw what the Lunar Cat was capable of they revised their plans for dealing with the Backdraft Group. The plan to prevent the Backdraft from taking over the battle commission now included the Lunar Cat.
Usagi soon found herself on the front lines in the battle against the Backdraft Group. The battle commission had figured a rare zoid like the Lunar Cat would make the perfect secret weapon against the Backdraft. The pair was soon out scouting the landscape for any signs of illegal Backdraft activity. The Backdraft had yet to attempt anything. They had yet to encounter a zoid they were willing to risk everything they owned for.
********
The Blitz team was an average Class A team. Run by Dr. Steve Toros the Blitz team had four members. There were the Doc's two children his son Leon and his daughter Leena. Then there was the son of his best friend Jamie Hemeros and the mysterious Brad Hunter. Most of the time Leon, Leena, and Brad would be the ones to go into battle with their Zoids and on certain occasions Jamie would stand in for one of them when their was an air opponent. The Blitz team was good but they needed a miracle if they ever wanted to advance to the higher ranks in Class A.
The Doc, as everyone called him, thought he had that miracle when he was offered a zoid a severely discounted price. But that so called miracle was quickly turned into a nightmare when the Liger Zero became nothing more than a huge statue gathering dust. No one on the team could control the Liger Zero when they attempted to pilot the zoid. And so the Blitz team let a perfectly good zoid sit in the hanger of the Toros ranch. The white zoid remained a great mystery waiting for the right pilot to come along and unlock its hidden potential.
The day the Blitz team and the Liger Zero had been waiting for came when a zoid parts salvager accidentally interrupted a battle the Blitz team was in against the Tigers team. Bit Cloud had wandered onto the battlefield hoping to get some good parts to sell for cash when the battle was over. But instead of getting the parts that he wanted Bit's cloaked truck was too close to the action and ended up tripping Leon's Shield Liger causing damage to the zoid and to Leon. Leon was lucky to walk away with a lump on his head and a sprained shoulder and wrist as well as a few minor cuts and bruises.
Bit had tried to apologize for what had happened but when he went to the Toros ranch he was captured and met face to face with Leena's very short temper. After being tied up and fed dinner Bit was left in the hanger of the ranch alone with the zoids. And that's when it happened. That's when Bit Cloud met the Liger Zero. The zoid had reached out to Bit and invited him inside his cockpit. At first Bit didn't know what to make of it but once he was inside the zoid Bit felt as though he had a connection with Liger. Bit could swear he could actually hear the Liger Zero speak to him.
Bit soon found himself in the middle of a battle once again and after helping the handicapped Blitz team to a win against the Tigers team. Leon watched the battle from his father's Hovercargo and knew there was something special about both Bit and the Liger Zero. And in order to test that theory Leon let Bit take his place against one of the best long-range shooters. Naomi Fluegle, the Red Comet, and her red Gunsniper were considered the best in long range shooting. No one ever knew where Naomi placed herself during a battle until they were hit by one of her shots from her tail gun. No one had been able to defeat her in battle that is until she met up with one Bit Cloud. Bit was the only person to ever defeat Naomi.
After the win against the Fluegle team Leon decided to go it alone and find his own partner like the Liger Zero. Leon had heard Bit's tales of being on his own and his dream of finding the perfect zoid partner and outfitting it with the best parts he could find. Leon wanted that for himself. He knew if he were to be the beat warrior he could be he needed to be on his own and experience the world. And with that Leon Toros left the Blitz team
Bit thought things couldn't get any better. After meeting up with Harry Champ a rich spoiled warrior who thought money could buy him the perfect team Bit thought nothing could go wrong. That was until the day he met head on with Leena's temper. It was on that day that the Blitz team was formally introduced to the Backdraft Group.
********
Usagi was on her own now. Her only companions during her mission to find the Backdraft Group were Luna, Artimes, and her zoid the Lunar Cat. Usagi had been following a lead on the Backdraft Group's premier team the Gold team. The Gold team had been involved in some suspicious battles during recent months and the battle commission wanted them followed. The Gold team's main zoid was the Hellcat. The Gold team had three Hellcats in their possession and every one of them had stealth capabilities. This was going to be the first real test for the Lunar Cat.
The valiant little group had been keeping out of sight ever since they spotted the Gold team's Whale King transport. The Gold tam hadn't interfered in any battles yet but they were involved in stealing zoids and illegally registering them to the Backdraft Group. And on this day they were doing just that. The Hellcats and their leader had come across a Heldigunner and a Godos that appeared to had been damaged in battle. But Usagi knew the truth. The Gold team had used a large electro ball to take out the two zoids and now they were going to add them to their vast collection of zoids.
"Those four are up to no good guys. Did you see the size of that ball they used in those zoids?" Usagi said assessing the situation.
"We should hang low and see how the situation plays itself out." Luna suggested.
"Right." Usagi replied.
********
Bit had been out doing what he did best scavenging for parts and came back to the ranch tired and dirty. All he ever wanted to do was take a long hot shower. Bit had returned to the ranch and was met by Jamie in the hanger.
"So Bit how did it go out there?" Jamie asked him.
"Not good. I've gone over the same section of the desert three times now. All the best parts are gone. I'm going to have to change locations if I'm ever going to find any good parts." Bit said.
"Doc called a meeting about our next opponents. He wanted me to tell him when you got back. Everyone else is waiting for you in the lounge." Jamie informed him.
With that Bit and Jamie went into the lounge and saw Brad spread out on the sectional. Brad saw Bit enter the room and greeted him in the usual way.
"So Bit you finally decide to grace us with your presence." Brad said.
"Where are the Doc and Leena?" Jamie wanted to know.
"They got tired of waiting." Brad told him.
Bit just shrugged his shoulders and began pulling off his shirt. Brad gave the newbie a look that said he really didn't care what Bit did.
"Well if they're not here then they can just wait a few minutes while I go take a shower." Bit announced as he pulled off his shoes and socks and pants.
Brad looked at Bit as though he had a death wish when he mentioned he was going to take a shower. Picking up Bit's shirt Jamie sighed as Brad tried to warn the newbie.
"Bit I don't think you should go in there." Brad said.
"You don't have to fold my clothes because they got real dirty out there." Bit told Jamie.
"But Bit..." Brad warned him once more.
Bit didn't listen to Brad and walked into the bathroom only to come face to face with Leena and her dangerous temper.
"Bit!" Leena yelled at him from the bathroom.
"Honest Leena I didn't know you were in there." Bit tried to explain.
"Looks like someone didn't check the schedule again." Jamie said with a sigh as he put the now folded clothes on the couch.
"I tried to tell him." Brad commented.
Things began to heat up when Bit burst out of the bathroom with only his towel wrapped around his waist. A few short moments later Leena came rushing out after him in her robe hoisting the bathtub over her head. Leena had lost control of her temper once again.
"You get back here Bit Cloud!" Leena yelled as she chucked the tub out the door of the lounge.
"Whoa she's mad." Brad commented before going back to sleep on the couch.
With that said Leena bolted out the door still dressed in her robe to go after Bit.
********
The Zoid Warrior
Episode Two: The Invisible Cats
********
Bit had commandeered one of the Jeeps in the hanger and tried to escape from Leena's wrath. But Leena had commandeered Jamie's Pteras and was currently firing on Bit. The Pteras connected with the Jeep and blew it up. The only thing other than then Bit that survived the attack was the towel around his waist, which popped up into the air and floated down to the ground. With a satisfied laugh Leena decided to burn off some steam and go for a quick flight while Bit returned to the ranch.
Usagi had seen what had happened and figured the pilot of the Pteras had to be pretty mad at the towel-wearing driver of the Jeep to blow it up. The driver of the Jeep, after retrieving his towel, trudged back in the direction he came from. Usagi figured the pilot of the Pteras would do the same but the zoid continued to head in the direction of the Gold team. Nervously Usagi watched the scene unfold itself.
As Leena continued on her flight the sun struck something metallic. The female warrior decided to check it out and was greeted by the sight of a group of men working on two zoids. Leena didn't realize she was being watched off in the distance her only concern was the men and the two zoids.
"That's a Godos and a Heldigunner down there." Leena commented.
Down below the leader of the group a man with very odd shaped sunglasses named Major Pulta saw the Pteras and wanted it for their own.
"Gold team, take your Hellcats in stealth mode and shoot down that Pteras and bring it to me." Pulta ordered his men.
The three members of the Gold team got into their Hellcats and went into stealth mode. Soon the invisible zoids were firing on the Pteras managing to bring it down. From her vantage point Usagi was too far away to do anything fast enough to stop them from taking the Pteras and its pilot. The young zoid warrior decided to follow the Gold team and wait to make any sort of move.
"Okay girl we're going to have to be real quiet and not cause any unwanted attention." Usagi said.
The Lunar Cat purred in response letting Usagi know she would listen to her before heading off.
********
The veteran members of the Blitz team knew Leena would sometimes go and blow off some steam. But it was unlike her to be gone for the amount of time she was. And not only was Leena gone but the Pteras was gone as well. Jamie was not taking things very well because he cherished his zoid.
"This isn't like Leena to be gone for this long." Doc said going into worried father mode.
"Leena likes to go out and blow off some steam but I don't think she's done something like this." Brad commented filling Bit in.
The Blitz team was about to go out and look for Leena and the Pteras when an incoming transmission came over the view screen. Dr. Toros pressed a button on the command console and soon the members of the Blitz team were face to face with Major Pulta of the Gold team. The man in the odd sunglasses was sitting behind a desk with his gloved hands intertwined and resting on the desktop.
"Greetings Blitz team, allow me to introduce myself. I am Major Pulta of the Backdraft Group's Gold team. I have something in my possession that just might interest you. You see we came across one of your teammates. You can have her back only if you agree to battle against the Gold team and win." Pulta told the shocked Blitz team.
Dr. Toros suddenly went from being a worried parent to flat out irate. His face got a hard look to it and he glared at Major Pulta. Jamie on the other hand began worrying about his zoid.
"My poor Pteras. Oh my poor Pteras. My poor, poor Pteras." Jamie said crying over his missing zoid in a corner of the command room.
"I won't agree to any battles until I see my daughter." Doc demanded.
"That's only fair." Pulta said, "Bring the prisoner to me." He told a subordinate.
With that the Blitz team was given the insult of all insults and put on hold with a please wait graphic on the view screen.
"The Backdraft Group who are they?" Bit wondered taking advantage of the lull.
"They're an organization that cheats during zoid battles in order to win." Brad explained.
"That sure sounds dishonest." Bit commented.
The graphic on the screen was soon replaced with the sight of a very messed up looking Pulta who didn't seem very happy.
"As you can see we're having a few minor problems." Pulta said as the sound of Leena's yelling and screaming could be heard in the background.
"Alright what are your conditions?" Doc demanded to know.
"Simple the battle will be three on three no rules. You win the girl goes free. We win and we get to keep the zoid we found with her and the girl." Pulta said.
"We'll do it." Doc told him.
Bit had never seen the Doc look so angry before. His face had a hard edge to it and if looks could kill they would. Jamie on the other hand just let out another moan over his missing zoid.
"Count me out." Brad said, "I don't fight in a battle without any prize money."
"But this is Leena we're talking about." Bit reasoned with him.
********
Leena was locked up tight in one of the containment cells on the Whale King. Major Pulta had ordered his troops to keep a watch over Leena so she wouldn't try and escape from the cell. The short-tempered zoid warrior didn't exactly like the idea of being caged up and began screaming and yelling to be let out of the cell. And when plan old lungpower didn't seem to work Leena resorted to kicking and pounding on the cell door.
"Quiet in there!" the guard yelled through the door.
"Let me out of here!" Leena yelled as she continued to pound on the door.
The only thing Leena's pounding and kicking accomplished was a few dents in the door. And after ten solid minutes of nothing but kicking, screaming, and pounding Leena stopped due to exhaustion and decided to come up with a new game plan. One way or another Leena was going to break out.
********
Usagi sat in front of the campfire mentally beating herself up for not doing something about the Gold team earlier that day. She let them get away with stealing a zoid and taking its pilot hostage. There was no telling what the Gold team leader Major Pulta would do to the hostage. And as she sat in front of the fire Usagi let out a sigh and poked at the logs with a long stick.
"I blew it out there guys." Usagi said to the cats.
"Usagi you didn't know they would do something like that. Given the situation I'd say you did the right thing." Luna told her.
"Luna's right Usagi you did do the right thing. It takes guts to do what you did. Had you tried to do something you could have made the situation even worse. Besides we can always bust in there and rescue that pilot in the morning." Artimes added.
"I guess so but this is the first time I've ever had to deal with someone from the Backdraft Group. Heck this will be the first battle I ever get myself into to. I don't know if I can do it." Usagi said.
With that the Lunar Cat let out a low soft growl and her eyes began to glow. Usagi looked up at her partner and knew what the zoid was trying to tell her.
"As long as you believe in yourself and your skills as a pilot you can do anything. Besides I believe in you." Usagi heard the Lunar Cat say in her head.
Looking up at the Cat Usagi got a smile on her face and began to feel better about the situation.
"You're right Cat I just need to believe in myself more." Usagi said.
********
The Blitz team had spent the night preparing for the upcoming battle against the Gold team. And since the Pteras was currently in the possession of the Gold team Jamie was resigned to piloting Leena's zoid the Dibison. After recovering from his fit over his missing zoid and the fact that Leena took the Pteras without telling him Jamie began working on a strategy for the battle and familiarizing himself with the controls of the Dibison. With the zoids loaded into the Hovercargo the Blitz team was ready to head out to the coordinates of the upcoming battle.
The Hovercargo arrived at the sight of the battle an area of desert with a rock formation that overlooked a large barren expanse perfect for holding zoid battles. As the remaining members of the Blitz team went to mobilize the zoids the Whale King positioned itself for the battle, within range but far enough away so it would not be damaged. Bit, Jamie, and Brad exited the Hovercargo one by one and when all three zoids were out Brad made for the rock formation that overlooked the battlefield. Bit saw Brad leaving and radioed him over the com system.
"Where are you going?" Bit wanted to know.
"I told you I don't take part in a battle unless there's prize money involved." Brad replied before terminating the connection.
With that Bit shrugged off Brad's comment and got his mind back on the battle that was about to take place in a few moments.
********
Usagi woke to the sounds of the Whale King leaving its current location. Grabbing the cats she hopped into the Lunar Cat and set off following the Whale King. If they were going to rescue the pilot of the downed Pteras then they had to make their move soon before it became too late. Staying well far back so as not to be spotted but not too far back that they couldn't see the Whale King Usagi and the Lunar Cat continued to follow the Whale King out of the forest and onto the vast deserts. Usagi watched as the Whale King stopped and positioned itself a good distance from a large blue cargo ship.
Looking over the area where the Whale King had stopped Usagi saw an out of the way rock formation overlooking the entire area between the Whale King and the cargo ship. As she looked for a way to get to the rock formation unnoticed Usagi saw three zoids leave the cargo ship. One of the zoids broke away from the other two and headed in the direction of the rock formation. Usagi figured the pilot wasn't going to be taking part in the battle between the Hellcats and the team from the cargo ship. Keeping well out of sight Usagi went to join the pilot of the blue Command Wolf on the rock face to observe the battle that was about to take place.
********
Brad stood by his earlier decision to not get involved in an unsanctioned battle. The Doc had come to Brad the night before with an interesting proposition in order to get the pilot of the Command Wolf to partake in the battle. He figured since Brad didn't take part in battles where no prize money was offered he would give him Bit's share of the prize money from their next win. It was only fair since Bit was partially responsible for Leena's capture by the Gold team. Brad was tempted to take the Doc up on his offer but he decided to stick by his principles. The Doc however, kept the offer on the table with the promise that Brad would get the prize money the moment he stepped into the battle.
Brad knew if he was forced to help Bit and Jamie out during the battle he could do so with a clear conscience. The Doc's offer would be considered accepted the moment the Command Wolf stepped onto the area designated for the battle. It didn't matter at what point in the battle it occurred as long as the Command Wolf was on the battlefield during the battle. And so Brad stopped the Command Wolf on the rock face and got out to watch the battle.
As Brad got out of the Command Wolf on the rock face overlooking the battlefield a zoid joined him on the rock face. Brad looked behind himself to see a white zoid he had never seen before. The zoid stopped next to the Command Wolf and a young blonde woman hopped out of the cockpit. She was wearing a pink outfit that consisted of a cropped sleeveless Chinese styled shirt and a pair of hip hugging shorts with pink leather riding styled boots and on her head was a wireless headset radio. The girl walked over to where Brad was and used a pair of compact high-powered binoculars to scan the area.
"No activity from the Whale King yet guys." The girl said into her headset.
"What are you looking for?" Brad wondered.
"Two things really Hellcats and an opening so I can make my move." She told him.
Brad watched the girl for a moment before turning his attention back to the battlefield. It was then he saw the three Hellcats leave the Whale King. The three zoids lined up facing the Liger Zero and the Dibison. The two teams waited for a moment when a flash of light appeared in the sky. Soon a large cloud of dust indicating the landing of a judge capsule appeared on the landscape. The girl turned her attention from the Hellcats to the judge capsule to see what battle mode had been agreed on. When the dust had settled the girl let out a gasp before growling in anger.
"What's going on out there?" Brad asked her.
"That judge is not legit. It's a knockoff of an official judge sent by the commission." She told him, "Somehow the Backdraft was able to produce their own judges."
"The Backdraft sent that judge? I knew they cheated during battles but I didn't think they were capable of doing something like this." Brad said.
"Guys we have Hellcats and a possible Backdraft controlled black judge on the battlefield. This battle may be legit but then again it just might not be. I suggest we wait and see what happens before doing anything." She said into her headset.
Brad looked over at the girl wondering why she was really there and what she was going to do once that opening she mentioned had appeared. Knowing that might be a while before it appeared Brad decided to engage in some small talk and find out who the blonde really was.
"So do you have a name?" Brad asked her.
"The name's Usagi and you?" the girl replied picking up on what Brad was doing.
"I'm Brad." Brad said noticing Usagi hadn't taken her eyes off the battlefield.
Usagi continued to watch the battlefield and the judge for a while before noticing something happen that didn't normally take place in a zoid battle.
"What no battle mode?!" Usagi yelled out after watching the judge for a bit.
"What do you mean no battle mode?" Brad wondered a bit curious.
"The display on the head of the judge usually registers a number for the battle mode and I saw no number. That means there is no battle mode. Those two zoids could be in a lot of danger." Usagi explained to Brad.
********
Bit and Jamie were waiting for the battle to get underway and they thought just that when a judge capsule came crashing onto the landscape. The two warriors thought the capsule was sent by the battle commission but when it emerged from the ground what they saw wasn't the usual white judges they were used to seeing. Instead they saw a black judge appear when the capsule opened. The judge acted like all other judges and scanned the area that would be used for the battle.
"The area within a seven mile radius is a designated zoid battlefield. The Blitz team vs. the Gold team. Battle mode…none." The judge sneered just before crossing its arms, "Ready, fight!"
With that the judge threw out its arms to signal the start of the battle. The three members of the Gold team immediately activated the cloaking devices and became virtually impossible to detect.
"What the…?" Bit said when he saw the zoids vanish from sight.
Jamie figured if he kept firing the weapons of the Dibison he would eventually hit one of the three invisible zoids. Carefully firing off round after round of ammunition Jamie came up empty. The Hellcats were able to evade every single shot sent their way. Bit had also tried to fire upon the Hellcats using his recently added guns on the Liger's underbelly and also came up empty handed. Frustrated Bit tried to make a break for it and run to the Hovercargo for more ammunition but as he ran closer to the boundaries of the battlefield he received quite the shock of his life when he ran into an energy barrier.
"Oh did I fail to mention I put up an energy field around the perimeter of the entire battlefield." Major Pulta informed the Blitz team over the radio system.
"No fair!" Bit complained.
"Who said I was going to be fair." Pulta replied.
********
At the same time the battle was getting underway Leena was trying to figure out a way to escape from her cell inside the belly of the massive Whale King. All night long Leena had been yelling and complaining from within her cell. The guards had treated her well and stood watch over the temperamental zoid pilot. Some of them even began wishing they could be rid of her as the night went on. It was a long night for both captor and captive as Leena continued to pound and bang on the door to her cell.
The guard assigned to watch Leena during the morning hours had heard about her explosive temper from his counterparts and knew he would have an easy assignment. As long as Leena continued to gripe and complain and pound on the door everything would be okay. But after a few minutes of watching her cell things began to get too quiet. The guard knew something was wrong and opened the door to the cell to investigate. Upon opening the door the guard was greeted with the sight of an empty cell.
"How did she get out?" he wanted to know.
The guard was soon given the answer to his question when the door to the cell slowly creaked closed enough to reveal the scariest sight he would ever see for quite some time, an angry Leena. The female zoid warrior had a dark expression on her face and used her anger to help her knock out the guard. With guard down for the count Leena borrowed his uniform and tried to make her escape.
********
Usagi and Brad watched as the battle got underway. The moment the Backdraft judge signaled the start of the battle they saw the three Hellcats activate their cloaking devices and disappear into the landscape. Brad had never seen anything like the cloaking device the Hellcats had before the battle. Usagi, having witnessed the Pteras go down, began wondering how the Dibison and the white Liger type zoid were going to handle their invisible opponents. Usagi split her attention between the Whale King and the battle taking place below. It looked as though she were waiting for something to happen.
"Those zoids just went invisible." Brad said.
"Those Hellcats are equipped with a stealth cloaking system. That Dibison and that white Liger are going to have one heck of time against them." Usagi told him.
"I just hope Bit and Jamie can pull it off." Brad thought aloud remembering the Doc's offer.
Usagi while still keeping her eyes on the battlefield saw the Liger run into an energy barrier. She immediately radioed the cats.
"The Hellcats have gone stealth and looks like there's an energy barrier around the battlefield. Be prepared to move guys." Usagi said into her headset.
With that the Lunar Cat's eyes glowed blue as she waited for Usagi's signal to move out while Brad watched with hard eyes.
********
Bit and Jamie were having a hard time trying to locate the Hellcats. They had tried everything they could think of to hit them with their artillery but had failed miserably. Jamie decided to take a step back from the action and give the battlefield a good once over. That's when he noticed the invisible Hellcats were leaving behind tracks in the sand. Maybe just maybe they could use the tracks to locate the Hellcats. Jamie imputed the information into the computer of the Dibison so he could relay the info to Bit.
"Bit the Hellcats are leaving tracks in the sand." Jamie called over the radio, "If you use the data I've gathered you should be able to find them. I'll send you what I have."
With that Jamie uploaded the data he collected from the battlefield to the Liger Zero's computer. Bit received the information and quickly put it good use. Almost immediately Bit found one of the three cloaked Hellcats and put his signature move into action.
"Okay Liger let's take him out." Bit said, "Strike Laser Claw!"
The Liger Zero deployed his thrusters and energized his claws as he raced towards the invisible Hellcat. In one leap the Liger thrust his energized claws down on the spot where the Hellcat would be and not knocked out cloaking device but knocked out the zoid as well.
"Alright! One down and two to go!" Bit cried out enthusiastically.
********
Major Pulta was furious. Somehow the Blitz team was able to take out one of the Gold team's hellcats with just two zoids. This was not looking good for the Gold team at all. If they were going to win this battle they would have to use every dirty trick in the book to take out the two zoids. And Pulta knew if anything were going to get done he would have to do it himself.
"Gomez, prepare my Saber Tiger for battle. Looks like I'm going to have to deal with the Blitz team myself." Pulta ordered one of his subordinates over the vid system.
"Yes sir Major Pulta sir." Gomez replied with a salute.
With that Pulta headed down to the Whale King's hanger not before giving his men one final command before leaving.
"Send out our ultimate weapon while I head into battle." Pulta said.
"Yes sir." One of the men on the command deck replied.
The nose of the Whale King opened and a large black ball with enormous gray electrodes landed on the battlefield and headed towards the Blitz team. A few moments later Major Pulta followed in his black and red Saber Tiger.
********
Usagi saw the ball exit the nose of the Whale King and knew what was going to happen. The Gold team had used the ball before to take out zoids and steal them. The large ball was capable of not only knocking down a zoid but also frying the electrical system of a zoid as well with its large electrodes. Usagi knew the Dibison and the white Liger were in major danger. She had to do something and fast.
"Kuso! They sent out their electro ball onto the battlefield. If I don't get down there fast those two zoids are gonna get fried." Usagi told Brad.
"I'm sure those two can handle it." Brad replied as he continued to watch the battle.
"You can stand here and do nothing but I'm going to do something about it." Usagi called over her shoulder as she ran for her zoid.
Brad thought about what Usagi had said. Technically the Blitz team was supposed to have another registered warrior on the battlefield so he could go down there and help out Bit and Jamie. But he was going to stick by his principles and only fight in legitimate sanctioned battles and this just wasn't one of them. No prize money no battle it was as simple as that.
"Guys we're moving out. The Gold team just set out their electro ball." Usagi said into her headset just before she jumped into the waiting cockpit of the Lunar Cat.
Having Luna and Artimes in the cockpit of the Lunar Cat was a major plus. The two cats were able to activate the zoid while Usagi made her way to the Lunar Cat. Once inside the cockpit Usagi strapped herself in and headed off to deal with the electro ball sent by the Gold team.
********
Jamie watched as Bit put the information he had given his teammate to good use and took down one of the Gold team's Hellcats. But the distraction from watching his teammate in action became costly because Jamie didn't see the large black ball heading straight for him. The ball connected with the Dibison and knocked it out of commission. The computer display read Command System Freeze.
"Oh no!" Jamie moaned.
The ball was long from being finished. After dealing with Jamie and the Dibison the electro ball then headed for Bit and the Liger Zero. The electro ball headed towards Bit and the newbie took off in the direction of a nearby cliff on the other side of the battlefield. Bit was prepared to bound off the cliff and let the ball either get destroyed or get lodged in the side of the cliff. But before he could execute his plan a white blur came racing between Liger and the electro ball. The blur revealed itself to be a white zoid. Two panels on either side of the zoid opened and two disks of energy slammed into the electro ball turning it into a pile of dust. Bit was thankful for the extra help and headed back into the battle.
The two remaining Hellcats began to fire on Bit the moment he returned to the battle at hand. The young zoid warrior tried to do all he could to avoid being hit by the cannons on the back of the Hellcats. Bit didn't have time to think about his mysterious savior.
********
The Doc watched the battle unfold from within the Hovercargo. He had hoped Brad would take him up on his offer and join in the battle but it looked like the mercenary wasn't going to. Things weren't looking to good for the Blitz team. Sure they were able to take out one of the Hellcats but the moment they did the Gold team's Whale King sent out some type of large ball that took out the Dibison. The ball was then about to take out the Liger Zero but someone or something stepped in and fired off twin energy disks from what appeared to be a white Lightning Saix destroying the ball and allowing bit to return to the battle. It was at that point the Doc saw the extra zoid taking part in the battle for the Gold team. Even though the white zoid had assisted Bit it didn't follow him into the battle unlike the black Saber Tiger. The Doc was livid and planned on taking it up with the judge.
"I demand you call off this battle judge! I count four zoids out there for the Gold team!" Dr. Toros yelled at the Dark Judge.
"Sorry they can have as many zoids as they want. Rules are rules and I make the rules." The judge sneered back at him.
With that the judge broke the link in the transmission angering the Doc who pounded on the command console in anger and frustration.
"Damn!" he yelled as he vented his frustrations.
********
Bit was under heavy fire from the two operational members of the Gold team. Brad watched as the newbie tried to get away from his invisible opponents and the new arrival on the battlefield. As the Liger Zero avoided shot after shot Brad remembered what both the Doc and Usagi had said to him. Usagi was willing to go out and risk her life for someone she didn't even know. And the offer the Doc had made the night before was still valid and on the table. And so with a heavy sigh Brad climbed into the cockpit of his Command Wolf and headed off to the battle.
Using everything he knew and the information he gathered from watching the battle Brad fired his rear-mounted cannons at one of the unseen Hellcats making a direct hit with it.
"Nice to see you Brad." Bit said over the vid link.
"We're not out the water yet Bit." Brad replied as he was about to fire on the second Hellcat.
But before Brad was able to make his second shot Usagi showed up in her zoid and sent a couple of well placed energy disks towards the Hellcat and disabled its stealth system.
"Thanks for the backup but aren't you taking a big risk interfering like this?" Bit said to Usagi.
"Hey I didn't see any battle mode and it's more than likely the judge is crooked so one more zoid on the battlefield isn't going to hurt anything." Usagi replied.
"Bit and I will handle that fourth zoid you get that last Hellcat." Brad suggested working out a quick plan of attack.
"Okay then what are we waiting for." Bit said.
********
The entire Whale King was on alert when it was reported Leena had escaped from her cell. The female zoid warrior ran like heck trying to avoid being seen or caught by the troops on the Whale King. And as she headed down one of the corridors on the Whale King Leena tried to figure a way off the Whale King. Finding herself in the hanger of the Whale King Leena saw the perfect way to escape from the Gold team. There sitting in the hanger was Jamie's Pteras.
"Is this my lucky day or what." Leena commented.
Climbing inside the zoid Leena strapped herself in and activated the zoid's weapons creating a makeshift door in the hanger. Leena then made a hasty retreat out of the Whale King but not before she was noticed by the Gold team support troops.
As Leena burst out of the Whale King the cannons on the massive airborne transport ship began firing upon the Pteras in an attempt to bring it down. And as she made her way back to the Hovercargo Leena began laughing in triumph. She would soon be home free.
********
While Usagi used the quick speed of Lunar Cat to take out the last of the Hellcats Brad began firing on the invisible Saber Tiger. Brad's shots seemed to be way off as they did nothing to make contact with the stealth zoid. Bit saw the errant shots and called his teammate over the vid link.
"Some shot you are Brad. You completely missed the guy." Bit said.
"Maybe he didn't need to connect with the zoid. Take a look at the dust he kicked up." Usagi said trying to get Bit to see what Brad was doing.
Bit took a look at the cloud of dust Brad's shots kicked up and saw the outline of the Saber Tiger. Bit knew he would be able to take out the zoid with no problems.
"Okay Liger, do your stuff!" Bit told his partner, "Strike Laser Claw!"
With that the Liger once again deployed his boosters and energized his claws. Leaping into the air the Liger brought down one of his claws and took out the Saber Tiger. And with the Saber Tiger down a horn sounded from the judge capsule signaling the end of the battle. Reluctantly with a heavy sigh the Dark Judge made his final decision.
"Battle over. The winner is…the Blitz team." He said as he lifted his blue arm into the air.
********
From a secret location a man only known as the Count the leader of the Backdraft Group watched the replay of the battle between the Blitz team and their own Gold team. The Count watched as two white zoids seemed to have no problems with the electro ball and the zoids in the Gold team. Both zoids possessed great speed and maneuverability. And while one was able to take out the cloaked Saber Tiger with no problem the other zoid was able to disable the stealth system on one of Hellcats and take down the electro ball with one shot a piece.
"Could each of those zoids actually be an Ultimate X?" the Count wondered.
********
Usagi and the cats watched as the Hovercargo left the battlefield. She didn't want to say it during the battle but Usagi had actually felt something from the Liger. It almost seemed as if he was alive just like the Lunar Cat. The white zoid possessed amazing speed and agility and Usagi knew if the Backdraft Group noticed it they would more than likely go after the Liger in an attempt to steal him away from the Blitz team and his pilot. The Blitz team also intrigued Usagi. She wondered if she would ever run into them again and if so would she meet the pilot of the mysterious white Liger.
"We'll meet again some day Blitz team I just know it." Usagi said.
********
The Blitz team sat around the lounge in the Hovercargo reveling in their latest victory minus Jamie. Bit was glad Brad had actually listened to his heart instead of his wallet and helped him out in the battle. He was also grateful for the assistance of the mysterious white zoid and its pilot. Dr. Toros was glad to have his daughter back safe and sound while Leena was glad to be out of the cell she was in.
"Hey Brad weren't you the one who told me you don't fight unless there's prize money to be won. Then what were you doing out there today? Looks like you couldn't stand seeing your teammates being outnumbered." Bit teased.
"Actually the Doc promised me your share of the prize money from our next victory." Brad said half getting back at Bit and half reminding the Doc of his promise.
"What? How come I wasn't told any of this?" Bit wanted to know.
"Well, it was the only way I could get Brad to fight in the battle and besides you are partly to blame for all of this." The Doc said, "Oh and Leena I promised your share to Jamie to cover the cost of all the damage done to the Pteras."
"Huh? What did I do?" Leena asked totally clueless.
"As if she didn't know." Brad commented.
In the hanger of the Hovercargo Jamie stood dumbfounded as he saw the damage to his beloved Pteras. The poor zoid had a lot of bullet hole damage on it from Leena's escape.
********
Yeah episode two is finished! And as they say the plot thickens. First of all I want to thank all of you who reviewed my story so quickly. I think those were the fastest first four reviews I had ever received. I would also like to thank the proprietors of the following Zoids related sites Channel Zi, Anime Admirer's Zoids Plus, and Zoids 35. These sites not only have info on the Zoids model figures but they also have info on the Zoids series showing on Cartoon Network. Channel Zi has more model figure info and the other two have more in depth anime info and all three are pretty well up to date on their news concerning the Zoids world.
Now you're probably wondering about a timeline for my story. Throw out everything you know about Sailor Moon and consider this an AU for that series. For Zoids I'm starting at episode four and working my way up from there. I'll more than likely concentrate on the episodes where the Backdraft Group was involved as well as create a few new stories dealing with the battle commission, the Sol team, and the Moon Corporation and the four zoids currently in production. As you may have noticed in episode one the Sol team consists of the Outer Senshi. And to answer your question yes the Inner Senshi will be receiving the elemental zoids. Just match up Senshi with zoid attacks and you know who will receive what zoid. That will most likely take place within the next few episodes.
If you want a good picture of the zoids mentioned in the series along with a description of what they can do then I'd suggest keeping Channel Zi open to the New Japanese Zoids page while you read this story. I refer to a lot of different zoids when describing the new zoids in the series and sometimes it helps to have a visual reference of what I'm talking about. Plus they know what they're talking about.
Okay so I know this episode was long but I needed to properly introduce the Blitz team. We need a little background on our favorite zoid team. As you can see Leena has quite the temper and Bit can be a bit of a space cadet when it comes to listening to others. Now you didn't quite see it in this episode but Leena's dad the Doc is quite the comic relief in the series. That will most definitely pop up when he sees the Lunar Cat up close and personal for the first time. As for Brad he's a battle for money only kind of guy so it will be pretty hard to convince him otherwise. And like Hotaru Jamie is the tactical officer of the group but he will participate in a battle every now and again when needed. I am planning on having Usagi become romantically involved with a certain cocky Liger pilot on the Blitz team which will make things interesting so I hope I don't upset the purists out there but there will be no Mamoru sorry guys.
Some of you have been wondering about the other Sailor Moon/Zoids crossovers out there. So far there is only one that I know of and you can find it on FanFiction.net. The title of the story is called Sailor Zoid Gold by Gundum M. It's about zoids in the Sol system as the daughters of the Senshi take part in a zoids battle. Now I'll be totally honest by saying that it does need some work but it is worth checking out seeing as how it is the first zoids crossover I've seen on FF.net. Hopefully there will be more crossovers out there soon. And hopefully the authors will take a bit more time checking out the info on the series instead of trying to impress us with their knowledge of the weapons on each zoid but enough about that.
Okay before we move onto what's next it's time for some shameless promotions. I have a radio station on Live365.com and if you have a high-speed modem you can listen to it. I had all these anime mp3s collecting dust on my hard drive so I decided to put them to good use and created Radio Free Mars: Anime Radio From the Red Planet. If you like anime music and Cowboy Bebop then I suggest checking out this station because I have dug up Mr. Martian the pirate station operator on Mars to host my station. So from now on this fic and anything else I write will be sponsored by the guys at Radio Free Mars. Also check out Adult Swim this Saturday on Cartoon Network as they debut three new anime series to their lineup. They're giving us Gundam 0083, Yu Yu Hakusho, and Pilot Candidate along with two regular Toonami favorites and an Adult Swim staple. We now end our free plug.
Okay now that Usagi has had her first meeting with the Blitz team what's next you say? Well Usagi gets another lead about the Backdraft Group and finds herself trying to protect the Blitz team once again. And it seems as though the Liger received a bit of an upgrade. Can the Lunar Cat help the Blitz team defeat the Backdraft Group's new Elephander? Find out in The Zoid Warrior episode three: Meeting the Blitz Team.