AN: So I'm really sorry about how long this is taking, I could make up millions of excuses but I don't think that you really want to here me complain about it.

Disclaimer: I don't own Zoids, if I did I wouldn't be living in a cardboard box out on the interstate.

Chapter 1: A night in the darkness

The predator was pursuing its prey

She ran through the dark forest of the night, her breathing was rough and harsh. How long she had been running she did not know, it felt as though it had been forever. Silently she hoped that who ever had been chasing her was lost. Thinking she might be at a safe distance she turned to see if any one was still after her.

It was a fatal mistake, something cold grabbed at her foot she lost contact with the round for a spit second and went sprawling in to the hard earth. She raised her head and screamed. Twisting around she looked down to see that an up rooted tree had caught her. Sobbing she pulled her skinned and twisted foot out of the trap.

The predator was pursuing its prey

She lay there praying that she didn't just give her self away. Tears mingled with sweat and blood as she lay there in the dirt. Slowly she urged her tired arms into a crawl. All the while thinking of the one person who had always been there to save her.

"Van"

This time though he wasn't coming.

"You don't belong here… Go back to your own time" the harsh grating voice of the man she feared most hit her ears.

There was a snap of a gun, she twisted her head enough to see the blast from the shotgun. The sharp cold bullet that pierced her heart mingled with the taste and sent of death. The girl could fell warm blood fill her mouth, the sour taste of bile and blood caught up to her. As she tried to scream and crawl away she heard the cold harsh laughter of her attacker… then there was nothing.

The predator had caught its prey.

Fiona sat bolt upright from her nightmare. She was drenched in cold sweat. She looked around her room. 'What was...what happened.' she thought to her self. 'It. it was so...so real.' she looked at her hand which was shaking uncontrollably. She calmed down long enough to get out of bed and stager to the bathroom. Her silent reflection stared back at her, she was pale, sweat mingled with the tears that she had shed wile she slept.

Taking a cold washcloth she wiped away the tears. She was still pale and her bloodshot eyes had not improved. She sighed and walked out. Looking over at her alarm clock, she was surprised to see that it read one o'clock a.m. She inwardly groaned she knew that she would never get back to sleep so she slipped in to some sweat pants and a lose fitting tee shirt. Quietly slipping out in to the dark hall ways she let her feet take her were ever they wanted to go, and thought about the dream.

It was so real but why, questions flowed unbidden in to her mind. Such as why did the man always come, and why did he keep attacking her? Fiona thought for a moment the mad man seemed familiar to her like she had met him before. Everything about him made her feel as if she had once known him. 'Who are you?' she thought to herself. She made a few more turns and found herself in one of the open hangers.

The bright night sky illuminated the barren landscape,

She closed her eyes and thought the voice the weapon every thing was so familiar. Fiona opened her eyes and found her self on the upper hanger of the base. She looked around at the parched and barren summer landscape. It lit up wondrously against the bright full moon sky, as she sat down she surveyed the desert. The rain had been absent for quite awhile. Now the ground had dried up and cracked the trees had withed and quite a few had died. However there was still life out there. If you looked closely enough you might see a stay coyote or something like it in the distance, but tonight there was nothing. She sighted and wrapped her arms around her legs. It was peaceful at least.

With nothing to bother her. Closing her eyes she was about to drift off when she heard someone approach from behind. She turned around relieved to see that it was only Van.
"Hey" she said, motioning him to sit next to her

"Hey" she said, motioning him to sit next to her.

He sat down stifling a yawn "Hey your self, what are you doing out here? It's the middle of the night."

"I couldn't sleep." She replied.

"Any reason why?"

"It's just a dream, It's nothing you need to worry about."

Van looked in to her eyes he could tell she was scared. A certain uneasiness lingered, she was suffering it was easy enough to tell. She hadn't slept in weeks. He knew because there rooms were right across from each other. Her getting up would often wake him. Also something was frightening her. She had made a Olympic worthy jump the other day when Irvine came up behind her and taped her on the shoulder while she had been in a half sleep.

"Fiona" he ventured "what's wrong, and don't tell me it's nothing I know you too well. You haven't been your self for the last few days and it's starting to worry me."

She was silent for awhile her eyes closed in silent concentration.
"It's just a dream," she said.

"It must be one hell of a nightmare if you keep getting up at night."

"How do you know about that?"

"I'm in the other room Fiona, It's kind of hard to miss."

"It was a dream I had or have been having..."She said quietly Van noted that there was a hint of fear in her voice. Van didn't blame her sense most of her dreams had come true. Well at least all of the bad ones that she had.

"What is your dream about ?" He asked putting his hand on hers he could feel her hand shaking from fear. Fiona was quiet for a few minutes then answered

"I find myself all alone in a zoid graveyard. And I don't really know where or what to do so I just run until I find myself in a forest. Then when I reach the forest a man comes out of nowhere and tells me that I don't belong hear. That I belong in the past... Then he shoots me strait through the heart..."

"Fiona, maybe you should take protective precautions." he murmured, pulling her close and rubbing her back, hoping to comfort her. "Maybe you should stop working for a few days and go see someone about your dreams"

"Like that would do any good, they would probably think I'm loony, and throw me into a asylum. "

Fiona I'm just suggesting that you take some more precautions, maybe spending a few days in a Asylum would help you." He joked, trying to lift the mood.

"Like what? Locking myself away so I don't have any contact with anyone? You know I can't do that! I have so much to do, and Dr. D says were on a verge of a break through!"

"No, Fiona! It's not like that! I just don't want you hurt! I care about you so much, and-"

"No Van! I'm going to live my life as if nothing has happened. I will not have a guard following around every second!" they're voices were slowly rising and lights were coming on in the building behind them.

"Hey! You out there! We're trying to sleep!" the irritated voice of they're friend, Irvine, doused they're tempers like a bucket of cold water.

"Look, Van," she laid her hand on his shoulder, and a small shock went through his veins, " I'm sorry I yelled at you, but I don't want the others to worry. I shouldn't have told you." the ground appeared to be quite interesting, for she seemed unable to tear her gaze from it.

"No, Fiona, I'm glad you told me. You can trust me with anything, truly." He pulled her close once again and kissed her forehead, realizing then he wanted more. " I want you to be happy. Here let me walk you to your room."

Fiona felt undeniably shy after Van kissed her forehead, and nodded in silent agreement.

"So what's this break through you were talking about earlier?" Van whispered, hoping to smooth out the remnants of their quarrel.

"Almost break through. Well he thinks we've found another clue to the ancient zoidians in a ruins just west of here!" She said excitedly "It may be a old city but for now we aren't to sure."

There was a loud snap, as if someone had readied a gun, Van turned around; it looked as if there was nothing there. The hanger seemed as empty as ever, still he didn't like it. "Fiona, stay here." He whispered. Edging forward he could make out a dark silhouette. "Hello?" he risked talking. "What do you want?"

A harsh rasping voice answered him "The girl… give me the girl." Another crack of the gun. The voice gave him an eerie feeling, backing away he stood in front of Fiona trying to shield her.

"Who are you and what do you want?" He was scared but he didn't want to sound like it. He knew if he wasn't careful he could end up losing her. A metallic gleam shone in the dark.

"I've, finally found my prey… and I've come to kill it." The voice rasped again.

"I'm afraid I can't let you do that…" Van muttered, looking for any chance to escape. "Fiona has some very important business to attend to and since I'm her protector…"

"Give me the girl now!" the voice was harsh and commanding. "I've come here to kill and that's what I plan on doing."

"Fiona" Van whispered, "Get out of here, run for it." He slowly reached for a knife that he always carried for protection. Fiona could only stand and watch though as the perpetrator lifted his gun. Van gritted his teeth in a snarl and leapt at the man. The gun went off, echoing in a great booming voice down the hallways. Van fell back dropping his knife he grasped his hand, which was spurting large amounts of blood on the floor. He lay on the cold floor, now wet with his blood. The man seamed to smile underneath the hood.

"I told you to listen however something appears to be wrong with your hearing… or maybe it's your thick skull… Lets find out shall we?" The rifle but came crashing down into Vans head. The sound was like a hammer smashing into a slab of meat. Van went down under the first blow; the man continued his onslaught though. Bits of bone, blood and hair stuck to the rifle butt. Van finally crashed to the floor unable to rise. His head resembled a bloody pulp. "Foolish boy…" Turning on Fiona, he lifted the gun. "Well now, its just you and me, isn't this exciting." He muttered, "The last Ancient against the last Slayer. Once your dead, my quest shall be complete and the slayers shall rule once more. So zoidian are you ready to die now?" He hissed. Fiona couldn't respond though she was to scared to even move. "Well, well zoidians cat got your tough?" The man reloaded his gun and raised it.

"To Bad..." Fiona eyes widened and her heart beet even faster 'Van'.

"Now DIE!" The gun blasted through the still night air and also through Fiona's heart.

Thunder Clashed through the sky. And rain poured from the sky drenching and in some places flooding the landscape. I was the sound of crashing thunder that woke Moonbay up the next morning. Uttering long strings of curses she rolled out of bed crashing onto the floor. She looked at the clock it was four o'clock. Pulling herself up she decided to take a shower and see if Fiona was up.

Upon reaching Fiona's room she noted that the door was unlocked and upon further inspection that it was also empty. "Fiona?...Hey Fiona! Are you there?" She called.

"Oi, Moonbay do you mind keeping it down. Some of us are still trying to sleep." Irvine poked his bedridden head out of the door. Sleepless eyes masked his face.

"Oh sorry Irvine..." She apologized quickly, I didn't mean to wake you up.

"Don't worry I have been up all night any way." He muttered scratching his head, and leaving his room. Moonbay noticed that he was already dressed for the day. "Fiona and Van were having a argument last night at midnight... then some equipment fell over or something and it kept me up all night."

"Really what were they arguing about?"

"Don't know, don't care ."

"Oh come on you know if Van and Fiona had an argument it could be really bad. Besides they love each other if they get in a fight now well who knows what could happen..."

"Moonbay… please do me a favor, and shut that big mouth of yours. Besides they're are fine now relax...okay"

"okay…"

"Now as I remember you were going to help me fix up the saix today."

"Maybe, but that depends, first off it's five o'clock, and I haven't had my coffee fix. So you know what that means."

"yeah, yeah… you and that stupid coffee fix of yours, sometimes I think you worse than Fiona and her salt addiction." Irvine grinned.

"Well than you can just forget it." She said and turned as if to go back to her room.

"Fine I'll get you some coffee, as long as you stay and help with the saix."

"Sounds like a plan then, I'll meet you in the hanger." She said running off down the hallways.

'I swear I will never under stand her.' Irvine thought as he walked off to the mess hall. The halls were quiet this morning, and almost all of them were empty, Irvine shivered as the halls were freezing due to the temperature and the rain. 'Someone must have left a hanger door open.' He thought absent-mindedly. Entering the kitchen he fumbled around for some mugs and set one of the large urns on the burner.

Moonbay also found the hallways to be irritatingly silent. Shivering slightly she picked up her pace, hopefully Irvine would be back soon. As she waked through the maze of halls a eerie feeling crept over her. At first she thought that she might be imagining things. However the sensation kept on telling her to move on, trying to shake the feeling she crept onward. Almost dreading or fearing what she might run in to at the next turn.

She didn't have much to fear except for when she opened the hanger doors.

Irvine was happy, finally today he could get his zoid fixed, the front right leg of his siax made it impossible to use, rendering him to use slower and older model zoids none of witch he was to thrilled about. About half way down the main hanger hall he heard Moonbay scream. Normally he might have thought that she saw a spider, one of the large ones that sometimes crept into the joints of the zoids. This scream was different though, this one was of pure terror. Dropping the to mugs he dashed off, letting the remnants of the mugs smash onto the ground.

Upon reaching the hanger he saw what had caused her so much distress. Van and Fiona were hung side by side pined to the wall with what looked like iron hooks. "my god…" he whispered, both of them looked as if they had just bathed in blood. On the wall behind them a cryptic message was scrawled in blood and ink.

"Moonbay? Come on Moonbay look at me. I need you to go and rouse the guards, any one okay, go and do it now." He gave her a small slap on the cheek which seemed to tear her out of her daze temporarily. "Come on now go get some help." She nodded once and ran off trying to find someone to help them.

Irvine apprehensively approached his friends, checking there pulses he was relieved that the were both still alive but just barely. He turned around at the sound of heavy footsteps. Thomas, Karl, and some of the guards arrived on the scene. "Don't just stand there!" Irvine roared "Help me get them down!"

And in the distance along the rocky cliffs, as the thunder roared it's triumph over the land, so a madman, with innocent blood on his hands.

A/N The Grunty that goes Beep is with the people from zoids.

Van: I can't believe you did that to Fiona and I.

Fiona: yea that was BS Dude!

Van: Uhhh Bullets you still have knifes in you...

Fiona: Huh? Oh Rips out bullets and heals her self.

The Grunty that goes Beep: Uhhh Fiona you do know that you will have to be shot again right...

Fiona: Again...What do you mean again?

The Grunty that goes Beep: Well Fiona umm… you're still like that in the next chapter...which means...claps hands Killer comes out with guns and starts to laugh.

Fiona NOOOOO! Runs around the stage. Van also starts chasing the Killer...

Irvine: how stupid...the way that those two are fighting they will never get together...

Moonbay: I beg to differ I bet you my whole salary that van falls in love with Fiona in the end.

Irvine: I bet you my whole salary that Van gets in a fight with Fiona in the end.

The Grunty that goes Beep: Looks at the chaos..."I don't know who side to go on... Please just RR...''