I know I should be working on my other stories but I would really hate to forget this idea. Pretty sure hardly anyone will read it but I wanted to tribute something to one of my favorite shows growing up. Many of you probably won't know the show but that's okay.
And if this bombs I can at least say I tried and place this story in one of my notebooks.
And for those who don't know Zoids are giant robot animals people use for fighting.
Enjoy!~
Chapter 1: Catch Me If You Can
Things weren't looking up for our team. Between the three of us our squad was wallowing in the lowest ranks of Zoid teams. Probably because we didn't have a coordinator to assist the captain. Well, a captain to assist our coordinator.
"Antonio, don't look like that. We'll get better. There can only be room for improvement!" Francis says, walking into the room and sitting in the chair across from me. A moment later Gilbert throws a flower pot at his head. Since Francis was expecting it he easily caught it before it could smash against his face. Then they broke into squabbling which broke into a mini fist fight.
This was always how my two teammates would react after a particularly embarrassing defeat. A moment later our coordinator, Chelsea, comes stalking in. "What is wrong with you people?" She asks. Gilbert immediately rounds on her.
"Maybe we wouldn't have done so horribly if you knew what the fuck you were doing up there." A second later Francis slams his fist into Gilbert's jaw.
"Don't talk to her like that!" And they went back to fighting. Trying to stay on the optimistic side I look away and notice the main screen bleeping, signaling we had a call.
"Hey guys! We have a call." Everyone settles down and I hit the answer button on a nearby remote. A moment later Gilbert's brother, Ludwig, appears on the screen. He was tall, with light blonde hair, and icy blue eyes, which usually held a guarded expression. And right after he comes on screen one of his teammates runs behind him, crying for whoever was chasing him to stop and it wasn't his fault.
"You fucking cost us the match! Again! No WAY am I letting you get away from taking some of the fault dumbass! Don't go running to the potato bastard!" And indeed a moment later said teammate was holding on to Ludwig who let out a tired sigh. This one wasn't very tall with light brown hair and tightly closed eyes which didn't seem to impair his vision.
"Ludwig save me! Brother wants to cut off my head and put it on a standard!" Indeed his twin brother, this one with darker auburn hair and amber eyes, was trying to grab him to no doubt throttle him. With practiced ease Ludwig reaches over, picks up the crying brother, and places him on his other side, easily pushing back his somewhat blood covered brother.
"Attention Triforce Team, due to your current rankings we wondered if you would be interested in a match." We all looked to each other before looking back at the screen.
"Your team is higher ranking then ours. How can we accept a challenge from you?" Francis replies for us, taking over position of captain.
"Actually we just dropped rank to the point where you can accept a challenge from us." Ludwig replies with another tired sigh while the darker haired brother shouts a steady stream of curses at his brother. "And I thought you would jump at the chance to take us up on this offer." Both Vargas brothers quiet down and glance off screen.
The elder of the two rolled his eyes while the other broke into a wide smile. I smile myself at these expressions which made the elder one glance back at the screen. He gives me a small sneer, a drop of blood from a cut above his eye sliding down the side of his face. Francis tells the newest member to join on screen that he would think about it but I was a little detached from the conversation as my gaze locked with the older Vargas brother.
The screen shuts off and Gilbert pulls out the keyboard that went with the screen. "So, let's see what we're up against shall we?" He pulls up the first few matches of Roman Glory, Ludwig's team. The first video showed a bronze Blade Liger, a large lion-like Zoid with blades bristling from a mechanical mane, and two Command Wolfs, canine-like Zoids built with sturdy frames and near the top of Speed Class, one white and green the other black and red.
After watching the teams blow through challengers with ease the Blade Liger was soon replaced with a black Stealth Eagle, a light framed Zoid with a mirror-like underside to reflect the sky for optimum stealth. The team did alright during their first few matches with the black Command Wolf fighting off most of the enemies as the Stealth Eagle tried to protect the other Command Wolf.
Soon they stopped winning and steadily dropped ranks leading up to their last match were a Thunder Rex, a larger model of a Blade Raptor minus the blades but added guns, crashed its tail into the side of the black Command Wolf, nearly smashing into the cockpit.
"Well, we might just win this one guys." Chelsea says from her board calculations, sweeping one of her black pigtails away from her tan skinned face.
"Here's an idea." I say, finally speaking up. "What if we were to do a partner trade game? We lose they get one of us. They lose we get the eldest Vargas." Gilbert turns back to me.
"Why not my brother?"
"Because, hate to say it old friend, but Antonio's choice shows the most promise. That and you pick fights with him too often." Francis replies for me, adding the last part under his breath.
"Certainly shows more promise that you." Gilbert shoots back with a grin.
~ Ten Minutes Later ~
So after a little while of sitting there twiddling our thumbs the screen flashes again. Chelsea, who had commandeered the remote, hit the answer button. This time Ludwig was keeping an enraged elder Vargas at bay with his foot as he held the younger one away. It was their captain who stood in front of the screen now. He looked similar to the Vargas brothers with dark, curly, brown hair, sparse beard, and laughing amber eyes.
"So, have you thought about our challenge?" He asks as Ludwig threatens to tug on a precarious curl sticking from the eldest Vargas brother's head. This shuts him up as well as makes him walk away quickly but a moment later he starts a surprisingly long winded string of curses ranging from English to Italian to Spanish and several languages in between. "Please ignore that." Their captain says with a grimace.
"Actually we were wondering if you would be interested in a bet. You win, you get one of our members and if we win we get one of your members." Francis says, placing his words carefully. The rival captain rubs his sparse beard, thinking carefully.
"I like this idea but since I know you will lose what will you do for your lost member? You need three members to be a team not to mention you need a coordinator plus a captain which you don't have. Of course there are other teams with three members but, I hate to say it, you're not a very good team as you are." He shrugs. "But have it your way. If we win then we take your coordinator. Who is it that you wanted?"
"The eldest Vargas." I answer a little too quickly and their captain breaks into laughter.
"My grandson Lovino? You should have just asked; I would have given him to you without a second thought." This harsh comment makes Lovino halt his assault on Ludwig. As I watch he slowly turns to stare at his grandfather's back, hurt filling his amber eyes. He takes a slow inhale before turning around sharply and walking off. "But I will enjoy crushing you into the dirt." And with these parting words the screen shuts off.
~ The Next Day ~
I shift my Grand Taurus, a similar model to a D-Bison but with heavier defenses, bull-like Zoid with larger than normal horns, a little to the side. Gilbert's Blade Raptor, a light weight dinosaur Zoid covered with sharp blades capable of slicing through metal, hisses over at me his face appearing on a monitor inside my cockpit a moment later.
"Stop moving around. You're starting to make me nervous." He says with a grumble. Francis' Gun Sniper, another dinosaur Zoid built in raptor form but armed with precise guns, steps forward from his spot between us.
"Hey guys, looks like the party's here." And indeed the two Command Wolfs were walking out across the cracked and pitted desert. A quick glance upward tells me Ludwig was circling in and plummeting downward. Glancing back out at the brothers I notice the black one reach out and snap at the air close to the white one.
"Judge is coming in fast boys." Chelsea calls into our intercoms. And just as she finishes speaking the judge capsule falls into the earth, creating a crater. Soon the capsule unfolds to reveal a platform from which the robotic judge slides forward.
"The area in a thirty mile radius is a designated Zoid battlefield. This zone is now restricted. Only competitors and personnel have authorized entry. Danger! All others must leave the area at once. This zone is now restricted. Danger! Ready? Begin!"
As the judge gives the signal I surge my Grand Taurus forward, intending on barreling into the younger Vargas. But just as I draw up into striking distance I maneuver the Grand Taurus to the side, barely escaping the missiles launched by Ludwig.
This was the signal for Francis to take aim at Ludwig. And sure enough a moment later Ludwig's Stealth Eagle falls to the ground behind me. Taking a hair pin turn I see Lovino launch a folly of bullets from two machine guns mounted on the Command Wolf's shoulders into an unsuspecting Francis. It must have hit pretty hard considering Francis didn't move after.
A moment later Francis' face shows up on my screen. "Looks like I've been taken down guys. So I'll sit here and twiddle my thumbs." His face disappears and I turn to see Gilbert take down the younger Vargas. But before I can even utter a warning Lovino's guns tear into Gilbert's leg, immobilizing his Blade Raptor.
And just as he rounds on me a most holy sound echoes across the distance between us. A halting click sound that made me grin as he started his string of curses. His guns were jammed. The Command Wolf lifts its head to look at me and it shifts its weight. Over the comlink system I hear Lovino say something along the lines of "What are you doing? He'll take us down in seconds if you charge."
And just as I get ready to play a game of chicken it spring to the side, preparing to run. Without thinking twice I charge after him, watching as the ground breaks under him, plunging his Zoid earthward. It struggles to get up as I slow my Zoid to a walk and approach, gently laying my Zoid on his.
"The victory goes to Team Triforce." The judge calls out, lifting its right arm into the air.
~ After the Match ~
Things were finally looking up. We had finally won a match in what seemed like months. Looking at the calendar in the garage I mentally correct myself. We hadn't won in six months.
As person last standing in my group the duty had fallen to me to make sure the mechanics hauled both Francis and Gilbert's Zoids into the garage and start repairing them. Now that repairs were done I find myself walking over to our newest addition. The last Zoid being repaired was the black Command Wolf.
"Attention Antonio! Come up here and get your victory dinner!" Gilbert's voice crackles over the intercom in the garage. Smiling to myself I hurry to the lift.
Dinner was a huge affair tonight and Francis had gone all out, pulling out the stops on everything. "Hey! Dinner looks amazing Francis!" Looking around I try to locate our newest member.
"He's not here. Took something to eat and left, barely saying anything to us." I frown at Gilbert's words as Francis starts up his own conversation with Chelsea. Avoiding teammates was never good for a team. Everyone worked together for the same goal. Thus teamwork, thus team. And you couldn't have teamwork without talking to anybody.
"I'm going to find him. I'm not really hungry so I'll eat later okay." I tell Gilbert, already starting to walk away to search the home base we had. Gilbert says something about there won't be any food left by the time I got back and I just shake it off.
Wandering down the halls I listen hard. A sharp inhale from what was the bathroom makes me slam the door open. Inside was Lovino, sitting on the counter, and making precise little cuts along his arms. He lets the blade hover over his arm as I stand in the doorway, unsure of how to handle something like this.
Slowly he pulls the blade away and tugs out a handkerchief which he uses to wipe the blood off of it. "So, you going to tell me I'm a stupid idiot? That I'm just being a little brat begging for attention? Then let me tell you this right now, I don't give a fuck about what you say about me. You don't know me, nor do I want you to know me." He says quietly, turning around to face the sink and wash the cuts on his arms.
Without knowing why I did it I shut the door behind me, locking it, and walk over. Gently, I slide my arms over his and weave my fingers with his. Placing my head on his shoulder I watch in the mirror as he freezes up and turns a lovely shade of red. "I was never going to say something like that. Gilbert might but I'm not like that. I'm your teammate so I'm supposed to care about you but I won't tell you what you can and can't do."
"Is this a regular occurrence in your fucked up team bastard?" His fingers squeeze mine gently but he doesn't fly off the handle and try to force me off.
"Actually, I don't quite know what I'm doing. I can let go if you want me to." I watch his eyes lower to my hands, his half lidded eyes giving him a sad look. And gently he pulls his fingers from mine.
"It's much appreciated if you just don't touch me. I won't be as gentle next time you do." And with these words he unlocks the door, opens it, and walks away down the hall. Looking down I notice he forgot his handkerchief and, again without knowing, why I pick it up and hold it under my nose, closing my hands around it tightly.
Wow, I don't think I've written a longer opening chapter before. Maybe I have and just never noticed. Oh well. Yes, I know I got some of the Zoid names and terms wrong and I will probably get trolled at least once for it but let me bring up a term I've seemed to have dropped.
I am an Italian pirate! Meaning I won't give a damn what my critics say unless it's something about the structure of my writings.
Ciao!~