NG (Next Generation)

Tina and Max led us to the outpost where will get the tools for the explosives. There are many other people pilots, mechanics and other zoids and equipment. Too bad we have to hurry and get those mines.

Back at the mined field.

All our gear is set up and ready to go just have to scan… slowly.

"Wow there are a lot of explosives from the war." Max said looking at the screen from the sideline as he kept count and record of placement, the higher ups like detailed reports.

"Agreed." Tina said scanning, "Found another. How come nobody noticed this Drake?"

"One I don't think this is from the war otherwise there would be a hidden path as this is the shortest path to the outpost so why completely block it. Two someone did notice but it was too late." I said looking at buried transport truck that came unburied with the corpses. "Three send me a copy of the map and I can tell why it's not from the war."

Peck, an A.I that is derived from BEAK, from Max Schubaltz sent a map over. "Thank you." I said while looking at the map only to get a pecking sound. On the map, there was enough room to maneuver a small vehicle as long as they don't land on mine there fine.

"The spacing is too wide for infantry and small vehicles but for a zoid it's perfect. What we're seeing is a possible attempt of escaping personal that tried to cover their tracks to stop or slow Hiltz and the Death Stinger, they died or forgot about it. Though nobody noticed because they got lucky and this route is not often used short, but you need a transport zoid or vehicle to make it without restocking." I lectured and there was silence over the radio.

"Are sure you're not military?" They both asked.

"For the last time, it's volunteer work." I said frustrated.

I heard something weird a whistling sound, jumping to Max I stand over him as mortars land on around us. Tina is fine in the her zoid but the zoid itself is mostly wrecked. But because Sapphire has thick armor some damage but still combat worthy. Facing the direction the mortars came from… nothing, using the zoom function I see Guysaks. Activating sniper mode on the Tri-gun the other barrels shrink and the main one about to be used for firing elongates I aim for the cock pits I take down two of the three but by then they fired another volley and the gun got knocked out.

Max, who got into his less damaged zoid than Tina's, was running to the last Guysak. Appearing in its view he pretended to jump and the Guysak tries to counter the possible aerial attack. Max latched onto it, his guns were busted up in the shelling, by dashing forward. Only to get a leg caught in a pincer! I use the SSM on the pincer that has Max and the tail and boom! Max finishes it off by scratching at neck piece making the head fall off without letting go with his Zaberfangs mouth.

"What were those things?" Max asked

"Guysaks." I said simply.

"I know that! I meant those rockets of yours." Max clarified.

"Oh, those are Swarm Stinger Missiles or SSM." I said looking at the ammo count, there small enough to hold 30 and they come out of the chest piece. I used ten on the Stealth Viper and three on the Guysak giving me 17 left. Tri-gun holds 1,000 rounds and fire 75 rounds per minute, so constant fire is a no go, I have 998 rounds. The Tri-gun can easily be restocked because of the common ammo but the SSM is not so common that they need to be costume made and that takes time.

We head over to Tina, good news she is alive, bad news her zoid is down and we have no way to tow her.

"Great now what?" Max asked.

"Um guys" I said.

"Now YOU go and get help while Drake stays." Tina said

"Guys!" I said a little more forcefully

"No, I will stay." Max said.

"You! Do. Not. Have. A. Working. Weapon. He does." Tina shot back.

I start to mess with my speaker controls when a pair of earmuffs were put on my ears. I look at Lily and she just smiled and Shard, who has been in the cockpit the entire time, also had a pair and Lily covered her ears. I press one final button causing feedback with the volume on maximum.

"Now that I have your attention how about we call Moonbay over." I said moving forward left (11'o'clock if that gives you a better idea) where a pinkish red and white Gustave was coming from.

After stopping in its path, I see one of Moonbays' trailers being used while the other is empty, good. The Gustave stops and Moonbay hops out.

"Well if it isn't the baby Dragon. How are you doing this fine day?" Moonbay says in a happy mood, apparently she got a good deal, and laughs at the end.

"Don't call me baby Dragon unless you want me to call you Mooney. We need a tow, one of us anyway." I said countering her then getting serious.

"Sure, but how far depends on where you're going. I'm heading to a city near the border in the Empire to deliver some goods." Moonbay said with her greedy grin.

"That's good enough." I said and we haul the badly damaged Zaberfang on the trailer. Tina would normally would have to ride with Moonbay but she had it packed with her own supplies to cross the long stretch of land without any stops. So, I had Shard ride on the Zaberfang, which is on its side, and Tina rode with us. By her face I could tell she did think it would be roomy.

"Where did you get this zoid." She asked

"Her" I corrected.

"Her?" Tina is now puzzled.

"Yup, short version some people wanted to evalutionize zoids and got what they wanted but there was also more. It turned into a massacre I got caught in the cross-fire Raven and dad saved me but Sapphire followed us home. What those people wanted was a smarter zoid something that can think independently but still have need for a pilot. I can literally open the canopy and ride on her back and tell her where to go and she knows where to go." I summed up. (A/N: zoids will be smart enough to take orders but need to constantly ordered when the situation changes, but the zoids like Sapphire won't need as much ordering around. Is what I am trying to say.)

"Yeah right." Tina didn't believe me so I did what I said what Sapphire can do and she walked on without a pilot. The thing is a normal zoid can do this but Sapphire knew to follow Gustav without telling her to, and as I moved to certain parts of her body she tried not to move that section where I'm at too much. A normal zoid would not accommodate to the pilots' location on its body instead they would shake them off.

And so, we rode that way after getting into the cockpit again and talking and not piloting. When Tina finally believed me, her mouth was agape. We reached the city only to find most of it in ruin, asking around they said it was Guysaks with mortar guns and the Republic was declaring war. Calming them down the civilians were told they were empty when they were defeated.

Staying at an Inn I ask for two rooms, for four nights enough to restock on all the ammo, as Lily and Moonbay work on the zoids damage parts that the self-repair can't fix. That night as I was sleeping with Shard, Lily once again ended up in the same bed as me.

NG Memory lane

As Lily and Moonbay finished their repairs they finished for the night. When I get into the pilot seat, or any of the seats, it buckles up by making an X shape and then pulling the safety bar down (A/N: Liger zero). I remembered when Tina was getting out she hit her chin on the bar then forehead on the back of Lily's seat when Tina leaned forward to grasp her chin in pain. I saw Max the next morning, sporting a black eye while Tina had bandages on her forehead and chin.

"What happened to you two?" Moonbay asked unaware of what happened last night in the cockpit when Tina got out.

"Nothing." The twins said.

NG Present

Moonbay had to leave the group but told us that there was a problem deeper in the Empire, a rumor about zoids fighting each other. We will there about nightfall in zoids, so we headed out. Almost there and the bridge is out so I flew the twins over one at a time. May not be the fastest in the air but can carry a lot. We ran into a woman trying to get her Gun sniper out of quicksand She had red hair in a ponytail, shorts, and a shirt cut down the middle with it tied into a knot with a cow girl hat.

"Well howdy about given me a hand?" The girl said.

"Okay." I said flying up and over the Gun sniper and picking it up and out of the quicksand.

"Well I'll be darned, that was fast." She looked at me as I opened the canopy, "Ya headin to Riku (rIe-coo)?"

I nodded

"Well lets head on down together" she said and I agreed safety in numbers. "I'm Helen if ya wanderin." Helens Gun sniper was a little different than the others. On its right hand was a rocket pod that can hold ten large rockets and its left paw/claws were replaced with a six barreled gatling gun.

It was around noon and we left just before sunrise so, we had ways to go and that led to talking as there not much else to do. Well before leaving I got a strategy simulation so it kept Lily busy if she got bored.

"So how good are ya with a gun Drake?" Helen asked

"Zoid or regular?" I asked for clarification

"Either." Helen said

"Superb with high accuracy." Lily said

"Is that so. Was that Lily?" Helen said and everyone asked the last part as they never heard Lily talk.

"Yup, she is not much of a talker." I answered.

"So, Helen why you are coming all the way out here?" Max asked

"I'm a bounty hunter for zoids if there is a price for a zoid part or zoid itself I collect. And right now, someone very important was about trampled by the zoids fighting that he put a bounty on it. Said somethin about it being an unknown pink dragon type zoid." Helen said

Sounds like a possible Dragobuster that escaped after dad and Raven raided the place and saved me. Raven still dislikes zoids but at least it's not hate any more. Helens job is a common one but dangerous and expensive if not careful, zoid hunters, as they are called, tend to capture wild zoids or ones use by criminals with little damage and sell them to people or take necessary parts need and sell them too. The reason why the damage needs to stay low is because if a zoid is too damaged no one will want it and if you sell to a company the price goes down. Thus, the Gun sniper since it has pinpoint accuracy it makes it easier and the heavy-duty weapons are no doubt for something that may go wrong.

A few hours later and we see Riku in the distance, it's almost nightfall. Suddenly something swoops down and nearly rams into Helen. The zoid that swooped down lands behind us, turning around I see it's a Dragobuster but with bladed wings and two 40-caliber single barrel machine gun on its back, pink coloring with lighter armor than Sapphire also smaller. The single barrel gun may not have much of a punch but because of the single barrel will have less spread than the gatling but overheats more easily since hundreds of bullets will come out of only one and not three or six barrels. It was in a lowered position almost as if it was waiting to be boarded.

"Wait hold fire." I said to everyone, "Lily I am going to open the hatch and I want to you stand up very slowly no sudden movements." I told her.

Opening the hatch with the guns at the ready she stood up and the pink zoid started to purr. Walking Sapphire closer with the canopy open the zoid remains still and opens its own canopy, purring louder. Standing in front of it I lower Sapphire down keeping my eyes trained on the zoid, "Get in the zoid and do it quick." I gently said to Lily without taking my off the pink one.

Lily hops out and climbs in the pilot seat of the pink one I get of mine and walk slowly to it. The Dragobuster moves slightly but Lily grabs the controls and keeps it still. Reaching inside I mess with the computer and license the zoid under me for now. So, if it causes damage I will have to pay for it, a person can't pilot it unless you do this if said person is not licensed themselves.

"What's going on? You do know there is a bounty on that?" Helen said.

"Yeah we need to know." Tina said.

I sighed then answered, "Tina remember when I told you about making zoid smarter and stuff well Sapphire was not the only one. They may be smarter and still need a pilot but that means they become picky to who pilots them. That's what is happening right now and possible why it was rampaging, someone that it does not accept tried to pilot it my bet is." Messing with the computer once more I pulled up a display that said, 'Please enter pilots name' Lily entered her name and then I pulled up one more thing 'Name of the zoid' Lily chose Rose.

"This lever here that's separate from the rest on you left is your booster speed control, the one to the side of you control the walk and run function, the pedals control weight distribution to help handle turns. The last one your right is the gun adjustment stick. If in combat, which I hope that does not happen, press this button and you can use one hand to control the speed instead of two so you can control the guns better. The good thing about these things is if you need to turning can still be used with the cruse on, that means the controls to the zoid's speed can be both pushed forward and backward at the sometime." I gave a quick lesson to Lily, after getting confirmation I got back into my zoid.

As we enter Riku people panicked when they saw Rose and ran.