The Fleugal team heads for the next town after getting their first victory as a team.
"Well thought I would never see this place again." Said Strife
"You lived around here Strife?" Asks Naomi
"Yeah a village about twenty miles east of here." Said Strife
"Well let's go." Said Kazumi
"No." Said Strife "We need to head to the next town."
"Something wrong?" Said Naomi
"Going back would be too painful." Said Strife
"Do you want to talk?" Asks Kiyomi
"Maybe I should go." Said Strife "It might do me some good."
The whale king changes course and heads for Strife's old village. They arrive to find a village that had long been burned down.
"The Backdraft did this." Said Strife "I was helpless."
"I'm sorry Strife if we'd known we would have not come." Said Naomi
"Its okay this is what drives me the reason I battle." Said Strife
"What happened?" Asked Kiyomi
"Backdraft started a war." Said Strife "I was eleven when they came they overwhelmed us with numbers and my mother was lost in the battle."
"Strife I'm sorry." Said Kazumi
"I held her as she took her final breath and if I ever catch them they'll regret ever attacking us." Said Strife
The team continues on to the next town, Strife goes to the zoid shop.
"Can I help you?" Asks the clerk
"Yes what can I get for my saber lion?" Asks Strife
The clerk shows him a couple of zoids and Strife ends up deciding on a glow fox. Naomi and the girls are out buying clothes and supplies. Strife meets up with them on the beach.
"So Strife what were you up to?" Asks Kazumi
"Getting rid of the past." Said Strife
"What do you mean?" Asks Naomi
"I sold my saber lion and bought a glow fox." Said Strife
"Well if that's what you want." Said Naomi
"It is now let's have some fun." Said Strife
Strife heads out and starts swimming Kazumi, Kiyomi, and Naomi all stay on the beach and lay in the sun. Strife heads over to where you can rent warsharks. He does some exploring under water and he gets a devious look on his face. He knows the girls have fallen asleep on the beach and are close enough to the water. Strife goes full speed jumps out of the water and creates a huge tidal wave that drenches the girls.
"What was that?" Asked Kiyomi
"I'm willing to go out on a limb and say it has something to do with Strife." Said Naomi
Strife returns the warshark and heads back to the beach.
"Did you have fun drowning us?" Asked Naomi
"Drowning you must have been dreaming." Said Strife
"No we weren't." Said Kiyomi
"Hey mister you left your wallet on the warshark you rented." Said the warshark salesman
"Oh thank you." Said Strife
"So that's how you did it." Said Kazumi
"Well all we have to say is you're getting paid back later." Said Naomi
"Well let's grab something to eat." Said Strife
The team heads to the shopping strip that runs along side the ocean. Strife has to carry everything that the girls buy. When all is said and done Strife can barely move.
"Is this payback crushing of a thousand clothes." Said Strife
"There's also shoes mixed in to." Said Kiyomi
"Hey what time is it?" Said Strife
"Four thirty why?" Says Kazumi
"I have to pick up my zoid." Said Strife
"Let's head to the whale king drop this stuff off and then you can go get your zoid." Said Naomi
They drop the mountain of shopping bags off at the whale king and run to pick Strife's glow fox.
"Can I help you?" Said the clerk
"No one can help him." Said Kazumi
"Yeah we've been to just about every brain surgeon." Said Kiyomi
"Ha ha a couple of comedians." Says Strife sarcastically "I'm here to pick up the glow fox."
"Yes it will just be a few minutes there finishing up the paint job." Said the clerk
Fifteen minutes later they pick up the glow fox which was painted black and red.
"You had it painted." Said Naomi
"Yeah it was completely silver when I bought it." Said Strife
The team heads back to the whale king to find a message from the champ team. He wants a battle in the mountains.
"That's real close to here." Said Naomi "It's scheduled for two thirty tomorrow."
"Wow that was luck." Said Strife
"Yeah now we can finish shopping." Said Kazumi
"Fine but you'll have to rent another mule." Said Strife
"Let's get to bed we'll tomorrow." Said Naomi
The team goes to bed except for Strife. He tries to sleep but is haunted by the image of his mother dying in his arms.
"Strife you're still up." Said Naomi "Its one in the morning."
"I know." Said Strife
"Something's troubling you." Said Naomi
"I keep thinking about my mother." Said Strife "I felt so weak that day."
"But aside from that day look at how strong you are now." Said Naomi
"True but I still must fight these nightmares." Said Strife
Naomi and Strife talk awhile and Strife is finally able to get to bed. The next day the team goes out to lunch and bumps into the Blitz team.
"Well looks like the circus came in." Said Strife
"Yeah the gun sniper looks absolutely ridiculous." Said Naomi
"What was that?" Said Leena infuriated
"You heard me your gun sniper is a joke." Said Naomi
"Okay how about a battle." Said Leena
"Sorry we have the champ team today." Said Naomi
"Come on Naomi we're going to be late for the battle." Said Strife
The team leaves and heads to the mountains for the start of the battle.
"Okay there's the judge where is the Champ team?" Said Kazumi
All of a sudden a black judge falls from the sky and lands on top of the white judge.
"Battlefield set up the Backdraft alpha team versus the Fleugal team battle mode none ready…fight." Squeaked the dark judge
"Looks like three hellcats." Said Kazumi
"Don't worry the gun snipers and the glow fox come with built in infrared sensors." Said Naomi
Strife charges and uses the twin 80mm cannon and takes out the first one. He then turns and uses strike laser claw on the second. The third he uses his zoids teeth to snap the hydraulic line on the throat of the helcat.
"Anyone else?" Said Strife
"Strife what's wrong with you?" Said Kazumi
"Calm down we won." Said Kiyomi
Naomi uses her sniper rifle to take out Strife's zoid
"What are you doing Naomi?" Shouts Strife
"It's for your own good." Replies Naomi
The Fleugal team returns to the whale king. Strife storms off to his room and is not heard from the rest of the day.