Man am I glad to have gotten so many great reviews! And to guest reviewer Omnipotent 18, I watched a few episodes of Manyū Hiken-chō, and while I may not approve of some of the more suggestive themes of the anime I'm willing to give the story you suggested a chance. But that won't be posted until after a month from today. Anyways, here's the current result of the poll. Once I post the next chapter, voting stops.

Make My Own: 11 votes

Original (Jager, Schneider, Panzer): 4 votes

Also, I REALLY need help with scenarios on how Ben and Pierce can get together! SO PLEASE HELP ME WITH THAT!

Disclaimer: I still don't own Ben 10, or Zoids!


"..." = Talking

"Italics" = Thinking

"Bold" = Yelling

"Bold Underlined" = Judge Talking


Organized under strict rules and regulations,

Zoid Battles are fighting competitions held on enormous battlefields,

Using mechanical combat units known as Zoids!

The enthusiast young warriors put their pride on the line,

And sharpen their skills against one another!

Battle Mode approved!

Area scanned!

Battlefield, set up!

Ready...?

FIGHT!


The Red Comet Appears!


"Okay, Ben. We're ready on our end!" Jamie said over the comm link.

Out in the desert, the Blitz Team was running a few tests on the Liger Zero in order to see what it was capable of. Ben was in the Liger Zero's cockpit and the two of them were ready to show the entire team just what the Liger Zero could do!

Ben had also undergone a wardrobe change. His hair had remained the same, but he now wore a pair of black cargo pants, green combat boots, and a pair of green gloves. He no longer wears a shirt which shows off the jagged X shaped scar on his upper body, as well as his well muscled physique.

Ben had a six pack of abs and fully developed pecs that were lean and toned like those of an olympic runner, and his biceps and triceps had also been fully developed due to his former life of fighting alien criminals. Unfortunately, Ben was now blind in his left eye, so he now wears a white eye patch that had a stripe of black, purple, and gold in the form of claw marks over his left eye.

"Roger that, Jamie. Let's show them what you're made of, Liger!" Ben said.

Ben pushed forward on the Liger's control rods, hit the gas, and the Liger Zero shot off like a rocket at top running speed. It was astounding to say the least. Liger was moving at speeds that would make even the fastest Shield Liger green with envy, and Ben was grinning like a madman from such abilities!

"So far so good. What do ya say, Liger? Wanna use the Ion Boosters?" Ben asked.

Liger roared in approval. He wanted to show off his true potential to the rest of the team, and knew that Ben was the only one who would be able to pull it off.

"Alright, then! Activating Ion Boosters… Now!" Ben said.

He pushed a button which made the boosters on the Liger Zero's back pop out while a pair of Downforce Stabilizers popped out of the sides of the Liger. The Ion Boosters roared to life as the liger reached top speed in less than three seconds! Ben grunted as the G-Forces pushed him back into his seat.

Back in the Hover Cargo, doctor Toros and the rest of the team were very impressed by what they were seeing on the scans.

"This is amazing! Liger Zero has already clocked in at a top speed of over two hundred miles per hour!" Jamie said in amazement.

"Yeah, and I can see how. It's because of the Downforce Stabilizers on the sides of the Zoid. These help the focus one hundred percent of the Liger Zero's kick power to the ground, making it possible to achieve that level of speed!" Doc explained.

"Wow, now I'm really regretting letting that Zoid just sit in the Hangar collecting dust!" Leena said.

"Yeah, but aside from its speed it's only got one weapon. So its still pretty much a useless Zoid." Brad said more to himself than the others.

This earned him a big time glare from Leena. However, Leon was actually looking like he was contemplating something about the Liger. He knew that just because all the Liger Zero had was its Strike Laser Claw and High-Density Beam Gun didn't mean it was useless. It just meant that the Liger Zero had a clean slate to unlock its true potential!

"Okay, Ben. We're done for the day. Bring it in!" Doc ordered over the comm link.

"Got it!" Ben responded.

He turned off the Ion Boosters, and slowly eased Liger Zero into a walk before coming to a complete stop. Liger roared in happiness at finally being able to stretch his legs after so long, and to finally have a partner in Ben.

"You are an amazing Zoid, Liger! I just wish you had more than one weapon that we could work with." Ben said.

Liger Zero growled softly as if agreeing with Ben. It wanted a more diverse arsenal too, and saw that there were a few different weapons that could possibly be a great help on the battlefield.

"Yeah, I know how you feel buddy. What do you think of a Long Range Buster Cannon?" Ben asked.

Liger growled a bit and moved one paw in a so-so motion. He didn't really like the idea of heavy weaponry being attached to him, and wasn't so sure how that would affect his speed. But if the need for heavy weapons did rise up, he would use it for the good of the team.

Later that day, the team was assembled in the meeting room waiting for doctor Toros to arrive. He had received a call from the Zoid Battle Commission, and was taking a while to get back. Ben was really starting to get impatient here. Finally, doctor Toros walked in holding a slip of paper.

"Hey, team! Glad you all could be here! We just got word of our next battle." Doc explained.

"Cool! So, who're we up against?" Jamie asked.

"It says here the Fluegels. We'll be going up against this warrior who has a well known reputation for having never lost a single battle thus far in her career." Doc said.

Brad let out a low whistle, showing that he was impressed. Heck, the whole team was impressed by this information. However, Ben was still a bit skeptical about her rep.

"She's never lost ONCE?" Ben asked. "I find that very hard to believe."

"Well believe it or not, we still have to battle her." said Jamie. "So, what're the rules for the battle?"

"I'm glad you asked! We'll be battling using three Zoids against three Zoids while each Zoid has a shot limit of six." Doc explained.

Ben rose an eyebrow at these rules. He was familiar with just about every Battle Mode in the Zoid Battle Commission, and this was no different.

"0988..." Ben thought to himself.

"So it's basically just an old western showdown. Well if that's the case, I'm gonna go into town and speak to a Parts Dealer I know and get the parts I need for a new weapon for the Liger Zero. I plan on entering that battle, and no one better tell me otherwise!" Ben said as he walked out the door.

The rest of the team looked where Ben was standing with wide eyes and open mouths. They had no idea that Ben could be so territorial when it came to things like battles. But they assumed that Ben was just trying to prove himself to the team since he was the new guy around there.

"Well, I can see that Ben is definitely gonna try and fight in this battle. But Jamie, prep the Pteras just to be on the safe side." Doc ordered.


***At a Zoid Parts Shop in Town***


It was late at night when Ben finally got to the shop he mentioned. Since he didn't have his old truck anymore, he had to walk. Ben wanted Liger Zero to rest up for the battle that was gonna happen the next day, so he didn't bring him along.

"Hey, old timer! You still here? Hello?" Ben called.

"Whoever you are, beat it! The store's closed until tomorrow!" replied a gruff voice.

A man who looked to be in his late fifties with a bushy white beard, hazel colored eyes, and pale skin walked out of the shadows. He was wearing a red T-shirt, a pair of denim overalls, and a pair of brown shoes. His eyes widened and a grin made its way to the man's face when he saw who was calling for him.

"Well, well, if it ain't my favorite Junk Dealer! How ya been, Ben?" asked the man.

"Pretty good, Charlie. But I'm afraid this may be the last you'll see of the parts I bring in. I finally got myself a Zoid, and joined a team!" Ben said.

"Good for you, Ben! Shame that we won't be doing much business anymore, but I wish you good luck in the battles to come." Charlie said.

"Oh, speaking of battles…"

Ben reached into his coat pocket, and pulled out a list of parts for the weapon he needed for the Liger Zero. He handed it to Charlie, and started to explain the situation.

"I've got a battle coming up tomorrow, and I need to cash in that favor you owe me. Think I can get everything on that list?" Ben asked.

Charlie hummed as he looked over the list.

"Well, your tab covers all of this, but why is it all so light? You got a lightweight, or something?" Charlie asked.

"No way! He can handle the heavier gear, but I don't wanna have to sacrifice any speed in this particular battle." Ben explained. "So, do you have it all?"

"Oh, sure. I got everything you need for this weapon. But the barrel itself is in pieces, so you'll have to assemble it yourself. But don't worry, those things may look like a mess but they fit together real good!" Charlie explained.

"Thanks, Charlie. And I think I'll just go ahead and take the easy way this time." Ben said.

While Charlie loaded up the bigger stuff into a delivery truck, Ben carried the gun barrel pieces out one by one through the restaurant that was connected to the shop. As Ben was going about his business, he noticed something that made his blood boil.

Two sleazy looking men were harassing a woman who Ben recognized as Naomi Fluegel. He hated things like perverts, rapists, and child molesters, and was seeing red from these guy's actions!

"It's men like these guys that make the rest of us look bad!" Ben thought to himself.

He kept walking towards where Naomi and those goons, and decided to play ignorant.

"Man, I could use a drink." Ben said to himself. "'Scuse me, sir."

The man cried out in pain when Ben "accidentally" stepped on his foot. The man told Ben to watch where he was going, but Ben "dropped something" and bent down to get it. This caused the piece of the gun barrel he was holding to hit the offender in the chin which sent him to the floor out cold. When Ben got up, the other guy who was making a grab for him missed, and got hit in the back of the head with the metal pipe which in turn knocked him out cold. Ben saw this, and continued to act ignorant.

"Huh? Now what's his problem?" Ben asked "innocently".

Naomi saw the whole thing and knew that it was no accident.

"Did he really do all of that on purpose?" Naomi thought to herself.

"Hey, are you okay? Ben asked.

He had just now gotten a good look at Naomi. She was a beautiful woman with porcelain skin, purple eyes, and red hair that fell past her shoulders and spiked up at the ends in the back. Her outfit was kinda like a western cowgirl. She wore a red and orange outfit with green details that revealed her stomach, arms, and hips. She wore orange gloves and long red boots in the same color as the rest of her outfit. Naomi also had a green gem in her hair above her left eye, and red "rings" around her arms.

Overall, she just seemed to have this air about her that screamed sheriff. But her personality seemed to be that of a loner.

"I'm fine. Thanks for the assist, but I could've taken care of those clowns no problem." Naomi said with a smile.

Ben smiled back at her before sitting down at her table with her, and ordering himself a drink.

"I have no doubts that the Red Comet could handle a couple of goons like them. But I just hate to see men like them ganging up on a woman like that. Regardless of whether they're a pilot or not!" Ben explained.

Naomi's eyes widened slightly when she heard Ben say her Zoid Pilot alias. But she quickly composed herself and joined back into the conversation.

"Nice to know my reputation precedes me. How'd you figure it out?" Naomi asked.

"Red hair, red clothing, dresses like a cowgirl. Really, the signs weren't that hard to miss." Ben said.

Ben downed his drink, and paid his check before getting up and picking up his supplies. But before he could leave, Naomi stopped him.

"Hey, what's your name? Mine's Naomi Fluegel."

"Ben Tennyson's the name. Hope to meet on the battlefield one day!"

Ben finally managed to get everything loaded up into the truck that Charlie had been kind enough to provide, he drove off back to the Blitz Team HQ. It was a lot quicker than walking, that's for sure. Ben managed to get everything unloaded, and sighed in satisfaction at what looked like a difficult build. But then again, Ben loved a good challenge!

Liger Zero moved its head closer to the cannon, and growled in curiosity. Ben seemed to know what the Liger was thinking, and pat his snout gently.

"I know it's not much to look at right now, partner. But just you wait! I want you to watch as I put your new weapon together piece by piece!" Ben said.

Working late into the night, Ben assembled the gun at a slow and careful pace. He started with the smaller parts and the circuitry since those were the hardest parts to work with. Ben learned the hard way that you should always work with the hardest stuff first, and work your way to the easy things. The noise didn't really disturb the team. Most of them were either very heavy sleepers, or already awake.

Finally, Ben got to the gun barrel. Turns out that Charlie was right about those pieces. They fit together like a dream. But he was now struggling to lower the rifle onto the Liger's back so he could mount it there for the battle.

"Grrn… Man, I could sure use some help…" Ben said to himself.

He felt the rope go a bit slack, and turned his head to see Leon and Leena there holding the rope.

"Need a hand?" Leon asked.

"How about two?" Leena added.

"Thanks, guys! I really appreciate it!" Ben said.

Despite there now being three people working with the rifle, they were still struggling with the darn thing. It did weigh more than a ton, after all. Leena grunted as a thought suddenly occurred to her.

"Hrrg… You know, you could always just use the systems in the Hover Cargo to do this… It'd save you a lot of time… and a whole mess of backaches!" Leena implied.

"Yeah, well… A bit of hard work is good for ya…" Ben replied.

They finally managed to get the rifle onto the Liger's back, and Ben fell to one knee as he clutched his chest in pain. Leena immediately went to help Ben up, and slung one of his arms over her shoulder.

"Are you okay, Ben?" Leena asked in worry.

Her hand was subconsciously tracing a bit of the scar that was on Ben's upper body as she helped him get his balance back. Leon noticed this, but didn't say anything.

"Yeah, I'll be fine. I guess I just need to not overdo it for awhile." Ben replied.

While Leena had Ben rest for a bit, Leon decided to do the anchoring of the rifle to Liger Zero's back. While he was working, a question suddenly came to mind that had been bugging him ever since Ben became a part of the Blitz Team.

"Hey, Ben. You were a Junk Dealer before you joined the team, but you seem to have a real knack for piloting Zoids. Why is that?" Leon asked.

"My thoughts exactly, bro." Leena added.

Ben took a moment to collect his thoughts. He had honestly hoped that no one would ask that question, but he didn't want to leave them in the dark. So, he decided to come clean, and tell them a bit about his past.

"Well you see, I've always had this dream. I was going to save up a lot of money and buy the best Zoid I could get! But I didn't want one of those standard off-the-shelf models that they sell in stores. I wanted a partner. A Zoid that was as alive as I am!" Ben explained.

"What do you mean alive? Zoids are just big robots, aren't they?" Leena asked.

Ben shook his head and chuckled at Leena's naivete. It was almost insulting to the Zoids, were it not so funny. But Ben knew better than to leave anyone in the dark about anything, so he continued to explain.

"No, Leena. Every Zoid has a soul that can be awakened if the right conditions are met. But the Zoids that are manufactured often have a hard time awakening their souls." Ben explained.

Leon jumped down from the Liger Zero's back, and walked over to the two. He wiped the sweat from his brow, and yawned slightly.

"Well, that should do it." Leon said. "You're good to go for the battle tomorrow."

"Thanks guys!" Ben said.

He looked up at Liger Zero and surveyed his handiwork. The gun was an old one that was used by Command Wolves in the old war between the Helic Republic, and the Zenebas Empire. It had quite a bit of power to it, but was also kind of hard to calibrate. Ben knew it wasn't the ideal weapon for his Liger Zero, but he figured he could give it to Brad after they beat Naomi.

"What do ya think, Liger? That feel good?" Ben asked.

The Liger roared in disagreement. He shifted his back as the cannon felt awkward, and heavy even though it was light in weight. Ben frowned at this, but he could understand where the Liger was coming from.

"Yeah, it does seem a bit awkward." Ben said before smiling at his Zoid. "Just stick with it for now, at least."

"You sure have a way of understanding what your Liger is saying." Leon said.

Ben would've answered him, but he let out a massive yawn and rubbed his eyes. He'd been up until at least three in the morning, and felt like he could collapse at any minute.

"We'll talk about this another time, Leon. Right now, I just wanna get some sleep before the battle." Ben said, rubbing his eyes.

"Alright then. Goodnight." Leon said.

All three of them went to their rooms to try and get some sleep, knowing full well the challenges that would be coming about in the morning. One thing was certain, things were going to be a lot more interesting than before.


***The Next Day; At the Battlefield***


The Blitz Team had just made it to the battlefield where they would be fighting Naomi, and the Command Wolf and Dibison were already out. The area was a forest with a small clearing where the two teams met and the Judge Capsule would be landing at soon. They saw exactly what they were up against, and grew a bit worried about the competition.

They were facing three Velociraptor-type Zoids known as Gun Snipers. They looked like giant mechanical Velociraptors, only their tails concealed very powerful sniper rifles that really packed a punch! They were also equipped with Dual Missile Pods on their backs, and handguns that had three barrels attached to their hands. And where the eyes would be, there was instead an orange visor. Two of these Gun Snipers were a light blue and lavender purple color scheme, but Naomi's Gun Sniper was completely red.

The Judge Capsule had finally landed just in time to get the battle under way.

"Area scanned… Battlefield, set up! The Blitz Team vs. the Fluegel Team!"

"So are you only going to battle with only two Zoids, or do you have some sort of trick up your sleeve?" Naomi asked/taunted.

"That's what she thinks!" Leena thought to herself.

"Nope! No tricks here!"

Brad and Leena looked over to their side, and saw Ben and Liger Zero standing on a nearby hill. They looked totally pumped, and ready for a gun fight!

"We've just got three honorable warriors!" Ben said.

A hologram of Brad and Leena's faces appeared on the Liger's comm system. Brad didn't look too happy, but Leena looked ready to help Ben out in any way she could.

"What do you think you're doing here, Ben?!" Brad asked.

"I installed a Long Range Cannon on the Liger Zero last night, with Leena and Leon's help. Now you don't have to use any unhonorable tactics!" Ben explained.

"We've got this in the bag with you here, Ben!" Leena said.

Back in the Hover Cargo, doctor toros was having a bit of a meltdown. He hadn't counted on Ben equipping such a weapon to his Zoid, but he really wanted to use the Pteras in this battle. So he started trying to get Jamie to launch so he could return Ben.

"Jamie, Ben's out there! Hurry up and launch the Pteras!" Doc ordered.

"I would if I could, Doc!" Jamie said. "The catapult for the Hover Cargo isn't functioning!"

"WHAT?!" Doc asked in worry.

"Something's wrong with the circuitry!" Jamie said.

Back in the viewing room of the Hover Cargo, Leon was actually holding the component that helped the Hover Cargo's catapult work. He didn't want anyone to disturb the battle, and intended to let Ben show to the others that he had what it took to be a great pilot.

Meanwhile, Naomi's eyes widened in recognition of who had just spoke.

"That voice…! Isn't that…?" Naomi asked herself.

Ben's face appeared on her monitor, and he didn't even look remotely surprised to see who he was up against.

"Hey! May the best pilot win." Ben said.

Naomi smiled at this show of good sportsmanship. That was a rare trait to find in Zoid pilots these days, but it was a respectable quality.

"Go easy on me, kid." Naomi replied.

"Battle Mode 0988. Ready…? FIGHT!"

While the other two Gun Snipers ran for the forest, Naomi started climbing the wall of the cliff to get a better vantage point. Brad didn't want to let her gain the advantage in this battle, so he had Leena strike. Leena fired four blasts from her Widespread Cannon, but every shot missed its mark. Brad got after Leena for wasting ammo, and a small argument broke out between them.

Meanwhile, Naomi had gotten to her vantage point at the edge of the cliff. She pushed a few buttons, and the chair in her cockpit flattened out before rotating to a special cockpit that was meant to work with her Sniper Rifle. Her Gun Sniper turned around, flattened out its tail, and anchored itself to the ground with its large toe claws.

Meanwhile, Ben and the Liger Zero were still on that hill they appeared on, and were ready to use their new cannon. Ben's targeter was locked onto the Gun Sniper, and Ben fired his first round! The shot was unsuccessful, however, as it missed Naomi by mere inches.

"Oh, man. Looks like I could use a little target practice." Ben said to himself.

He pulled the trigger two more times, and fired two more shots. Like the first one, these two bullets missed with one of them clipping a bit of armor on the Gun Sniper. Ben grinned as an idea came to mind. He fired his last three shots which all hit the cliff. It looked like he missed, but in reality the cliff just under Naomi was where Ben was aiming for.

"...I've seen bad shots before, but you take the cake." Naomi said.

Back in the Hover Cargo, Leon and doctor Toros were in slight shock at what they were seeing here. Ben went to all the trouble of getting a new weapon, and he just wastes his six shots? Something seemed a bit off about this.

"Now we're in trouble! Didn't Ben just use all six shots just now?" Leon asked.

"...Oh no. We're doomed!" Doc said before he started crying dramatically.

Liger Zero roared and shifted his back to show how uncomfortable he was with this particular gun that was mounted to his back. He wanted it off, and he wanted it off now!

"Alright, alright, I hear ya Liger! You're tired of carrying around that awkward gun I installed. Well, let's just jettison the thing!" Ben said.

The gun popped out of Liger Zero's back, releasing a burst of pressurized air as it did. The Liger purred in satisfaction as he could move normally once again. Ben understood how the Liger was feeling.

"Bet that feels better." Ben said.

Leena and Brad ran into the forest to try and take out the other two Gun Snipers, while Ben charged in to try and get to Naomi. He knew that close combat against an experienced sniper like Naomi was a long shot, but he also knew that it was his best bet! He kept running while having the Liger Zero zig zag across the clearing in an attempt to throw off Naomi's aim, then heard the first shot and its result.

"NO! My computer's frozen AGAIN?! And I've got two shots to use up still! UGH!" Leena groaned.

"Okay, looks like Leena's out. I just hope Brad doesn't-"

Ben was interrupted from his thoughts when he heard Brad on the comm link.

"DAMN! How could I let myself get pushed around?!" Brad asked himself.

"Okay, Brad's down too! Let's kick it into high gear, Liger!" Ben said.

He increased the Liger Zero's speed until he was going as fast as he could without Ion Boosters. He was still swerving all over the place, and Naomi was having a very hard time getting a lock on him with her Sniper Rifle.

"I've never seen a Zoid move with that kind of speed!" Naomi said to herself. "Hm, too bad!"

She moved her Gun Sniper a bit to try and gain a better vantage point, but this proved to be a crucial error on her part. The ground had suddenly collapsed from under her, and she started to fall!

"WHAT HAPPENED?!" Naomi asked in shock.

Then she remembered those last three shots that Ben had fired at the ground beneath her. They must've weakened the structural integrity of the cliff enough so that if she moved, it would've collapsed!

"Wait! Did he fire all six shots to trap me like this ON PURPOSE?!" Naomi thought to herself.

Her Zoid landed on its side as Ben drew closer and closer to the Gun Sniper. Just like last time, Liger Zero began to glow as he powered up his greatest attack. Ben called it out just like he did against the Tigers Team in his first battle.

"Let's finish this, Liger! Strike Laser Claw!" Ben called.

Naomi wasn't going to make it easy for him, and fired a last shot in desperation. But the Liger Zero surprised them all by doing something that no ordinary Zoid should be capable of. It jumped over Naomi's bullet!

"He jumped over it!" Naomi said in shock.

"Smooth move, Liger!" Ben said.

Gravity aided Ben and Liger's final attack as they managed to slice of one of Naomi's Gun Sniper's arms and a Missile Pod! Her Zoid fell to the ground as its computer system froze. Once Liger Zero stopped his attack, the Judge sounded the end of the battle.

"THE BATTLE IS OVER! THE BATTLE IS OVER! THE WINNER IS… THE BLITZ TEAM!"

The whole team began to celebrate their win, but Brad was steaming over the rookie having won the match for them. He thought the whole thing was a fluke, while Leon decided to go out and see the world for awhile. Naomi had stepped out of her Zoid, and was looking at Ben and the Liger in a bit of awe.

"Maybe it was a fluke… But any way you look at it, that's the first time anyone has ever dodged MY bullet!" Naomi said to herself.


Ending Narration (Leena): Ben's next opponent is some guy who says he's destined to be a king. The two warriors risk it all to fight over… ME! *sigh* What's a popular girl like me to do?

...WHAT'D YOU SAY?! I'm USING them?! How RUDE! I'm not to blame! I'm just a victim of my own charm, and beauty! Next time on Ben 10: New Century Zero; The Prince Arrives! Harry Champ! Ready…? FIGHT!