VIII

—Fear—

恐怖


Dr. D poked out his lower lip and sighed loudly with his hands on his narrow hips. He slowly shook his head and pinched the bridge of his nose. This couldn't have been happening again. It was like a recurring nightmare; you knew you were going to have it, but you went to sleep on the off chance that something different might happen. Maybe they were all still asleep, and this whole ordeal was just an elaborate dream they couldn't wake up from. Dr. D cursed himself to thinking so illogical. They weren't still in their pods and this wasn't a dream. This was real.

Thomas stumbled upright, shaking the dust and fragments from his rolled up sleeves. He stretched his arm out toward the closing door. "Should I go after him?"

"I wouldn't," Dr. D expressed. "Just give him some time to cool down. He'll come around."

Thomas didn't look convinced. "I've never seen him that… angry before."

"He's been through a lot, more than any person should." Dr. D maneuvered around the clumps of material on the floor and assessed Zeke. The organoid visually appeared unharmed, but he imagined there was plenty swirling around in his mind. Fiona meant just as much to him as she did to Van. Poor fella. He was going to say something else, but he shut his mouth the moment Bit and Brad came over. The soldiers were still pecking about. They'd come to him soon enough.

"You all right, old man?" Bit examined Dr. D with his large eyes, more concerned about the bloody cuts and nicks than his ripped lab coat.

Dr. D waved him off. "I'm fine. Nothing that won't heal. Why are you here exactly?"

"We were with Van when he got the call," Brad mentioned. "He said he had something important to talk to the team about—"

"I'm sorry to interject, but who are they?" Thomas faced Dr. D, pointing his thumb at the two.

Brad shot him a look, finding the stranger's tone incredibly hostile.

Dr. D reacted like he had a sudden epiphany, nervously laughed it off. "Ah, you hadn't met them yet. I hate it's under these circumstances, but that's just our luck. Thomas, this is Bit Cloud and Brad Hunter. They're the pilots we informed you about. Bit and Brad, this is Thomas Schubaltz."

Thomas looked at them both, thoroughly unimpressed by them. These were the pilots that saved Van from certain death, invaded the enemy's nest in Mount Iselina, and fought a brutal battle in Capital City? Impossible! They looked like a pair of teenagers that weren't even allowed to look at the beer, let alone drink one. This was certainly an unimposing generation of individuals he'd met so far.

"Nice to meet you in person," he forced himself to say. "I've heard brave things about you." For a competitive Zoids team, by the way.

Bit's face lit up with a genuine smile, taking Thomas aback. He shook his hand with surprising grip. "I met you… uh, sort of. You were still in your pod. Van never mentioned much about you, though."

"Yeah," Thomas irritably frowned, "that's been going around, I hear."

Brad gave Thomas a subtle nod of the head, preferring to keep his hands to himself. He was never a person to dislike someone at first sight, but it was something about Schubaltz that just turned him off. Maybe it was because he was new, uninitiated. He wasn't there when all of the mess started, but that wasn't a solid enough reason to dislike the man. Given enough time, and an obvious new tragedy, they'd become more acquainted.

"Dr. D!" A deep, imposing voice echoed through the hall, followed by a pair of weighty footfalls.

Dr. D looked ahead as the others turned to see who'd called out the scientist's name. Two men marched toward them, the first being a man rugged appearance and screaming working-class. He was a clean 6'0", having the face of working-class man, and dark brown hair underneath a tan cap. His hazel eyes, though, looked like they could melt steel with a single glare. The second man was a few steps behind him was a few inches taller, black high and tight cut, and sprigs of growth around his chin.

The first soldier came up to Dr. D, eyes locked. "Are you Dr. D?"

Dr. D nodded twice. "That's me."

"I'm Captain Kai Sable, Anti-Terror Division. I was told that a volatile situation occurred here. The target is a female patient, and that you're her primary doctor. We swept this entire floor and there's nothing here but debris and bodies. Care to walk me through it?"

"Um, I…" Dr. D searched for what to say, stammering. He didn't know why, exactly. Too many thoughts were streaming. An abbreviated answer was better than nothing. He just wasn't up for another full explanation. It pained him enough the first time. "She woke up from a comatose state, confused and dangerous. I didn't see much, but I'm assuming she escaped the building somehow."

Sable didn't seem satisfied. He swept his eyes across Thomas, Bit, and Brad. No reaction. Zeke, however, caught his attention. He'd never seen a Zoid quite like it before, but he simply chalked it up to another scientific creation. "I need more than that, doctor. This situation isn't looking good. I've got four casualties and one that's in critical condition. It's doubtful he'll even survive surgery. Now, you said she was in a comatose state. How long was she in that condition?"

"A little over a year," Dr. D estimated. He grew irritated at the captain. It was suspicious that the captain knew nothing about Fiona; but then again, not everyone knew the specifics. With the exception of those in the Ultrasaurus that day, no one was briefed on what happened during the Capital City battling. Fiona was a well-kept secret to a select few. "I'm sorry, but do you have clearance concerning this?"

Sable seemed to take offense. Clearance? Who did this scientist think he was? The captain had never violated a single protocol since he was recruited by the Battle Commission years ago. Scientists playing God all day must've altered their perception of the real world. "Doctor, I was sent here via direct orders from the Defense Chief. He told me to investigate the matter and have my team ready for action. This Fiona patient, she's seems pretty dangerous to me, but I received orders were only allowed to use non-lethal rounds and a subsequent sedative. So, I think I'm definitely within clearance? If we're done measuring our pricks, I'd like to have some light shed on this."

"She's gone," Dr. D said flatly. "I can't relay to you the details, because I simply didn't see everything. If it wasn't for Zeke, I wouldn't be having his conversation with you right now. I only saw her initial escape from her secured room."

Sable folded in his lips with a slight squint. "Who's Zeke?"

Dr. D was almost at a loss for words. What planet did this captain live on? Plenty of people had been acquainted with the organoid. Had this man been kept out of the loop? It was possible. Not everyone in the Battle Commission knew the details. He simply pointed to Zeke for the captain. "Him."

Sable wouldn't argue with the doctor about who saw what, or why he'd named the miniature Zoid. The day was getting stranger by the minute. Whether he was telling the truth or not, one look around the wing confirmed that the target was no ordinary patient gone awry. It spiked his curiosity that Defense Chief Xavier personally selected him to oversee this. He knew the Chief was involved in the Capital City fighting, so there must've been something about the target he knew about. If that was the case, he'd have a word with him on the matter.

"There was another man here. I saw him before the girl fled. If he's around, I'm sure he can help with what happened."

"I don't think that's the best idea," Dr. D surmised. Van didn't require special treatment, but the man was in a delicate state. Prodding him with questions about Fiona's whereabouts would only make everything worse. "I'm sure he knows as much as I do."

Sable held his hand up. "Why don't you let me worry about that, doctor?" It wasn't a question, not in the captain's mind. He didn't anyone to impede the investigation. The girl was already loose, running around the city and posing a danger to every citizen in her path. "Where can I find him?"

"That isn't necessary, Captain Sable," Dr. D protested in calm.

Sable opened his mouth to contest the scientist, telling him that his authority meant absolutely nothing in the eyes of the Anti-Terror Division; and that he needed get back to measuring vales of colorful chemicals and study some math or something. But the words never had an opportunity to leap from his tongue, for the second he drew back his lips, Defense Chief Xavier briskly entered into the secured wing with a look of shock and devastation.

Xavier placed his hands atop his head, oblivious to Dr. D and the others as his eyes took in the gruesome sight—blood pools on the floor, fragments of material everywhere, and the line occupied body bags. He hadn't been in his office an hour before the sirens started wailing. Fiona was still practically dead and Van had considered joining the AT Division. Now she was nowhere to be found. He finally allowed himself to focus, turning to face Captain Sable.

"Captain, what… what's the assessment?"

Sable's posture went rod straight and snapped a salute. "Chief Xavier, sir!"

Xavier waved the captain off, finding it inwardly frustrating that someone just saluted him. "At ease, Kai. Give me a sit-rep?"

Sable relaxed. "The Zoidian girl is gone, sir. It's likely she fled the building."

Xavier felt sick. From the obvious conditions around him, it was clear that Fiona's long-awaited awakening was far from peaceful. Was it wrong to think that everything would've been okay, that all the chaos and turmoil was over? He supposed not. Fiona was missing, and in her current state, that was the worst possible news."

"We need to lock the complex down and start a search immediately! And how in heaven did she flee the building? We're on the fourth floor, secured within a reinforced wing that Zeke couldn't even escape from."

"Excuse me, sir," announced the secondary soldier beside Sable. "One of the windows was busted out. All the others are intact, so it looks like she went through it."

"Let me see," Xavier growled. He marched past Dr. D and Thomas, glancing at Bit and Brad before realizing that all of them were actually present. "Were all of you here when this happened?"

Bit pointed his thumb toward Dr. D and Thomas. "They were, including Van. Brad and I came in with the soldiers."

"And where's Van?" Xavier asked next.

"I don't know," Thomas shrugged. "He wasn't in a pleasant mood when he left, said that he—"

"We'll discuss the specifics at an appropriate time," puffed Xavier. "Look, all of you don't need to be here. Find Van, get those cuts patched up, and we'll reconvene later." Faced Sable. "Captain, the window."

"This way, sir." Captain Sable turned on his heels and marched out with the Chief.

They turned the corner where a few more body bags were being zipped up. Xavier's stomach churned at the sight. That's four causalities already, and in such a brief period of time as well. If Fiona could deal that much in damage in such a span of time, what would she do with hours or days? They needed to find her now!

It was then that they reached the window in question. The soldier was correct; it was only one busted, which was disconcerting because the glass could stand up to severe abuse before breaking. However, from the spent shell casing on the floor below, point-blank shots would do the trick. And what added to Xavier's anxiety was the fact that, when he gazed out of the window, it was a 125 meter drop to the ground below. There was nothing that could've broken Fiona's fall if she'd jumped. But there wasn't a crowd of people standing around a bloody mush down below, so it was obvious she wasn't dead.

Sable, though, thought different. "Sir, if the girl went through this window, there is no way she could've survived. No one could. It just isn't possible."

Xavier let the words slip before he could stop them. "If you're a normal human, then sure."

The captain's forehead wrinkled, accompanied by the dozen other soldiers in the room. "Sir?"

Xavier realized his mistake. None of these men knew that an ancient Zoidian was once in their midst. They were all dead as far as they were concerned. But the cat had practically fallen out of the bag, and Sable, for one, had spent enough time in the dark.

"Sir, if I could have a word."

"Sounds harmless," Xavier lied. He had an idea of exactly what would come from Sable's mouth, and he was hardly ever wrong.

The two men departed from the group, moving just out of earshot but close enough to be seen. Xavier clasped his hands behind his back, looking up at the captain with a face of impatient expectation. Anything he had to say couldn't have been possibly worse than the current situation.

"Sir," Sable started, "there's something going on that's not quite adding up. I mean, we've got a patient on the loose that killed four people; two of them were trained soldiers. Now she just did a Peter Pan out of a window without a trace. And the damage assessment speaks for itself, sir. One girl did all of this. I've got the feeling there's more to it, and I think you do as well. If I'm to operate efficiently, I gonna need to know the specifics."

The Defense Chief imagined he couldn't put it off any longer. There were strict protocols pertaining to the release of classified information. Sable was one of the Battle Commission's best operatives, but even he didn't have access to intel that belonged to a small amount of people. But this wasn't about concealment anymore. The playing field had drastically changed, which meant the rules changed along with it. This wasn't some mental patient that happened to wander out the building; no, this was a confused and highly volatile Zoidian with abilities that made her a force. Decisions had to be made.

"I'll talk to the Chairman, see what I can do. Meet me in my office tonight, after hours. Until then, get this area cleared and secured. No one is allowed inside without proper clearance."

Sable agreed with mild satisfaction. "Yes, sir. I'll have a few men posted outside."


Spring was easily the most beautiful season for New Helic City. Once the ice and snow from winter faded away, it seemed to give the city a brand new sheen. The glass windows on the skyscrapers glistened in the sun's warm rays, the coastal bay waters were clear enough to see through, and most of the boats and ships were out to sea, giving the bay an uncluttered feel. It was picturesque.

Van found solace there, right where the bay met the city. It was a happy medium between serenity and chaos, dousing the ever-raging fires that burned inside of him. There was a subtle relief that the city still existed. While it was only a piece of his past, it was better than nothing. He visited the Wind Colony some time ago, only to find that it was no longer there. The individual homes had long disappeared, replaced by soft grasslands and wildlife. His father's grave had practically vanished. His sister, Maria, told him that she wanted to be buried next to Dad when it was her time to rest. Van imagined her wishes her granted, but he would never clearly know. He didn't remember his last moments with her, whether or not they had a proper goodbye. Did she ever marry, have children?

He thought about these things often, more than a person should, he figured. His heart burned at the very thought, coupled with the feeling that someone was squeezing it between their hands. What Fiona told him hurt the most. He wanted to believe that she didn't mean it, that she simply spoke carelessly in anger. That was still a possibility. But why runaway? He wasn't a threat to her. Why did she want to die so badly? Van didn't want to think about it anymore; it only made him angrier. The metal bar felt hot in his palms as he squeezed it tighter. He hated being at odds with himself. On the one hand, he was furious about Fiona leaving him again; but then again, he was angry with himself for being upset.

Van turned aside from the bay, sliding down the concrete barrier in a crouch. He ran his hands through his hair with a sigh. "We should've never come here."

"Awe, then you would've never gotten to know me." Bit sat down on one of the benches close to Van and scooted down to the edge. He leaned forward, arms resting on his thighs. "It's uncanny that I keep finding you here. I claim this spot too, y'know?"

Van puffed out a soft laugh, rested his head back on the concrete. "What now? This is usually a question I'd ask Fiona. She always knew what to say. She always did the right thing. I don't know what happened."

Bit pursed his lips, eased off the bench, and sat down next to Van. He blew out a breath of hair, moving the tips of his hair. "I don't know Fiona the way you do. I wish I did, because then I could relate. But I can't. All I know is what I've experienced. I have to admit, Fiona is dangerous, but I also know that people aren't usually one way. If Fiona was a caring, teeth-dissolving sweet person that you know she is, then I'm positive that person still exists inside. We just have to find her… again."

Van shook his head with a modest smile. "That's surprisingly wise coming from you."

"Hey, I'm not just a pretty face," Bit laughed. He gestured to Van's injured collarbone. "You gonna get that looked at?"

"Yeah." Van hadn't really felt it until Bit pointed it out. The pain made moving his arm difficult. It would take a few weeks to heal. "Look, round up the rest of the Blitz Team, okay. There's something I wanted to discuss with you guys."

Bit sprung up, wiping the dirt fragments from his hands. "Consider it done."

Moonbay and Irvine strolled into their quarters, subconsciously checking around every corner before they passed. The sudden evacuation, for the moment, was a complete mystery to them. Irvine was shoved out of the gym, while Moonbay was escorted from her bedroom in great haste. No one told them anything. Moonbay, for one, didn't feel as if she should've been treated like a VIP, but it would've been nice to be in-the-know. In earshot of others, she heard something about a situation on the medical floor. That's where Fiona was being held, but she doubted her Zoidian friend would've caused a fuss. Whatever the reason, she was sure they were about to find out.

Everyone was waiting inside, talking softly with one another. The Blitz Team sat on one of the angular couches, their faces serious and devoid of humor. That placed Moonbay on alert. If there was one thing she knew about the Blitz Team, it was that they were hardly serious people. They could usually find humor in any situation; not so much in this case. Dr. D, Thomas, and Zeke were to the right, while Van stood in the middle of them all with his back to the door.

He turned around at the sound of their footfalls. "Irvine, Moonbay—thanks for meeting up."

Irvine flipped his towel around his neck and leaned against the bar. His cool sweat sent chills up his body from his drenched shirt. He reached into the opening of the bar, fetched out a bottle of water. "Well, you said it was important. Not to mention that we're just now being allowed back in the building. If this was some drill, these are some sick people."

"No, this was for real," Van hinted.

"So what's up, Van?" Moonbay sat down on the edge of the couch beside Leena.

Van swallowed. Here we go. No turning back now. "Most of you already know, but for those who don't, I guess I should just say it." He signed, fists clinched in pockets. "Fiona woke up today."

The water bottle crunched in Irvine's hand, squeezing out water all over him. He nearly choked on the water, having to cough most of it up in the sink.

Dr. Toros leaned back into the couch and rested his hands atop his head with inflated cheeks. He shifted the air around before he eventually blew it out. Jamie and Leena exchanged worrisome expressions, their mouths working so speak but without words. Moonbay, initially, wanted to jump for joy and sprint to her room to greet Fiona; but the manner in which Van released the news didn't appear positive. She hoped he wasn't about to say what she was previously thinking.

"That's why they evacuated the building," Van continued. "Fiona's awakening was… hostile. Some soldiers tried to contain her, but she killed them and severely injured another. She escaped the building before I could stop her, though. I know this is a bit of a shock, but it's the truth."

The others wanted to say something, to express their feelings and thoughts; but the fact of the matter was is that they couldn't comprehend it. Fiona was alive; they understood that, but her subsequent actions were mind boggling. Killing soldiers, running away; that wasn't Fiona, was it? It surely explained why the building was evacuated, why Dr. D and Thomas were covered in bandages, and why Van himself was injured. She hurt them all, which was thought to be impossible to Irvine and Moonbay. They wouldn't believe it.

"Why was she hostile?" Moonbay inquired. "I understand Ambient's influence before, but he's gone now. Shouldn't she have been… I don't know, calm?"

"We don't know the extent of how powerful Ambient's hold was on Fiona," Dr. D commented. "He wasn't an organoid we interacted with often, so it's difficult to profile what he was really capable of."

"So, it's just residual effects, then?" Dr. Toros surmised. "Given enough time, she should calm down, right?"

Van shook his head, grimaced in discomfort. "It does deeper than that, Dr. Toros. Fiona was damaged by this, and it's brought something out in her that only she can rectify. I suppose that's why she ran away. She told me, right before she left, that she needed to 'figure it out'. I don't know what 'it' is, but she won't be safe out there alone."

"Or the general public, for that matter," Brad voiced.

All eyes marked Brad. Silence.

Moonbay's face was flushed red, more delayed shock than anger. She stood up, fist shaking. "And what's that supposed to mean? Are you saying she's a threat?"

Brad didn't mince words, never did. The truth was harder to face, almost unbearable at times, but it was required in such times. Moonbay needed to understand that. "That's exactly what I'm saying. She's a threat to herself and anyone around her. I'm not saying that she's a monster, but it's obvious she's a different person from the Fiona you guys previously knew. It's facts."

"You don't know her like we do," Irvine retorted, his tone bordering an accusation. Brad was an outsider, a man ignorant to their time. He wasn't qualified to make such a claim about her.

"It's obvious you don't, either," Brad fired back.

"Let's all calm down," Van intervened. He could already tell this wasn't going to go well. It was about to derail at any moment; one era pitted against another. "Irvine, chill out. Brad's just speaking his mind, and he made some valid points as well."

Irvine shook his head with a dismissive laugh.

"Are you serious?" Moonbay barked. "How could you say that? You're on their side now, that Fiona's a threat and needs to be eliminated?"

"I'm not on anyone's side, Moonbay," Van made clear. "And I'd never think that Fiona would be considered a target. But you weren't there; none of you were. I heard what Fiona told me today. She's angry that I didn't stop this from happening, that I should've killed her. I don't accept that, which is why we have to find her. That's why I asked all of you here. Chief Xavier asked me today if I wanted to join the Commission's Anti-Terror Division, and I accepted only under the condition that I could select my own people. You're the only people that I trust to be by my side."

Van didn't expect much of a reaction, but he would've settled for anything but what he received—nothing. They only looked at each other with eyes soaked in disbelief, surprise, and absolute denial. He wanted to peek inside their minds, to know exactly what they were thinking. It was a weighty request, but his confidence in them exceeded their possible reservations. They would be a team, side-by-side in the trenches. Or maybe that was the issue. Maybe they didn't want to be a team. Van could only wait until one of them said something.

Irvine was the first to speak, but only after making Van experience the longest two minutes of his life. "Are you asking us to ally ourselves with this government?"

Van caught the accusatory tone in his voice. Irvine was never one to trust any government, even though he worked closely with the Helic Republic. But that was years ago, and the Zoids Battle Commission wasn't anything like the Republic. Their main focus was competitive Zoids battles, but that branch had been suspended since the Capital City attack. Rebuilding was their main task now. However, Van suspected that Irvine wanted no part in working under an organization he didn't fully know.

"I am asking you to help find one of our closest friends. That was the agreement. We'll have the Commission's backing. They'll give us everything we'll need to find her."

"In exchange for what?" Irvine continued. "I doubt they'll help us without receiving something in return. That's just how governments work, no matter how perfect they appear. Yeah, they'll help us find Fiona, but what will we have to do for them?"

"Knock it off, Irvine!" Moonbay barked. "If their willing to help get Fiona back, then we should accept that."

"That's my point," Irvine justified. "We want Fiona back because she's our friend. They want her back only because they're afraid of her. She's a target to them. Let's say we let them help us. Cool. But what happens if we fail and we're unable to get her back? They'll go after her themselves, and I can assure you that they won't be gentle."

Irvine's words hung in the air for a time. Van couldn't disagree with him, not totally. It was no secret that the Battle Commission only knew Fiona as a possible threat, a walking weapon with a hair-trigger. He never thought about failing, as it never entered into his mind. But if they did, was it farfetched to think that the Commission would take matters into their own hands and attempt to neutralize Fiona? It was possible. A rogue Zoidian was something no one wanted; but that was the situation they were in right now. They had to decide.

"I just need a yes or no," Van told them. "It's your decision."