"You have to let me come with the commando team."

"No."

"No one knows zoids better than I do, not in this region.

"Again, no."

Kinzoku and I had been having this same argument for the past hour. I ignored it for the most part but she was persistent. This was the one and only time I wished I wasn't a human so I could ignore her better. Fortunately, Bishop was providing me with strategic support.

"For the last time Miss Varen, NO." I need new strategic support.

"Look, unless you happen to have someone on your team who can identify any zoid- "

"WE KNOW." Bishop and I said simultaneously. Truth be told she was right but we had limited room and we needed people who could fight. Kinzoku, while a great mechanic, and from what Rush told me a good pilot, she wasn't trained for war. Not that I was trained for it… but I at least had my instincts to help guide me.

"What about a compromise? You get a zoid for yourself and you can come along. That sound fair general?"

"Yes, it does. And you're going to help her."

"Wait what!?"

"Come on, you heard Bishop." Said Kinzoku with a smirk. I grumbled and opened up for her, and she got in gleefully. I just let her take control of me as we ran out of the base. I did leave a message on Bishop's phone however that simply read: You OWE me.

We spent most of the time just searching for zoids, but each one that we came across didn't really have the necessary maneuvering too keep up with me, Rush, and the assault team. It was good combat practice however and we managed to take out nine molgas, three godos and even a couple red horns we ambushed in the mountains. Gravity can be fun when you push a red horn off a cliff.

"Kinzo… we've been at this for hours. I really need to help Bishop and Bates get the plan ready."

"Just a little longer ok?"

"Fine. But one more battle and I'm taking control back and heading back to Yankee base."

"Deal!"

We bolted down into the forest, stealth systems on. By now it was sunset and I felt at home in the growing darkness. While it was strange to admit it, even if no one could hear my thoughts, but I felt comfortable when I was hard to spot. Kinzoku piloted me as I searched through my systems for a means to unlock the stuff I can't access yet. There was plenty of things I couldn't access, and considering how I was probably meant to be piloted by an 'authorized' Armada pilot I'd have to crack some code.

Bates did ask the Armada pilot we had captured but he was just a low ranking scout force leader, he only had enough clearance to know where the main force was and where some defenses were. In the meantime, I had to try to break the code myself.

I was hoping for Kinzoku to pass out so I could take her back to base, but sadly my hopes were shot dead. Almost literally as a bullet whizzed past my head. I turned to see where it came from but I couldn't identify the source. Another bullet came straight for my head but I ducked underneath it and charge for its source. "That has to be either a Gun Sniper or Snipe Master!" said Kinzoku gleefully.

I was less happy than she was as I was busy trying to make sure we didn't die. More shots came out way and one grazed my leg. It hurt but I ignored it for the most part. The graze made it harder for me to jump to the side as another bullet struck my wounded leg. It wasn't anything that couldn't be healed/repaired but the immediate effect was causing me to crash into a tree. I tried to move but I couldn't.

"S-Shadow?" I wanted to respond but I couldn't, my systems were freezing up left and right as I tried to keep ahead of it all. Sadly, my time was short as my radar, the only system that wasn't going to freeze up anytime soon picked up a blip that was coming to me fast. I desperately tried to get back up, to put up my shield, anything but everything was freezing up before I could do anything.

"Wake up! Please!" pleaded Kinzoku as the blip came into view. It was a gun sniper and it was pointing its wrist guns at me. I braced for the end as a saber tiger tackled the gun sniper, pinning it to the ground with a growl. I recognized that tiger as the one that Armada pilot I spoke to used when I first woke up. The gun sniper tried to get up but was discouraged as the tiger blasted the ground next to its head with its shock cannon. Kinzoku and I watched as the gun sniper pilot ejected and ran like hell away from the tiger.

And without a word, it left. It took me some time to get myself unfrozen but by then Kinzoku was already in the gun sniper standing guard. My front right leg was still injured so I had to limp on it. Kinzoku was silent the entire way back to base, and I think I knew why. I didn't really try to cheer her up as I barely knew her. She may have been part of my team but aside that she's a mechanic and zoids maniac I didn't know much about who she really was.

I walked into the support hanger where Rev got to work fixing my leg while Ex and Max repainted the gun sniper to match the US colors. Kinzoku just left the hanger and I connected to her phone.

"Kinzoku, it wasn't your fault."

"Yes it is."

"I should've put up my shield, but I didn't."

"You wouldn't have had to if- "

"Just stop. I'm alive, you have your very own gun sniper, and you're on the team."

"But- "

"No buts. Just get ready to move out the day after tomorrow."

"… Yes ma'am." I cut the connection and as Rev worked on making my leg better I drifted off to sleep.