Here we are at Chapter 10. Now that Team Lockhart has joined up with the ZBC, let's see how things play out from there. I do not own Zoids. They belong to their respective owners. I only own my OCs. Here's chapter 10. Enjoy.
Chapter 10: Business as usual?
After leaving the ZBC headquarters, along with their new 'teammate' Colt Wilson, Sarah and Grace head out to begin their mission. Since this Neo Backdraft Group is targeting zoid teams, and they've already survived one of their attacks, Sarah and Grace believe that if they can make enough of an impact, it might draw them out. As for Colt, he was just along for the ride. However, finding the perfect scenario for this impact will be easier said and done. That, and...
"Mind explaining to me why your Geno Ritter as still staring at me...and growling at me?" Colt asks from his own Gustav riding next to Sarah's, this one painted white and gold.
Sarah and Grace glance back, seeing that the Geno Ritter has been keeping his eyes on their new travelling companion since they left the Ultrasaurus zoid, looking like he could attack at any minute.
"You get used to it...Probably," Grace replies, muttering the last part, and making Sarah sigh. "They only one he doesn't growl at is Sarah," she notes.
"That's because I'm special," Sarah replies with a smile.
Grace glances away, "Yeah, that's the reason," she mutters.
"Okay, so aside from trying to keep your partner from eating me, what's the plan for getting the NBG to come after us?" Colt asks.
"Well, normal battles may not be enough at this point to really make any progress. Sure, when I first started fighting with Geno, I got some buzz going around. However, like all things, people quickly move on to something else. Besides, we're still in class C; not quite the area that gets all the cameras. We either need to get our rank up, which may take too long, or we need to find some kind of special event or something that plenty of people will be watching," Sarah explains.
"Okay, so what kind of event are we looking for?" Grace asks.
"...I have no idea," Sarah replies, making Grace hang her head.
Colt chuckles, "Well, I could see what kind of events the ZBC will be hosting soon and see which might be worth checking out. It'll take a little time though," Colt says.
"I thought you were a member of the ZBC?" Grace asks.
"Yes, but I'm basically a few levels higher than a grunt. Not a lot of wiggle room in the administration and setup for events. Plus, I've been kind of undercover as a free agent zoid warrior. Not like I get too many messages from them unless it's to tell me to do something. Welcome to my world," Colt replies.
"Alright, for now let's just head to the next town, set up there and figure out our next move," Sarah says, with the other two agreeing.
…
Once they reach the nearest town, Colt exits his Gustav and walks over to Sarah's Gustav. He's now wearing some regular attire: a brown vest over a black short-sleeved shirt, blue jeans and some hiking boots. However, as he gets close, the two girls notice.
"Hold up, Colt. Give us a minute while we get changed," he hears Sarah yell out from inside.
Colt turns around, hands resting behind his head, and waits. However, he glances back a bit, trying to peer through the glass hood of the Gustav's head to sneak a peek. However, the second he does so, something big stomps near him and he looks back to see the Geno Ritter staring down at him, growling as its head armor folds down. Inside the Gustav, the girls finish getting their normal attire on, only to hear loud noise and feel the ground shaking like crazy.
"What's going on out here?!" Grace yells as she and Sarah get out...only to see Colt running from a mad Geno Ritter chasing him and trying to catch him in its jaws. "What the Hell?!" she yells.
"I could use some help here, girls!" Colt shouts as he rolls under the Geno's mouth and then jumps out of the way of its left foot.
"What did you do, Colt?!" Sarah yells.
"Me?! I didn't do anything!" Colt yells as he jumps away from the Geno Ritter once again.
"Well, obviously you did something to piss him off!" Grace yells as she notices some people starting to watch the spectacle, although from a safe distance.
"I'll I did was just walk near your Gustav after I got out of mine, and then he went ballistic!" Colt replies, still running.
It doesn't take long for Sarah to put the pieces together, "...Ah! You peeping tom! No wonder Geno is angry. What is wrong with you?!" she yells.
"Dude, that's seriously messed up," Grace notes, hands on her hips.
"Look, I'm sorry. It was an accident. Can you just get your zoid to stop trying to EAT me?!" Colt pleads as he slides under a swing of the Geno Ritter's tail.
"What do you think?" Sarah asks.
"I'd say let him run for a while longer," Grace replies.
Seeing as how he isn't getting any help from them, Colt runs around the Geno Ritter, making his way to his Bravejaguar on the back of his Gustav. However, the Geno Ritter jumps up and lands in between Colt and his zoid.
"Oh, you have got to be kidding me," Colt mutters as he slowly steps back.
The Geno Ritter growls as it steps closer, about to attack until Sarah suddenly pat him on the left leg.
"Alright, Geno. That's enough playing around for right now. We're starting to make a bit of a scene," Sarah says, glancing to some onlookers off to the side. "Come on, let's finish getting settle in and fine a place to eat. Don't eat anyone while we're gone Geno," Sarah says, being able to calm her partner down.
"You think you could've done that five minutes ago?" Colt asks, a little pissed at almost being Geno's chew toy.
"That's what you get for trying to sneak a peek at us while we're changing. Unless you want to die, I suggest you don't do that again, and get moving," Grace says as she walks away, followed by Sarah.
Colt glances between them and the Geno Ritter before deciding to follow their advice and move on before they change their mind.
"I can see how this mission is gonna turn out in the end," Colt mutters.
…
After the situation calmed down, the trio head into the city to a local diner to eat and to figure out their next move. While the girls are on one side of a table, Colt sits on the other (for obvious reasons).
"How long are you two gonna be mad at me again? I said I was sorry," Colt asks, swishing his drink around a bit.
"Not anytime soon," Grace deadpans. "So, got anything big coming up that we can participate in?" she asks Sarah.
Sarah looks through her zoid gear, "I don't know. Most of what I'm finding so far is just small, regular matches. Those won't help," she replies.
Meanwhile, Colt is coming through his own zoid gear, only this one is a little bigger and appears more advanced.
"Hey, where'd you get a zoid gear like that?" Grace asks.
"There are a few perks to being a member of the ZBC. Anyway... how about this? There's supposed to be a battle royal event set to take place four days from now in Romeo City. That's about a day's drive from here. If we head out after we're done with lunch here, we can make it by some time tomorrow and still have a couple days to plan out how we're gonna win," Colt suggests.
"Huh, never been in a battle royal before. That could be fun," Grace notes.
"I agree. Plus, it would give plenty of opponents for Geno to take down. This way he won't have to occupy his time with eating Colt here," Sarah jokes.
"Ha-ha, very funny. But you won't be laughing when I tell you the stipulation for this battle royal," Colt retorts.
"What stipulation?" Sarah asks.
"The fact that any team from any class aside from class S are allowed to participate in this battle royal," Colt replies.
Now Sarah and Grace lose their smiles, "Wait, so you're saying that if we fight in this event, we may end up facing some of the very best zoid warrior teams of today?" Grace asks, getting worried.
"Yep. This is how the event is set up. Outside Romeo City, they have a huge abandoned urban site that's basically like one big maze. Twenty teams total can participate with no more than three members each. The battle continues until only four teams remain. Then, as a special addition in this year's battle royal, those four teams will fight one-on-one with each other in elimination-style match-ups until there is only one team left standing. The winner gets a trophy, a big cash prize, and pretty much bragging rights. And you can bet that this event will have plenty of people watching," Colt explains.
The girls take a moment to think about this, "So, we would help by getting our name out there with this one. However, that won't matter if we end up getting eliminated early by a team from a higher class than us," Grace notes.
"It's the best we got right now. Otherwise, we'll just be doing battle after battle until we get our rank up and start getting more publicity. During that time, who knows how many more people will get hurt by the NBG," Colt adds.
"Well, what do you think, Sarah?" Grace asks.
"Huh?" Sarah stutters.
"Hey, you're the leader of this team, so if you say we should go for it, then I'm game. It's up to you," Colt adds.
Sarah remains silent while the other two just stare at her in anticipation, "We could try and win the battle royal, but that would mean risking a battle with a potentially skilled and experienced team from class B or class A. We're still only a rookie team and a loss could hurt our chances of getting higher in the rankings... No, this is what it means to be a zoid warrior. To fight with everything you've got, no matter who the opponent. And when I start thinking about it, the thought of getting the chance to face some of the best teams around... it gets my blood pumping," Sarah thinks before she comes to a decision and looks at her teammates. "Let's do it. We have to get the NBG to come after us if we're gonna get more information out of them. If we back out from something like this now, then the only thing that does is prove that we don't deserve to be zoid warriors and we don't have what it takes to stop them. So again, I say let's do it," she decides.
Grace and Colt smile, "That's the Sarah I know," Grace notes.
"Fine be me. Sounds like this is going to be one hell of a ride," Colt adds.
Just then, Sarah's stomach growls, "B-but first we should get something to eat," she says, rubbing her head, and making the other two laugh a bit.
…
After getting something to eat, the group quickly leave town and begin making their way to Romeo City. Since it is already in the early afternoon, they'll have to set up camp later for the night and finish the trip early in the morning. Not much happens along the way and when they see the sun falling and the skies getting darker, the team find a spot off the side of the road to stop and set up camp. Grace and Colt are sitting by the campfire while Sarah is petting Geno Ritter for a bit before she joins them.
"So, has your partner calmed down now?" Grace asks as Sarah goes to sit next to her.
They glance back to see Geno still eyeing Colt, but at least he's not growling this time.
"As much as I could for now," Sarah sighs.
"It's weird, you know," Colt begins, getting their attention. "Geno Saurers are pretty rare these days, and are very hard to come by. However, Geno Ritters are thought to have been extinct long ago. It's weird how one managed to stay under the radar from human eyes for so long and then just pop up out of nowhere as the partner of some rookie zoid warrior. It sounds like something in a fairytale," he notes.
"Well, I did find him hiding out on Zi Mountain just outside my hometown. There are plenty of stories revolving around that place. A few about him, though because no one knew what he looked like, they just called him the 'phantom zoid'. I was surprised when I found out that he was the one that saved me," Sarah says.
"Wait, saved you? What do you mean?" Colt asks, curious.
"Well, I got attacked by this other team that I defeated in a battle, and they were looking for payback. They destroyed my old Gun Tiger zoid and almost killed me as I was trying to run away at Zi Mountain. As luck would have it, Geno was nearby and saved me by taking them down. After I recovered and went looking for him, I found him and managed to convince him to become my partner. We've been together ever since. Not long after that, we met Grace here and she joined the team after I helped her get out of a little jam," Sarah explains.
Grace giggles, "Yeah, and we kicked some butt, too. And then you basically know the rest, including us getting stuck with... whatever you are," she says, the last part aimed at Colt.
"Gee, thanks. I'm really feeling the love here," Colt sarcastically remarks.
"I could always sick Geno Ritter on you," Sarah playfully warns him.
Colt holds his hands up in surrender, "No thanks. One death dance with a hungry zoid is enough for me for one day," he replies.
Sarah and Grace both giggle this time, "By the way, why did you become a zoid warrior, and how did you end up working with the ZBC, if you don't mind me asking," Sarah asks.
At this, Colt gets a little silent as he stares at the campfire, "...When I was a little younger, I was just your average hometown boy, living a peaceful life with me family. It was peaceful back home... until we got attacked by bandits. They tore through the town, hurting anyone and everyone in sight, including my dad who tried to stand up to them. He moves around in a wheelchair now after that. When the ZBC finally showed up, the bandits were already long gone. The ZBC soon left, but I snuck aboard one of their ships because I was going to take one of their zoids, hunt down those bastards, and make them pay for what they did. Of course, I got caught shortly after I got on, heh-heh. However, the man in charge on that ship decided to hear me out, and brought me before the chief of the ZBC. They had me perform a bunch of tests, and realized that I had mad skills and natural instincts as a pilot, so they gave me a spot in the force. I had to do some major convincing to get my parents to agree with it, but t eventually workd out in the end. I worked my way up the ranks to where I am now, and soon enough got my own partner, the Bravejaguar. Since then, I've been rounding up and taking down bandit groups all over the continent, while at the same time, trying to gather intel on the NBG. I've been doing really well on the first objective; the second, not so much. And the rest is history. So, there's my mostly life story for ya," Colt explains his past.
"Damn, that's deep. No wonder you helped us take down that one bandit group from before so easily. You're a regular bandit hunter," Grace notes.
And Colt's signature smirk is back, "You know it. While we're on the subject: why are you two fighting in zoid battles?" he asks.
"Well, I'm in it to prove to everyone just how awesome the Spinosapper really is, and that it is just as capable in combat as it is in mining and construction," Grace replies.
Colt then turns to Sarah, "And you?" he urges her.
"Well... I'm fighting because I want to someday battle against Bit Cloud and his Liger Zero in a zoid battle. He's the main reason I got into the zoid battles," Sarah replies.
"Ah, the legendary Blitz Team, huh. Well, they're in class S, and it's gonna take you a while before you can get up there and face them on even ground. Those guys have their quirks, but no one can doubt their skill," Colt says, intrigued.
"Well, anyway it's getting late. We should probably turn in for the night. We got a long few days ahead of us. Goodnight, guys," Sarah says and stands up to walk over to Geno Ritter.
Colt watches her leave, "Where's she going?" he asks Grace.
"She likes to sleep inside the cockpit of her Geno Ritter. Don't ask me, that's just how it is. Anyway, goodnight, and don't even think about peeking in on us, pervert," Grace says before going into her tent next to their Gustav.
"Man, I just can't catch a break, can I?" Coot mutters before putting out the fire and heading into his own tent for some shut-eye.
…
The next day, the group rise early and pack up their stuff before getting back on the road. While making mild conversation to help pass the time, they eventually reach Romeo City by the afternoon. However, once they reach Romeo City, they find an unpleasant surprise waiting for them.
"Well, this just got a whole lot harder," Colt mutters.
"Um, Sarah, isn't that..." Grace trails off while they're still in their Gustav.
Ahead of them are two very familiar teams. One has three Lightning Saixes, while the other has a red Blade Liger, and a red Gun Sniper.
"Yeah... It's the Fluegel Team and the Lightning Team. Which means we're in deep trouble," Sarah mutters.
And that's the chapter. The members of Team Lockhart get to know more about one another. But now, they may end up facing two of the best teams in the business on their quest to find the NBG. Will they survive the battle royal and make it to the finals? Until then, please Read and Review.