Here we are at Chapter 14. It's time for the final round of the battle royal between the Fluegel Team and the Lockhart Team. Let's see if Sarah and her friends can overcome this fierce opponent. I do not own Zoids. They belong to their respective owners. I only own my OCs. Here's chapter 14. Enjoy.
Chapter 14: Danger from Within
It is the day before the final battle of the Romeo City battle royal, and the members of Team Lockhart are making final preparations with their zoids for the upcoming battle and thinking up a good strategy for facing their opponents.
"So, what are we dealing with here, exactly?" Grace asks, taking a swig of her water.
"Well, the main threat here will be the Blade Liger that Leon Toros has. It has incredible speed and mobility, capable of matching my Bravejaguar in both fields. It has weapons for both long-range and close-range battles, but it's the most dangerous close up. Those blades will cut through almost anything. However, we can't forget Naomi Fluegel's custom Gun Sniper. It's got superb long-range fire power with that sniper cannon. You're Spinosapper won't be fast enough to dodge that thing. Its armor can protect you from a few shots, but all it takes is one good shot from her to take you down. I could probably evade her shots, but my zoid has light armor, so I can't afford to take a single hit," Colt explains.
"What do you think I should do?" Sarah asks.
"Well, you're the team leader, you tell me," Colt replies.
Just then, the Geno Ritter roars a bit, getting their attention. It takes a moment for them to figure out what it's saying.
"It seems to me like Geno wants to face off against that red Blade Liger," Sarah says.
"Then I guess we'd better go with that as part of the plan. Your Geno Ritter can duel with its blades against the Blade Liger's. It also has the advantage of a greater range of motion with its blades, unlike the Blade Liger's. Grace and I will handle the Gun Sniper. If I can keep Naomi's attention on me, that may give Grace's Spinosapper time to try and ambush it. If we manage to survive, we can then help you out against Leon. Your job will be to keep him busy until then," Colt explains. The Geno Ritter then roars again. "That reminds me, if you can pull off that one move you did from before, you might be able to get a clean shot on Leon's zoid," he notes.
Sarah looks down in thought, "Yeah, about that. Something strange happened back in the last battle when I went up against Sky. When his Pteramander was coming in at us, something happened inside the Geno's cockpit," Sarah says.
"What do you mean?" Grace asks.
"Well, some metal tubes connected to my head, and all of a sudden, my vision changed it it was like I was looking directly through Geno's eyes. The screen said something called 'Z-Link' system or something, and I could feel some kind of rush of energy flowing through me. Then we did that one move and defeated Sky and won the battle. After that, everything went back to normal, and I haven't been able to bring that system back up ever since," Sarah explains.
Colt raises a hand to his chin and hums, "Hmm, sounds like you activated some kind of hidden system within the Geno Ritter. Do you remember how you did it?" he asks.
"No, I have no idea how it happened, and Geno hasn't exactly been helpful in telling me how it happened," Sarah replies.
The three look back to the Geno Ritter, "When the Geno Ritters were lost to time, data and information related to them vanished as well. That's why there's not much known about them, other than a few back things. Something about that battle must've caused that system to activate on its own. Either that, or the Geno Ritter made it happen. It may also have something to do with your partner's distaste with humans. You said you found it at Zi Mountain, near your old home, right?" Colt asks.
"Yeah, but I didn't find much else in the area. There were legends about a phantom zoid there for some time, since I was much younger, but I can't really tell you anything else beyond that," Sarah says.
"What are you thinking, Colt?" Grace asks.
"Hm, well, no use in going crazy about it right now. We have a big battle ahead of us tomorrow. After that, we can think more about the subject at a later date. For now, let's just finish up here and get some rest," Colt suggest.
"Fine by me," Grace agrees, sipping her water again.
Sarah looks back to her partner, wondering what kind of secrets are hidden within it.
…
Meanwhile, with the Fluegel Team, Leon Toros is looking over his own partner as night time sets in.
"Thinking about tomorrow's battle?" he hears and looks back as Naomi joins him.
"Yeah, I haven't really been this pumped up since back when I fought against Bit Cloud and the Liger Zero. I'm excited. Though she's still an amateur, I can see that Sarah Lockhart has a lot of hidden potential with her. And not just her, but I'll bet her zoid is full of hidden secrets as well," Leon says, full of anticipation.
"I know that look in your eye. Alright then, I'll deal with the other two while you have your fun with the Geno Ritter," Naomi says.
"You sure you can handle it? They may not be like the members of the Lightning Team, but they're clearly no pushovers," Leon asks.
"Don't worry. I've got an idea for them, if you're interested," Naomi says.
"Alright then, but just remember, Sarah Lockhart and the Geno Ritter are mine," Leon says, while his Blade Liger roars in agreement.
…
The next day has come, and the final battle is about to begin. For the final battle, the two teams will be fighting in the abandoned city area again. To make things even more interesting, each member of the teams are set in a different area of the battle zone, so no one is with another ally at the beginning of the battle. If they want to team up, they have to find their allies, and be wary of surprise attacks from their enemies.
"Great, so we're basically on our own unless we can find our teammates, and the enemy can surprise us at any turn. Just wonderful," Sarah mutters from her position.
Just then, the judge arrives.
"Scanning... Scanning... This area is now a battlefield. All unauthorized personal must vacate the area immediately. The Fluegel Team vs the Lockhart Team. Battle mode 0-9-9-2. Area scanned. Battlefield set up. Ready... Fight!" the judge shouts and the battle begins.
Each member of the two teams begin making their way through the abandoned city, looking for either an ally or an enemy. Colt and his Bravejaguar race through the old streets, keeping his eyes out for any movement.
"Now then, knowing Naomi, she's probably already found a good sniping position in this place. Better keep moving and be wary of the corners. Gotta find Grace or Sarah," Colt says as he turns around one corner and races down a street.
Meanwhile, Grace and her Spinosapper are hiding out in one building, keeping out of the light coming in from any windows or openings in the walls.
"If I end up going up against Leon by myself, I'll be toast, and Naomi will get a clean shot on me if I'm out in the open. Better wait for either Colt or Sarah to get close before moving," Grace says.
Sarah and her Geno Ritter continue moving through the city, looking for any signs of life. As she's moving through the city though, her zoid starts growling and looking around.
"What is it, Geno?" Sarah asks. Just then, something lands in front of her, blowing up dust and debris. When the dust settles, Sarah gets an uneasy feeling in her stomach. "...Of course, I would be the lucky one," she mutters... as she sees the red Blade Liger standing before her.
"Well, looks like my hunch paid off. Alright then, Sarah Lockhart, time to show me what you got," Leon says, and his Blade Liger roars at their opponents.
The Geno Ritter roars back, "Alright then partner, let's give it everything we've got," Sarah says.
The two charge at each other, with the Geno Ritter firing off its laser guns at its opponent. The Blade Liger runs around each shot and then engages its blades. When the two get close, the Blade Liger jumps up at the Geno Ritter, and the Geno Ritter swings its left blade at the Blade Liger. The opposing blades clash for a moment before the Blade Liger lands past the Geno Ritter. The Geno Ritter turns around and fires off its laser guns again, only for the Blade Liger to activate its shield to block them. It charges at the Geno Ritter again with its shield and the Geno Ritter attacks with the charging blade on its head, and then the two clash once again.
Meanwhile, Colt and his Bravejaguar continue roaming through the streets, until his senses pick something up close by, in one of the nearby buildings.
"There you are," Colt mutters, before going in.
When he gets in, he almost gets blasted by incoming fire, but narrowly avoids it. He then sees that its Grace that was the attacker.
"What the Hell, Grace! You almost shot me!" Colt yells.
"Hey, it was an accident. I thought you might be Leon Toros," Grace replies.
"Just be more careful next time. Ugh, this is why I hate these blind battles," Colt says.
Just then, another shot rings out, blasting through the wall of the building they're in, and nearly hitting the Spinosapper in the left side. The two jump and retreat back further into the building. Outside on one of the rooftops, Naomi is seen, with her Gun Sniper poised and ready to fire its sniper cannon.
"Aw, just missed them. Oh well, at least now I know where they are," Naomi notes before taking aim again.
"Aw, great, Naomi knows where we are now," Grace says.
"Listen, I'll draw her fire. My Bravejaguar can keep her busy while you try and find a way to get close to her and ambush her," Colt says before he races out of the building and into the streets.
"Oh, think you can get away, huh? Well, we'll see about that," Naomi says before taking another shot at the Bravejaguar.
Thanks to his zoid's speed and mobility, and his sixth sense, Colt is able to narrowly avoid the shot and keeps running around. However, he knows that if he runs too far away, Naomi may turn her attention back to Grace. Meanwhile, the Spinosapper starts digging through the dirt, using its chainsaws and claws to dig a tunnel underground and towards the building Naomi is on. Naomi fires off a few more shots, this time aimed at the buildings around the area, causing large chunks of them to start falling towards Colt.
"Ah, crap!" Colt mutters before he starts maneuvering around the falling debris.
However, he soon realizes that this wasn't meant to crush him, but to limit his range of movement. Meanwhile, the Spinosapper emerges from under gound, behind the building Naomi is on, and starts climbing its way to the top.
Back with Sarah and Leon, the two leaders are battling fiercely in a one-on-one duel. The Blade Liger fires off its shock cannons, but the Geno Ritter jumps back to avoid them before landing and firing off its laser guns again. The Blade Liger jumps up into the air, landing on the side of a building to evade them and then bounces off of it towards the Geno Ritter. The Geno Ritter swings its blades at its opponent, but the Blade Liger uses its thrusters to fly over them and land on the Geno Ritter's back before jumping off, making the Geno Ritter stagger a bit.
"Your zoid has a lot of power and potential, but you have yet to draw out its true strength. Come on, why don't you try that one move you did in the previous battle?" Leon notes as he faces his opponent again.
"Just you wait. I'll get you. Let's go, Geno!" Sarah shouts.
The Geno Ritter roars before charging at the Blade Liger again, who responds in kind with its blades out once more.
"Come on Geno, I know you can do this. Let's show him what we're capable of. Together!" Sarah thinks.
Just then, the same thing as before happens, with a pair of tubes connecting to Sarah's head, and the main screen showing the words 'Z-Link system engaged'. Her vision changes as the Geno Ritter's eyes glow brighter again. When the two combatants get close, the Blade Liger attack with its left blade, only for the Geno Ritter to catch the blade with its left claw, stopping it cold.
"What?!" Leon yells, surprised.
Back with Colt and Grace, the Bravejaguar continues to try to evade the Gun Sniper's attacks. However, with each shot missed, Naomi is getting closer to landing a direct hit.
"Man, this guy is fast. His instincts are top-notch, too. However, even he can't keep this up forever," Naomi thinks.
Meanwhile, the Spinosapper finally makes it to the top of the building, coming up on the Gun Sniper from behind. Though the head and main cockpit is facing Grace, since Naomi is focused on Colt, she doesn't see her coming.
"Gotcha now," Grace mutters.
The Spinosapper lunges at the Gun Sniper. However, when it gets close, the roof underneath its feet suddenly gives way and falls apart.
"What the-?!" Grace yells as her zoid falls to the ground.
"Heh, did you really think you could get the drop on me? That's my job. I figured you would try something like this, so I damaged the roof behind me and simply waited for one of you to get close enough to spring the trap," Naomi says over the comms.
"She knew what we were planning to do?!" Grace thinks in shock before her zoid crashes onto the ground.
"And now then," Naomi says before she fires off another shot at the Spinosapper, landing a precise hit on its side, causing the system to freeze up.
"Argh, are you kidding me!" Grace yells.
"Grace!" Colt yells.
"Better worry about yourself before your teammate, kid," Naomi says before firing off her sniper cannon at another building, causing more debris to fall to the ground; this time blocking the Bravejaguar's path.
"Ah, crap!" Colt yells.
"Checkmate," Naomi notes before firing off another sniper shot at the Bravejaguar. Thanks to its light armor, the shot deals heavy damage, making the zoid fall and its system to freeze up.
Colt punches the main screen, "Damn, and we almost had her, too!" Colt curses in defeat.
Naomi breathes a sigh of relief, "I won't say this out loud, but these kids actually had a good strategy for me. I had to be careful in order to win. With some more skills and experience, they would give me a real run for my money. Now then, I wonder how Leon's doing," Naomi thinks before looking out to the sky.
Back with Sarah and Leon, the Geno Ritter still has the Blade Liger's blade in its grip. It roars before raising its left blade and then swinging downwards at its opponent.
"Oh, no you don't!" Leon yells.
The Blade Liger opens its mouth and catches the blade in its jaws, holding it in place. The Geno Ritter roars again before trying to attack with its right blade. The Blade Liger engages its thrusters and turns them 90 degrees to its left, using the thrust to eventually force the Geno Ritter to release its hold on it before it can attack. With the two separated, Leon faces his opponent again.
"Now, that's what I'm talking about. Nice move with the catch there," Leon says, but then notices how Sarah isn't responding to him. "Hey, Sarah, you in there?" he calls out, but gets no response.
The Geno Ritter roars again, only this time it seems a little less controlled than before.
"Geno, what's wrong? My head... it hurts," Sarah thinks as she grits her teeth.
"What's going on here?" Leon mutters.
Just then, the Geno Ritter engages its foot clamps and straightens its body out. Its preparing to fire its charged particle cannon. Leon narrows his eyes and engages its shield again and charges at the Geno Ritter. The Geno Ritter fires off its particle cannon at its target, but the Blade Liger's shield holds up against the attack. The Blade liger charges forth, using its thrusters to give it the push it need, and then gets onto the Geno Ritter's left side, using its blade to slice deep into the side of the Geno Ritter. The Geno Ritter stops its attack and roars in pain, but the Blade Liger quickly slide back around and fires off its shock cannons and its laser guns at the Geno's rear, dealing further damage. The Geno Ritter roars again, but refuses to go down.
"Man, what's it gonna take to take this thing down?" Leon mutters.
The Geno Ritter turns back to face it. However, it is then that Leon notices something. The Geno Ritter's eyes dim and then suddenly it falls to the ground, its system frozen. The Z-Link system deactivates and gos back to normal. Then the gong rings out.
"Battle over... Battle over... The winner is... The Fluegel Team," the judge announces.
In their zoids, Grace and Colt sag in their seats.
"Aw man, guess that's it for us," Grace laments.
"Guess we still have a lot to learn before we can take on a class A team like them. Hey, Sarah, you read me?" Colt calls out, but gets no answer. "Sarah?"
With Leon, he jumps out of his zoid and approaches the Geno Ritter.
"Sarah, you alright in there?" Leon calls out. Getting no answer, he moves to the Geno Ritter's cockpit and finds a switch to force an emergency opening. "Sarah, you okay?" Leon calls out, finding Sarah in her cockpit, unconscious. "Sarah!" he yells.
…
After an unknown amount of time has passed, Sarah finally opens her eyes.
"Ugh, what happened?" she mutters, groaning.
"Hey there, sleeping beauty. Welcome back to the land of the living," she hears and looks to see Colt and Grace by her side.
"You had us worried there for a second," Grace notes.
"What happened?" Sarah says, finding herself in a bed.
"We lost the final round to the Fluegel Team. After the battle, Leon got your cockpit opened and found you unconscious inside. We pulled you out and brought you to a local medical center in town," Grace explains.
Sarah's eyes downcast at learning of their defeat, "Oh, I see. What happened with Geno?" she asks about her partner.
"The Geno Ritter took some damage, same with the rest of our zoids. I can tell you now, it won't be cheap to get everything fixed up," Colt explains.
"Look who's finally awake," they hear and look back to see Leon and Naomi enter the room. "Good to see you're awake now," Leon says.
"Hey, kid, how are you feeling?" Naomi asks.
"Fine. Just... drained," Sarah replies.
"Sarah, do you know what happened out there? Was it one of my attacks that knocked you out?" Leon asks.
Sarah thinks for a moment, "...No, it wasn't that. During the battle, that system started up again," Sarah begins.
"What system?" Leon asks.
"It's something called the Z-Link system. We don't really know anything about it, but from what Sarah has told us, it seems to connect the pilot and the zoid on a whole other level. Their point-of-views become combined, and their senses as well. Also, the zoid's performance increases as well. However, she's only used it once before, and it never did this before," Colt explains.
"I see. Can you tell me what was going through your mind when that happened, during our battle?" Leon asks.
"Well, at first, everything was going like it did before. We were connected and we were doing well, but then something changed. I could feel it. I could feel Geno's strong desire to fight and to win, so much that it overwhelmed my own. My head started hurting and it felt more like Geno was taking over rather than us working together. After that I just blacked out. I don't know if that explains it well enough," Sarah tries to explain.
"What do you think Leon?" Naomi asks.
"Hmmm, I think... you need to learn more about the Geno Ritter. About where it came from, and what it's capable of. You got lucky this time around, but what about next time?" Leon suggests.
Sarah nods before looking out a window, "What secrets lie within you, Geno?"
…
"The Lockhart Team is steadily rising through the ranks. What's more, that Geno Ritter is gaining more and more attention from the higher-ups. They must be dealt with. Try and take the Geno Ritter if you can, but if not, destroy it," one unknown voice rings out.
"Understood... Let the hunt commence," another voice replies.
And that's the chapter. The battle royal comes to an end, with Sarah's team losing the final round to Leon and Naomi. However, the incident with the Geno Ritter has now raised more questions, and concerns, regarding the secrets within its past. What challenges await Sarah and her team? Will they uncover anything about the Geno Ritter's past? Until then, please Read and Review.