XIV
—Break of Dawn—
Part I
第14：夜明けのブレイク
The Backdraft Whale King breached through the cloud cover, gingerly lowering its descent toward a distant plateau that would support the Whale King's mass. Raven strenuously surveyed the landscape through an extravagant observation window with Shadow by his side. It was yet again time to deploy for combat, something Raven once enjoyed. Now, however, it only brought misery and irritation. At that moment, Seraph had entered into the bay, adjusting his battle uniform. Reese and Specula sat on the opposite end of bay, watching Seraph as he stood in the center.
"I've formulated our strategy, so if you'll gather 'round."
Raven and Reese unenthusiastically assembled around Seraph, waiting impatiently as he set down a round disc of black glass onto an oval coffee table. The coin-like ridges around disc began to glow a luminous sapphire, eventually bringing forth a holographic image of the Blitz Team's base. Seraph lightly touched the interactive hologram, transforming the base image into schematics with highlighted sections.
"These sectors here are the simplest access points inside their base. From what I've studied, the ventilation ducts are inaccessible, being that they're so narrow. Our easiest point of entry without detection is here—"
Seraph pointed to the base's roof.
"Recent imagery has shown that they've laid tarps across damaged sections of the structure. By entering directly through one of them, we'd gain instant access inside. Any questions before I continue?"
Raven and Reese replied with an awkward silence.
With that Seraph proceeded. "Gaining entry is simple, but once we're inside, that's when it gets tricky. It's now—" Seraph glanced at his digital watch, "—11:27, so we should reach their base by noon."
The assassin paused for a moment to continue adjusting his gear. Raven, however, seized the opportunity to further inquire of the tactical maneuvers.
"What's our strategy once we get inside? I mean, it's going to noon. I doubt they'll be sleeping in."
Seraph shot a glare at Raven—he was going to be a handful. "We're not going inside," Seraph replied, reached to his side. "Shadow and Specula are."
Raven and Reese nearly laughed.
"You're out of your mind," snarled Raven. "No way I'm allowing—"
"Our job is to keep Van and the others occupied while the organoids retrieve Dr. D. It's simple, but not time consuming. Now, unless you can think of a better plan in the next five minutes, I'm all ears," Seraph explained.
"And if this idea of yours fails, what's our contingency plan?" questioned Reese.
"Then we do this the old-fashioned way—fight, destroy, and conquer," Seraph simply replied, glaring back into Raven's eyes.
The crackle of the intercom broke up Seraph's words as the pilot informed them. "Make ready, warriors; ETA twenty minutes!"
Seraph turned his face aside from the intercom, briefly meeting Raven's cold glare. "Let's make the Backdraft proud."
Jamie paced about the strategy room, chewing upon the head of an eraser. A detailed grid lay behind him with digital models of the Liger Zero and Blade Liger, whom faced the Geno Breaker and the Psycho Geno Saurer. Bit and Van watched the young tactical commander as he anxiously walked back and forth, briefly pausing to think, and then returned to pacing. Jamie was nervous, and Van could see it etched in his facial expressions. He'd been racking his brain all morning to formulate a strategy that would prove successful against Raven and Reese. It was hard enough to plan a routine scheme against such skilled warriors. Now Jamie had to mix Zeke into the outline as well. How on Zi would Zeke be able to fuse with either the Geno Breaker or the Psycho Geno Saurer without being…? Jamie ran into a snag.
"We might've made an error," the young man supposed.
Van's brows wrinkled with curiosity. "How?"
"Have you taken into consideration that Zeke might be rejected by the Geno Breaker or Reese's Geno Saurer?" Jamie pointed-out.
Van lowered his eyes to the floor with a frown. "No, we haven't. We'll have to drastically weaken their Zoids; otherwise, they'll resist Zeke or possibly kill him."
"It's hard enough trying to inflict damage, let alone causing extreme damage," Bit groaned, but soon had an epiphany. "I've got it!"
Van and Jamie faced Bit, their eyes expanding in curiosity. Before Bit could speak, the base's alarm sounded as the perimeter had been breached. The trio scrambled from the strategy room, racing through the pulsating red halls. Bit slid into the living quarters where the others were assembled.
"What's going on?" he frantically asked.
"A Whale King just tripped the alarm," Brad informed.
"Backdraft?" Van added.
"Who else?" Leena bitterly replied.
Jamie pushed aside Leena and Brad, tapping against the icons across the screen. He brought up the base's rooftop cameras, allowing the group to gain a better vantage point of the Whale King. It was indeed a Backdraft Whale King, and it was closing fast. Once the massive aerial Zoid had descended a few hundred meters, it deployed something too distant to see. Van pulled back from the view screen, turning his back to it.
"The Backdraft is making their move and so are we. Prep the Zoids," Van ordered. "We're taking the fight right to 'em!"
"Right," Bit acclaimed. "Doc, prepare for Schneider transformation."
"I'm on it," Dr. Toros said, sprinting outside to climb inside the Hover Cargo.
As Irvine, Brad and Bit raced into the hangar to prep their Zoids, Van stayed behind, briefly gathering Moonbay, Leena, and Jamie.
"Alright, we have to prepare for the worst case scenario," Van started, his listeners attentive. "In the event they defeat us, they'll be in here to take Dr. D. Do whatever you can, just don't let them succeed. You got an escape strategy?"
"We can load Dr. D into the Gustav and haul our derrières outta here," Moonbay suggested.
"Good, that's great," Van consented as he turned to make his way to hanger. Once he reached the door, he turned around to give one last comment. "On second thought, just in case this all goes up in smoke; take refuge with Dr. Toros in the Hover Cargo."
Van sprinted out into the hangar, monkey-crawling up the leg of his Blade Liger. He slipped into the cockpit, strapping the harness over his chest and groin. Zeke stood at the Blade Liger's left front paw, awaiting orders from Van. His human companion leaned his head out from the cockpit, shouting down to him.
"Zeke, when I give the word, work your magic! We're countin' on you, pal."
The silver organoid watch his companion pull his Blade Liger from the extremities of the hangar, going out to face his enemies headlong. Van's last words stuck to Zeke. The organoid wouldn't let Van down, not like he did when he faced Raven in the Shield Liger. He'd find Fiona within the core of those sadistic Zoids, even if it meant his life.
In the distance beyond Zeke's sight, the Blade Liger, Shadow Fox, and Lightning Saix congregated together, waiting anxiously for their enemy to show themselves. Van performed a perimeter sweep, scanning landscape ranging twenty-five kilometers. There, just within the perimeter, a trio of blips appeared, and they were closing fast. Van identified the blips' IFF tags—the Geno Breaker, the Psycho Geno Saurer, and an anomaly text appeared onto the console's screen. Van was confused. What could the anomaly be? Was it another Zoid or something else? Whatever the case, he'd find out for himself soon enough.
"We've got three contacts," Van reported to Irvine and Brad. "Out of the three, Raven and Reese are the only ones I can identify."
"And the one you can't identify?" Irvine inquired.
"The Blade Liger's reading it as an anomaly," Van answered.
"That can't be good," Brad sighed.
"We'll see," Van shrugged, before checking his surrounds. "And where's Bit?"
"Probably waiting so he can make a dramatic entrance," Brad hypothesized.
"And the truth comes out," Bit said, bringing the Schneider alongside the Shadow Fox. "So where is Satan and his blue-haired minion?"
"They're five kilometers out to the north," Van informed. "Stay alert, they could attack at any—"
A pair of charged particle cannons boiled against a rock face, vaporizing the stone down to sizzling fragments. The air was choked with a typhoon of dust, but the desert winds blew the falling sand away. There, once the dust had cleared the Geno Breaker and the Psycho Geno Saurer and a mysterious Zoid stood a dozen meters away. At first glance, the mysterious-looking Zoid appeared to be a Liger. Oddly, the sensors identified the Liger as an anomaly than an actual Zoid. Van wasn't positive, but the Zoid must have possessed some type of stealth feature that obscured it from detection. Whatever the reason, Van wasn't about to be intimidated by some Zoid he'd never encountered before.
During the stalemate, however, Raven keyed his COM, raising Seraph. "I guess we're using our contingency plan?"
Seraph closed his eyes with a sigh. For that brief moment, Seraph had underestimated his opponent, something he was trained never to do. But when your first plan fails, always follow through with your backup, and follow through he would.
"Indeed we are," Seraph replied to Raven. "We fight hard, we fight fast; leave not one standing."
An acute grin went across Raven's face. He'd been waiting to hear those words. With Shadow by his Zoid's side, he called out his name. The black organoid sprung into action, skyrocketing into the air in preparation to fuse with the Geno Breaker. Brad and Irvine, however, weren't going to let that happen.
Immediately, just before Shadow could dive into the inward parts of the Geno Breaker, the Lightning Saix bolted into blur of sprint. By the time Raven had time to react, the cheetah-type Zoid had delivered a heavy blow to his organoid. Shadow plummeted into the ground, sinking deep below the sand from the hard impact. Raven's eyes enlarged with fury.
"You'll regret that!" he cried out, clamping the Geno Breaker's jaws around the Saix's back right ankle.
Raven spun Irvine about, throwing him in the direction of the Blade Liger and Shadow Fox. The Liger- and Fox-type Zoid sprawled out as the Lightning Saix was sent flying between them. Van powered the Blade Liger toward the Geno Breaker, laser blades extended. Opposite to the Geno Breaker's position, Reese hovered around the Shadow Fox, firing short controlled burst from the Psycho Geno Saurer's pulse laser cannon. To prevent Specula from becoming injured, Reese had rebuked her, informing the sapphire organoid stay away until needed. In the meantime, however, all Brad had to do was weaken this Zoid to the point where Zeke could fuse with it. It was going to be a taxing challenge, but Brad was willing, even to the point of pushing aside his mercenary personality for money before chore.
Elsewhere, Bit and the Schneider had set their sights upon the unique Liger Zoid ahead of them. From Bit's standpoint, it would be exciting to face another uncommon Zoid for his Liger to flex his skills upon. Unknown to Bit's knowledge, however, Seraph and the Energy Liger would be foe that would rival even Vega Obscura. Oblivious to its abilities, Bit playfully began to jeer his opponent, a bad habit that, in Seraph's mind, needed to be tamed.
"That's a pretty impressive Zoid," Bit falsely praised. "How many cereal box tops did you have to save to win it?"
Seraph didn't reply.
"Anyone alive in there?" Bit said, knocking against his console.
"You have much to learn, boy," Seraph darkly responded.
With that the Energy Liger sidestepped, dove forward, and whipped its left paw against the Schneider's face. Bit was forced to the ground, having the sheer weight of the Energy Liger pressing down upon him. Seraph brought the Energy Liger's spear-like horn within inches of piercing the Schneider's cockpit.
"Shall I go on, or would you like to be taught a lesson in manners?"
Bit laughed. "Good manners are for the schoolyard, partner!" The Schneider's thrusters burned, accelerating him underneath the Energy Liger. "And there ain't no schoolyard 'round here," Bit added, mocking a Texan accent.
"Then allow me to teach you," Seraph shouted, lunging the Energy Liger onto the Schneider.
Before long, a vicious battle erupted beyond the borders of the Blitz Team's base. The remaining others would only watch from the Hover Cargo, hoping their warriors would prevail. Just a little ways from the Hover Cargo, a repetitive battle took place; two warriors, one goal—the permanent defeat of the other. The Blade Liger and Geno Breaker collided with another, sending a shockwave rippling through the sand. Raven fired the Breaker's 80mm beam guns into the active E-shield of the Blade Liger. When Raven had ceased fire, Van deactivated the E-shield, lunged forward, and sunk its claws into the Geno Breaker's body.
He pulled the crimson Zoid down to the ground, whipped around behind it, and furiously fired the Gatling rifles attached to the underside of the laser blades. The exposed flank of the Geno Breaker sustained considerable damage, but Raven wasn't defeated yet. He spun around, firing out one of the Breaker's extendable claws. The clams clamped down onto the Blade Liger's shoulder armor and began to reel it in. When the Blade Liger came into range, Raven detached the claw, swung the Breaker's tail, and sent Van soaring. While the Blade Liger was yet in mid-air, Raven fired up the Geno Breaker's boosters, launching into an aerial assault. The Geno Breaker came over the soaring Blade Liger, charged its charged particle cannon, and fired.
Van speedily activated the Blade Liger's amplified E-shield, just as the charged beam of destructive energy engulfed him. The downward force of the cannon sent the Blade Liger plummeting into the ground hard. A dome of sand and dust obscured Raven's vision. Curious of what had become of Van, he lowered the Geno Breaker back to ground level. He stalked toward the dust cloud, waiting patiently. Suddenly, a damaged but infuriated Blade Liger leaped from the cloud, tackling the Geno Breaker sixteen meters across the sand, leaving a trail behind them. Van bounced back from the surprise counter-attack, splayed the laser blades, blasted the ion boosters, and surged forward with a boisterous battle cry.
Prepared, the Geno Breaker opened its twin X-Breakers, initiated its boosters, and glided swiftly headlong for the Blade Liger. At that moment, when the Geno Breaker came within mere meters of the charging Blade Liger, Raven pulsated the boosters, flipping the Breaker into an unbelievable somersault. While in mid-roll, the X-Breakers gripped onto the Blade Liger's laser blades, lifted it off its four paws, and slammed it into the ground as the Geno Breaker completed the somersault on its feet. The force of the impact dug the Blade Liger three feet below the surface of the sand, nearly snapping it in two.
"I'm finishing this, Van," Raven said, gasping for breath.
Sweat drenched Raven's face that trickled down to soak the fabric in his uniform. The dark pilot hadn't been his physically exhausted in a long time, and it was no surprise Van would be the one to push him to his very limits. In the same boat, Van was tired as well. The intense battle brought out abilities he hadn't used since he last battled Raven way back when. His muscles burned horribly and his Blade Liger was in worst conditions, but the warrior wasn't down for the count.
As Raven paused to wipe a waterfall of sweat from his brow, Van smirked. "Then let's finish it!"
The Blade Liger's head bashed against the chin of the Geno Breaker to the point where it cracked the orange visor. The impact toppled the Geno Breaker over onto its side, completely immobilized. Raven tried to make his Zoid stand, but he couldn't. He was completely drained and unable to fight back. Van, though, mustered up enough to key the Blade Liger's external speakers to shout,
"Zeke, now's your chance!"
The silver organoid sprang into action, burning his boosters to their maximum output. He came over the downed Geno Breaker, shimmered into a sliver of energy, and dove inside the Zoid. Once inside, Zeke curled his body around the Zoid core, sucking as much information about the Zoid as possible. His mind was opened the memory of the Geno Breaker, learning everything the Zoid had traveled, had fought, rested, and the sensation of its very creation. When his very mind and body couldn't absorb anymore, Zeke ejected from the core, his body throbbing like the surface of the sun. He crashed into the ground, his body heat boiling the sand beneath him into glass.
"Zeke!" Van cried out.
Flyheight's heart sank. He knew Zeke fusing with the Geno Breaker would deliver an exceptional shock to his system. Van continued to mutter under his breath, pleading that Zeke would get up. Then, after the molten-like heat was expelled from his body, Zeke began to stir. The silver organoid lazily staggered to his bipedal stance, briefly collapsed, but then stood again. Zeke centered his crimson eyes onto the Blade Liger, grinning. Van smiled with an opened mouth. He knew what that grin meant, and he knew that they were finally one step closer to finding Fiona. In an elated tone, Van spoke through the external speaks once again, saying,
"Zeke, get to the Hover Cargo and wait for us there. You did well, pal, you did well."
Zeke hunched his shoulders, grinning from the well-needed complement. With that he powered his back-mounted boosters, leaped off the ground, and soared toward the distant transporter. Despite the brief victory, however, Van knew this was far from over. For the very moment Zeke vanished from Van's sight, the Geno Breaker began to move from its lame state. Within the cockpit, Raven was infuriated that he allowed himself to be overwhelmed by Van's sneak-attack. Before he could attack, however, the Geno Breaker alerted him. The dark clad warrior eyed the console screen as the Geno Breaker informed him that there'd been a breach by another organoid—not Shadow.
Raven's eyes enlarged as he grew hot with anger; but his anger cooled because he was confused. What other organoid would dare fuse with the Geno Breaker? Shadow was the only organoid powerful enough to withstand its power, so… … It, then, occurred to Raven. Zeke was the organoid. But why fuse with the Geno Breaker? There was nothing to gain, nothing to lose; but Raven knew there was a reason. Could it be that that was the reason the Lightning Saix attacked Shadow, so that Zeke could fuse with the Geno Breaker? 'Possibly, 'Raven concluded. But that still left the question of why. What could Zeke get out of Raven's Zoid that was worth nearly killing himself over? Raven didn't have all the answers, but he knew this had to be a plan formulated by Van—a plan that evidently worked. Whatever the reason, he'd beat the information out of Van until he got answers.
With that the dark pilot raised the Geno Breaker upright, challenging the Blade Liger to rise. Van, for his part, was utterly drained from fighting Raven, but if he were to be defeated, that would leave Dr. D wide open. So Van raised the Blade Liger, meeting the Geno Breaker's challenge.
"Tell me what Zeke did to my Zoid?" Raven said to Van, demanding an answer.
Van kept his lips sealed. He knew that if he made one slip of the tongue, Raven would indeed investigate Zeke's intentions and discover them, so Van had to tread softly.
"Zeke could have done a multitude of things," Flyheight teased. "He could have planted a virus, screwed with the Geno Breaker's systems, the list is endless."
Raven saw red. "I don't know who you think you're fooling, Van, but you just opened the gates of hell." Van clapped his hands.
"Finally, you've made a breakthrough. You've admitted that you're the devil. And they say admitting the truth is the hardest step," Van brutally insulted.
"You just signed your death certificate, Van!" Raven snarled, charging the Geno Breaker.
Van toggled the controls—one forward, one back. The Blade Liger sidestepped the Geno Breaker, pointed forward the Laser Blades' Gatling Guns, and unleashed a fury ammunition into the Breaker's exposed flank. Raven whipped around flanks of the Blade Liger, shot forward one of its claws, and grabbed onto the left laser blade. The Geno Breaker reeled the Blade Liger in, opened up its twin X-Breakers, and activated its E-shield.
The Blade Liger collided with the shield, sending it rolling side over side across the battlefield. Before Van to get his Zoid upright, the Geno Breaker landed upon his Zoid, pinning it down. Next, the X-Breakers clamped around the Liger's neck. One snap and the Blade Liger would be decapitated.
"What did Zeke do?" Raven growled, kicking the squirming the Blade Liger.
Van refused to talk. Instead, he reached up the Blade Liger's paws, sinking the claws into the Geno Breaker's face. He shifted the momentum, flipping the Geno Breaker onto its back. Now on top, the Blade Liger seized control, but not for long. The Breaker's tail came swinging, colliding with the Blade Liger's right hind leg.
Van heard a 'pop'. One of the Blade Liger's joints was shaken loose from the impact, rendering the Blade Liger impaired. The Geno Breaker tossed the Blade Liger from off itself. Van jerked the controls, trying to get his Liger to stand. The injured joint sparked as it grinded metal against metal. Movement would only put further strain on the Blade Liger's systems. Van punched his console. "No!"
Raven made an arrogant smirk, pleased at immobilizing Van. He raised the Geno Breaker's right leg, preparing to stomp the Blade Liger into submission. Suddenly, the Breaker's screen flashed, gaining Raven's attention. He glanced at the screen. A photo of Dr. D appeared, followed by a detailed scan of the Hover Cargo.
"I see," Raven softly said, turning to face the Blade Liger. "We'll finish this some other time, Van. In the meantime, I have certain priorities to fulfill."
The Geno Breaker stomped around the Blade Liger, setting its sights upon the Hover Cargo. Van brought up his aft cameras, watching where Raven was headed. His eye widened as he paled. Raven was headed straight for Dr. D, and without adequate protection, he'd be an easy target. Immediately, Van jumped on the COM, broadcasting to Bit, Brad, and Irvine.
"We've got a problem! The Blade Liger's down and Raven's headed straight for Dr. D." Irvine appeared beside Van.
"We're a little busy right now. You know, keeping Reese and this other Liger from the Hover Cargo!"
"Then where's Bit?" Van shouted, watching the Geno Breaker inch closer and closer to the transporter.
"He went to change is armor," Brad informed, "but that was over two minutes ago."
Van slammed his fist down. This couldn't be how this fight would end. Even though Zeke had succeeded, it wouldn't matter if Dr. D had been taken. 'This wasn't a pleasant morning,' Van pondered.
Elsewhere the Geno Breaker had reached the perimeter of the Hover Cargo, standing just far away enough for it to be safe to fire its charged particle cannon if needed. There, Raven locked onto the communication signal of the transporter, allowing him to raise the occupants inside.
"I'm only going to tell you once," he started. "Give me the scientist and I might consider sparing you."
Within the interior of the Hover Cargo, Dr. Toros nodded his head to Jamie, silently telling the young tactical commander to arm the Hover Cargo's weapons. They weren't going to give up Dr. D; not without a fight, however. Toros, then, keyed the transporter's external speakers, rebuking Raven.
"We reject your offer; but we appreciate it, though."
"You're making a foolish mistake," Raven forewarned.
"Well, if you feel that way, then come and get us!" Toros challenged, aiming the Hover Cargo's heavy beam cannons.
Leena lightly punched her father in the arm. "What are you doing? You don't challenge a psycho!"
Toros placed his hand over the microphone, silencing his voice. "I'm bluffing, Leena. He wouldn't attack the Hover Cargo with Dr. D inside."
Dr. D arched an eyebrow. "You don't know Raven very well, do you?"
At that very moment, Raven made a cavalier shrug. He didn't bargain, and he was about to let Toros know it. The Geno Breaker took a wide stance as the foot locks gripped into the ground. Next, vents along the tail opened up, while a barrel extended from the Breaker's mouth. A charged orb of destructive energy formed at the end of the barrel, aimed primarily at the central portion of the Hover Cargo, just below the command station. An impact from the charged particle cannon would bore a hole straight through the transporter, vaporizing chambers, the Liger Zero's transformation armors, and compromise the integrity of the entire vehicle.
"Huh," Toros said, scratching his head. "I didn't think he'd do it."
Just as the Geno Breaker prepared to fire, a pair of golden claws splashed against the Geno Breaker's exposed side, severing its right X-Breaker. The charged particle beam fired, sailing over the Hover Cargo's snail-like ridge. A clean miss.
"Who in the cuss?" Raven barked.
"Not so nice when you're the one being blindsided, huh?" Bit announced himself.
Raven turned his face aside from the transported, facing the Liger Zero. The Geno Breaker positioned itself upright, but suffered heavy damage from the Strike Laser Claw assault. Raven, however, ignored his Zoids' condition, livid about being caught off guard.
"You're just asking to be in an obituary."
Bit made a cavalier laugh. "Do you have a list of death threats, or do you just pull them out of thin air?"
The Geno Breaker took a step toward the Liger Zero, but the white-armored Zoid remained stationary. "You expect to fight me in that armor? It's useless against the Geno Breaker."
"Why don't you let me worry about that," Bit said, taking his strategy step by step. "It's just me and you, Raven. No restrictions, no interruptions."
Raven flexed his fingers around the controls of the Geno Breaker, blowing anxious air from his nose. "I wouldn't want to have any other way."