Hi there, the monster posting continues as we take a small break from the action and return to the civil living members of the story. A few things have changes in the lives of our young hero's-to-be that need to be caught up on, but don't worry... we are climing the final hill before this rollercoaster's big plunge which will take you on an adventure like non other. So, without further adue, enjoy.

Chapter 25

The Big Reunion.

Josh Sat looking out the window of the Boeing 2000. He was seventeen now and in the four years he had spent in collage he had earned a masters degree in every scientifically related area including engineering and industrial technologies. He also had a sound understanding of ancient civilization as far back as 200 B.C, and in his modern day that was considered extraordinary because it was knowledge that was more than four thousand years old. Something about the way of life interested him along with ancient warfare.

Although so many years had passed the way of combat had not changed much in the last thousand years. Guns just got bigger and stronger, but they were still guns. Until the Zoid, combat had not really developed much. He had traveled the world on expeditions and was somewhat of a woodsman. Although he did not live the life, he knew the plants and methods of survival well. Still there is a great difference between knowing what to do in certain situations, and actually encountering them every day.

He was excited about seeing Pepper, Jake, and his pets again, but most of all he wanted to see Gunner. He had never lost the dream of becoming a champion and he knew he had a lot of work to do to get aquatinted with the Zoid battles again, but it was a task he was looking forward to. What about my teammates? How have they changed, if any at all? There was one more thing he wondered about.

four years ago, when he even left for college, Nick, Joe, and Brian had seemed to drop off the face of the earth and there was still no trace of them anywhere. He worried because he knew they were old, but they had seemed like they would never die. Surly Joshua would have called me if anything serious had happened. He thought to himself, remembering all the times they had seemed to vanish before. But never all three and not for four years. Then again, Joshua did tell me that there had been some big changes and never said what they were. Still, I am sure they are fine. Josh thought, watching as the clouds went by with the sun glinting off their white tops and then the scene went white as the plane began its decent towards earth's surface. In his new found world Josh had forgotten a very impotent event that was to take place soon, but he would be reminded when he arrived home. The giant plane touched down and taxied to its bay to let off its passengers where Joshua waited for him in the terminal building. Josh remembered reading an article talking about how the NASA project had been a success placing Joshua on a worldwide level of genius, and on the top of the list for huge corporations, and the military.

"How did you like collage?" He asked.

"It was a thrill to learn, but I miss home and am ready to return to life as usual."

"Well you remember I told you a few things had changed, so don't get settled in yet."

"What do you mean?"

"You will have to wait."

Suddenly a voice came from farther down the hall.

"Dude, like sick! Is that you Josh!" Said a young man with crimson colored hair as he ran towards them. "Dude you're like all educated looking."

"Thank you, Pepper." Josh said with a smile as they hugged.

"Awe man, wait till you see Jake. He looks like a Dun Dee."
"Good to see you mate. Crikey it's been a long tyme." Came a familiar voice from his side.

"Jake?" Josh asked, turning to face him. "You two both got big."

"Look at yourself man." Pepper pointed out.

They would have many stories to tell as the group went laughing and talking through the terminal heading for the parking garage. As they walked towards a car Josh stopped.

"That thing is ours?" He asked.

"Yep." Joshua said. "Bought and paid for."

"But it isn't even in production yet." Josh said.

"Yeah I know," Joshua answered. "But you know how it is for us master minds. Why buy it when you can build it."

"Then it's modified for certain." Josh said smiling.

"What? You think I've forgotten the best part of a build it yourself project. Besides I had to alter it a little to avoid copy write infringements."

"I guess my question was more of a statement then a question."

"Yep it's Josh. He still takes things literally." Pepper said making everyone laugh as they packed into the SUV where the four swapped stories as they traveled home.

Pepper was eighteen now and his hair had changed from red to a deep crimson. He wore a black beanie and a loose cream colored T-shirt that still displayed a pizza. Shorts and skater's shoes finished him off. Over the past few years he had perfected the art of extreme sports and even won a few X games championships.

Jake was on the complete other side of the spectrum. His blond hair was scraggly split down the middle and hung down to his ears, but you could see little of it coming from beneath his felt flat brimmed hat complete with a snake skin ban that was obviously not store bought. He still carried a bowie knife, although a little larger than the one he had as a child, and a pocket less high collared leather jacket covered a blue T-shirt. Resting at the nap of his neck was a crocodile tooth necklace, also not store bought. Cowboy Wranglers and a pair of Kangaroo moccasins along with a belt made from the skins of a snake known as the black mamba completed his mercenary slash bounty hunter lifestyle. Jake had spent the last four years tracking down criminals who thought it safe to take refuge in the outback that he called home.

Josh himself wore a tan shirt that had pockets for holding his many small items such as wires, nuts, and other such items including hard ware units. His pants were custom design white with deep front pockets, two side thigh pockets and an ankle pouch for each leg. With the things he carried he was ready to fix nearly any mechanical problem.

Joshua had not changed much. His face appeared a little older, but other than that he was as he had been when Josh left. Then, Josh was suddenly confused when they passed the exit that should have taken them home.

"That was our exit." He told Joshua.

"Ahh, it was our exit." Joshua replied.

"What do you mean was?" Josh asked half knowing the answer.

"You're gonna love it mate." Jake said happily.

Another ten minutes passed before they got off the freeway.

"Where are we?" Josh asked. "We left town three miles back."

"We're home." Joshua answered smiling. "In five minutes actually."

Sure enough, five minutes later the northeastern tree line gave way to a massive clearing of twenty acres. Josh's mouth dropped as smiles spread from ear to ear on the other's faces. It was a ten by ten-acre clearing. Two acres back from the road sat a large Victorian styled two story house. Turning in through the giant iron gate Joshua took them up the drive parking the car in front of the door in the circle driveway.

As Josh climbed out Chomper and Godzilla came running from the side of the house. Josh ran to them now matching their height of six feet. Neither of them had changed a bit outwardly, but massive things had happened on the inside. Their minds were sharp and cunning and their ability to breathe fire had increased to a tremendous blaze capable to shooting fifty yards, but they still kept it a secret. Aside from that Chomper had gone under Pepper's tutorship and learned a few boarding tricks while Godzilla typically stood back and laughed at the two making fools of themselves.

Chomper and Godzilla had also grown restless and needed to be freer roaming. For now though they would be happy to see Josh again. He was more of a parent then a friend to them, so seeing him again was a most exciting ordeal as Josh was knocked to the ground when they jumped on him.

"Did you miss us!?" Chomper blurted out.

"If I say yes will you get off!?" Josh said playfully.

"Maybe." Godzilla answered.

"All right, really, you two are going to crush me."

They stood to their feet and allowed Josh to stand.

"Come on!" Pepper called after him. "Wait till you see what is on the inside."

"This is amazing." Josh said shaking his head. "How did you afford this place?"

"Well as you know the NASA project was a success, so that was one of the main contributors, but I took legal custody of Jake two years ago. He is really the one responsible for making this happen. Because he could live off the land he sent his bounty money to us. Combined with my other projects and inventions we are averaging a million a year."

"And wait until I start our Zoid battles again." Josh said thinking.

"Speaking of Zoid battles." Joshua said as they walked up the steps. "I have been thinking of opening my own line of components for Zoids."

"Really!" Josh said excited. "That would be quite a help to the team too."

"That's what I thought." Pepper added. "With him designing our stuff we would be unstoppable."

Josh suddenly got serious.

"Remember Pepper, it is not the Zoid, but the pilot that is important."

"I know dude, but it wouldn't hurt anything."

They walked through the door and Josh could not believe his eyes. The living room was the first room to enter. Its roof extended up through both stories and forty feet square.

On the back wall was a double staircase that lead up to the second floor from both directions in a curving sweep that followed the room's strangely curved back wall. In the middle of the two staircases on ground level were two big wooden doors that lead to the library where Joshua kept his uncountable collection of books along with a few displays of some of his inventions.

In the center of the library was a small ball on a pedestal. Josh was curious, but decided to wait until he had seen the entire house before farther investigation.

Going back out through the wooden doors they turned right to get into the kitchen that would have made a world renowned chef jealous. The room was twenty feet square as was the dining room behind it. Going farther to the back of the house led them to Chomper and Godzilla's room that went all the way to the back wall of the house bordering the left wall of the library. Going back through the kitchen and into the living room, they crossed the living room to the other side.

Going through the double doors to the left lead them through to the twenty foot square den. Against the far wall sat the fireplace made of stone and more books sat on a shelf that ran the entire wall on either side of the fireplace. They turned to go back into the living room, but Josh new there was another door at the back of the den.

"What about that room?" He asked.

"We will come back to that." Joshua said. "I wanted to save it for last."

Josh shrugged and followed them back into the living room, and then up the stairs. In the middle of the balcony at the top was the master bedroom and off to the right were Josh and Jake's rooms, and on the other side were two guest rooms. All five rooms came with built in bathrooms.

Finally they went back down stairs, through the den, and into that last room. It was a computer lab. Josh could barely hold in his excitement. Top of the line computer equipment and designing software all around the room complete with a construction area and graphing table. It was an inventor's dream shop, but Josh noticed that there were screens but no monitors to give them life. How are they working? It is like a body without a brain.

"That's not all." Joshua said with a twinkle in his eye.

"There's more?" Josh asked in disbelief.

"You better believe it mate." Jake said. "I'm not in to all this stuff, but this is nothing compared to what's next."

Joshua led the group to the back left corner of the room. Josh noticed that there was a five-foot square marked off by a red line on the floor. Suddenly the floor started to drop slowly, and Josh stood stupefied as a massive super computer came into view. It was another lab.

The lower lab was in the basement that extended under the entire house. One hundred and sixty feet long, and eighty feet wide it was the biggest lab he had ever seen.

"Wow." Was all he could manage.

So much had changed, and then something caught his eye. It was the time machine. His mind raced and before he could stop himself he blurted out.

"It's been ten years! We can go get mom and dad!" He shouted as his face light up, then it darkened as he thought about what he had just said, or rather, who he had said it around. "Oh no." Josh whispered with despair.

Will Josh get to see his parents? What has his blurt reveiled, and what will be its concequences? Stick aroung to find out.

Yes, I know, its a little dry, or perhaps stale... but you needed to get the setting of things before I can move on. Anyway, it might be best if you just moved on to the next one, it's better. See you there, and I don't mind if you dont review this one, but if you spotted any spelling errors (because I'm sure they are there) than please do let me know, thanks.

9TailedFox.