XXXIV
—Capital City—
第34章：キャピタルシティ
Capital City – one of the signature cities upon Zi. It was a relatively new city, being only just over 50 years. Though it lacked the popularity of the aged New Helic City, it was second amongst the most populated and prized cities of the Eastern Continent of Delpoi. The city, however, would become to focal point in a negative light. Unfortunate as it was, Capital City was a heavy supporter of the Zoids Battle Commission, even as going as far as placing its central satellite hub on the city's outskirts.
In theory, this was the strike point of the Backdraft Group. If they were to successfully disable the hub, every satellite in orbit would be lost, and the Battle Commission would have no way to restore the link. It was paramount to protect it.
The warriors overlooked the city from a respective distance, seemingly forcing themselves to soak in the moment. It was hard to believe the day had finally come. The many hellish weeks of fighting, strategizing, and surviving had mounted to this very moment. At any moment now, the Backdraft would come to destroy this hub, a fate that had to be thwarted.
Van exhaled at the sight, troubled that the millions of people within the city limits had no clue what was about to happen. The hub, however, was located five miles beyond the city, a safe distance from the populated city. That didn't mean, though, that the Backdraft wouldn't attempt to bring the fight into civilian territory. They fought dirty, so dragging innocent people into the mix wasn't beneath them.
Van would have to think about something else, for he wouldn't be anywhere near the hub or the city when the fighting starts. Yuri had suggested that they break into two teams, and it was Van's team to sit on the Commission's Ultrasaurus. If the hub was destroyed—and it was a good chance it would be—the Backdraft would aim for the Ultrasaurus to destroy it. It would then be up to Van's team to counter the attack and defeat them. Van never liked the fact that plans sounded better in theory than they did in action. It was a cold fact of strategic combat, and Flyheight despised it.
In the corner of his eye, Van saw Raven standing just beyond his peripheral vision with Shadow. Against his better judgment, Flyheight went over to him. Shadow saw him and the silver organoid approaching, bellowing a soft, reverberating growl. Raven reacted to his organoid, seeing Van and Zeke make their way over.
He inwardly grunted.
What did Flyheight want now, a polygraph test? If he was sent to betray them, he would've killed all of them in their sleep by now. Them still being alive should've been proof enough. What Van would say, however, even caught Raven off guard.
"For what it's worth, I'm glad you're on our side when this goes down."
Raven met Van's shark-like eyes, puzzled. Was this a ploy to get him to drop his guard, or was it something else?
"Am I supposed to say 'thanks'?"
Van wagged his head. "I don't expect anything, Raven. We've been enemies for a long time, and though I find this sudden change of heart suspicious, I'd rather have you as my ally than my enemy. So…"
Van extended his hand to Raven, "… are we still enemies?"
Raven glared down at Van's hand, his own hands tight by his side. After all the fighting, the close calls they'd experienced contesting against one another; and Flyheight was willing to bury it. But he was no longer an enemy now, or at least that's how Raven kept telling himself. He'd been Van's rival for so long that it felt as if it went against his morals to think otherwise. Fighting to dismiss Van's proposal and declare war with the warrior, Raven shook his hand.
"No, we're not enemies."
Van gave an open-mouthed smirk. "Okay."
While amends were being made, it was different for Bit. Yes, he understood the ramifications, but in his mind, it was just another battle against the Backdraft. But he was by no means clueless. He'd fought them before, sure; but it would be different this time. Bit would have to be at the top of his game, giving nothing but his best. Same went for the rest of the Blitz Team: Brad, Jamie – they would have to better than they were before.
A lot was expected of them today, and Bit just hoped they were ready for it. And even though Leena had an uncanny ability to draw enemy fire by dispending hordes of ammo, Bit was actually glad she wasn't taking a large part in this. Inside, Bit hated feeling the way he did toward Leena. He even regretted falling for her, or that she fell for him.
If he lost Leena, he'd never forgive himself or ever look Dr. Toros in the eye again. Man, he hated today. But it was no sooner than he expelled the thoughts from his mind that Leena appeared by his hand, arms folded across her chest. Her lavender-purple eyes rose against Bit's profile, puzzled by his expression.
"You look so serious… suspiciously, actually."
"Me?" Bit said, pointing to himself. "No, I'm just waiting to hand the Backdraft another rejection."
Leena shook her head. "Same cocky attitude, huh?"
"Maybe," shrugged Bit, uttering a cavalier laugh.
Leena punched him in the arm, a far cry lighter than her previous attempts. "Just don't die. That's the opposite of alive, y'know?"
"Oh, yeah," Bit laughed, putting Leena in a head lock as he gave her a noogie.
Leena snatched her head back, punching Bit in the arm again as she began fixing her hair. "You are so immature."
The roar of a group Gustav engines suddenly sounded behind them, grasping the attention of the fighters. The lead Gustav pulled ahead of the others, cutting the engine soon after. Yuri hopped out of the cockpit, dressed in his combat uniform—a dark wardrobe of a long outer jacket, tactical pants, and black gloves and boots with blue highlights along the fingers and laces.
His Gustav supported his personal Zoid—the Photo Zaber. It was impressively armed, supporting a CP-03 Gatling Unit with an AZ Three-Shot Linier Cannon. A fortune it must've cost, but it was a drop in the bucket for Yuri.
Behind him, a group of his team had assembled with him. At first glance, they appeared to be former soldiers—militia, mercenaries, rebels; the usual company of Yuri. Their Zoids, however, could turn heads. Each of them piloted modified Storm Sworders, varying in weaponry, offensive and defensive capabilities, and assault and support. There were four total.
The fourth pilot came from the rear, having a body that could only be female. As curvaceous as she was, however, her face was what the others wanted to see. The pilot reached for the helmet and removed it. She flipped her teal hair, removing it from her tanned skin and green eyes.
Bit's brows wrinkled as he pointed at her. "Wait, I know you. You're the girl I fought in that mountain resort. You left her bracelet."
The woman smirked. "Nothing gets passed you, does it, Bit Cloud?"
Yuri motioned beside the female pilot, gesturing toward the others. "This is Pierce, a former pilot of the Backdraft. I'm sure you know her."
"How are you even here?" Leena commented, finding her sudden appearance suspicious.
Pierce paid the remark no mind, not even answering. She, along with Stoller, were just a few Yuri had hidden away. With that, she tucked her helmet underneath her arm and proceeded toward Jamie.
"Looks like we'll be flying together again."
Jamie nodded casually. "It seems that way. Your team—are they good aerial pilots?"
"Bet your life on it, kid," one of the pilots said, having a beard intentionally dyed silver. "We've pulled jobs all over Zi. You give us a target and we'll neutralize it."
"So you're contract killers?" Jamie curiously asked.
"We don't like to use that term per say," another pilot corrected, having a crimson Mohawk. "Consider us as… hired help."
"Charming," Brad muttered.
"All you need to know is that we can get the job done," Pierce defended. "We're good at what we do, so the hub's safe."
Yuri stepped between Pierce and Jamie, holding his hands at chest-height to defuse the obvious anti-trust issues developing.
"Let's just take it down a notch here, people. We're all here for the same reason – to protect the government in which we live under, not matter how flawed and restrictive it is. Now I just got some recent intel, so if you'll pay attention."
The pilots gathered around Yuri as he inserted a small flash drive into his PDA. The screen flashed, projecting a holographic grid of Capital City. Holden fingered a small ridge of land near the Commission's satellite hub, and the screen zoomed in on the position.
"We're here, just beyond the hub."
He expanded the view, traveled over the city, and highlighted an object on its outskirts and zoomed in.
"Can someone tell me what that is?"
Brad and Irvine rolled their eyes simultaneously. This was no time for questions. Couldn't he just spit it out?
To speed it along, Irvine blurted out the answer. "Looks like the Commission's Ultrasaurus."
"That's right," Yuri confirmed. "That Ultrasaurus is headed to Capital City for its annual six month overhaul, a striking coincidence to the Backdraft's attack. Don't you find that strangely convenient?"
Dr. D massaged his smooth chin, and the light bulb sparked on. "They coincided their attack with the coming the Commission's headquarters. Now they can kill two birds with one stone."
"Exactly," Yuri nodded, "and with the Ultrasaurus being overhauled…"
"It'll be vulnerable to attack," Dr. Toros finished.
Yuri angrily frowned, hating to be interrupted. "Yeah, it will. No shields to defend itself from high-damaging weapons, either."
The warrior's faces showed their mounting concern. Raven, for one, began seeing the Backdraft differently. It was one thing fighting for them, and there was no threat; fighting against them, however, opened up Pandora's Box to whole new slew of difficulties. He wished he had more intel on the Backdraft; that way they could've been more prepared. They'd have to change their strategy to counter this scheme their enemy had planned.
"Yuri!" one of the Storm Sworder pilots shouted. "Scanner just detected an aerial convoy twenty miles out."
Yuri grumbled inwardly. "What's the ETA on that convoy?"
"At their current velocity – ten minutes," responded the pilot.
"Backdraft?" Holden added.
"All air space has been restricted over the city until the Battle Commission's finished with its overhaul, so it has to be."
"Then everybody to your positions!" Yuri ordered. "That hub cannot be destroyed, people! Now, I'm not one for motivational speeches; I despise them, actually. So, with that said, just give it all you've got and we'll be heroes before sunset. Let's go!"
The Count interlocked his fingers before the window of the lead Hammerhead. Capital City was in sight, and so was the Backdraft's destiny. After years of planning, they were only minutes away from this grand occasion. The Count could already taste it, and it felt soothing to him. It was time for the Battle Commission to experience to true power of the Backdraft Group. The Royal Cup, in the Count's mind, was just a practice session, an exhibition that led them here.
Dr. Laon sat in the background, sucking down a glass of the Count's finest liquor. He poured another glass, thinking in the back of his mind to kick the habit. Wouldn't matter if he did anyway; Toros had still taken everything away from him. Laon took another gulp. If Toros interfered today, he'd finally destroy him.
"Too much of that will kill you, y'know?" the Count commented.
Dr. Laon set the glass down. "Only if I live."
He stood up to leave, stealing a look at the ever-approaching skyscrapers of Capital City.
"We're closing in on our strike point," he noticed, standing to leave. "The override should be a simple execution."
The Count took a seat behind his desk. "Commission firewalls have been notoriously difficult to hack; few have done it."
"The NOVA can hack anything," Dr. Laon said, sounding insulted. "It'll only take a few minutes for us to command their satellites."
"Resistance?" questioned the Count.
"Minor," supposed Laon. "A few high-tech gun turrets, but they're prone to overheating. They won't be a problem. We'll kill radio contact so they won't squawk to headquarters, either. Ten minutes is all we'll need."
The Count made a face, and Laon didn't like it. It was an expression of uncertainty, as if he wasn't sold on Laon's time-table. But the Zoids scientist couldn't blame him. He'd failed throughout this entire operation, but mostly due to interference caused by the Blitz Team and their allies. That was no excuse, however. It wouldn't happen again, but then again, he was wrong before.
"Have you factored in the Blitz Team to your strategy?"
Dr. Laon wanted answer with an emphatic yes, but he knew better. In all honesty, he hadn't. Yes, their enemy knew they'd be attacking the Zoids Battle Commission's HQ, but would they expect them to attack their satellite hub? Laon doubted it. He never shared such privileged information with anyone. The only people who knew were the Count, the Committee of Seven, and himself; and specifics weren't given to his subordinates. The Count's glasses shimmered, and Laon answered.
"No, Count, I haven't. I didn't think they'd be aware of our intentions concerning the Commission's satellite command hub. We do, however, expect them to interfere once we embark upon the Commission's Ultrasaurus."
The Count accepted Laon's honesty. "Then I suggest you keep your team on standby."
"I will," Laon agreed, and he left.
Seraph shifted his helmet in his hands, leaning his shoulder against the Energy Liger. Behind him were the four prototypes Zoids Dr. Laon had created – the Leoblaze, the Unenlagia, the Mosasledge, and the Nightwise. He inwardly questioned whether or not these Zoids would perform properly. Laon had strict orders on how he wanted the first phase of the operation to go. He'd recently received the news he'd be attacking the Commission's satellite hub—him and the four Fuzors.
Seraph would've preferred his allies to be flesh and blood, not AIs. Would he be able to depend on them if he was under fire? And what if they needed his assistance – would they ask for it? And if this NOVA AI was so intelligent, the Fuzors could have a strategy of their own that could exclude him from the process.
The warrior couldn't make heads or tails of this. A wait-and-see attitude he'd have to develop, for such doubts he wouldn't express. Doubts hindered a soldier's ability to think and to react to various situations. A shred of doubt could send a warrior to his end, so Seraph deadened his emotions.
The automated doors to the hangar hissed open, and Dr. Laon walked in with a few techs behind him. Each tech held a clear casing in their hands that held a disc inside. They branched out for the four Fuzors and started climbing up into the cockpits. Dr. Laon briefly shook Seraph's hand, not holding on long enough for the pilot to squeeze.
"We deploy soon. You and the Fuzors will head directly to the hub, while the rest of our units head into the city."
"Into the city, sir? I don't follow."
Dr. Laon looked away from him and toward the city. "That's ground zero, Seraph. We'll lay siege to the city. Can't promise that civilians won't be killed in the assault, but your primary target is that hub. The Fuzors will notify me when the override is done. They'll assist you in taking down their defenses, but stay vigilant. It's a possibility our enemies could try to impede our progress."
Dr. Laon looked straight at Seraph.
"Make sure that doesn't happen."
Seraph nodded. One of the techs leaped down from the Leoblaze, holding the now empty clear casing. "NOVA has been implanted, sir. Permission to activate…"
Dr. Laon turned away from Seraph and glanced at the tech with a quick nod. "Granted."
With that, the techs, when in place, fingered in the numerical codes to activate NOVA. Once completed, they dismounted the Fuzors and respectively stepped back. The Zoids sparked to life; their first initial movement being a sharp jerk. In just a few moments, they motioned with fluid grace, curiously surveying their surroundings. Not a second went by that the Fuzors weren't sucking in information.
Dr. Laon grinned, deviously sniggering under his breath. The sniggering soon erupted into boisterous laughter, something Seraph wasn't accustomed to hearing. His former employers were often serious and without a sense of humor. Dr. Laon, on the other hand, bordered on eccentric.
"I'd like to see you fight your way out of this, Toros."
Seraph squinted. "I'm sorry, sir – 'Toros'?"
"Shh," Laon shushed. "This is my moment, Seraph; don't ruin it for me."
The Zoids scientist inhaled deeply, basking in his accomplishment. He did this for a solid minute.
"Okay, I'm finished," he finally said. "We're approaching the drop zone. Seraph, make ready."
Seraph departed for his Energy Liger as Laon went before his creations.
"Fuzors, I am Dr. Laon – your creator. Our victory I place with you. Can I count on you?"
The Leoblaze took a step forward, growling what seemed to be a positive response.
"Good," nodded Laon as he inserted his earpiece. "One more player to the game. Ambient!"
The organoid appeared above them, having perched himself on the exposed beams. He glided down effortlessly, landing just before Laon's feet. The device intergraded into his mind remained active.
"You will join Seraph and the Fuzors, and you will assist them."
Ambient turned his back to Dr. Laon and jogged after the Fuzors to the deployment area.
The Energy Liger stomped past Dr. Laon, joining Ambient and the Fuzors. Red lights flashed in the hangar, and a voice sounded over the intercom.
"Destination reached! All personnel: stand clear of bomb bay doors."
With a hissing noise, the belly of the Backdraft's Hammerhead parted like elevator doors, sucking minor particles out into the desert air. The Fuzors, lead by the Leoblaze, leaped out and dropped a 100 meters until making contact with the ground below. Ambient soared after them, followed quickly by the Energy Liger.
When Seraph's Zoid finally made it groundside, the Fuzors fed him a detailed strategy in which they'd use against the satellite hub's defenses. An awaiting message throbbed at the strategy's end, reading, "Confirm?"
Seraph couldn't argue. The strategy was darn near perfect, so the assassin confirmed. Satisfied, the Fuzors—and Ambient—advanced toward the Battle Commission's Hub. Seraph exhaled and secured his helmet over his head.
"Here we go."