Here we are at Chapter 32. Now that they finally caugh the spy, let's see what Team Lockhart can get out of him. I do not own Zoids. They belong to their respective owners. Here's chapter 32. Enjoy.
Chapter 32: Raise the Curtains
"Hey, hey, wake up," Colt says as she slaps Roderick across the face twice to wake him up.
Roderick groans as he comes to, and finds himself handcuffed to a seat in the control room, with the members of Team Lockhart standing around him.
"Please, you have to listen to me, I didn't-," Roderick begins until Sarah slaps him across the face to shut him up.
"That was for threatening me and trying to kidnap me and Geno," Sarah says.
"Okay, let's try this again. First question: why were you working for Nexus, Roderick?" Colt asks.
"I told you before, I had no choice. I never wanted to work for them, but if I didn't, then Kaiser would've killed me... He'll probably still kill me now that I've been discovered," Roderick says.
"What kind of information have you been feeding them?" Colt asks.
"Listen, you have no idea who you're dealing with here. They're-," Roderick argues until Sky punches him this time.
"What have you been feeding them?" Colt asks again.
"...Positions of ZBC bases. Mostly the ones that your team have had contact with. ZBC also keeps records of all the zoid pilots and teams affiliated with the zoid battles, so I gave them information on the locations of the teams in the lower rankings. They wouldn't try to attack those in class A or higher. At least, not right now," Roderick explains.
"Okay, then how about where their main base is located? Can you tell us that?" Grace demands.
"I... I don't know where their main base is. They never told me that. If I ever had a meeting with them, it was with one of their soldiers, no one high up. Most of the time, it was through video communications on a secure channel. I rarely met with them in person," Roderick says.
"How long have you been working for them?" Rickie asks.
"For several months now. Right after the Royal Cup ended. They found me, and forced me to work for them. They knew where I lived, where I worked. There was no where I could run or hide to be safe from them," Roderick pleads.
"Okay, what was the next time you were going to meet with them? Or what is the next plan in their operation?" Sarah asks.
"The original plan was to move on to the teams in the higher ranks, and then to start attacking outer villages and towns, to stoke the flames of fear and war. However, since you attacked the hanger where they kept most of their Whale Kings, which they were planning on using for such an operation, I imagine they'll change their plans because of it. They planned on launching raids from the sky with those Whale Kings in order to make quick work of their enemies," Roderick explains.
"Well, that's at least some good news. However, a few of those Whale Kings did manage to escape. On top of that, we still have that huge bounty on our heads," Grace notes.
"You know anything about that?" Colt asks.
"The bounty? I... yes. I'm the one who posted it," Roderick confesses.
Now Grace is pissed off, "You son of a bitch! You placed a bounty on our heads, and now we got thugs and criminals after us, never mind Nexus. What the Hell?!" she yells as she grabs him by his shirt collar.
"I had no choice! Nexus wanted your team taken out of the picture, but knew they couldn't keep spending resources on one single zoid team, so they told me to put a bounty on our team. I didn't think anyone would actually go for it! I swear!" Roderick cries.
Sarah pulls Grace off of Roderick, "Next question: where is Hunter Krato?" she asks.
"The Geno Scissors pilot? I don't know, I swear. After you defeated his zoid, they took him off the front lines until they could get his next zoid ready for him. I don't know what it will be, but I imagine it will be much stronger than the last one. They wanted more data on the Z-link system for it, and that's why I tried to kidnap you. They wanted you and your zoid. However, you found one of their main bases, and screwed up their plans, so I was forced to move up the plan. You have to believe me, I never wanted any of this!" Roderick explains.
"Never wanted any of this? Innocent people are dead because of you! How many of your fellow ZBC allies are now dead because you sold them out to save your one worthless skin, huh?!" Grace yells, livid.
"I told you already, I didn't have a choice!" Roderick retorts.
"Okay, last question: when is your next meeting with them?" Colt asks.
"I don't know. They usually come to me and I try to find a spot where I can contact them without being found out. It could be tomorrow, it could be in a week. I just don't know," Roderick says.
"Okay, then maybe we can use that," Colt says.
"What?" Rickie asks.
"As far as we know, they DON'T know that we found their spy. Maybe we could use him to get more information out of them so we can start ambushing them instead of them ambushing us. We can take out bases all day, but it won't matter if they learn we're coming in advance. This way, we can turn their advantage into their disadvantage," Colt explains.
"Okay, but how exactly are we going to do that?" Sarah asks.
Colt turns back to Roderick, "As soon as they contact you with anything, you'll tell us. Now don't get me wrong, I already informed the chief about you, so you can't run from this. Especially not after everything you've done, but at least the chief won't kill you. So you have two options here: either help us and only spend life in prison without parole, or continue to help Nexus and one day have a bullet fired into your skull. Besides, once they find out you're busted, they'll come and kill you anyway. Your choice," Colt says.
"How can you possibly call those options? It's a death sentence either way!" Roderick argues.
"You want us to feed you to Geno?" Sarah threatens him.
"Look, you've got ten seconds to decide, right here and now. Ten, nine, eight, seven-," Colt counts down.
"Okay, okay, I'll help!" Roderick screams.
Colt smirks, "Good boy. Now then, think you can take that bounty off of our heads?" he asks.
"I'm afraid that may be difficult. I was able to put it up, but I'm not sure I can take it down and keep people from coming after you," Roderick says.
"Then we're pretty much looking over our heads for who knows how long. That's just perfect," Grace sarcastically notes.
"No use crying about it. We'll just have to wing it," Rickie says.
"What about him?" Sky asks, nodding to Roderick.
Colt smirks and punches him in the face, knocking him out, "That should keep him occupied for a while. I'll make sure he's got restraints on him. Also-," he says and slips a small circular device into his coat pocket. "That way, we'll always know where he is. Should he be contacted by Nexus, I'll remove the restraints in order to make it look more convincing. Also, I don't want this guy pulling a fast one on us, so I think it would be best to have either me or Sky with him at all times," Colt suggests.
"What if we end up in a battle during that time?" Grace asks.
"Then we knock him out, tie him up, and through him in a supply closet," Colt says offhandedly, causing the group to stare flatly at him.
"Okay, so what do we do now?" Rickie asks.
"We keep moving. We just took out a vital part of Nexus' operations, and we still have a bounty on our heads, so we'll most likely have a lot of people coming after us. We may need to look for some back up too," Sarah says.
"I already informed the chief about the bounty. He says he'll do what he can to keep as many of these thugs off our backs, but it won't be easy. We'll still have some goons on our butts," Colt says.
"So, where do we go next? I mean, if we can even go into any town now considering..." Grace asks.
"Give me some time. I'll figure something out," Sarah says.
With that, Sky and Colt drag the sleeping Roderick to another spot in the Hover Cargo and lock him up after making sure he's tied up well enough. Meanwhile, Sarah visits Geno in the hanger.
"Hey, Geno," Sarah says, and her partner moves it head close enough for her to pet it, earning a purring noise from him. "Things are getting pretty heated right now. We'll be moving shortly. We have to watch each other's backs, and we may have some people join us on this trip for extra support. Can I count on you not to eat them?" she asks, earning a low growl from Geno. "I guess that's an 'okay', huh. Nexus may be coming after us harder now since we put a major dent in their plans, so we need to be careful, and we still have that bounty on our heads. We couldn't get much out of Roderick. Apparently, Nexus kept him on a 'need to know' basis, and he didn't know much. I hope we can catch a break soon," she says. Geno moves back and opens up its cockpit, allowing her to step inside. Sarah always did feel more comfortable when she's with her partner. "Thank you, Geno," she mutters, smiling.
…
The next day, the team are already back on the move, having made it back to the mainland and heading inland. The plan is to wait for Nexus to contact Roderick again with new orders so they can move accordingly. Just in case, they have him handcuffed to a chair and gagged so he'll keep his mouth shut until that point in time. They also made another move to contact the Fluegel Team since they told them about everything that's really going on.
"So, now there's a price on your heads? Geez, you guys sure don't disappoint, do you?" Naomi notes on her end.
"Yeah, so now we have to keep moving constantly, and be extra careful should we ever approach a town or city. We wanted to see how things were doing on your end," Grace says.
"Well, we already informed a few teams about Nexus, including the Lightning Team. Jack worked as a mercenary for hire before he joined up with them, so he knows a few people and will ask around for any info that could be useful. What do you need from us?" Leon asks.
"We'd like to meet up with you somewhere. With these past few events, I'm afraid that we'll be having a much tougher time than we originally thought in this conflict. Which is why I would like for you to give us some training," Sarah says.
"Training?" Naomi asks.
"Yes. You're probably the best team in class A, and you have more years of training and experience under your belts than us. We may be in class A, have some skills, and powerful zoids, but the fact remains that we haven't been a team for too long. We need to get stronger if we're going to stand a better chance of taking down Nexus," Sarah explains.
"Plus, it couldn't hurt to have some extra muscle on our side should Nexus attack again. With this bounty and us taking out several of their Whale Kings, I'll bet they're pretty pissed at us right now," Grace adds.
"What do you think, Leon?" Naomi asks.
"I think it's a good idea. Until this battle with Nexus is over, the zoid battles are put on hold and won't go back to normal for a while. This isn't about rising to the top of the rankings anymore. It's about staying alive and proving that the zoid battles of today are not a sham. We'll meet up with you. There's a place called Eos City located west by northwest from your position. It'll be a bit of a drive, but we can meet you there. From there, we'll find a spot to begin your training. I admit, we're not exactly teachers, but we'll do what we can to help get you into better shape," Leon says.
"Okay, Eos City it is. Thanks, you guys. We'll see you there," Sarah says and the call ends.
…
"I must admit, I didn't think you'd take them up on their idea to train them," Naomi notes.
"The last time we fought them, they were still pretty green, but since then, they've grown quite a bit. They still have a lot of untapped potential. I want to see where that potential will take them. One day, I believe they could be quite the team, and quite the challenge for us. I'm looking forward to it," Leon replies.
"Why am I not surprised?" Naomi shakes her head with a smile.
…
With the plan set, the team make their way to Eos city to meet up with the Fluegel Team. Of course, they got Roderick still tied up and gagged, occasionally taking the gag off so he can breathe and talk, or in case he says he needs to relieve himself.
"How do we know we can even trust the Fluegel Team?" Roderick asks.
"Seriously? Like you're one to talk. You want the gag back on?" Grace warns him.
"But, what if more bounty hunters are waiting for us there, or worse, Nexus is waiting for us?" Roderick asks, getting scared.
"Then we'll deal with it. Besides, with Team Fluegel with us, we'll have more powerful allies on our side. With more people gunning for us, the more danger we're in," Sarah says.
"M-Maybe we should head back to base?" Roderick suggests.
"Not happening. If we do that, then we won't meet up with Naomi and Leon, and we'll lose whatever progress we've made out here. We stay out in the field, keep moving, and take Nexus apart, piece by piece," Grace says.
"And find Hunter Krato," Sarah mutters.
"So, we're going into more danger?!" Roderick yells.
"Oh, shut up," Rickie groans.
Sky walks over and punches Roderick again, knocking his light out.
"Thank God, I couldn't take it anymore," Colt notes.
"Let's just focus on getting to Eos City. It's going to be a while," Sarah says.
…
A couple of days later, the group finally make it to Eos City. They practically drove the whole way, taking shifts with driving and keeping an eye on Roderick. He doesn't get any kind of call or message from Nexus, so they're still waiting on that front. Luckily, they don't get attacked by bandits or anything else during the trip, so that's a plus so far. Once they reach the city, they decide to leave Colt and Rickie with Roderick while Sky goes with the girls so he can protect them. While Grace argued about not needing any bodyguards, Sarah was the first one to admit that they don't know anything about self-defense, unlike Sky and Colt. Walking through the city, they notice how it appears a little more advanced and cleaner than some of the older towns they've been to.
"Where could they be? This place is pretty big," Grace asks.
"I'm kind of hoping that they'll find us. I mean, at least one of us is kind of hard to miss," Sarah says as she glances back at Sky walking behind them, taking note of how he's a head and a half taller than them.
They continue walking through town, keeping their eyes peeled for their friends. Luckily, it doesn't take long for someone to find them.
"Hey, Sarah, Grace, over here!" they hear and look to their left to see Naomi and Leon down one street. "Took you guys long enough to get here."
"Hey, guys, thanks for meeting with us," Sarah says as they approach the duo.
"Well, we have some extra time on our hands, so why not? Come on, we can talk while getting a bite to eat. Follow us," Naomi says as she and Leon lead the way.
"By the way, where's Colt and Rickie?" Leon asks.
"We'll explain that later," Grace says.
…
At a local diner, the group discuss this little joint training session of theirs over a meal.
"So, you actually found the spy right under your noses," Leon notes.
"Yes, but we haven't turned him in yet because we're hoping to use him just like Nexus is using him. If they can reveal their plan, or at least, parts of it, we can use that to our advantage. As far as we know, they don't know that he's been found out. It's time we turned the tables on them for once," Sarah explains.
"We have Colt and Rickie back at the Hover Cargo keeping an eye on him. But, let's get down to the main reason we're here. We want you to help train us so we can be better prepared for the next time we face Nexus. The fact remains, that we're not as strong or as skilled as you, and Nexus is only going to get more ferocious as time goes by. We need to be as ready as possible," Grace explains.
"Well sure, we'll help you out. We're not exactly the teaching sort, but I'm sure we can think of something," Naomi says.
"We can start tomorrow. There's a canyon not too far from the city that would a great spot for training. Sarah, you, Colt, and I will work on your training while Naomi works with Grace and Sky," Leon suggests.
"Sounds like a plan to me. Will that work for you guys?" Sarah asks her teammates.
"I'm down for it," Grace says, while Sky just nods in agreement.
Just then, Sarah gets a call on her zoid gear and pulls it up, showing Colt on the other end.
"Colt, what's up?" Sarah asks.
"It's Roderick. He just got called up by Nexus. They want him in some kind of meeting within the next couple of days. The meeting is happening in Luminos City, the city of light," Colt tells her.
And that's the chapter. Sarah and the gang interrogate Roderick, but don't get too much out of him. Next, they form a group with Naomi and Leon, only to learn that their next destination for their mission is in Luminos City. What awaits them in the city of light? Will they find Kaiser or Hunter Krato there? Until then, please Read and Review.
