Zoids-S
Episode 9: A Dark Cloud in the Blitz Team
Jamie: Last time on Zoids, Bit's originally good day turned not-so-good when he was reunited with
Amber, his long-lost older sister, who was part of the Flash Team. Seeing her again dug up old
feelings that Bit had when he was a kid, feelings that included a need to prove that he had
changed from the useless kid of the past to an accomplished warrior. The Blitz Team battled the
Flash Team and eventually it came down to Bit and Amber. Liger had Amber's Lightning Saix
cornered. Amber even allowed Bit the chance to defeat her. But Bit knew that if he took the
chance, it would show Amber to be the good samaritin, a ploy that she often used long ago. So
Bit backed off and forfeited the match, allowing the Flash Team to claim victory. You can
probably guess how Brad and Leena felt, I hope they don't take it too hard on him.
The Hover Cargo slowly approached the Toros base. The mood inside the cockpit was one of tension
and morose, but it was not because they lost the battle with the Flash Team. The Blitz Team had
lost battles before. Before Bit came along and tamed the Liger Zero, they were probably the
worst team in the Zoid Battle League. And even after then, they did lose battles to teams like
the Lightning Team.
No, they weren't upset about that, but they were upset that Bit Cloud, their most powerful and
determined member, forfeited a match that was already in the bag for them against a team that
should've been a pushover. The monetary exchange had taken place soon after Bit left. Since
then, the Blitz Team had picked up their wounded Zoids and trudged home. Luckily, the damage to
the Zoids wasn't severe, but the damage to the pilots' egos on the other hand...
As the base came into view, they could see the Liger Zero standing outside the bay door. The
Hover Cargo stopped.
"Well, we're home," Jamie announced.
"Jamie, would you help me unload the Shadow Fox and the Gun Sniper?" Doc. Torros asked.
"Sure, Doc." They then noticed that Leena was already stomping towards the exit. "Leena, where
are you going?"
Leena turned and faced her teammates with a look of pure hatred in her eyes. "I am going to find
that cockamamie junk dealer and I'm going to rip him apart from limb to limb. Then I'm going to
place him back together and RIP HIM APART AGAIN!"
Jamie shivered, thankful that he wasn't Bit. As the Blitz Team went outside, He turned to Brad
Hunter. "Hey Brad, you're pretty quiet. Aren't you upset?"
"It's no biggie," Brad said. "We'll just win the next battle. It's not like this'll be a
common occurence."
"I hope Leena isn't too hard on him," Doc. Torros said. "His fault or not, Bit's the only one
who can control the Liger Zero."
"I better go see how bad the damage is," Brad decided.
"To the Shadow Fox?" Jamie asked.
"No, to Bit. Leena looked like she was ready to go through with her threat."
Doc. Toros sighed and looked at the Liger Zero. "Come on, Liger, let's get you inside." The
large white Zoid tilted its head at the doc but understood what he was saying.
As expected, Leena found Bit in his room, staring out the window. It seemed like he hadn't moved
from that position since he got back.
"All right, buster, you have a lot of explaining to do!" She began. Bit remained at his post.
"What was the big idea, forfeiting the match like that?! You're just lucky we have that money
the Zoid Battle Commission sent us otherwise we would've been in a serious debt!"
Bit said nothing. Leena couldn't believe he wasn't fighting back. It was like he set up some
sort of mental wall around himself, a wall so powerful that nothing could get through. "Well,
explain yourself, Bit Cloud! Why didn't you finish her off?"
"It's what she wanted," Bit replied simply.
Leena knew who he was talking about but didn't get his reasoning. "So even the enemy would want
you to win? So what, that gives you all more the reason to win the battle!"
"She wanted me to win so she could hold it against me later."
That caught Leena off guard. "Hold it against you?"
"Like I told you before, Amber was always showing me up, making me feel incompatable to her. As
part of that, she used to let me have my way, just so she could use it against me to get me to
do things for her. I wasn't about to give her that chance again. Win or lose, I would've been
in some kind of debt so I thought it was best to cut my loses."
"Look, you piece of organoid fodder!" That got Bit's attention. He actually turned to face
her. His green eyes were dry and heavy. Had he been asleep, or crying? "Even if you were in
the right, and I'm not saying you were, you should've consulted with the rest of the team before
declaring forfeit! The Blitz Team is more than just you, you know." Bit was silent.
Apparently, he ran out of things to say. "Fine, be a brooding skunk for all I care!" She turned
to leave. "You know, the Blitz Team was perfectly fine before you came along, maybe you should
stick to what you know best, junk dealing and making people feel miserable!" And she turned and
exited the room.
Bit turned around and continued to stare out the window. Was Leena right? Would it matter
whether he left the Blitz Team or not? Bit suddenly realized something. Even though he
forfeited the battle, preventing himself from being more in debt to Amber than he already was,
she still won. Now in the eyes of both the Blitz and Flash teams, he was viewed as an almost
psychopathic fighter who would do anything to prove his point, even lose a battle. He lost.
"I lost," he said out loud, and he wasn't referring to the battle.
Leena was walking down the hall. Brad was leaning against the wall. As she walked by him, he
said, "Don't you think you were just a little bit rough on him?"
"It needed to be said," Leena said in an uppity manner. "He needs to realize what a spoiled
brat he's been and apologize.""
"That's rich coming from you," Brad muttered.
"What was that?" Leena asked giving him an evil eye. "Did you say something?"
"Nothing important," Brad said and walked away. Leena scowled then went in the opposite
direction.
Bit wasn't the only Cloud doing some introspective searching. Amber stood in her favorite place
in all of Vanguard City. A little niche hidden in an alleyway in the middle of the city. It was
here that she could think about anything and everything she wished without being disturbed by
somebody else. And she needed privacy right now, because something was clawing at her mind.
Bit. He had her cornered, beaten. With one swipe of his Liger's Strike Laser Claw, he could've
ended the battle, but he didn't. Not only that, but he practically handed victory to them on a
silver platter. Could... could Bit have been right? Had he really changed? No, that couldn't
be, Bit would never change, he's still the hot-headed boy she knew years ago... wasn't he?
Amber growled in frustration. Why did he have to do that? Just when she thought she had him
all figured out, he pulls this stunt.
Truth be told, Amber was hurting inside. Bit had said he didn't need her any more. He all but
denounced her as his sister. Amber felt that her purpose was to watch out for her younger
brother, it never occured to her that Bit would've become this independent in such a short amount
of time.
Amber had to face the facts. Bit had changed. For the better? For the worst? Well, whatever,
he had changed and Amber had to admit that. The problem was she couldn't. It was probably a
Cloud trait, the stubborness.
Leena sat on her bed clutching a star-shaped pillow. She realized that she probably said a
little too much to Bit. He still deserved it, but perhaps that thing about making people feel
miserable was over the top. She knew that she had to make it up to him somehow, and she
knew how.
Leena got up and left her room. She climbed into her Gun Sniper and headed for Vanguard City.
Parking outside the city (Zoids weren't allowed inside the city limits due to their massive
size), Leena went up to the same building they were in when they first came to Vanguard City,
the registration building. The woman at the desk, Talia, was there as Leena suspected.
"Talia?"
The young woman looked up. "Yes? May I help you?"
"I'm looking for the Flash Team base."
"The Flash Team base? Sure, just go down three blocks, make a right, go down three more blocks
then make a left. It's a gray apartment building in the middle of the street."
"Thank you." Leena left the registration building and followed the directions Talia gave her.
As she made the right, Amber exited the alleyway. Immediately the two saw each other.
"Amber!" Leena called.
"You're one of Bit's teammates, aren't you?" Amber asked. "I recognize your voice."
"That's right, I'm Leena. Is there someplace where we can talk?"
"Yeah, follow me." Amber and Leena retreated back into the alleyway. "So is this a pleasure
trip or..."
"It's about Bit," Leena interrupted.
"We must've been thinking the same thing. Let me guess, he probably told you how I was always
bailing him out of trouble no matter how insignificant it may seem and he probably hates me
because I can't see how grownup he is."
"That's right. When in fact, he's right."
Amber looked at her curiosely. "Is that so?"
"Yes. When he first came to us, I thought he was self-righteous pompous blowhard. But over the
years that I've known him, he proved himself to be a great Zoid warrior. He was even able to
tame the Liger Zero, a Zoid so wild that nobody could last ten seconds in its cockpit. Yet Bit
was not only able to stay in it, but bring out its full potential. True, Bit can sometimes still
be a pompous blowhard, but I think... what he was trying to do was impress you."
"Impress me?"
"He won't show it, but I believe he wanted you to be proud of him, proud that he was able to do
something without your help."
"I guess I never thought of it that way," Amber said walking around. "I always thought that Bit
was trying to catch up to me."
"Catch up to you?"
"Yeah, here's what happened..."
FLASHBACK
She was only ten years old when it happened, although it felt like it was just last week.
Amber Cloud was a gifted young girl. Ignorant in some ways, wise in others. One of the things
that she was wise in was strategizing, taking a situation and using it for her cause. If it
wasn't for her age, she would've been an excellent general.
But what Amber always wanted to do was be a Zoid Warrior. She loved the thrill of going into
battle, striking down the enemy. Winning the prize money was also a plus; although to her it
seemed like a lot, it was probably just pocket change compared to the pay experienced warriors
went by.
Her chance finally came one sunny day. A Mail Godos came by and dropped her a letter. She
ran into the house that she shared with her parents and her younger brother, Bit. Her mother was
making dinner and her brother was eating it like he usually does, with his nose to the plate
shoveling the food into his mouth.
"Mommy, Mommy, look, it came, it came... what is it?" Her mother laughed and took the letter
from her daughter's hand and Bit looked up from his meal. Amber was only able
to recognize her name and nothing else.
"Let's see," her mother said. "'Dear Ms. Cloud...'"
"Is that me?"
"Yes. 'Upon reviewing your profile and test scores, we are proud to invite you to attend the
Zoid Elite Training Academy, ZETA, in Vanguard City!'"
While almost anyone could've become a Zoid pilot, only few were given the chance to attend ZETA.
What they did there was practically a mystery to most although some heard that it was taught by
members of the Zoid Battle Commission itself. But that wasn't what excited Amber the most, but
where ZETA was located, Vanguard City.
"Vanguard City! I always wanted to go there!" Amber squealed.
"I know. It also says 'in addition to learning the art of Zoid piloting, you and your classmates
will be given a class of Zoid to study and hone your knowledge of including air, sea, dinosaur,
beast, and insect. At the end of your training, you will be given the option of entering the
elite Class-S of the Zoid Battle League.'" Class-S, like ZETA, was only whispered in rumors.
Only members in Class-S were allowed to go to Vanguard City. In short, an opportunity like that
didn't present itself every day.
"Can I go, Mommy? Can I? Can I? Can I? If you're worried about money, I could always send you
the money I get from winning Zoid battles?"
Bit and Amber's mother smiled as if recalling a secret she knew. "All right."
"Hey, can I go too?" Bit asked.
Amber turned and scowled at him. She knew that if Bit came with her, she would be stuck with him
like he was a permanent part of her and that would hamper her training. "You can't go, you
weren't invited."
"Aw, come on, Amber. I want to be as good as you."
"Aww, ain't that cute, little brother wants to follow in my footsteps. Sorry, Bit, but you have
to be as naturally talented as me to become a Zoid warrior."
"But I want to go! Amber, people at ZETA get their own Zoid and everything."
"Forget it, Bit, if you want a Zoid, you're just going to have to make one of your own." Bit,
tears streaming from his eyes, ran from the room.
Once in his own room, Bit crashed himself on his bed.
"I'll never be as good as her," young Bit cried. Then he remembered something she said. 'If you
want a Zoid, you're just going to have to make one of your own.' "That's it, I'll make my own
Zoid, my own partner, and he'll be stronger, faster, and just plain better than whatever Zoid
Amber uses. He'll have the best parts, the best weapons, the best everything. Then I'll show
her." Unknown to Bit, Amber, who had been going to her own room right next door, heard every
thing. She dismissed it as childish ambitions and went into her own room.
END FLASHBACK
"Who would've thought he'd actually go through with it? Now that I think about it, I realize
that it was rude of me to say that. But keep in mind I was a kid at the time and didn't know
any better."
Leena looked at the setting sun. "I don't think Bit wants to catch up with you, Amber, he just
wants to prove how much he's grown."
"I guess I should've expected it to happen sooner or later. You know, in many ways, I'm jealous
of Bit."
"How?"
"Isn't it obvious? He's in Class-S and he didn't even go through ZETA. He pilots an Ultimate-X,
something almost no present-day pilot can boast about, he has friends like you."
Leena blushed. "Oh, I don't know about that. We don't exactly get along 100% of the time."
"Neither did we, but if you're willing to come all the way out here and tell me all this, then
Bit must be doing something right."
"I guess he is."
"Bit doesn't need to impress me to gain my respect, he's already had it. That's why I act the
way I do, to show him that he doesn't need to do all that stuff. I guess I've been acting that
way for so long that I've forgotten why I was acting that way to begin with."
"I guess stubborness runs in the family." That caused a laugh from both girls.
Amber placed her hand on Leena's shoulder. "Next time you see Bit, tell him how proud I am of
all that he did and tell him... tell him that I will always be watching over him, even if he can
get himself out of a situation. I'm his older sister, and that's what older sisters do."
"I will. See ya', Amber!"
"Bye, Leena!"
It was too bad Bit didn't know about Leena and Amber's conversation because then he wouldn't have
done what he was going to do next: run away. Bit thought his sister would never stop treating
him like a kid, Leena hated him for acting so shallow, the others didn't even look at him when he
walked by. The evidence was all there, Bit apparently wore out his welcome in the Blitz Team.
He didn't tell anybody about what he was doing, not Jamie, not the Doc, not even Liger. He
didn't want any of them to try to stop him. From now on, it will be him and only him, just like
it used to be.
Bit headed south from the Toros base. He didn't take much, just a canteen and some rations. He
had some pocket money, but not a lot. Maybe he would do what Leon did, hire himself out as a
freelance Zoid warrior. Of course he would need a Zoid.
Bit had been walking through the plains for about an hour, maybe more. He stopped to take a rest
underneath a rock. Suddenly the sound of metal clamking against dirt caught his ears. He turned
to see a strange-looking Zoid pull up to the hillside near where he laid. It reminded Bit of the
Beserk Fury with the snow-white armor, dinosaur-shape and glowing red eyes. But this Zoid
walked hunched over, almost horizontally. It had two large cannons on the shoulders and large
spikes along his back, almost like quills.
"Bit Cloud, it's been a long time," came a child's voice, a voice that Bit knew very well.
Vega Obscura.
Sure enough, the hatch of the Zoid was raised and a boy was revealed. He had short black hair
and blue eyes. His face had a gentle smile on it.
"Vega Obscura, it has been a long time, hasn't it? This isn't the Beserk Fury, is it?"
"No, the Beserk Fury was pretty banged up from our battle at the Royal Cup. This is the Dark
Spiner. It's not an Ultimate-X like the Beserk Fury or your Liger Zero, but it's pretty good."
"You've equipped it nicely. Are those shoulder cannons 140?"
"Close, 144. It's also got a Strike Laser Claw much like the Liger Zero, mini defense cannons,
and a twin pulse cannon within its chest. The quills on its back are its ionization array
capable of producing energy for a charged particle attack." Vega looked down at Bit. "I was
hoping we would might have that rematch I was promised."
Bit's smile faded. "I wish we could, but I don't know if I have what it takes to be a Zoid
Warrior any more."
"You don't know if you have what it takes?" Vega repeated, not believing what he was hearing and
whom he was hearing it from. He leaped down from the Dark Spiner's cockpit. "Bit, I've seen
your past record. You've battled everybody from mercenaries to soldiers, even me without so much
as a worry and now you don't know if you have what it takes?"
Bit explained everything, about the battle, about the comments by Leena and Amber, and about how
it all seemed to him.
"I don't believe it," Vega said firmly.
"You don't believe me?"
"No, I don't believe what they're saying is true. I've seen you in battle, Bit. I was there
when you vaporized the Judge Satellite that almost crashed down on all of us. Bit, you're as
good as me, how can you think you don't have what it takes?"
Bit had to admit Vega had a point, especially after he remembered all the teams he battled:
Champ, Tigers, Lightning, Serpent, and even the Backdraft Group. He always played an important
role in those battles. Maybe Leena was wrong, maybe he was a vital part of the Blitz Team.
As if he could read Bit's mind, Vega said, "you know I'm right. If it wasn't for you, the Blitz
Team wouldn't even be in Class-S. Come on, Bit, don't run away."
Finally, Bit smiled. "You're right, Vega. I can't let the words of one person speak over the
actions of the past. I won't run away. I never ran away from anything in my life, and I'm not
about to start now."
"That's the spirit, Bit. Say, what do you say we have that rematch now. I have some prize money
and we can put that up."
"You're on," Bit said knowing Vega was just like him, he didn't really care about reward, just
the thrill of going into battle, the satisfaction of winning and the honor and respect between
two warriors.
"I should warn you, Bit, I've improved a lot since we last met."
"Me too, I know that this battle will be one both of us will remember," Bit said as a dark
shadow loomed over the two Warriors.
Doc. Toros: Bit's disappeared and the one who seems to be taking it the hardest is Leena. She
wants to find him but she know she can't do it alone. So she seeks help from the one who can
help her the most... the Liger Zero?! Next time on Zoids: "The Odd Couple: Leena and Liger."
Join Leena and Liger on the Search for Bit Cloud. Ready... SEARCH!
Episode 9: A Dark Cloud in the Blitz Team
Jamie: Last time on Zoids, Bit's originally good day turned not-so-good when he was reunited with
Amber, his long-lost older sister, who was part of the Flash Team. Seeing her again dug up old
feelings that Bit had when he was a kid, feelings that included a need to prove that he had
changed from the useless kid of the past to an accomplished warrior. The Blitz Team battled the
Flash Team and eventually it came down to Bit and Amber. Liger had Amber's Lightning Saix
cornered. Amber even allowed Bit the chance to defeat her. But Bit knew that if he took the
chance, it would show Amber to be the good samaritin, a ploy that she often used long ago. So
Bit backed off and forfeited the match, allowing the Flash Team to claim victory. You can
probably guess how Brad and Leena felt, I hope they don't take it too hard on him.
The Hover Cargo slowly approached the Toros base. The mood inside the cockpit was one of tension
and morose, but it was not because they lost the battle with the Flash Team. The Blitz Team had
lost battles before. Before Bit came along and tamed the Liger Zero, they were probably the
worst team in the Zoid Battle League. And even after then, they did lose battles to teams like
the Lightning Team.
No, they weren't upset about that, but they were upset that Bit Cloud, their most powerful and
determined member, forfeited a match that was already in the bag for them against a team that
should've been a pushover. The monetary exchange had taken place soon after Bit left. Since
then, the Blitz Team had picked up their wounded Zoids and trudged home. Luckily, the damage to
the Zoids wasn't severe, but the damage to the pilots' egos on the other hand...
As the base came into view, they could see the Liger Zero standing outside the bay door. The
Hover Cargo stopped.
"Well, we're home," Jamie announced.
"Jamie, would you help me unload the Shadow Fox and the Gun Sniper?" Doc. Torros asked.
"Sure, Doc." They then noticed that Leena was already stomping towards the exit. "Leena, where
are you going?"
Leena turned and faced her teammates with a look of pure hatred in her eyes. "I am going to find
that cockamamie junk dealer and I'm going to rip him apart from limb to limb. Then I'm going to
place him back together and RIP HIM APART AGAIN!"
Jamie shivered, thankful that he wasn't Bit. As the Blitz Team went outside, He turned to Brad
Hunter. "Hey Brad, you're pretty quiet. Aren't you upset?"
"It's no biggie," Brad said. "We'll just win the next battle. It's not like this'll be a
common occurence."
"I hope Leena isn't too hard on him," Doc. Torros said. "His fault or not, Bit's the only one
who can control the Liger Zero."
"I better go see how bad the damage is," Brad decided.
"To the Shadow Fox?" Jamie asked.
"No, to Bit. Leena looked like she was ready to go through with her threat."
Doc. Toros sighed and looked at the Liger Zero. "Come on, Liger, let's get you inside." The
large white Zoid tilted its head at the doc but understood what he was saying.
As expected, Leena found Bit in his room, staring out the window. It seemed like he hadn't moved
from that position since he got back.
"All right, buster, you have a lot of explaining to do!" She began. Bit remained at his post.
"What was the big idea, forfeiting the match like that?! You're just lucky we have that money
the Zoid Battle Commission sent us otherwise we would've been in a serious debt!"
Bit said nothing. Leena couldn't believe he wasn't fighting back. It was like he set up some
sort of mental wall around himself, a wall so powerful that nothing could get through. "Well,
explain yourself, Bit Cloud! Why didn't you finish her off?"
"It's what she wanted," Bit replied simply.
Leena knew who he was talking about but didn't get his reasoning. "So even the enemy would want
you to win? So what, that gives you all more the reason to win the battle!"
"She wanted me to win so she could hold it against me later."
That caught Leena off guard. "Hold it against you?"
"Like I told you before, Amber was always showing me up, making me feel incompatable to her. As
part of that, she used to let me have my way, just so she could use it against me to get me to
do things for her. I wasn't about to give her that chance again. Win or lose, I would've been
in some kind of debt so I thought it was best to cut my loses."
"Look, you piece of organoid fodder!" That got Bit's attention. He actually turned to face
her. His green eyes were dry and heavy. Had he been asleep, or crying? "Even if you were in
the right, and I'm not saying you were, you should've consulted with the rest of the team before
declaring forfeit! The Blitz Team is more than just you, you know." Bit was silent.
Apparently, he ran out of things to say. "Fine, be a brooding skunk for all I care!" She turned
to leave. "You know, the Blitz Team was perfectly fine before you came along, maybe you should
stick to what you know best, junk dealing and making people feel miserable!" And she turned and
exited the room.
Bit turned around and continued to stare out the window. Was Leena right? Would it matter
whether he left the Blitz Team or not? Bit suddenly realized something. Even though he
forfeited the battle, preventing himself from being more in debt to Amber than he already was,
she still won. Now in the eyes of both the Blitz and Flash teams, he was viewed as an almost
psychopathic fighter who would do anything to prove his point, even lose a battle. He lost.
"I lost," he said out loud, and he wasn't referring to the battle.
Leena was walking down the hall. Brad was leaning against the wall. As she walked by him, he
said, "Don't you think you were just a little bit rough on him?"
"It needed to be said," Leena said in an uppity manner. "He needs to realize what a spoiled
brat he's been and apologize.""
"That's rich coming from you," Brad muttered.
"What was that?" Leena asked giving him an evil eye. "Did you say something?"
"Nothing important," Brad said and walked away. Leena scowled then went in the opposite
direction.
Bit wasn't the only Cloud doing some introspective searching. Amber stood in her favorite place
in all of Vanguard City. A little niche hidden in an alleyway in the middle of the city. It was
here that she could think about anything and everything she wished without being disturbed by
somebody else. And she needed privacy right now, because something was clawing at her mind.
Bit. He had her cornered, beaten. With one swipe of his Liger's Strike Laser Claw, he could've
ended the battle, but he didn't. Not only that, but he practically handed victory to them on a
silver platter. Could... could Bit have been right? Had he really changed? No, that couldn't
be, Bit would never change, he's still the hot-headed boy she knew years ago... wasn't he?
Amber growled in frustration. Why did he have to do that? Just when she thought she had him
all figured out, he pulls this stunt.
Truth be told, Amber was hurting inside. Bit had said he didn't need her any more. He all but
denounced her as his sister. Amber felt that her purpose was to watch out for her younger
brother, it never occured to her that Bit would've become this independent in such a short amount
of time.
Amber had to face the facts. Bit had changed. For the better? For the worst? Well, whatever,
he had changed and Amber had to admit that. The problem was she couldn't. It was probably a
Cloud trait, the stubborness.
Leena sat on her bed clutching a star-shaped pillow. She realized that she probably said a
little too much to Bit. He still deserved it, but perhaps that thing about making people feel
miserable was over the top. She knew that she had to make it up to him somehow, and she
knew how.
Leena got up and left her room. She climbed into her Gun Sniper and headed for Vanguard City.
Parking outside the city (Zoids weren't allowed inside the city limits due to their massive
size), Leena went up to the same building they were in when they first came to Vanguard City,
the registration building. The woman at the desk, Talia, was there as Leena suspected.
"Talia?"
The young woman looked up. "Yes? May I help you?"
"I'm looking for the Flash Team base."
"The Flash Team base? Sure, just go down three blocks, make a right, go down three more blocks
then make a left. It's a gray apartment building in the middle of the street."
"Thank you." Leena left the registration building and followed the directions Talia gave her.
As she made the right, Amber exited the alleyway. Immediately the two saw each other.
"Amber!" Leena called.
"You're one of Bit's teammates, aren't you?" Amber asked. "I recognize your voice."
"That's right, I'm Leena. Is there someplace where we can talk?"
"Yeah, follow me." Amber and Leena retreated back into the alleyway. "So is this a pleasure
trip or..."
"It's about Bit," Leena interrupted.
"We must've been thinking the same thing. Let me guess, he probably told you how I was always
bailing him out of trouble no matter how insignificant it may seem and he probably hates me
because I can't see how grownup he is."
"That's right. When in fact, he's right."
Amber looked at her curiosely. "Is that so?"
"Yes. When he first came to us, I thought he was self-righteous pompous blowhard. But over the
years that I've known him, he proved himself to be a great Zoid warrior. He was even able to
tame the Liger Zero, a Zoid so wild that nobody could last ten seconds in its cockpit. Yet Bit
was not only able to stay in it, but bring out its full potential. True, Bit can sometimes still
be a pompous blowhard, but I think... what he was trying to do was impress you."
"Impress me?"
"He won't show it, but I believe he wanted you to be proud of him, proud that he was able to do
something without your help."
"I guess I never thought of it that way," Amber said walking around. "I always thought that Bit
was trying to catch up to me."
"Catch up to you?"
"Yeah, here's what happened..."
FLASHBACK
She was only ten years old when it happened, although it felt like it was just last week.
Amber Cloud was a gifted young girl. Ignorant in some ways, wise in others. One of the things
that she was wise in was strategizing, taking a situation and using it for her cause. If it
wasn't for her age, she would've been an excellent general.
But what Amber always wanted to do was be a Zoid Warrior. She loved the thrill of going into
battle, striking down the enemy. Winning the prize money was also a plus; although to her it
seemed like a lot, it was probably just pocket change compared to the pay experienced warriors
went by.
Her chance finally came one sunny day. A Mail Godos came by and dropped her a letter. She
ran into the house that she shared with her parents and her younger brother, Bit. Her mother was
making dinner and her brother was eating it like he usually does, with his nose to the plate
shoveling the food into his mouth.
"Mommy, Mommy, look, it came, it came... what is it?" Her mother laughed and took the letter
from her daughter's hand and Bit looked up from his meal. Amber was only able
to recognize her name and nothing else.
"Let's see," her mother said. "'Dear Ms. Cloud...'"
"Is that me?"
"Yes. 'Upon reviewing your profile and test scores, we are proud to invite you to attend the
Zoid Elite Training Academy, ZETA, in Vanguard City!'"
While almost anyone could've become a Zoid pilot, only few were given the chance to attend ZETA.
What they did there was practically a mystery to most although some heard that it was taught by
members of the Zoid Battle Commission itself. But that wasn't what excited Amber the most, but
where ZETA was located, Vanguard City.
"Vanguard City! I always wanted to go there!" Amber squealed.
"I know. It also says 'in addition to learning the art of Zoid piloting, you and your classmates
will be given a class of Zoid to study and hone your knowledge of including air, sea, dinosaur,
beast, and insect. At the end of your training, you will be given the option of entering the
elite Class-S of the Zoid Battle League.'" Class-S, like ZETA, was only whispered in rumors.
Only members in Class-S were allowed to go to Vanguard City. In short, an opportunity like that
didn't present itself every day.
"Can I go, Mommy? Can I? Can I? Can I? If you're worried about money, I could always send you
the money I get from winning Zoid battles?"
Bit and Amber's mother smiled as if recalling a secret she knew. "All right."
"Hey, can I go too?" Bit asked.
Amber turned and scowled at him. She knew that if Bit came with her, she would be stuck with him
like he was a permanent part of her and that would hamper her training. "You can't go, you
weren't invited."
"Aw, come on, Amber. I want to be as good as you."
"Aww, ain't that cute, little brother wants to follow in my footsteps. Sorry, Bit, but you have
to be as naturally talented as me to become a Zoid warrior."
"But I want to go! Amber, people at ZETA get their own Zoid and everything."
"Forget it, Bit, if you want a Zoid, you're just going to have to make one of your own." Bit,
tears streaming from his eyes, ran from the room.
Once in his own room, Bit crashed himself on his bed.
"I'll never be as good as her," young Bit cried. Then he remembered something she said. 'If you
want a Zoid, you're just going to have to make one of your own.' "That's it, I'll make my own
Zoid, my own partner, and he'll be stronger, faster, and just plain better than whatever Zoid
Amber uses. He'll have the best parts, the best weapons, the best everything. Then I'll show
her." Unknown to Bit, Amber, who had been going to her own room right next door, heard every
thing. She dismissed it as childish ambitions and went into her own room.
END FLASHBACK
"Who would've thought he'd actually go through with it? Now that I think about it, I realize
that it was rude of me to say that. But keep in mind I was a kid at the time and didn't know
any better."
Leena looked at the setting sun. "I don't think Bit wants to catch up with you, Amber, he just
wants to prove how much he's grown."
"I guess I should've expected it to happen sooner or later. You know, in many ways, I'm jealous
of Bit."
"How?"
"Isn't it obvious? He's in Class-S and he didn't even go through ZETA. He pilots an Ultimate-X,
something almost no present-day pilot can boast about, he has friends like you."
Leena blushed. "Oh, I don't know about that. We don't exactly get along 100% of the time."
"Neither did we, but if you're willing to come all the way out here and tell me all this, then
Bit must be doing something right."
"I guess he is."
"Bit doesn't need to impress me to gain my respect, he's already had it. That's why I act the
way I do, to show him that he doesn't need to do all that stuff. I guess I've been acting that
way for so long that I've forgotten why I was acting that way to begin with."
"I guess stubborness runs in the family." That caused a laugh from both girls.
Amber placed her hand on Leena's shoulder. "Next time you see Bit, tell him how proud I am of
all that he did and tell him... tell him that I will always be watching over him, even if he can
get himself out of a situation. I'm his older sister, and that's what older sisters do."
"I will. See ya', Amber!"
"Bye, Leena!"
It was too bad Bit didn't know about Leena and Amber's conversation because then he wouldn't have
done what he was going to do next: run away. Bit thought his sister would never stop treating
him like a kid, Leena hated him for acting so shallow, the others didn't even look at him when he
walked by. The evidence was all there, Bit apparently wore out his welcome in the Blitz Team.
He didn't tell anybody about what he was doing, not Jamie, not the Doc, not even Liger. He
didn't want any of them to try to stop him. From now on, it will be him and only him, just like
it used to be.
Bit headed south from the Toros base. He didn't take much, just a canteen and some rations. He
had some pocket money, but not a lot. Maybe he would do what Leon did, hire himself out as a
freelance Zoid warrior. Of course he would need a Zoid.
Bit had been walking through the plains for about an hour, maybe more. He stopped to take a rest
underneath a rock. Suddenly the sound of metal clamking against dirt caught his ears. He turned
to see a strange-looking Zoid pull up to the hillside near where he laid. It reminded Bit of the
Beserk Fury with the snow-white armor, dinosaur-shape and glowing red eyes. But this Zoid
walked hunched over, almost horizontally. It had two large cannons on the shoulders and large
spikes along his back, almost like quills.
"Bit Cloud, it's been a long time," came a child's voice, a voice that Bit knew very well.
Vega Obscura.
Sure enough, the hatch of the Zoid was raised and a boy was revealed. He had short black hair
and blue eyes. His face had a gentle smile on it.
"Vega Obscura, it has been a long time, hasn't it? This isn't the Beserk Fury, is it?"
"No, the Beserk Fury was pretty banged up from our battle at the Royal Cup. This is the Dark
Spiner. It's not an Ultimate-X like the Beserk Fury or your Liger Zero, but it's pretty good."
"You've equipped it nicely. Are those shoulder cannons 140?"
"Close, 144. It's also got a Strike Laser Claw much like the Liger Zero, mini defense cannons,
and a twin pulse cannon within its chest. The quills on its back are its ionization array
capable of producing energy for a charged particle attack." Vega looked down at Bit. "I was
hoping we would might have that rematch I was promised."
Bit's smile faded. "I wish we could, but I don't know if I have what it takes to be a Zoid
Warrior any more."
"You don't know if you have what it takes?" Vega repeated, not believing what he was hearing and
whom he was hearing it from. He leaped down from the Dark Spiner's cockpit. "Bit, I've seen
your past record. You've battled everybody from mercenaries to soldiers, even me without so much
as a worry and now you don't know if you have what it takes?"
Bit explained everything, about the battle, about the comments by Leena and Amber, and about how
it all seemed to him.
"I don't believe it," Vega said firmly.
"You don't believe me?"
"No, I don't believe what they're saying is true. I've seen you in battle, Bit. I was there
when you vaporized the Judge Satellite that almost crashed down on all of us. Bit, you're as
good as me, how can you think you don't have what it takes?"
Bit had to admit Vega had a point, especially after he remembered all the teams he battled:
Champ, Tigers, Lightning, Serpent, and even the Backdraft Group. He always played an important
role in those battles. Maybe Leena was wrong, maybe he was a vital part of the Blitz Team.
As if he could read Bit's mind, Vega said, "you know I'm right. If it wasn't for you, the Blitz
Team wouldn't even be in Class-S. Come on, Bit, don't run away."
Finally, Bit smiled. "You're right, Vega. I can't let the words of one person speak over the
actions of the past. I won't run away. I never ran away from anything in my life, and I'm not
about to start now."
"That's the spirit, Bit. Say, what do you say we have that rematch now. I have some prize money
and we can put that up."
"You're on," Bit said knowing Vega was just like him, he didn't really care about reward, just
the thrill of going into battle, the satisfaction of winning and the honor and respect between
two warriors.
"I should warn you, Bit, I've improved a lot since we last met."
"Me too, I know that this battle will be one both of us will remember," Bit said as a dark
shadow loomed over the two Warriors.
Doc. Toros: Bit's disappeared and the one who seems to be taking it the hardest is Leena. She
wants to find him but she know she can't do it alone. So she seeks help from the one who can
help her the most... the Liger Zero?! Next time on Zoids: "The Odd Couple: Leena and Liger."
Join Leena and Liger on the Search for Bit Cloud. Ready... SEARCH!