(Disclaimer: I don't own nuthin' but my own ass, Warshark X, and Blade)


It was night, that much he could tell. He was lying face up on the sand in the

desert below the Aroch Mountains. His name was Blade, he was 11 years old...and that

was all he could remember. His mind was just a blank beyond that fact. "Welcome back

to the land of the living, Blade." A calm, female voice said from behind Blade. Blade

rose to his knees, dressed in jeans and a dusty beige t-shirt. He turned and saw a woman

in a light blue suit with long, dark blue hair standing next to a kid around Blade's age

with black hair, he wore a beige jumpsuit. "How...how do you know my name, Sara?"

Blade shocked himself as he said this, for somehow he knew this woman's name.

"So...you remember after the explosion?" Sara said. "Not much." Blade admitted. "I

wouldn't expect you to, with an explosion of that magnitude. We thought you were dead,

we would have come much sooner, but that idiot Dr. Leyon wouldn't let us. "How...how

did I end up here?" Blade asked. "It was the Blitz team. You were fighting against them

in an Iron Kong, fighting to kill Bit Cloud for what he did to my Vega." Sara said,

indicating the boy at her side. Blade could see a large scar on Vega's face, and frowned.

"That evil man, Bit Cloud, destroyed your Iron Kong with his Liger Zero Panzer. He shot

your Zoid up again and again, until there was almost nothing left." Sara said. Blade

realized what she meant, that he had almost been killed. "What must I do?" Blade said.

"Nothing for the moment, the Whale King should be here soon. Until then, please get in

the ambulance so the technicians can examine you." She said, indicating an ambulance

with Backdraft markings several feet away. Blade limped over to the ambulance and sat

inside while the Backdraft technicians examined him.

Sara and Vega stood there quietly, until Vega said, "Should we tell him the truth?

That it was US who blew up his Iron Kong and that he was working with the Blitz Team

to stop US? I mean, I feel kind of guilty lying to him like this." Sara stroked her chin a

couple times before replying, "Now that THAT is out of your system, Vega, call in the

Whale King." Sara ordered harshly before walking away. Vega sighed, the only reason he

was with the Backdraft in the first place was because of a crime he'd committed and

hadn't wanted to go to jail. The Backdraft group had erased his criminal file; in return he

had to pilot for them the rest of his life. It stunk, it really did. Of course, he'd never

openly admit THAT. He sighed, and then he pulled out a complicated looking computer

device and hit the appropriate buttons to summon the Whale King to their location.

Twenty minutes later, a crimson colored Whale King transport landed 100 meters away.

The ambulance was the first on, then the tow-truck dragging the remains of Blade's Iron

Kong, then the jeep carrying Vega and Sara. Almost immediately after everyone was

aboard, the Whale King took off into the air, setting course for the Backdraft HQ.

Blade awoke from the sedative he had been given by the ambulance technicians,

stretching his sore muscles. He was in a soft bed, AND in clean clothes. "So, you're

awake." Sara said. She sat in a cushioned armchair next to his bed. "Before you can be

put back in the field, you must heal." Sara said. "How can I beat Bit Cloud without my

Iron Kong?" Blade asked. "How would you feel about piloting a Warshark?" Sara said,

putting a hand on his knee. "I'm listening." Blade said. "We recently completed a new

type of Warshark, we call it the Warshark X. It is an Ultimate X. We upgraded the armor

and weaponry, but it was only recently we discovered its Organoid system." Sara

explained. "Will I have backup?" Blade said. "Vega and the Fuma team. You shouldn't

need any more backup than THAT, except maybe a Whale King." Sara replied. "So, I get
the support of the Berserk Fuhrer and four other Warsharks?" Blade asked, and Sara

nodded. "Show me." Blade said, rising shakily to his feet. Sara put her hand under his

elbow and led him out of the room and down the corridor.

Several turns later, they were on a catwalk overlooking the HUGE Zoid bay. Iron

Kong's, Dark Horns, every type of Zoid imaginable was in there, all lined up in neat

rows. Blade stared at all the different Zoids before Sara led him across the catwalk and

through another door. It was a smaller bay, but there were still Zoids. Four Warsharks

and the Berserk Fuhrer were on one side, and on the other...Blade gaped at the Warshark

he'd be piloting. It was black with gold and silver highlights. Light blue titanium armor

was beginning to be attached by robotic arms. Instead of one, three missile launcher ports

were being attached to the Warsharks back. An odd mechanism Blade didn't recognize

was being wired into the jaws, and the Laser Cannons attached to the sides were much

sleeker as well. "The Warshark X." Sara said grandly. "When can I test it out?" Blade

asked. "Two weeks from today." Sara said.

(For the Backdraft, Deception, is a way of life)