centerStepping Into The Barrier/center
-I do not own Zoids. If I did, I would not be writing this story; I would be floating in cash.
"Ocelot X, next contender. Ready?" A pause. "Go!" The computerized voice rang throughout the coliseum, and echoed still as the Ocelot took off. Its indigo shine reflected off the few windows the arena had, like a pillar of light shooting from the Zoid. Its heavy claws clanked against the track and it screeched loudly on the turn, but it manuevered with such tightness that the noise lasted but a second. It was fast. Very fast. Its mounted back cannons slowly emerged, then quickly shot at the targets with such precision that the now crushed plates disintegrated. It raced across the finish line in record time.
"Is this the Zoid Connor's been rambling about?" The gruff old man asked. He sported a red overcoat with a gleaming badge he wore just as proudly. The yellow stripe on his back trailed to the floor, dragging when he walked. His weary eyes wore wrinkles, drooping a bit. But not his posture. He stood tall with confidence. His rough beard and mustache reflected his seniority. But Deidre saw through this. As his assistant she had to. "Yes, its amazing isn't it?" She beamed at him, tilting her head so her short but bouncy blonde crop followed. "More like the pilot," his harsh voice replied, "Anyone who can tame that beast must be S Class material. Find out his name." He demanded. "Oh, certainly, Jonas." She said quietly and shuffled off. "Ocelot X, eh?" He took one last glance and exited silently.
"Where are you mystery warrior?" Deidre said playfully. She giggled to herself. "Mystery warrior..heh." She approached the pilot climbing out of the feline Zoid. "Sir? My in-command officer Sir Jonas would like your name if you are to be accepted into the Mercenary Corps." She still smiled as she spoke. He walked slowly, hands in pockets, helmet on. 'Weird,' Deidre thought, 'They rarely ever make pilots wear helmets these days. Looks like the strong silent type. Better not make him mad.' His hands reached to unveil himself. As the helmet popped off, light brown hair tumbled out and draped on the pilot's shoulders. Glossy lips with emerald eyes, bronze-toned cheeks. Deidre gasped immediately, jaw hanging. "Lani." The pilot said. "L-l-ani?" She repeated nervously. "Lani." The pilot promptly reassured her. "Your a woman?!" Deidre remarked aghast. "I prefer adolescent. I'm not legally abled to smoke or drink." She said nonchalantly. Deidre scribbled on her legal pad, quite messy. "Uh, I think my boss will be happy with, this uh, uh, re, report! He, he, he'll certainly be well, uh surprised. I must be going, have a nice day, goodbye!" And with that she hurried herself back to Jonas. "Right. What a weirdo." Lani said to herself. "C'mon Ocelot." As she walked forward to a pair of large double doors, the Ocelot emitted a low roar and walked with her.
"What the hell?!" Jonas shouted angrily. "Its true sir! That warrior is a girl!" Deidre ducked to protect herself from the flying vase. It smashed into the door, its fragile pieces landing everywhere. She tiptoed near the couch where she was safe from projectiles and broken glass. She still held her legal pad over her head as she spoke. "But sir! I know it surprised me, but why you? Just because its not a male doesn't mean she's inferior or something, does it?" Jonas contemplated a bit. "No. No it doesn't. I'm sorry, Dee. I guess I was overreacting. All that really matters is that we finally have someone to pilot that hunk of junk Connors won't throw away. He has so much faith in its potential. I guess he was right, its far superior to anything I've ever seen." Deidre smiled and put down her legal pad. "Well, sir, its scores are phenomenal, but you should put it up against a real Zoid." She seemed quite excited. "Yes, yes I should. Run up a scan on the computer to see who our best mercenary is. On the double!" He laughed at his comment. Deidre gave a salute, "Yessir!" And ran to the computer lab, slamming the door a little too hard on the way out. Jonas sighed and laughed at this too.
"Welcome to Mercenary Corps. Password please?" Deidre hastily typed in 'MERC-ROMEO' and tapped enter. "Access approved. Authorization identified." Dee waited. "Welcome back 2ND ASSISTANT DEIDRE KRITZ" She looked at the top of the screen. "New or Recruited Mercenaries? Definitely Recruited." She clicked the tab, which led her to a seemingly neverending list. She groaned, but scrolled on. "A Class, C Class, B, A, S,...S! Brad Hunter. Geez, I didn't know we kept tabs on so many old mercenaries. Recruited with the Blitz Team. You'll be a good fight for the Ocelot." She picked up the phone and dialed the number. "Hmm, hmm, hm." Deidre played with her nails. A deep beeping. Again. Again. "Hello Blitz Team! Doc Toros speaking! Leena be quiet! Yes?" "Doctor Toros? I'm Deidre Kritz, a representative of the Mercenary Corps. We have some private business with a Mr. Brad Hunter. Could you please have him report to our Romeo City headquarters?" Doc paused awhile. "Uh, what?" "Please have Brad Hunter come to the Merc. Corps building in Romeo City, thank you and goobye!" She hung up and walked out of the lab.
"Huh. Weird. BRAD! BIT! JAMIE! LEENA! WE'RE GOING TO ROMEO CITY SO HURRY UP!" Doc grabbed the car keys and ran to the buildings garage.
-I do not own Zoids. If I did, I would not be writing this story; I would be floating in cash.
"Ocelot X, next contender. Ready?" A pause. "Go!" The computerized voice rang throughout the coliseum, and echoed still as the Ocelot took off. Its indigo shine reflected off the few windows the arena had, like a pillar of light shooting from the Zoid. Its heavy claws clanked against the track and it screeched loudly on the turn, but it manuevered with such tightness that the noise lasted but a second. It was fast. Very fast. Its mounted back cannons slowly emerged, then quickly shot at the targets with such precision that the now crushed plates disintegrated. It raced across the finish line in record time.
"Is this the Zoid Connor's been rambling about?" The gruff old man asked. He sported a red overcoat with a gleaming badge he wore just as proudly. The yellow stripe on his back trailed to the floor, dragging when he walked. His weary eyes wore wrinkles, drooping a bit. But not his posture. He stood tall with confidence. His rough beard and mustache reflected his seniority. But Deidre saw through this. As his assistant she had to. "Yes, its amazing isn't it?" She beamed at him, tilting her head so her short but bouncy blonde crop followed. "More like the pilot," his harsh voice replied, "Anyone who can tame that beast must be S Class material. Find out his name." He demanded. "Oh, certainly, Jonas." She said quietly and shuffled off. "Ocelot X, eh?" He took one last glance and exited silently.
"Where are you mystery warrior?" Deidre said playfully. She giggled to herself. "Mystery warrior..heh." She approached the pilot climbing out of the feline Zoid. "Sir? My in-command officer Sir Jonas would like your name if you are to be accepted into the Mercenary Corps." She still smiled as she spoke. He walked slowly, hands in pockets, helmet on. 'Weird,' Deidre thought, 'They rarely ever make pilots wear helmets these days. Looks like the strong silent type. Better not make him mad.' His hands reached to unveil himself. As the helmet popped off, light brown hair tumbled out and draped on the pilot's shoulders. Glossy lips with emerald eyes, bronze-toned cheeks. Deidre gasped immediately, jaw hanging. "Lani." The pilot said. "L-l-ani?" She repeated nervously. "Lani." The pilot promptly reassured her. "Your a woman?!" Deidre remarked aghast. "I prefer adolescent. I'm not legally abled to smoke or drink." She said nonchalantly. Deidre scribbled on her legal pad, quite messy. "Uh, I think my boss will be happy with, this uh, uh, re, report! He, he, he'll certainly be well, uh surprised. I must be going, have a nice day, goodbye!" And with that she hurried herself back to Jonas. "Right. What a weirdo." Lani said to herself. "C'mon Ocelot." As she walked forward to a pair of large double doors, the Ocelot emitted a low roar and walked with her.
"What the hell?!" Jonas shouted angrily. "Its true sir! That warrior is a girl!" Deidre ducked to protect herself from the flying vase. It smashed into the door, its fragile pieces landing everywhere. She tiptoed near the couch where she was safe from projectiles and broken glass. She still held her legal pad over her head as she spoke. "But sir! I know it surprised me, but why you? Just because its not a male doesn't mean she's inferior or something, does it?" Jonas contemplated a bit. "No. No it doesn't. I'm sorry, Dee. I guess I was overreacting. All that really matters is that we finally have someone to pilot that hunk of junk Connors won't throw away. He has so much faith in its potential. I guess he was right, its far superior to anything I've ever seen." Deidre smiled and put down her legal pad. "Well, sir, its scores are phenomenal, but you should put it up against a real Zoid." She seemed quite excited. "Yes, yes I should. Run up a scan on the computer to see who our best mercenary is. On the double!" He laughed at his comment. Deidre gave a salute, "Yessir!" And ran to the computer lab, slamming the door a little too hard on the way out. Jonas sighed and laughed at this too.
"Welcome to Mercenary Corps. Password please?" Deidre hastily typed in 'MERC-ROMEO' and tapped enter. "Access approved. Authorization identified." Dee waited. "Welcome back 2ND ASSISTANT DEIDRE KRITZ" She looked at the top of the screen. "New or Recruited Mercenaries? Definitely Recruited." She clicked the tab, which led her to a seemingly neverending list. She groaned, but scrolled on. "A Class, C Class, B, A, S,...S! Brad Hunter. Geez, I didn't know we kept tabs on so many old mercenaries. Recruited with the Blitz Team. You'll be a good fight for the Ocelot." She picked up the phone and dialed the number. "Hmm, hmm, hm." Deidre played with her nails. A deep beeping. Again. Again. "Hello Blitz Team! Doc Toros speaking! Leena be quiet! Yes?" "Doctor Toros? I'm Deidre Kritz, a representative of the Mercenary Corps. We have some private business with a Mr. Brad Hunter. Could you please have him report to our Romeo City headquarters?" Doc paused awhile. "Uh, what?" "Please have Brad Hunter come to the Merc. Corps building in Romeo City, thank you and goobye!" She hung up and walked out of the lab.
"Huh. Weird. BRAD! BIT! JAMIE! LEENA! WE'RE GOING TO ROMEO CITY SO HURRY UP!" Doc grabbed the car keys and ran to the buildings garage.