The Sniping Master Chapter 2.
Disclaimer: I don't own Zoids, thats all I have to say.... WAIT!
I DO OWN ZOIDS!!! I've been keeping the president of Tomy in my basement and replaced him with a clone that I have complete control of in order to have direct control over the company, where do you think the idea for the show coming to the US was from anyways?
Anyway I promised anyone who could say what the mystry zoid was would get their names posted in my next Fanfic? Well here they are in order of replying:
Jakob der Ludner (Thanks fer giving me the Name of the Sniper in Chaotic Century)
Danny
Kitai Matsuro (A special thank you to her as she revealed many things such as the name of the Bit Cloud zoid series and took the time to E-mail me this. ^_^)
Anyway, On with the Fic...
Bit Cloud and Leena were already out of their zoids and on the ground before they saw their unknown savior coming through up the valley. A sudden wind had picked up a large quantity of dust into the air making a very powerful sight of the zoid slowly walking out of the dakr brown dust storm.
The zoid could have ben mistaken for a Gunsniper, but a closer inspection would reveal a much sleaker and more refined shape. Instead of the bright orange cockpit glass it had a much touigher armored canopy, much like that of a RevRaptor. Its was much longer, providing a longer barrel for the tail cannon there, and the sight located directly above it had two scopes providing binocular vision. A Highly Advanced Sniper Rifle on its back also provided a longer range attack. On its arms were twin gatling Cannons which gave it devestaing short range firepower.
Leenas mind instanly recognized the form, every Gunsniper pilot knew their zoid's next evolution: the SnipeMaster.
As it came to a stop in front of the other two zoids it shook itself rigorously causing several pounds of sand to fall off onto the ground. After this it bent its head down to the ground. A hiss of released pneumatic air and the cockpit canopy opened.
The figure inside stood up, put his legs over the side of the cockpit then slid down onto the ground. He wore a faded green jumpsuit with dark grey highlights. His helmet was a the same dark green only it was painted with two red eyes and a mouth with pointed teeth painted around the faceplate.
The still-masked pilot walked up to Bit and Leena before taking off his mask.
"Name's Sev, Sev Manchesco," he said offering his hand to Bit.
"Bit Cloud, Blitz Team," he said shaking the offered hand.
Sev then offered his hand to Leena and she shook it.
"Leena Toros."
"I've called ahead and the Doc is making dinner."
"Great, its been too long since I've had a good meal."
That night they sat around the lounge area of the snail-like Hover-Cargo, talking, laughing, sharing stories of successful battles.
"So," Bit began, "you fought rally well out there. You even consider joining a team?"
"You asking me to join your team?"
"You bet, your fighting skills would be a great asset to our team."
"How much does it pay?" Sev asked.
"Four-hundred a week, more if we win battles, plus room and food."
"Ammo included?"
"A share of our winnings goes to ammo for the entire team."
"Anything else?"
"We have full zoid repair facilities on the 'cargo."
"When can I start?
"Immediately."
"I'm in then..."
Later that night Sev had his meager collection of possesions transferred from his SnipeMaster's cargo compartment into his new room on the Hovercargo.
He layed down on the bed, it had been a while since he hadn't slept in a cockpit. He turned his head and look to the picture on the nightstand.
It had been taken nearly four years ago, after their teams first victory. He was in the middle with his best friends. Beddel, his closest friend since they played with little zoids models in the sandbox, the other, Saria, his first and only love.
His mind flashed instantly to that day three years ago.
They had been one of that years rising stars, with an amazing first-year record of five wins so far and only a single loss.
They had been scheduled to fight a team called "Fireball," and had been waiting for a while.
Just as it appeared that they weren't going to show up the Judge Pod exploded as several missles detonated against it. Their long range scanners picked it up first, it was a Genosaurer, and it was coming at them-fast.
"We have a very unfriendly contact coming at us from the north, closing at 236 klicks per hour," Beddel had said reorienting his lumbering Gunbuster to face the threat, "It's a bloody Genosaurer!"
"Beddel, How long do we have before we're in its attack range?"
"Approximatly forty seconds."
"Saria, get on the com. Tell them we are under attack and require immediate assistance."
"Already on it, Sev..."
He turned his Blader Liger to face the threat and ran off towards it. He had thought that maybe he could provide enough of a distraction to let his friends get away.
"Beddle, get going... I'll keep it busy, you guys get to safety."
"Sev, you have no chance in a one-on-one fight against that thing!" Saria had said.
"Sev, I strongly suggest you rethink this, that thing'll destroy you no problem"
"I never said I was going to fight it, I'm just gonna give it some target practise. Now get going."
"Please Sev, don't get yourself killed, as soon as we're safe get out of there," Saria had said to him.
"I never had any intention of doing anything else," he said with a wry, cocky grin.
The Gunbuster and Saria's GunTiger started off at a brisk pace away from him and back towards a base about twenty miles back behind them.
He on the other hand closed with the Genosaurer at attack speed. Triggering a duel burst from his two AZ cannons, but the bullets merely exploded against it's E-shield. It triggered its own retalitory cannon fire, but Sev jumped away just in time to avoid it.
He fired again, this time the Genosaurer stop and turned as the blade liger shot past it. It was in range for its most powerful weapon now, it's devestating particle beam cannon.
Sev saw it charging and prepared to make a hard turn. Then it fired and Sev jumped his Liger high into the air. He had dodged the Beam Cannon but had forgotten one crucial element, a missle launcher that had been married to the Genosaurers side had gotten a perfect lock and had fired five guided missles.
Three of them impacted while he was still in the air, the other two going low below his zoid's belly and, fuel spent, slammed in the desert sands.
A tone sounded as his computer repeated the words "System Lock" over and over again.
The Genosaurer walked up and puts it's giant foot on his liger's side, pinning it to the ground. It's mouth then began to glow as its Particle Cannon charged to fire the blast that would end his life.
Five seconds, he knew how long it would take and uncounciously counted down.
Four.
Three.
Two.
Just as he was closing his eyes waiting for the end. TheGenosaurer rocked as what he could only assume was a beam attack from Beddel's Gunbuster hit it hard.
"It figures I would have to save your butt, Sev." Those were his last words.
With its Particle Cannon already charged the Genosaurer fired at his friend, the blast annihilating the zoid from the front legs up. What was left exploded.
"NO! Beddel!"
Then he saw the Saria's GunTiger charging the gGenosaurer on his still functioning scanner. Oh please, Saria, don't, please turn around, run...
Then he saw her zoids signature blink out...
He didn't see her die. He heard her last transmission a muffled squeel and then no more.
He had cried then, out of rage. He prayed that he could die, if only to be with her.
Why didn't the Genosaurer finish him off? He couldn't say.
Five minutes later Tournament Authorities arrived. He had gotten free of his cockpit and tried to find any wreckage of Saria's zoid, and found nothing recognizable, a piece that he recognized as a piece of armor her, a chunk of machinery there. He had assumed that her small zoid had been completely annhilated by the beam.
They never caught the genosaurer that had done this, all to late they had informed him off Backdraft activity in the area.
He had fared better than the Fireball team though, every one of them was dead.
In the weeks that followed he had contimplated suicide more than once even going so far as to pick up a ravor and put it to his wrist in the shower once, but he hd stopped himself, told himself that he needed to live, to avenge his friend and his lover.
Within a year he had snuck into a military base and stole a zoid, he had no money to get one of legally, that was how he had gotten his SnipeMaster. He had gotten by by bringing in bounties on backdraft members. He never hd enough money or ammunition, and because of this he had become a better fighter, often winning a battle with three shots and would often brake of the engagement if he used more than a dozen.
At this point his thoughts were interrupted by the red-head named leena entering his room.
"Are you Ok? You look a bit sad."
"It's ok, I'm fine.
"Whos that in the picture?"
"Old friends of mine."
At thi point he noticed how much Leena reminded him of Saria, she had the same firey spirit, and yet was bale to show so much compassion to someone. In fact, this entire team reminded him of his team. He knew then that he had made the right choice.
"Oh, anyway, Doc just told me we have a battle tommarrow, against Champ Team."
"Good, I assume that I'll be fighting."
"Yep, me, you and Bit"
"OK"
"Get some rest, tommarrow you show how you do in a real battle."
That night as he slept, for the first time in three years he had a dream. He and Saria together, runngin through fields of flowers...
Well, theres Sev's past. Tragic as hell. Keep the Review Praise coming, it's almost as good as caffiene for keeping me up long enough to write one of these."
Ready... FIGHT!!!