Chapter 7: Farewell My Friend
The entire Guardian Force stood there at the edge of the street, watching as the troops of the Empire slowly marched along. It was the funeral for Rosso, Fiola, and Rudolph. Van looked around, saw some people mourning, some in shock, some wishing this never happened, some with a little of all those, Van one of them. Thomas and Karl stood there, their heads high and proud but he could see their eyes watery, but he didn't care. Moonbay and Irvin watched, trying to understand what has been happening the last few days. Van had his arm around Fiona, who was crying on his chest. She was heartbroken after losing a very good friend and almost losing another. Van was still hurting from his injuries, but they were the least of his troubles. He looked at the stranger, he was on his left knee, mumbling a prayer. Van couldn't hear it. Two days ago all of them were being celebrated for saving the Empire and Republic, now they were saying goodbye to one of their greatest leader and his brave parents. A few minutes later, he saw their bodies, lying under a white silk blanket. All their leaders were honored like this after death, but few were respected like these three were. They had saved Van and Fiona's lives more times then he wanted to count. They had helped him defeat Raven and his GenoBreaker. Because of that they were dead. He looked back at Thomas, he knew how close he had been to dying, Van was glad somebody lived out of this. He heard the troops fire their rifles in salute to their fallen leader. He listened to some conversions of people around him. Some asked, "Why did he die so young." Others said, "Now who's taking it over." Van looked across the street and saw a familiar face. It was Rosa, Fiola's younger sister. He tried to smile but nothing happened, same thing with her. He hated people who did this. Taking life for no reason, and people like Raven and Drake who enjoyed it. It made him sick. He let go of Fiona and started to follow the last of the troops. Fiona, Karl, and Thomas also came with him. Moonbay, Irvin, and the stranger stayed behind.
Nobody was smiling in that city, except one. The only man who could come up with a smile after something like this happened. Drake stood there behind the crowd. Watching people cry over their fallen leader. Drake was loving every moment of this. He saw his targets walk off after the dead bodies. His plan was working, he knew it would. He had to keep moving though, around his neck where the two Amulets he had. He knew who had the third one, and he would get it today. He smiled, and then walked down the alley that was right behind him.
Raven stood there, watching Drake move back into the alley. He didn't want to work with Drake, and after what he did he wanted to make sure he was dead. For the first time though, Raven felt remorse for what he did. He was wishing he never killed Rudolph. Drake had played him, he knew that man was good at it. When Drake was gone he looked over at Van, he would have to work with him if they wanted to beat Drake. That thought made Raven fill with rage but Drake was his main enemy now. Van would have to wait. "Come Shadow." Raven walked back off the roof, his Organoid following the command of his master. Raven and Van working together, something he never thought would cross his mind.
Van, Fiona, Thomas, and Karl all stood there in the Royal Tomb. It was where all the leaders of the Empire would end up some day. Van stood there over Rudolph, looking at his lifeless body. It was a sight that scared him. He remembered that little boy the day he met him. Van smiled for the first time in days. He also remembered the last time he saw him, it was when Van was being honored as a hero. He pulled out the medal Rudolph gave him and put it around his neck and smiled. "Now I owe you everything." He still couldn't believe this happened, but he felt better about it. Drake and Raven would regret this.
Drake stood there smiling at the guards in front of the tomb.
"Listen buddy, your not allowed in there, got it." The guard said, "Now turn around before I shoot you."
Drake lifted both of his massive hands and threw them around both guard's necks. He began to squeeze the life out of each of them. "What's the matter, cant shoot any more." He laughed as they slowly died. He began to drag their bodies down in the tomb with him.
Van and his friends turned around to leave, but what they saw at the entrance was the biggest man they had ever seen, and in his huge hands where the lifeless bodies of the guard at the entrance. Van already knew who it was. "So you finally had the guts to show your self."
Drake smiled, throwing the bodies to the side. "A few more people for you to cry about hope you don't mind."
"Who is this guy?" Thomas asked, looking a little worried.
"Drake." Fiona said, shocking everybody except Drake himself.
"That's the creep who shot me." Thomas charged him but the man moved out of the way easily, and then threw a punch, sending Thomas flying a few feet back and holding his jaw.
"Usually I kill my targets, guess I'll have to finish off the job."
Van and Karl both charged the man, but it was useless. He threw them around like they were dolls. He was to big and to strong for them.
He went over for Thomas, griping his neck and chocking the life out of him like he did the guards. Van picked up a handgun from one of the guards and aimed it at Drake.
"Let him go." Van ordered. Aiming for Drakes head.
He began to laugh. "You think that scares me kid."
Van fired, but Drake was too quick. He ducked and charged Van, tackling him back against the wall, breaking him shoulder in two.
Drake heard the pop and threw him on the ground, watching Van scream in pain. Karl and Thomas tried to take the monster down, but they did nothing. Drake picked up the handgun Van had and aimed it at Thomas, he smiled. The next thing Drake knew he was on the ground, looking up he saw Raven and Shadow. He got up instantly, staring at Raven. "I let you live kid, should have taken the rare chance."
Raven smiled. "You played me like a fool, you don't do that with me. Kill him Shadow." Shadow went for Drakes face with his tail, but he caught it, and slammed the Organoid into the ground. "That was fun."
Raven drew a knife and tried to cut Drake with it, but he jumped back and caught Raven's arm. But before he could do anything he was on the ground holding the back of his head.
Fiona had hit him with a broken piece of concrete. She looked around and saw all of them in pain.
"You little bitch." Drake screamed, grabbing her hair and putting a knife to her throat, but he let her go. Drake walked out of the tomb, kicking Raven in the ribs on the way out. "Your lucky Fiona, I still do have a heart." He walked out. Dropping his knife on the ground.
"You alright kid?" The stranger asked. "Lived against Drake, that's a first." He looked at Fiona, trying to figure out he left her alone. Maybe he didn't want to kill the only other Zodian there was. He didn't know.
"I feel terrible." Van said. He looked up and saw Raven staring at him. "And what's with you, changing sides all of a sudden."
"He saved you and the brother's lives Van." Moonbay said, surprised she actually said that.
Raven walked out of the room, not knowing what to do.
"Why did he help me, he hates me." Van said, gasping in pain.
"Quit talking, it's going to make your shoulder worse kid. He helped you cause Drake played him like the biggest fool there is, and he wants to get him back for it." The man replied.
"Well forget it, I want him dead." Van said quickly.
"No can do." The man said thinking of something good to say. "We need all the help we can get, if we stop Drake then it will be worth it. If not then he's dead anyways, along with me, you, Fiona, Moonbay." Irvin cut him off.
"We get it ok, this guy's right Van, we need help. He nearly killed you guys with his bare hands, there's no way he's one of the regular people we go after." Irvin looked over at Raven standing outside the room. "Though we will have to watch him."
"Why didn't he kill us, he had the chance?" Van asked. Still trying to learn how Fiona knew who Drake was. Maybe she was remembering something.
"I dunno, he never leaves anybody living in a fight." The stranger looked over at Fiona, she was quit since what happened, he knew she was hiding something. "But as for Raven, I say we take him. He's good as you Van, and we need good pilots when fighting Drake. You should know that."
Van did know that, but didn't want to admit it. He hated Raven, and as soon as this was done he would personally kill him. "Ok, well work with him until we beat Drake, but then I want him dead."
As soon as he said that, Karl came in. "The Republic and Empire think this guy is extremely dangerous and have decided to work together and kill this guy before anything else happens. Tonight we have a briefing on what to do." He walked over to Van. "You still going to be able to fight."
"Have no choice, do I." He smiled.
"Ok, your in command of Guardian Force, get to the military base at 1600 hours." He saluted.
"Yes, sir." Van tried to salute but his shoulder hurt too much. He had a good feeling that this would work, but at the same time, he felt as if this was going to fail. He hoped it was the feeling that it would work.
Drake slammed his hand on the console of his Zoid. "Damn it, why did I let them live." He couldn't believe he showed mercy because of Fiona. He knew he should have killed her, but what little heart he had would let him. "Damn." His plan had failed for the first time, but it was a minor failure. He still had the two Amulets and the third would be his shortly, when the map was drawn he would then have the three Zoids. All life would be gone in 2 short years he guessed. He stopped when he saw several Zoids appear. They were bandits, what fools. "Ok buddy, power down your Zoid and we might let you live." Drake smiled, he would redeem himself here, he brought out the blades and started to charge the Zoids, they had no chance.
They all sat there at the table, the entire Guardian Force and a few elite members of the Republic and the Empire. They were there to try and stop a monster. Raven and the stranger were also there, but they stayed in the back.
"Ok ladies and gentlemen, we have a very big crisis on are hands. A skilled and deadly madman has been out killing people including Price Rudolph and his parents. Based on the little info we have, we know he pilots a Blade Liger. Are best bet is to simply outnumber him and bring him down. Any questions." The general told them their main orders and objectives.
"Fools." Raven said.
The man looked at him. "That they are, damn politics, one reason Drake does what he does." He hated these kind of things, so did Raven, but they stayed and watched.
The general looked at them but said nothing. He brought up a map for everybody to see. "From what we know, he should be in this area. If the Command Wolfs and Commander Flyheight go in for close range combat and Major Schubaltz uses his Iron Kong and Cannon Tortoises at long range, we should have him brought down in a few minutes."
The man laughed. "You have got to be kidding me, your entire army combined couldn't beat Drake, and he is the best there is. You peo…" The general cut him off.
"I don't know who you are and I don't care, but when you're in here you don't speak until I say you can speak, go it."
"Send your army in, watch it die, I don't care. I warned you." He stepped back and out of the room, Raven followed him.
Drakes Blade Liger landed as he cut up the last Command Wolf. He didn't even have to work to win. He took his sword and got out of his Blade Liger. Looking around for any Bandits that lived, he found a few, and then he cut off there heads. "Let that be a lesson, only make a threat when you can back it up." He walked back to his Zoid and put his sword down. He started his Zoid and headed back to the ruins, one more night and he would have the map. He imagned what he would do when he had the first Zoid, and he loved it.
"You don't like these people do you?" Van asked the man.
"Nope, there idiots, watch how fast they die. Where's the other two, ummm, Moonbay and Irvin." He asked, hoping he got there name's right.
"They went out to get some food." Van looked over at Fiona, she hadn't said a word since they met Drake. He walked over to her. "Are you alright Fiona?" He asked.
She didn't answer or budge. She was deep in her thought, rembering Drake and his cold heart.
"Fiona, you ok?" Van asked again.
She looked at him. "No." Is all she said.
Van walked back to his chair, not questioning anything Fiona said. "What about the Blade Liger, should we go see if it finished evolving." He asked, trying to bring something up.
"Get some rest, you havn't had any sleep for a few days now." The man said. "Well go tommrow, before your troops get a death wish."
They sat there quietly for a few seconds when a man walked in. "Who are you, the man asked."
"Sorry he said, my name is Dr. Wagner. I'm a historian for the Republic." The man said, looking a little scared.
"So why are you here?" Van asked.
"Well, I found something out about the man your after." He said, seeming proud of himself.
They all jumped up and got around him, looking at the book he had.
"This text is in the old Zodian lauange, but what it says is this. We have hid the Zoids, but they killed my race to near death. The last chance we have is to take are children and put them in a long sleep, hoping they will revive them someday."
They looked at him. The stranger spoke first. "The Ruins of the Sleeping Children, I know about that, so what's the big deal."
"Well." The man said. "Let me finish, here. The monster named Drake will have to go with the children, he is evil but he can help. We tried to brainwash him but he was to strong. We put him in Suspended Animation anyways, because that would also help remove his memory, he would have to be the leader without bringing his cruelness with him. Are race must live on, we can not die because of the three Black Zoids." The man cleared his throat. "This was a diary of a man from about 3,000 years ago. I don't know anything about Black Zoids but this Drake might be the same guy."
"It is, he had gotten out of his chamber early, so Drakes 3,000 years old." He already knew what this man said because he had read the same book before.
"Well, I hoped this helped, if anything else comes up I'll tell you." The man walked out quickly, wanting to leave that room.
Fiona was looking out the window, watching the sunset and the moon's rise. She had seen the Black Zoids, but had forgotten about them until the stranger showed up, and showed her the amulet. She didn't want to see this happen again, but she had no control. Drake would have his way in the end, she knew it. She began to cry, Drake was her brother, and she wished he had never come back. He was a monster and cared about nobody, except her. She didn't want to tell Van, she didn't want to tell anybody. She never lied to Van but she had no choice now. If Drake found the Zoids, he would kill everyone on Zi. He was supposed to help them restore the Zodians, but instead he killed them. She was young when it happened but she remembered it clearly now. She didn't want anybody to feel it, her mother and father died because of those three Zoids. She sat in the bed next to Van, and fell asleep.
Fiona had a nightmare that night. She saw a wall of flames all around her, and a huge man with a sword, it was her father, next to Fiona was her mother and newborn sister. On the other side of the fire though, she saw something evil. Two red eyes, stared at her, never moving, just staring. Then she saw her father fall to the ground, blood coming out of his back, Fiona tried to run out to him but her mother wouldn't let her. She heard another loud noise and saw her mother fall back to the sandy ground, along with her baby sister, both had blood pouring out of them. Fiona cried as she watched those evil eyes take shape. It was a Zoid, the Zoid that brought death to life. There stood the massive and powerful Tiger, Fiona sat there waiting for her turn to die, but the Tiger just turned around and walked off.
Fiona woke up, breathing hard and sweating. She knew it wasn't just a nightmare, it was what truly happened. She looked at Van, sleeping there with no worries, in the chair across the room sat the stranger who saved Van. She got out of bed and looked at the moons. To everyone but her, they were beautiful. She knew what they went. She looked at Van, she had caused him more trouble and would eventually be the end of him. She walked to the side of him, gently touched his cheek with the back of her and, and walked out the door. She wasn't coming back.