Drake stared there, watching Jason as he sat there with his eyes closed, teasing and tormenting the people who stood in the way of his dark dream. Finally, the demon opened his eyes and looked over at Drake. "So what exactly did you accomplish?"
Jason stood up, tilting his head up towards the ceiling. "Things only I can understand."
Drake shook his head. "Mind telling me so I can actually understand any of this?"
Jason didn't say anything, he just looked at Drake.
"Wake up Jason, what the Hell are yo…." Drake felt a sharp pain cross his heart.
"I'm tired of you Drake, I have no more use for you or your pathetic soul." Jason walked over to him and grabbed the man twice his size by the throat, slowly choking the breath out of him. "No one challenges me, Drake." Jason smiled. "No one."
Drake looked at him, his hands grasped tightly on Jason's wrists trying to pry free. "Wh..y.y do.n't you..te.ll..l t.h..ee tr.u.th." He felt Jason let go.
"You want to know the truth, Drake. Is that all?"
Drake put his hands softly on his neck, trying to catch his breath, but he just nodded.
Jason smiled again. "And what do you want to know?"
Drake stood up. "Tell me what you have against those people, and why you want to kill every creature in this universe." Drake's voice was low and raspy. "Then Ill die."
Jason gave a small chuckle, staring over at Phantom. "Alright, the truth about myself." Jason sat down on a rock, still smiling. "I have nothing against Van and the rest of them."
"Then why are you ruining their lives?" Drake's voice was now back to normal.
"This is a game Drake, all of this is nothing more then a simple game. It has been for 13 years. Why did I choose Van, Raven, Zack, and the rest of them." Jason shrugged his shoulder. "No reason, they just seemed like happy people. So I started killing off the people they loved. Ryss, Hilz, and Prozen. Well there a completely different case, they swore allegiance to me and in return I gave them a gift. Prozen got power, Hilz got knowledge, Ryss got the ability to bend minds. But as time went on, Ryss decided to change sides." Jason looked down.
"That's why you had Raven kill her?" Drake looked over at Phantom, the gray Organoid circling around him.
Jason nodded. "Yes, exactly why. The pawns I molded to my own desire, giving Van and Raven skills no mortal could obtain in a single lifetime, giving Van Zeke and Fiona, giving Raven Shadow. Worked out the exact way I planned to, Raven and Van teaming up against that bastard Prozen." Jason looked over at the pit.
"So you gave Prozen that power?"
Again Jason nodded. "He didn't know I am Zoids Eve though, he thought she remained in that prison."
"So everything that has happened to them all, its because of you."
"Everything, from there fights to there friends."
"And they would not normally be that skilled?"
Jason laughed. "How can a kid obtain so much skill naturally, even with an Organoid a Zoid and its pilot could not defeat the Death Sauer. I gave them every ounce of skill flowing with there blood."
"Can you take it away if you wanted?"
Jason smiled. "No, it stays with them forever."
Drake gave a slight sigh of relief. "Regretting it now."
"Not one bit Drake, the power of the Tiger is unmatched. From its weapons and raw power to its burning soul, no Zoid compares to it."
"Why did you get Fiona involved in this?"
"Because she was the only one who could keep Van intact, keep him from making stupid mistakes and me bringing him back to life every day. But I suppose the main reason is simply because she knows the knowledge of me and my Zoid, shame her memory is still blank, though she believes its not. I am giving the universe one chance to prove its worth to survive, and it will rest on the shoulders of my five pawns, the same beings who I have molded and created to what they are today."
"So basically you are showing signs of heart, giving life one last chance."
Jason smiled. "Now that you tell me I suppose there is a reason I choose those five."
"Ryss and Zack, how are they involved?"
"Zack isn't from Zi, so I decided to throw him in this mix. I killed his parents and brother. Ryss, well she was the friend of Zack's brother."
"Who was that?"
Jason smiled. "My little ghost child Drake, Nikolai. Killed by my sleepers."
Drake folded his hands. "So why do you want to kill off life?"
"What has life done to deserve to exist Drake. Families torn by useless wars, parents watching there children murdered in there sleep. Sick men who don't give a damn about anyone. Why do you think Zoids Eve created the Death Sauer Drake, why do you think she chose me as her host. She as well as myself are tired of the lives covering this universe."
"Ever compare what you have done to what you just said."
Jason smiled. "Many of time Drake, and now I am a monster. But when the last breath is drawn from the final soul walking in this Valley of Sorrow, I will become a hero. Bringing the ultimate race to life and exterminating those who enjoy to kill and create suffering. And if you are referring to what I have done to Raven and the rest, well that is the sacrifice they have to endure when they attempt to kill me and my Tiger."
"Why the Hell are you forcing this on them, ever stop and think that maybe they didn't want this life."
"Do you think this is the life I wanted, growing up watching men turn the creations of Zoids Eve into monsters of war, watching the Tiger kill my father who didn't give a damn about my existence, or my mother who couldn't handle are family and decided to kill herself after I was born. What about all of the wars I have seen. The green grass filled with peace and silence slowly flooding with the sounds of pain and screams, the same blood that we all share slowly begin to cover the ideals of peace, armies killing each other for land and money. I have not once had anyone come up to me feeling sorry for me or wishing this never happened to me. Tell me then, why should anyone feel sorry for Van and Fiona and everyone else, because they saved the planet and stopped a madman." Jason smiled. "If they want to fight a true madman, if they want to survive and keep the race they care for so much live on, then they will have to fight me and continue fighting me until my soul has been burnt by the hand of the Devil!" Jason started choking Drake once again. "You want to see power and rage, let me show you Drake. I promise it won't be long until the rest of the lives on this worthless planet join you in Hell." Jason started squeezing harder on his neck, listening to the cracking sounds coming from it. Finally, Jason watched as Drake's eyes rolled back. He took the body and threw it in the pit holding his Zoid. "Remember the taste of the enemies hot blood Tiger. Soon you will be called on to do what you do best."
Three days had gone by, Fiona was now piloting the damaged Sabertiger, Zack in the back holding his swollen wrist tightly. Raven followed beside them, and that made Fiona nervous. The land that had been snow and mountains were now grass plains and flatlands. They had finally warned the Empire and Republic about Hilz, but so far he hasn't made any kind of attack. Fiona looked back Zack again, his right wrist was now red and deformed. "You should have stayed with the doctor from the village we stopped at."
Zack pulled off a slight smile, though it was mixed with signs of extreme pain. "Don't trust you with my Zoid, and I don't trust you alone with Raven either." He squeezed his wrist tighter, getting a bag of ice and putting it on, trying to numb the pain once again. "Besides, as long as we don't get into any combat then well be ok."
Fiona turned her head, looking back out at the small road. Hermann had told her to get to the Jade River Base which was now only a few hours away. He said Moonbay and Irvine were there, and she knew it would be nice to see her friends again. Though that image from a few days ago still haunted her.
"Are you sure they wont kill me once we get there?" Raven asked, looking out at the start of the Jade River.
"Colonel Hermann said that this was important, but they will keep an eye on you Raven." Fiona said over the comm.
Raven smiled. "Fine, as long as they don't try anything funny."
Fiona had cleared it up with Hermann, though it wasn't easy and it resulted in her getting yelled at an awful lot.
"How much longer do we have?" Zack asked, leaning forward trying to read the navigation info.
"Less then a hour." Fiona said.
"Not bad timing considering this Zoid was ready for the scrap yard." Zack sat back in his chair and closed his eyes, waiting to finally get out of this cockpit.
About 40 minutes later, the GenoBreaker and beat up Sabertiger arrived at the Jade River base, Irvine, Thomas, Karl, and Moonbay along with a few soldiers came out to greet them, though ignoring Raven.
"Hey Fiona." Moonbay said cheerfully. She watched as a man with a huge wrist walked out behind her.
"Who's this?" Thomas asked, looking at the fairly large man.
"This is Zack, he was one of the people who went with me and Dr. D to that ancient city." Fiona replied walking over to Moonbay and Irvine.
"All of them are dead you say?" Karl asked, looking at the Sabertiger. "Looks like you ran into a few problems."
"Sleeper Command Wolves, bout 20 of um." Zack said.
Karl looked at Zack's wrist. "Should get to a doctor quick, that looks bad."
Zack smiled. "Yea, probably should." He started walking to a bunker Karl had pointed to.
Irvine watched as Raven and his two Organoids walked by. Quickly, he made a fist and punched Raven's jaw knocking him to the ground. "That's one thing you deserve for killing Van." Irvine looked down at him and walked off following Fiona, Moonbay, and Thomas.
Raven looked at him but decided not to start anything up, at least not yet anyways.
A few hours went by, Fiona got cleaned up and took a quick nap. Zack now had a cast and sling over his arm and Raven sat, waiting for his chance to get revenge.
Kruger had come in to the Jade River base, he would take command of the operation until they could find a way to stop Hilz and the revived Death Stinger. He had called most of the officers to a briefing, Karl, Thomas, Irvine, and Fiona all joined.
"Are you positive the Death Stinger is revived?" Kruger asked, looking over at Fiona.
Fiona just nodded.
Kruger took a deep breath and looked up at a massive screen. "Alright, this is what we will have to do. We know we cant over power it and it will take days to get the gravity cannon ready for use against it. Raven will have to be are main force, the GenoBreaker should be enough to take it out as long as it isn't prepared to defend its self. Irvine, Thomas, Karl. Your job will to buy time for Raven to use the charged particle cannon on the Death Stinger."
Irvine interrupted. "Um sir, I no longer have a Zoid."
Kruger looked at him. "We'll get you one, don't worry." He looked at the rest of them. "We aren't sure where it's at, but be ready to leave as soon as we do find it."
They all stood up and saluted and slowly walked out of the room.
Zack sat there by the damaged Sabertiger, Raven only a few feet from him. "So this Jason guy really exists."
Raven looked at him. "Shame isn't it."
Zack shrugged his shoulders. "I guess, so exactly how did he use you."
Raven smiled. "Made a promise he wasn't going to keep."
"Which was?"
"He said he was going to bring my parents back."
"So get them back yourself. You seem like you can handle yourself pretty good."
Raven looked down at the floor. "They have been dead for 9 years."
Zack looked over at him. "And Jason was going to bring them back."
"He's not normal, he brought Moonbay back to life, I saw him do it."
"How the Hell can you bring someone back from the dead."
Raven shrugged. "I don't know, if I did I wouldn't be here."
Zack got up and walked off after they had both been silent for a few moments. He walked around, going in no general area. The cast he had on itched and the sling bothered him, but for the most part the pain was finally subsiding.
Raven looked around as a few troops began to walk in the hanger.
"Are you ok?" Fiona asked him, she had walked besides him.
"Why?" Raven stared up at her.
"You look like you were crying."
"So what if I was."
"I don't know, I just wanted to make sure you were ok." Fiona sat down next to him. "I still don't understand why you killed Van. You said someone forced you to but then how come you're helping us now."
"Because I learned he was just using me, so now Ill simply pay him back."
"But your expecting us to forgive you completely for killing Van. I don't know how we can believe you."
Raven looked at her. "I don't care if you forgive me or not, all I am asking is that you help me kill Hilz and Jason. If you don't want to forgive me, then don't." Raven stood up and watched as Fiona did the same.
"You could at least say you're sorry."
Raven heard the sweet, soft voice say a sentence he didn't want to hear. "Why because Van was stupid enough to fight me alone when he had no idea the power the Fury had."
"He fought you because you had his sister, he wanted to save her not fight you."
"It doesn't matter to me, I don't have to apologize for any of Van's mistakes." Raven walked away but felt Fiona put her hand on his shoulder.
"Please, it will make me feel better about you."
Raven clenched his hand tightly, and quickly he turned around and smacked her with the back of his hand.
Fiona fell to the ground, rubbing the now sore spot on her jaw. "Maybe you'll change someday, I can only hope you do." She got up and quickly walked off.
Raven watched her run off, ignoring the sounds coming around him until he heard the words we found Hilz.
Hilz stared at the now burning village, the people who survived scrambling about. "I think well wait right here and wait for Raven to come." Hilz smiled. "Shame we have to lose to him though, would be a interesting fight." Hilz sat there and folded his arms, waiting for his targets to come onto the radar, then he would strike all except Raven, though he would kill Raven soon enough.
"Hilz just destroyed a colony about a hour away from here." Kruger said, looking at the aerial photos of the burning village. He looked over and saw his task force standing there. "Remember, you three need to distract that Death Stinger. Raven will take that thing out with the GenoBreaker."
Raven didn't say or do anything, he just walked out, ignoring Fiona who was standing at the door.
"I don't trust Raven one bit." Thomas said walking up to Fiona.
"Neither do I, not sure what's worse working with Raven or watching Hilz take over the planet." Irvine walked up beside Fiona.
"Don't have much of a choice." Karl said to both of them. "I don't want to work with him anymore then you two but for now I will, Kruger is right. Without Raven he would destroy half the planet until the gravity cannon was ready again."
Thomas nodded. "I know that, but I think it would work out better if we keep an eye out for him though. He might try something out there."
"I doubt it." Fiona said, taking a seat at a table, slowly drinking the coffee Moonbay had made her. "I just have a feeling he might finally be starting to change."
"You're joking." Irvine said. "You should be more upset at him then all three of us combined."
Fiona smiled. "I am upset at him. But I know this it what Van would want, so I'm ready to forgive him."
Irvine shook his head and walked out. Thomas following him a few moments later.
"Didn't think you would ever forgive him." Karl said, not staying around long enough to hear Fiona reply.
Fiona looked down in her cup, staring at the slight reflection she could see in it. Trying to understand exactly why she did want to forgive Raven.
A few hours went by before they finally left to engage the Death Stinger, and to there surprise it had not moved an inch since they had first seen it.
"There it is." Irvine said over the comm. His new Lighting Saiex was ready to fight.
"Alright." Karl said, his Iron Kong stood in front of the two Zoids. "Irvine you get in close since you have the fastest of the Zoids. Thomas, help me do some medium range support fire. Raven." He paused for a moment. "Stay here and wait for a perfect shot at the Death Stinger. If any of us end up in the way, fire it anyways."
Raven smiled. "That wont be a problem."
"Get a hold of yourself for once Raven and work with us." Thomas shouted.
"Do your jobs and Ill do mine." Raven shouted back.
"Move!" Irvine yelled, watching the Death Stinger bring up its charged particle cannon.
The four Zoids scattered, dodging the beam from the powerful Zoid.
"Alright Irvine, get close but stay away from its pinchers, Thomas start firing." Karl shouted and began to fire at the Stinger.
"Shame we have to lose Ambient, it would have felt good to kill a few of them off." Hilz watched as the Lighting Saiex began to fire at him at close. Hilz fired a few shots, but intentionally missed. He also let the shots from the Dibision and Iron Kong to rain on his Zoid.
"Something isn't right, why isn't he even moving." Karl said, still firing at the Zoid.
Fiona watched the battle, the entire base was doing the same. "Why isn't Hilz moving or at least drawing up his shield."
Kruger clenched his hand tightly, trying to understand what was happening. "Raven, fire your charge particle cannon at it."
Karl heard the order and smiled. "Alright, lets back off. Raven finish this guy off he isn't moving anywhere." The Iron Kong quickly darted off to the side, the Dibision taking the opposite way.
Raven looked down, trying to figure out what Hilz was up to.
"Come on Raven, don't you have the guts to finish this off." Hilz smiled looking at the GenoBreaker.
"Alright Shadow, Loki. Lets make sure he doesn't come back again." Raven set the clamps down into the grassy land and straightened the back of the GenoBreaker. He watched the glowing ball quickly form outside of the mouth, and fire.
Hilz widened his eyes as the beam came towards the Death Stinger. "Now Ambient!" The red Organoid quickly took its master out of harms way.
Fiona heard the cheers and celebrations happening around her, but she knew this was wrong. That something was very wrong. She looked over, Zack doing the same as her. Staring at the screen at the now destroyed Death Stinger.
"That didn't take long." He said, turning around and walking out of the room.
Hilz walked into the old catacombs of the city he had been in only once in his life. It had been half a day now since he had lost to Raven, even though it was intentional. He founds Jason, sitting down on a rock near a massive pit.
"You didn't make that to convincing." Jason said, watching Hilz and Ambient slowly walk in.
"If I tried to make it convincing I would have killed them all."
"Maybe, maybe not. I just hope everything still works out exactly as I hoped it would. If not then we may have to bring the Tiger back quicker then I wanted to." Jason put his hands in the water, it felt icy cold and quickly numbed his hand. Jason looked over at Phantom, the Organoid resting on the ground.
"Why does it matter if it didn't seem right, the thing is gone isn't it?" Moonbay said talking with Irvine, they were alone eating dinner in the empty cafeteria of the base.
"Remember we thought that already. Besides don't you remember how hard that thing was to kill the first time, now you're telling me all we had to do was fire at it a few times." Irvine didn't eat any of the food, he wasn't hungry.
"Well at least that thing is gone for now. What about Hilz?"
"He got away, his Organoid got him out of there. Makes you wonder is this is all planned."
"Why would they plan on letting the deadliest Zoid get destroyed within a few minutes."
"Who knows?" Irvine stood up and stretched. "I'm tired of all of this army business, what do you say me and you get out of here."
Moonbay smiled. "Sounds good to me."
"Alright lets go now before I start changing my mind."
Moonbay smiled again and walked out of the room with him.
"So you're leaving?" Fiona asked, watching Irvine put the new Lighting Saiex on the trailer.
"Yea, this army stuff isn't for me and I guess it's the same for Irvine." Moonbay walked over to Fiona.
"Are you going to come back?"
"Sure, you know you can't keep me away to long." Moonbay wrapped her arms around Fiona, Fiona doing the same. "Take care of yourself."
Fiona smiled. "I will."
Moonbay and Irvine jumped in the Gustav and went off as soon as the hanger door opened.
Fiona smiled and turned around, finding Raven a few feet from her.
"Where are they going?" Raven asked, keeping his eyes on Fiona.
"I don't know, they just travel around together." Fiona tried to walk past him, but he put an arm out to block her.
"What makes you so sure Iv changed?" He asked, slowly pushing Fiona back in front of him.
"I don't know, I guess because you helped us against Hilz."
"I told you why I did that."
"That's what you say, but I don't think that's what you mean."
"What do you think I mean?"
Fiona shrugged. "I guess that your tired of killing people and are ready to start helping."
Raven did say anything back he just stared down at the ground.
"You know you're a lot like Van, even though I'm the only person who thinks that. Both of you love to fight even though you know it might get you killed, both of you don't care what you have to do to get what you want. But deep down inside, both of you are really nice and caring, I found it in Van's kindness faster because I spent my life with him."
Raven looked at her, trying to figure out if what she was saying was actually true.
Fiona looked at his eyes and smiled and gave a small laugh at him. "You're crying again."
Raven felt Fiona give him a friendly kiss on his lips, surprising him more then anyone else who saw. He didn't say anything back to her, he just watch as she walked away.
Jason smiled as he looked down into the pit, holding the Zoid he was getting tempted to bring to life once again, the glowing red eyes of the Tiger filled his soul with feeling of rage and fear. "Hilz." He said looking at the man with blood red hair. "Its time we brought Van back." Jason jumped off the rock he was sitting on and looked at his Organoid. "Come Phantom, a beautiful moment is about to turn into a nightmare for are new lovers."
Authors Notes: Damn that was pretty good, wrote it as I went along and came out a lot better then I hoped. R/R like always, and I get a feeling the flames will be starting up soon.