The Puzzle

   Zack kicked over a few small rocks, searching the exact area he was supposed to. There was nothing there and he had scanned the area four times now. He was tired, hungry, and sick. For three days straight, he had traveled to this area. Not sleeping, barley eating and stopping. All of that for nothing. He walked over to the edge of a cliff, looking out at the calm sea. The gentle ocean breeze felt good, cooling his body from the hot air. The sandy beach below him, a family enjoying the sunset over the blue sea. Zack shook his head, bringing his thoughts back to the task at hand. He walked back to his Sabertiger, taking a transmitter from a steel case in the back of his Zoid. He set it on a rock, searching for the frequency John's transmitter used. Finally he found it and watched as John came up on the small box screen.

   "Nothing John, searched it perfectly and found nothing." Zack said frustrated.

   "What did you expect, I told you it was destroyed." John said, trying to hold a laugh back.

   "Yea well, did you find anything else?"

   John shook his head. "No, and the rest is stuff I have seen already. Nothing special."

   Zack slammed a fist into the rock, tired of everything he found leading to dead ends. "Alright, so what's next?" He watched as a small blue light began to flash on the transmitter. "Hang on John, some one else is sending me a transmission." Zack pushed a few buttons, Van now entering the screen. "How the Hell did you get this frequency?"

   Van smiled. "You told me remember."

   Zack scratched his head. "Yea, sorry just tired. So what's up, why you calling me."

   "We found something at the Rusiano ruins."

   Zack cut him off. "Those weren't ruins, it was a base Hilz used to hide the Stinger and build up its power core."

   "Captain Roberts found ruins, it was sealed by rock and steel."

   Zack looked at him interested.

   "We found a ton of old tablets, writings, and pictures. Plus there's a passage, but we didn't go down it."

   "Why?"

   Van looked at him, wiping the smile he had off of his face. "What does a picture of the Devil and a tiger mean to you."

   "Devil is the lord of death, the tiger is a symbol of power and death. Why?"

   "We found a wall full of pictures drawn in dried blood. All of them the exact same, the devil and a tiger."

   "Did Fiona go with you?"

   Van nodded. "Uh huh, but when she saw those." He paused trying to find the right words to say. "I had never in my life seen her get that scared. Usually she's pretty brave, but she just broke down crying when she saw those. Plus." Van stopped talking.

   "Plus what?" Zack was becoming more interested as Van went on.

   "We saw something down the passage. It didn't answer when I called it and it just vanished when Captain Roberts shot at it."

   "You seem ok, what about Fiona and Roberts?"

   "Roberts is fine, little shaken like me." He looked down at the floor. "Fiona's is a sleeping though, still a little shocked."

   Zack bit his lip. "Alright, Ill get over there and check it out. You feeling good enough to go back."

   Van nodded. "Yea sure, Ill get Irvine to come with us."

   "Ok, Ill be there in a day or so."

   "Why don't you just come to the base and meet us here?" Van asked.

   "Because I'm at the northern end of the Cassin Sea, I can get to Rusiano sooner then I could get back to Jade River."

   "Alright, we'll be there in 24 hours."

   "Done." Zack said, turning his transmission back to John.

   "Who was it?" John asked.

   "Van." Zack paused, trying to think about what Van had said. "What does the devil and a tiger have in common?"

   "From a standard point or a religious point?"

   "I don't know, give me both."

   "Standard would be the fact that both enjoy death. From a religious point, the tiger is one of the devil's creations."

   "Van said they found some ruins in Rusiano, said they saw a bunch of pictures of a devil and tiger painted with blood." Zack bit his lip. "Mean anything to you?"

   John shrugged. "Could be related to the Tiger. Showing that the devil is controlling it." John's tone changed. "Out of blood though?"

   "Yea. Why is everything coming up now though, we had nothing a month ago now we seem to be finding this piece by piece." Zack was worried about that idea.

   John looked over at the book and took it out, flipping the pages. "I wonder if this is what they were talking about." John showed Zack a picture that had the devil resting its clawed hand on a tiger's head.

   "What the Hell is that?"

   "Message of death. The tiger brings a mans soul back to the devil to torment for eternity."

   "Damn" Zack said. "So all of that was a message?"

   "If that's what the paintings looked like." John closed the book and set it down.

   "Ill tell you in a few days." Zack nodded and closed off the transmitter. He set it back in the steel box and put it in the back of his Sabertiger. Some of this was now making sense, though the rest was a mystery.

   Raven smiled as the screams of pain echoed throughout the halls on the outside of his cell. "Its about time." A few minutes later, he watched as Shadow burst through the steel door. Raven stood up and rubbed his hand over Shadow's head. "Lets go." He walked out and picked up a rifle dropped by one of the now dead guards. Raven and Shadow took off running, killing any guard that tried to stop them. After ten minutes, they found themselves in hanger full of Zoids. Raven walked across the catwalk, staring down at the Zoids, searching for one to his choosing. But all the others seemed inferior compared to the one he had piloted before, and there he found himself staring at it. Raven looked at it, his face marked with surprise but it quickly turned into his usual smirk. "The Fury." He said, staring down at the powerful Berserk Fury, which just stood there, waiting to be taken. "Come Shadow, I think we found are Zoid." Raven jumped off the catwalk and rushed into the cockpit of the Fury. Shadow merging with the Zoid, bringing its red eyes to life. Raven laughed as he took aim at the main gate to the hanger, brining down the clamps on the back of the Zoids feet, taking opening its mouth and straitening its back. The glowing ball slowly forming in front of its mouth, releasing the tremendous energy it contained, ripping the gate in half and shaking the hanger forcing it to slowly collapse. Raven burst out of the hanger, the swampy land all around him was terrible terrain to fight on so he decided to wait until he got to the desert or forest.

   Prozen looked out the window, staring at the Fury as it took off into the morning sun. "I see Raven escaped unharmed."

   Hilz smiled. "Just as you wished."

   Prozen turned around and smiled back. He turned his head looking at the man standing behind Hilz. "Tom, are we ready to take the Imperial Palace?"

   Tom nodded. "As long as Raven does what you think he will, then we will have it."

   Prozen turned back around, looking out the window. "Hilz, take care of Van with the GenoSauer."

   Hilz gave a slight bow and walked out past Tom.

   "Sir, if you don't mind my asking. Why did you let Raven go?" Tom asked, taking a small step forward, his hands resting behind his back.

   "Because, he understands what he needs to do. And I know he will do it." Prozen smiled. "Raven is on are side, even though I know it is hard to believe."

   Tom didn't even ask why Prozen had said that. He just nodded and walked out, meeting with one of his friends. Prepare the Rev Raptors and Dark Horns, we attack tonight."

   "Yes sir." The man saluted and walked off.

    Tom walked into the other hanger and looked down at the Zoids resting, waiting to be used in war. Ready to kill whatever its pilot commanded it to.

   Rudolph, Homaleff, and Marianne looked down at the reconnaissance photos, revealing a massive complex hidden deep in a swamp. "When were these taken?" Rudolph asked, looking up at Karl Schubaltz, the same man who had brought them the photos.

   "About 8 hours ago your highness." Karl said.

   "Is it from the Republic?" Rudolph was praying the answer was no.

   "No, its some other group with a massive force. We counted a minimum of 200 Zoids."

   "Class?" Homaleff asked.

   "Mixture. Dark Horns, Hellcats, and Rev Raptors mainly." Karl replied.

   "Do they pose a threat?" Rudolph picked up another picture.

   "Besides the Zoids they have, we don't know anything else about them."

   Rudolph looked at a man in the photo, easily identifying him. "Prozen." He pointed to a figure in a window, the body badly deformed.

   Karl walked behind him and nodded. "That's Prozen alright." He thought a moment. "I thought he was dead."

   Rudolph threw the photo on the table. "Get are forces ready to defend." He ordered. "Have General Kruger and Colonel Hermann come and talk with me."

   "Yes your highness." Karl nodded and walked out.

   Fiona looked at Van's eyes, he wanted to go back to those ruins and why she wasn't sure. "Van you don't need to go, I don't think it was anything important."

   Van smiled. "When you faint, and I see pictures painted out of blood, it makes me think it has some importance."

   Fiona was tired of fighting him. "Ok, are you sure you don't want me to go with you."

   "You said Zack knows a lot about the Zodians, besides I don't want you getting hurt."

   Van and Fiona watched as Kruger slowly walked in.

   Van saluted. "Something wrong sir?"

   "Prozen is alive." Kruger said softly.

   "What!" Fiona screamed.

   "I thought we killed him." Van added.

   Kruger shook his head. "He's preparing for an assault. When and where we aren't sure yet."

   Van sat down. "Damn." He said, looking over at Fiona, putting his arm around her shoulder.

   "When are you and Irvine leaving for those ruins again?" Kruger asked.

   "A little more then a hour. If you need me to stay I will."

   "No, no. Just get back quickly and be ready to answer us." Kruger saluted and walked out.

   "How is Prozen alive?" Van asked, wanting to keep it to himself, but it was blurted out.

   Fiona looked up at him. "Van something isn't right."

   "What do you mean?"

   "Everything is just wrong in the world, how can so many things happen in less then a month. Van, look at everything that has happened."

   "I know, everything just seems to be going upside down. But what can we do about it, its just life."

   Fiona nodded, agreeing with Van. "I want to go with you."

   Van smiled. "You sure."

   Fiona nodded and got up.

   "One question though?" Van said, raising a finger and pointing it at her. "You said something about that thing we saw in the passage. Then you pointed to the picture, what was that about?"

   Fiona shrugged. "I don't know."

   "Ok, well if you want to go we better get moving. Zack will be waiting alone if we don't."

   Fiona smiled and walked out.

   "There confidence is rising once again." Jason smiled. "All of them."

   "Leave them alone Jason, wait until you are ready to fight them with the Tiger." Ryss was sitting down, her back against the cold rocky wall, her wrists resting on her elbows.

   "No Ryss, I can not do that." Jason closed his eyes.

   Ryss smiled. "You are afraid of them Jason, I can see it in your mind."

   Jason cut her off. "And you still love Raven, even though he killed you once already." Jason smiled. "I can read minds as well Ryss, remember."

   Ryss didn't answer back.

   "Raven will never love you again Ryss, not after what I have done to him."

   "Your nothing but a monster Jason." Ryss shook her head. "No mercy, no remorse, no heart."

   "Really, do you think you were any different?" Jason asked, petting Phantom who had walked besides him.

   "No I wasn't, and for that I have to thank you. But I changed, knowing who I need to help and need to kill." Ryss smiled again. "You are one I need to kill."

   "Good luck trying Ryss."

   Ryss watched as Phantom slowly started circling her, keeping an eye on both her and Specula.

   "Ill make you a deal though. I will not do anything to Raven, Van, Fiona, or Ryss until Prozen is either defeated or victorious. In return, you will simply give me Specula."

   Ryss shook her head. "I wouldn't give you Specula even if you promised to stop this entire dream of yours."

   "Fine, but I will leave them alone until one of those two things happens anyways. Then maybe you will finally understand exactly what I can do."

   Ryss shook her head again. "I want to leave."

   "In time you will, when I see they need your help then I will let you go." Jason walked out of sight. "Come here Phantom"

   Ryss smiled, hoping this would give Van, Fiona, and Raven a short chance to go without Jason destroying what sanity they had left.