Van got out of the cockpit, his heavy jacket helping to keep the icy storm from piercing his skin. He looked back, Fiona wearing a jacket as well came out shortly after him. Sam and Irvine had already gotten to the entrance of the fortress. "You alright Fiona!" Van tried to scream over the howling winds.
"Yes!" Fiona tried to scream back, but the storm was too strong and loud for him to hear so she nodded.
Both of them got to the entrance quickly, catching up with Irvine and Sam.
"Is Zack here?" Van asked.
"Saw his Sabertiger, but not him. I'm sure he's around." Sam replied, pulling his handgun out and walking slowly ahead.
"So why am I here?" Irvine asked following the three of them.
"Cause there paying you more then I ever could wish for." Van said.
"That's right." Irvine smiled.
"Here we are." Van said, the room looking the same as it did before.
"Yea." Sam felt a nervous chill run down his body. "Bad feeling about this again."
"Those the paintings you were talking about?" Irvine said pointing to the small cavern.
"Yea, that's it." Van said, walking up towards it.
Fiona stood at the entrance to the room, but didn't want to walk in.
Van looked down the small cavern, seeing if what they had seen before was still there. It wasn't. "Well Irvine, want to take a look down there."
Irvine smiled. "Sure, why not."
Van took out a flashlight and shined it ahead. "Sam, watch Fiona until we get back."
"Yea sure." Sam replied, looking at a few tablets. "Anything here important?"
Fiona finally walked in and looked at a few of the tablets Sam was showing her. "I don't know. None of these make any sense." She closed her eyes. "I wish Dr. D was here."
Sam looked at her, and listened to some footsteps quickly coming towards them. "Get over to the side."
Fiona didn't hesitate, quickly as she was told she ran behind one of the rocks.
Sam watched as a man ran around the corner, quickly raising a shotgun. "Damnit Zack, what the Hell are you doing?"
Fiona jumped out when she heard the name. "Hi Zack." She said cheerfully.
"What took you so long?" Zack said, lowering his shotgun to his side.
"Weather was one reason." Sam smiled and put his gun down as well.
"Alright." He looked over at Fiona. "Where's Van?"
"They went down that passage." Sam pointed out, looking down at the rest of the tablets.
"Nothing down there. I already looked." Zack said catching his breath.
"You've been here already?" Sam asked.
"Yea, its absolutely nothing." Zack smiled.
"What about all the tablets and those paintings in there." Sam was furious with the idea that he had wasted time for nothing.
"First of all, those paintings aren't blood. They're from the juices of a crushed raspberry. And as for what they are, nothing more then a symbol of death." Zack walked to a wall. "And as for the room." He raised the butt of his shotgun and drove it to a wall, a few skeletons coming out. "Its an old crypt."
Fiona looked at him. There has to be something else here. I know there is."
"No, I looked through it all. All the writings are nothing but biblical phrases."
Fiona didn't believe him, but decided not to challenge his word.
"God damn." Sam said. "We wasted a whole bunch of time looking in a cemetery."
"Basically." Zack added. He heard Van and Irvine come back out of the cavern.
"It was nothing but a dead end." Van said, looking towards Zack. "Hey Zack, when did you get here."
"Few hours ago. Might as well leave, nothing is here."
Van looked at him stupefied. "What do you mean, what about."
Zack cut him off. "A crypt, tombstones, symbol of death, and crushed berries."
Van looked down. "Thought we had something."
"Welcome to archeology Van, you never find a thing you want." Zack smiled and walked out.
"Least we didn't have to stay long." Irvine said with a smile.
"Yea, lets get out of here." Van said after.
"Ill get a team to clear this stuff out later." Sam was the first to leave the room.
Fiona stayed behind, staring down at one of the bodies. She jumped a little as she felt Van put his hands on her shoulders.
"You ready?" Van asked, looking down at the same body.
"There's something more here Van."
"I don't know, there might be. Come on, lets get out of here. We still have Prozen to deal with." Van let her go, but saw she still wasn't following him. "Fiona, come on."
"You two coming or not!" Zack yelled from another room.
"Fiona." Van said, starting to get annoyed. But finally she turned and walked with him.
Raven looked around at the massive destruction he had just caused. "Pathetic." He said, the Fury starting to move once again. "For an elite squadron they didn't fight very good." Raven smiled. "Fools, don't know how to use a Zoid." He heard Shadow roar with agreement. "This time we'll make sure Van stays dead."
Jason smiled. "Well Ryss, the sleeping Raven has awakened. Now he's even deadlier then the first time he had the Fury." Jason started to laugh. "If it wasn't for the Tiger, I would want to Fury as my Zoid. The power it has, second only to the Tiger."
"You said you wouldn't torment Raven anymore!" Ryss shouted at him.
"And I wont, Ryss he's doing this on his own. And what a fight it will be. The improved Van Flyheight against the furious Raven. The Tiger would be proud of a fight like that, watching two men fight for their love." Jason looked at Phantom. "Perhaps to make it interesting, we will force Fiona to love the winner."
Ryss stood up. "Will you listen to yourself for one second. Your insane Jason, a madman with a black heart."
Phantom drove his tail quickly against Ryss's head, knocking her to the ground.
"No Ryss, I am a man with a goal. Raven will fight, Van will fight. They put their hearts first and forget about there minds. The Tiger is the enemy, yet Van and Raven will never be friends, Zack and you will always hate each other. Fiona is in so much inner chaos right now it makes the universe seem like heaven. Ryss, you five are the last chance this universe has." Jason smiled again. "And I have done a damn good job of making all of you mortal enemies." He looked down at the young and kicked her in the gut. "I am God, I am Satan, I am the Grim Reaper. I control all, I create all, I kill all. In time you will understand it this, until then though the curiosity will swell in your mind driving you insane. I decide who falls in love, I decide who lives and dies, who wins the fight. Ryss, you will never win even if you try a hundred times. Van and Raven will have to become like brothers. Ryss look at me." He grabbed chin and forced her to look into his cold eyes. "I have spent my life, molding them and tormenting them. I killed their families, I killed the ones they love. I turned them against each other and gave them the greatest skills within this universe. All because the Tiger wants a fight, a supreme hunt. It wants to stalk its prey in the dead of night, springing to get a taste of its enemy's warm blood." He smiled. "This is the greatest test God has ever given life, it is a test for the ultimate survival. Mortal enemies must join together, hand in hand as they combat the greatest evil within the realm of the living. Ryss, you will have to play peacemaker, and for that I wish you luck."
Jason's voice had become low and dark. The sound of it sent a chill down her spine and brought tears to her eyes. Specula could do nothing but watch.
"A Zoid can't be a superior weapon only by having powerful weapons and speed. It needs to have a drive, a urge for something." Jason was still holding her chin tightly. "My father picked the perfect creature to mold the Zoid after. A tiger, the symbol of power and death, a creature that has no equal and a creature that has a taste for death. Ryss, you see I cannot lose. The Tiger resembles its brothers, raw power and a raging spirit no human or Zoid can match. No one knows the true power that Zoid has, but soon everyone will and we shall pick up exactly where we left off. Ryss, you will die, you will burn. God is dead and heaven has been destroyed. You will go to Hell, and you will feel the wraith of the Tigers creator. This planet will, this galaxy, this universe will suffer like it has never suffered before." Jason finally let her go, but still knelt beside her. "The future has already been decided Ryss, you will fight the Tiger, you will die to the Tiger, life will die to the Tiger. You are taking a great challenge Ryss and for that I give you my eternal respect, but you will die Ryss. Raven will die, Fiona will die, all of them will die." Jason got up and walked away from her.
Ryss didn't know what to do, or didn't have a thing to say. Jason had scared her more then ever with those words, and she knew now how evil he was.
"Ryss, I will show you how serious I am. For years, I have been playing a game but now. Now I will show you my power and my secrets as the Tiger slowly wakens from its eternal sleep, and Zoid Eve prepares to become free once more. Death is a constant, I am just shortening everyone's time. Making way for men and woman who deserve to live." Jason jumped on the ledge above the cliff and looked down. "Ryss, I give you the Hand of Satan."
Ryss watched as a massive ball of water burst out of the pit, drenching her cloths with water. She shook her head and cleared her eyes but felt her heart nearly stop. Slowly she looked up, and found herself staring at the burning red eyes and sleek orange body of the Tiger.
Tom looked out at the Imperial Palace and the city surrounding it. "Hardly any defense. Shouldn't take to long." He raised his hand, then threw it down. The loud sounds of the guns began to pound the city, fire and smoke quickly rising. "Rev Raptors and Hellcats, storm the defenses. Dark Horns, take out those missile batteries." The battle didn't take long, only an hour before the last units were routed. Tom nodded at his work and got into his Rev Raptor. "All units, storm the city." He listen as the commanders acknowledged the order, taking their units into the city. Tom turned on his comm. and reached Prozen. "We have the city and await your arrival." He spoke with a cool and calm voice.
Prozen smiled. "Very good, I see I made a good decision putting you in command Minister."
Tom smiled and nodded. "Thank you sir." He watched the screen flash off and turned to watch the units storm the city. "They have another army somewhere else, prepare to set up a defense."
"They what!" Rudolph shouted at Karl and Thomas. "How did they capture the Palace!" Rudolph felt his heart fall to his feet. He knew he let his people down, and for that he had no way of redeeming himself.
"Don't worry Rudolph." Marianne said, trying to comfort him. "We can retake it."
"She's right your highness, it wouldn't take us long." Homaleff added. "Most of are forces are here or near the Lana bridge."
"Order them to prepare an attack, we have to take the palace back from Prozen." He looked at Karl. "Please Karl, take command this army and take back the palace."
Karl saluted. "Yes sir, your highness." He turned and walked out.
"Minister, contact Lana Bridge and order them to place the commanding officer in charge of the units there." Rudolph sat down and looked at the floor. "Why does this have to happen."
"They what!" Van yelled after hearing the words from Moonbay.
"They captured the palace city! Get back here quick." She said, ending the comm.
"Great." Irvine said. "Why does this have to happen."
"Well Ill see ya guys later." Zack said, turning his Zoid in a different direction.
"What! Where are you going!" Van yelled.
"I'm not in your army, and I don't give a damn who is in charge of the Empire. As far as I'm concern nothing is happening." Zack turned off his comm. and took off.
"Zack get back here!" Van yelled.
"Let him go Van." Sam said. "We have to get back fast."
Van gritted his teeth but agreed in the end. "Alright."
Fiona put her hand on Van's shoulder. "Van, something is happening."
"I know Fiona, Prozen just captured the capital." Van said, his voice loud, filled with anger.
"I don't mean that, something even worse Van."
Van looked back at her. "We cant worry about that now, we have to help get the. Damn!" He screamed the last word as a charged particle beam flew in behind his Zoid, taking out the Sam's Command Wolf. "Captain!" Van yelled, looking at a GenoSauer that stood up on a hill a few kilometers away.
"Where did that come from?" Irvine shouted, stopping his Zoid as well.
"Damnit Raven." His face was scrunched up with rage. But his face quickly changed to one of confusion and surprise as Hilz appeared on the screen. "Hilz."
Hilz gave a small chuckle. "That's right Van. Now, what do you say we finish what we had started."
"Fine by me." Van knew Zeke was at the base, and he would have to do his best without him.
"Van you don't have Zeke." Fiona said softly.
"I don't need Zeke!" Van shouted, he was angry.
Fiona didn't say anything back.
"You ready Irvine?" Van asked, a raging smile took his face.
Irvine laughed. "Sure am. Lets make sure he dies this time."
"Right." Van said, giving a small laugh as well. "Hang on Fiona."
Fiona did as she was told, getting ready for combat.
Hilz smiled as the two Zoids charged. "Now Ill show you the hidden powers of this GenoSauer." He reached for the console, and cloaked the Zoid. Watching as both Zoids stopped in there tracks.