Disclaimer: I don't own Zoids, Zoids Chaotic Century, or Zoids New Century Zero, but I do own Zoids X, the Zoids I come up with and the ideas used in this fic.

(The new character in this fic was given to me by wing. He came up with this char).

Zoid battles are fighting competitions held on enormous battlefields using mechanical combat units called Zoids. The enthusiastic young warriors put their pride on the line and sharpen their skills against one another using new rules and forms of battle. Area scanned, battlefield set up, ready… FIGHT!

EP: 10

BRAD'S TREASURE-THE LONE WOLF OF SHADOWS



"STRIKE LIGHTNING SLASH!" Ace called as the Liger 0 Thunder lunged toward a Rev Raptor. The Rev Raptor backed up in fear but was struck by the black Liger. As the Liger 0 flew past the red Zoid it landed and slid to a stop. Soon a massive bolt of electricity shocked the raptor Zoid.

"AHAA!" cried Iris as shells pummeled her. Soon the enemy Zoid was shocked by electricity and fell.

"You ok Iris?" Ace questioned as the Liger 0 Thunder walked out from behind the fallen Zoid. Iris nodded as she pulled her Helcat back to its feet slowly. Soon a loud sonic boom was heard and a Pteras followed by crashing into the ground.

BLARRRRRREE!!!!! "The battle is over, the battle is over!" called the Judge. "The winner is… The Max team!"

"Ha, well, I guess I better check in with ya, Max team," a figure atop a hill said. He was standing on a hill on the limits of the battlefield watching as the Max team's Zoids loaded onto the Hover Cargo. "How bout it, Partner?" he said looking up at his Zoid.

"Rrrrr…HOOOOOOOWL!" came the response of the black Zoid.



The 3 warriors jumped down from their Zoid's cockpits back inside the Taros base Zoid hanger. "Great job today Partner!" Ace happily said to the Liger 0.

"Grrr," the Liger responded. Iris looked up at her badly damaged Helcat after jumping out.

"I'm just like Leo, I'm not strong enough either," Iris said under her breath.

"What did ya say Iris?" Jim asked walking up.

"Oh, n… nothing," Iris replied.

"You thinking about Leo?" Ace asked walking over. "I'm sure he's just fine."

"No… it's not that," Iris said looking down with a small tear in her eye.

"Then what?" Ace asked with a puzzled look. He then looked in the direction Iris was looking in. "You're Zoid?" Iris nodded in reply. "What's wrong with it?"

"Remember how Leo had the problem with his Shield Liger?" Iris answered. Ace nodded. "Well, I'm having the same problem. My skill is high but my Zoid just can't handle the new opponents we face and my skill."

"So what are ya gonna do?" questioned Jim. "Buy a new Zoid?"

"No, this Helcat and I have been together for a long time. But I do need a new Zoid," Iris explained.

"Then why don't you just remodel the Zoid?" asked Ace. Iris looked up.

"Or, fuse that Zoid with another," smiled Iris. "But what?"

"How bout the Shadow Fox?!" came a voice from the hanger's entrance. He had mid length, blonde hair and wore a long blue coat.

"Hey, are you the Mercenary Brad Hunter?" Jim questioned. "You look familiar to a picture I saw of him when he was with the Blitz team."

"You got that right! I'm guessing that you're Jamie's son. I could tell cause you fly just like him in battle!" Brad answered with a smile. "So how bout it?"

"The Shadow Fox?" Iris repeated. "THAT WOULD BE THE PERFECT ZOID TO FUSE THE HELCAT WITH!" Iris soon made a mad dash to the computer room to look up the stats of the Zoid. Meanwhile the other warriors got aquatinted and revealed Brad to Bit and the others.



"(Yaaaaawn) what are you still do'n up?" Ace yawned as he walked into the hanger. Iris didn't answer she just kept on working. "So you're going to stop sometime tonight?" Once again there was no reply from Iris. "Well, I'll see you tomorrow," Ace yawned again.

The next morning Ace walked into the Zoid hanger. "Hey Partner, have a good sleep?" he asked. The Liger 0 gave a low growl in response. "Huh?" Ace looked over at where Iris was last night and walked over. "WOW!"

"Yeah, nice huh?" Iris smiled walking out from behind the right foreleg. "Ah, finally finished!"

"Y… you finished? When did you get up?" Ace questioned in awe of the Zoid.

"What do you mean? I haven't gone to bed yet. I pulled an all-nighter," Iris answered.

"Dang," Ace replied as he looked at Iris then back up at the black Zoid. Its head had large ears and its snout was more pointed then originally. It now had a mouth with 2 long, jagged teeth in front and smaller ones in the back, as well larger claws resembling the Liger's. Small yellow eyes were on the sides of the head and a thin red streak up its head. Its shoulders were had built in red vents as well as an AZ 50mm gattling rifle mounted on its back. And finally a tail net gun.

"I call this the Shadow Cat!" Iris finally said. "With the mobility, speed, and smoke screen of the Shadow Fox combined with the stealth, and power of the Helcat! This is the ultimate Zoid!"

"Really?" Ace questioned.

"Yep! It even has the maneuverability that rivals the Liger 0 and, … your trade mark attack too!" Iris happily smiled.

"You don't mean…" Ace perked up.

"Yep, Strike Laser claw!" Iris smiled. "As well as Strike Laser Blade! The 2 long, front fangs flatten out and flip to the sides of the mouth and are surrounded by energy!"

"Wow," was all Ace could say.

"Then how bout a battle to test this new Zoid?" Brad asked as he entered the hanger. "I have something that could rival your Zoid."

"Oh really?! Okay, but first…" Iris exclaimed happily. "… I need some rest."

"Then don't sleep too long!" came a voice behind Brad. Ace and Iris looked around Brad to find a guy with blonde hair that was almost as long as Brad's but his head covered by a tan cowboy hat. He wore a long coat resembling Brad's as well but it was dark black and light gray. And finally were his tan cowboy boots covered up by his long blue jeans.

"WOW! WHAT A CUTIE!!!!" Iris cried as her eyes changed into large hearts. She quickly dropped all her tools and ran over to the guy throwing her arms around him. "KISS ME!" she yelled thrusting her lips close to his.

"AH! HELP!" the guy cried trying to pry Iris off him as Ace fell on his back cracking up.

"Ha, ha come on son!" Brad laughed. "You have to be happy to have such a lovely girl clinging to ya!" Brad was soon able to pull Iris off his son and introduce him. "This is James Hunter, my son," Brad said proudly as he put is arm around James. "He has gained my piloting skills and his mother's sniping skills! Thus making him the best pilot for, the Shadow Fox!"

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!!!!" Ace still cried with stitches.

"So… I get to fight this HUNK!" exclaimed Iris with pure love in her voice. Brad nodded with a smile.

"GOOD GRAVY!" called Doc from down the hall. "I LOVE THIS ZOID IRIS! ARE YOU REALLY GOING TO FIGHT IN IT AGAINST BRAD'S SON?!" Iris didn't respond but just stared at James.

"Uh d… d… ad?" James stuttered as Iris moved closer to James.

"AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA (wheeze) HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH (wooo) HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH…. I'M GETTING STITCHES! HAHAHAHHAAH!" Ace continued.



Later that day (after Ace had finally stopped laughing and Iris was able to part with James for a while) the Hover Cargo pulled up to the battlefield. The catapult opened up and the Shadow Cat rose up. "Iris, mobilizing the Shadow Cat!" smiled the girl. The Zoid was then shot out and landed. Just then a Gustav pulled up a deep black Shadow Fox hopped off.

"Ready?" James grinned back.

"Been ready," replied Iris. The Judge capsule landed and the Judge went through his normal routine.

"Ready… FIGHT!" The 2 black Zoids quickly shot forward with bursts of speed leaving clouds of dust behind them. The Shadow Fox jumped forward, slid to its side and fired off his gattling rifle. The Shadow Cat quickly darted to the side with great speed then returned the attack. Swiftly the S.F. shot to the side and dodged the shelling. Next the S.C. released thick black smoke from its red vents and disappeared.

"The stealth capabilities of the Helcat will now make my visibility 2x's as good!" Iris reminded herself cheerfully.

"Nice try Babe, but I can see you clearly!" James smiled as he turned a knob on his control panel.

"Ooooh! He called me Babe!" exclaimed Iris joyfully. Just then she saw 2 bright yellow lights getting closer.

"STRIKE LASER CLAW!" James cried as his Shadow Fox lunged high up. But Iris just smiled and pushed a button. Quickly the Shadow Cat's tail flipped forward and shot out an electrified net. The net caught the S.F. but after it fell to the ground it sliced itself out with its glowing claws. Iris retreated out of the cloud of smoke and rotated her gattling rifle towards the cloud. Then she unleashed shells on the cloud blindly. After 2 minutes of shelling the smoke cleared but nothing was there.

"H… huh?" gasped Iris. Just then a large shell landed and exploded right next to her Zoid. "YIKES! Where is he?!"

"Ha, this is an upgraded Shadow Fox! The gattling rifle can be used as a sniper rifle as well. It's not that accurate as my mom's Gun Sniper's, but I have good aim!" James explained as his Shadow Fox stood up on a hill 25 feet from the Shadow Cat. Quickly Iris turned and shot at James. But the S.F. was gone before any of he shells made it.

"Wow, they're do'n great!" Ace commented in the Hover Cargo as the rest of the Max team, Brad, Leena, Doc, and Bit watched.



The 2 Zoids now ran side by side testing each other's speed to their own. Both the Zoid's eyes were lit up as they ran. 'There's something about her,' James thought to himself as he looked at the Shadow Cat running along side his Zoid. 'Something about her just made my heart jump when I first saw her."

'Why do I feel this?' Iris questioned herself in her mind. 'I… I've never felt this accept the time when Leo told me that he was leaving.' Just then the Shadow Fox sped up and ran ahead of the Shadow Cat. Soon the 2 Zoids were heading head on toward each other.

"STRIKE…" Iris called.

"LASER…" added James.

"CLAW!" both cried as their Zoids lunged straight toward each other with their claws lit up. But just then Iris smiled, turned the controls and pushed a button. In seconds the Shadow Cat's long, front fangs flipped to the sides of its mouth and lit up. She then pushed back toward the Shadow Fox with the controls. "STRIKE LASER BLADES!" she cried. And in seconds it was over!

The 2 Zoids landed and slid to a stop only 10 feet from each other. The 2 pilots breathed heavily as silence filled their cockpits. All the spectators inside the Hover Cargo sat silently with their mouths wide open in suspense. Soon after a few more seconds, the Shadow Fox fell to the ground.

BLARRRRRRRRRREEE!!!!! "Battle over! Battle over! The winner is… Iris Mega!" cried the Judge lifting up its right hand.

"Good job, you deserve it!" James said to Iris over the comm.

"You too!" she replied softly. "You're an exceptional pilot yourself!"

"Thanks! But it seems I need to get better!" James responded.



Back at the Taros base, everyone gave their congratulations and good byes. "Will… I ever see you again?" Iris choked as the sun set over the horizon.

"Who knows? I need to become stronger, and you and I cannot be together if both of us are not strong," James said softly. Iris looked down with tears beginning to form in her eyes. James then put his hand under her chin and tilted her head up to his and then their lips met.

"AWE COME ON! OF COURSE YOU 2 WILL SEE EACHOTHER AGAIN! BREAK IT UP!" Ace interrupted. "COME ON!!!" The 2 quickly turned and looked at Ace with pure anger in their eyes. "Uh… I … s…sorry… heh… heh! I…I'll just go now!"





Meanwhile a dark red Whale King flew in the sky as the sun fell. A figure walked into the Zoid hanger and looked at his Zoid in the dark. "Well, my Friend, we both have become a lot stronger," the figure smiled. "I guess it's time to check in with your old friend huh?" A low, evil growl came from the darkness of the hanger. "Yes, and I hope you too have gotten stronger as well, Ace Striker! Right… Shadow?" Then 2 dark blue eyes lit up in the darkness followed by a higher pitch growl.



NEXT TIME:

Hey! This is Ace! Well now that Iris has a new Zoid and Leo's place is taken, we can move on! Huh, what?! Another battle jack? Who?! So Chang you're back? And the Geno Dragon too? Hey what's with this new Geno Dragon? Well I guess Liger and I will have to use all the power we can to defeat this new Geno Dragon! Next time on Zoids X:

SECRETS OF ULTIMATE X- THE POWER OF OMNI!

Ready… FIGHT!