Disclaimer: I do not own Zoids

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Chapter II: The Hermit.

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Naomi stirred as the aroma of hot chocolate filled the air. Slowly she opened her eyes and found an unfamiliar ceiling.

Scared and confused she sat up, only to feel the pain on her bandaged body.

She remembered that she was fleeing the Backdraft group in her Gun Sniper only to be surrounded. The last thing she remembered was a howl.

"You're awake," a gentle and calm voice said. Turning quickly, she found a man in his late teens holding a cup of steaming chocolate. "Here, this will warm you up," he said as he gave her the mug.

"T... thank you," she said. She gazed at the cup as she tried to figure out what had happened.

"It's not poisoned, you know," he said playfully. Naomi blushed and began sipping the chocolate, making her feel more comfortable than she is now.

"What happened?" she asked.

"I don't know," he said. "I found your zoid in the middle of the blizzard and brought you here."

"Blizzard?" Naomi asked.

"We have them at least three times a week," the man said.

"You usually go out in the blizzard?" she asked incredulously.

"Unfortunately yes," the man said. "I patrol this part of the area. To make sure that no one is trapped beneath the snow."

"Really?" she asked as she looked at him. And she really saw him for the first time.

He was almost as tall as Brad. Strangely, he has white hair with a highlight of black on his bangs. His eyes were gray but kind. It didn't hurt that he also was a looker.

"As the rest patrols the other sectors, this part is my patrol," he smiled. "It's fortunate that I had found you."

"What.... about... the others," she stuttered. She was afraid that she was in the same place as her abductors.

"What others?" the man asked inquiringly. Naomi stared at him in shock. Surely she wasn't the only one he rescued."

"There were others with me," she said. "Their zoids were damaged."

"Ms. Fluegel, you are the only one that was out there," the man said. Suddenly, she was frightened.

"You know me?" she asked cautiously. The man smiled at her reaction and sat on the chair nearby.

"There is no sniper in Zi who does not know Naomi Fluegel," the man said. "Most kids in town admire you."

"They do?" she asked blushing.

"Yes," he smiled. "A little girl even asked me to build her a Gun Sniper with your specifications." For the first time in weeks, Naomi laughed.

"She did?" she asked in mirth.

"Of course, a Gun Sniper is hard to find in these parts," he said. "Is there something bothering you?"

Naomi looked up and blinked.

"Why do you say that?"

"You looked troubled." Naomi sighed.

"Maybe," she smiled. "I just saw the strangest thing."

"Really?" he asked.

"I was being pursued by the Backdraft group. They attacked me but I was saved by.... I don't know, a wolf."

The man froze.

"A wolf?"

"A white wolf," she said. "I never saw a zoid like it. It's not a Command Wolf. It's almost as big as a Liger."

"I never heard of a wolf like that," he said intriguingly. "However..."

"However?" Naomi was curious. But the man smiled and stood.

"Never mind," he said softly. "I found a replacement of clothes in your zoid. I placed them on the stool by the bed."

Naomi looked at the stool and there were her civilian clothes.

"Thank you," she said softly.

"Get some rest," he smiled. "The door in your left is the bathroom."

"Thanks again," she said shyly.

"Sleep," he said. "And we'll continue our conversation later."

Naomi lay on the bed and with a final sigh, slept.

***

Ivers was furious.

He knew that the Gun Sniper was unarmed, so how did all his zoids been defeated?

When he joined the search team in his Lightning Saix what he found was shocking.

All the zoids that he sent after her had suffered a fate even he could not even imagine.

The zoids were unrecognizable. Parts of it were shredded and hacked. And all of them were badly mutilated.

Ivers was seriously debating if the legend of the guardian is true.

For it maybe the beginning of his fears.

***

Three miles away from Iver's party, a vigilant guardian stood, watching every move they made.

Growling, the guardian left for the safety of its den.

Leaving the Backdraft group behind, vowing to return.

It padded through the snow, hidden by its white exterior against those who disrupt the peace it kept.

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End of 2

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A/n: If you know the Zoid that saved Naomi... well, I'm not telling.