Chap. six
"One more." Raven's voice was harsh and demanding.
Van took a step back. It was been the first time he could remember of him and Raven standing face to face, not Zoid to Zoid. "What do you mean, Raven? I beat you fair and square. You ran, forfeit." Van's voice was calm as ever.
"Something more important came up." Raven took a step forward. "One more. No cheats."
"Or running?"
"Or running."
"Fine. Then we can fight in the morning. I'm tired now."
This statement surprised Raven, but he accepted the terms. Anything was good enough, as long as he was able to defeat his arch enemy. Raven acknowledged Van's remark with a nod, and turned to walk away.
The next morning was a drizzly one. The rains had not yet fully passed. Raven and Van stood outside of the small desert town. Their Zoids ready and willing to fight. The Genobreaker was standing, blades ready. The Liger was crouched low, ready to spring into action. As the first crack of lightning appeared over the horizon, the Liger pounced, landing its paws firmly on the Genobreaker's chest. The Breaker stumbled back, and the Liger's weight made it slam into the ground. Raven's face was illuminated in red lights as the Breaker's attack systems went wild. He fought the Liger off him, with much effort, and threw himself recklessly at his enemy.
The Breaker's jaw clamped onto the Liger's neck, and the Liger's claws found footage in the Breaker's back and chest. Scratching like a demon from hell, the Liger tore long, gaping holes in the thick armor of the Breaker. Screeching in agony, the Breaker tried to shake the Liger and at the same time trying to tighten its death grip on the Liger's neck. But the Liger was too powerful, and the Breaker fell to its knees before it. The jaws went slack, the Liger slipped out of their grasp, and stood a few feet away, guns at the ready.
"Well Raven? Do you still want to fight?"
Raven's head was spinning like a top thrown from a little boy's hand. He tried to clear his head, but only succeeded in making it worse. Slowly, he tried to stand, but before he could, the Liger's foot paw was in the Breaker's back.
"Make a move, and I'll destroy your Zoid." Van was aware he was being too harsh. "Why won't you fight like you used to, Raven? This isn't a challenge anymore."
Raven was about to answer, but instead, threw the Breaker to its feet and spun, hitting the Liger across the face with the Breaker's tail. The Liger sprawled in the mud, but its reflexes were quick. It pounced, sending mud and sparks flying as its claws grated against the Breaker's armor. The Breaker was pushed back, landing on its side in the mud. Raven put a hand to his head, and saw everything go black.
As Van stood over the Breaker, he noticed an amber streak dashing toward them. Turning his Liger, Van looked at the streak. Then, it was in front of him, and he everything faded as the Liger crumpled to the ground. The amber Zoid stood over the Breaker, nudging it with its giant parrot beak, skull-head. Its eyes flashed red, then the cockpit opened.
"Raven?" Fenix made her way cautiously to the cockpit. "Raven, I knew I shouldn't have left you alone. Knew it. You're fading, ole pal. You aren't what you used to be. Stop trying to be who you used to be."
Fenix pried the cockpit open and stood in the doorway. She put her hands on her hips, smiling down at the knocked out Raven. "We have a lot to work on, my friend. Up you get." Fenix took her canteen of water from one of her belts, uncapped it, and dumped its contents onto Raven's head. She saved just a little in the bottom.
Raven came awake, sputtering and blinked as water spilled over the sweep of his hair into his face. He put his hands to his face, wiping the water away, then sweeping the water from his hair. "What are you doing?!"
"Waking you up. Nasty old fall you had there, mate."
"Fall? What fall?" Raven blinked a few times and stood up, getting out of the cockpit. "All I remember is I was fighting Van when someone rudely stepped in. I had it. Stay out of my battles from now on."
"Raven, don't you see that you were lagging?" Fenix shook her head. "You couldn't keep up with Van. You know it. Look at your poor Zoid. Its destroyed."
Raven took a quick glance. He didn't want to let Fenix have the satisfaction of seeing the truth in her statement. "You only say that because you want to come with me."
"Raven... Its a pity you never listened to your father." Fenix shook her head, but then seeing Raven's face, she became soft. She had always had a soft spot for faces like those. "Your father... I forgot about that. Sorry, Raven."
"No big deal." Raven turned around.
"Come on, Raven. Just answer me. Will you let me come? You know I can be a lot of help."
"Can, but wont. I travel alone."
"Please? You can jolly well put me on a blinkin' probation for as long as ye like! Please let me come with you! I wont be a bother!"
Raven turned and looked into Fenix's green eyes. He weighed the pros and cons of a traveling partner, decided against it, but took another look into Fenix's eyes. "Fine. If I don't like your trailing around, I'll decide what to do."
"Thank you! Thank-you, thank-you, thank-you! You don't know what this jolly well means to me!"
"It means you aught to shut that mouth of yours before probation's over and you're out."
Fenix smiled. "Now there's only one question. How do you get that heap of metal off the ground?"
"There's a town over that way. I can walk and get someone to haul it back for repairs."
"That's going to be a lot of money in repairs, you know. Are you sure you can pay for it all?" Fenix smiled at him, and he just gave her a cold stare. Fenix giggled a little nervously and gulped. "Oh, right, the jolly old probation. Ah, heehaw, forgot again."
"Hedge your bets. Probation could be over before you know it."
With no further words, Raven stalked off to the town. Sighing, Fenix sat on the ground. "Well, Bones, I guess I got myself in deep again. I dug myself in a hole again. Cant keep doing this, Ole Pal."
Bones growled, attempting to hint something or other.
"Bones, you know that if I could run across the beach and throw myself into the arms of myself I would. Hah, imagine me taking a liking to that impudent rip."
Bones made a low whine that sounded a lot like laughter.
"One more." Raven's voice was harsh and demanding.
Van took a step back. It was been the first time he could remember of him and Raven standing face to face, not Zoid to Zoid. "What do you mean, Raven? I beat you fair and square. You ran, forfeit." Van's voice was calm as ever.
"Something more important came up." Raven took a step forward. "One more. No cheats."
"Or running?"
"Or running."
"Fine. Then we can fight in the morning. I'm tired now."
This statement surprised Raven, but he accepted the terms. Anything was good enough, as long as he was able to defeat his arch enemy. Raven acknowledged Van's remark with a nod, and turned to walk away.
The next morning was a drizzly one. The rains had not yet fully passed. Raven and Van stood outside of the small desert town. Their Zoids ready and willing to fight. The Genobreaker was standing, blades ready. The Liger was crouched low, ready to spring into action. As the first crack of lightning appeared over the horizon, the Liger pounced, landing its paws firmly on the Genobreaker's chest. The Breaker stumbled back, and the Liger's weight made it slam into the ground. Raven's face was illuminated in red lights as the Breaker's attack systems went wild. He fought the Liger off him, with much effort, and threw himself recklessly at his enemy.
The Breaker's jaw clamped onto the Liger's neck, and the Liger's claws found footage in the Breaker's back and chest. Scratching like a demon from hell, the Liger tore long, gaping holes in the thick armor of the Breaker. Screeching in agony, the Breaker tried to shake the Liger and at the same time trying to tighten its death grip on the Liger's neck. But the Liger was too powerful, and the Breaker fell to its knees before it. The jaws went slack, the Liger slipped out of their grasp, and stood a few feet away, guns at the ready.
"Well Raven? Do you still want to fight?"
Raven's head was spinning like a top thrown from a little boy's hand. He tried to clear his head, but only succeeded in making it worse. Slowly, he tried to stand, but before he could, the Liger's foot paw was in the Breaker's back.
"Make a move, and I'll destroy your Zoid." Van was aware he was being too harsh. "Why won't you fight like you used to, Raven? This isn't a challenge anymore."
Raven was about to answer, but instead, threw the Breaker to its feet and spun, hitting the Liger across the face with the Breaker's tail. The Liger sprawled in the mud, but its reflexes were quick. It pounced, sending mud and sparks flying as its claws grated against the Breaker's armor. The Breaker was pushed back, landing on its side in the mud. Raven put a hand to his head, and saw everything go black.
As Van stood over the Breaker, he noticed an amber streak dashing toward them. Turning his Liger, Van looked at the streak. Then, it was in front of him, and he everything faded as the Liger crumpled to the ground. The amber Zoid stood over the Breaker, nudging it with its giant parrot beak, skull-head. Its eyes flashed red, then the cockpit opened.
"Raven?" Fenix made her way cautiously to the cockpit. "Raven, I knew I shouldn't have left you alone. Knew it. You're fading, ole pal. You aren't what you used to be. Stop trying to be who you used to be."
Fenix pried the cockpit open and stood in the doorway. She put her hands on her hips, smiling down at the knocked out Raven. "We have a lot to work on, my friend. Up you get." Fenix took her canteen of water from one of her belts, uncapped it, and dumped its contents onto Raven's head. She saved just a little in the bottom.
Raven came awake, sputtering and blinked as water spilled over the sweep of his hair into his face. He put his hands to his face, wiping the water away, then sweeping the water from his hair. "What are you doing?!"
"Waking you up. Nasty old fall you had there, mate."
"Fall? What fall?" Raven blinked a few times and stood up, getting out of the cockpit. "All I remember is I was fighting Van when someone rudely stepped in. I had it. Stay out of my battles from now on."
"Raven, don't you see that you were lagging?" Fenix shook her head. "You couldn't keep up with Van. You know it. Look at your poor Zoid. Its destroyed."
Raven took a quick glance. He didn't want to let Fenix have the satisfaction of seeing the truth in her statement. "You only say that because you want to come with me."
"Raven... Its a pity you never listened to your father." Fenix shook her head, but then seeing Raven's face, she became soft. She had always had a soft spot for faces like those. "Your father... I forgot about that. Sorry, Raven."
"No big deal." Raven turned around.
"Come on, Raven. Just answer me. Will you let me come? You know I can be a lot of help."
"Can, but wont. I travel alone."
"Please? You can jolly well put me on a blinkin' probation for as long as ye like! Please let me come with you! I wont be a bother!"
Raven turned and looked into Fenix's green eyes. He weighed the pros and cons of a traveling partner, decided against it, but took another look into Fenix's eyes. "Fine. If I don't like your trailing around, I'll decide what to do."
"Thank you! Thank-you, thank-you, thank-you! You don't know what this jolly well means to me!"
"It means you aught to shut that mouth of yours before probation's over and you're out."
Fenix smiled. "Now there's only one question. How do you get that heap of metal off the ground?"
"There's a town over that way. I can walk and get someone to haul it back for repairs."
"That's going to be a lot of money in repairs, you know. Are you sure you can pay for it all?" Fenix smiled at him, and he just gave her a cold stare. Fenix giggled a little nervously and gulped. "Oh, right, the jolly old probation. Ah, heehaw, forgot again."
"Hedge your bets. Probation could be over before you know it."
With no further words, Raven stalked off to the town. Sighing, Fenix sat on the ground. "Well, Bones, I guess I got myself in deep again. I dug myself in a hole again. Cant keep doing this, Ole Pal."
Bones growled, attempting to hint something or other.
"Bones, you know that if I could run across the beach and throw myself into the arms of myself I would. Hah, imagine me taking a liking to that impudent rip."
Bones made a low whine that sounded a lot like laughter.