Zoids: Trials by Fire
By Mr. Bigg
]Disclaimer: If I owned it, it'd be on Toonami by now.
The sun beat on high overhead, scorching the ground below. It glared with white-hot intensity, as if daring anyone foolish enough to cross its path. Sand and rock covered the plains for miles, with the occasional cactus dotting the otherwise barren landscape. The only sign of civilization came form a small, dirt-colored structure with fuel pumps in front of it. In fading green letters above the entrance, the words "General Store" covered the front of the russet building.
Steps led down from the store into the cool black interior, almost like descending into an underground grotto. The shelves were line with anything and everything one could possibly need; from food to fuel, there was little the store lacked in stock. It was here that three people were able to make a living in an otherwise forsaken wasteland.
The first, a young man named Seth, snored loudly as he leaned back in his chair and rested his long, lanky legs on the counter. He pulled a battered, wide-brimmed hat over his eyes and rested his hands on his black shirt. A fly buzzed in his ear, and Seth vainly tried to swat it away with his hand. Finally, when it proved too much, he got up and snatched the fly out of mid-air, tossing it to the ground.
"Ah, very good young grasshopper. But if the Lion drank the rose water, would his breath still smell as bad as you?" a voice asked from the other room. In strode Bryce, a short, well built teenager with shaggy brown hair. He wore only a singlet, along with some baggy cargo pants and some heavy boots. "I wouldn't know, but at least I don't suffocate anything downwind of me," Seth said glaring at Bryce with auburn eyes. "Ooh, aren't WE witty today. By the way, Blaze is supposed to come by with our shipment today. Any ideas where Case went?" Bryce asked.
"He was annoying me earlier, so I sent him to do look for some scrap parts in the desert. I figured that would keep him occupied for a while," Seth replied. "I'm going back to sleep. I'm sure you can handle the shipment," he said as he went back to sleep. "Case better get back here soon," Bryce warned to no one.
* * *
By high noon, the desert was a veritable sea of heat. Desert creatures sought shelter from the sweltering sun. It was desert law: only fools were caught in the open in a desert noon.
There was only one fool out today.
The sturdy young man named Case drove through the desolate waste, gazing at the small radar on the dashboard. He was well built, wearing a beater and an open vest with raggedy cut-offs. Spiky black hair pointed skywards in the wind. "Hmm. Something up ahead," he muttered. He grabbed his canteen, took a swig, and pushed down on the gas, leaving a sandy wake to rain down on the rocky desert ground.
Soon, Case reached his destination, only to find a few rocks. "I don't get it.. the radar said a large metal deposit was right around here..," Case complained, pacing in circles. He failed to notice the miniscule fissures forming on the earth he paced frantically. Sure enough, the ground let out a shuddering sigh as it swallowed Case into its murky depths. Case let out a cry as he fell onto the floor of the cavern. "What the hell?" Case coughed as he felt the unusually smooth cavern floor. He picked himself up, desperately grabbing for anything to support him.
He flailing fist accidentally hit a switch, activating some ancient, but still functional, lights. Case gasped as he saw the room light up, revealing itself to be a huge hangar. The floor below was riddled with ancient and battered zoids, forever frozen in combat. "HOLY MEAT ON A STICK! IT'S THE JACKPOT!" Case yelled in shock, gazing at the sea of scrap below him. "I gotta get a bigger truck, I gotta get all this stuff back, I gotta.. I gotta get the guys!" Case whooped, running back to the hole he fell through. He quickly jumped in his jeep and sped across the desert.
* * *
A huge dust cloud drifted across the desert at a lumbering pace, shrouding anything caught in its wake. At the head of the cloud rode a large, battered Hover Cargo. So beaten up was the transport, that an onlooker could assume the dust-cloud was actually propelling the craft. It was a rather cumbersome piece of equipment, with grimy dark gray armor forming semi-circle over the body of the metal behemoth. Huge treads pressed themselves into the sandy floor, as a large, beige head-like structure poked out in front.
Inside the control room, a scruffy, red- haired teenager checked the dashboard gauges, half of which looked like they held together only because of the large amounts of tape that covered them. The pilot shot a concerned glance at the fuel gage, which flashed the words 'empty' over and over. "Don't do this to me.. just a bit farther," the young man said, poking the gauge in a vain attempt to make the problem disappear. He let a sigh of relief escape when he saw the small trading post up ahead. He picked up his radio and said, "Yo! This is Blaze! Is anyone home?" There was a brief bit of static when a voice replied, "Bryce here. Blaze, you still driving that tin can?" "Ha ha. I'll have you know that this babe is the chick MAGNET!" Blaze yelled hastily.
"Yeah, and that's why you're a courier rather than swimming through piles of gorgeous babes," Bryce retorted. "You know, just for that, I think I'm going to blow up your shipment right now. It'd be a damn shame too- considering the new swimsuit magazine just came out," Blaze said slyly. "Whoa! Let's not be hasty! I mean, innocent pictures of scantily-clad women might get hurt!" Bryce said quickly. "Heh. That's your problem Bryce. You're too afraid to make sacrifices," Blaze said, pulling up alongside the fuel pumps. "The shipment's in back. Can I bum some fuel? I've been ridding fumes all day," Blaze said into the radio mike. "Sure. You know how to work the pump," Bryce said, walking around to the back of the craft. A large rear door opened to reveal a cargo bay full of crates. One by one, Bryce started to carry the crates into the store.
Blaze walked out of the control room and followed a hallway to a side hatch. He opened it and jumped to the sandy earth below. As he landed, a small breeze kicked up, scattering sand to the winds. As he landed, a curtain of sand flowed over him. He emerged, sand dribbling off his flight cap, the goggles glaring in the sun. Wild tufts of red hair poked out along the rim of the leather cap, as his yellow shined in the light. His beige t- shirt ruffled in the wind, as the jacket tied around his waist billowed around him like a kilt. The hilt of a large sword poked up over his left shoulder as he stood up. He high-fived Bryce as he walked past, and headed to the fuel pumps. He started hauling the large hose towards his transport, when a cloud on the horizon caught his attention.
"What'cha looking at?" Bryce asked as he made another trip to the cargo bay. "Do you see that cloud out there? Something's coming here fast.." Blaze questioned. Bryce stopped, staring to where his friend pointed. "Eh. It's probably Case. He probably found that two-headed snake he always comes across," Bryce said as he went back to work. Blaze gave on last glance, and clambered up onto one of the massive treads of his transport, hooking the fuel line to the tank. By the time he finished, the cloud was less then a mile away with Case at the head, driving like a man possessed. Case slammed the break and turned hard, skidding across the desert ground.
Before the car even slowed down, Case leaped out of his seat, hitting the ground running. He sprinted over to Blaze, yelling, "YOU GUYS! YOU AREN'T GOING TO BELIEVE THIS!" "Try me," Bryce said. "NO- YOU SERIOUSLY AREN'T GOING TO BELIEVE THIS!" Case bellowed. "I think Bryce is gullible enough. Remember the zipper incident?" Blaze said smugly. "THAT WASN'T FUNNY!" Bryce howled. "SHUT UP AND LISTEN!" Case screamed. Bryce and Blaze stopped bickering and listened intently as Case explained his story. "I have no idea what you just said," Bryce said, sounding utterly dumbfounded. "Is it even near physical possibility to move your mouth that fast?" Blaze asked.
"RAH! I'M SURROUNDED BY IDIOTS!" Case roared to the sky. He picked Blaze and Bryce, throwing them into the hover cargo. He then sprinted into the store, and emerged carrying a sleeping Seth over his head. With all his might, he hurled Seth through the door before jumping in himself. He hauled them all to the bridge, and deposited Blaze in the driver's seat. "You. Drive. NOW!" Case commanded, pointing to their location on a nearby map. "AYE AYE, CAP'N! FULL THROTTLE! You guys might. uh. want to sit down." Blaze suggested. "Oh yeah, our bodies DEFFINATELY won't be able to stand while we're moving a WHOPPING 5 mph," Bryce said sardonically, rolling his eyes. "I warned you.." Blaze said, hitting the throttle. The craft accelerated instantaneously, as Bryce and Case fell to the floor. "THAT CAN'T BE GOOD!" Bellowed Bryce as the Hover Cargo started to shake violently.
"RELAX! SHE'LL HOLD!" Blaze cackled. "Why do I find that not comforting?" Case muttered as the craft tore through the desert. Soon enough, they had reached the hole Case had made earlier. As they got ready to descend, Seth awoke. "Huh? Where the hell are we?" Seth asked. Case quickly told Seth the story as they piled out of the hover cargo and onto the desert floor. The group collected around the rim of the hole, looking into the dust hallway below. "Into the abyss we descend.." Seth said in a demonic voice. "I vote Seth goes in first!" Blaze said quickly, giving Seth a mighty shove. "Wha-" Seth said as he fell into the hole. "Heh. Have a nice trip Seth?" Blaze said evilly. He laughed some more, but soon stopped when he realized that Seth had grabbed his leg. "Now, Seth. It was all in good fu- WHOA!" Blaze yelped as Seth yanked him into the hole.
"Pain suuccks.." Blaze moaned from the bottom of the hole. "Aww, does Blazy- poo have an owie? Maybe if I kiss it it will feel better," cooed Bryce. "Kiss THIS!" Blaze retorted, snatching Bryce's ankle and yanking him into the hole. In a last ditch attempt to avoid pain, Bryce latched on to Case's wrist. "This won't end well," Case commented as they were dragged into the hole. Soon enough, all four were a pile of flesh and sand on the floor of the underground room. "Right- so where are these zoids you-" Seth said, staring dumbfoundedly at the piles of scrap below him. "Ye gods.." Blaze said, surveying the piles of metal before him. "Let's have a look at 'em!" Bryce said, walking down the stairs to the wreckage below.
"Looks like an abandoned base from the Old war," Blaze said, looking at all the destroyed zoids. "If we're lucky, a few of them might even be completely salvageable," Case said happily, examining his find. "This is a Republican base from the Helic-Guylos war. But these zoids are all from the empire," Seth said, looking at a large group of zoids on one side of the room. "My guess is that and Imperial invasion force tried to take this bunker." Blaze whistled as he looked at some of the battered relics. "Some of this stuff is in pretty good condition- check out this Zoid!" Bryce said, looking at a sable and crimson zoid. "That's a Zeek Dober. One of the first Zoids made by the Imperials and still one of the fastest land Zoid to date. Weapons consist of two missile launchers and a 30mm cannon," Seth said proudly. "Yeah- well if you're so smart, then what about these zoids?" Case said, pointing at a pair of serviceable zoids. "The first is a.. Command Wolf Juggernaut, a heavy artillery zoid with face-mounted missile pods, twin 50mm cannons, and quad 200mm mortar cannons. Just like you, it's heavy, slow, and beats the crap out of anything that moves. The second is a Glow Fox, a scout zoid with twin 80mm cannons and an electromagnetic net gun," Seth said in one breath.
"Whoa- someone's a SMIDGE too interested in the zoids circuit," Blaze said. "Hey guys- This thing still works!" Bryce said, fooling around with the controls in the Zeek Dober cockpit. "Be careful! We don't know if its weapons are still operational!" Case warned. "Yeah, what are the odds of that?" Bryce asked. Suddenly, a certain zoid caught Blaze's eyes. "WHOA! A PTERAS! I'VE WANTED ONE SINCE I WAS NINE!" Blaze said, hugging a cerulean zoid. "Now I've finally fulfilled my childhood dream," he said with tears in his eyes. "I wonder what this trigger-like device does.." muttered Bryce in the cockpit of the Zeek Dober. Suddenly, shots erupted from the Zeek Dober's tail cannon, ripping its target to pieces.
Target being the Pteras directly behind it.
Blaze shielded himself as the zoid next to him collapsed in a pile of flaming rubble. "All my dreams.. gone.." he cried. "WHOOPS! Uh, I guess the weapons DO work," Bryce said, smiling innocently. Picking himself up, Blaze started to unsheathe his sword. "Let's see.. I THINK I'm within killing distance," he muttered, preparing to introduce Bryce to his Blade. Suddenly, the room shook as shots erupted on the desert above them. "What the hell is that?!" Case yelled. "I'm not too sure I wanna find out!" Seth replied.
END PART 1
By Mr. Bigg
]Disclaimer: If I owned it, it'd be on Toonami by now.
The sun beat on high overhead, scorching the ground below. It glared with white-hot intensity, as if daring anyone foolish enough to cross its path. Sand and rock covered the plains for miles, with the occasional cactus dotting the otherwise barren landscape. The only sign of civilization came form a small, dirt-colored structure with fuel pumps in front of it. In fading green letters above the entrance, the words "General Store" covered the front of the russet building.
Steps led down from the store into the cool black interior, almost like descending into an underground grotto. The shelves were line with anything and everything one could possibly need; from food to fuel, there was little the store lacked in stock. It was here that three people were able to make a living in an otherwise forsaken wasteland.
The first, a young man named Seth, snored loudly as he leaned back in his chair and rested his long, lanky legs on the counter. He pulled a battered, wide-brimmed hat over his eyes and rested his hands on his black shirt. A fly buzzed in his ear, and Seth vainly tried to swat it away with his hand. Finally, when it proved too much, he got up and snatched the fly out of mid-air, tossing it to the ground.
"Ah, very good young grasshopper. But if the Lion drank the rose water, would his breath still smell as bad as you?" a voice asked from the other room. In strode Bryce, a short, well built teenager with shaggy brown hair. He wore only a singlet, along with some baggy cargo pants and some heavy boots. "I wouldn't know, but at least I don't suffocate anything downwind of me," Seth said glaring at Bryce with auburn eyes. "Ooh, aren't WE witty today. By the way, Blaze is supposed to come by with our shipment today. Any ideas where Case went?" Bryce asked.
"He was annoying me earlier, so I sent him to do look for some scrap parts in the desert. I figured that would keep him occupied for a while," Seth replied. "I'm going back to sleep. I'm sure you can handle the shipment," he said as he went back to sleep. "Case better get back here soon," Bryce warned to no one.
* * *
By high noon, the desert was a veritable sea of heat. Desert creatures sought shelter from the sweltering sun. It was desert law: only fools were caught in the open in a desert noon.
There was only one fool out today.
The sturdy young man named Case drove through the desolate waste, gazing at the small radar on the dashboard. He was well built, wearing a beater and an open vest with raggedy cut-offs. Spiky black hair pointed skywards in the wind. "Hmm. Something up ahead," he muttered. He grabbed his canteen, took a swig, and pushed down on the gas, leaving a sandy wake to rain down on the rocky desert ground.
Soon, Case reached his destination, only to find a few rocks. "I don't get it.. the radar said a large metal deposit was right around here..," Case complained, pacing in circles. He failed to notice the miniscule fissures forming on the earth he paced frantically. Sure enough, the ground let out a shuddering sigh as it swallowed Case into its murky depths. Case let out a cry as he fell onto the floor of the cavern. "What the hell?" Case coughed as he felt the unusually smooth cavern floor. He picked himself up, desperately grabbing for anything to support him.
He flailing fist accidentally hit a switch, activating some ancient, but still functional, lights. Case gasped as he saw the room light up, revealing itself to be a huge hangar. The floor below was riddled with ancient and battered zoids, forever frozen in combat. "HOLY MEAT ON A STICK! IT'S THE JACKPOT!" Case yelled in shock, gazing at the sea of scrap below him. "I gotta get a bigger truck, I gotta get all this stuff back, I gotta.. I gotta get the guys!" Case whooped, running back to the hole he fell through. He quickly jumped in his jeep and sped across the desert.
* * *
A huge dust cloud drifted across the desert at a lumbering pace, shrouding anything caught in its wake. At the head of the cloud rode a large, battered Hover Cargo. So beaten up was the transport, that an onlooker could assume the dust-cloud was actually propelling the craft. It was a rather cumbersome piece of equipment, with grimy dark gray armor forming semi-circle over the body of the metal behemoth. Huge treads pressed themselves into the sandy floor, as a large, beige head-like structure poked out in front.
Inside the control room, a scruffy, red- haired teenager checked the dashboard gauges, half of which looked like they held together only because of the large amounts of tape that covered them. The pilot shot a concerned glance at the fuel gage, which flashed the words 'empty' over and over. "Don't do this to me.. just a bit farther," the young man said, poking the gauge in a vain attempt to make the problem disappear. He let a sigh of relief escape when he saw the small trading post up ahead. He picked up his radio and said, "Yo! This is Blaze! Is anyone home?" There was a brief bit of static when a voice replied, "Bryce here. Blaze, you still driving that tin can?" "Ha ha. I'll have you know that this babe is the chick MAGNET!" Blaze yelled hastily.
"Yeah, and that's why you're a courier rather than swimming through piles of gorgeous babes," Bryce retorted. "You know, just for that, I think I'm going to blow up your shipment right now. It'd be a damn shame too- considering the new swimsuit magazine just came out," Blaze said slyly. "Whoa! Let's not be hasty! I mean, innocent pictures of scantily-clad women might get hurt!" Bryce said quickly. "Heh. That's your problem Bryce. You're too afraid to make sacrifices," Blaze said, pulling up alongside the fuel pumps. "The shipment's in back. Can I bum some fuel? I've been ridding fumes all day," Blaze said into the radio mike. "Sure. You know how to work the pump," Bryce said, walking around to the back of the craft. A large rear door opened to reveal a cargo bay full of crates. One by one, Bryce started to carry the crates into the store.
Blaze walked out of the control room and followed a hallway to a side hatch. He opened it and jumped to the sandy earth below. As he landed, a small breeze kicked up, scattering sand to the winds. As he landed, a curtain of sand flowed over him. He emerged, sand dribbling off his flight cap, the goggles glaring in the sun. Wild tufts of red hair poked out along the rim of the leather cap, as his yellow shined in the light. His beige t- shirt ruffled in the wind, as the jacket tied around his waist billowed around him like a kilt. The hilt of a large sword poked up over his left shoulder as he stood up. He high-fived Bryce as he walked past, and headed to the fuel pumps. He started hauling the large hose towards his transport, when a cloud on the horizon caught his attention.
"What'cha looking at?" Bryce asked as he made another trip to the cargo bay. "Do you see that cloud out there? Something's coming here fast.." Blaze questioned. Bryce stopped, staring to where his friend pointed. "Eh. It's probably Case. He probably found that two-headed snake he always comes across," Bryce said as he went back to work. Blaze gave on last glance, and clambered up onto one of the massive treads of his transport, hooking the fuel line to the tank. By the time he finished, the cloud was less then a mile away with Case at the head, driving like a man possessed. Case slammed the break and turned hard, skidding across the desert ground.
Before the car even slowed down, Case leaped out of his seat, hitting the ground running. He sprinted over to Blaze, yelling, "YOU GUYS! YOU AREN'T GOING TO BELIEVE THIS!" "Try me," Bryce said. "NO- YOU SERIOUSLY AREN'T GOING TO BELIEVE THIS!" Case bellowed. "I think Bryce is gullible enough. Remember the zipper incident?" Blaze said smugly. "THAT WASN'T FUNNY!" Bryce howled. "SHUT UP AND LISTEN!" Case screamed. Bryce and Blaze stopped bickering and listened intently as Case explained his story. "I have no idea what you just said," Bryce said, sounding utterly dumbfounded. "Is it even near physical possibility to move your mouth that fast?" Blaze asked.
"RAH! I'M SURROUNDED BY IDIOTS!" Case roared to the sky. He picked Blaze and Bryce, throwing them into the hover cargo. He then sprinted into the store, and emerged carrying a sleeping Seth over his head. With all his might, he hurled Seth through the door before jumping in himself. He hauled them all to the bridge, and deposited Blaze in the driver's seat. "You. Drive. NOW!" Case commanded, pointing to their location on a nearby map. "AYE AYE, CAP'N! FULL THROTTLE! You guys might. uh. want to sit down." Blaze suggested. "Oh yeah, our bodies DEFFINATELY won't be able to stand while we're moving a WHOPPING 5 mph," Bryce said sardonically, rolling his eyes. "I warned you.." Blaze said, hitting the throttle. The craft accelerated instantaneously, as Bryce and Case fell to the floor. "THAT CAN'T BE GOOD!" Bellowed Bryce as the Hover Cargo started to shake violently.
"RELAX! SHE'LL HOLD!" Blaze cackled. "Why do I find that not comforting?" Case muttered as the craft tore through the desert. Soon enough, they had reached the hole Case had made earlier. As they got ready to descend, Seth awoke. "Huh? Where the hell are we?" Seth asked. Case quickly told Seth the story as they piled out of the hover cargo and onto the desert floor. The group collected around the rim of the hole, looking into the dust hallway below. "Into the abyss we descend.." Seth said in a demonic voice. "I vote Seth goes in first!" Blaze said quickly, giving Seth a mighty shove. "Wha-" Seth said as he fell into the hole. "Heh. Have a nice trip Seth?" Blaze said evilly. He laughed some more, but soon stopped when he realized that Seth had grabbed his leg. "Now, Seth. It was all in good fu- WHOA!" Blaze yelped as Seth yanked him into the hole.
"Pain suuccks.." Blaze moaned from the bottom of the hole. "Aww, does Blazy- poo have an owie? Maybe if I kiss it it will feel better," cooed Bryce. "Kiss THIS!" Blaze retorted, snatching Bryce's ankle and yanking him into the hole. In a last ditch attempt to avoid pain, Bryce latched on to Case's wrist. "This won't end well," Case commented as they were dragged into the hole. Soon enough, all four were a pile of flesh and sand on the floor of the underground room. "Right- so where are these zoids you-" Seth said, staring dumbfoundedly at the piles of scrap below him. "Ye gods.." Blaze said, surveying the piles of metal before him. "Let's have a look at 'em!" Bryce said, walking down the stairs to the wreckage below.
"Looks like an abandoned base from the Old war," Blaze said, looking at all the destroyed zoids. "If we're lucky, a few of them might even be completely salvageable," Case said happily, examining his find. "This is a Republican base from the Helic-Guylos war. But these zoids are all from the empire," Seth said, looking at a large group of zoids on one side of the room. "My guess is that and Imperial invasion force tried to take this bunker." Blaze whistled as he looked at some of the battered relics. "Some of this stuff is in pretty good condition- check out this Zoid!" Bryce said, looking at a sable and crimson zoid. "That's a Zeek Dober. One of the first Zoids made by the Imperials and still one of the fastest land Zoid to date. Weapons consist of two missile launchers and a 30mm cannon," Seth said proudly. "Yeah- well if you're so smart, then what about these zoids?" Case said, pointing at a pair of serviceable zoids. "The first is a.. Command Wolf Juggernaut, a heavy artillery zoid with face-mounted missile pods, twin 50mm cannons, and quad 200mm mortar cannons. Just like you, it's heavy, slow, and beats the crap out of anything that moves. The second is a Glow Fox, a scout zoid with twin 80mm cannons and an electromagnetic net gun," Seth said in one breath.
"Whoa- someone's a SMIDGE too interested in the zoids circuit," Blaze said. "Hey guys- This thing still works!" Bryce said, fooling around with the controls in the Zeek Dober cockpit. "Be careful! We don't know if its weapons are still operational!" Case warned. "Yeah, what are the odds of that?" Bryce asked. Suddenly, a certain zoid caught Blaze's eyes. "WHOA! A PTERAS! I'VE WANTED ONE SINCE I WAS NINE!" Blaze said, hugging a cerulean zoid. "Now I've finally fulfilled my childhood dream," he said with tears in his eyes. "I wonder what this trigger-like device does.." muttered Bryce in the cockpit of the Zeek Dober. Suddenly, shots erupted from the Zeek Dober's tail cannon, ripping its target to pieces.
Target being the Pteras directly behind it.
Blaze shielded himself as the zoid next to him collapsed in a pile of flaming rubble. "All my dreams.. gone.." he cried. "WHOOPS! Uh, I guess the weapons DO work," Bryce said, smiling innocently. Picking himself up, Blaze started to unsheathe his sword. "Let's see.. I THINK I'm within killing distance," he muttered, preparing to introduce Bryce to his Blade. Suddenly, the room shook as shots erupted on the desert above them. "What the hell is that?!" Case yelled. "I'm not too sure I wanna find out!" Seth replied.
END PART 1