Shadowwolf: THANK YOU ALL FOR READING AND REVIEWING!
Saku ~ Thanks for the review, Sis! ^_^ I'm sorry it was a tearjerker. Hehehe…it'll hopefully get better… *doesn't even know herself* I hope you like this chapter!
The Masked Instigator ~ I'm glad you liked that chapter! And I too like to see Brad's sensitive side. ^_^ I hope this story lives up to your expectations!!
Coffee Luv ~ Yesh, Brad is awesome. *grins* Thanks so much for reading!
darkleena ~ *sarcastically* What a surprise to see you reviewing! ^_- Sorry about starting another…but hey…actually, I have no excuse. *shrugs* I hope you like this chapter!
Rynn Abhorsen ~ YOU LIVE TOO! *does a happy dance* Did I miss that fic? Oh, sheesh. I have to check now. Sorry if I did. -.- I really appreciate your review. Maybe I'll sneak in some Brad/Naomi…I dunno… *shifty eyes*
Shadowwolf: I hope this chapter is good. *shrugs* Because, honestly, at this point I don't know. Just to let you know: there is quite a lack in description of some of the characters. I'm sorta doing this…just because. I want you to be able to picture them however you want, without me saying something is so. Okay? If you hate it, and want me to describe a lot, otay…lemme know. ^_^ Haha… *shakes head* The disclaimer from chapter one applies here, because I'm lazy.
Bit: Yeah! Fight the man!
Shadowwolf: o.o Riiiiight…anyway, chapter two!! ENJOY!
BEFORE THE BLITZ
Hopity, Hopity, Hop
Life was dull. Nothing at all happened in the time that Joon was gone. It was almost like she took all of our fun with her. Well, when I say "our fun" I mean the fun Matt and I used to have. Phil was never really one of us.
Phil disliked Zoids and Zoid battles. At only fifteen years old, he thought he knew everything. He found special friends while hanging out at malls and little shops, and always preferred to be with them over his family. This was no skin off my back, since we never got along. I was happy to see him leave the house every day, and know that he wouldn't be back until somewhere around midnight.
Phil's behavior didn't settle well with Mom and Dad, but they never really did anything about it. In fact, I think I tried to discipline Phil more than they did. We always got in fights, and Joon was always the one to break them up. Now that she was gone, our fights got nasty, and I ended up with bruises, scratches, and once even broken bones.
Not that this was the reason I wanted her back. I could take some hits, and I let Phil know it by coming back for more. But it didn't matter to me that I stood up to him, because Joon wasn't there to congratulate me.
Luckily for me, everything changed on my sixteenth birthday…
"BRAD!!"
"Oof!" I let out as a now twenty-year-old Joon wrapped me up in a tight hug when I opened the door. "Joon?!"
"Yeah, Joon! What, you think I wouldn't remember your birthday? Man, you are really dense," she teased and pounded my back hard. I coughed, but couldn't stop smiling.
"Don't you have a battle or something today? I mean, you must be busy…"
"Bradley-Wadley, no amount of prize money is enough to lure me away from your birthday party!"
"Aww, thanks…" I sighed, exhausted from being so happy to see her.
----
"The best part, though, is meeting all the people. You would not believe the kind of crazies that are out there!" Joon told us with a cheerful laugh.
"What teams have you been on, Joon?" I asked curiously, leaning forward on the couch to hear her better.
"Well…" she started from her seat on the floor, "I've been on the Tigers, Hunters, and Fluffy Bunnies teams."
"Wait…" I blinked and laughed. "Fluffy Bunnies?? You're kidding!"
"No, there really is a team called the Fluffy Bunnies!" she laughed a little herself. "Just a couple of people with a sense of humor, is all."
"That's great, Joon…" my dad commented from behind his newspaper. With his lack of respect for Joon at the moment, I wasn't feeling too friendly toward him.
"Yeah, that's awesome. How much do you get paid?"
"That's between me and my wallet," she said with a wink. I snorted and laughed a little.
"Wow…" I said with a sigh, thinking back on everything she had told us about in the last hour. It was a lot to absorb. "Y'know…I think I wanna be a mercenary."
Dad pulled his paper down. "What?"
"I…think I wanna be a…mercenary…" I repeated, unnerved by my father's tone.
"You too?"
"Yeah…" I nodded.
"Why not, Dad?" Joon broke in. "He's even a guy. If you let me do it, why not him?"
"I didn't say I had a problem with it, did I? I just think, Brad, that you'll find it's not all fun and games like Joon makes it sound."
"I'll get you started!" Joon said excitedly in an effort to completely ignore Dad's comments. "I can get you all set up."
"Really?" I nearly jumped out of my seat.
"Uh-huh. Come on!" she said, standing and pulling me up, then walking out to the hangar. Once we were far out of hearing range, she let out her frustrations. "I don't get it…Dad's usually so supportive…why does he have such a problem with this? He's driving me crazy, and I've been away from him for almost a year…"
"I don't know…" I said honestly. We stood in front of my Rev Raptor.
"Well, anyway, don't worry about him. He can't stop you if this is really what you want to do…is it?"
I nodded quickly without a word.
"Okay then…now…" she started, looking up at my Zoid. "As you already know…this isn't the best Zoid…but…you have good skills, and there isn't any reason why some team shouldn't just snatch you up. I'll help you out with that part, anyway."
I nodded again, listening carefully.
"So…you'll need to get a sort of 'license' before you can really fight for a team. It's just a background test, no need for you to worry about it. Heck, if I passed, you will without a problem." She winked.
"Heh…"
"Hmm…I need to leave tomorrow, though…are you…ready…to leave that soon?"
"Yes!" I nearly shouted, straightening up and clamping my mouth shut afterwards. Joon grinned.
"Then that isn't a problem. We'll leave tomorrow and you can get your license…then, the fun starts."
----
Joon wasn't kidding. I sat in the Rev Raptor's cockpit, holding the little slip of paper I got after passing the test.
BRAD HUNTER
Test: P
ID: 543821-8
12.43.65.08
Verify: Don Leer
So it wasn't a fancy laminated card…it was proof that I could do something right, at least. I looked down to see that Joon was still deep in conversation with the pilots of the first team I'd ever join. Or at least, I hoped they'd take me.
The owner seemed to be a guy that looked about my height and wore casual clothes. He had short black hair, which seemed to fit with the black Blade Liger he stood in front of. It was an impressive Zoid, and I found myself wanting to touch it…just because it was there.
A young woman stood next to him, a bit taller with silvery-grey hair and reddish eyes. I raised an eyebrow at her. She couldn't be much older than me…I was sure. But you'd never know with the way she carried herself. Proud…was the one word that came to mind. She stood in front of a white König Wolf, a Zoid I would die for.
Joon laughed a little, and so did the pilots, so I figured things must be going well. I relaxed in my seat a bit, until Joon called up to me.
"BRAD!!"
I blinked and jumped up to leave the cockpit, and ended up smacking my head on the canopy. I put my hand over the pained area and cursed, then opened the canopy and jumped out. "Yeah?!"
"Get over here!"
"I'm coming!" I shouted back, running the short distance to meet them. The two pilots smiled to me.
"All right, Brad. This is Denki Tanaka, the self-proclaimed leader of the team," she said, introducing me to the young man. He chuckled and held out his hand.
"Nice to meet you, Brad."
"Nice to meet you, too, Mr. Tanaka."
"Oh, please. Call me Denki," he said with a warm smile. I nodded.
"Or, you could call him Denk," the young woman next to him said with a smirk. "I'm Vesta Ulf, and I don't agree with Denk's self-proclamations."
"Nice to meet you, too…"
"Call me Ves. You might as well, as long as you're one of us," she said with a smile, but I wouldn't call it warm.
"You mean, I…?" Joon nodded to finish my question. "Yes!! Thank you!"
"You're welcome. Thanks for working for us," Denki said.
"Yes, now you can go and tell all your friends that you're a proud member of the Fluffy Bunnies Team…" Vesta said sarcastically. Joon laughed. Ahh, so I was on a team called the Fluffy Bunnies…at least I had a team.
Shadowwolf: He's got himself a team! Not one to be proud of…but a team none-the-less…sorta boring…I know…no action…but necessary to build up the next chapter. I would keep going…but it's getting long, and I have carpal tunnel in my neck and cheek. o.O
Bit: Is that even possible?
Shadowwolf: *shrugs* I don't care. It hurts. I hope you liked this one, and hopefully the next one will be up soon!