Zoids Fuzors: Faerie's Beginning
Chapter IV: Unexpected Surprises
I fired first and immediately took out a Command Wolf.
"The Rhodes sister is down!" declared a black-haired man with a prominent nose.
"And you're next!" Flame shouted. His weapons readied to fire, but I was faster. I fired and the Command Wolf fell.
"Kwik, come – ARGH!" shouted a woman as I took her and another man down in one go.
"Boss! Gonzales and the Rhodes brother are down!" yelled the last woman. I fired and took her out too.
"How -!?" Rudolf began.
"Maybe you should think about your strategy more," I growled. "No room to evade attacks at point-blank range." The Shadowfox turned tail. "Oh, no you don't!" I fired and the Zoid was taken down. I called Gummy, a Peace Corps officer.
"Yeah?" Gummy asked, appearing on my screen.
"My friend and I just took out some bandits trying to steal my Zoid. Could you come pick them up? End of Storm Avenue, near the Zoids' highway," I told him.
"I'm on it. Thanks, Faerie," Gummy said.
"No prob. I'm going to go on and deliver a package, so I'll be gone when you get here," I informed him. Gummy nodded. "I'll see you at work, then!" The screen with Gummy on it flickered off. "Let's get going, Flame."
We picked a path around the fallen Zoids and got on the highway. Flame looked at me strangely through the video communicator. I ignored him for awhile, but he continued staring.
"What?" I finally snapped. Flame just continued looking at me. "WHAT!?"
"Where'd you learn to fight like that?" he wondered.
"I don't know," I admitted. "I guess it's just in my blood."
"Guess so," Flame agreed. There was silence for a few seconds.
"So… how are Rebecca and James?" I wondered.
"They're -," Flame began, but an alarm cut him off. "What's up? Why is the Palomino Hope sending an alarm tone?"
"Hope, what's going on?" I asked. A visual of the area around Flame and me came up with infrared heat images. I saw the problem immediately.
"Flame! We're surrounded by Helcats!" I cried.
"What the hell!?" Flame cursed.
"My point exactly," I replied. There was about eight Helcats forming a circle around us. There was no escape. Unless… I called Gummy again.
"Yeah?" he asked when he answered.
"I've got about eight Helcats in an attack formation around me," I told him calmly.
"I'll send somebody over to get them," he said. There was a short pause, then, "You should do have a knack for getting into trouble."
"I know," I admitted. "Trouble follows me. Anyway, I'll be seeing you at work I suppose." The screen with Gummy went off again. I turned to the screen with Flame. "Ready to lose these freaks?"
"You got a plan?" he wondered. I looked around and saw a smokescreen button.
"Perfect," I muttered. To Flame: "Get off at the next exit. I'm firing a smokescreen."
"Roger that," Flame said. I saw his Zoid heading slightly right.
'Ready?' Hope asked.
"Firing smokescreen!" I shouted. The smokescreen fired around Hope and the Helcats scattered. I bolted toward the nearest exit. Behind me, the Helcats burst out of the smokescreen. They were still invisible, but I saw eight disturbances as the Zoids followed. I began to lead the Helcats to the police.
"Run, but you won't escape!" gloated a woman clad in jewels who had just appeared on my screen. I ground my teeth.
"What do you want?" I growled. The woman laughed.
"I want whatever valuables you have," she said coolly. "You must be very rich to own a Zoid like that!"
"Well, you lost that bet," I snapped. "I earned this Zoid on pure talent!! …You don't need to know about how much money I make."
"Oh? And how much do you make?" the woman laughed.
"None of your business," I growled. "Now, do you want me to take you out like I took out Team Pyrite?"
"I've never even heard of them. Are they a real team?" the woman sneered.
"They're a team of bandits and I took out all six of their Zoids, single-handed," I snapped. The woman laughed.
"Oh, really?" she said in a disbelieving voice. I heard a man's voice speak to her.
"Natasha, I have proof. Look at her records," he said. Natasha looked and snorted.
"Beginner's luck," she sneered. I readied my weapons.
"How's THIS for beginner's luck!?" I roared, turning around and firing. I took out a Helcat. The others got ready to fight.
"Cheap trick!" a man accused, coming onto my screen. I smiled.
"I'm gonna take you down!" I declared. I fired at him, but he dodged.
"My turn!" Natasha fired at me, but I quickly avoided it.
'Seven against one isn't good odds,' Hope warned. I sighed. She's right, I thought. But I can handle it!
I fired at a Helcat. It dodged to avoid, but as it dodged, I fired again in the direction it was heading. It couldn't turn quick enough and suffered enough damage for a Command System Freeze. I heard a Zoid walking up behind me.
"Need some help there, Faerie? I brought some reinforcements," Flame joked.
"You two just mosey on outta here," Gummy said. "We can handle these crooks."
"Thanks, Gummy," I thanked and followed Flame down the street.
We rode in silence for awhile, trying to find the right street. I was about to check my navigator again when Flame asked, "Isn't it funny?" I glared at him.
"Isn't what funny?" I questioned. Flame ignored my cold attitude.
"Isn't it funny that two different criminal Zoid teams have attacked us in the same day?" he wondered.
"I don't find that very funny," I snapped. Flame looked shocked.
"I meant funny as in strange, not funny as in, well, funny," he pouted.
'You really should go easier on him,' Hope said. I sighed.
"Sorry, Flame. I'm just kinda short-tempered right now," I apologized. Flame looked at me with curiosity.
"Who's in your Zoid with you?" he wondered.
"What do you mean?" I asked, confused.
"I heard someone talking to you," he pressed. I tried not to act surprised. Putting on y best "poker face", I laughed.
"You silly – I mean, have you been getting enough sleep?" I chuckled. The Palomino Hope stopped moving. "What the -!?"
"What's going on, Faerie?" Flame asked worriedly. I knew what.
"Hope, WHY exactly have you stopped? We're late enough as is!" I yelled.
"Why -?" Flame began, but Hope interrupted him.
'I refused to move until you tell him the truth,' Hope said obstinately.
"No, I can't let anyone else know about you!" I shouted.
'I can't believe the daughter of the great Dustin Pegs, Champion of Zoids, would be afraid to let people know that her Zoid can talk and think,' Hope sneered. I was enraged. Flame looked excited.
"You're Zoid can -?" he started, but I didn't pay him any attention.
"YOU LISTEN HERE!!!" I roared. "I've had a bad day already, and I don't need you making it worse by making it seem like I'm crazy! Zoids can't -! Hold on… How do you know about my dad?"
'Well, let's just say that he's not dead and he's looking for his daughter,' Hope answered. I could just imagine her winking at me.
Daddy… I thought, wiping away a tear. Hope began moving again. I smiled.
"Where's Dad?" I wondered.
'Let's just say he's closer than you think,' Hope replied. 'Your heart knows what your mind is too scared to hope.'
-*~*-*~*-
After work, I went home and fell into bed, thinking about what Hope had said. Finally, I got up and called in a vacation day for my night job at the Peace Keeping Bureau. I pulled on my blue blazer and left the apartment. I called Flame on my cell phone and told him where I was headed and not to follow me.
Hope was waiting for me. I climbed into her cockpit and rode in silence all the way to Dusty's house. Dusty looked surprised.
"I don' need a courier righ' now," he said.
"My last name is Pegs," I told him. "And you can quit the fake accent, Daddy[1]."
[1] Anyone not see that coming? I think I made it a bit too obvious. Need to work on that.
