Zoids: A New Beginning
Chapter 2
Disclaimer: I do not own zoids (I wish I did, but I don't)
Following the conclusion of their successful battle with the Shell Team, the Blitz Team returned to their hangar and began the repairs on their zoids. The repairs for the Shadowfox were expensive in part because of the damage done by the Shell Team's Dibison, and in part it was a little difficult to find parts for such a unique zoid. However, the prize money they received was an astronomical sum. And it was easy to get the Shadowfox repaired.
"Man!" said Brad, "We're gonna be rich by the time were done here."
"And don't forget," added Jamie, "There are seven classes above us each with even more prize money."
They were relaxing in the lounge, Leena was in the shower and Bit was in the computer room. "What's he doing in there?" asked Brad.
"He said he was looking up information on Derrik Fay," was the reply.
"What's with the sudden interest in Derrik Fay?"
"I think there was something about him that intrigued Bit."
At that moment, Bit walked in. Right behind him came Dr. Toros. "Team, we have our next battle."
"Who're we up against?" asked Leena, just coming out of the shower.
Jamie read the paperwork, "They're called the Burning Sands Team."
Brad had to ask, "What have they got for us."
Dr. Toros said, "They have two Heldigunners, a Stealth Viper, and a Guysack."
"Sounds like I'll have to go in to," sighed Jamie, figuring that they would have to use four warriors to go up against the other team.
"You'd have to except that the battle mode isn't 0982, it's 0993."
"Why the sudden change in battle modes?" asked Bit.
"In Class S it isn't the number of zoids on a team that is important, its how well the warriors fight. Battle mode 0993 lets a team announce the zoids it will be using before the battle. They cannot be replaced or switched during the battle."
Jamie glanced at the paperwork again, "The paperwork says that battle is going to be at coordinates 536." He called up a map on the video screen. "That's mostly desert, they'll have an advantage."
"There's a reason they're called the Burning Sands Team," sighed Brad.
"Well then," said Bit yawning, "Let's get some shut eye before the battle."
"Well said," replied Dr. Toros, stifling a yawn of his own.
The next day, the hover cargo arrived at the battlefield. The Blitz Team mobilized the Shadowfox, Gunsniper, and Liger 0. On the other end of the battlefield were the zoids of the Burning Sands Team.
A large explosion and a column of smoke announced the arrival of the judge who promptly began the formalities of the battle.
"So you're the new team on the block," said Gene, the leader of the Burning Sands Team, "I heard that you handed the Shell Team a beating. I hope that this is a good battle. Good luck."
"Good luck to you too," said Bit, smilling.
As he finished that remark the judge shouted "Fight!" and the battle began.
"Watch this," said Gene, "Now you see us…now you don't." Smoke spewed out from his Stealth Viper, obscuring the whole team as the Blitz Team charged forward.
"I can't see them," said Bit, "Brad, the Shadowfox has good sensors can you pick 'em up."
"I'm trying but I can't see through the smoke, they must have brought something special."
"Stay out of the smoke cloud then," said Jamie, "If you go in you'll only make it easier for them."
Bit's eyes widened slightly, "Hold on, the smoke's clearing…huh!"
The Burning Sands Team was gone, all that was left was a bare patch of sand. Then, behind Leena, a shot rang out, hitting her Gunsniper in the back. The zoid rocked forward, but managed to stay standing. Leena immediately whirled about looking for her assailant.
A second shot rang out. Only the Liger 0's reflexes saved Bit as he ducked, the shot whistled over the Liger's head. "Where are they?" he cried in frustration.
Brad spotted a hillock of sand heading his way and lurched the Shadowfox to the side. A Heldigunner burst out of the ground, the blades on its tail missing him by what seemed like inches. He spun the Shadowfox around, but the Heldigunner had already vanished again. "They're attacking from underground," he said.
"How are we supposed to fight them when we can't see them?" exclaimed Bit.
Brad said, "Bit, we should head for the rocky area, all the zoids on that team can travel underground, but only in sandy areas. If we go to the rocky area they won't be able to get us from underground."
"Gotcha," said Bit. Bit, Brad, and Leena took off for the rocky area at top speed. Suddenly, the sand in front of them bulged and the Guysak surfaced. Its tail gun fired at the Liger. Bit used the Liger's ion boosters (not as fast as the Jagers, but useful nonetheless) to rush under the Guysak's line of fire. As he did so, he fired the Liger 0's shock cannon. The Guysak was not made to dodge and the shots disabled it neatly.
The Blitz Team rushed past the downed Guysack and made it to the rocky area. Leena turned around and saw the bulges of the two approaching Heldigunners. "Oh no you don't boys. Gunsniper Weasel Unit, Total Assault!" The Gunsniper's barrage penetrated through the sand, sending the Heldigunners flying upwards like boats shot out of the water.
"Nice shot," complemented Brad. He began to turn around and suddenly leaped upwards and backwards. Gunfire raked the spot where the Shadowfox had been standing a bare instant ago. The Stealth Viper had been waiting for them in the rocky area.
"You guys are good," said Gene.
"Thanks," said Brad, "You're pretty good yourselves." White smoke had begun to stream from the Stealth Viper as Gene attempted to gain an advantage.
"Not this time Gene," said Brad as the Shadowfox fired a precise shot that disabled the Stealth Viper's smoke emitter. The smoke it had already discharged dissipated in wisps that the Stealth Viper couldn't hope to hide in. "And now for a disappearing act of my own," Brad added as he activated the Shadowfox's own smoke dischargers.
The Shadowfox was concealed for a moment in the thick black smoke it emitted. When the smoke cleared, the Shadowfox was gone. Gene whistled, impressed. "Where'd he go?"
His answer game when the Stealth Viper's sensors picked up movement on the cliff wall behind him. He looked up and spotted the Shadowfox running down the cliff wall as if it were running across level ground. The Stealth Viper's head swung upwards in an attempt to shoot the Shadowfox, but the Fox's claws were already beginning to glow.
"Strike Laser Claw!" shouted Brad as the Shadowfox pushed off the cliff and slashed at the neck behind the Stealth Viper's head, defeating Gene.
"The battle is over!" announced the Judge, "The winner is… the Blitz Team."
Jamie commented from the hover cargo, "Good work guys, we've won our second Class S battle."
"You're likely to keep on winning," commented Gene, "Until you meet Derrik. Nobody I know has ever been able to beat him." He paused, considering the Blitz Team's skills. "But there's a first time for everything."
"Why don't you have dinner with us," offered Dr. Toros, "We'll help you fix up your zoids to.
"Thank you for the offer Doctor, I think we'll take you up on it."
Miles away, in the hangar that was listed as belonging to the Raptor Team, Derrik Fay watched the conclusion of the Blitz Team's battle with the Burning Sands Team. "They are doing well," he commented to himself.
He got up and headed for the space where his zoids were stored. As he entered the hanger, he looked around at the results of his life of zoid battles. The cubicles in the hangar's walls were occupied by a number of zoids. Some zoids, like the Rev Raptor that was his favorite, were fairly common on the market, but he had others, some rarer than even the Blitz Team imagined.
Directly across from the wall where his zoids were stored was a wall that was almost its mirror, but in miniature. Here, in this wall were finely detailed miniatures of all the zoids he possessed. In addition, there were a number of other models. He smiled as he picked a zoid model that was a miniature version of the Liger 0. It was a perfect, scaled down replica of the zoid owned and operated by the Blitz Team. He also selected a model that was a dead match for Leena's Gunsniper and one that could have been nothing but Brad's Shadowfox. He also selected a model that was a perfect replica of his favorite Rev Raptor.
They were toys really. He knew that, but they were also the keys to his success. He carried the four models over to a large flat table. There he called up the coordinates of a zoid battlefield. A perfect hologram flickered into existence on the table. He put each zoid on the table. To Derrik, these children's toys were more like chess pieces. He sat down with the forces of the Blitz Team arrayed against his Rev Raptor and began to figure his strategy.
At the Blitz Team's hangar, the team was enjoying a lively conversation with Gene and the members of the Burning Sands Team. "What can you tell me about Derrik Fay?" asked Bit.
"I remember seeing you talking to him at the dinner the other night," said Gene. "He is the best zoid pilot I have ever seen. My team made it to the rank below him twice and we lost to him twice. His zoid may only be a Rev Raptor, but he pilots it better than most people can pilot really high performance zoids.
"Another thing you'll notice about him is that he is one of the nicest people you'll ever meet. He'll give you a sound thrashing on the battlefield then offer you dinner. I've seen his hangar, he has more zoids than just the Rev Raptor he uses."
"So is he like Harry Champ in that zoid battles are just a pastime for rich people?" asked Brad (who having seen Harry Champ's collection of zoids had a lower opinion of people who battled as if it were a hobby).
"No, not at all. He was so successful that he made a fortune in zoid battles. All of those zoids were bought with the prize money he won in his victories. I think he may have as many as a dozen different aliases so that he can fight with every one of them."
"Is he as good in his other zoids as he is with his Rev Raptor?" asked Jamie, intrigued.
"Probably. Another thing I know is that every team in Class S thus far has lost to him at least once. Battling him is almost like a rite of passage." Gene looked up from the glass of orange juice he was sipping. "You may wonder how a Rev Raptor serves him so well, but you'll understand when you face him in battle, and you'll face him in battle soon at the rate you're going."
"How long will it be until we face him in battle?" asked Bit.
"Besides you, there are twenty other teams in Class S. You won't have to fight them all; but if you win every battle following this one you should face him about five or six battles from now. It all varies on how many zoids you lose in a given battle."
"I'll look forward to battling him," said Bit.
Not far away, and dangerously close to the headquarters of the Zoid Battle Commission, another person had been watching the Blitz Team's battle with more than interest.
Now the man sat alone in a well decorated room and reflected on what he saw. "The Blitz Team will prove a fitting challenge for my pilots, and it will certainly go well with our clients if we fight the team that took down the Backdraft group." The man's smile widened in anticipation of the battle to come.
