Shadowwolf: You're all too nice. :3
Nabooru – Glad you enjoyed it. Leena won't be happy about this chapter. XD
Bluefly7 – It's not that much longer…but…it IS longer. And Naomi shows up soon. -cackles-
BlackHole CO– Ahh, yes, isn't that a wonderful feature? -kicks it- Well, that's very impressive. Kudos to you for being able to write so much! XD Thanks so much!
Saku – Bodyguard. -snickers- Ah, yes, character torture. What fun.
BladesDeath – Yes, the Liger would have been Brad's first choice, but it sorta goes nuts about anyone else piloting it…so, I can't blame him for taking the GS. Thanks for reviewing!
Mercenary Pen – Heh, maybe he did. Guess we'll find out in this chapter. Thanks for reading!
Final Genesis – I should look for it. -snickers- Thanks for the great review!
Rynn Abhorsen – Hehehehe…not too much longer. Thanks!
MatrixSaix – 'Tis okay, Matrix. -hugs again- Brad/Naomi's coming…oh yes. Glad you like it. I love the Fox playing with people part too.
Starheart – Pizza…mm… -leaves in search of food- … -returns- Making you look bad? Aww, that's a huge compliment, but I'm definitely not making you look bad. I plan to read your story, even if it is only one chapter. Glad you like the turn of events, too! This is a fun chapter for character torture, I think. XD Hazzah! -wink-
Zinou – Glad that's okay…I think the last chapter is the longest. Eeee, evil Brad, that sounds wonderful. I read your Hiltz not Irvine theory, and LOVE it. I'm excited that I'm not the only one that doesn't believe the Irvine stuff. Anyway, I'm getting sidetracked again. XD I would rather not be bitten by your muse. -is very careful- Hey, if I don't have the story done by then, you can -pokekillmaulmaim- me to your heart's content! And you're right, Brad doesn't need a conscience. -snickers- Leena won't be happy.
Shadowwolf: I have so much fun reading reviews. -bounces around-
Brad: -hits her over the head with week-old French bread-
Shadowwolf: Ow. Disclaimer! I don't own Zoids 'n' stuff. But I own the plot, mmtay? Yay. On to the fic!
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The Mask of the Fox
The Mask Removed
-
A figure blocked out the sun and cast an enormous shadow over a blue Gun Sniper traveling alone in the desert. The Zoid stopped and tilted its head upward with a hiss. Inside, Brad prepared for a fight.
The figure was that of a black and red Whale King as it flew over Brad and the Gun Sniper. Brad recognized it as a Backdraft craft with its black body, red cockpit, and skull emblem. He cursed it as Leena's Zoid steadied itself defensively.
Please just keep going. I'm nobody important.
Unfortunately, the transport didn't pass as Brad had desperately wished. Instead, it began to come down near him and a comm. link was opened in the Gun Sniper's cockpit. Laon was on the screen.
"You?!" they shouted in unison, each with their own look of disgust. Laon scowled and pounded his fist on the console in front of him.
"Brad Hunter! Just what do you think you're doing wandering around in that Gun Sniper, letting your Zoid mosey about?" he asked with a sudden change of tone and a smirk. Brad growled and gripped the controls.
"I knew you had something to do with this!"
"Clever," he mocked and clapped, "I commend your intelligence. However, I'm still upset about this whole thing. You're the reason for it, y'know."
"Me?! You're the one who built the thing!" Brad seethed.
"Oh, yes, but you started this whole process of destruction and mayhem," he commented quite cheerfully.
"How?!"
"Come inside and I'll show you!" he shouted just as cheerfully as five Zabats dove from the Whale King's underbelly. Once near the ground, the transport opened its mouth and three red Saber Tigers strolled out. The Gun Sniper hissed and Brad cursed once more.
Before Brad had a chance to attack the Tigers rapidly approaching him, the wave of Zabats flew over and bombed him viciously. The explosions set off around Brad caused the Gun Sniper to lean from side to side and nearly knocked it to the ground several times. Unfortunately, one last bomb hit its target dead-on and threw the Gun Sniper to the ground anyway, with a massive gash in its back.
Consciousness started to leave Brad, due to another head injury, and the Tigers reached their target. One held the Gun Sniper down and ripped off its leg, another bit into its neck with its oversized fangs, and the third held one large paw over the cockpit.
-
Brad regained consciousness in a cold, simple room lacking a window. His head was pounding again. He wasn't strapped into a chair, to his relief and disappointment; escape could be easier than before, but he would have to find a new manner of escape. He wasn't bound to anything as before, but his wrists were held close by icy metal shackles.
Brad heard a key enter the lock and watched the door slide open to reveal Laon, who wore a nasty smirk on his face. He closed the door behind him and stood proudly in front of his prisoner, his head held high and arms crossed ominously.
"I'd like to thank you for your cooperation."
"Who says I'll cooperate?" Brad snarled and punctuated with a flurry of insults. Laon wasn't fazed and kept his stance.
"Oh, you'll cooperate, you little fox. There aren't any holes for you to slip through this time."
"We'll see about that, won't we?" Brad growled, forgetting he wasn't held back by anything. Laon raised an eyebrow and frowned, then smiled and nodded just as quickly.
"Don't you want to know why your Zoid has destroyed its reputation, and soon yours?" he asked calmly. Brad tilted his head slightly and huffed.
"I do. But I won't do anything in your favor to find out."
"Oh, no, no. I don't require that you do anything for me."
"Then what's the catch?" Brad asked apprehensively.
"No catch. Just information and satisfaction for you," Laon finished with the same smile worn when he started. Brad locked eyes with him and nodded slightly.
"Okay, then. Explain. Explain why the Fox has a virus and what will happen to it."
"To start, it has a virus because I installed it, as you undoubtedly guessed. I built the Shadow Fox to fight against the Liger Zero. It was meant to destroy it. After you stole my creation, it couldn't fulfill its purpose. But I had a plan, as I was afraid that might happen."
"Go on," Brad prompted in a harsh tone.
"When I built the Shadow Fox, I installed the virus, which was set to activate if I failed to enter a code to cancel it within a set time limit. I would have entered the code after the Liger was destroyed, but it wasn't, and I never canceled the virus. Time expired, and the virus activated itself. After activation, another time limit, of seventy-five hours, was given. You see, as you must have also guessed, the virus was designed to turn the Shadow Fox into a very powerful, destructive, and self-reliant Zoid."
"Guessed? I didn't have to guess, I got that fact handed to me on a silver platter," Brad spat, irritated. Laon only smiled more.
"Ah, see? It's working perfectly."
"Don't start with me…what'll happen when time's up?"
"The Shadow Fox will shut down permanently, and its programming will be destroyed beyond the point of repair. Another genius plot of mine was to set up the Shadow Fox in such a way that it could only function with special programming done by yours truly."
"Brilliant, how fortunate I am to be in your presence," Brad said in a sarcastic tone that completely destroyed any trace of seriousness in his words. Laon shot him a cold glare.
"No matter. There isn't much time left. If the Liger crosses its path, I win. If it doesn't, I go home with a participation ribbon."
"You're an idiot," Brad muttered, looking down to check the timer on his watch. But his watch was gone.
"Clever of you," Laon commented and Brad's head snapped up, "to keep track that way. Though, it wasn't necessary, so I relieved you of it. But if you're curious," he pulled Brad's watch from his pocket and glanced at it, "forty-five hours, five minutes, and ten—no, nine seconds remain," he added with a smirk. Brad grumbled to himself and started on his escape plan. Laon sighed and cast Brad's watch to the floor where something clearly broke, to Laon's satisfaction.
"Nice to chat with you, Hunter, but I have things to work on. Take a nice little nap and I'll come back to inform you of your duties under my command," he said arrogantly before exiting and locking the door behind him.
While the door was briefly open, Brad saw a guard standing outside. Something snapped in his brain and he rose with a smirk. He walked to the door and knocked hurriedly.
"Excuse me?" he called. Although he couldn't see, he could hear the guard's boots and figured he had turned to face the door.
"Yes?"
"I need to use the restroom."
There was a pause.
"Hello?"
"Yes, yes. I'll escort you," the guard replied and Brad could hear the key enter the lock again. He took a step back and the door opened. "Come out slowly."
"Yessir," he replied and did as he was told. The guard had a hand gun, and wasted no time placing the muzzle against Brad's back. He wasn't unnerved, though, and moved forward slowly when the guard pushed him.
They walked down a long hallway in this manner, until they reached a door that read "Restroom." Brad turned the handle and walked in slowly, realizing the gun was still against his back. The guard was going to follow him inside. He couldn't hold back a slight smirk.
"We're here, now do your business," he commanded, and Brad faced the urinal. He looked back to see the guard watching him.
"Er…excuse me?"
"Yes?"
"These shackles…they're…well…"
"Fine," the Backdraft recruit said sharply, taking a key from his pocket and removing the cuffs from Brad's wrists. Brad stayed where he was and noted that the guard was still watching.
"Uh…excuse me, again?"
"Yes?" the guard said with as much irritation as Brad had before.
"Could you…y'know…look away? Turn around?" he asked slowly, looking rather hesitant. The guard blinked and scowled.
"Are you serious?" he asked. Brad nodded.
"Please?"
"Fine," the guard grumbled and turned around, facing the door.
"No peeking."
"I won't peek, now hurry up!" the guard barked angrily. Brad smirked and turned to face him, making no noise with his steps. The guard tapped his foot lightly, listening for Brad. When he didn't hear him, he turned his head to glance back.
Brad leapt at his chance by grabbing the base of his neck and throwing him into the door. It worked perfectly, and the guard hit his head against the metal hard enough to lose consciousness. Brad put his hand on his waist and smirked.
"You peeked. I told you not to peek."
Brad opened the door slowly and looked down the hall in both directions. Fortunately, the hall was empty. He nodded slightly to himself and took the right, following a sign that read "HANGAR" with a red arrow leading the way.
To Brad's surprise, he found no one in the halls and made it to the hangar without a problem. He slipped in and crouched down behind a large ammunition container, where he looked over the Zoids available. Two silver Storm Sworders, one damaged Zabat, five red Saber Tigers, five black Command Wolves, a black Blade Liger, and a black Zoid that Brad didn't recognize stood in front of him. He looked over the unknown Zoid first.
It was a large tyrannosaur-type with two shield-like pieces on its back, each with two claws attached. Everything about it was massive, and Brad couldn't imagine how they got it inside. He shook his head and looked to the Blade Liger, dismissing the Storm Sworders, Zabat, and Command Wolves right away. He knew he needed something larger and stronger than the Fox. But would the Liger be stronger, even with the virus? He didn't know, and he didn't have time to care.
A group of pilots had just entered the hangar. Brad ran forward and hid behind different crates, cases, parts, and Zoids to reach the Liger without being seen. Carefully, he climbed up the leg and lifted the canopy. Until then, the pilots had been too busy talking to hear anything unusual, but the sound of the cockpit opening was too obvious to them. Each one turned and saw Brad climb inside.
"It's the prisoner! Stop him!" one shouted, while another hit the alarm. A loud and repetitive drone started through the Whale King, and it seemed to echo in the hangar. Brad lowered the canopy as quickly as possible and the Blade Liger roared and stretched. Before any Backdraft lackeys could reach him, Brad pulled the blades out and charged ahead to tear at the Whale King's side. It didn't take long to weaken it, and without a second thought, he leapt forward and clawed his way out, into the open air.
Brad in the Blade Liger, with no ground beneath it, pulled its blades in and prepared for a rough landing.
Shadowwolf: Brad forgot Blade Ligers can't fly. -cruel laughter-
Brad: o.o;
Shadowwolf: I got too much sleep last night. Hope you enjoyed!