Shadowwolf: Ahh! Second to last chapter! -tear- This has been so fun.
Life is but a Dream2000 – And you passed that visual on to me. -stupid giggling- I'm glad you liked that line. Über-glad. -wink wink- I agree. He has some type…but I've been known to disable it. Muahaha. Thanks!
Starheart – Laon's a great guy, huh? XD I'm not a morning person either! -cringes- Morning…eww. That is SUCH a compliment to me, you have no idea. I hate being predictable, but I've been that way before. -sweatdrops- Thank you so much!!
Enigma of Despair – I wouldn't say I'm a midget, but I've been called evil. Thanks!
Final Genesis – I despise Fuzors. -grumbles- Thanks so much for the great review, and I'll check out those movies. -nod-
Zinou – -nearly dies laughing- The poor Backdraft can't do anything right, it seems. And yes, 'twas a Geno Breaker in the hangar. -evil smile- Blade Ligers are annoying, unless piloted by Brad as you suggest. Kill…? Possibly… -dances around-
Saku – Eviler is indeed a word, eh? Muaha. I'm abusive to Ligers. Thankses. -grin-
Nabooru – That it is. -smile- Thanks!
tYp0 – Hah, you're the second person to comment on the "powerful, sleek, sexy Zoid" that had a cameo. I agree, by the way. -cackles and winks- I'm so glad you like the story. Thanks for reading!
MatrixSaix – -a certain white rabbit runs by in costume- Mmm, yes. XD Some lucky guy that just proposed, eh? Hahah! Thanks, Matrix!!
Shadowwolf: I hope this chapter doesn't disappoint. I liked it. But, then again, I just like this story for whatever reason.
Brad: Because you turned my Fox evil and violent and there's blood and—
Shadowwolf: Indeed. Disclaimer: I don't own Zoids, as you all know by now. Enjoy this chapter really a lot, okay? XD
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The Mask of the Fox
Last Effort
-
As the Blade Liger fell through the air, the clouds parted enough to show the rocky ground rushing up at Brad. He was confused by this, because the Whale King should have been flying at a much greater altitude, and it should have taken much longer to reach the ground.
Regardless, Brad let out a cross between a growl, grunt, and groan as the Liger hit. The Liger reacted with its own creaking, snapping, crunching, and roaring. Before it had a chance to steady itself, large rocks slid out from underneath it and began to pull it down a small slope. Brad couldn't keep the Liger up after the impact-inflicted damage and the sudden slide, and it collapsed on its side.
"Come on," he growled, desperately attempting to dig the Liger's claws into something, anything to stop the movement. Nothing held and the Zoid continued to slide down the slope and gathered speed. A large boulder that had stayed in place made contact with the Liger on its way down, and one blade, one booster, and several armor pieces were torn off. The cockpit was also rocked violently, and Brad realized there was a horrible pain in his back.
For a few minutes the Liger spun, shook, and clawed at the ground, then finally flipped onto its other side. Brad was barely holding on in the cockpit as the Liger's momentum seemed to slow. He tried to see what was happening outside, but his vision was badly blurred, and nothing was clear. Suddenly, the Liger slowed dramatically and seemed to go uphill for a change, until it finally stopped. Brad blinked several times and started to shift, but he realized immediately that something was wrong.
Although he couldn't see it, he was right, and he could feel that the Liger wasn't sitting firmly on the ground. It seemed to be balancing. Brad sat still in the cockpit for a minute, until his vision returned to him. When he could see clearly, he raised himself up slowly, despite his back pain, and looked outside.
Ahead of him, he saw the Liger's rear legs and tail hanging dangerously over the edge of a cliff. He stifled a gasp and turned his head to look behind him. There he could clearly see a path of mild destruction where rocks, plants, and dirt clumps had been pushed aside. Amazingly, the "small slope" he had just slid down was in fact the side of a large, dry mountain that ended abruptly.
Brad stayed perfectly still as he thought to himself. He knew he needed to save the Liger if he were to make it to Romeo City, or even to survive. Moving the Zoid in the wrong way would send it over the edge. It would be lost, and if he didn't escape, he would be lost with it. On top of that, he didn't know how extensive the damage was, because he couldn't get out to inspect it properly.
Before Brad could sort out the mess he was in, something caused a good deal of noise above him. He looked up the side of the mountain and saw the large boulder that had ripped into the Liger's side tumbling down toward him. He swore at the oversized rock and took the first action that came to mind.
Although the boulder had ripped off one blade, the other was still intact. Brad, hoping the blades still functioned, used the controls to draw them out. The remaining blade was opened without a problem and sliced into the soft ground beneath it, where it formed a kind of anchor. Brad turned the Liger's head just slightly and braced himself.
The boulder bounced around in a way that caused it to avoid the cockpit completely and slam into the Liger's side instead. The Zoid shook with the impact and the boulder rolled from the Zoid's side to its legs. Briefly, Brad thought the boulder might have pushed the blade further into the ground and improved the anchor. Whether that was the case or not, the weight of the stone on the Liger's legs tilted it and ripped the blade from the ground.
Brad could feel some of the ledge slipping away under his Zoid as it slid down and started its fall. His heart was pounding, and his stomach seemed to leave his body completely. He closed his eyes, waiting for the earth to meet him.
No sooner than he had closed his eyes than the Zoid hit solid ground and rolled several yards. Something in its path stopped its roll and it came to a shaking stop. Brad opened his eyes again and looked around through blurry vision once more. Even so, he could see the edge of the mountain only a hundred feet above him. The fall wasn't a great one.
"All this for that?!" he shouted angrily, and his lungs and back pained him as he did so. Apparently, from the cockpit, Brad hadn't been able to judge the height of the ledge properly. He cursed under his breath and opened the canopy, then stumbled out. His feet fell on a flat, smooth rock and it slid out from under him, sending him to the ground where he landed on the stones that had tumbled down with his Zoid.
Brad took in a sharp breath and coughed painfully. He closed his eyes and tried to fight the pain, but it had become immense, nearly unbearable. I'll end up dying here…for no good reason…he thought bitterly. Slowly, consciousness slipped away from him again, and left him alone at the base of the mountain, on a bed of sharp stones.
-
When it returned to him, his pain had died down enough to allow him to move. He groaned and coughed again as he sat up and rubbed his forehead. Night had fallen over the desert, and the moons weren't lighting the area very well. Brad cursed and muttered to himself as he walked around the Liger with extreme care.
After assessing the damage, Brad crawled back into the Zoid's cockpit and turned it on. The cockpit lights flashed twice before giving off steady light, much to Brad's irritation. He grumbled more to himself as the Liger growled, then took the controls and started the process of bringing the Zoid to its feet.
The operation wasn't easy. Smooth rocks like the one Brad had slipped on littered the ground, and the Liger couldn't keep its footing. On top of that, Brad was shivering after exposure to the chilly night air. With a great deal of effort, he managed to get the Zoid up and lead it onto the soft desert sand surrounding the rock pile. Every joint seemed to give a mechanical sigh and a few sparks flew from loose power cords. Brad knew it was severely damaged, even before it leaned forward on its right leg.
It would be a long journey to Romeo City. With a pained sigh, he pushed the Liger forward at a steady walk, not daring to take it into a run. Each part was creaking with every bit of movement.
On his way, Brad's mind drifted. He wondered why the Backdraft hadn't seized him again. It would have been easy. He was unconscious and the Zoid was nearly disabled. Brad threw off his questions on the matter with a shrug that made him wince.
After a little napping, he wondered why he was still going to Romeo City. After all, the Shadow Fox was probably in a different city or town by then. Though it was taking Brad so long to reach the city in question, there was always the possibility that it was still there. The only known attacks had taken place in Romeo City, he remembered.
Besides, he had other matters there. Maybe his Zoid wouldn't be there when he reached the city, but another object of interest would be. And something had to be done about it.
Though Brad completely lost track of time, it took him over four hours to reach his destination. It was two in the morning when he entered Romeo City's streets. Everything seemed quiet and peaceful, and Brad was convinced the Fox was gone. He continued marching, however, despite the loud noise the Liger started making.
It took him twenty more minutes, but Brad finally reached his true target. He stopped the creaking Liger in front of a small base just past the main urban area of the city. Without realizing what time it was, he opened the canopy and climbed down, then approached the door. Before he could ring the doorbell, a wave of dizziness hit him and he fell to the ground again with a sigh. Above him, a window lit up with warm light and a figure moved swiftly across the room.
-
Brad woke to a more pleasant sight after his latest black out. He was in a warm bed, in a relaxed bedroom, with an ice pack on his forehead. He blinked a few times and yawned before trying to sit up.
"Don't you dare," a female voice warned from beside the bed. Brad recognized it immediately.
"Naomi?"
"Who else? You passed out on my doorstep, Brad. Don't be surprised that I'm here."
"That I did," he said with a slight chuckle that quickly changed into a hacking cough.
"Easy…" she said, gently placing a hand on his chest. "Man, Brad, I don't know what you got yourself into, but I hope this is the last time it happens," she said with genuine concern.
"Oh, I wouldn't get my hopes up," he replied when his coughing subsided.
"What happened?"
Naomi had just asked a question that spawned half an hour of explanation and coughing from Brad.
When he finished, Naomi stayed silent and mulled over the information without a word. She seemed to realize something and nodded to herself, then looked back to Brad with concern in her eyes.
"Lucky you got away from Laon and managed to survive your ordeal. I'm glad you're alive, but what hurts?"
"I'm fine. It's going away already," he lied. Naomi didn't take it for a second and pushed down on his chest. This action got a horrible wince and gasp from Brad, no matter how he tried to fight it.
"Don't lie."
"…Everything…no kidding…"
"I'll take you to the hospital, then. It's obvious you need professional help."
"Naomi, please," Brad pleaded, "I'll be all right. I just want you to get out. Just in case the Fox comes back."
"I'm not planning on leaving because of that. Now, come on," she said before helping him to his feet. Brad hadn't lied completely; some of the pain was leaving him, but there was still enough to prevent easy movement.
As carefully as possible, Naomi led Brad down two short flights of stairs and into her Zoid hangar. A loud crunching noise came from outside, followed by the sound only something falling into sand can produce. Naomi stopped and Brad cringed.
"This base is usually so sound proof."
"It's just the Liger falling apart," Brad told her, not even looking up from the floor, where his eyes rested. Naomi nodded and helped Brad past an old Command Wolf to the Gun Sniper. This sparked questions.
"I didn't know you had a Command Wolf. How long have you had it?"
"Oh, years. It would probably fall apart if you touched it," Naomi answered, flipping a switch to open the door before starting to help Brad into the cockpit.
As the door rose, a small amount of moonlight filtered in and cast shadows on the floor. Brad stared at them briefly and realized they had to have come from outside, and must belong to the Blade Liger. More metal crunching and crashing sounds rang out, and the two pilots looked out as the door opened fully.
Brad was partly right. The shadow did belong to the Liger, and it was falling apart. But it wasn't falling apart without help from a black Zoid standing at its side, ripping at its limbs and armor. The Zoid and its red eyes were unmistakable as it turned to look at them.
"Naomi, get in the Gun Sniper," Brad whispered before he stepped down from Naomi's Zoid and started to sneak back toward the Command Wolf. The Shadow Fox looked on with curious calm and stayed still. Naomi did as she was told and secured herself in her Zoid while Brad pulled himself into the Command Wolf's cockpit with pained effort.
The Shadow Fox looked away briefly and went back to its work on the Blade Liger. In a few more attacks, it pushed the Liger to the ground with a crash and turned back to see the Command Wolf step out of the hangar, growling angrily. If Zoids were capable of facial expressions, the Shadow Fox would have worn a smirk that would put Jack Cisco to shame.
Without waiting for an attack, Brad pushed the Wolf forward and raced away from the base, leading the Fox away from Naomi. To his temporary relief, the Fox took the bait and chased after him with incredible speed. It wasn't long before Brad realized that he may have made a deadly mistake.
The Fox overtook the old Wolf with ease and clamped its jaws around its shoulder. Brad growled as the Fox pulled the Wolf down and it tumbled through the sand, agitating his injuries and causing him to cry out. When his Zoid stopped sliding, the Shadow Fox was out of sight.
Brad started to pull the Wolf up, unable to hold back a nervous shudder, but he never made it. The Fox reappeared and came down on the Wolf's back, digging its claws in and biting at its neck. Brad struggled to shake the rogue Zoid off, but the Command Wolf couldn't manage it and just sank into the sand.
Without warning, a shot rang out and a bullet flew over the Command Wolf's neck and past the Shadow Fox's head. The Fox turned immediately to see a red Gun Sniper tail aiming in their direction. With a fierce growl, the Fox stepped down from Brad's Zoid and began to walk slowly and deliberately toward Naomi.
Free from the Shadow Fox's grip, Brad stood and watched as Naomi fired another shot. The Fox moved to the side casually, and the bullet only grazed its shoulder. Nothing fazed it, and it kept coming. Without panicking, Naomi readied herself for a third shot.
Just as Naomi prepared to pull the trigger, her old Command Wolf stood in front of her, placing itself between her Zoid and the Shadow Fox. The approaching Zoid raised its head lightly, but didn't stop its advance. The Wolf growled, mimicking its pilot.
Naomi watched motionlessly from her position in the Gun Sniper. The Shadow Fox kept coming, but the Command Wolf never flinched. He didn't stand a chance. Even together, Naomi was sure she and Brad couldn't stop it. But now, it was only Brad against the monster approaching.
The Shadow Fox took two more steps and stopped. It stood still for a few agonizing minutes, before it turned and sulked away. The Command Wolf stopped growling and its legs buckled under its own weight. It had made its last effort and fought its final battle.
Shadowwolf: I killed a Zoid.
Brad: Nothing new.
Shadowwolf: At least you're not dead yet.
Brad: Riiiight.
Shadowwolf: Pshah! Let me know what you thought. :3 The exciting [or semi-interesting attempt at being exciting] conclusion is coming up!