A/n: Hey peeps! Sorry for taking so long to get this chapter up. It's just that I started writing the story in a friend's summerhouse in New York and then when we got back to Florida our wireless internet transmitter thingy was totally fried and my dad wouldn't go to Best Buy and get one immediately. So that's my excuse. How about reviewing so that I feel better about having to survive without internet for a week? Oh and sorry for waiting so long to have an Aoid appear in the story. Anyway, here's the chapter before I drown you with my complaints of how damn long it took to drive from NY to FL.

Disclaimer: I do not Zoids. At all. Not even a teeny bit. I do own the Aoids, though.

Chapter Five: She saw him. The kid. That was on Liger's nose.

The next two weeks were torture.

Jerry had felt evil and told her that if she was to even touch a Zoid the two weeks she was grounded, he'd forget about letting her pilot Liger.

When she wasn't going to school, she was pacing in her room and staring at the canopy of her bed.

Yes, true torture. And the worst thing was that Jerry was enjoying every moment of this. Oh, she'd get him back.

It was another slow day. School sucked, homework sucked, and Jerry was smiling too much.

She just finished taking a bath (she usually took showers, but she was trying to kill time) when she saw him. The kid. That was on Liger's nose. That saved her from a short-circuited Zoid.

He was crouched on his hands and that balls of his feet, looking at her. Or at least, she thought.

He looked like one of those kids who wore awesome homemade costumes on Halloween. And his was Liger Zero.

He wore a black body suit so that not one piece of skin showed. On his shoulders and hips he wore miniature replicas of Liger's shoulder armor. On the outside of his elbows and knees he wore little red joint caps. On his back, right over his shoulder blades was a replica of Liger's booster pack. On his fingers were little golden finger caps, to imitate Liger's claws. On his head was the best and most detailed replica of Liger's head she had ever seen. He even had a tail.

For a moment there was total silence as the two stared at each other. Then Karina screamed.

How the hell did he get in her room?

Who the hell was he?

She whipped the towel that was around her head at him.

He jumped away and did a pretty good impression of Liger's roar.

No, that was being unfairly snide.

His roar could have been from Liger himself for all she knew.

Kari screamed again and slapped the towel around.

"Get away, perv!"

He gave her a backwards glance and jumped out of the window. He jumped out of the window!

Karina gasped and ran to the window. A dark form was flying away from the mansion. It was the kid, she knew for sure, though she couldn't know how.

"What's wrong?!" Jerry rammed the door open.

Kari jumped and nearly fell out of the window.

"Don't scare me like that!"

"Hey, I'm not the one that's screaming like a madman!"

"Sorry. It was... a bug." Jerry would never believe that a kid in a Liger costume had somehow gotten into her room and then jumped out of her window.

Jerry shook his head in exasperation and muttered, "Girls," as he closed the door.

Karina angrily stuck her tongue in the door's direction and got dressed. Then she called Joe.

He picked up. "Karina?"

"Yeah, how'd you ?"

"Caller ID. My mom was going around the house yelling, 'The caller ID's broken; it says "Fareme Mansion"!' "

"Good one. Anyway I called so late because I saw the kid again!"

"Kid? What kid?"

"The one that landed on Liger's nose!"

"Kari, I think the lack of exposure to Zoids has gotten to your head. There never was a kid!"

"Joe! Yes there was! The little perv was in my room!"

"What do you mean, perv?"

She explained the whole incident: the kid there when she came out of the bathroom, him roaring and then jumping out of the window.

"You've gone crazy alright. Don't worry, your punishment is almost over. The end is, what, next Tuesday, right?"

"Actually, this Friday. Jerry's letting me go early since summer vacation's starting."

"See? Just hold on for a few more days. Your craziness will be over soon."

"Joe!"

"Sorry, gotta go; time for bed. I'll see you Friday-"

"At Liger's end of the warehouse," Kari interrupted.

"'Kay. See you then."

She turned off the wireless phone. Friday. That wasn't too far from today, was it?

She couldn't be more wrong.

"I thought you had shut down the Zoid for good! Why is he once again being piloted?!"

"I'm sorry, milord. I thought that if I got rid of the man that was fixing him-"

"You thought. You didn't know. Now they're free gallivanting around! Zero is already getting bold! I blame you for this, Tagar."

Tagar went to his knees, his fear obvious. "Forgive me, sire. I made a foolish mistake."

"Foolish indeed. I will consult with Koing, now that he, too, has reawakened."

"So some good has come from my foolishness?"

"Don't kid yourself, Tagar. I'd rather clean this mess than have the Arakin awake again."

"Forgive me," Tagar repeated.

"Away with you."

He got up and hurried out of the door. Another figure entered.

"Koing, a pleasant surprise to see you again. And I thought your kind would never be seen again."

A deep, intimidating voice rumbled from the form, "I will take that as genuine gladness, Samalon."

The man flinched. This was why he wanted the damned creatures to stay asleep.

"Of course! But I really would like to know: the Synkal legend, will it come true?"

"That we will kill the evil and become the predominate specie?"

Samalon wriggled in his chair. "Yes... that one."

Koing laughed. "The former is absolutely false. The latter... perhaps."

Samalon wriggled a bit more.

"But we're looking for a key, the Aoids' Key. You find it for us and you'll be glad you did."

Friday (Finally!), 3:45, Zoid Warehouse

Karina felt like dancing. It was Friday! She wanted to skip. She wanted to sing. She wanted to spin around until she passed out. But instead she ran to the warehouse as if her feet were on fire.

She thundered to the warehouse, slammed down the side door and ran into Albert.

"Meya newod! Calm down!" he cried. His soft, lilting Synkal accent seemed out of place with his tough, mechanic's look.

"Albert!" Kari gave him a hug. "I've missed you!"

He smiled and his warm brown eyes met her wild green ones. "Me too, little Kari." He smiled again and then said, "Your friends are waiting by Liger."

Karina blinked. "Friends?"

He shrugged. "Yes, two of them."

She nodded and ran to Liger. Two friends? Who could Joe of invited?

She got to her Zoid. There was Joe, chattering to his friend.

His hair was a dirty blonde and he had a slight build. He wore a jacket two sizes too big and an over washed pair of jeans.

Joe was saying excitedly, "Think about it, Ty! The newest member of Team Silversky: the one and only Karina Fareme and her Zoid, the legendary Liger Zero!"

His friend, Ty, was shaking his head. "That's a great idea and all, but what'll Lloyd say? I mean, after he got his ass kicked by her?"

"Don't worry about Lloyd," Joe assured him. "Chase'll agree with us and persuade Lloyd."

Ty was still unsure. "I don't think we should put their friendship to the test like that. I mean, they're buds, Joe. Like us."

"This is Karina Fareme we're talking about!"

They finally noticed that Karina was watching them.

"Oh hi Kari. We've been waiting for you. This is Ty. He's a close friend," Joe said quickly.

"Don't worry, I heard your plans already."

Joe frowned. "Oh yeah, those. It's just... me and Ty want you to be part of our team, but... you know, you kicked our co-leader's butt."

"Well that can pose a problem."

"Any ideas?"

She shook her head. "I'm afraid not. The best I can think of is you persuading Lloyd flat out instead of going through his friend."

Joe and Ty looked at each other uneasily.

"If we have to."