A/n: Hi! How's everyone doing? Sorry it took so long to update. I had a HUGE writer's block; so big that I'd stare at the blank page for hours and no idea would come to mind. cries Then school started. I just started ninth grade, so everyone thinks its fun to torture the freshmen. To make things worse there are 2000 students in only 4 grades. In other words, the school is GIGANTIC! I got lost about 5 times and went to the wrong period twice in a week! I was pummeled by homework all week, so all I've been doing is school and homework. Then Friday came (finally)., and I was able to type up the chapter. Anyway, here's the next chapter, I hope you enjoy it!

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

Chapter Six: "Well, well... I take that you're Zero. I thought I'd only see you in books."

I've seen her, finally. I begin to remember. I try to speak, but... my voice is locked within my throat.

Why? How much time has passed?

"NO WAY!!!"

Lloyd's angry voice rang through the Zoid Café.

"B-but Lloyd, think about it. Team Silversky, newest registered team. Hasn't that been your dream?"

"Yes. But not her!"

"Why not?"

All eyes turned to Lloyd's newest girlfriend.

She was lean and somewhat muscular. Her skin was a tanned brown and her hair was a dark brown. So dark, some considered it black. It was long and pin straight, flowing right below her shoulder blades. The ends were tipped a crayon red. On her head sat a black cap put on backwards. She wore a tank top that read "Punk," on the front in red, blue, and black letters, and a pair of loose jeans. On her hands and arms were black and white fishnet arm warmers. A charm of a miniature set of panpipes hung on a black cord from her neck. Her eyes were a chocolate brown and silver hoop earring hung from her ears.

Lloyd blinked. "What?"

She snuggled up with him and said innocently, "I said, 'Why not?' I mean, it's not like she beat you in a Zoid battle, right?"

Lloyd bit his lip. Oh man was he cornered! He sighed. "Of course not. I guess she can join."

"Yes!" Joe and Ty high-fived.

Lloyd's girlfriend smiled and then asked, "Can I join?"

"What?! I mean, why? Do you have a Zoid?"

She smiled. "Of course I do. A Storm Sworder, so that you know."

Lloyd rubbed the back of his head nervously. "Are you sure, Alexis?"

She crossed her arms and pouted. "Yes I'm sure! I wouldn't of asked if I wasn't."

"Okay, okay! I'll tell Chase we've got two new teammates."

"Kari! Kari! Gun Tiger to the left!" Joe's annoying voice buzzed in the speakers of Kari's headset.

She took a lung to the left, but met empty air. Something rammed her on the right. The Gun Tiger.

"No, no, no! I meant my left!"

"Damn it, Joe! Why don't you get your own Zoid and really do the piloting?!"

Chase's calm, commanding voice filled the cockpit. "C'mon guys. If we can't handle this, we'll never get to the tournaments."

Karina looked up. He and his Raynos were twisting in the stormy sky, dog fighting with a Pteras.

The red Gun Tiger made another lunge, its fangs bared. It could only attack that way: Kari had already destroyed its guns.

Liger dodged and gave it a slash with its own claws.

The Zoid crumbled to the floor and didn't get up. Success!

Kari looked back up into the sky. Alexis's Storm Sworder's wing blade slashed the poor Pteras out of the sky.

Kari turned to help Alec and his Leo Blaze with a Command Wolf he had been forced to face. The poor red Zoid was being pummeled by the menacing wolf-type Zoid.

Kari distracted the Zoid's pilot as Alec made the finishing blow. The Command Wolf's knees buckled and it sank to the floor.

The horn sounded, marking the end of the battle.

"I want the owner of the Zoid dead."

"Yes master."

"But this time, Tagar: take the Zoid with you."

"Yes master." He went for the door.

"And don't forget, Zero will try to stop you."

"Yes."

Karina sipped her cappuccino. Joe was rattling on about how good they were during the battle and how they could get into the tournament.

Chase laughed, a twinge of bitterness in it. "Only because we're a registered team now doesn't mean we're good enough for the tournaments."

Kari's eyes strayed to a corner of the café. A hooded figure sipped a steaming cup of what was probably coffee. Something white poked out of the hood.

Joe elbowed her to get her attention. "Remember, Kari?"

"Remember what?"

Joe sighed and shook his head. "Never mind. You can go back to lala land."

Kari gave him a kick in the foot.

"Ow!"

The café door opened. A man in his late twenties entered. His hair was light brown and he wore a black leather jacket. Heavily tinted sunglasses covered his eyes.

Outside it began to rain.

The hooded figure was now standing, watching the man.

Karina and the man locked gazes.

Suddenly he pulled out a gun and pressed the clod metal against her forehead.

"Kari!" Ty cried.

The man looked up to the boys. "You move and I shoot," he warned them and everyone else in the café. Alexis was nowhere to be seen.

Kari stood still, sweat dripping down her forehead.

The man got close to her face. "Where's your Zoid?" he hissed.

Alexis was behind the man, one arm warmer in her hand, ready to be wrapped around his neck to choke him. The hooded figure was also sneaking up on him.

Everything was frozen for a moment. Then Alexis went for the man's neck and the figure his gun.

He gave a choked cry and hit Karina, rendering her unconscious as the arm warmer cut his flow of air. He tried to shoot, but the figure swooped and took the gun.

The hood came off. It was the Zoid kid. He picked up Kari and ran through the door.

The man shook off Alexis and followed after them.

The Zoid kid turned to the man.

He smiled, whisking out another gun. "Well well... I take it that you're Zero. I thought I'd only see you in books."

Zero growled.

Warm rainwater dripped down the Aoid's metal face. He set Karina down.

Tagar aimed the gun at Zero.

Zero raised his fingers/claws in a battle stance. The shield generators on each side of his face were in the outward position. They glowed gold as they powered up. He lunged at Tagar, glowing claws aimed.

Tagar let loose a shot. It went right through Zero's chest.

Zero stumbled and fell, the glowing from the shields and claws gone. Vivid red blood dripped over the black bodysuit. He hissed and growled.

"What's wrong?" Tagar taunted. "Speech decoder off? Of course; one of my ancestors was the one who turned it off. It's pretty hard to understand when you're talking in a series of growls and roars." He approached the Aoid, gun aimed at his already bleeding chest.

Zero staggered up.

Another shot.

This time it glanced off the metal Zoid head.

Zero attacked, claws glowing gold. Golden beams of light cut at Tagar. He cried out and fell back.

But he was relatively unscathed. The shiny leather on his jacket was torn, but that was all.

Blood continued to stream down Zero's bodysuit.

Tagar smiled. "An Aoid may not be able to be killed by a bullet, but it can still die of blood loss."

Zero panted, his breath hard and uneven.

A shot rang out. Tagar let out a yell, grabbing his arm. He examined his bloodied hand. Zero's tail whisked about. "So you'll finally fight gun-to-gun, eh, Zero?"

The Aoid growled and picked up Karina. With a blast of thrust from his booster pack, he jumped up onto the roof of a nearby building and disappeared.

Tagar laughed softly. Police sirens could be heard in the distance. He shook his head and made his escape.