One Month Later
A Whale King? He had got to be kidding. I was sitting on a sniper rifle, reading my PDA email. I just sighed, pocketed it, and went back to welding a swivel on the gun with my light-torch.
"TREY!"
". . . up here, on the over-grown chicken."
"You mean the Snipe Master?"
". . . what do you want, Rax?"
"Did it come yet?"
"Do you see a grey Blade Liger lying around?"
"Eh. . .oh yeah. . . thanks!"
The sound of those weird boots clomping out. Who's he? Well, he's my soon to be team mate. I'd taken up the Guy's offer. His first name was Guy, unlike his unpronounceable last name. Well, I spent a few weeks asking around before I found two pilots that should be in S Class but were stuck in the Hanger. The first a legendary mercenary, the other an idiot savant of zoids. Rax is the idiot. I first found him in a trivia column on the web, this guy has an undefeated streak in the non-ZBC battles. But he always uses a Rev Raptor borrowed from a friend. And he just runs around with his blades out in a circle. Somehow that got him a room full of trophies. I didn't believe it until I saw a gallery of him taking out three Ligers in his usual moron manner. This guy was nominated Luckiest SOB on Zi. He doesn't even own a zoid and he has at least a museum to him on the web. Well, I got him to join up with us with a few offers. 1)I get him a Blade Zoid better than a Rev Raptor. 2)He keeps the Zoid. 3)We need to feed him, he's dead broke. He can't follow strategy, I just would feel safer with an idiot with huge laser knives running around my enemy in weird patterns.
As for the legendary mercenary, remember that drunk girl from the bar? Eh. . . yeah. The one who can't get over that Geno Saurer. With the Snipe Master? Sue Ryder? Well, I asked about getting a military-style pilot at a few bars, all they did was point in her direction. Her pros: amazing skill in every subject, but she can register as a Sniper, but kick rear at everything else. Cons: She drinks, needs constant repairs, and never shuts the hell up about that Geno she once had. I'm serious. I was currently fixing her Snipe after a base mission for some ZBC Agency that never gives its name. She always bangs this thing up. But she keeps saying the thing is fine, I'm just obsessive compulsive about everything. Rax was currently a wreck, the zoid I ordered for him is supposed to be delivered today. I fixed him up with a high-updated Blade Liger. Yeah, the most basic kick ass zoid ever. Well, I'm not paying for it, our 'owner' is. He also is supposed to get us our own base, we're currently in a reserved area in that same Hanger I started out at a month ago. I'm still sleeping in the Molga, actually. But Guy forgot to get express delivery for the Liger. Heck, I would have gone out and got it myself with the Saix if Guy didn't say he'd handle it.
He just sent me a message asking if a Whale King was okay for us, because he was looking into one. Those things hold at least eighty zoids, we have at most, three? And did he mean as a Hanger or as a Transport? Both? Sure, he'll make parking reservations and pay for a zoid, but where are our tools and parts, our living quarters, our flight suits? Okay, so it was Sue and Rax begging for them, I was myself still, even under the cockiness and sarcasm I got from living near the City. I could use the tools though, I can manage the Hanger and the raggedy clothes, but I'm using borrowed stuff all the time. If that Liger ever does come, I have to make some modifications for Rax. Like ditching the gun weights and reinforcing the blades that are his life force. The Snipe will be fine, sure it only has long range and claws, officially. Sue has more illegal gadgets on this thing for her mercenary work than some small countries have in their entire black market. You know the windshield defogger button? Land mines. Cigarette lighter? Cloaking. Emergency exit? Well, it used to be a cigar lighter but I'm getting her to quit smoking. Now it's a Smoke Screen. Between her add-ons and my freaky little Saix, we're at Class A gear level already. It seems all the good teams have freak zoids or Ultimate Xs. Come to think of it we needed a name. Guy was planning on sticking his last name in, but even he can't pronounce it all the time. We could go un-named and let the viewers at home cast a vote for suggestions.
As I finished re-attaching the sniper Sue walked in with a soft drink the size of her head. How did they eat that junk so often? She works out for that lean, super model from hell figure to fill the leather but she can't be that healthy with all that sugar calories. She was wearing her usual leather jacket and standard tight top with black jeans, matching black hair and heeled boots. No, I'm pretty sure she's just weird. She hopped onto my Saix's paw and watched me get my tools together.
"You re-align the turbo sights?"
"Yeah."
"Ya adjust the settings so I won't have to use manual focus again like the last time it backfired?"
"Yep."
"Did you get it to have a bunch of flashy lights and stuff so it looks cool?"
"Heck yeah."
Hey, we were going to battles soon, we had to look good for the audience. And the psychological edge. A tip from Max. The scarier the zoid, the farher away your opponent will be. My Saix looks like an X enough to psych out newbies, her Snipe Master is obviously loaded, and we'll see about his grey Liger. Speak of the Deathsaurer, Rax runs in and yells they dropped it off. A few hours later the thing is custom-tailored to his needs in all its dull grey and gold glory. And it looks just plain boring.
". . . hey, what time is it?"
"Nearly sun down, why?"
"What's the worse neighborhood in the area?"
A while later I was in the Molga trying to relax and get some sleep. No emails, no repairs, haven't seen Clara or Rix in a couple days, and everything is finally calm. Then I get an email from Clara's entire family. there goes my night.
Six Hours
God, the joy of waking up knowing you slept a little. I was on the edge of the couch, my shirt hanging on a chair and my old duffel bag still on the counter I first placed it upon. I really should get my own place or sleep in the Saix. I made myself an instant breakfast before Sue called.
"It worked. It looks great!"
"I figured. Come on, you leave a zoid overnight in a bad part of town, by daybreak it will have some great graffiti."
"Yeah, at least sixty tags, drawings, even some weird designs that make it look like it's satanic."
"Great, instant freak out for the church-sponsored teams. Eh, get rid of the offensive ones will ya?"
It did look great actually. Perfectly gray covered in hundred of letters, symbols, lines, like a cement wall merged with a giant robotic cat. Rax loved it. He was a weird guy, really. Kind of tall, a bit higher than me. Skinny as a wrench. Hair covered by a bandana/wool cap. Not sure which. Greasy face. Rubber boots. Cototn jumpsuit with too many stains to count. Definitely a moron. But hey, he was a great pilot with amazing luck. If Sue could ditch the 'Screw You' expression she has plastered on we could be on a magazine cover.
We were supposed to have a uniform for everything, formal occasions, errands, eating, mechanical, piloting, serious piloting, winter piloting, nude piloting, who needs a whole freakin' wardrobe that you need a Gustav to carry? I had Riz looking at the newer lines for something we could use. I'd ask Sue but something about it but skin tight leather doesn't work for me. She already looked like a Backdraft reject without the outfit, we get it, you're a mercenary! Want to hear our training schedule? Wait till you read about our battles. Nuff' said. Same clothes on my part. We spent the day polishing up our combat programs.
Then Sue got a job on her email. Abandoned base full of slackers, just chase them out. Piece of cake. Why aren't I involved? I'm not supposed to take the Saix outside, it's a possible prototype, media coverage, team date, etc, etc, pfft. I wanted to bust some heads with it. We may not get a battle started for months, why not have a little fun with a good zoid with a trained mercenary in a creepy old base left over from the War? No, I wasn't stupid, just bored out of my mind. Max later explained he had the same problem, battle addiction.
Next Day
". . . that's it?"
"Three guys, yeah."
Okay, mission briefing. An abandoned empire base in the desert, and it was being occupied by three slackers with no life. We had to ask them to leave or scare them out.
"This is the big mercenary stuff you're always ranting about?"
". . . I never said I'd be taking on a pack of Rev Raptors. . ."
We were sitting directly on top of the base, it was pretty much a concrete plain with little boxy buildings everywhere. A few miles wide. We were able to hop up on the roof so this was where we were. This was normal for a little sniper like hers, but a cat-zoid? Meh, takes practice.
". . . that isn't them is it?"
I had the Saix flick its paw toward a jeep speeding away like a bat out of hell.
"Mission accomplished."
". . . so. . . eh. . . who owns this dump anyway?"
What a paid waste of time.
"It's unclaimed, those guys were just disturbing the peace."
"Ah. Well, your lifelong purpose is boring as hell."
"That's why I signed up with you, beats talking to my Snipe out here."
"Well, I got to see an old Imperial Base at least."
"Huh?"
". . . it's an Empire Base. . ."
"Like the War? This thing could be full of scrapped zoids?"
"Probably."
". . . I'm claiming this piece of dirt."
"Go for it."
My first missionary mission. How fun. On the way back she got her payment on her account and we just shot the breeze while running across the black desert in giant robots. Her snipe was pretty fast, it was up there with some of the lighter ligers at least.
"So where did you get that thing after you lost that Geno?"
"Custom, had a few favors coming."
"You choose the standard color?"
"I use Cloaking, does it matter?"
"In the ZBC they have to see you eventually, why not paint it black at least? It'll match the other two."
"How long would it take?"
"Couple nights in stages, faster if I use cheap paint and go heavy later on."
"You'd spend your spare time working on my zoid?"
"What else would I do?"
"You still live in that girl's Molga right?"
"She won't need it for five months."
"What if we start traveling?"
"I can rough it, the Saix is comfortable."
"Guy really wants to get a Whale King?"
"He's loaded, let him."
"The spare rooms would be nice."
I spotted the city on my map screen. I tapped in a command and let my hands slip off the controls; the auto pilot is still the same.
"If we get to S Class, what's the first thing you're gonna do?"
I watched Sue's hologram head laugh.
"Get another Geno with the money, take up some hobbies."
Of course, that dang Geno.
"Hobbies?"
"Ya know, sports, a gym membership, a pet or something?"
"So you want to take it easy."
"Don't you?"
I tapped my foot against tile.
"I have a roof over my head, that's heaven."
"Maybe you could go into zoid engineering?"
". . . Sue, a month ago I was living in a dirt farm, no big words!"
Another harsh laugh.
"You like rebuild zoids all the time, why not do it and get cash for it?"
Why not? Never thought about it. Before I could make a comeback a blip came up on six screens. Com request. No visual, just a new voice.
"Hello, is this Trey Brand?"
I did a scan of where this was coming from, behind a canyon a few miles off, a zoid console.
"Yeah, that's me."
"Whoa! Dude, you're like. . ."
. . . remind me to teach myself fan-slang sometime. I basically listened to this kid rant about the Sectors in an excited voice for two minutes while I typed a message to Sue explaining my situation. Then his zoid came out from behind the cliff. I swear to god I heard Sue curse, even though her com was off. Starts with Geno, ends with S. It was completely standard though, same old black and purple, red eyes, probably no CPC, just the toned down version for the mass produced ones. Still amazing though, just dull. So a rich fanboy with standard taste in zoids. Wait. . .rich. . kid. . . dull. . . Max's nephew? Before I could ask he zoomed off with a quick farewell, going off in another direction.
". . . what a little freak. . ."
And Sue was back.
". . . did you hear any of that?"
"He was doing the same thing to me, except asking me out on a date."
Months later I would laugh at this. The rest of the trip faded without talking, we got back to the Hanger, got the zoids cleaned and checked, and then Sue used the Charged Particle Cannon.
"Is there any space left in that Molga?"
So her Snipe WAS uncomfortable, Rax owed me ten creds.
". . . one couch, and it's taken."
Needless to say I ended up on the floor with her using my couch, bedding, food, and a few of my shirts to sleep in. I was too busy training and working to notice anyway. For the last time, nothing ever happened. Haven't you ever shared a place with a friend of the opposite gender?
The next day our sponsor, Guy, finally showed up at the Hanger. He was your basic stocky guy in a business suit. Nice guy, actually. Lots of jokes, good stories, and a wife on his arm that you wanted to shoot like a can off a fencepost. He talked to us about the Transport, funding, and papers, she complained that this place smelled like grease. And that my fashion sense was dated. And that Sue was a skank in a sleezy outfit. And would Rax help her out around the housework some time for some pocket money. This guy loved zoids, she didn't. No wonder he was so aloof about it. I felt sorry for the poor guy, or Guy, whichever works. He loved the job we did on our team, my Saix adjustments, the Blade Liger, even the newly painted black Snipe. And finally some good news.
"I got the papers down for a smaller Whale King, should be enough until you guys go for a custom."
He even knew that a smaller one would work better? I loved this guy. His wife dragged him away an hour later, leaving us both relieved about her leaving and the soon to arrive supplies. Rax even made an intelligent statement.
"Now all we need is to set up some battles."
True. Who the heck were we going to go for? Everybody starts out in C Class, we'd be against, well, the biggest losers this side of Earth. Yeah, that bad. Sue got an idea pretty fast. She was sitting on the Liger's paw filing those ridiculous nails. She was still wearing the sunglasses I'd met her in. She wore those things even in her zoid.
"How about we just let them come to us?"
Author's notes
Sorry for all the dialogue, I'm putting up two chapters to make up for it. Sue, Rax, Clara, Riz, Guy, of course Trey and pretty much all these new faces aren't from the anime. You may here some Blitz Team references, some historical stuff, but no over-used series chars.