DISCLAIMER: I don't own anything coyrighted. Just a warning, not much zoids in this chapter. Mostly Trey and his life. Next chapter, all zoids, I promise

"…and don't tell your mom about this."

"You said that six times."

…no, I wasn't teaching Vega about the birds and the bees. It's way worse than that. We were in a urine-smelling, old brick warehouse that had been gutted and turned into a well-run and successful boxing gym. Think the attic of an old factory. Wooden floors, no interior walls except for a door on one end, and floor to ceiling windows around the perimeter, surrounding everyone in natural light.

The floor was covered in sections of equipment, each section occupied by folks who were obviously boxers. And here I was in my usual jacket-less outfit while everyone else was in sweat-soaked tanks and shorts. Actually I blended in pretty well. Vega, clad in a tee shirt and shorts, also looked just as blue collar as everyone else. I had my hands wrapped in black hand-wraps, Vegas was barehanded and watching everyone else with curiosity and awe.

"Let's find the bags and I'll start you on square one."

We walked casually through the rows of fighters in training, eventually finding a beam dripping in hanging heavy bags. I reached into the gym bag I carried and pulled out some smaller but extra thick bag gloves, tossing them to my off-guard nephew. He blinked at the old leather mitts and slipped them on, walking up to the green bag I'd chosen for him. I stood next to him, facing the bag.

"Now, before you even start punching you have to promise me something."

He nodded, not asking what.

"…self defense only."

He stared a few seconds, then looked at the gloves I had lent him.

"…will do."

I smirked, looked back at the bag and automatically swung my wrapped fists to chest level, took a stance and threw my forward left hand into the bag in a wicked, but small jab. It barely looked like a slap, but the bag shot back a few feet before swinging back, I caught it with my other hand. I turned to see my nephew staring blankly, his black pupils darting between the bag and me.

"…it's called a left jab. And it's going to be your first punch."

His expression slowly shifted from blank and amazed to something else. He smirked up at me, his eyes now glittering with an eager to learn. I smirked back down at him, eager to teach.

2 Hours Later

We walked out of the warehouse laughing, me unwrapping my hands and tossing the cloth into my bag as he slipped off his gloves and handed them to me. I put them away and commented.

"You're a quick learner, next time I'll show you how to use your stronger arm."

He whistled as we walked down an uptown block, cars buzzing by.

"Trey, I'd kill to be any of the guys in there. Even one of those girls."

I snorted as we approached a crosswalk.

"Well, avoid the women, stick to the bag and maybe I'll give you some gloves to do this on your own."

I explained this was a right of passage deal, the gloves symbolized being an independent fighter. He shrugged and crossed the street, not old enough to understand that emotional crap yet.

28 Hours Later

"Congratulations…"

I grunted, wiping sweat and grease off my head as I limped over to the nearest chair. Behind me, was the new Liger armor, displayed on a skeletal Liger Zero shaped frame. I finally found a chair, and fell forward onto it, exhaustion wearing down all my nerve endings. I slumped over the chair for a minute or so before trying to walk again. As I struggled to my feet my blurry vision revealed a dark-colored blur in the middle of all the gray and silver blurs.

"…how long have you been in here?"

I grunted, my tongue too numb to move. I heard a clucking sound and I felt like I was being lifted, and that I was moving. This went on for a while when I felt my shirt being peeled off, and my back was pressing into something soft. My bed?

"…thanks…Clara…"

"…you were in there for more than a day straight…and the way you work…"

A nervous sound.

"Trey, get some sleep. You look like hell. And for the next few days you're staying in the living area."

I grunted, my eyes had closed because holding my eyelids was too much work.

"You finished that armor thing, give yourself a break."

I think she kept talking, but I had already passed out. I had literally worked myself into the ground. I woke up around twelve hours later. I had to let my eyes adjust to the presence of light, but when I did I saw I was in my jeans and socks, my greasy shirt was on the edge of the hamper lid. I stretched for a while before getting a long shower and putting on some fresh clothes. Right as I went to go to the hanger I remembered Clara helping me the night before.

I sighed, falling back onto the bed, pressing a button so it rolled into a couch, and turning on a media screen to catch up on my movie knowledge. I let myself settle into the couch, finally recovering physically from the marathon. Right as I regained the feeling in my feet I felt something hit the pillow next to me. I turned to see a wrapped candy bar, my favorite kind. I smiled weakly, taking it with one hand and looking up to thank who ever threw it.

….standing in my doorway was a very, very dark skinned female dressed in loose scarves and a tunic. This was fashionable this time of year, so it was her skin color that caught me off guard. I'd never seen some one with that skin tone. Well, then my mind came back from the bathroom, zipping up its fly and screaming who that was.

"…Eve?"

She nodded, walking up to my couch and sitting down, right on my outstretched feet. I just stared, forgetting what movie I'd been watching. She looked around my room as her melodious voice echoed against the bare walls.

"…got a memo. You finished the Torment?"

The Liger Zero Torment armor that had nearly sent me to the emergency room…

"…what, was I behind schedule?"

She suddenly broke out into a deep, husky laugh. She smiled at me before turning to look at my little green Liger model.

"Actually you were supposed to just build it when things went off the frying pan."

I leaned up suddenly.

"…what?'

She reached one slender, dark arm over and flicked me back onto my pillow.

"You made it a long while before we need it. And you were just supposed to copy the Hailstorm platform."

I glared, but didn't react.

"…do you have to take every design and make it better? Seriously?"

"…those blades needed homing lasers, alright?"

She sighed and closed her eyes.

"And to top off the cake you did it within a day from scratch. Clara was right. I'm putting you on vacation."

Now this got me ramrod straight, sitting up and staring at her.

"Vacation? From what?"

She sat up, freeing my legs. I tilted them under me, sitting normally as she walked over to my mantle and returned to the couch holding my Liger model. She examined it between her near-black hands as she went on.

"You did your part in the Liger Zero X ordeal. They'll pick up the slack down at the ZBC, you get back to your battles and playing Zoid Doctor."

I slowly nodded, figuring this could work. I'll take some medication to keep off the workaholism.

"And good work with Vega. Poor kid needed some fun, and he sure loves…what's the thing with the gloves again?'

I blinked. The heck, a non-blonde Goddess drawing a blank?

"Boxing."

She nodded and went on.

"Just keep it easy. I came in person so you'd get the message. And my email server is on the fritz."

I just shrugged and let her keep talking. She set down my Liger model on the end table and turned her head to examine my watching face.

"…and one last thing. You're harmless addiction just got you some time off. But there's a bonus. I'm in a good mood. You have one request."

I raised an eyebrow.

"…you mean one wish, or can you play music now?"

She glared, white teeth glinting from her dark face.

"…zoid related…I'm not a genie."

I sighed, leaning back and noticing the movie on the wall was freeze-framed.

"I honestly haven't thought…"

She stood up and started walking to the door.

"Granted."

I spun my head.

"What!"

She opened my door and turned to look one last time before leaving.

"…I already know what you were going to wish for, and it's granted."

She then turned and walked out, my door sliding closed after her. The room filled with sound once again as the media screen continued the movie. Then I heard my team mates down the hall, talking. I'm guessing she muted everything while we spoke. After pinching several parts of my body to make sure this wasn't a dream, I continued watching the movie. Did I mention my life is messed up?

…don't ask what I wanted to wish for. I didn't wish for anything, she more or less stated she made it for me. Great, now I have to watch out for something that I'm not aware even crossed my mind. But hey, I got a candy bar out of it. I picked it up and pulled back the wrapper, a bit hungry after a twelve hour coma. Then I noticed the colored foil seal had already been opened. I pulled back the loose wrapping to see the end has been cleanly cut off, leaving me three quarters of the bar. She had eaten part of it.

"…oh, now she's just messing with me…"

6 Hours Later

I was half-awake on my bed/couch, fresh from my last meal and watching my favorite zoids show on the series recording. During the opening credits of episode 43 my door slid open and in walked my eh…what was it, sister? Well, Sarah walked in. In casual clothes, strangely enough. No dark pilot uniform, no formal suit. Blouse and slacks. No belt even. Her hair had grown a bit, now tucked into a clip. She nodded at me as a greeting and sat down at my desk.

"…I took Vega to a boxing gym."

I smirked, turning to look at her.

"Did he beg you?"

She sighed.

"Actually, he never mentioned it. I just wanted to teach him a lesson."

So she wanted him to realize it hurt and to give it up. She kept on with her story.

"I watched him warm up with the bags and everything, he's your nephew alright. Then I saw some kid a about his size in headgear and Vegas asked if he could spar."

I widened my eyes. She…let him spar? I didn't want him doing that for a few weeks!

"…how bad did he lose?"

She smiled slightly.

"He kept up with jabs. But he was outmatched, the other kid won no contest."

I sighed. Great, he'd probably give it up now.

"…after they finished he shook hands with the other kid and said it was fun."

I stared at my adopted sister, looking for any signs of drugs.

"…say that again?"

She did. I stood straight up, pacing the room in a start.

"He…he had fun in there?"

She nodded.

"You did this today, right? He'll be sore tomorrow."

She nodded again.

"Trey, he was loving it in there. Maybe I'll drop him off a few days a week, let him make some friends."

I nodded as I went back and forth in my pace, saying that was safe. The gym had been closer to our Whale, which was at the Hanger due to Lake problems, and she took him here to shower and have dinner. We had gotten along fairly well as siblings. I even knew her last name! It's…okay, we have no clue about each other.

"Chase, did you teach him anything behind my back?"

I froze in mid-pace and choked on air.

"…just to jab?"

She harrumphed in triumph, and left my room silently, smacking me in the back of the head as she did so. I winced and rubbed the sore spot.

Well, Vegas has the knack after all. He got his rear handed to him with a card attached and he was a great sport. The only way to get better it to lose. That's the way it was to me, child beating and all. I fell back onto my couch, the walking had gotten me tired out. It'd be days before I healed from the armor-welding marathon.

Things went normally until about midnight. I was alssep when there was a knock. I looked up to see Vega, in his nightclothes in my doorway. He was holding something.

"..Vegg? What's going on?"

He held up what he was holding, it looked like two round hands hooked wih velco.

"Uncle Trey, you left your gloves in my room."

He was holding the gloves I'd lent him when I gave him his first lesson.

"…you awake? Don't you want them back?"

I yawned and smirked at the short shadow figure.

"They're not mine to want back. Keep 'em, Kid."

He silently nodded and walked out, seeming a bit taller.

Okay, maybe he did understand all that emotional crap.I smiled and went back to bed. Then I heard the intercom making a sniffling noise.

"Psy?"

Another sniffling noise.

"So beautiful..."

And he broke down crying, clicking out, leaving me wide awake. I was scared now.

Author's notes

Sorry for everything.My late chapters, the lack of zoids, everything. You see, I've been held up with another project. In case you haven't noticed from my other chapters, I'm a boxer. And my friends begged me into writing a series of articles and stories that teach newbies about boxing. And I knew when it seeped into my fanfics I needed a break. For the next few days I'm taking a short rest, I'll be writing for this fic but won't update until I have a good stock set up. Thank you for reading, more zoids next chapter, and if you want keep posting custom zoids ideas.