Zoids Rhapsody
Into the Mist
Author's Note: Hello once again, everyone. I know Chapter 5 was a little odd… to say the least… and way too short. The title of this chapter is "Change of Pace," and I believe it is a fitting title. Like it says on my profile page, buckle up, 'cause ya'll are in for a ride starting right about now.
And one final note—the Liger Zero Nexus is not my creation. I frankly don't know whose it is, but my friend sent me a picture of one in the mail. I strongly believe it's some sort of kit-bash (it's an actual model), because I can't find anything on it anywhere, other than a bunch of pictures of the very model whose picture I have.
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Chapter Six: Change of Pace
It had only taken a few minutes for the Liger Zero X to come back online, shaking like an angry cat that had just been dropped in water. It took a while longer for the Shadow Fox to arise. It really didn't seem to help anything when Chesnee awoke and started swearing at everything from Tomy to the desert sand to someone named Micah to… well, everything really.
He was now sitting smugly in the cockpit, refusing to say a word or even acknowledge the other two pilots, who were trying to reason with the fuming vigilante. After thirty minutes of ignored questions, the two simply gave up altogether.
A few minutes into the looming silence, it struck Jamie that he had no idea where he was going. He posed this question to Josh, who answered as if insulted.
"I never! You doubt me? Hn! We are going to my safe house, where we will be—would you believe it—safe!" The Liger Zero gave several annoyed grunts throughout this little monologue to emphasize the point of injustice.
"O-kay… well, would you mind telling me where this place is?"
"It's in neutral territory. It has become increasingly obvious that the Republic is after you—I'm supposing due to desertion—and therefore, I have deemed it necessary to take a well-deserved break at a place where no kind of seizure warrant can take effect. Does that sit well with you, your highness?"
Jamie gave a grunt in response; he wasn't feeling up to his butter-up attitude this morning. It didn't seem like any of them were, having been woken at some ungodly hour of the morning by a Konig Wolf sent to kill them, then having to do battle mostly naked, then having to deal with an outraged outlaw… it had been one helluva morning. That was an understatement—it was bad enough to get Josh grumpy…
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Jamie became aware that they had entered neutral territory when his radar display flashed once, signifying a zone change, but became gray. The hue of the radar screen depicted municipality thus—Red for Imperial, Gray for Neutral, and Blue for Republican.
"Okay, so we are now in no-man's land. How far till the—oh," Jamie caught himself as a mound of sand rose up before them, falling away to reveal a large metal door that had risen from the ground.
"You think a safe house would be visible? Honestly… you really are off your rocker this morning, lad." Jamie ignored the comment as the trio walked down the entrance ramp into the safe house. As the bay door closed above them, the massive corridor they had entered became alit with fluorescent lighting. Jamie thought it highly resembled a runway, what with the lighted lanes and guiding grids, flashing in sequence all the way down the steel-alloy path.
"Chesnee, whether you feel like talking to me or not, I need you to give me a damage report on your Zoid so that I can have my maintenance team get to work on it—"
"You have a maintenance team?"
"—as soon as humanly possible."
There was silence. Josh sighed, and said "Very well then. Suit yourself." He turned into a hangar bay to he right, the others following. Jamie had to suppress an amazed gasp at the complexity of the place. And the Zoids! He did a quick scan, trying not to pass out in awe, and saw that there were several Zoids that he'd only vaguely heard about en passant. He then remembered that Josh had been a test pilot.
"Did you—"
"Yes. These are all the Zoids that I have tested. The Empire gave me one of each, those that passed and those that didn't. You'll notice a startling lack of mobility amidst them; I daresay this Liger is easily my favorite of them all. The next closest thing would be that golden Lightning Saix in the far corner. I don't use it too often, but I do enjoy the rush of adrenaline it carries with it."
Jamie noticed the Saix he was talking about—golden everything, it seemed—but his gaze lingered there only briefly. He saw an Iron Kong PK, a Dark Horn DG, some odd variant of the Geno Breaker that sported off-white, almost lilac armor and two menacing triple-digit claws mounted on a large backpack booster, and another Zoid he couldn't name, a black Liger bristling with spikes, radar antenna, shield panels, and three golden guns mounts.
"Hey Josh, what are those two Zoids on the right?" Jamie asked, motioning to the final two with the Sniper's arm. Josh paused and the Liger Zero X looked back at him.
"The two Zoids that helped me decide to flee. That dinosaur-looking monstrosity is called a Berserk Fuhrer. The Liger next to it is the most powerful thing I've ever piloted. It didn't pass safety exams, so it will never be used in the Imperial Army unless something catastrophic pushes them over the edge. It is called the Liger Zero 'Nexus.' If you want, I could show you those two Zoids' power some time. But now, I think we all need a good rest."
"I'll buy that. Where do I put the 'sniper?"
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"What did you say, Corporal Moore?"
"Er—well, sir, it seems that Major Gordon is—well, that is—dead sir…"
"Damn him. Damn that spoiled little brat and all his forefathers! Put in a call to Major Blithe. This has gone far enough."
The soldier to whom the general had been speaking looked appalled at the request, but nodded his due response, saluted, and left. The General tapped his fingertips together in menacing, slow cadence. 'If she fails me… If she fails me…'
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The trio now walked through the underground corridors of what Jamie soon realized to be a massive base. Chesnee still stood apart, although they could feel his anger slowly dissipating. Then something dawned on Jamie. Something he could not hold in any longer.
"How the devil does a refugee of the Imperial Army have such a sprawling base to his name?" He stopped and perched his hands inquisitively akimbo, the softer glow of the hallway lights reflected in his cobalt blue eyes. Josh seemed to take a weary breath, and then leaned against the wall in a manner that didn't quite fit his nature, and spoke in slow, tired tones:
"I was not always a vigilante, my dear boy. You'll remember that I was a test pilot. Imperial Test Pilots are given expansive facilities in which to go on about their work—testing Zoids. I commandeer a forty-million-credit maintenance team composed entirely of factory-type robots that work sentient enough on Zoids, carrying out complex functions of up to seventy-three dimensions. I have a four-story home, so to speak, complete with every amenity you could ever want. I have an endless supply of hot water, enough food shipped in monthly to last a regiment several decades, and of course, a full-fledged arena. You see lad, I am very well off indeed."
Jamie absorbed this, but was not satisfied.
"But if the Imperialists gave this to you, can they not storm it and whatnot?"
"Jamie, my boy…" Josh said, massaging forehead in exasperation. "This is neutral territory. Neutral. They took that risk in building this place for me. They cannot, under the Transcontinental Neutral Territory Act of the Wartime Agreement, under any circumstances, do anything at all to this base. It would be breaking a treaty, my boy, and—despite whatever you may have been taught as a Republican youngster—we Imperialists do not do things that harsh." Jamie made as if to protest but was cut off by the rising of Josh's hand. Without another word, they moved on again.
Several flights of stairs later, they emerged into what Jamie could only describe as a bloody mansion. When he looked back at the door they'd just come through, he never would have guessed that it led to a Zoid's facility. But then, you'd never guess that this place was three hectometers under the ground, either; some trickery of technology had made it seem as though sunlight was held back by the curtained windows, rather than a visage of packed Elemia sand.
They had emerged into a beautiful parlor, complete with a full-sized (that's 108cm) grand piano in one corner, and a (!) cello rack in the other, holding four pristine cellos. Jamie made a mental note that Josh must like the piano and the cello. Either that or it was some bloody outlandish fetish…
"Well, my friends, we have not the time for a Grand Tour, but I will show you to your rooms. There are still a few hours until sunrise, despite the sunlight streaming in through that window, which is, I assure you, a hologram. I think we could all use a few extra hours of sleep. Chesnee, if you'll follow me, I'll show you first. Jamie, be patient and do not break anything."
Jamie was again about to protest but was cutoff by Chesnee getting in his face and actually growling. He was then decidedly quiet, not to mention very patient. He stared blankly at the holographic sunlight streaming in through the window as he awaited Josh's return. His thoughts begin to wander, but suddenly collected on one stunning factoid: Chesnee was still alive, Tomy bless it.
He had been caught in a fourteen-second Electron Fang that was delivered right to his Zoids shoulder—that's one of the largest electrical traffic spots in any Zoid—and after about an hour, had awoken. Granted, he was grouchy as hell, but really, he should have been dead. Or at least really messed up. Yet he seemed perfectly fine, physically.
But that didn't mean that he hadn't been injured. For all he knew, Chesnee could be suffering from electrical misfires in his nervous and/or cardiovascular systems; he could go into seizures or cardiac arrest at any moment. He could—
"I say, lad, are you alright?" Josh's concerned voice brought Jamie violently to the present, and he made a visible effort to get a grip.
"Josh, we need to get him checked out; I mean, hell, he was hit by way more megavolts than it would take to power this whole damn place, and now he's just walking around like nothing's wrong, and he's all grumpy, and he could be seizing, and—"
"Please, get a hold of yourself!" Josh cried, taking the young man by his shoulders and shaking him. Jamie slouched in his grip and fell silent. Taking this as a cue, Josh went on smoothly. "Chesnee is fine. I ran a rather quick-and-dry examination on him through a finger nodule. His EEG and EKG readings are normal. His pulse is a little high, as is his blood pressure, but that's to be expected, no? Give him a few more hours of rest, and he'll be right as bloody rain. Er—without the bloodiness, of course." The attempted joke failed miserably; the cheesy grin he'd forced fell away like melted butter from a roll.
Suddenly, Jamie felt unduly restless and in desperate need of a run. However, he knew his Gunsniper would be a little more than upset at being dragged out so soon after a fight—even though it hadn't suffered a scratch…
"Josh… um… well, y'see," he stuttered aimlessly, clasping his hands behind his back and opting for the cutesy maneuver, "I was wondering if I could maybe… well, y'know…"
Josh rolled his eyes and held up a hand, silencing the boy.
"Which Zoid?" He asked plainly.
Jamie grinned malevolently. Josh felt his heart skip a beat.
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A decidedly attractive woman strutted her way into the General's office, a rather tight version of the standard military uniform accenting her gratuitous bosom, flat stomach, trim waist, and curvy hips and thighs. She perched a few feet before the General's desk, hands upon her hips, her fingernails glinting red as blood. She tossed her wavy, strawberry-blonde hair and raised an eyebrow in what could have been annoyance, or expectance.
"Ah, Major Blithe, please, have a seat," the General said genially, standing and pointing to a padded leather chair. She didn't budge. "Well—er, alright then. Down to business." Major Blithe showed the ghost of a smile; she was not one for drooling male life forms, obsessing over her Tomy-gifted figure.
"Major Bli—er, Crystal. Crystal, I have an assignment for you, Crystal."
"What is it? You're wasting my time, sir." Hey, if your looks distracted them from military code of conduct, go for it. She hated being ordered around.
"Crystal, I'm sure you've heard of the runaway, the son of O'Flaherty, Crystal." She also hated it when people spoke her name more than once in one clause.
"What about him?" She shifted her weight to the other foot impatiently, rolling her eyes in obvious distaste.
"Well… um, I mean. Hell. I want him dead."
"If I must. When do I leave?"
"Now. Oh, and Crystal—he's accompanied, Crystal."
"All the more fun for me."
With that, she turned and strode out of the room, hips swaying to her own personal melody. As the door closed behind her, the General slammed his fist into the table. "Damn that woman! Every fricking TIME!"
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Jamie had never piloted a Liger. He'd never piloted any kind of quadruped Zoid, unless you counted the time three years ago, when he made off with his sister's Command Wolf IS just to rile her up. He'd gotten the love of snipers and dinosaur-types in his blood from his long line of sniping forefathers.
Well, screw heritage to Nyx and back, this thing was fricking AWESOME! Josh had given Jamie a bloody litany on the dangers of piloting the Liger Zero Nexus, which had barely gone in one ear before being ushered promptly out the other.
Now he was crisscrossing the fifty-kilometer radius Josh had permitted above their safe house grounds in seconds, the Liger running in great, bounding strides, two relatively small boosters upon its upper back providing enough thrust to leave a massive wake.
Frankly put, Jamie was in heaven. If it weren't for the fact that the 'sniper had been a gift from his father, he would have dropped it for this Zoid in an instant. Little did he know how perilous a statement that was to make…
As his joyride advanced into complex patterns of leaps, weaves, and even rolls, Jamie became aware of some odd… sensation… just beneath his level of consciousness. It was a very strange feeling, rather like being deep in a dream and conversing casually with someone trying to rouse you. It never dawned on him that this was, in fact, the spirit of the Nexus, slowly but surely asserting itself into his being. And once you pilot a Nexus once, you'll never be able to let it go again…
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Jamie became aware that he was being watched some two hours later, and skidded the Zoid to a halt that kicked up a record-winning rooster-tail of sand, at least a hectometer high. He scanned the slowly brightening horizon and saw it—the figure that had been watching him for nearly forty-five minutes.
There, sitting on its haunches a few decameters away (rather impassively, to boot), was the stunningly regal form of the RZ-028+ Slash Liger. As he registered what it was that had been watching him, he suddenly thought of Chesnee, hot water, and Slash Liger Racing. The thought died as it was born, and he focused on this new arrival.
Evidently realizing that it had been noticed, the Slash Liger stood, shook itself ("Identity crisis…"), and approached at a fair pace that signified neither benevolence nor hostility. 'Crap, I don't know how to fight with this thing…' Jamie thought desperately. But almost as soon as this thought formed, that queer little feeling returned, and he felt absurdly reassured. He thought he heard a faint roar at the back of his mind, but then, he couldn't have sworn to Tomy by it.
When the Slash Liger was close enough to become a flashing red dot on his radar (that's three Zoid lengths, standard), it halted, lowered its main blades to position, opened up its facial blades, and arched its tail up to display the tail blade. The regal Zoid suddenly became a dire threat. Jamie had never faced a Slash Liger in unfriendly circumstances, let alone one with a pilot, but surprisingly, he felt confident.
A COM link flashed open in the middle of his field of vision, revealing an attractive redhead with startling emerald irises, a nearly inappropriate amount of cleavage, and a passive look of boredom stamped into her face. 'Slash Liger Pilot… I totally get it…' Jamie thought, trying not to drool. In the Western Continent of Europa, 'twas a saying that Slash Ligers were most often piloted by Über-sexy redheads who were often bored with the world, and more often than not, extremely intelligent.
"Are you the son of the late O'Flaherty, top sniper, and blah-shite?" The redhead asked, raising a questioning eyebrow.
"Um—er, yeah," Jamie said, desperately trying not to stutter. Whatever it was that had him so confident about fighting sure as heck hadn't helped with his lady-anxiety. He forced his eyes to remain on hers, to not shift downwards… and downwards… yeah, right 'ere—'Crap! Look up!'
"Well, I've been sent here to kill you. So that is what I intend to do." Without further ado, the COM Link closed and the Slash Liger charged, not even bothering to give a warning roar. Before he realized it, Jamie was on the other side of the Slash Liger, a cloud of dust rising from where his Zoid had skidded to a halt after… jumping?
Suddenly, Jamison van O'Flaherty receded into the back of his mind, and an enigma of passionate anger, lustful hatred, and homicidal vigour surfaced. He moved automatically, watching as if a passenger on his own train of thought. The entirety of the battle played out thus.
The Nexus rushed the Slash Liger, growling angrily and applying the three golden double-barreled Light Beam Cannons that were mounted at port, starboard, and mid-back, swiveled them forward and unleashed volley of fire, driving the heavily armored Slash Liger back against its will. Finally, the blade-laden Zoid stepped out of the line of fire and leapt, its course of action intended to bring the large port blade right through the Nexus's chest block. It didn't happen. The Nexus didn't miss a beat, leaping over the blade and unleashing sprays of fire from the starboard beam cannons, tacking along the length of the Slash Liger. One round hit the perfect spot, disabling the blade port, thus negating any possibility of energy flow, and hindering the blade's mobility massively.
The Slash Liger stumbled but regained its balance before it fell, then turned on one paw and bounded after the Nexus. In a display of mobility belied by the bulky appearance of the Zoid, the Nexus leapt up and cart wheeled through the air backwards, landing behind the Slash Liger once again. Evidently flustered, the Slash Liger skidded to a halt, coming to a sitting position in an unwise display of uncertainty. The Nexus took its opportunity and leapt onto the Zoid, forcing it into a lying position and digging its massive fore-fangs deep into the left shoulder armor. Realizing that the Slash Liger's thick armor caused this move to end in mere armor damage, the Nexus leapt away and aimed its golden guns. Just as the Slash Liger turned, its fired one volley from each cannon mount, and a single shot from the Impact Laser Rifle mounted atop the head. All seven shots slammed into the Slash Liger's chest and forelegs, shoving it back through the sand.
But it was not defeated yet. The Slash Liger unleashed a quaking roar and bounded forward again, skidding sideways to bring its golden tail blade around and into play. The Nexus followed suit, swinging sideways and employing the use of its mace-like tail, surmounted by eight reinforced armor spikes. The Nexus's tail club caught the Slash Liger's tail blade, and they parried like ancient swordsmen, creeping closer to each other with only their tails as a barrier. When the Zoid's were face-to-face, everything changed.
"I can take you to your father's murderer, O'Flaherty," the Slash Liger pilot said. All at once, the presence left Jamie and he was in control once more. His heart raced and his breathing quickened. He opened up a COM Link and looked the woman dead in the eyes, no longer stunned by her beauty. The Ligers' tails still locked, he spoke in a breathy, quavering voice.
"I would give anything to kill the man that murdered my father!"
As if by mutual agreement, the Zoids dropped their tails and backed away to a respectable distance. The Slash Liger again sat on its haunches, and after a pause, the Nexus managed some semblance of the motion.
"Leave them. Your friends, the Zoids. Leave them and come with me, with that marvelous Liger of yours. You have awakened a sense of realism within me that I haven't experienced since joining that pathetic excuse for an army. Come with me. We will traverse the world until we find the man that murdered your father, and then, well… you can put two and two together."
There was a weighty pause, accompanied by an all-encompassing silence that deafened in its awesome verve. Then, in a throaty voice, he scarcely knew he possessed, packed full of hatred, pain, and the lust for revenge, Jamie said, "Take me to him."
As the first glorious rays of sun crept over the crest of the southern hills of Elemia, the Slash Liger turned and bounded north, followed by the Liger Zero Nexus. They each fired their boosters, leaving behind them a massive trail of exhaust and after burn. Within a few moments, they were gone.
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(Somewhere off the coast of Nyx)
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The massive scorpion-like Zoid moved through the waters of the ocean with resplendent grace, its long, sinister tail flowing out behind it, its eight legs tucked tight to its body, the two massive, deadly fore claws held at present arms, with their blade-like fins extended for balance and maneuverability. The Death Stinger's eyes lit the dark waters before it with the hue of fresh blood as it made its journey southward.
Sleeping soundly in its cockpit was the wraithlike red-haired youth that had freed the Stinger from its aquatic purgatory. The legends had foretold of the Death Stinger's intoxicating prowess, and now it seemed that it had snared another young soul to torment, seize, and rape with its own vile spirit.
The Death stinger let out a low hiss as it felt a sudden shift in the forces of those lives that it was tuned in to so finely. Something had just happened that wasn't supposed to, and it did not like that in the slightest…
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(The Safe House, three hours later)
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Josh strolled throughout his mansion, glancing briefly at the many cameras he'd hidden over the years that showed him all activity within fifty hectometers of his base. He did a hasty double take, rewound the questionable footage, and watched the battle between the two Ligers. As the Ligers fired their boosters and vanished into the mist, he unleashed a rasping scream.
"Oh… dear Tomy… the Ligers of Constantine have arisen!"
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End of Part One of Zoids Rhapsody