DR: Well, here is chapter 9. I don't own zoids. WARNING: If you like Harry, you're not going to like this one! (Harry arrives in his Iron Kong) Speak of the devil...
Harry: I CHALLENGE YOU TO A ZOID BATTLE!
DR: Are you sure...? (DR starts glowing blue as he looks up at the Iron Kong's face)
Harry: yes... (DR morphs into his zoid form. Looks down at the Kong)
DR: 100 percent sure?
Harry: ( 8 () ) Er, well, umm...
DR: Perhaps you should leave... (Harry runs off like a bat out of hell, screaming 'Mommy!'. DR morphs back to human form)
DR: (chuckles) works every time...
Chapter 9: Arguments & Threats
Before he had even left the bar, Bit had known precisely what the rest of the Blitz teams' reactions would be.
"You did WHAT?"
"She's not even registered, as for Vega…"
"Nice move Bit, not."
"Always figured 'Bit' was short for 'Bit-brained'."
"You could have talked to us first…"
"Just think! We'd have the Fury, the Elephander and a Storm Sworder in our team! What a collection!"
Everyone looked funny at the Doc, who was staring into space dreaming about having such zoids in his hanger. Leena shook her head then turned back to Bit.
"Were you out of you're mind? They're EX-BACKDRAFT! Sarah Obscura was one of the key people!"
Bit was struggling to get his side across. "I overheard much of their conversation…"
"Oh, so now you eavesdrop too?"
"…And it turns out their all in similar straits to us. Pierce will find it hard to get into competition, Stoller's struggling, and Vega and Sarah are in serious trouble. No one is willing to help them."
"Right, you know why? Because they'd screw them over big time!"
"Leena, none of them has done that to us before…"
Leena looked blank for a second, and then shrugged. "Okay, they haven't. But what about Sarah, what will she do?"
Bit grinned. "I actually thought about that. She could take over from, or at least help, Jamie. As in dealing with the finances, ordering parts, running the Hover Cargo, plus all the other chores he does…"
While Jamie and Leon thought about that, Leena was not so willing to consider it.
"WHAT? You'd put her in charge of dealing with all our money? Before you know it, she could be running her own little Backdraft with OUR winnings!"
"You don't know that she would! Maybe she got trapped in the group, and only now managed to escape!" Bit countered with some heat "Besides, Jamie can always double check everything, to make sure."
Leena snorted. "You can't see can you? Pierce and Stoller have clouded your view of the Backdraft. They MAY have morals and standards, but the rest don't! For all you know…"
"She was with them! They wouldn't associate with her if she didn't have morals!" Bit was now on his feet yelling too. Naomi winced and put her hands over her ears.
"All right, calm down, both of you!" Leon stepped in, putting a hand on Bit's and Leena shoulders before gently pushing them down. Bit allowed himself to be sat down, angry with himself for losing his temper. Leon had to put both his hands on Leena's shoulders before he could get her sat down.
"Now, let's think about this calmly, please?" Bit nodded. Leena didn't do anything, just glared at Bit. "You made a valid point there Bit. I may have only been here a day but I can already see that Jamie's overworked." Jamie seemed to sag in agreement. "And I have agreed with you, they're the best pilots out there, apart from the Lightning Team."
"And you'd have one hell of a fight getting Jake Cisco away from the Tasker sisters. We'd need to bring them all in." Brad commented. "And at their current rate of progress, I'd doubt they'd appreciate us giving them a leg up."
"Correct. Besides, we really need another aerial zoid. And both the Elephander and Fury are powerful zoids in their own right. But what about the ZBC?" Leon paused "Surely they wouldn't want three ex-Backdraft warriors and one key figure in one place together, with access to a Class S team and its funds?"
Bit smiled tightly. "Stoller raised that point himself. Sarah…"
"Again" Leena muttered.
Bit grimaced. "…She said that it wouldn't be a problem, since they'd be with us. If we beat them once before, we can beat them again if they ever got out of line." Everyone nodded, even Leena, whose face was losing some of its rage.
"I'd say it's worth a shot." Brad stated over his coffee. "We're unlikely to find anyone else out there who's even half as good as those three. And those who are as good are not likely to consider joining us, when they can get into Class S by themselves."
Leon nodded, before looking at Naomi. "How about you? What do you think?"
Naomi shrugged. "Might as well. I may not know them like you guys do, but from what I've heard their not bad people. They just got caught on the wrong side of the line."
Leon looked at his sister. "Leena?"
She shot up again "Fine!" She turned and stormed out the room into the sleeping corridor. Leon sighed.
"We can all guess Doc's answer." He gestured to Steve, whom was still day dreaming about the zoids. "Jamie?"
"What have we got to lose? We need more pilots and zoids, and they're the best around."
"Okay." Leon turned to face Bit. "We'll see what happens in three days."
X-X-X-X-X-X
Leena stormed to her room, furious at Bit. How dare he talk about their problems with members of the Backdraft so openly! Okay, ex-Backdraft. But still…
She flung open her door, then slammed it again as she stepped though. Throwing herself on to the small bed, she pummelled her pillow, imagining it was Bit. After almost ten minutes of such she sat up, finally calm enough to think properly.
Okay, now she thought things through, Bit did have valid points. She had caught Jamie's answer as she had left the room, and she did have to agree, all three pilots were the best around, nearly equalling the Blitz team in skill and daring. Vega even surpassed them in the Fury.
Fury. Now she thought about it, Leena had only really begun to lose it when Bit started going on about Sarah Obscura. But why did she care? What in the world would make her care if Bit started to fall for the mother of his greatest rival? Not that it was right in anyway, but…
Leena shook her head. It was crazy for her even to be thinking these thoughts, but for the life of her she couldn't get Bit out of her mind. When she thought of Bit and Sarah together…her blood boiled, and she felt ready to tear the hearts out of both of them. She gripped her sheets so tightly in her hands they started to tear, but she didn't hear.
Slowly, past the haze that formed whenever she got mad, Leena became aware of a second, darker emotion, beneath the anger. Driving it, feeding it, pushing it on. She tried to focus on it, but it was slippery, difficult to pin down. Finally she managed to do so...
Jealousy.
She felt jealous that Sarah had Bit, even in her head…
Stunned at this, Leena felt her anger dissipate. She couldn't believe it! There was nothing for her to be jealous of! She had no designs on Bit, no claims on him!
Or did she…
Leena shook her head. She needed to think about this. But not here, not around the others, who could burst in here at any moment and ruin what concentration she had left. Her room suddenly felt tiny and cramped. Acting on instinct, she quickly left and made her way to the hanger. She barely acknowledged Jamie as she past the kitchen. Reaching the hanger, she nearly went for her Gunsniper, but the cockpit was even smaller than her room, and with all those weapons… it would be too tempting to let off a few rounds to state her anger. No, she needed something else.
Quickly jumping into the jeep parked by the door, she started out. She didn't notice that both the engine and seat were still warm from Bits return, only that she had to leave…
Just as she pulled out of the hanger, a massive red form landed in front of her with a resounding crash. Cursing aloud, she was forced to make a tight swerve to evade it.
"Ah, my sweet Leena, fate is indeed kind! Here I am to rescue you, and you're already free! Come, we must leave now before your captors realise your out of their grasp!"
"HARRY?" now that she was stationary, Leena realised that the red shape was in fact Harry Champs Iron Kong. "What the HELL are you doing here?"
"Why Leena my dear…" Harry had crooned, but it came over the external speakers like a shout. "…I'm here to free you from this grotty little hole…"
"HEY! That's my home you're talking about!"
"…And take you away to be my queen!" Harry crowed. "Away from that money grubbing mercenary, away from that loony Doc, and especially far away from that no-good, cocky, arrogant punk of a pilot, Bit Cloud!"
Leena was startled, and more than a little alarmed. Harry had never spoken like that before.
"Harry, I don't need rescuing. And besides, they're my friends…"
"Leena, as my queen, you could have hundreds of friends!" Harry stated. "They'll all say how great you are, dote on you…"
"…If you're talking about robot servants, forget it!"
"Leena, Leena…" The Iron Kong actually shook its head. "You are clearly under some kind of spell, most likely one created by that snot nosed, pathetic spoiled brat of a pilot, Bit…"
"Funny Harry, I thought for a second that you were referring to yourself there."
Leena looked over her shoulder to see the Liger Zero stood in the hanger door, the rest of the Blitz Team clustered around its rear feet. Oddly, she felt much safer now that she had a friend in a zoid here too, particularly as it was Bit.
"BIT CLOUD!" Harry shrieked. Leena was forced to cover her ears. "Relinquish your hold on my Leena this instant!"
"MY hold?" Bit sounded astonished. "What gave you that crazy idea Harry?"
"Leena's been hanging up on me every time I call! She would never do that to me, her beloved man who will be king!"
The Liger growled. Although she never could understand it, Leena got the distant impression the Liger was laughing.
"You tell him partner." Bit sounded like he was restraining laughter too.
"BIT, is your over blown pansy of a zoid LAUGHING at ME?"
"Hey, don't insult Liger!" The Liger roared much more aggressively.
"Oh yea? Then how come you're 'great, all powerful partnership' is getting whipped? Why does the Liger never do anything by its self anymore? Every time it fights, it wears one of those silly armours with stupid names…" Harry taunted, apparently forgetting Leena for now. "…I know why: The vaulted Liger Zero is a coward! A pussy!"
The Liger was growling dangerously now. Leena could see it trembling; actually see it trembling with suppressed rage.
"Harry, I think you had better leave. Now."
"Fine, I will." The Iron Kong's head turned back to her. "Come my queen…"
"What…" Was all Leena could say before the Iron Kong's massive club like hand swept out and plucked her from the jeep like she would a sweet from a tin.
"HARRY! LET ME GO!" She raged, pounding on the metal fingers hold her. All that got her were bruised hands.
"Harry? What on Zi are you doing?"
"What does it look like Bit?" Harry answered smugly. "I'm taking my future bride with me. A couple of hours away from your 'clouding' interference…" Here he broke off to laugh at his own naff joke. "…And she will realise the truth I've known all along."
"And what kind of sick truth is that?" Leena thundered.
"Why, we're soul mates!" Harry sounded almost surprised that she had asked that question. "And that you are destined to be my queen and bear my heirs!" Leena went as white as a sheet.
"Harry! You can't kidnap someone and expect them to fall in love with you!" Bit yelled.
"She already loves me, she is just confused. You have some wicked spell on her! But I will free her from it!"
'Good Lord he's completely lost it…' Leena thought.
"Harry, let her go. Right now." She had never heard Bit so serious before.
"Never! I will never relinquish my rightful bride!"
The Liger growled again. It began to paw the ground. Leena could see the tension building in its legs. The Liger was clearly not going to wait much longer.
"Ahh, the little yellow bellied pussy cat is trying to scare me…" Harry laughed. "Give it up Bit! While I hold Leena in my zoids hand, you can't do any…"
He never finished his sentence as in a blur of motion the Liger lunged forward. Leena heard the sound of crunching metal, and looked over to see the Ligers jaw fastened around the Iron Kong's elbow. Harry was screeching as the Liger lifted its right front paw up. The claws glowed brightly, as did the spines on its cheeks, before the raised paw slashed downward. The laser claw torn right though the Kong's bicep, completely severing the arm. With a jolt the Liger dropped to all fours, before ducking and backing away to dodge Harry's return blow from the remaining arm. Harry used too much force, as the Iron Kong, already unbalanced from the loss of an arm, toppled over. While Harry righted his zoid, the Liger Zero lowered the severed arm to the ground, Leena still trapped in its grip. The Liger took up a stance between her and Harry.
"NO!" Harry screamed. "I will not leave without my Leena!"
"It's either that or you leave via a stretcher." Bit countered. From his tone Leena knew that Bit meant every word he said.
"All right Bit, we'll play it your way." Harry sniggered. "You want to keep your hold on my Leena, fine. Tomorrow, we fight a zoid battle." Leena started to worry again. From the expressions of the rest of the team, who had gathered round her to see if they could prise her out, they too were worried. "The prize money, paid by the loser; five hundred thousand credits." Leena heard gasps from the rest of the Blitz team, and felt her own intake of breath. 'That would be enough to clear all our debts, with a bit extra to do up the base…'
"Harry, I don't have a half million to my name!"
"Well then," Harry countered smugly. "I guess your team will have to cover the bill then."
Jamie sighed. "We couldn't scrap together half that, even if we sold everything we own. Including the zoids, the Hover Cargo, the base…"
"Well, I guess I'll have to settle for something of equal value then…" the Kong's head looked straight at Leena.
"Forget it!"
"Course, you could give me the Liger Zero instead. It will have to use only the basic armour in the fight though, to keep things fair." The Liger roared in outrage. "My sister's birthday is coming up, and I know what she wants…" The Liger begun to tremble again, but its pose was different. Leena was shocked for the second time that day. 'It's scared!'
"Harry, I won't accept your challenge. It is grossly unfair…"
"Well, then I guess I'll have to start calling the banks, to inform those who you own money to that you're wasting time and that you can easily pay off your debts now…or maybe that you have no intension of paying off your debts. I haven't decided which one to tell them yet…"
Leena went as white as a sheet, while her Fathers face went slack.
"You wouldn't." Bit gasped.
"Try me." Even though they couldn't see his face, Harry clearly had an evil grin on it.
'He's got us in a corner, and he knows it. If Bit doesn't accept, the Blitz team is finished. If he does and loses, he'll have to either give up the Liger, in which case we're done for anyway, or I have to turn myself over to Harry…' Leena shuddered at the thought. But she couldn't decide which fate would be worse.
"Fine Harry, you win." Bit ground out. "Just tell me when and where. I'll be there."
"Excellent. I'll get the Commission to arrange something. Make sure you have Leena and the Ligers armours with you…"
"So I can use them then?"
"NO YOU CAN NOT! They'll be included with the Liger if you decide to hand it over. Mary would be trilled to bits when she unwraps the Liger to find its armours included."
Bit was silent for a time, before grimly replying. "All right, they'll all be there."
"Good." The Iron Kong turned to go, and then stopped. "Erm, could I have my zoids arm back please?"
DR: Some of you may be thinking Harry's acting a little OOC. Well, bear with me. There is a reason…