Bit Cloud was tense within the cockpit of a virtual reality Command Wolf. The grid of green-tinted landscape visible between the metal and plastic simulator walls held an enemy Command Wolf, an anonymous fellow city-goer that had, so far, evaded Bit's every attack.

Bit eased his Zoid forward, watching-there, there was the other unit, running soundlessly behind a row of blocky CG trees. Fast, Bit turned to face the other sim, locked onto it and fired two quick bursts into its side. It datatized. A congratulation appeared over the VR screen, then the cockpit pod opened and Bit again was in the mall complex at Kieran's Landing.

As Bit climbed out of his pod, a smile forming on his face for the tough victory, he watched his opponent's pod. A kid was emerging. He looked to be only twelve or thirteen, with long dark hair and brown eyes. He looked absolutely crushed by his defeat, head down, pulling his heavy jacket around himself as he looked for a swift way through the crowd gathered around the mock battlefield.

"Hey." Bit approached the boy. "You're pretty good."

"Thanks." Then the kid found an opening in the dispersing crowd and moved away. Bit followed, noticing when the kid pilot stood at a food stand near where Jaime and Brad of the Blitz Team sat. Bit joined his teammates there.

"So did you win?" Brad asked.

"Yeah." Bit said. "I beat that kid." He gestured to him. Brad nodded. And furtively, the young pilot came over to their table and looked from one to the other before speaking. "You're the Blitz Team, right?"

"Yeah." Bit said.

"Wow...Ahm, I'm Dax Ransha. I, ah, I need a team. For Zoids. I mean-"

"Relax." Brad said, gruffly. "Sit down."

Dax Ransha pulled a chair around to where he stood and sat, put his hands flat on the white plastic and said, "I pilot a Redler. I want to join a team."

Bit, Jaime and Brad looked at each other. There was a space for a fifth pilot on the team, but it wasn't really needed.

"He's good." Bit offered, lowering his voice toward his team.

"In a sim, yeah." Brad said quietly.

"A Redler's a dragon type aerial Zoid." Jaime said. "I've never piloted one, but heard they have average capabilities. They used to be used a lot in the military."

"I'm looking for a better Zoid." Dax said, stopping the surreptitious conversation.

"No, that's okay," Bit started. He thought he knew how Dax felt, wanting so much to be a pilot.

"Look at this!" Doc Tauros, the founder of the Blitz team, collapsed into the chair next to Dax, spilling boxes of model Zoid units onto the table. "A Bear Fighter, a Dark Spiner, a Konig Wolf...look!"

Leena came up behind her father and dragged a chair over from another table. "That's our prize money you just spent, Dad."

"Oh, I'll repay you, don't worry...oh, hello." Doc noticed Dax. "You are..."

"Dax Ransha."

"Steve Tauros. This is Leena, Bit, Brad, I guess you know them, you're a pilot?"

"Yeah..."

"Great! Come to the base with us this afternoon, we'll see what you can do. Bit, would you mind--" The piles of models were pushed in Bit's direction and Doc got up again.

"Hey Doc. Take your hobby money out of your own pocket, not ours." Brad called, but Doc was off again.

Dax followed him with his eyes. "Is your team always like this?"