CHAPTER 8
Defeat Tastes Bitter Sweet
"And so, in conclusion, I would like to thank you for coming to the unveiling of the statue of our Madam President," Necros said, "any questions?" A crowd of gathered people clapped, the man before them bowing a few times before turning to the two men in Republican uniform behind him.
"Ambassador Necros," one of the soldiers said, "the President requests a conference with you to discuss the upcoming anniversary of our fair city." Necros stared at the soldier momentarily with his piercing silver eyes before smiling pleasantly.
"Of course, after you" the Ambassador said, turning to wave at the gathered people one last time before he departed. Then he slowly followed the soldiers, his smile becoming an eerie grimace. He followed the soldiers into the White House and up a flight of stairs before greeting the Madam President herself with a cheery grin. "Thank you for the audience with me Madam President, what is it that you request a conference with me for?" One soldier tapped the other on his shoulder and leaned his head to one side, the other responding by turning to go back downstairs.
"Necros," the President said, "good to see you again. Walk with me for a moment." The two began strolling through the second floor of the White House casually. "There's been a lot of talk about some interesting activities you've been participating in," the President said, a stern look on her face, "I don't recall authorizing the recovery of any organoids."
"Madam President you offend me," Necros started, "why would you assume such a thing?"
"Because I have footage of a group of bandits handing one over to you," the President retorted, "at your secret hideout, oh wait, it's not so secret anymore." Necros's cheery exposition turned cold in a flash.
"Listen here you old wench," Necros said, drawing a gun from his back pocket and leveling it at the woman, "you just opened a nasty can of worms. I think it's about time we took a little walk outside." The Ambassador whistled and the two soldiers from before came up, blocking anyone else's view of the President as she was lead out by gunpoint.
"Ah, the child prodigy," Craven said, "I see your Zoid has evolved, so has mine." The Stealth Dragon roared in bestial rage, spreading its retractable wings and boosting toward the Psychosaurer like a rocket. The evolved Genosaurer boosted to the side just in time to dodge the first half of the Stealth Dragon. The second half on other hand slammed into the head of the Psychosaurer in the form of the Stealth Dragon's hardened alloy tail. The attack tossed the Zoid to the side with great force, sending it flying toward a jagged outcropping. Craven sneered and activated the Psychosaurer's boosters, stopping the Zoid just inches from the potentially deadly terrain.
The Stealth Dragon swooped back around and opened its mouth, revealing the dual AZ40mm machine guns inside. The draconic Zoid spat a wave of anti-Zoid bullets at its opponent, ripping into the Psychosaurer's leg armor. In return, the Psychosaurer shot its arms out like grappling hooks, opening fire with its weapons as well. A few spines from the AZ144mm spine launchers drilled into the Stealth Dragon but it pulled up before the grappling arms could catch it, heading right for the Psychosaurer before it could pull back its weapons.
Crow bellowed a battle cry as the Stealth Dragon head butted the Psychosaurer and activated its boosters, bringing the Zoid along with it as it turned toward the sky. Seeing that the arms of the Psychosaurer were nearly back and knowing the possibility of Craven using the Max CPG was high, Crow climbed a little bit higher and then dove toward the ground as quickly as possible. The Stealth Dragon broke the sound barrier before it curved back up, the momentum throwing the Psychosaurer into the ground roughly.
Craven winced upon impact, his Zoid's parts crunching together as they had done before against the Stealth Viper. Luckily, due to its recent evolution, the Psychosaurer had reinforced hardened alloy along its body to prevent breaking and bending. Crow watched in disbelief as the Psychosaurer emerged from the small crater it had created upon impact. Craven's Zoid roared and revealed the gun barrel in its mouth, making Crow shudder a little bit. An orb of charged particles formed at the base of the Psychosaurer's mouth as the Stealth Dragon swept down, pouring more bullets upon the ex-Genosaurer.
"Max Charged Particle Gun!" Craven yelled deviously. Crow struggled to maneuver the Stealth Dragon to the correct positions as the beam of destructive power fired and split. The Stealth Dragon twisted and bent itself in a perfect wave shape, the beams of charged particles slicing through the air just inches from the Zoid's body. The ensuing explosions threw the Stealth Dragon skyward, but it managed to right itself with some quick thinking from Crow. "Damn it!" Craven screamed. Crow wiped a bead of sweat from his forehead and prepared for another attack.
The Psychosaurer boosted into a hovering position and sped toward the Stealth Dragon, pelting the enemy Zoid with fire from the Psychosaurer's arm mounted weapons. The Stealth Dragon belched a volley of bullets upon its opponent again and dove toward the Psychosaurer with outstretched arms. Crow spun the Stealth Dragon as he approached and activated its Gripper Claws, digging into the back of the Psychosaurer as it continued on. The Stealth Dragon's speed faltered as it picked the Psychosaurer up and the mid-section of the dragon type Zoid nearly dropped to the ground but it held. Crow dropped the Psychosaurer as he activated the ion boosters of the Stealth Dragon, throwing the Zoid into a rock face.
The initial impact rocked the cockpit of the Psychosaurer and cracked a piece of armor on its chest. Craven turned his Zoid around and yelled as a cloud of charged particles formed outside the Psychosaurer's mouth once again. Crow quickly moved to avoid the shots again, bending the Stealth Dragon in every which way in an effort to dodge the oncoming onslaught. This time Craven snickered and waited a little longer before firing his beam, the computers signifying a number of lock-ons. "MAX CPG!" Craven yelled once again.
Red and purple energy swirled together and broke apart, the beams of charged particles splitting and heading toward their target sections of the Stealth Dragon. Crow screamed in terror as he tried to move the Stealth Dragon. A split second later a pair of beams struck his Zoid in two different places, the shockwaves and impact throwing it to the ground. A layer of dust and rubble obscured Craven's vision but he knew what was happening. The Stealth Dragon sparked and tweaked as it went to stand up, Crow watching in horror as the Psychosaurer broke through the dust smoke screen.
Craven laughed maniacally as his opponent tried to get a hold of himself. "Time to pay you back for my earlier defeat child" Craven said coolly. Crow sneered and tried a few different controls, the Stealth Dragon wiggling and slithering as it tried to escape. Another gathering of charged particles formed, the Psychosaurer's eyes glowing with power.
"Not so fast!" a voice said over the intercom. Craven turned to see a wave of Zoids approaching him. "Commence Attack Pattern Gama!" Colonel Payne commanded. The line of Genosaurers and Dibison behind his Zaber Fang halted and began activating their ultimate attacks. The barrels of the Dibison Zoids began glowing with golden energy as the Genosaurers charged up their CPGs. Craven turned back to fire at Crow but his Max CPG struck nothing but an empty crater. "Fire!" Payne ordered. The Psychosaurer sprang backwards as numerous beams of energy struck the ground all around it. Craven screamed as his Zoid was thrown around like a rag doll from the explosions.
Crow watched safely from the Stealth Dragon as the Psychosaurer emerged from the after effects of the attacks. The Zoid's armor was ripped to shreds, not to mention dented, and a couple of holes dotted its body. The Psychosaurer roared defiantly as Colonel Payne ordered a second attack. Craven wisely backed off and began boosting away, the second stream of CPGs and Megalo-Maxs falling short of their target. The Colonel's Zaber Fang ran up to the Stealth Dragon, the Helcat appearing behind it.
"You okay boy?" Payne asked.
"No problem I'm fine, you alright Drake?" Crow asked. A resilient growl from inside the Stealth Dragon answered his question and he watched as Drake emerged from the Zoid.
"That Psychosaurer is pretty powerful," Payne pointed out, "do you think it's the result of the mass organoid evolution you were talking about?"
"No Colonel, it was strong, but not that strong" Crow said.
"Sir," Victor's voice said, "we've just received word that the President has been kidnapped!"
"What?" Payne said in disbelief. He stared into the horizon as Craven disappeared into the sunset. "You had something to do with this didn't you?" the Colonel asked.
"Craven return to base" Necros said over the Wraith's intercom.
"But master, I am yet to capture the green organoid" Craven said.
"Just come back, we have a change in plans, I've waited long enough" Necros said before his transmission cut off. Craven shook his head and directed the Psychosaurer toward his master's secret base.
"Who has kidnapped the President?" Colonel Payne asked, standing next to a few Republican generals in his command tower.
"We don't know just yet, the security was-" one general started to say before a face appeared on the main command screen.
"Citizens of planet Zi," Necros said, "welcome to my sick little game. You're all pawns in this game of chess and I'm the player. I have the Madam President and she's safe, for now. I decree to the world for all to hear now, you will all bow to my unfathomable power. Think of yourselves as lucky to be part of the beginning of something far greater than you could ever imagine. You will all remember this day as the end of your silly Zoid battles and simple disagreements. No more will you live a life of division, as you will all be united under one banner, mine. Witness the power. Witness the destruction. Witness the Awakening! For all the world to see!" Behind the man a pair of glowing red eyes appeared from the pool of purple liquid a few feet away.
A/N: Yay a new chapter again! We're so excited we're gonna write reviews, right?
By the way, VD, the beginning was for you, altered at the last moment to satisfy your curiousity.
