TEN
A NEW PARTNER
Note: Thank you The-Colonel-382 for submitting his character.
Review Corner:
Ulquiorra9000: I may not have the space to show detail traits of your characters, but I make sure I cover them on the next story (where they are supposed to appear).
Johca: Thank you man, I really appreciate the support. I hope you have fun with this one.
Jdoug4118: How about this one? I hope you like it.
Owl City,
Eastern Continent, Planet Zi,
January 30, 2128
The night was barely restful for Saskia as Royce couldn't wait to leave. It was still dark when he savagely woke Saskia up and dragged her from her sleep.
"What is of this offense?" Saskia painfully writhed on her emergency cot. "What time is it?"
"Time to go," Royce huffed impatiently. "Good fortune passes the weak mind."
"Attend your good health first," Saskia strained to get up and check on Royce's condition. "How did sleep make of you?"
"My old self," Royce gently pushed Saskia's hand away. "How is your parts list coming?"
"A long one," Saskia unfurled a piece of paper full with notes and scratch marks. "Take note that your Command Wolf is badly damaged, possibly beyond repair. I fear none of local shops can see our needs fulfilled. It may behoove us to purchase another zoid, or go without altogether."
"Not a chance. I would not see us unarmed while Cassiopeia is still out there."
"She can't shoot what she can't see," Saskia argued. "Zoids are big. They attract too much attention. Travelling without zoids gives us stealth. We can go anywhere undetected, as do common pedestrians. Let us take this path so we don't have to fight anymore."
"Your mind is set on this?" Royce cringed unwillingly.
"If it were up to me, I would do as such," Saskia scoffed. "But I am not to say the last word, am I?"
Royce looked at his Command Wolf and Saskia back and forth, weighing the repercussion of each action. Saskia's suggestion made perfect sense, but he felt safer inside a zoid. He knew Cassiopeia well, and although the chance of her zoid being inoperational after the duel was high, she was still a dangerous enemy and was not to be underestimated.
"One visit to a zoid dealer," Royce finally made up his mind. "See what you can get. If nothing good can come out of it, we continue on foot."
"So be it," Saskia sighed in response. She made a quick check up on the Command Wolf to verify her parts list, then left the abandoned industrial complex, back to Owl City with Royce.
Owl City was barely awakened but local law enforcement had flooded the area in search of the parties responsible for the carnage at Port Estuaria. Major roads were blocked and businesses were forced to close that day. The peppy small town had turned into a cemetery with police zoids loitering mindlessly like zombies, looking for the twozoids that had wrecked a good part of the city.
"There is not much we can do," Saskia whispered. "The shops are closed, most likely indefinitely. Going on foot is our only choice, and the most advantageous at that."
"We agreed on one stop by a dealer," Royce grumbled, cursing their bad luck. "We are not going until we do."
"This pigheadedness of yours is preposterous!" Saskia shook her head in desperation.
"This pigheadedness of mine keeps me alive," Royce spat back. "Didn't you do the same thing? Didn't you risk torture and death to get zoid back? What hypocrisy your mouth is spitting? Accusing me of something you are as guilty of doing?"
It was hard for Saskia to argue with that deposition, if she could at all. Royce was right, she did the exact same thing as him: doing whatever he could to revive his dying zoid. There was so much more in a zoid than just a vehicle and a weapon platform. Zoids were sentient beings, able to form strong bonds with the right pilots. It was not uncommon that some Zi fighters were attached to their zoids more than they did other people. And Saskia would only need to look into a mirror to find one, the most stubborn of kind.
"A different solution, perhaps?" Saskia turned toward a concession stand. "Let's ask for direction."
Without waiting for Royce's reply, Saskia powered her way to the concession stand on the side of the street. Royce was left with no choice, wondering what she might pull off at such a place. Casually Saskia ordered two drinks and a few pieces of bread, which she quickly devoured.
"Apologies, but what affair is happening in town?" Saskia asked the concession owner as she ordered more bread for Royce. "Too much law enforcement on the streets."
"Mayhem, freshly occurred," the owner mumbled aggravatedly. "Two outsiders obliterated Port Estuaria. The cops are tracing their zoids, believed to be too damaged to leave town." He gave Saskia a long good look. "You are visiting Owl City?"
"Our zoids need repair," she replied nonchalantly. "Nothing major, just broken solenoids and rectifiers for battery charging system. Desert travel is not kind to the air conditioners. We should be leaving soon if all zoid dealers in town are not closed."
"Try the junkyard," the concession owner drew a simple map on a piece of paper. "Only a few miles south at the outskirt of Owl City. The parts are not worth a dime, but at least they will keep you going until you find better fortune."
"Gratitude," Saskia nodded and paid the man for his service. She turned to Royce, who was looking at her in high esteem. His gaze made her weak in the knees. "Now we know where to go," she said, trying hard to compose herself.
"I have mistreated you in favor of prejudice," Royce said, smiling for the first time. "The fact is you're good, you're very good. Worthy of a Rottiger companion."
Saskia knew her face had turned red as she felt hot flush burning in her cheeks. But before she succumbed into the euphoria of a teenage girl (one she never had but eternally longed for) she took a deep breath and kept her self control. "Two years as a mechanic for Helic Military is not without advantage. Now let's go. We have a lot to do."
Saskia led the way out of the concession stand and proceeded south. They didn't have any other means of transportation so they just walked. The junkyard was less than 5 miles away so they reached the place in under 2 hours. The place was huge, almost half the size of Owl City itself. Going into the junkyard felt like swimming in a sea of metal scraps. Some of them came from rare, extinct zoids like Battle Cougar and Godkaizer, among others. They were all covered in rust, some worse than others, but they were all in repairable condition.
Saskia felt like a little girl walking into a candy store. The smell of rusting metal felt like caramel to her. She wished she knew this place when she was rebuilding her Gilvader. She could swear she would find Gilvader parts here, which would save her from trouble and encounters with ruthless people, particularly Fat Bob. She could build a working zoid just by staying at one section of the junkyard. So many parts, so little time.
Piles after piles of zoid parts served as walls from a maze, and the two kept going deeper until a Gun Sniper Wild Weasel greeted them. Its rusty-red cammo blended perfectly with the environment, making it hard to see among hills of scraps. Judging from the paint job, Saskia guessed that it was intended to ambush thieves or scavengers trying to steal zoid parts.
"Who are you?" the Wild Weasel pilot boomed. His voice was stern without too intimidating. "What business do you seek?"
"We are in need of zoids parts," Saskia replied. "Owl City dealerships are closed. Some street vendor referenced this place, ripe with zoid litters and afterthoughts."
"You take his words for granted?" the Wild Weasel stopped in front of Saskia and Royce. "What do you need?"
"A bunch," Saskia pulled out her list. "Come down and take a look yourself."
The Wild Weasel lowered its head and the pilot popped up the canopy. He was a large man, easily dwarfing Royce and Saskia, with a broad shoulder and muscular arms to boot. His appearance matched the angry face of the Wild Weasel, a perfect watchdog for the junkyard. But despite his towering physique, he was not an intimidating brute. He was well mannered when he approached Saskia to take a look her list.
"What a litany!" the large man went through Saskia's list, almost in disbelief. "What state is zoid in?"
"Dead, for the most part," Saskia scoffed. "But it's our only zoid badly needed."
"Take days to restore, maybe weeks," the man sighed. "Too much money will be spent unwisely. Perhaps you will entertain a new zoid? We may have something to your liking."
"Of what kind?" Royce joined in.
"Let me take you in to the manager," the man motioned the couple to follow him. They walked through a series of scrap piles until they arrived at a hut. An old man sat in a chair, hammering the keyboard of his computer, while nodding in approval once in a while. As soon as he saw Royce and Saskia coming in, he stood up with a smile that displayed his kempt teeth.
"What business can I offer you, good people?" the old man sniggered.
"They are looking for parts," the large man handed in Saskia's note to the old man. "Looks like necessities for a Command Wolf, but with this many replacements, the zoid will not return to form in a long time. I offered them zoid inventory, so they intend to check it out."
"Hmm…" the old man scanned the list for a while, then looked at Saskia with a broad smile. "Fortune favors you. I have all parts in working condition. You can obtain them with price you will never get in Owl City. But since Dagonet mentioned you are making arrangement to see zoids, we will see it done first."
"Fate blesses you with a good assistant," Saskia chimed.
"Assistant? No, Dagonet is not my assistant," the old man chuckled in response. "I hired him to repulse thieves. A soldier of status during the Western Continent War. Served the Helic Republic with honor. Now my place is safe because of him."
"I merely do what I am paid to do," Dagonet, the large man, nodded with modesty.
"Blessed with laurels, yet acquitted from vanity," the old man slapped Dagonet's shoulder as he led the party to a lion type zoid. "Here is my best zoid: a Leostriker," the man said and walked toward a pile of scrap. "Acquired as a part of a trade. It has seen better days but runs good and deserves accolades on all accounts. It is not blessed with the speed of Command Wolf, but it stands proud among closer-quarter sluggers."
Saskia observed the zoid with much uncertainty. It was a zoid in the shape of a lion, with eyes flashing in bright orange and teeth gleaming under the sun's light. Its tail jutted out like a broadsword, though the placement of the sword as the zoid's tail rendered it mostly useless. Two mortar launchers rested on its shoulder. It didn't look particularly appealing to her, but she was biased.
"We can't afford another zoid, one with different fighting style than me," Royce snubbed the offer.
"It may not have the firepower of a Command Wolf, but it compliments the range of the 'Wolf with its melee prowess. And if you are good, you can fuse it with the Command Wolf."
"Fuzor?" Saskia turned around. "Is it the Fuzor partner of the Command Wolf?"
"Command Striker," the old man grinned from ear to ear, knowing that he got Saskia's attention. "Double the firepower, ten times the strength of any one of them operating individually. So what do you get to loose? Buy it and fuse it with the Command Wolf, or place it in the 'Wolf's stead. You win either way. But of course, if you fashion a different sort, we can observe another zoid…"
"How do you perform said procedure? The fuse?" Royce, who hadn't shown interest for the most part of the visit, suddenly tuned in. "How much wealth do you seek in return?"
"I am not a zoid pilot, Son," the old man replied. "Put mind to work, or lay fortunes in the hands of fate."
"Royce! Do you lose mind?" Saskia grabbed Royce's hand and whispered so Dagonet and the old man didn't hear her. "What is of this sudden infatuation to Fuzors?"
"Fuzor or no Fuzor, two is better than one," Royce whispered back. "As long as Cassiopeia is still around, we are not safe. The Leostriker is our warranty that we would not be blind sided by Cassiopeia again. We shall overpower her Arosaurer with Fuzor, or outnumber her two to one. Like he said, we win either way."
"You expect me to pilot the Leostriker?" Saskia stammered.
"Aren't you a zoid pilot?" Royce pushed on. "Don't you ache for the control of zoid again?"
"Well but… to some extent," Saskia hesitated. The horror of the Helic Republic training ground still haunted her at night. Every failed test felt like a sword driving through her chest. It was one of those moments that gave her low self esteem to the point of quiting the military altogether. "I am not… a good… pilot…"
"What rubbish is this?" Royce flared. "You piloted a Gilvader, for heaven's sake!"
"I was blessed to have met my zoid partner but if it wasn't so I wouldn't be what I am today," Saskia cringed. "I never finished training because I failed piloting test in the military. I couldn't save myself from enemy's grasp if I had to pilot a zoid. And I have never piloted a land zoid. So please, forget Fuzor and take the Leostriker to make haste to New Helic City. We can still outrun Cassiopeia."
"I would not have that chance," Royce growled. "Not when I am with you. You have time to control the Leostriker while you mend Command Wolf."
"Don't' make me do this Royce," Saskia sighed, half pleading. "Please, don't take this path…"
"It is done," Royce ignored Saskia, then turned to the old man. "We take it."
"Wisdom has guided your feet, Son," the old man smiled. "Come! Let us seal our agreement in ink and money, and let the young lady familiarize herself with the beast. Dagonet will assist her."
Royce followed the old man back to the hut, leaving Saskia alone. Saskia came very close to throwing a piece of metal at Royce's head. She couldn't understand him; he was the one that was in a big hurry to leave the city. He was the one that didn't want to wait long. But now, when opportunities presented itself, he took the long road and gambled with uncertainty. How much did he know about Fuzors? Probably not much more than she did. Why would he risk his mission for unproven concept like Fuzors?
"The Leostriker is mild mannered," Dagonet said to her, as if reading her mind. "It is easy to control. I have done so myself and I stand behind my words."
"I do not seek words!" Saskia huffed briskly. "I seek but a means to kill that pompous sonofabitch!"
"Yet the zoid is yours to own," Dagonet replied nonchalantly. "The purchase is done. Might as well acquaint with it. I will attend to your practice as you wait for your lover to seal the deal."
"If he touches me in that fashion, I will take his bloody heart!" Saskia cursed under her breath, disgusted by the thought that she and Royce were lovers. But she couldn't help thinking about that 'what-if' situation. Royce still didn't see her as his partner, making decisions without her consent, but he put more respect toward her than ever before. Part of his decision to get the Leostriker was to provide protection for her. Or so she thought.
Perhaps he did care for her. As a partner.
"So, Leo, I'm your new patron," Saskia said as she slowly climbed the Leostriker. She situated herself in the cockpit, assessing every gauges and monitors, until she knew where all the primary contols were located. It felt cramped, but she expected it. It was just a 20-ton zoid, far removed from the massive dragon she used to pilot. And before she did anything, she had to convince herself that no matter what she did, the zoid would not take off the ground. Maybe for a split-second jump, but that was it.
"Let's see what you've got," she said as she pushed the throttle forward. The Leostriker responded with a soft growl and broke into a smooth gait. Saskia throttled up more, and the lion zoid effortlessly picked up speed to a gallop. Saskia steered the joystick left and right, and the lion zoid followed her direction without complain.
"I see you've bonded well with the Leostriker," Dagonet called her from his Wild Weasel.
"Bonded is too strong a word," Saskia replied sheepishly. "We merely test each other's boundary. This Leo does not have the obstinacy of my Gilvader, which I dearly miss, but obedience is a virtue anyone treasures in zoids."
"If you are comfortable with its qualities, go test its physique," Dagonet suggested. "Find yourself a hill of scrap and take the peak. You will like what it does."
Saskia led the Leostriker around the scrap maze a little longer until she spotted a tall mountain of zoid scrap. It was a good 50 meters tall. She stopped a good distance from it, measuring the gap between them, then slammed home the throttle and jerked the joysticks forward. The Leostriker fired an enthusiastic roar and broke into a sprint. Just as it arrived at the foot of the scrap hill, it leapt like a spring. Its streamline feline body flew inches away from the slope, and for a split second Saskia thought she was actually flying. The Leostriker took the top in one jump.
"Not bad! Not bad at all!" Saskia chimed with glee. "I think I will like this little kitty."
"Keep in mind that maneuver. It may come handy in battles," Dagonet said. "There's a lot more to you can get out of it, but looks like your partner is ready with parts. You can go back and restore your Command Wolf presently."
"Gratitude," Saskia replied as she drove the Leostriker down the hill. Royce was right; she did miss piloting a zoid. This zoid was a whole different animal than her Gilvader, and would not be its substitute in any way, but having a metal beast run and jump at her whim made her feel alive. She was a zoid pilot at heart. She didn't feel like Royce's baggage anymore, now that she had her own ride.
A mischievous thought flashed in her mind, in which she gave Royce a thank you kiss. But she immediately shrugged it off.