Chapter Five: A Harbinger Awakens
Doctor D let out a contented sigh as he drove the open-topped truck through the checkpoint at the entrance to the base where he had been told he'd find Van Flyheight, giving the guard a wave of his hand in gratitude as he was swiftly admitted entrance, the old man eager as ever. It had been five days since Fiona and Zeke had made their cryptic departure into the Core of the Blade Liger, and the toll their absence was taking on Van was growing heavier on his shoulders day by day; the most commonly given reply when asked of his whereabouts had been "check the hangar, he's probably pacing still". This was no surprise to Doctor D who upon hearing that a Zoid- no less than the Blade Liger of course- was evolving, took it upon himself to immediately rush over to the base to find out the details, and more importantly see the Zoid and youngsters for himself. Walking into the hangar true to their words was a pacing Van, absentmindedly rolling his Guardian Force ring between his index finger and thumb as he made his lengthy laps around the facility murmuring to himself.
"Well well, they weren't kidding me when they said I'd find you pacing!" Van turned lazily before his features lit up as he recognized the old man.
"Gramps! What are you doing here?! And who said I'd been pacing?" The two jogged to one another before sharing a quick embrace. With an ever youthful smirk the old man quipped back.
"Well just about everyone I've talked to today, said you've been restless and took up living in the hangar." Van chuckled a bit, though he couldn't argue with the truth behind the words. Smiling still, he replied as he stole a glance to the swirling mass nearby.
"Oh c'mon gramps, can ya blame me? I can't wait to see what it looks like when it comes out, and I especially can't wait to see how powerful it'll become from Fiona and Zeke. What brings you out here?" Doctor D placed a hand on Van's shoulder as he stared at the swirling mass ahead.
"It's safe to say I'm here for the same reasons you are, as this is the only time I've ever heard of a Zoid evolving twice, I'm eager to add this to my portfolio of research! What an amazing phenomenon, and it's no surprise to see the great hero Van Flyheight is the proud pilot of such a mighty Zoid! I've been directing my focus as of late to the true origins of life on Zi, and after the research we've been conducting on samples retrieved at the ruins of Evopolis I think your Zoid may have some pieces to the puzzle!" At this notion Van's features quirked into a moment of realization as he now began to pick at Doctor D's mind, hoping to gain insight.
"Hey Doc, speaking of puzzles, Rudolf tasked us with finding Raven and Reese... Fiona and I were about to head out before she and Zeke fused with the Liger, and I could use some help finding them. Is there anything you can do to help me out here? I've got no idea where to even start... they've been in hiding ever since the last battle, and those two are the type that only show themselves on their terms." Doctor D paused and brought his hand to his chin and looked down, the wrinkles on his face tightening with concentration as his brow furrowed deep in thought. Closing his eyes for a moment, they suddenly popped open with a new found mental clarity as a smug grin worked its way onto his lips.
"Ah ha! Oh yeah, I've got it! Raven's Geno Breaker, the same as all other Zoids using charged particle weaponry, have a very unique radiation signature about them. This radiation fades at a rather quick rate when left residually such as the aftermath of a charged particle beam, but remains consistent throughout the Zoid itself. I hypothesize that if one were to, calculating for the various residues potentially present from the massive attacks of the Death Saurer and Death Stinger, calculate both the consistent signature locations and their general path, be able to find a rough direction of either where Raven is headed, where he is, or at the very least where he's been. The signature is quite distinct, being such an uncommon one. No other Zoids have been developed with such particular weaponry." Van beamed in both surprise and glee at Doctor D's plan.
"Alright, now that's what I like to hear. How can we track the radiation then?" Doctor D tucked his clasps hands behind his back as he bounced on his feet and chattered.
"Just you leave that to me! We already know the sites of the Death Saurer and Death Stinger's attacks and their paths, so that cuts out quite a bit of work. The only hard part will be hoping that the Geno Breaker is even active, much less emitting a strong enough level of radiation to easily track. But don't you worry! I'm sure you'll have your own work cut out for you when the Liger finally comes out of-" A deep, loud humming noise began to reverberate from the ball of swirling energy. The hum grew louder and deeper, causing machinery to shake and various tools to clatter to the floor and in a great burst of white it flared outwards, splashing without noise or effect upon the other Zoids and equipment and bays in the hangar, the rose colored light within splashing and phasing through the physical as it expanded and faded. When the blinding white had subsided, Van's jaw dropped as Doctor D looked on with eyes wide as saucers, the heads of every mechanic and officer and pilot in the cavernous hangar now affixed to the glowing Zoid.
What stood before them was no mere Liger.
It stood at least a head taller than the previous incarnation though was much more lithe and organic in appearance. Its thick limbs were now clad in brilliant blue armor, smooth and gracefully sculpted. Gaps in the ornate armor revealed venting in the dark grey frame beneath, bordered by white with thin gold filigree throughout. Its mighty golden claws were long and curved, tips digging into the steel floor of the hangar as the toes flexed downward one by one. The shoulders were no longer flanked by long white and blue grating, but solid blue armor that sloped backwards, with a pair of white strips of armor lifted up revealing a pair of twenty millimeter shock cannons at the top of the front legs. The shock cannons on the belly were now gone, replaced instead by a bold white crest of armor, this too swirling and spiraling with gold patterning. The blades and their mounts were considerably larger, long and wide golden swords that seemed to glimmer even in the dull artificial light of the hangar parallel to its spine and haunches. The attack boosters mounted on their pivots had also gained considerable size; a heavy one-hundred millimeter cannon was mounted on each of their fronts behind a cowling of white armor that was slid back, their short barrels exposed. The torso was overall longer and the thruster pack on the back was no longer concealed but mounted on a robust gyroscope, the white plate plate of flat armor on its front open and displaying a set of ten missile tubes. The hind legs were thick and powerful and armored similarly to the front, while the tail was all but identical save the tip; it was now a long, dagger-like blue jag framed yet again by white, emblazoned with gold filigree. The head could only be described as regal, the mane of armored panels projecting the shield were shorter and thicker, now numbering twelve instead of of the previous Zoid's four, sapphire plates edged with white strakes shifting to pull them closer to the Zoid's neck. A blue plate of armor covered the canopy lid save for two gleaming golden eyes, fierce and sharp, staring directly at Van as the Zoid's external cameras whirred and focused on him, the myriad of sensors behind its amber gaze causing him to grin. The lengths of its blue and white mane were stout as they flared open individually, an amber faceted shield flickering and snapping into existence in front of them with a spray of sparks for a moment as they glowed with energy, the red gyro caps studded along the Zoid's joints whirring to life. Its nose was now less tapered, shorter in line with the rest of the face's blunt and muscular features. The fangs were shorter though by no means less imposing as rows of golden jags appeared as the Liger opened its mouth and bellowed a deafening roar, the entire hangar trembling and rattling in its wake as Van took an unconscious step forward as his grin deepened, his eyes dancing with anticipation and admiration.
"I.. I can't believe it... Zeke..? Fiona?"
Van was completely in shock at the resplendent Zoid in front of him. Never before had he seen such an amazing sight, a machine invoking the connotations of royalty, power, and grace. The Liger crouched low, and dipped its head down. With a hiss, the blue plate atop the head lifted up, and Fiona carefully stepped out. In a burst of bluish light, Zeke appeared by the Liger's head and roared with delight at seeing Van.
Van, now in full sprint with a grin that stretched ear to ear, threw his arms around Zeke as he elated.
"Zeke! You amazing, brilliant Zoid you!" Van's ear-to-ear grin soon dissipated as Fiona's voice trilled in his ears.
"Well, it sounds like it's love at first sight." Turning now, Van's face now plastered with a huge simper that stretched wider at seeing Fiona, who returned in kind with a gentle curve of her lips, elated tears welling in their eyes as they regarded one another. Walking to her, he embraced her tightly, before pulling back slightly to place his forehead to hers.
"Fiona, I had no idea you and Zeke could have done this! This Zoid is amazing, I thought the Blade Liger looked good but this thing looks fit for royalty! Thank you, thank you so much!" Fiona let out a small giggle, kissing him on the nose before she buried her head into his chest.
"Of course. You'll need it after all. The night before me and Zeke merged, I had a... premonition, of sorts." Fiona held him tighter, murmuring against him as he wrapped his arms around her waist. "Zoid Eve, She spoke to me. I dreamt you and Raven would battle again soon, and we knew the Blade Liger wouldn't be close to a match." Van pulled away to look down at her with mild confusion.
"Close to a match? Why do you say that?" Her brow knit as she continued.
"Suffice to say, you weren't the only one with a new Zoid in that dream. I saw it vaguely... Large, red and silver, like the Geno Breaker but..." Van raised an eyebrow as he interjected.
"Bigger, stronger, and meaner?" Fiona nodded.
"Well, simply put, yes." Van's face lit up with excitement.
"Well come on then, let's go see what Raven and that new Zoid have in store for us!" Van's face was plastered with a veritable papaya-eating-grin, and his first step in a would-be sprint to the cockpit was cut short as Doctor D firmly grabbed his ear and brought him to a halt.
"You're not going anywhere soon, boy!" Doctor D relented his grip and made his way towards the Liger, eyeing it with great interest. "Not until you've shown us all what this new Zoid of yours can do, and not until I run at least basic tests on it. Besides, you haven't even named it! What kind of pilot are you, running around with a no-name Zoid?" Van paused for a moment before furrowing his brow in thought and murmured aloud
"Well, the geezer does have a point. It's certainly not the Blade Liger anymore. But what is it, exactly?" Van pondered, unsure of what to call the new feline. A smile steadily grew on his face as he fiddled with the ring on the necklace he wore, feeling the emblem of the Guardian Force embossed into it as he turned to Zeke and Fiona and questioned them.
"What do you two think it should be called? You're the creators after all, it's only fair you get a say."
Closing her crimson eyes for a moment, Fiona dipped her head in thought. It was a very careful process she and Zeke had gone through, intent on birthing a Zoid fit for arguably the most powerful fighter known on Zi. One whose loyalty and compassion for others made his commanding demeanor and heroic actions admirably and readily supported and followed; and a warrior who would rather fight alone for others than alongside them for himself. Lifting her head up and opening her eyes, she had made a decision.
"King Liger." Van was overcome with elation as he smiled and laughed, tears brimming as he stared with adoration at her as the Doctor continued in spite of the warrior's speechlessness.
"Well Miss Fiona, that's quite a fitting name for such a Zoid! Let's hope it lives up to the title, eh? Now come with me, all of you. I've got some diagnostics to run and some trials for you to outperform, as I've already anticipated. Out to the firing range!" Doctor D now swiftly paced out of the hangar with a beckoning swing of his arm and a crook of his finger, exiting through the doorway he came out of as the steel door slid shut with a hiss. Van turned to the Zoidian with a beaming simper as he hurriedly blurted out.
"Well Fiona, care to give me a tour of the King Liger?" Fiona smiled warmly at Van as she grasped his hand and led him to the cockpit. As Van jumped inside first, his first realization was the size of the cockpit had increased by a noticeable amount from the previous incarnation. As Fiona climbed into the seat behind him Van began to take in the surroundings. The handles to activate the blades were still there, as was the throttle handle for the boosters. On the central control column there were several buttons, as well as two triggers on each side's handles. The most significant change so far was there were no monitors of any kind to display the outside, or even the Zoid's standard readings of systems and weaponry beyond the small oval screen on the control column, and on the frame of the pilot's seat and the rear seat's control panels. Van raised an eyebrow in contemplation before he pressed the switch to close the canopy in its familiar place. As the metal lid shut and darkness surrounded the two occupants Van's entire vision lit up as the entire cockpit lid in front of him flashed to life as the hangar was now displayed on a massive screen as the small display on the control column in front of him flashed a message:
"KING LIGER ACTIVATED.
JUSTICE AND PEACE WILL PREVAIL."
Multiple lines of text appeared on the bottom edge of the vast display, listing out the armaments and their ammunition counts, current power levels, as well as a status indicator of vital systems of the Liger itself along with a myriad of other readouts. A large rotating circle composed of three separate segments began quickly flashing about, identifying Zoids in front of him, with light orange markers appearing over potential targets on their frames. Van looked down, and tapped the button to clear the targeting system, in the same spot it had always been. Pushing the controls forward the Liger strode ahead tall and bold as Van maneuvered it outside of the hangar and toward the firing range, eager to see what the mad scientist had in store; he was answered as the King Liger walked into a large sandy area boxed in by massive steel walls, each one three meters thick and riddled with scorches and bullet holes. Doctor D hollered out over the loudspeaker nearby that crackled and hissed with feedback.
"Alright Van, let's see how well those shiny new cannons perform!" As the loudspeaker went silent a klaxon wailed and eight large posts with steel targets on them raised out of the sand, pocked with dents and some sporting a few holes. Targeting the nearest one the circle in front of Van's vision sped over and highlighted the target in red, and as Van pulled the top left trigger the cannons on the Liger's shoulders popped open and the barrels pivoted to loose a half dozen projectiles, their concussive blasts bending the target to and fro and ripping pieces away before it entirely flew off its post in tatters. Firing again, the King Liger proceeded to destroy each target outright, sending shreds of metal and shell fragments about, the air glittering with red hot metal and dust. Again the klaxon sounded, and another four posts raised up. Pulling the right top trigger on the quickly acquired targets the front of the attack boosters retracted and the shells thundered out from the short barrels and destroyed the targets in piercing blasts. Van smirked and let out a huff.
"C'mon Doc, give me something better to do other than shoot targets! I could do this in my sleep." Doctor D didn't reply but instead the klaxon again sounded off and after a moment the ground began to tremble as the sand near the end of the range shuddered, a pair of lifts below the firing range groaning as they hoisted two fully armed Gojulas to the surface. Both Zoids roared and lumbered forward, shaking off the sand and dust as the drone-like sleeper computers took control and they began to lob shells from their Super Cannons in a hasty barrage. The King Liger lunged forward, weaving around the hail of fire from the Gojulas' as the munitions missed their target and sent up geysers of sand with each detonation. Closing in on the leftmost Zoid, the Liger continued flanking them and leapt over the swinging tail of the nearest beast before Van struck, a volley of shockwaves from its shoulder mounted cannons chewing into the dinosaur's array of fins. Craning its head and roaring, the Gojulas turned its now damaged and smoldering backside to face the Liger again. As it took aim with the cannons on its back the King Liger's mane flared out, bristling and crackling as the shells exploded as an amber shield appeared in front of it, the multi-faceted surface absorbing the impact and the explosions effortlessly as the sand around the Liger burst into plumes from the shockwave. Van flinched at the sharp crack that sounded as a bullet lodged into the shield, sizzling as the barrier now began to cut into it, the round falling in halves to the sand with soft thumps as the shield regained its form "A round piercing the shield, that can only be-" Fiona tracked the trajectory of the bullet, razor sharp eyes quickly spotting the target in the distance.
"Van, Gun Sniper, ten o'clock!" The Zoid in question was perched along the wall to his left, now taking aim again. Dropping the shield and lowering the blades on its side, the Liger leapt forward as the swords at its sides burned bright with energy. For a moment the feline's front claws dug into the metal of the Gojulas' thigh, pulling it forward as the right blade positioned towards the Zoid's torso as the King Liger's rear legs swung forward as it hunched its back. Severing the lower half of an arm, the King Liger kicked off with its rear legs on the beast's thigh again, driving the blade into the chest as it cut out a great scoop of metal and machinery as the Liger bounded away from it. The rest of the arm and a portion of the torso fell to the sands, the Gojulas bellowing with rage at the damage as the second one rounded upon them.
With another ear splitting crack a second round from the Gun Sniper narrowly missed, the trail of vapor and the thunderous report again reminding Van of the raptor's presence. The second Gojulas swung its heavy tail to the side, the small weapons studding it firing away hoping to score a mark on the Liger as the thick appendage continued its arc through the air. Leaping over the tail the rounds crackled as they peppered the Liger with no effect. The pair of cannons on the attack boosters fired shells that exploded near its face, blinding the target momentarily. Seeing his chance, Van charged ahead with blades aglow and cut deep into the knee of the tyrannosaur, the blade crackling and hissing at the resistance momentarily before pushing it through and severing the lower leg completely and to devastating effect. A long wailing roar was loosed as the the Gojulas began to topple, the joints in the remaining leg squealing and groaning with distress as they snapped, crushed by the lateral inertia they were now forced to take as the Zoid's remaining leg collapsed along with the rest of it in a deafening crash.
A third bullet struck the severed limb of the Gojulas a short distance from the Liger's head. A roar brought attention to the remaining Gojulas, vindictive of the loss of its arm. Van crouched in time for the Super Cannon shells to streak over them, exploding a short distance behind. As he rushed forward, he engaged the thrusters and flipped the blades forward as the feline crouched and rocketed upwards towards the head of the towering Zoid. The tyrannosaur roared again, with the untimely act costing it as a blade speared into its mouth, exiting the back of its head as the top was cut asunder from the rest of it, the lower jaw dangling now as the rest of the headless Zoid's body went limp and collapsed in a heap to the ground, the severed head following suit. Van's attention was now on the lone Gun Sniper dead ahead. Pulling the lower left trigger the front covering of the thruster pack's face slid open and a volley of ten missiles rushed forward in a flash of smoke. The small raptor took notice and disengaged from its grounded position and turned in an attempt to get away, a futile effort as the barrage of missiles collided with its side, sending it shrieking and smoldering from the wall as it tumbled and crashed into the sands behind it. The old man cracked a grin from the control room of the firing range.
"Very good Van, though it seems you've gotten a bit rusty! What do they have you doing nowadays anyways, hmm? The Van Flyheight I remember could have taken out twice as many Zoids in half the time!" Van sighed and shrugged, eliciting a small giggle from Fiona and a grumble from Zeke.
"Not much at all, so I hope Raven's got something in store for me, I'm just itching for another good battle!" Fiona smiled at his chipper attitude and placed a hand on his shoulder, giving it a small squeeze as she spoke to him.
"Well we ought to get on our way to rendezvous with Colonel Schubaltz then, I think we've certainly kept him waiting long enough." Glancing back at Fiona, Van grinned in affirmation; Raven wasn't going to find himself! Well, maybe he would. He did have a penchant for grandeur and destruction after all. "Ready, Zeke? A roar from the Core of the King Liger was confirmation from the silver tyrannosaurus. Doctor D began speaking as Fiona began rapidly tapping away at the controls as in the corner of the cockpit screen a small topographical map of the continent appeared scattered with blue dots connected by faint blue lines of varying intensities, though one large dot was present in a far desert corner near the eastern border of the Empire and Republic, brighter than the rest.
"I've taken the liberty to send you the map of possible locations of Raven's Geno Breaker, though as you've seen the most likely location is the largest signature; it's not only a charged particle radiation hot spot, but a recent energy spike of both thermal and visible light signatures is also present there. Unnerving as it is, I must warn you that such a signature is typical of what we've seen of evolution cocoons. The other signatures are faint, I believe those to be the results of previous charged particle blasts from the Death Stinger and its paths, as a Zoid that size surely produced a large amount of radiation exhaust as well as residue from weaponry, if the ruins of New Helic City are any indication. Be careful Van, I've still got more of that Liger to see, now you and Miss Fiona and Zeke take plenty of care now!" Doctor D's voice ceased as the com channel clicked off, the lengthy verbosity of his information still being digested by Van, who after a moment of trying to decipher the large amount of unfamiliar jargon opted instead for the simpler choice of looking at the map. The large blip was quite obvious, as the other lines and dots were of far smaller size and saturation, pastel in shade compared to the deep blue intensity of the largest signature in the depths of the Elemia desert.
"Alrighty, fifteen hundred klicks northeast it is. Fiona, I hope you brought a book because this is gonna take us quite a while!"
The King Liger bounded forward past the wreckage of the Gojulas, approaching the wall as it hunched its back, rear legs heaving it up and over the steel wall of the firing range in a single leap landing gracefully on the other side running. Heading towards the marker on the map, Van's stomach churned with anxiety and excitement. Fiona looked down from her seat at him, and the edges of her lips curled as she thought to herself.
"Oh Van, I'm so glad to see you happy to be piloting again. I hope this meeting with Raven goes better than it did in my dreams, that's for certain..."
Raven eyed the crystal containing Reese and Shadow with increasing scrutiny. It had been five days since the two of them had fused and his patience was wearing thin as his curiosity turned into concern. Leaning over and stoking the fire pit, he turned his attention to the sky. The night was clear of clouds and black, the inky abyss the result of both of Zi's moons being new; no light from the sun reflected off either celestial body. The stars were glowing bright, sparkling and scintillating in the soft and immense glow of the galaxy. He reached out slowly, fingers splayed and stretching as far as they would allow, reaching to the heavens, hand thrust forward in a longing grasp.
So bright.
So close...
A blue blur to his left caught his attention; not a star, but Specular, her metallic body dark in the sky, the thrusters on her back bright and burning brilliantly as her eyes gleamed a warm yellow. She jetted towards the crystal, phasing through the massive structure, before passing through the other side of it a short moment later.
Soaring over she landed a short distance from Raven and walked the remaining distance. He noticed how strange it was, that both her and her master were almost silent as they moved; the azure creature's joints and footfalls making less than half the noise Shadow's did. She made him always a slight uneasy, showing little emotion beyond care for Reese. Well, not that Shadow was an overflowing fountain of expression himself, he remembered. Nudging his shoulder with her snout, Raven placed a hand on it and felt a strange surge move through his body. Suddenly, he felt two presences in the back of his mind.
"Shadow? Reese?" No reply was voiced, but instead a strange feeling set in. He could tell that they were well, yet tired. He attempted to reply, but the two egos slipped away as Specular retracted her touch, prompting him to sigh. "You two had better hurry up..."
CHAPTER END
AN: I really don't know what happened to the pacing here, but I guess I didn't want to keep the reader; or myself, waiting. Not Raven though- he can sulk.