Zoids Fuzors

Episode 14:  The Awakening of the Dragon

The only source of illumination for the entire room came from the enormous viewing screen mounted along one wall. Hardly the best means for lighting the place, the screen cast a harsh blue-white light that failed to reach all corners of the room. It was impossible to determine the size or nature of the room in the dimness, nor whether it possessed any furnishings other than enormous high backed chair that rested a comfortable distance from the viewing screen.

What light did emanate from the screen silhouetted the rooms only two living occupants. The first was a woman, and though her features were indistinct one could gauge her age as being relatively young. She wore a business suit of indeterminable colour, yet if fit snugly around her body. Her posture was straight – like her long hair – and professional. The other occupant sat in the chair, shrouded in darkness such that only the outline of his hands, hair, and face could be seen. Both individuals could just as easily have been drawn with white chalk on a dark lecture board; it would have matched the scene perfectly.

They were watching the images on the screen with interest, and rightly so. Being played for them were the last few minutes of the engagement between the Buster Fury, Matrix Dragon and the Liger Zero Phoenix. As they watched, the Energy Liger suddenly came into the picture, standing like a stone monument on the flat peak of a sharp, rocky hill. Although the images carried no sound, the woman was in fact carrying out a presentation for the seated man.

“…destruction of the Matrix Dragon and the destruction of Berserk Fury with a single shot,” the woman was saying, her voice lacking any inflection in tone, emotionless. “After locking onto its target it took precisely point zero zero three nanoseconds to make contact. Our conclusion is Energy Liger is the most powerful Zoid in existence.”

On screen the images of the wrecked Berserk Fury, and Matrix Dragon were left behind, and the Energy Liger stood tall and proud on the tapered peak, its unicorn horn aimed sharply into the sky.

From his chair, the man spoke. The words came out in a low, almost modulated tone, carried along with a sinister undercurrent. “A very impressive presentation,” he said, fingers laced before him, the light barely hinting at locks of curly hair flowing down to his shoulders. “I must admit I’ve never seen anything like it. Good work my dear.”

The woman paused before asking, “Shall we proceed to phase two … as planned?”

“Yes,” the man agreed, “and tell him that it’s just a matter of time. Now go.”

The woman disappeared from view, slipping out the room wordlessly and silently, leaving its sole remaining individual to contemplate the images before him.

“The time is drawing near when our dreams will become a reality,” he said to himself, then smiled and added, “Yes.” A small laugh escaped his lips.

Doc Pierce’s fingers flew over the keyboard with uncanny speed. Any faster and the old man’s hands would have faded into a soft blur over the plastic keys. While a good portion of his focus was centred on the flat panel computer display before him, he was still mindful of the two other men sharing his office: Dan and RD. The two were unlike in size and in character. Yet despite their differences, including a gap in ages, they nonetheless carried along like old friends. Well, old friends might be stretching the term a little.

RD had arrived at Pierce’s office scant minutes ago, a somewhat breathless Dan trailing closely behind. In those mere minutes, RD had managed to recount the battle between the Zoids of Savage Hammer, and Mach Storm, climaxing with the sudden appearance of a hitherto un-encountered Zoid. RD waved his hands about, described the mysterious interloper in breathless sentences, then abruptly pulled out a data disk from his trademark blue jacket and slapped it onto Pierce’s desk.

Although at first annoyed with the young man’s intrusion, Pierce relented and downloaded the data stored on the little disk. As he scanned the information at breakneck speed, Pierce felt both elation, wonder, and the restraining hand of caution on his emotions. Staring at the image of the red and black Zoid, Pierce couldn’t help but wonder at the biomech’s enormous power.

“I’m positive Dan,” RD was saying, “it was the legendary Alpha Zoid.”

The taller man was watching RD carefully, and to Pierce it seemed he was weighing his words carefully. “Hey, relax RD. It’s not that I don’t believe you,” Dan started, “but before you start jumping to some crazy conclusion maybe we should check it out. So what do you say we let Doc here do his job and see if it’s true or not, okay?”

RD’s lips tightened into a thin line but not before he muttered, “Yeah, yeah. I guess you’re right.”

 “Excuse me,” Pierce spoke up, breaking into the slightly heated exchange between RD and Dan, “but is that all the data Liger Zero was able to record?”

The young man nodded, his wildly tussled blue tinted hair shaking but a smidgeon causing Dan to wonder just how much hair spray went into creating the trademark RD look. “Yeah, that’s it. The Zoid was too fast for Liger to record any more. So, what do you figure Doc?”

RD’s impatience was starting to creep into his tone. Come to think of it, Dan realized he was surprised RD had managed to hold still for so long in one spot. On the other hand he’d never taken RD for a pacer.

Pierce took his time before replying, whether vying for time, or simply trying to slow RD down, Dan couldn’t decide.

“Give me a minute,” Pierce said, tapping in additional commands into the keyboard. The old man suddenly frowned as he scrutinised the data on his screen. “Well … according to my data a Zoid like that doesn’t exist.”

Dan refrained a frown, but suddenly thought it important to step in before RD. “Well, maybe it’s some kind of prototype or something.” It was becoming rapidly apparent to Dan RD was grasping at anything, no matter how remote, that would prove his belief correct.

“May be …” RD suddenly had a far away look on his face. “So is it possible Doc?”

 Pierce nodded slowly. “And through my analysis of its beam cannon I’ve never seen a weapon quite like it before. It uses some strange kind of energy. They should call it something like the … Energy Liger.”

It has a nice ring to it, thought Dan, and gave RD a quick look. The young man was standing stock still, but Dan could see the thoughts racing in his head behind his crimson eyes. Those eyes were locked in the direction of Doc Pierce, but they certainly weren’t focused on him – RD was looking into the distance, beyond the pane of reinforced glass that made up much of the Doc’s office wall, and beyond the tall cityscape of Blue City.

“Energy Liger,” RD said softly, almost reverently as he focused on the vista of the city, and the wide open land in the far, distant horizon.

As though closing a sorry chapter in the history of Savage Hammer, the word ‘OBLITERATED’ appeared across the image of the three freelance pilots who not so long ago had assured her of the destruction of Mach Storm, and RD. Those same pilots had until recently controlled what everyone believed to be the most powerful Zoid on planet Zi. Perhaps one should never talk too soon. At least, not until the job is done. Sandra masked her disenchantment well as she sat on the plush sofa before her computer.

Of course, it wasn’t like anyone had ever seen the mysterious stranger who’d so casually knocked both the Buster Fury, and the Matrix Dragon into oblivion. As a consequence, Sandra decided she’d be graceful in defeat, and a little less scathing of the three downed pilots. She’d already done enough, guaranteeing it would be somewhat difficult for them to find employment in Blue City with any of the other major Zoid outfits. Being at the top of the game did have its benefits, and her influence was rather extensive. In simple terms, the former pilots of the Matrix Dragon were effectively ‘unemployable’.

Though the thought of her retribution was cause for mild elation, she was yet to hear back from her mechanics on the extent of the repairs on Savage Hammer’s official Zoids. All three biomechs had been dragged back to the building as little more than smouldering heaps of junk. She kept the anger and frustration from showing, her features a mask of pure nonchalance as she casually wiped the faces of the three pilots off her computer screen.

“Well,” she said, breaking the palpable silence in her office suite with a relaxed tone borne of years of practice, “I can’t tell you how disappointed I was in the last batch of Z-Fighters. They were supposed to get rid of RD. Instead they destroyed half our Zoids.”

Sitting before her, Burton nodded. “Yes. I concur.”

Behind her, and to her left the sound of a soft humph reached her ears. She needn’t turn to see the look on Blake’s face. She knew him well enough. Both him and Burton had arrived at her office a short while ago. Burton had placed himself on the generous sofa before her table with the grace of a cat, the man’s movements unnervingly feline. And like a cat, he’d sat patiently before Sandra, offering little to no comment, his face a picture of calm superiority that never failed to annoy Sandra. No, she thought, not a cat. A snake, perhaps. She always made it a point never to trust him.

On the other hand, Blake had walked across her suite with his customary dark, brooding look, perhaps touched by the hand of weariness, and planted himself before the enormous windows that circum-navigated her luxurious office. Arms folded tightly across his chest, he watched the city impassively from the fifty-eighth floor. Unlike Burton, Sandra always thought of Blake as a wound up panther, a rare creature now seen only in the uninhabited wild lands, or the large Zoo of Violet City. His muscled form and impressive strength were kept under wraps within the purple and violet pilot suit he wore almost like a second skin.

The smile that had so briefly flashed across Burton’s face faded at the sound of Blake’s disdain. Team-mates they might be, friends they certainly were not.

Sandra leaned back and deigned not to glance over her shoulder.

Motionless before the window, Blake said without turning, “I told you, Sandra, I would take care of him”

Sandra smiled, a knowing, and well practiced smile. “Yes, you did” she conceded. “I’m sorry I didn’t listen to you.” She paused briefly. “But now I suppose we should give you a chance to finish him off, Blake.”

Burton watched the brief interplay in silence, a sly grin on his lips. At the sound of Sandra’s terminal beeping, the grin fell away, replaced by a mildly surprised look on his face.

From the terminal speakers came the voice of man, wary, but respectful. “Sector Four Gee reporting,” the tiny voice announced.

Impatience gripped Sandra. Anticipating bad news turned her stomach to lead. “Yes, yes” she almost snapped. “I haven’t got all day.”

“Right,” the tech apologised, before launching into his report. “It looks like all three of the Zoids sustained irreparable damage, and they were torched so bad that we can’t even use them for parts.”

Sandra pursed her lips, and closed off the connection before the man could utter another word of disappointing news. Only so much I can take in one day, she thought. “Well it’s just as I thought,” she declared. “I suppose that puts us back at square one.” She almost trembled in frustration. “What now?” she asked, her words coming out a tad louder than she’d intended.

Movement caught her attention. Blake turned smoothly from his place before the window and walked in measured steps across the suite in the direction of the door without so much as a glance toward herself or Burton, the latter scowling at the younger man as he walked by.

Sandra masked her surprise quickly. “Excuse me, but where do you think you’re going, Blake?” she asked.

Blake kept walking.

Sandra smiled at his back. “Oh, don’t be such a spoilt sport.” As this elicited no reaction from Blake she continued. “Don’t worry, I’ll get you a new Zoid,” she told him smoothly. “All I ask is that you’re a little patient .” She practically purred the last words.

Blake paused before the open doors. “Whatever,” he threw gruffly over his shoulder, then continued out of her office. And then he was gone, taking with him the air of darkness that seemed to always surround him.

Sandra kept the smile on her lips while she silently wondered how she was going to keep him happy.

“Mmmnn,” she mused. “There’s just something adorable about him.”

Maybe it was time to call in one more favour.

The elevator descended smoothly from the fifty-eighth floor to the building sublevels where the Zoid hangars were situated. Blake held himself at ease, though his inner turmoil threatened to break free of the calm, dark exterior he maintained. Punching the air or the metal walls of the elevator cab would do him no good. No, he needed another way to vent his anger, and anguish. Something a little more direct, yet focused on the appropriate opponent. On many occasions the focus of his anger would have been RD. This time was different.

“Now it’s my turn, RD,” Blake promised.

The HUD screamed its warning at him even as he opened the throttle on the Buster Fury, aiming for the heart of the Matrix Dragon. An energy reading almost off the scale; a concentrated beam of destruction, and it was aimed directly at him..

From behind, the light washed over the Buster Fury. He turned, his vision watering under the intense glare and yelled defiantly, “It’s not over yet!”

Struck by  a blow as though delivered by the hand of God, the Buster Fury superheated and crumpled under the intense energy beam. Armour flash melted in an instant. The thrusters fused and locked into position, flaming out shortly after. The wings of the Buster Eagle wilted and warped, burning away quickly.

The impact pressed him tightly against the pilot couch, until the wrecked Buster Fury crashed into the ground, chewing up earth and rock as it slid to a shuddering halt.

“I’ll get my revenge,” he promised, his tone harsh and threatening.

The lift doors parted with a soft whoosh before him. Light from the hangar brought Blake back to the present. Gathering himself quickly he stepped out of the elevator and into the enormous expanse of the main hangar.

Standing before the wreckage of the Berserk Fury, the Buster Eagle, and to one side the Lord Gale, was the diminutive form of Luke. The young man was staring sadly up at the Fury, oblivious to Blake’s approach until he was almost upon him.

Luke turned, startled. “Huh?” he muttered, before recognising Blake. “What’s up Blake?” Before the taller man could answer, Luke’s gaze fell to the floor between them. “I’m sorry about your Zoid.” The younger man’s face flickered between distraught and apologetic. “And it’s all my fault.” Still, he couldn’t bring himself to look up at Blake standing scant feet from him. “I’ll be a better co-pilot.”

A twinge of sadness flickered across the dark landscape of Blake’s emotions. It’s not your fault, kid he wanted to say. He held back from placing a comforting hand on Luke’s shoulder. How can comfort him, he wondered, if I can’t comfort myself.

Looking beyond Luke, Blake focused on the hard metal door at the far end of the hangar. He stepped past Luke in silence. Reaching the door, Blake punched in the security code into the console plate, and stepped through when the door slid aside. The room beyond was a small weapons locker. Various firearms, ranging from small sidearms to large rifles neatly rested against the far wall. Walking to right hand corner, Blake pulled away from the storage rack a rather cumbersome looking rifle nearly as long as he was tall. Checking the weapon with practiced ease, he switched it to standby, hefted it over his right shoulder and walked out of the locker room in silence.

He felt Luke’s worried gaze on him as he stepped past the smaller man waiting by the door. To call Luke a man was stretching the term. Calling him a boy might be more appropriate. Yet what Luke lacked in age, he made up for in technical brilliance, a talent Blake had come to rely on in many occasions.

“Is there anything I can do to make up for it Blake?” Luke asked. His gaze was pleading for forgiveness, his tone more or less the same. Blake felt his gut tighten, but he kept himself focused on the task he’d set for himself.

“Don’t worry, Luke. I’ll take care of this,” he said, then stopped abruptly when Burton suddenly appeared before him.

“Where do you think you’re going with that?” Burton asked, his eyes taking in the rifle on Blake’s right shoulder. A wicked smile formed on his lips. “Right … you wanna be a hero,” he said, a small chuckle escaping his lips. “I hate to say it but you’re so predictable,” Burton quipped, the smug smile still on his face.

Blake wasn’t in the mood for delay’s. “Move,” he said, putting as much menace into the single word as he could.

Burton stepped aside smoothly as though the man had no bones. He almost bowed, and waved Blake through. “No problem, tough guy,” he said, dripping sarcasm.

Refraining the urge to strike the man a bodily blow, Blake hefted the weapon a little higher onto his shoulder and resumed his way across the hangar.

“And good luck,” Burton said, adding after a pause, “You’ll need it.” With a short laugh, he walked away toward the sorry wreck of his Zoid, the Lord Gale.

Blake ignored the man, and continued walking. If he was going hunting he would need transportation. He quickly weighed his choices, before his eyes settled on the sleek hover cycle parked in one lonely corner of the hangar.

Luke watched Blake depart, and found his voice again.

“Uh, okay Blake,” he said unnecessarily. “Just, please don’t do anything stupid.” He looked at the Z-con gauntlet in his right hand, squeezing his fingers into a tight fist that made the tendons and veins in his hand stand out. “How could I let this happen?” he agonised. “I’m such an idiot.”

The air in Mach Storm’s office was one of quiet, relaxed composure. Perhaps surprising considering the dismal outcome of their last battle. Yet, seated on the two adjacent sofas placed on either side of a rather long coffee table were Mat and Sigma who sat lounging with his arms stretched across the back of the sofa. Opposite them sat Helmut and Amy, the latter drinking tea from an imitation China cup. Hop sat behind his elevated desk, a small accounting calculator in hand, busily punching in numbers from the various repair bills lying sprawled over his desk. With every number he entered a look of bleak despondence built up on his face.

Sweet sat at her desk, working as usual and organizing the small mound of paperwork into even smaller piles. She made it a point to ignore Hop’s steady stream of “ooh’s” and “ah’s”, but to ignore the lone figure standing by the window staring at the city beyond was harder to accomplish. Between furtive glances, Sweet watched RD’s motionless form, the young man oblivious to his surroundings while lost in thought.

 The calculator beeped rather loudly, exacerbating Hop’s strained state of mind. The man peered down at the numbers through his round rimmed glasses as though they would jump at him at any moment. A moment later his shoulders sagged and he dropped his head in defeat.

“Aaah ,” he moaned. “We blew the budget again this month.”

Hearing this Sigma spoke up, craning his head to peer over his shoulder at Hop with a cheery grin on his face. “Oh, c’mon Hop,” he said, his tone matching his look, “you gotta learn how to relax a little. Once my Leo Striker is back up and running again you watch – Mach Storm will be swimming in cash.”

Hop turned slightly, fixing Sigma with a narrow stare. “It’s the repairs to your Zoid that broke the budget again. Not to mention when your team mates destroy their Zoids,” he berated, shifting his focus onto Helmut and Amy. Helmut coughed quietly into a closed fist; Amy buried herself in her cup.

Sigma rolled his eyes and went back to lounging on the sofa. As far as he was concerned there was nothing to worry about. Hop always complained about money, yet they always pulled through month after month.

Sweet watched the exchange in silence, adding another bill to the steadily increasing pile to one side. She’d have to split the pile up again, lest Hop notice it before too long. She’d have to save them for later. A quick glance at RD showed he hadn’t moved, unaware of Hop’s moaning and complaining.

But Hop wasn’t done. In fact, he was just getting warmed up. “What’s even worse we finally have an offer for another job, and no Zoids to do the work.” He almost buried his head in his hands. Sweet was starting to hope he would, even if he was right about the situation.

At mention of a job Amy’s ears perked and she came up from her coffee cup. “Job,” she said. “What kind of job?”

Sweet broke in before Hop, hoping to ease the man out of the conversation. Only so much moaning even she could take. “Oh, nothing important,” she said casually. “Just rounding up a herd of wild Unenlagia Zoids for a whole pile of cash.” Unfortunately she couldn’t help herself, and finished the sentence off with too much emphasis.

Sigma’s good cheer hit the floor. “Oh man,” he whined, “that stinks. That’s like the easiest gig on the planet.”

Hop’s eyes suddenly brightened as a thought struck him. “Maybe I’ll give the assignment to RD”—his face fell as he looked across at the silent figure standing before the window—“unless, of course, he doesn’t feel up to it….” He let the sentence trail away with a troubled look on his face as he studied the young man. Puzzled expressions mirrored the Mach Storm team members as they too turned toward RD.

Amy leaned over the table toward Mat. “Hey, Mat,” she said, grabbing his attention. “What’s his problem?” It was obvious to whom she referred.

Mat shrugged in his usual innocent way. “Search me. He’s been like that ever since he and Dan came back from Doc Pierce.” He gave RD’s back another puzzled look, looking older than his short years.

“Okay,” RD suddenly blurted out. “I’ve made up my mind.” He turned from the vista outside and faced his team mates, one hand in the pocket of his blue jacket, the other clamped in determination. “I’m going to find that Zoid myself cause I know he’s out there.” He started walking across the room toward the door like the fearless Z-Fighters from one of the many holo-vid dramas.

Sweet couldn’t help the alarm from showing on her face, but before she could utter a word, Hop overrode her. “What … are you … talking about?” Hop wondered out loud.

RD stopped and spun smoothly on his heel. “Don’t play dumb, Hop,” he chastised in good humour. “You remember that Zoid I was telling you about. Well, I’m going to track that sucker down and prove the Alpha Zoid does exist.” Turning about smartly he resumed his short trek across the office, rounding behind one of the sofas and walking past Sweet without batting an eyelid her way.

Sweet found her voice. “But RD!” she said incredulously. “You can’t just walk out on work like that.”

“She’s right, RD!” Hop snapped angrily at his retreating form.

RD reached the doors and waved their concerns away with one hand. “Hey, it won’t take long.” He stepped through doors into the corridor beyond, leaving behind his surprised team mates. Sweet sighed loudly in defeat.

Pulling back on the control grips, RD brought the Liger Zero, sporting it’s basic armour, to a smooth halt. He stared at the seemingly endless rocky desert landscape through the transparent cockpit canopy, before dropping his gaze on the LIDAR display. To his disappointment not a single Zoid contact flashed on the screen. Even if the desert was teeming with organic life, there wasn’t a single Zoid around for miles.

RD relaxed his grip on the controls and whined in mild disbelief. “Oh, man,” he complained to no one other than the Liger. “And here I thought this was going to be easy.” He shook his head slightly as he studied the LIDAR display yet again, almost willing it to find something. Anything. “I’ve scanned half of planet Zi for that Zoid, and nothing.”

Okay, maybe he was exaggerating, but it certainly felt as though he’d traversed the continent in a single afternoon. He started picturing the look on Sweet’s face when he returned back to the hangar empty handed. For that matter, he didn’t even want to picture the look on his team mates faces. Or Hop’s.

Maybe it’s time we just went back and faced the music, he thought to himself.

And then the LIDAR display beeped.

RD’s eyebrows reached for his hairline as he watched the holo-vid screen in surprise. “Looks like we’ve got company,” he told Zero. But I wonder who, he kept the thought to himself.

When the comm. channel blinked for attention, he switched the system on quickly. A moment later a holo-vid popped into existence before him, and a familiar face greeted him.

“Sweet?” he asked, not quite believing what he was seeing.

Over the comm. channel, Sweet’s voice sounded slightly distorted. Yet, there was no mistaking the relief in her voice. Worried about me, he wondered. Her worrying over him was something he could always depend on.

With a smile on her lips, Sweet said, “There you are. I thought I’d lost you RD.”

He was surprised she’d found him at all, what with the crazy search pattern he’d been following, or rather making up as he went along.

Suddenly another face slipped into view. Mat’s childish exuberance was enough to settle any concerns he might have felt regarding his team mates reactions to his disappointing search for the Energy Liger. With those two on my side, he realized, I’ve got nothing to worry about.

Still, he just had to ask, “Hey, what are you guys doing way out here?”

It didn’t take long for Sweet to catch up to him. Loading the Liger into the transport trailer attached to Mach Storm’s one and only Gustav took a scant minute. In short order, RD was seated in the Gustav cockpit to Sweet’s right, happy to give up the driver’s seat for a few hours. Mat had slipped into the passenger seats behind them, although he’d fitted himself snugly between RD and Sweet’s seats.

“Well,” Sweet was saying, “Mat and I thought we’d better keep an eye out on you two cause Liger Zero is the only Zoid Mach Storm has up and running right now.”

RD decided not to argue the point. Not when it made sense. Although, Sweet always managed to find an excuse to go after him. He sat back in the comfortable seat and watched the land slip slowly by.

Mat edged forward from his vantage point between the seats. “Hey,” he said, “I’ve got a question.” RD half turned to look at him. Sweet kept her eyes on the road, but it was obvious she was listening as Mat carried on. “So what’s the deal on this legendary Zoid, RD?”

RD looked away as he pondered the question. He was going to have to explain it in simple terms, but wondered if that would detract from the ‘legendary’ aspect of the Alpha Zoid. Then again, Mat wasn’t exactly your average kid. He was certainly capable and intelligent, perhaps more so than other kids his age. RD decided on the simplest approach, with just a touch of flair – for a bit of colour, of course.

“Well, it’s kinda like the ultimate Zoid, with wicked power and the sweetest weapons,” he explained, aware of Mat hanging on his every word. “But that’s all it is right now. A legend, ‘cause nobody’s ever seen it before.”

Mat’s eyes were shining bright with awe, his young mind already picturing a fantastical Zoid, glowing golden with inner light. “Wow,” he breathed. “It sounds so cool.”

Yeah, RD conceded, I guess it does. He remembered the first time his father had told him of the legend of the Alpha Zoid. He’d pictured the biomech as a sort of winged Zoid god, bathed in golden light. He frowned, wondering if he was having the same effect on Mat his father had had on him. Then he laughed, and changed the subject slightly. “Yeah, kinda like me,” he declared.

This time Sweet spoke up with the obvious intention of deflating RD. “Oh yeah, right, RD. In your dreams,” she mocked him without any hint of malice. But then her tone became more serious as she voiced her thoughts. “And to be perfectly honest I’m not sure the Alpha Zoid even exists in the real world.”

Her seriousness rubbed off on Mat. The boy looked down, some of the wonder leaving his eyes. “Me neither,” he admitted, before a thought crossed his mind. “But let’s say that this Zoid is out there somewhere. How do you plan on capturing it, RD?” He looked up at the young Z-Fighter, and sensed RD wasn’t ignoring his words. Reassured, he carried on. “If it’s supposed to be so powerful, then you wouldn’t stand a chance against it.”

Oh swell, RD thought. The kid had voiced something he too had been contemplating. Nonetheless, he kept his cheery expression firmly planted on his face, and let none of the concern he felt slip into his voice. He was about to reply when he suddenly remembered one more part of the legend as told by his father. Yeah, he reasoned, that would certainly explain it. He turned back to Mat, and grinned from ear to ear. With his left hand, he ruffled the kid’s hair, shaking Mat a little in the process.

“Could you relax, Mat,” RD said. “I’m the best Z-Fighter in the business.” He caught sight of Sweet’s suddenly sour expression as she rolled her eyes while keeping the Gustav travelling lightly over the rocky ground. “You just watch and learn kid,” RD continued. “With Fire Phoenix behind us you’ve got nothing to worry about. Cause in Fuzor mode we’re invincible.”

Maybe it was just false bravado, but it worked on Mat. The boy was putting up bravely with RD mussing the hair on his head, but a smile had worked it’s way back onto his face. RD decided to play his trump card. “Oh, and Mat, just remember: the Alpha Zoid is all about justice. You see, if the Energy Liger turns out to be the Alpha Zoid then he’s not going to attack Zero.” He stopped mussing the boy’s head, and peered down at him between the seats. “This starting to sink in Mat?”

Mat nodded, evidently understanding RD’s explanation. “Yeah. I think I got it RD.”

Great, he thought, hiding his relief behind a sideways stare at Mat. He realized that in the process he’d also manage to relieve some of his own concerns. I just hope dad was right, he thought to himself. “You know,” he said, “you’re not half as dumb as you look, kid.”

RD started playing around again with Mat. As she watched them, Sweet couldn’t help but smile in relief, thinking it was good to have the old RD back. Although she didn’t mind RD being serious and focused when the situation demanded, his current obsession with the Energy Liger had her concerned. Sweet caught sight of an incoming call with an ID matching that of Mach Storm, so she quickly opened a channel to whomever was initiating contact with them. Despite the fact Mat and RD were starting to make a lot of noise, Sweet found she wasn’t angry or even mildly annoyed.

 “Would you guys keep it down,” she asked of them with good cheer. A moment later a holo-vid winked into existence before her just above the Gustav controls. The familiar face of Helmut, part of his shoulders and a little of his chest filled the floating screen. At sight of Helmut, RD and Mat quit their fooling around in short order, their attention focused on the visage of Mach Storm’s senior pilot.

“Hi Sweet,” he greeted her before moving on with no further preamble in his customary ‘all business’ tone. “Listen up, okay. According to my radar you’re approaching a herd of wild Unenlagia Zoids.”

Sweet frowned, and quickly put ‘two and two’ together. “Are you talking about the same herd Hop was talking about this afternoon, Helmut?”

The floating head nodded. “Yeah, that’s the one.”

Leaning in beside her RD frowned in confusion, obviously not remembering any of the conversation between Hop and the Mach Storm pilots back at the office. “What! How come Hop didn’t tell me?” he asked, shocked as he suddenly assumed Hop no longer considered him an important part of the business.

Sweet fixed him with a sideways, lopsided look that warped her otherwise attractive features. “He did RD,” she said, not bothering to hide her sudden annoyance at his absent mindedness. “Maybe you should try listening once in a while.”

RD’s eyebrows rose a tad as he was taken aback by her tone and the lopsided stare. But Helmut spoke again, distracting them both. “I’ve also detected a larger Zoid in the herd, and I’ve got zero data on that puppy.”

Suddenly RD’s interest in the situation sky rocketed. He couldn’t help but blurt out, “Are you thinking what I’m thinking?” On the holo-vid Helmut grinned tightly and nodded almost imperceptibly.

Mat chipped in, backing him up. “Oh yeah! The Alpha Zoid.”

“What else could it be, right?” RD asked, seeking additional confirmation from any source, whether that be Mat, Sweet or Helmut still watching them on the holo-vid. “Okay. It’s time to get down to business guys.”

Regardless of the volume of his enthusiasm, Sweet wasn’t buying into the situation in quite the same way. Her concern was plain to see, and her green eyes looked flat, and worried as she stared at both Mat and RD.

It was fair to say RD practically leapt out of the Gustav and into the Liger’s cockpit, setting a new time record in the process. Liger’s systems warmed up quickly from the standby mode, and RD could sense it’s impatience while they both waited for Sweet to unlock and open the transport trailer. The massive metal sidewalls had barely swung open on their hydraulic arms when RD released Zero, allowing the Zoid to leap through the widening gap and into the bright afternoon sunlight.

Liger hit the ground lightly, its armoured legs absorbing the impact, while the pilot couch’s dampers cushioned the landing even further for RD. Twisting the control grips, RD reined the Liger around much a bushman on his trusty steed, and brought the Zoid parallel to the Gustav. Through the transparent canopy he could see Sweet watching him from the Gustav’s cockpit just before she turned away from the view outside and focused on the instruments before her.

A holo-vid winked to life before him, and Sweet’s worried face filled the floating screen.

“Are you sure you’re going to be okay, RD?” she asked.

RD grinned confidently back at her. “I’ll be fine. But I want you to radio Hop, and tell the worry wort RD will get the job done.” He cleared the screen with Sweet’s image from his cockpit and worked the control grips. “Now make me proud,” he told the Zoid, pushing the controls forward and launching the Liger into a fast run from a standing start. Acceleration pressed him back into the pilot couch, and RD almost hung on for dear life as the Liger blazed over the hot desert ground.

Sweet watched the white Zoid rapidly diminish into the distance from her driver seat onboard the Gustav, and sent a silent prayer to the gods above to watch over RD.

“Sure hope RD knows what he’s doing,” she mused. Suddenly remembering Mat, Sweet half turned toward the back seats. “Hey Mat,” she said, “Why don’t you come up here and help me keep an eye on him.”

When she received no reply, Sweet twisted round in her seat to look behind her, and found the back of the cockpit empty.

“Mat?” she gasped. Oh no, she thought. He’s gone after RD.

Although much of the transport container had swung open to allow the Liger to depart, the forward section was a fixed structure, containing bunks, a kitchen, storage lockers and a small storage bay for parts and other equipment. Part of the ‘other’ equipment was a small hover cycle, although from its lack of size it could just as easily have been called a hover ‘scooter’. Less than five feet long, it was ovoid in shape with a flat underbelly fitted with multiple lift fans, and a set of small thrusters tucked in at the rear. The pilot’s seat was small, and only suitable for a child. But that suited Mat just fine as he jumped into the single seat. The little hover cycle belonged to him.

After losing the Leo Blaze when it became part of the Matrix Dragon, Mat had sunk into a depressive state. The way he saw things, losing the Mach Storm Zoid was entirely his fault, and although Hop never brought the issue of expense up, Mat wondered more often than not when Hop would suddenly hand him the bill.

It was Dan who brought a small ray of sunshine into Mat’s life. The little hover cycle had required a bit of work to get it up and running again, but Mat buried himself in the project. Dan applied his technical expertise, swapping out the burnt out engine with a newly reconditioned one. He’d replaced the broken lift fans, and fitted a new set of thrusters to the rear end. The seat was new, picked out by Mat, and he’d even learnt how to fit it to the cycle’s inner frame by himself. Between him and Dan, they’d applied a new coat of white paint, with broad red stripes running along the length of the upper bodywork.

Powering up the little cycle, he slipped his helmet on, tightening the strap under his chin. Painted racing green, topped with little cat ears, and fitted with a transparent visor that protected more than half his face, the helmet somehow managed to complement Mat’s blue suit. Revving the throttle, Mat felt the cycle tremble under him, as though eager to hit the open road. Mat grinned, and revved the little engine again, watching the meter bar on the rev counter rise and fall.

The centre screen flashed to life, and Mat’s grin fell away as he caught sight of a somewhat angry Sweet glaring at him from her seat in the Gustav’s cockpit.

“Don’t even think about it Mat,” Sweet warned.

Looking out the open doorway before him, Mat became determined not to be swayed by Sweet. He was going after RD, and he wasn’t about to let Sweet stop him. With the steeliest gaze he could muster, Mat flashed his cycle’s lights, and revved up the engine once more.

“Sorry Sweet,” he apologised, his tone forceful and determined, “but I gotta do this.”

Sweet wasn’t taking no for an answer. “You get back here and that’s an ord—”

Mat cut her off by closing the connection on the vid-window with the press of a button. Then he looked up again through the doorway. “I’m coming RD,” he yelled above the whine of his cycle’s little engine.

The little cycle gave a courageous roar as it shot clear of the small storage bay, soaring over the ramp before coming down on the hard ground. The landing skids fitted to the underbelly damped the force of the impact, but Mat was oblivious to the hidden workings of the cycle. Gunning the engine, he literally roared off after the fast moving form of the Liger Zero, now little more than a speck in the wavering distance. As he whipped past the stationary Gustav a trail of dust and dirt followed in his wake.

Looking over the edge of her console, Sweet stared in disbelief at the small form a boy riding a hover cycle, moving recklessly fast over the uneven ground. She sat back into her seat, just shy of slumping in defeat. The truth was if she couldn’t control RD who was almost like a brother to her, what chance did she have of controlling Mat whom she knew for only a short while. She let out a soft sigh, and spoke aloud into the empty cockpit.

“I’m going to have a long talk with those two,” she decided. Looking around her, she realized she’d have plenty of time to think of what she was going to say. Yep, she reasoned, right after I clean up the mess they left behind.

The Liger maintained a steady, fast pace as it ate down the distance to the supposed location of the wild herd of Unenlagia Zoids. Following the co-ordinates sent by Helmut, RD had weaved a tight path between ancient rock butts, and sharp outcroppings that rose as high as some downtown buildings. He let Zero choose the path on a number of occasions, trusting his Zoid to find solid footing on the rough ground. At the speed they were travelling he wanted to avoid a tumble and fall.

His vision alternated between the view through the transparent cockpit canopy, and the LIDAR display floating just above his centre console. As far as he could tell, he was travelling in the right direction, but had failed to spot a single Zoid since leaving the transport. The further he travelled, the more he was starting to doubt Helmut’s information.

“C’mon,” he said, sounding as frustrated as he felt. “So where are they hiding. I don’t have time for this.” He was considering calling Helmut on the comm. link when the LIDAR screen suddenly flashed with a single stationary contact. The onboard AI system attempted to identify the lone Zoid … and came up blank. A label with the words, ‘No File’ appeared beside the green contact marker. RD felt a sudden surge of excitement course through his body.

“I think I just hit the jackpot,” he announced triumphantly. “Alpha Zoid, you’re all mine!”

Pushing the control grips forward and working the foot pedals, RD urged the Liger to pick up the pace. The Zoid responded a heartbeat later, accelerating smoothly over the harsh ground.

“Keep going,” RD advised, his eyes peeled for any sign of the ‘unknown’ Zoid.

Liger held steady as it bore down on the location indicated by the LIDAR screen. Abruptly they were there, and Zero swung sideways to a sliding stop. The sudden manoeuvre caught RD by surprise and he was grateful for the restraining harness as it tightened automatically and kept him firmly rooted to the pilot couch. Around him the Liger straightened to its full height, raising its head to look up the steep incline of a wide, rock formation resembling a small mountain with a flat peak.

Standing there was a Zoid RD instantly recognised from their one brief encounter.

“Okay, Zero,” RD said softly, “that’s gotta be it.” He opened up the comm. channels to the standard hailing frequencies, but also activated the exterior speakers as well. He pondered briefly what to say, realizing now the moment had finally arrived he wasn’t entirely sure how to proceed. Well, here goes, he muttered in his head.

“Identify yourself,” he called out, and instantly wondered if he couldn’t have come up with something a little better.

High atop the rock formation the lone Zoid sheathed in red and black slowly turned its massive head to regard Zero down by the foot of the sharp sided little mountain. The unicorn horn pointed down slightly, yet the fearsome weapon was clearly not aimed at Zero. Larger than the Liger, bearing broad shoulders and a puffed out chest, a series of hoses emerged from its lower back, two of which ended with connections to the gattling and dual pulse cannons. Light caught in the semi-transparent wings, swept back and tucked away. Menacing was the word that came to mind; nothing in its posture spoke otherwise.

From below Zero reared back slightly and issued a roaring challenge. With perceptible disdain, the silent Zoid turned its armoured head away, and focused its attention elsewhere.

RD stared up at the Energy Liger, confusion slowly mounting. He started considering his next move, the words he’d spoken to Mat running circles in the back of his mind. If he was wrong – if this wasn’t the legendary Alpha Zoid – then maybe he was in a lot more trouble than he’d initially bargained on. Yet, he couldn’t be wrong…could he?

Multiple blasts of energy impacted at the Energy Liger’s feet, hitting rock and causing an avalanche of sizeable boulders, one of which was larger than either Liger. Zero, sensing it was about to be crushed, leapt out of the way moments before the hundred foot rock came crashing to the ground. A cloud of dust and dirt billowed into the air, blanketing the Liger for a handful of heartbeats. Apparently deciding one near miss was enough for the day, the Energy Liger turned quickly away the shattered rock edge it had been standing on. In a single powerful leap, the Zoid disappeared from view, undoubtedly descending on the opposite side of the rock formation.

As the dust cloud settled slowly to the ground, dispersed by what little wind floated over the arid landscape, RD frantically searched for the source of the weapons fire. A moment later his eyes fell on the distant figure of a man standing tall on a sleek hover cycle. Slung over one shoulder was a rifle of considerable size, sporting twin, auto-recoil energy barrels. RD centred the image of the man on the main holo-vid and enlarged it four-fold, and almost wished he hadn’t.

Blake watched the Liger Zero walk up to him, large enough to cast him in shadow. The powerful Zoid stopped over a dozen yards shy of his cycle. He could almost picture the surprised, dumbfounded look on RD’s face, staring down at his diminutive form through the cockpit. It had been something of a stroke luck for Blake. Having emerged from the underground network of access tunnels that criss-crossed Blue City, Blake had spent the early afternoon searching the surrounding desert land for the mysterious Zoid that had so casually sent his Buster Fury to an early grave. Being shot in the back wasn’t how Blake had hoped to end the Fury’s career, and the memory ate at his innards.

It was during his systematic sector by sector search, occasionally pausing to rest briefly, and gain his bearings with the aid of the cycle’s GPS system, that he came across the sight of Mach Storm’s lone Gustav slowing making its way across the dry ground. On a hunch, and curious nonetheless, Blake followed the Zoid at a safe distance and remained hidden from its LIDAR by staying within its blind spot. His only moment of concern came when the Liger Zero appeared from nowhere and quickly boarded the drab grey-green transport trailer. Luckily, he’d managed to hide behind a group of large rocks that had broken away from even larger rock buttes. Tailing the slow moving Gustav, Blake had played on his hunch RD was out in the open looking for the same thing he was: the mysterious Zoid.

Yet their motives were worlds apart.

RD’s voice boomed out from the Liger. “Blake. Put down your weapon. This doesn’t concern you.”

Like Hell it doesn’t, Blake thought angrily, yet his face betrayed not a hint of emotion. He couldn’t quite believe what he was hearing, but showing anger as such before RD was something he simply refused to allow. Instead, he swung the double barrelled rifle in the direction of the Liger’s head, and carefully aimed at the cockpit.

He might have been mistaken, but he could have sworn he’d heard RD gasp in surprise.

It would be so easy. Aim, and pull the trigger. Punch a hole through cockpit canopy. For a long moment he toyed with the idea, even went so far as to squeeze the trigger slightly. Whether the rifle possessed the energy to do so wasn’t a given, despite the damage done to the rock formation. Yet, he also knew this wasn’t how he wanted to bring RD down. If it was going to happen – no, when it was going to happen – he wanted to do so on the battlefield, Zoid against Zoid, Z-Fighter against Z-Fighter. He dropped his finger from the trigger, though the barrels were still aimed at the Liger’s head.

For the second time that afternoon, Blake was taken by surprise when the most incongruous sight he’d ever seen suddenly dropped into the gap between his cycle and the Liger Zero. A small hover cycle, little more than a beefed up scooter, took up position facing him with a set of green headlights, a red and white paint job, and a small boy wearing a ridiculous round helmet with two small cat ears.

His voice amplified by mikes fitted to the cycle, the little pilot said, “I’m here RD.”

It’s him, Blake realized, the little kid from Mach Storm. What was the name – Mat? What is he, he wondered, their team mascot? It seemed the kid was everywhere, at least, where RD went Mat would follow.

The boy carried on, saying, “What’s going on here you guys? And what in the world do you think you’re doing here Blake?

Resisting the urge to laugh, Blake suddenly grew weary of the encounter. He gave Mat and Liger a flat stare then slipped the rifle stock over his shoulder, down his back until he felt it click into place behind his seat. Without turning to check the weapon was locked down, Blake ignored Mat, and the Liger as he popped the clutch and revved the cycle’s engine.

Mat spoke up again with a little boy’s bravado. “Good riddance creep.”

Blake ignored the jibe, choosing instead to gun the engine and shoot his cycle up into the air on a gust of downward thrust from the lift fans. The shockwave blew dust outward in a fast spreading circle, covering Mat and his little cycle and giving the kid a good scare. The cycle continued its upward climbing, now a parabolic orbit that overflew the Liger Zero by several meters, and came down well clear of the Zoid’s hind quarters. Blake tightened his stomach muscles and fought against the free fall sensation as the cycle fell to the ground. A few feet before it would have crash landed, he hit the throttle, sending a strong surge of upward lift from the multiple fans. Although cushioned, the force of the landing was hard enough to bounce the cycle back into the air at which point Blake gunned the engine once more and took off at a fast pace in the direction he best guessed the Energy Liger would take.

Sitting in the Liger’s cockpit, RD had watched Blake’s aerial acrobatics, silently wondering what the Devil Blake hoped to accomplish with that stunt. He’d manage to give Mat a good scare, before leaping Zero and tearing off into the distance. Suddenly angry, he threw the words at Blake’s retreating form, “That’s right, just keep going loser.”

He’s crazy, RD thought, and sat back to wonder if Blake would indeed have pulled the trigger had Mat not arrived. Did Mat make a difference to the outcome of the situation. Would Zero have intervened had Blake taken the shot?

RD shook his head to clear it. Not thoughts he wanted to contemplate. Especially not now. The Energy Liger had taken off into the distance, and bringing up the LIDAR display, RD watched the Zoid now tagged with the words “E.Liger” move quickly away from his position. A smaller contact was also being tracked, rapidly catching up to the Energy Liger from behind. That’s got to be Blake, RD surmised.

Glancing out the cockpit he checked up on Mat. The kid was having trouble with his little cycle, the small machine unable to gain any lift. He doubted Blake’s actions had anything to do with it. The machine probably just gave up the ghost, what with the hot desert air, and Mat undoubtedly pushing its engine hard in order to keep up with the Liger. Well, RD thought, can’t leave him out here all on his own. Great. One more thing to worry about. RD shook his head again, warding off bad feelings, and moved Zero a little closer to the boy.

If I let anything happen to him, he thought, Sweet will kill me.

His hunch was right. It hadn’t taken long for him to pick up the Energy Liger’s trail, and once confident he was travelling in the right direction, Blake had upped the pace even more. The ground whipped by at a frightening pace, so much closer than he was normally accustomed too as he rode the hover cycle at great speed. There was no biomech armour to shield him from the hard ground should he accidentally fall; no cushioned pilot couch or safety restraints; no inertial damping system to absorb a high gee impact. Confident as he was in his abilities, Blake wasn’t keen on getting himself killed. Revenge was one thing; suicide another.

He was about to throttle down a little when he caught sight of large fast moving form in the distance. All thoughts of personal safety vanished as a cloud of anger enveloped his emotions. He twisted the throttle grip even further, but the cycle was already moving at top speed. Any faster and the engine would seize up. Already it was showing signs of overheating. Blake ignored the gauges and focused instead on the growing form of the Energy Liger.

Keep the cycle straight and level, Blake reached back over his right shoulder, and jerked the rifle clear of the locking latches. By a miracle, he managed to keep his one handed grip on both the rifle while the other gripped the cycle controls. He felt the rifle stock fit snugly over his shoulder, the soft padded curved frame of the stock slipping over and around his right shoulder. Fingers tight around the rifle grip, he slipped the safety off, and aimed the twin barrels at the immense form of the Energy Liger now less than a dozen meters in front of him.

This close to the dark Zoid, unshielded behind a several inches of biomech armour as he was normally accustomed to, and the wind blowing in his face, Blake began to truly appreciate the power of the behemoth running just ahead of his cycle. The thunder of air blowing past his ears mixed with the steady thump, thump of the Liger’s armour shod feet hitting the ground was deafening. Gritting his teeth, and feeling the adrenaline course through his blood stream, Blake pulled back on the trigger. Both barrels recoiled back into the frame as twin bolts of energy emerged from their tips and connected with the Energy Liger.

The first double shot struck the massive Zoid in the right rear leg, just below the knee joint. If the Liger noticed, it gave no indication, neither slowing or speeding up. The second shot impacted just forward of its armoured belly. A faint cloud of smoke and vaporised outer armour quickly floated away from the Zoid. Blake caught the brief scent of heated metal and plastic, then it was gone, blown away into the distance.

This time the Liger did react. With stunning acceleration Blake’s cycle was ill equipped to match, the Energy Liger pulled away several hundred meters in the space of heartbeats. Fast heartbeats. Moving his head away from the rifle frame and clear of the targeting sights, Blake’s eyes widened in disbelief as the Energy Liger came to sliding stop, spun rapidly about a hundred and eighty degrees, then came charging back in his direction.

It was over before he could do so much as yell in surprise. Their combined closing speed not withstanding, the Liger ran over him, it’s feet leaping clear of the cycle as Blake passed underneath, briefly cast in shadow for the merest millisecond. Little more than a moving blur, the Liger left him behind, dragging with it a torrent of disturbed air that engulfed Blake’s cycle and spun it loosely like a falling leaf in the autumn breeze.

Despite himself, Blake yelled into the roaring wind as he found himself flung from the cycle, clinging to the rifle with a death grip as he slid on his back over the ground. The rifle acted like an anchor, digging into the loose surface earth and bringing a measure of control to his slide, eventually dragging him to a stop.

He lost track of time, and slowly picked himself up off the ground, feeling every muscle and bone bruised and battered. If anything was broken, the adrenaline was preventing him from noticing, but a slow check of his body revealed no protruding bones, or blood. The pilot suit, made of a combination of leather, fire retarding fabric and Kevlar had absorbed the impact and kept him in one piece. There were a number of rents and the fabric had worn out in places along the back of the legs, but Blake found no cause for complaint. He was alive and grateful. Things are certainly different out here in the open, he reminded himself, aware he’d be in pain in the morning when his body began to truly complain over its mistreatment.

The sound and vibration of heavy footfalls brought his attention to the surrounding landscape. Turning back along the direction of his mad slide, Blake saw something that turned his blood cold.

The Energy Liger had come back.

Standing over him twenty or more feet away, its armoured frame blotting out the sun, the Liger peered down at his dwarfed form. By human standards, Blake wasn’t exactly tall, but neither was his five foot eleven frame short. The durable boots added an extra inch to his height. Yet beside the Liger, he was almost insignificant. If it chose to the Liger could crush him with a single paw. So close to the massive Zoid, Blake ran his eyes over its form, missing little as he memorized its shape and structure. Larger than Zero – that was his first assessment, and thereby heavier. It legs were thicker, broader at the shoulder, and fitted with a menacing pair of weapons. The golden unicorn horn was longer than he’d first realized, possibly twenty feet from the tip to the base where it connected to the huge armoured head.

It was the head that he found most menacing. Where Zero bore a more open look, the Energy Liger’s ‘eyes’ were almost hidden from view, shrouded under a black cowl that swept back from its muzzle and over its neck almost like a crest.. Four rows of sharp biomechanical teeth shone a light gun metal grey as it grinned like Death over him.

He was suddenly aware of the rifle still gripped in his right hand. What have I got to loose, he wondered, except my life. He realized it didn’t matter, and swung the heavy weapon onto his shoulder. Taking slow careful aim at the immense head before him, Blake fired the first of many bursts at what he took to be the cockpit.

For all the damage it did he may as well have been firing an air powered pellet gun. The bolts of energy struck the armour and expended themselves needlessly. Other than a brief flash of light, he could make out no damage of any significance to the Energy Liger’s head. Blake squeezed the trigger in growing anger, firing bolt after bolt until the rifle’s energy reservoirs ran dry.

The Energy Liger looked down at him. He felt it mocking his feeble attempts at revenge. And then it simply leisurely turned and walked away without a care in the world, clearly losing interest in the human.

In disgust, Blake dropped the rifle to the ground beside him. He clenched his fists, unwilling to give up yet realizing there was nothing he could do to change the situation. Energy Liger two, Blake zero. The Liger disappeared into the distance, warped by the heat haze that floated just above the ground. When a little sanity returned, Blake started to wonder how he was going to get back. The hover cycle was a smoking wreck in the near distance. He toyed with the idea of hitching a ride back with Mach Storm. Sure thing, Blake, he chastised. Like that’s really going to happen.

Sensing a presence behind him, Blake looked over his shoulder and his heart skipped a beat as he recognised the young man standing a few feet away.

The day was certainly turning out to be full of surprises. Luke finding him so quickly in the middle of nowhere was no exception. Now, as both he and Luke walked down a wide corridor cut into a cliff wall of rock, Blake was starting to wonder what else was in store for him. He took in his surroundings clearly surprised at the place, though he’d heard there were a number of installations dotting the desert, a number of which had been left over from the wars centuries past, while others were simply stripped clean and abandoned by the various Zoid corporations conducting classified research and development away from the population centres. The rock corridor with its semi-smooth curved ceiling was wide enough for the Buster Fury to fly through and tall enough for Gummy’s Gojulas Giga when reared up on its hind legs.

If Luke gave any sign he was aware of Blake by his side it wasn’t readily apparent. The younger man walked in silence with his gaze locked straight ahead. Blake glanced at him from time to time, not exactly comfortable in Luke’s presence. It was starting to unnerve him.

Through the dim lighting, Blake made out a pair of enormous metal doors in the distance. A minute later they stopped before them, and he decided he’d taken his fair share of the silent treatment for the day.

“Okay, Luke,” he spoke into the cavernous corridor, “what’s going on?”

Luke turned slightly, as though he was just becoming aware of Blake’s presence. “There’s something – there’s something I have to show you, Blake.”

There’s something not right here, Blake thought. Luke’s eyes had a somewhat far away look to them.

“Well, what?” Blake asked, trying not to sound impatient and failing.

Anger crept over Luke’s features and his voice took on a forceful tone. “Just-be-patient,” he said, “and follow me.”

Caught off guard, Blake raised his hands as though warding Luke off. “Okay Luke,” he said calmly with a little humour, “show me.”

The anger worked itself out of Luke’s face. He suddenly looked sorry for the mild outburst. “Sorry Blake. Now, follow me.”

The doors parted before them, and both young men stepped through in silence. Walking into a large semi-spherical room with reinforced metal walls, Blake looked around him in awe, clearly surprised to find himself in such a place in the middle of nowhere. Doorway after metal doorway dotted the rim of the room at constant intervals, giving him the impression he was standing in some kind of junction or node point. Where those enormous doors led he could only imagine, but it clearly indicated the facility was of considerable size, and extended deep into the mountain. He found his curiosity getting the better of him again. In the centre of the room rested an elevated platform like a turntable. He could make out seams intersecting the turntable floor, and wondered if it was built to open.

“So,” he said, hearing a faint echo bouncing off the high ceiling, “you mind explaining what’s going on.”

Luke didn’t answer. He unzipped his jacket and reached in to pull out a small pendant attached to thin necklace looped behind his neck. Giving the little jewel a squeeze, the gem suddenly glowed bright purple and emitted a high pitched whine. In response, the room began to shake as though caught in an earthquake of considerable magnitude. Blake didn’t bother hiding his concern as he fought to keep his balance. In contrast, Luke stood silent and motionless, oblivious to the trembling floor, with his eyes closed and a peaceful look on his face.

“And make it snappy Luke,” Blake warned, watching the high ceiling for any sign it was about to fall on them.

Amid the rumble of the shaking ground, Luke calmly repeated, “I have to show you.”

Damn, Blake muttered, if he says that one more time…

The surface of the turntable platform split four ways, each piece a quarter of a full circle. The metal plates pulled back into the ground, rather than lifting or dropping away, and revealed a long well descending into the ground. As Blake watched, he heard the familiar thrum of an elevator platform rising, and waited for the lift to reach the surface from the depths below. When it reached the top, it slowed to a fast stop, striking metal guards. There was the sound of locking or support latches sliding into place.

The lift platform wasn’t empty. Gently rocking on its two feet as the lift came to rest was a Zoid that while familiar was different enough for Blake not to recognise it. It bore a resemblance to the Berserk Fury, yet beyond the fact it shared the trait of two small arms, a pair of back jointed bipedal legs, a long tail with multiple vernier flaps, and a more ergonomic booster pack fitted to its back, the Zoid was still something he’d never seen before. It’s head was slightly longer, with two long rows of glowing yellow plating where the eyes should have been. In fact, the transparent plating covered the dark blue, armoured body at several places: the thighs, the fins mounted to the booster pack, and the vernier flaps that covered the tail.

“That’s amazing Luke,” he breathed, finding his voice after a long moment. “I don’t think I’ve seen a Zoid like that before.”

Still beside him, Luke said, “This is all yours Blake. I’ve named it … the Gairyuki Fury.”

Gairyuki, Blake repeated in his mind.

The name was a combination of smaller meanings, but he recalled it meant something like ‘bright dragon’, and ‘a victory shall move out of the way’. He wasn’t sure if he’d translated it right, but labelling it a dragon suited him fine. Then his brain caught up with his ears.

“It’s mine?” he asked incredulously. Wow, this is a day of surprises.

Luke turned to face him. “Yes. All yours.” Then he raised his hands and offered Blake a Z-con gauntlet appearing as though by magic.

“Oh. This is too weird,” Blake thought aloud. Then his face softened and a look of gratitude came upon it. He took the gauntlet from Luke’s hands and quickly slipped it onto his right hand. “Thanks Luke. I really appreciate it. You’re a true friend.”

Hearing the last words, Luke suddenly smiled like a puppy. Had he been one he probably would have wagged his tail at Blake. Yeah, Blake thought, too weird.

Climbing up to the cockpit of the Gairyuki, Blake didn’t even need to wait for it to open. The Zoid was expecting him and closed the canopy quickly over him as Blake literally dropped into the pilot’s couch. The canopy went transparent almost immediately, offering him a high vantage view of the hemispherical room, and Luke below standing clear of the platform.

He swept his gaze over the controls, both familiar and unfamiliar at the same time. The console was curved, a large central touch screen in its centre, and several rows of touch sensitive panels to either side. There were buttons on the control grips as well. It was going to take him a while to figure out the full layout of the cockpit as well as becoming familiar with what the Zoid could do, but for now Blake was grateful to find himself at the helm of what was obviously an extremely powerful Zoid.

He noticed the yellow eye of a camera lens mounted above the centre console on what could be described as the cockpit dashboard. The lens iris expanded and contracted, focusing on him, and the cockpit controls began to systematically activate in a predetermined sequence.

“Awesome,” he declared. “It’s state of the art.”

His Z-con gauntlet flashed and beeped as it established its connection to the Gariyuki’s control AI.

“This Zoid has a mind of its own.”

As the Gairyuki Fury came to life around him, Blake released the pent up anger and frustration he’d felt building up within him in a wild, almost maniacal laugh. His body shook with laughter, and around him the Gairyuki responded with a series of roars that rocked its body and echoed with deafening force within the walls of the domed room.

Staring up with a distant and blank look on his face, Luke watched the Gairyuki Fury awaken from its deep slumber.

“Laser-Claw-Strike-Attack,” RD yelled each word distinctly as was his customary practice.

Its right paw raised high into the air and glowing with barely restrained energy, Liger Zero fell upon the trio of Unenlagia Zoids. Bringing its claw down in a slashing motion, it cut the air with incredible force, the glowing energy suddenly released into an expanding crescent of burning fury. The air in its path superheated, expanding outwards with the concussive force of a kiloton detonation. Expanding at the speed of sound, the wave of superheated air and kinetic energy struck the awestruck Zoids, knocking them aside like rag dolls. Riding behind the crescent shockwave, Zero hit ground at a fast run, cutting a straight path between the fallen Zoids.

“I don’t believe this,” RD exclaimed. “I can’t keep up with that Zoid.”

RD was getting frustrated, and perhaps rightly so. Despite his best efforts and perhaps the best piloting he’d ever done in his life, he’d been unable to keep up with the Energy Liger. Although the LIDAR system had kept a steady lock on the Zoid, numerous other contacts had shown up, namely the wild herd of Unenlagia Zoids. Weaving a path through them, the frightened Zoids had at times impeded his progress as the Energy Liger deliberately left a chaotic wake in his path. But RD persevered, and pushed on despite the obstacles being thrown his way.

He sensed Zero felt the same way. The powerful Liger wasn’t about to let its namesake leave it behind without some serious effort being expended.

Seated in the passenger seat behind him, Mat had kept silent pretty much the whole way. Rather than distract RD, the boy had chosen to simply go along for the ride and keep his comments to himself. On the other hand, RD deeply suspected Mat was either scared out of his wits, or lost in the sheer thrill of the hunt. Too busy to glance over his shoulder, RD quietly hoped his obsession wasn’t going to end in tragedy for either of them.

Without warning, Liger Zero slowed sharply, digging its heels into the ground and sliding to a stop. As the churned earth settled around them, RD sensed Zero’s sudden change in focus. He checked the LIDAR display quickly, noting the mass of moving contacts headed their way. The tactical AI automatically tagged them as the wild herd, but there was one large contact behind them it had no data on. And it wasn’t the Energy Liger.

“Hey Zero,” RD asked quickly, “what’s up?”

The Liger growled in response, a low rumble that emanated from the belly of the biomech beast, issuing forth from its throat and past the row of gold serrated teeth.

They were standing between the walls of two long ridges running almost parallel to each other. The ridges were so high they towered over the white Zoid so as to give the impression Liger was standing between the walls of a broad canyon. From the far end of the ‘canyon’ a wild throng of Unenlagia Zoids rounded the corner at a frantic pace. Not even the sight of Zero standing in their way deterred them from their mad run. Instead they simply flashed past the stationary Zoid who growled a challenge at the terrified herd.

“Must be that wild herd,” RD surmised, though to be honest he’d been coming across elements of the wild herd all afternoon. From behind he heard Mat gasp in surprise at sight of the stampeding Zoids.

As quickly as they’d appeared they were gone. Zero swung its head slightly and watched them depart before looking ahead again, in time to catch sight of something rather large round the corner. An armoured Zoid the kind RD had never seen, though it was certainly familiar to another Zoid that until recently had belonged to his occasional nemesis and thorn in his side: Blake. However, the Zoid that walked round the rocky wall and approached the Liger bore only a passing resemblance to the Berserk Fury.

Encased in stylish blue armour the newcomer crossed the distance to Zero in long strides. In response Liger pulled back several paces that translated to retreating almost a hundred feet. But the newcomer stopped a respectful distance from Zero, rocking gently up and down as its long, thick tail undulated behind it like a whip. It roared once, hunching just a little as it regarded the white Zoid standing a short distance away.

From behind RD, Mat found his voice, “What now?”

RD shook his head as he studied the foreboding sight ahead of them. “I don’t know,” he admitted, before adding, “But it sure is freaky.”

The comm. channel panel blinked a handful of times in rapid succession, then automatically opened to receive the incoming hail. RD didn’t notice the actions of the comm. system, and so was surprised to hear a male voice coming through cockpit speakers.

“Hey RD,” the voice said. “Say hello to Gairyuki Fury.”

RD frowned as he realized who was hailing him, yet he couldn’t believe it was possible the voice was being transmitted from the Zoid ahead.

It continued. “Oh, and I hope you don’t mind if I test my weapons on you.” The owner’s glee was evident, unmistakeable.

“Wait,” RD started to say, slowly accepting the truth of the situation, “that voice.” He paused, leaning forward to stare at the Zoid, though it was hardly necessary. “Is that you Blake?” It had to be, he finally admitted, although he was at a loss to explain this turn of events. Test his weapons on me, will he, RD thought angrily. “Well, bring it on.”

Snug in the climate controlled cockpit which had automatically configured not only his seating arrangement but the layout of the controls to best suit him, Blake studied the form of Liger Zero with a satisfied smile, and couldn’t believe his luck. He’d left the secret facility not long ago and spent several minutes familiarising himself with the Gairyuki, carrying out a set of practiced manoeuvres he’d performed countless times with the Berserk Fury. The controlled test gave him a feel for the new Zoid, in particular its handling and flight characteristics.

There were differences. To begin with, Gairyuki felt a little lighter than the Berserk Fury, and shifted direction with greater agility. The vectoring thrusters were more responsive, suffering from near imperceptible throttle lag. The weight distribution between the Zoids was comparable, so Blake had little trouble getting accustomed to his new Zoid. However, the gain in mobility was not without its loss. Almost from the get go, Blake realized the Gairyuki was down on power when measured up against the Berserk Fury. Opening the throttle full bore, the Gairyuki had quickly reached a top speed of only two hundred and ninety kilometres per hour. Blake couldn’t help but feel a little disheartened at the obvious lack of speed, and realized with a sick feeling the Gairyuki was even slower than Liger Zero.

If it came down to a chase, Blake had no hope of keeping up with the white Zoid. He realized his best plan of attack was to appeal to RD’s willingness never to back away from a challenge.

With a short laugh, Blake pushed the control grips forward and worked the foot pedals simultaneously. Impatient to get into the fight, the Gairyuki jumped off the ground as the thrusters flared blue fire and propelled the Zoid forward with crushing acceleration. It crossed the short distance to the Liger in the blink of an eye with the clear aim of knocking the white Zoid aside and into the ground. But Liger sidestepped as though in anticipation, and weathered the force of the air shockwave being generated by the Gairyuki has it flew past.

Blake grinned as the Gairyuki overshot the Liger, enjoying himself too much to be even mildly annoyed. Spinning the massive Zoid on multiple vortices of blue fire, Blake charged the Liger again. This time he didn’t miss and caught Zero squarely across its left flank with both the Gairyuki’s armoured legs, tumbling the Zoid several times before it came to rest on its side. Again Blake spun the Gairyuki around for another pass, yet this time he set his Zoid on the ground. Blue fire flickered and died from the vector thrusters. Hot air surrounded the Gairyuki, it’s image wavering in the heat haze.

RD shook his head to clear it, stunned by the force of the impact. “Ughh,” he groaned. Looking through the canopy he realized Liger was on its side, and standing a little distance away the Gairyuki gently rocked up and down on its legs. “Man, that Zoid can fly,” he said, and grimaced as he pulled back on the control grips, righting the Liger back onto its feet. He felt the Zoid complain against the move, but relented nonetheless and slowly worked its way back onto its feet.

“Alright,” Blake said, “I like this. You’re all mine RD, and I’m going to enjoy this.”

It certainly sounded like he was enjoying himself. RD watched the blue Zoid cautiously, already working out manoeuvres in his mind, figuring on the Gairyuki’s speed and Liger’s agility. Round one may have gone Blake’s way, but he was damned if he’d walk away from this without at least trying to even the score. But there was Mat to consider, and if any further combat was going to happen he decided the kid was going to have to stay behind. This was between him and Blake, and he wasn’t prepared to put Mat’s life at stake, no matter how confident he might feel in his chances of victory.

As he studied the blue Zoid, RD felt a seed of doubt slowly take root in his mind. He knew little of the Gairyuki. Blake on the other hand was familiar with the Liger’s abilities, and that included the Liger Zero Phoenix. As far as he could tell, the Gairyuki wasn’t a Fuzor, which could work in his favour. If, he realized, I can call upon the Fire Phoenix.

Putting on his game face, RD snapped back, “Think again, Blake!”

As though hearing his call, and sensing his need, the familiar form of the Fire Phoenix crossed by overhead, thin contrails of air streaming from the tips of its red and gold wings. It spun lazily high above the two combatants and drifted into a holding pattern above them. Waiting. Had it been keeping an eye on him, staying close by but just out of sight? He was grateful for the Zoid’s ability to drop in when he need a helping hand, even if it did feel like he had a big brother watching over him from high in the sky.

Mat suddenly spoke up from the back seat, stating the obvious. “Look. It’s Fire Phoenix.”

Ahead of the Liger, the Gairyuki suddenly straightened and took several paces back. RD frowned at the Zoid, wondering what it was playing at. “Now what?” he asked aloud, aware the comm. channels were still open between him and Blake.

“I’m waiting,” Blake explained, his tone confident and calm, “for you to combine.”

“Okay Blake,” RD responded, but he then asked, “What’s going on here?”

When no response was forthcoming, RD decided it was time to square off proper against the Gairyuki. Blake wanted a fight, no arena, no judges, no interference. And no rules. But there was one thing RD needed to do first before accepting the challenge.

“Hey Mat,” he threw over his shoulder. “Listen up.”

“Huh?”

“I think it’s best if you get out of here, bud,” RD advised.

A minute later Mat was standing on the ground. He watched the Liger Zero walk into battle, and could only offer a softly worded, “Go get him.” Now he was truly a spectator.

“Fuzors combine!” RD shouted. “Liger Zero Phoenix!”

Fire Phoenix overflew the Liger Zero, shedding its armour and components as it did. Drawn down to the Liger, large sections of armour attached themselves to Zero’s shoulders and hind legs, forelegs, and head. The original armour detached easily enough, tumbling away and vanishing from sight. It was truly a mystery as to where the components ended up, for Liger always managed to recover its basic armour when the ‘fuzor’ process came to an end. In any case, the Liger Zero bonded seamlessly with its Fuzor partner. Both cores began to function in perfect synchronicity, drawing in more energy than a normal Zoid could on its own.

With its power output easily doubled, the Liger Zero Phoenix took up a combat stance a safe distance from the Gairyuki and roared a challenge across the empty land between them. Both Zoids were still facing each other within the walls of the ‘canyon’ – an arena of rock and hard earth.

Blake laughed to himself. “Great. I’ve got him right where I want him.”

So long as RD didn’t turn tail and run away, Blake felt confident he could best the fused Zoid in combat. Well, he could always taunt RD a little more.

“Time for some damage, RD,” Blake called out.

He could almost feel the anger in RD’s words as they came back through cockpit speakers.

“You’re the only one who’s going to get damaged Blake.”

The words had barely left RD’s lips when the Liger launched its attack on the Gairyuki. Picking up speed in mere moments, the winged Zoid took to the sky, its wings and forelegs glowing bright as the weapons system diverted power to the disruption field now beginning to form around Liger’s right paw. Time seemed to slow as the Liger completed its upward climb and began its curved descent on the waiting Gairyuki.

The verniers and transparent cockpit panels suddenly flashed brightly. Blake blinked in surprise, aware the Liger was already starting its lethal descent, yet he was unable to understand what was happening to his Zoid. Around him armoured components of the Gairyuki broke away under their own power and began combining into a small crab-like shell. The small Zoid – if he could even call it a Zoid – flew quickly away from its parent and took up a stationary hover above and in front of the Gairyuki.

From the cockpit speakers, RD’s voice yelled the all too familiar war cry. “Laser Claw dive attack!”

A ball of energy as bright as the sun was launched by the Liger. It streaked downward, burning the air around it and forcing a shockwave of compressed air to expand around it like the bow wave before a moving ship. But just shy of the Gairyuki, the small Zoid suddenly leapt forth and took the brunt of the assault. The sky around the little blue Zoid flared bright, and great rings of light expanded in concentric circles as the energy expended itself upon the Gairyuki’s mysterious protector. When it was over, the little blue Zoid retreated, settling to a hover beside the Gairyuki’s left shoulder.

A couple of hundred meters away the Liger Zero landed with a soft whump onto the desert ground, its wings having slowed its descent, now flapping idly from its back.

RD stared at the image of the Gairyuki through the cockpit canopy and couldn’t believe his eyes. “What the – I didn’t even put a ding into him. Freaky!”

Blake was just as surprised, thankful to still be in one piece, yet not sure how it had happened. “Wow,” he breathed. “That was … wicked.”

The voice of Luke suddenly broke into the cockpit. “Excellent,” the young man cried, unable to contain his satisfaction. “My automated defence program is now battle tested.”

“You’re what?” Blake asked. He frowned as he realized Luke was watching over them, yet from where? He was about to start searching for him when the centre console came to life with a technical schematic of the Gairyuki. As he watched, components broke away from the Zoid and reformed as two individual units.

“I designed two support defence systems for the Gairyuki,” Luke explained from his hidden location. “It automatically engages when it’s attacked by a greater force. And that in turn allows your Zoid to perform as a fully functional Fuzor.” Laughter floated from the speakers. “It’s fool proof Blake.”

“It’s fool proof, huh,” Blake repeated with a slow smile. “I think I’m going to like this, Luke.”

As he watched, the remaining detachable parts broke free of the Gairyuki. The second of the two defensive systems completed its combination process. Where the first was a squat crab-like Zoid, the second was bird-like, resembling a blue swallow. It swooped up, pulled an Immelman climb and came down to hold steady by the Gairyuki’s right shoulder. Now all three Zoids faced the single Fuzor before them.

RD’s eyes darted between the Zoids. The odds had swung in Blake’s favour. The seed of doubt was now beginning to grow ever larger. For the first time, RD began to seriously consider pulling back and withdrawing. He was fighting at a disadvantage, knowing little of his enemy, and now facing three Zoids where moments ago there was only one.

What’s it going to do next, he wondered, turn invisible?

“Oh man,” he said unable to hide the worry growing within.

Blake’s overly confident voice filled the Liger’s cockpit. “So, you’re impressed. Well I’m just getting started. And your career is about to end.”

From their places by the Gairyuki, the two Zoids leapt forward and began a co-ordinated attack against the Liger. The heavy bombardment pinned Zero down, unable to move as it desperately sought to withstand the barrage of cannon fire by hunkering down close to the ground. It’s armoured claws gripped the rocky earth, preventing the explosions from knocking it over. The wings glowed bright as they deflected blow after blow from the flying swallow Zoid and the laser torpedoes of its crab-like companion.

RD gripped the controls with desperate strength, his ears and skull ringing under the continuous concussions Liger was enduring. Yet he waited – waited for a lull in the firing. Both Zoids were unleashing a torrent of energy his way but such a barrage couldn’t be sustained indefinitely. Sooner rather than later their guns would overheat and they’d have to break off. When it happened, RD would be ready. He promised to bestow upon Blake as good as he was having to endure.

For a handful of seconds the cannon fire dropped away. Looking up and at the tactical displays, RD noticed the Zoids had broken off, flying away in long sweeping arcs that would quickly bring them back in his direction. Not wasting another moment, he pulled back on the controls, and willed the Liger back into a strike posture. On his right hand the Z-con gauntlet glowed brightly, matching the new determination burning within him.

“Okay,” he said. “Let’s show that freak what we’ve got Liger Zero Phoenix.”

With a single roar, the Liger launched itself toward the Gairyuki at a full run. Sensing danger to their parent system, the swallow and crab Zoids immediately tightened their return arcs and began firing anew at the fast moving Zero. Blake watched the Fuzor steadily bearing down upon him, weathering the laser fire being brought to bear on it by the Zoid drones, and hoped Luke’s system worked as well as intended. Virtually without armour, he doubted the Gairyuki could survive an assault from the Liger’s Laser Claw attack.

The Zero Phoenix leapt into the air yet again, and disruptive energy began to glow along its forelimbs. Right paw held high and at the ready, claws shining bright in the afternoon sky, the Fuzor began its downward descent. A shockwave of air began forming around the Liger as it bore down on the blue Zoid with near murderous intent. So intent on cutting Blake down, RD lost track of the Zoid drones, and was unprepared for their combined physical attack.

From out of nowhere the Zoid drones caught the Liger squarely in the middle as it hurtled toward the Gairyuki. The blow knocked the wind out of RD, disrupted the attack system and sent the large Zoid crashing to the ground. Instantly the inertial compensators kicked in, absorbing some of the gee force in the cockpit as the Liger rolled on the ground, kicking up a storm of dirt, earth and pulverised rock into the air. The roiling cloud billowed in almost all directions, obscuring the red and white Fuzor, until out of the mass of floating debris came the rolling form of the Liger Zero. But no Fire Phoenix.

Zero rolled to a stop, energy arching over its motionless body. In the cockpit RD was knocked unconscious, oblivious to the damage sustained by his Zoid, and the pain Zero was in. Diagnostics had kicked in, but the multiple AI’s systems crashed in short order, and Zero began to power down. The unexpected separation from its Fuzor partner hadn’t helped. The systems had been caught flat footed and unprepared, and now struggled to maintain order within the Zoid.

At sight of the Liger coming to a crashing end, Mat had leapt up from his place of relative safety and started running toward the injured Zoid. His short legs carrying him as fast as they could, he watched as the ominous form of the Gairyuki, now fully armoured again stepped through the dirty air and approached the downed Liger.

Blake couldn’t believe his eyes. Liger Zero, helpless and defenceless before him.

“My Z-Fighter ranking is now number one,” he announced, though he doubted RD was listening. Having seen the force of the crash, Blake doubted RD was awake. He walked the Gairyuki a few feet closer to the Liger.

“Oh. Poor baby got a booboo,” he said, and almost immediately wondered at how childish a thing it was to say. Oh well, he shrugged. “Well then, let me put you out of your misery,” he offered, his voice floating out over the open ground. “And I’ll even try to make this quick.”

He tapped the weapons panel, activating the Gairyuki’s main weapon. Like the Berserk Fury, the Gairyuki possessed a charged particle cannon of considerable output. However, the weapon was also fuelled by energy absorbed by the transparent verniers fitted to the tail, the booster pack and legs. This allowed the Zoid to increase the destructive output of the cannon considerably as well as allow it to cycle between firing sequences at a faster pace. Opening its jaws wide, the charged particle cannon barrel extended forward, and shortly thereafter a bright ball of energy began to build up at its tip. Blake could feel the temperature in the cockpit rise as the energy heated the air around the cannon barrel.

“I mean,” he added as an afterthought, “it’s the least I can do.”

In moments the Liger would be laid waste, wrecked beyond repair as his Buster Fury had been. And yet he hesitated, and feared perhaps he was going to far. Defeating RD was one thing; killing him was another. Blake’s eyes widened in realization, and his finger paused on the trigger.

The Gairyuki suddenly lurched sideways to its left as though struck with incredible force. The impact disrupted the firing process and the energy ball dissipated from the Zoid’s open jaws. Looking round wildly Blake caught sight of the Fire Phoenix as it delivered the bodily attack upon his Zoid, and almost succeeded in toppling him sideways. Perhaps angered by the assault, the Gairyuki struck back, knocking the flying biomech into the ground where it slid to a halt a hundred or more meters away.

“Don’t be a fool RD,” Blake yelled. As the Phoenix lay on the ground and struggled to rise, he brought the charged particle cannon on line yet again, and centred the firing reticle on the winged Zoid. However, he fired the weapon prematurely, unwilling to wait for the entire firing system to build up energy to the maximum level, and thus failed to deliver a killing blow. Engulfed in flame, the Fire Phoenix screeched a cry of pain into air. Refusing to die, the winged Zoid leapt clear of the ground seeking the freedom of the air. But it rolled into a diving attack aimed directly at the Gairyuki; a kamikaze strike intended to obliterate its opponent.

The collision rocked the ground and the air with a force that was heard and felt for miles around. The ensuing explosion sent fire and debris high into the sky, and flames rolled outward as the pent up energy of the Fuzor’s core was suddenly released. Crashing to the ground and barely recognisable, the Fire Phoenix died at the feet of the Gairyuki, burning away slowly.

The Liger’s cockpit opened, and RD fell boneless to the ground. He lay unmoving, until his eyes slowly flickered open and registered flames burning some distance away. He managed to raise his head a little and worked an arm under himself. Slowly, RD brought himself to a sitting position, and it dawned on him he was looking at the death of his Fuzor partner.

“I guess this is how it all ends,” Blake’s voice boomed over the ground and above the sound of the flames. The Gairyuki appeared above the flaming wreckage like a malevolent god. “You are so pathetic. But I suppose it’s time to finish our little battle.” He paused, and the Gairyuki looked down at the motionless Liger and its defeated pilot. “I really wish you would have been more of a challenge for me RD.”

Laughing victoriously, Blake worked the controls of the blue armoured Gairyuki. Blue fire leapt from its vector thrusters, flattening the flames before it launched skyward and disappeared into the fading light.

RD watched the Zoid until he lost sight of it, then he dropped his gaze to the burning remains of the Fire Phoenix. He felt helpless and utterly defeated as he sat on the ground beside the damaged Zero. As he watched the flames begin to die out, Mat reached his side, having run from his place of safety to the fallen Zero. The boy walked slowly up to RD.

“C’mon,” RD pleaded into the open desert. Pleaded with himself.  “Do something.”

“I think it’s over RD,” Mat stated with the straight forwardness of a child.

Light began to sparkle over the flames, as though a hundred fire flies were being born from the ashes of the dead Zoid. As they watched, even more lights twinkled to life, coming together and moving in formation.

“No, wait,” RD said, faint hope stirring within him. “Check it out. Phoenix is coming back.”

If one could call it the spirit of the Zoid, then perhaps that’s what it was. A thousand tiny lights dancing together in unison forming the shape of a great bird rising from the flames. Sparkling wings spread above the fire and suddenly the entire creation leapt into the sky with a stream of twinkling lights behind it. It rose high into the darkening heavens and quickly disappeared from view.

“Yes, he’s coming back,” RD declared, even as the living lights faded from sight. “Get him Liger Zero Phoenix.”

But there was no reply, no response, and he and Mat continued to watch the heavens in vain, one sitting, and one standing, by the side of the fallen Liger Zero.