Ryan Apollos [vs] Baron Blaze

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#5 Ryan Apollos [vs.] Baron Blaze #13

Ryan Apollos [vs] Baron Blaze Additionalinfo

Deadline is SATURDAY, September 15th at 11:59 PM EST
Best 2 RP's are Counted
If You try, you will succeed

Subject: Re: Ryan Apollos [vs] Baron Blaze Sat Sep 15, 2012 10:51 pm

Dream State Zi
Part 1

A majestic cliff burst into flame and rock; the resultant rubble pummeled the Steel-Grey Molga unit perched below.

"Argh!" The pilot cried out as his internal computer reverted to static and the fatal words: Command System Freeze.

The mechanical voice of the judge rang out across the rocky battlefield: "Team Stormgrey, Molga unit – out of the battle! One Zoid unit remaining!"

The pilot slammed his fist to his computer. "Crap! Damn spiders! Sorry, Renz, I couldn't hold 'em. It's on you now!"

Renz responded calmly over the intercom. "Don't worry, they may've taken down your Molga, but I'd like to see their cowardly attempts at tactics take down this Gojulas of mine!"

The grey painted dinosaur-like Zoid cast an imposing silhouette against the bright blue sky. Its custom-built 90 mm cannons scanned the horizon for a target, as its black feet sunk ever so slightly into the granite rock supporting its 230-ton weight.

"Come out you damn spiders! Get your just desserts!" Renz fired a round into an opposing mountain, hoping to scare his opponents out of hiding. He began speaking on an open channel. "I don't blame you for staying away! This Gojulas is the prize of our Stormgrey team – one hit from its cannons won't leave any arms to beg for mercy!" Another shot. "Come now? Doesn't anyone want a little lead souvenir?"

A shot at the Gojulas' feet.

"Shit! Where are they?" He fired off his beam cannon in desperation as the Gojulas spread its legs to avoid tripping – too late.

Rubble bursted out behind.

"Surrounded me – the bastards!"

A direct hit to the side torso sent the Gojulas crashing into the rock.

A cold voice rang out over the intercom.

" They sunk all that money into a piece of crap like this? I've never seen a Gojulas so pathetic." Crawling around a nearby mountain, a green-legged Cannon Spider advanced on the toppled dinosaur.

"Now now, Feros! Don't blame the Zoid for the pilot's problems! The man just doesn't have a clue in the world how to pilot the thing." Another cannon spider, black and silver, moved straight towards the wreckage. "Still, that was a hell of a shot there Ryan! Good placement."

The final spider, of white legs and orange body, advanced from the side, accepting implicit credit for the toppling blast. Inside, its pilot swept back his parted brown hair and grinned. "It wasn't that impressive."

"Well I suppose it would've been harder if the guy actually moved!" The black spider responded. The three moved into close range of the sparking, downed Zoid, savoring the moment. The black spider chimed in again. "So, Warrior, feelin' like callin' it so we can leave your Gojulas with some semblance of a skeleton? Or shall we formally blow your ass to kingdom come?"

That was the moment.

"Hyaaaa!" Renz yelled. The wreck rose just a slight bit off the ground, lunged at the black spider. "Crusher Claws!" The black claws of the Gojulas ripped into the spider's legs, severing 2 from its body and forcing the spider to the ground.

"Son of a bitch!" The black spider pilot exclaimed.

"Whoa!" Feros, the green spider pilot, backed off.

Ryan aimed his cannon at the dinosaur and delivered a crushing, final blow.

The Gojulas pilot smiled and sighed as his computer let off the telltale high pitch of defeat.

"Battle over! Battle over!" The Judge's voice rang out. "The winner is… The Arachno Team!"

The black spider pilot slammed the controls of his immobilized spider. "Son of a bitch wasn't downed! That bastard!" The Judge continued unfazed, as oblivious to the Warrior as the Warrior was to him. "Congratulations Arachno Team, on your win! Until the next battle!"

The black spider pilot thrust his empty cup down onto the table. "Hey! A refill dammit! You call this service?"

Ryan sighed. "Hey don't take it out on the waitress, Wain. It's just a little repair! The prize money'll cover it."

"Pfft. If we go out west where it's cheap and wait a week maybe! You really think we can get a rush job done around here for the 220k we got from the Commission? On my custom built Cannon Spider? Dammit… Guess we're on break awhile."

"We could ask Mesa to join for a bit." Ryan interjected, shrugging.
"Are you kidding? She's just broke up with what's-his-name; probably not in the best of moods. Urgh…and we were on such a good streak too…" He slammed the table again. "Dammit why'd that punk hafta cut my legs off! They can never just die…"

"Maybe you shouldn't have got so close. " Feros chimed in as he sipped his own drink. Wain pushed the cup, spilling in Feros' face.

"Like you weren't right there with me. I was just unlucky…" He continued swearing under his breath as a waitress finally produced another drink for him.

"Sorry I didn't get him earlier." Ryan grunted.

"What are you talking about Ryan?" Feros nudged him. "You're the best shot I know! You been takin' em down left an' right the last few weeks, that's for sure."

Ryan shrugged. "Yeah. Maybe that's the problem."

"Huh?"

"You ever get that feelin' like you stayed in one place too long? Like things are getting too easy, too normal? And ya-"

"Hah! I call that getting' good Ryan!" Feros slapped him on the back.

Ryan chuckled. "Yeah, I guess so."

At this point a new face, fresh from convening with his two teammates across the room, approached the table.

"Hey, aren't you the guys in the Arachno team that's been takin' all the wins round these parts?"

Wain was hassling the waitress and Feros trying to dry himself off, so Ryan felt obligated to speak. "Who wants to know?" The man responded.

"A fellow Warrior looking for a challenge." Feros turned to the man.

"Well listen bud, if you wanna challenge us, you gotta be in B class or higher, first of all. And we fight in the Rocasna Mountains northeast of here. If you're alright with-"

"We're not taking challenges right now." Wain interrupted, reminding his teammates of his predicament and eliciting corresponding embarrassed looks. "Unless…" He looked up from his drink. " You wanna add 200k to the winning pot." Feros tried to hide his confusion at the new stipulation and the specificity of the number. Ryan realized immediately that a rush job on the Cannon Spider would be covered evenly by around 190,000 BP plus the reward money they'd already had, meaning that an extra 200k in the pot would effectively negate the cost of repair.

The man looked irked. "…Let me talk it over with my team." He walked away. The Arachno team watched his retreat.

"He won't be back," Wain declared and returned to his drink. His teammates did likewise.

In the shadows, a young man stroked his chin. He was clad in a blue and red trench coat, lined with black, and bore equally black hair with streaks of brown, shaped in a way that was organized but clearly not combed. Dark blue sunglasses obscured his eyes, but not his calculated grin.

He stood up, and adapted a slow, deliberate pace as he walked towards the Arachno Team. The team saw him before he arrived – just as he'd wanted. He came to the table and stopped. The group stared him down for a few seconds. He spoke.

"That last match must have been brutal on your black Cannon Spider." Feros ground his teeth. Ryan considered grinning at the man's bluntness. Wain stood and made to speak, but not before the man continued. "I'll repair it for you. I'll give you the money in full, up front."

Wain paused. Feros eyed the newcomer and even Ryan looked curiously upon him. After some thought, Wain spoke.

"And the catch?"

"Just a battle."

"Oh…" The group's postures relaxed as they exchanged cautious but encouraging looks. The man spoke on.

"Just a few rules."

"Hey! Don't you-" Feros interjected, but Wain motioned against and turned to the stranger.

"Go on." he said.

"I've heard you like to battle in the Rocasna Mountains. That's fine. Now since I put money up front, I'd like to increase the pot, say putting in an additional 300 thou on each side?"

The sideline tables eyed the spectacle and the room quieted. The cautious glances of the Arachno team surged with excitement and approval. They smiled.

"'That all?"

"Just one more thing." He leaned in on the table to emphasize the point.

"We'll fight in the battle mode 0925."

"0925?" Ryan wondered aloud.

"Invasion in the Blind. You know it?" The stranger asked. Ryan shook his head, slowly. His teammates housed equally puzzled looks.

"I can explain it if you don't want to look it up in the Commission Database."

"No, that's fine." Wain broke his team's silence. "We accept."

Muttering came from the sideline tables.

"Alright then." The stranger smiled as he handed over a small red-tinted business card. "Give me a call with an estimate for the damages, and I'll have the Commission set up the match." Wain took the card – it read 'SAO ENSINÉ – Zoid Entrepreneur' above a video-call number.

"Alright, Mr. Ensiné. We'll see you then." Wain pocketed the card as they shook hands. The Arachno team stood silent as they watched their benefactor-enemy walk away, giving them ample ability to hear the conversations going on around them.

"Sao Ensiné? I never seen him fight. Is he new?"

"I heard he's been wandering the continent for awhile, but I heard he always fights in obscure battle modes, so the mainstream networks don't broadcast his fights."

"Why would he do that?"

"No clue."

"Hey, let's lobby the local network to show it!"

"Now there's an idea! Arachno's been on a hot streak – it might just work."

"This is one match I gotta see…"

Sao left the restaurant to its devices, never imagining that the simple idea of broadcasting his match would change his battling career forever.

The battle day was cloudier than usual, but that didn't cast any shade on the mountainous battlefield. The gray peaks shone jagged and sharp as ever in the midday sun, since the area chosen was miles away from the site of the destruction of the Arachno Team's previous battle. No winds, low humidity. A good day for a fight.

As per the 0925 Battle Mode regulations, the 3 members of the Arachno team were stationed around 3 kilometers away from each other in randomized positions stipulated by the Zoid Battle Commission, whose exact coordinates had not been given. For the moment they remained able to talk.

"So are we going in as normal or what?" Feros asked.

"Look," Wain stated, "We're going normal as soon as we find each other. 0925 is a blind match, but if we do get in visual distance of one another, the restriction on our comlinks to unidirectional won't matter and we'll be able to coordinate again! So just stay alive and move till you find someone. And if you find him during the shooting portion, shoot everywhere so we'll move in. Don't worry! This guy's just some smug, rich-boy amateur. He actually paid for the repair – he's not gonna pull some kinda bullshit trick after all that. Hell, I sorta like the kid. Maybe we'll leave him a little dignity when we're done."

"Hey, that thinking's what lost your legs the last match." Feros chimed in. Ryan chuckled under his breath.

"Pfft. Point is, we don't need to watch for dirty tricks, and he's never even competed in a televised match – how good can he be?"

"Hey guys!" Ryan called. "Judge's here."

Above, a white streak in the sky confirmed Ryan's observation. It slammed into the top of a mountain peak and let out a great cloud of dust. At the very tip, the shine of the ascending capsule evidenced the Zoids Commision Judge's presence, and his voice soon rang out onto the battlefield:

"The area within a 15 Kilometer Radius is now a designated Zoid Battleground! Only Zoid Commission Personnel and Combatants have authorized entry! Danger! All unauthorized persons must vacate the area immediately!"

Wain cracked his knuckles. "Alright, here we go!"

"Is that Sao guy even here?" Feros switched to an open frequency. "Sao Ensiné, are you on the battlefield?"

"Ready and waiting, gentlemen." Sao responded. "Thank you again for accepting my offer under these conditions."

"Here's to a good match." Ryan chimed in.

"Well put." Sao responded.

"Heh! You may not feel so polite once we beat you down!" Wain exclaimed. Sao chuckled.

"May the best Zoid win." He cut the line.

The judge spoke out. "Battle teams confirmed present and registered. Final scan for unauthorized persons..."

The crowd at the Zoids Diner was abound with high fives at the sound of even these vague words. Their mission to get Sao's unorthodox match broadcast had born fruit enough to cram the diner to capacity (aided in part by the usual lunchtime deals) and led to a good deal of bets on and off the table regarding the prospects. But now the room went quiet as the judge proceeded.

The battlefield too fell silent.

"Area scanned! Battlefield set up! The Nova Team versus the Arachno Team! Battle mode 0-9-2-5!" The black screen of the judge's face lit up with the electric green of the four numbers dictating the battle mode; his raised his red and blue tipped hands.

"Reaaadyyyy?" The Arachno team's expressions hardened as the local broadcast networks zoomed in on the action.

"FIGHT!"

The com-screen in Ryan's cockpit went black and his speakers faded into muted static. Ryan nodded to himself and moved his white and orange Cannon Spider forward.

He recalled the lecture Wain had given yesterday, following some hasty research undertaken after Sao's repair payment had gone through. He remembered Wain's awkward reading of notes more than anything, but he strained to focus on the words.

"Battle Mode 0925 is a 3 on 1 weighted blind match… We start spread out, and once we begin, we lose radar data and we're only allowed to use unidirectional communication, meaning if we can't see each other, we can't talk and vice versa. Our enemy has limited local radar to compensate for the numbers disadvantage. Now a stupid team would charge ahead and seek him out individually, but that sets him up for the one on one matches where the odds are at best even. We just need to get in communication range and then do what we always do – surround and conquer. We'll move towards Position A1000, that small abandoned well on the other side of the large rock. That should be simple enough."

Ryan scanned the surrounding mountains – he knew every crevice by heart. That was the real reason why they fought here; it was only half because of the lucky streak they'd had. It was so familiar it was almost sickening. But for all the times he'd fought there, he couldn't remember when he'd last felt a rush like this. There was something about peering through the cracks in the mountain walls, looking for friends and foes, that was more exciting than running by them or even running through them.

He shook his head. Back to the fight.

He took an old shortcut into a well-covered ridge, and climbed ahead.

From within a well-cooled cockpit, Sao mused to himself as he watched the locations of his enemies flicker in and out on linear paths toward a central landmark.

"Battle mode 0925 was originally adapted from a combat exercise meant to simulate stealthy intrusions into enemy territory during the ancient wars – a literal invasion, into unknown territory, without communication satellites." He gently pried the controls of his Zoid, a Trinity Liger painted in indigo and gold, which crawled slowly down the mountain slope.

As Ryan's Cannon Spider made its way to a large ridge blocking the view of his meeting point, his comlink began flickering in. He turned to it.

"Hey! Can you hear me? It's Ryan"

"—yan?—That—ou?—" Ryan smiled at Feros' voice,

"Feros! Stay where you are, I'm at the mountain behind the rendezvous point! I'll try to get into a better area."

Sao's radar had lost two of the invading team, though Sao had committed their last positions to mind. Furthermore, one dot shown clear.

"Success on the part of the invading team hatched on their own teamwork, and their plans once in the field. A plan that didn't utilize their superior number was bound to failure. And blind reliance on their numbers was equally hopeless. But the most hopeless of all was a team whose plans were easily read…" He clicked a trigger.

"Ah! Ryan! I'm under attack!"

"Return fire Feros! Where is he?"

Feros fired three shots off of his back mounted cannon, into the air, the ground and the mountain.

"I dunno! It was just one shot! Where the hell is Wain?"

"Feros?" The familiar, yet new voice spoke over.

"Wain! Get over here! He found me!" Feros yelled

"Feros?" Ryan called, "Where's Wain? I can't hear him!"

"Wain where are you? Ryan can't hear you. He's behind the rock near A1000."

"I'm right on the other side of him, tell him that. I got you in my sights man! Just wait for him to attack again and we'll have him!"

The three scanned the ridges for the attacker but he was nowhere to be seen.

A blast ripped through the air.

"Where is it!" Feros called.

"Above!" Ryan exclaimed.

Another shot dug into the ground a few tens of meters from Feros, who backed away wildly.

"Damn is he a crap shot… If this is his best, we have nothin' to worry about! Just gotta get into a sniping match and we're in the homestretch!" Wain mused.

"Feros!" Ryan yelled. "He's in the cliffs above and to your right! I'll get off a shot! Tell Wain!" Ryan peeked out from behind the rock, trying to spot the cliff the shots were fired from.

Wain also scoped in on the surrounding area, as he tried to move into the rocks for a better vantage point. "If he's just gonna harass us, all we need to do is find him, trap him with the rocks, and move around him nice and slow. A few shots should coax him out." He aimed at the Cliffside and scoped in.

A blur of blur leapt from the rocks.

"Shit!" Feros yelled, "It's him! That dark blue liger! He's headed straight at me!" Feros moved away back into the rocks behind.

Wain rushed towards the battle zone. "Crap! He was just making us think he wanted to snipe us! He planned to get in close the whole time! I can't get a good angle from here…"

Ryan aimed his cannons and made a few shots. The Liger was too fast – a single Zoid's barrage couldn't hit reliably. It raced by without a scratch and disappeared into the rocks behind.

"My shots are doing nothin' to this guy." Ryan muttered. "Crap..." He scowled, "I revealed my position! I'm moving around!" Ryan declared as he shifted his Zoid around the large rock.

Wain made his way past the other side of the same rock. " Feros! You alright?"

"Yeah! He just ran right past me! What was he thinking?"

"Don't worry! We all got him in our sights now! If he comes again all three of us will have him down and out!"

From his cockpit, Sao grinned, imagining the dialogue on the other side of the battle. " A plan readily deciphered is a plan for disaster." He pushed the Liger movement controls and leaned in.

"There he is!" Feros cried. The Liger made a beeline towards the mountains on Wain's side. "Fire! Fire!"

The two cannon spiders together took a few moments to adjust their aims, but soon were laying down a respectable barrage at the Liger.

"Where does he think he's goin'? He'll run straight into the side of the rock! Wait… Feros! Stop firing!"

"What?"

The Liger pounced off the rock and belted in a new direction as Feros' shots struck the rock and sent it teetering over towards Wain.

"Shit!" Wain yelled, scrambling away from the falling obstacle.

Meanwhile, the Liger was now set straight for Feros.

"Damn! Stay away you bastard!" He shot a few times but the Liger changed elevation too quickly as he moved up the slope at the Cannon Spider.

With a great leap, the Liger's hardened alloy claws ripped straight into the helpless spider, ripping into its back mounted cannon and sending its body proper reeling down the hill.

"Arachno Team, Unit 2 – out of the battle!" The Judge proclaimed.

Sao wheeled around to face the newly revealed Wain.

"Shit! Gotta shoot him down before he gets his damn claws on me…" Wane began aiming his cannon, but not before Sao aimed his.

The Trinity Liger's Twin Beam Cannons bore massive strikes into the Spider's legs, toppling it over and ruining Wain's shot.

"Aaagh! Damn!" He quickly reamed. "It's not over! Those cannons have a recharge time of 10 seconds at least! You're mine!"

The Liger crouched as it fired its smaller beam gun, which ran through the air into the pitiful, legless Zoid. Wain got off a single shot which missed the Zoid completely, before his spider bore the brunt of the attack.

"Arachno Team, Unit 1 – out of the battle!"

Ryan sat sweating. The Judge's announcements were the only broadcasts he could hear from his spot in the narrow ridge walls. "He lured us into one spot so he could pick us off easier? Maybe he'd just seen us fight before and knew that we'd move that way? Either way…" He smiled, "This is one crazy Warrior."

"Hey! Ryan!" Wain called out. "You can hear me right? They said in the rules that downed members get access to all frequencies so we should be able to at least talk now! Don't get cocky! We totally misread this guy! He's got crazy aim with a beam cannon and a deadly strike with his claws! You're our best aim! Stay in the ridge behind where the rock was – mebbe you can sneak a few shots!"

"You idiot!" Ryan yelled. "You're broadcasting on all frequencies! Now he knows exactly where I-" He stopped.

At the entrance to the ridge, where the rock once was, he appeared. The dark blue of the Trinity Liger, golden lines outlining a majestic visage – staring down the corridor. Ryan frowned, turned off his communicator, gripped his controls firmly. The Liger stood still, examining his final prey.

"AHHHH!" Ryan fired a round of the cannon. The Liger leapt over it and ran forth. Ryan dug his Cannon Spider's legs into the ridge wall and climbed, shooting as he went. He went for the Liger's feet, but even if he'd hit, the Liger's momentum would put Ryan in attack range. "One chance, Spider!" He yelled. "Point blank!" He leapt forward into the Liger's path, charging his cannon, and when he was no more than 3 meters away, let fly.

The resulting dust cast the scene into obscurity. Ryan checked his Cannon Spider – no damage. Then peered at his monitor – had he hit the Liger? Stunned or even miraculously destroyed it? He smiled. He turned on the broadcast frequency.

"You made one mistake. You got overconfident and rushed me in this narrow ridge where you had nowhere to run. You should've sniped me from the entrance rather than try to show off with your Hardened Alloy Claws."

The dust cleared. Ryan gasped. The light pink of an energy shield shone through the dust. Sao answered Heiden's bragging.

"You're right, strictly speaking, I should have attacked at the entrance, but that would give you a lot of dust in which to escape if I somehow missed. If you hadn't been so overconfident and moved away when I stopped to activate my energy shield, you may have dragged this battle on another 5 minutes or so, if you were clever."

The shield vanished and the liger's vents began to give a yellow glow.

"But now I have you at close range and your cannon isn't aimed right because of the angle at which you attacked."

Ryan saw – he could still fire! He moved to aim.

"Too late! " The yellow glow expanded into flame and the liger leapt forth. "Photon Cutter!"

"Battle over! Battle over! The winner is… The Nova Team!" The Judge proclaimed.

"I don't take disciples." Sao replied.

"Come on please? I've…I've never had a rush like that before!" Ryan got on his knees.

Sao shrugged. "That's because you always fight in battle mode 0982."

"Then I- I want to learn the modes you use! Please, teach me!" Sao was somewhat taken aback by this notion. Wain used the opportunity to push through the diner crowd surrounding the combatants of that afternoon's battle and grab Ryan by the shoulder.

"Ryan! You can't just up and leave our team! What are we gonna do with two fighters?"

"Ask Mesa! Like I said. She's always wanted to join you guys, you just never noticed. Ask her! She's right there." He pointed to the girl, who was staring starry eyed towards the back of the crowd, then turned back to his newfound mentor, who was lost in thought.

"You… Want to learn the other modes?" Sao said, hesitantly.

"Yes! Please, Mr… Mr. Ensiné! Master Ensiné!"

Sao sighed. "None of that master crap." Ryan looked up, and with two short sentences, Sao set into motion a journey not even he could anticipate.

"I'll come by your camp tomorrow. You better be packed."

Guest

††Location: IWF arena, being held inside the Bradley Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.††
†Date: September 9th, 2012 time unknown.†

It was a mistake for me to have arrived at the airport as late as I did, I figured I was gonna get it easy seeing how it was near the weekend and very few people travel by air around that time. Then I remembered we're getting close to the holidays and when I saw just how packed the place was, I knew I was gonna be stuck here for quite awhile.

It just a bad judgment call on my end, very first day going into this new place that bought the old company out and took many of us in. None of us were expecting it, and when I got that phone call from Cody I just thought to myself "ok so what gives?" Then he dropped the bombshell and it was like an entire sport team got bought over by another team who could afford them and got rid of all the deadweight and kept the ones that had potential. So that meant people like myself, Ethan Cage, Vanessa Cade and Cody himself just to name a few. Once I received the mail telling me the location of where the show would be held, I thought to myself "Ok so they won’t start the show until Sunday, that gives me plenty of time to train and get ready, so I'll wait until late Saturday to pack my things and get going first thing in the morning."

The end result can be summed up in just three simple words: Big fucking mistake.

Not only was there a huge line already set up for boarding the plane, turns out the plane will be delayed in its departure and to top it off this is the only flight they have available. Shit by the time they get done putting everyone on board and close the terminal, it will be nearly an hour and a half before the show starts. If I can get there just in time before that then I fucking deserve a medal.

Lucky for me I had my iPod which is great because god knows I need to keep myself entertained least I grow mad from boredom and end up causing a scene. While that may sound tempting, I didn't want to consider it. I'm reckless but I ain't stupid, only dumb kids would try to throw a fit and risk getting arrested. Again it's tempting however when givin the choice between acting like a jerk and waist time behind bars or be patient and earn money that you can use for food and shit, I would rather get paid for the trouble rather than just cause it and receive nothing in return.

So I cranked the sound but kept it low enough so that there won't be any bitching and moaning because trust me, I'm not in the mood for that kind of overdramatic nonsense. Sure enough the line would finally show some movement as people stepped through the security panels and place any metallic stuff on a plastic tray which would be observed via a x-ray scan. I made sure to take everything out of my pockets, including my silver lighter which I wisely put in the side pocket of the travel bag. I stepped through and had a guard step in front of me asking me to put my hands up so he could pat me down. I sighed and did as told and give me the mental signal to make it quick, he took the hint and quickly patted me down before making the nod to his pal that I'm clear to go. I brushed past them and waited at the end where I could get my stuff, once the travel bag came to me I checked to see if everything was inside. I took my tickets, wallet and lighter from the bag and placed them in my pockets where I zipped them up. I would slug my bag over my shoulder and just to be an ass, I reenact the scene from Snow White and the 7 dwarves by sarcastically singing Hi-ho while carrying my bag in a similar motion. I got some laughs and some weird looks but I didn't give a shit, that wasn’t the idea.

I would FINALALLY arrive inside the plane where I put my bag inside the hatch which is over the chair I would be sitting in. Once I had the damn thing secured, I moved to the end chair next to the window and leaned back as far as I could but then remember that these chairs down bend at all cus of the passengers behind them. I just shrugged leaned to the side getting about as comfy as I could while I had to wait for everyone else to take their seats then of course we have to listen to the captain's boring ass speech about protocols and stuff like I really want to know your fucking life story Jack. I just want you to shut up and do your job and get us up in the air ASAP! I noticed that no one is sitting next to me which is a good thing, I needed to be alone to gather my thoughts. We're soon moving and sure enough, the plane leaves the ground and I was able to relax, next stop is Green bay.

Arriving there I noticed the sudden drop in temperature but I almost didn't feel it. Being a New Jersey guy I'm used to this kind of weather and I have my trusty nice leather flame jacket with me just in case. I had the jacket custom made by another friend of mine named Josh who works as a clothing designer and has his own personal shop where he makes most of his craft. I got a sweet deal on this lovely badass looking piece of leather and I love it, like it was meant for someone like me.

Well at any rate I took a look at the paper they sent me that contains the address and exact location of where the show would be held. I noticed the time on one of the street clocks; I had less than forty minutes to get there before the show starts. No doubt the place is already being packed as we speak and most of the athletes are either already there or just arrived. At any rate I had to think of a way to get there and fast.......but how?

My first thought was of course to take a taxi, after all I had more than enough money on me to do whatever the hell I want but then my attention would be drawn to the motorbike shop just across the street.

I felt my face forming a smile......I already had an idea.

A large crowd flooded the entrance to the Barley Center that is being modified for tonight's Battle Grounds. Along the way, limos made way causing paparazzi and reporters to move in as talents new and old arrive on the scene. Suddenly the roaring sound of a motorbike grabs the crowd's attention as a bike flies over the entrance rails just barely missing the guards who wisely moved out of the way as the bike turns towards the center of the entrance where fans on both sides stand back behind the barricades as they watch the man on the bike. The guards recuperate and hold off the reporters and paparazzi as the biker revs his bike and starts doing doughnuts around the ramp then leans back and does a neat perfect wheeli that excites the crowd as they cheer in response. The biker finally puts his ride back on level ground and puts the kick stand up; he jumps off the bike and removes the helmet. They fans are greeted by the smirking face of Baron Tomson as he turns away from the crowd and heads through the entrance door while everyone pushes and shoves trying to get a better look at the newest talent that trasfered from ASWF. Baron walks down hallway with his helmet on his side, his smirk never leaving his face while he looks around and ignores everyone else. He finds his locker which had been recently made for his arrival and he would kick it open while moving in, slamming the door behind him.

He tosses his bag near an empty bench and opens one of the lockers where he puts the helmet in. He closes the locker door and cracks his knuckles while he sorts through his stuff, taking only what he needed before leaving everything else in the locker as he heads back out. He heads outside to meet on of the crewmen for the show who holds a key out in front of him.

Crewman: The key to your locker sir be sure to keep it with you till the show is over otherwise you will have to wait until after hours for a replacement.

Baron just scoffs at the guy and snatches the key from him and locks the door from his his end. Then he brushes past the guy and puts the key in his zipper pocket before continuing to look around, seems he made it to the show just in time as they just began the opening segment.

"Thank god I made it" were my thoughts when I saw the opening on the T.V monitor, I admit it was fun to go breezing through the streets on that motorbike that I got from the shop. Well I stood there and watched Corey Casey speak to the crowd then Brandon Maddox arriving to cut him off. Just then I a heard a voice talking from behind me.

???: Baron Tomson?

I turned to see a pretty looking woman with a tight looking outfit that almost looks like you can see through it. While the rest of her outfit looks formal, it also looks very distracting. Regardless I gave her a confirmed smirk and turned completely around letting her get a good veiw of myself. I had no idea who this woman is but I can tell from the way she.......dresses that she is a person of importance so I figuired it would best to play it safe with her for now, sometimes it's best to look before you leap.

Baron Tomson: Yeah that's me, but whose asking?

I can tell from her body language that she's not that impressed with my "act", likely because she had seen it many times before. Thing about me though is that I'm not acting, still she nodded and adjusted her glasses which look really good on her and also give her that "edgy" look.

Isàbella Lya Sanchez: My name is Isabella Sanchez, I represent the Chairman of the Board of Directors. Pleased to meet you.

Board of Directors? Dressed like that? I wanted to say those words to her but got smart and kept my mouth shut, if this woman is a personal representative of the Chairman then it would be a mistake to get on her bad side. Like I said before I may be reckless but I'm not stupid and that is what separates me from the rest of those punk kids who try to act tough but got no spine. Still though if that outfit of her's is suppose to be her business attire, then I wonder what she wears outside of work? Just thinking about it turns me on but I put those thoughts out really quick, I had to think of a response quick.

Baron Tomson: Please to meet you as well, but I must ask though: What's a representative of the Chairman want with me?

Isàbella Lya Sanchez: That's actually what I wanted to talk to you about Baron, you see I have a.........proposition for you?

Baron Tomson: Oh really? What kind of proposition?

Isàbella Lya Sanchez: You are familiar with Corey Casey yes?

Baron Tomson: Of course, I first meet him when I heard about ASWF being bought over by IWF.

Isàbella Lya Sanchez: Yes well I'm the eyes and ears of IWF and it's my task to separate the chaff from the wheat....in a manner of speaking.

Baron Tomson: Get to the point lady, what does any of this have to do with me?

Isàbella Lya Sanchez: Heh....well the Chairman seems to have an interest in your talents and belive that you could be an invaluable asset to IWF as a whole. What I'm saying is Baron, that you have alot of potential to do many great things but you just need to right kind of people to back you up and give you that drive to succeed.

Baron Tomson: Okay.......so what are you proposing exactly?

Isàbella Lya Sanchez: I would like to ask you to assist me as my personal enforcer, your task is simple: Get rid of all the athletes that are considered unworthy in the eyes of the chairman. You'll naturally be compensated for your services plus you'll receive many benefits as well.

Baron Tomson: What kind of benefits are we talking here?

Isàbella Lya Sanchez: Come now Baron you're smart, think about it for a second. I work under the Chairman of the Board of Directors; as such I am givin certain powers that the Chairman dosen't has, among them making matches. Plus since you're working under me, you'll also be working under the Chairman as well.

It doesn’t take a genius to figure out where she's going with this, if I decide to do this I'll be set for life. I can have just about anything I want: Money, power among other things. It's a small price to pay for having to be the chairman's lapdog but hey when opportunity knocks, you gotta take it whenever you can because you'll never get another shot like it. This is a one in a lifetime offer, to be working under the Chairman of the Board of Directors is something guys would kill just to get and I'm receiving it for free......well not entirely free.

Still though, it's best that I cover my own ass on this, I got a good thing going and I won't allow it to pass away.

Baron Tomson: I will accept under one condition and one condition only alright? No if ands or buts about it and it won’t be open for negotiation.

Isàbella Lya Sanchez: Alright, what is it?

Baron Tomson: I want full immunity, what I mean by that is I won't be held accountable for any action that I do while I work under you and the Chairman. The only reason I ask this is because well my methods are very......extreme to say the least.

No sugarcoating it, no making up false shit, just being blunt and straight to the point. That's how I've always done it and that won't ever change.

It takes Isabella a good few minutes to think it through but from the look on her face suggests that she always has an answer.

Isàbella Lya Sanchez: Very well then I accept.

Baron Tomson: Then we have an agreement.

She extends her hand and I take it, I wanted to move my other hand down to her thighs but still decided to play it safe which is so unlike me but given the circumstances I figuried it would be better if I just play her little game.

After all.....I could always find her in a less public and less secured area..........

But once the deal was made, Isabella would take her notebook which she wrote a small message to herself. She then returned her gaze to me and gave me another nod.

Isàbella Lya Sanchez: Good now for your first assignment Baron I have someone that the Board wants removed. The only problem was that he is currently in the Battle for the Briefcase tournament. I had suggested that we find a replacement but we couldn’t find anyone suitable. So imagine my relief when the Chairman mentioned you.

Baron Tomson: So you want me to find this guy and take his spot?

Isàbella Lya Sanchez: Yes.

Seems simple enough.

Baron Tomson: Alright so who is this guy?

Isàbella Lya Sanchez: His name is Duke Dice.

Duke Dice? I've heard of him before, said to be a close friend of one of IWF's top stars Steel Angel. Is also said to be a gambler.....hmm.

Baron Tomson: Duke Dice got it.

I turned to leave but her voice stopped me.

Isàbella Lya Sanchez: Oh and Baron......

Baron Tomson: Yeah?

Isàbella Lya Sanchez: I just want you to know that you've made a very wise choice.

Baron Tomson: Hey what can I say really? That's just the type of guy I am!

She smiled a bit but then snapped back into her serouse mode.

Isàbella Lya Sanchez: Just remember who you're working for Baron.

Baron Tomson: Of course.....

I gave a somewhat mocking bow before retreating away, she seems like a type of person you don't want to mess with. A lethal beuty who is cold and ruthless but also has a killer body and she knows how to use.......my kind of woman.

I smiled to myself as I got ready to begin my new role in this fine company......weed out the weak and destroy the unworthy. Just the right kind of man for the job, and the best part of it is.....I get to do whatever I want with them.

Oh what fun I get to have, would seem that chrismas came early this year for me.

†The Shoot: IWF backstage.†

The 2nd round is here folks, now that all the weak links have been removed, things are about to heat up tonight.

Which brings me to my opponent, the self proclaim Legend Slayer himself Ryan Apollos.

Funny.......seem like only yesterday no one here gave a shit about you. You were a somewhat big name back at NLWF but ever since you came here, you've been the tackling dummy of every new talent that came into this dance. You've been embarrassed by the likes of Sean Libby, Chad Mason, Tyson Rowle among others. You couldn’t find any success in your career which was why you decided to resort to being a commentator alongside with the CEO and once a GM of IWF Johnny Electric. Even there you're a complete failure, always being put down by those two and you even had the whole crowd going against just because you wouldn’t shut the fuck up! Then you came back into wrestling to take on Johnny and defeat him, then what happened?

You just.....vanish into thin air, it's like everyone completely forgot about you and rightfully so. Perhaps at that time you began to realize just how much these people really give a shit about you. Spoiler alert: none, so you left and never came back until sometime later you decided to give it one more shot. It wasn’t until that one "glories" win you got over Steel Angel that people started to care.

And I say "glories" with a heavy hit of sarcasm if you haven't noticed but knowing you thought I was being legit about it. Believe me I wasn’t because anyone's brother could tell you, hell I can tell you right in your face, matter of fact I can spit it right at you. You won purely out of luck, much like all you're other wins that you've gotten in the weeks that followed. Sure you might have beaten some well known names but I could tell they weren’t legit wins, see that's the main difference between us Ryan.

So I don't have an excuse, I've stated this before and I will do so again because people like you have the attention span of a little child. I don't fuck around Ryan; I'm one person you don't want to mess with. You know how every living thing has a role in life? Grass grows, birds fly, sun shines, people move and me? Well I hurt guys like you, I don't just hurt them: I break them down; I inflict the most amount of pain with the least amount of effort. However I'm never afraid to kick your teeth if the situation demands it, and if my feet don't get the job done I got several other tools that I can use against you. My whole body is a living breathing weapon of death and pain, I will bend you, I will break you and I will make you remember it. Every time you sleep at night, the first thing you'll see is my face laughing at your misery.

You're only real "success" was being a poster boy for the Human Highlight Reels; it gave you a shot at the Heavyweight title. Did you get it? Nope and the saddest part of that is you had the match won, the title was right in your grasp and you allowed it to slip your way.

Maybe you just love being a total loser, I mean that's basically what you're whole existence seems to revolve around. I mean you had some many chances, so many opportunities and you just piss on them why? Because let's fact the cold hard facts here Ryan: You're just not championship material.

Heck you're only real moment of glory was back in NLWF when you won the biggest prize of em all by beating what was considered at the time, the best champion of em all. You had that belt for a record of 80 seconds then you had it stripped from you and never again were you able to reclaim it.

Shit man when I won the Heavyweight title, I had it fucking stripped from me, four times! But you know what I did? I said fuck the world and went out there and reclaim what was rightfully mine. They tried to keep me down and I just gave em the finger. In the end they had to throw me out just to prove their point.

But again that's the main difference between us, I have the balls and guts to take chances when I know I rightfully deserve it. That's something you will never have: ambition, the drive to succeed, the need to claim that top spot.

However you have none of that, which is why you decided to go after Hostyle's belt instead of focusing on the main title that this tournament is built on. So why the fuck are you here then? Why would worry about a 2nd rate belt and not focus on what is right in fucking front of you?

Well shit if you want to be 2nd best I'll be more than happy to show you the door. I'll send your broken ass straight to Hostyle and let you two love birds sort it out while I move one step closer to claiming the top prize of em all.

No matter what you do Ryan you'll always be a failure, legend slayer? More like legend botcher.

Tonight I will show you what it means to be a true champion, you know the saying right?

You play with fire long enough, you'll get burn.

Subject: Re: Ryan Apollos [vs] Baron Blaze Sat Sep 15, 2012 11:55 pm

Dream State Zi
Part 2

"0990 series." Sao said, more as a statement than a question, as he watched the radar of his Dragoon Nest Zoid (modified to hover over land), as it coasted through the mountain pass.

"990's, uh…" Ryan racked his brain for the answers he'd spend the last few days with Sao memorizing. "Generally unrestricted, battle numbers either unlimited or in odd number sets… Last mode, 0999, has no safety or combat restrictions and isn't sanctioned by the Commission."

"Good." He pressed a few buttons on the console and continued his friendly interrogation. "0920 series."

"Uneven team numbers with handicaps." The answer came quickly, befitting the one battle mode he'd committed to mind – 0925, the mode in which his previous team had been destroyed. "3 modes in 3 v 1, 2 modes in 2 v 5, 3 more in… uh…"

"1:2 ratios. Remember, several of those you mentioned aren't strictly team numbers, but rather team number ratios. A match in battle mode 0924 could technically be 1 on 3 or 2 on 6, etc. Don't forget that."

"Uh, right." Ryan was very sure he would forget that.

"0940 series."

"Uhh… Dynamic weapon sets?"

"No!"

"Aaah!" Ryan shuddered away, expecting Sao to grab the nearest thing that could be lifted and smack, as he'd done in the days before. When such blows didn't come, he opened his eyes. Sao had moved to the door connecting the Zoid bridge to the hall. He called out as he walked away.

"We're landing at this outpost to fill ourselves up."

"Oh! Great! I could use something to eat!"

"I meant the Dragoon Nest. Eat from the fridge if you're hungry. It's cheaper and we have nothing new to celebrate."

"Huh? Oh..." Sao disappeared behind the closing automatic door. Ryan sighed, and turned to his one remaining companion on the bridge – a seemingly omnipresent, humanoid robot who Sao called Josef. "Is he always this way Josef?" The robot glanced up from his work polishing the floor, paused for thought, and returned to his work, leaving Ryan to reflect on his situation in solitude.

"Hey! You're that guy who fought that 1 on 3 battle the other day aren't you?" Sao paid little heed to the distinctly unpleasant odor of the man who'd walked up from the other side of the rest-stop and now stood next to Ryan and him. Undaunted, the man continued. "Do you only have one unit in your team? I got a lot of experience and I don't charge too much if you get my meaning."

"What experience do you have?"

"A good 5 years in a Rev Raptor, and-"

"Not what I meant. What battle modes have you fought in?"

"Oh! Uh, 0982, 0983, 0988-"

"Not interested. Thank you."

"Hey! You can't just tell me off just because I battle in the same modes as every other person in the league!"

"It's my team; I'll do what I want."

"Do you seriously expect to never fight a match in 0982? And how will you ever recruit anyone else if you only take people who've fought in these weird-"

"I take recruits when they come. And the only circumstance under which I fight in 0982 is when the money on the line exceeds all the wealth you've probably ever had." The man spat and walked away. Ryan watched as he nibbled on the chips he'd found on sale in the local store. He tried to gauge Sao's reaction before he spoke; failing again to see through his blank expression, he decided to speak his mind.

"You know… He does have a point. You aren't gonna find many people who fight in the low number modes."

"Well you're here aren't you?" This was the closest thing to a positive reaction from Sao, Ryan could recall.

"Well, about that… Why did you-"

"Hey!" Another group approached – three men and a woman; being something of a more pleasant sight than the last stranger to approach, Sao gave an acknowledging nod. The leader of the group, a man of short, dark blue hair, spoke out.

"I'm Tran Veiz, and we're the Veiz Team. We've been challenging the teams around here but we haven't found anyone up to our level. We saw your match the other day though - very interesting. We'd like to challenge you. Any mode you want."

Sao smiled.

"Name a time and place."

"Well, if your units are in good- oh wait, you only use one unit don't you? Well if it's in good condition we can go tomorrow, if the commission approves it."

"Noon tomorrow then. And no one said I only use one unit."

"Heheh. alright. What mode?"

Sao's joy at the question was visible.

"Battle Mode 0944 – the so-called 'Hidden Core' mode." The Veiz team tried to hide their lack of knowledge, but at the same time, they showed excitement at the prospect of the match. Sao continued, "It's a 4 on 4 battle; I assume you have enough Zoids?" The team's looks turned to grins. Hands were shook. And the next battle was arranged.

Noon the next day – mildly overcast. The battle had been set in a valley between two lightly forested, rocky hills sloped towards each other, separated by a shallow river. The Veiz team had assembled a black Madthunder, a blue Geruder, and a silver Megatropos on their front lines, covered behind by the woman of the group in a grey Gun Sniper behind. Barely visible on the opposite hill, Sao sat in his indigo-gold Trinity Liger. Behind him, two Snipe Masters, painted in the same palette as his Liger, and Heiden, now piloting a Grey Thundercannon.

"You alright back there?" Sao called to Ryan.

"Yeah, yeah it's fine."

"Okay you just do exactly what I told you. Nothing – NOTHING – fancy. Understand?"

"Yeah, yeah."

A great rumble in the ground and a rising plume of dust from a high eastern peak signaled the arrival of the Zoids Commission Judge Capsule; the familiar robotic voice soon followed.

"The area within a 25 kilometer radius is a designated Zoid Battlefield! Danger! All unauthorized persons must vacate the premises immediately!"

The local outpost was alive with business. Word of the next, strange match from Team Nova had spread quickly, as had the news that only the outpost, and the previous rest stop to host Sao's match were showing the battle. Once again people crowded the room, some just looking for the next battle, some looking to make some quick cash, and a slim few came to see battle in a strange, new battle mode.

"Area scanned! Battlefield set-up! The Veiz Team vs the Nova Team! Battle mode 0-9-4-4! Reaadyyyyy?" All eyes were on the judge.

"FIGHT!"

Team Veiz's units began to converse, starting with their leader, Tran. "Alright guys, one more time from the top. In battle mode 0944, each team selects one of their units to become the 'core unit'. The core units can't use projectile weapons, and neither team knows which unit the other team chose as their core. The team that downs the other team's core unit first, regardless of how many other units that team has left, wins. In short, we just need to take down Nova's Core unit and that's game." The team members nodded. Tran continued. "Laura? Wind good? You think you can support?"

The Gun Sniper pilot responded. " All systems go, Tran. Anything that moves, I'll shoot it down."

"Good. Luke? Dreik? Stick close to me; don't go out of visual contact. We'll guard each other from his assault and cross our shots so he can't see who's not firing." The Geruder and the Madthunder roared. "Right!" The two responded.

"OK! Let's go!" The Megatropos began moving ahead, followed closely by the two other Zoids. The three triceratops types advanced down the hill, using the upturned rocks for limited cover as they approached the river which divided the field.

"So Tran?" The Geruder asked, "Which of their units should we be aiming at?"

"Isn't it obvious Dreik? He's giving himself the core unit status! He only registered two human Warriors – so he's either controlling those Snipe Masters by remote or with robots. And the other guy is the same person he beat just last week! Clearly he'll be the hardest to down. He'll take the core unit status and harass us with melee attacks."

"Tran!" The Gun Sniper called. "He's coming!"

"Thought so. Form up! Take corners! Fire on sight!"

The Liger moved high speed straight into the river. The gun sniper took aim and fired its AZ 144mm Sniper Rifle. The shells splashed into the water but missed the Liger.

"It's not the Gun Sniper…" Ryan muttered to himself as he watched.

As Sao advanced, he spotted the shots out of the corner of his eye. "Snipe Master Units, advance to position 44-1 and acquire enemy Gun Sniper." He flicked on his com channel. "Ryan, follow them and keep in formation."

"R-right!"

"I'm going in. Watch!" Ryan paused his Thundercannon to observe the distant blur of the Trinity Liger advance toward a certain conspicuous rock.

"Sorry Tran! I couldn't hit him! I have to reload."

"No problem, Laura! Just leave him to- there he is!" Tran yelled. "Fire!" Gatling spray and cannon shells cast the hillside into rubble as the Liger flew past the group.

"Gatling spray…" Ryan mused. "That must have been the Megatropos. So it's the Geruder or the Madthunder…"

The Liger dashed behind some rocks and hid from the spray. A robotic voice came over the comlink – not the matter-of-fact voice of the Judge, but a placeholder female voice from the Snipe Master Mainframe.

"Snipe Master Units Alpha and Beta, movements complete. Target acquired."

" Excellent." Sao proclaimed, "Snipe Master units, turn to aim at target. Alpha Unit! Fire M&N AZ 144 mm Sniper Rifle at target! 5 rounds!"

"Acknowledged." The Snipe Masters turned mechanically and pointed their tail guns across the valley at the enemy Gun Sniper.

The left unit fired off rounds. The first laid a solid hit on the Gun Sniper, toppling it. The second and third shots missed.

"Dammit! I'm under fire!" Laura called.

"Get out of there Laura! Find cover at the right. That Liger's stayed still just a little too long for its own good!" The Gun Sniper limped off desperately towards the rocks at right.

The Snipe Master's 4th shot scraped the back of the Gun Sniper. The fifth shot hit the ground, launching the sniper forth behind the rocks.

"It's not the Snipe Master, Tran!"

"Laura, there's two! If only one of them fired, it could technically be the other, but it's neither of them! It's the Liger!"

The Megatropos fired its gatling guns again, scraping the edge of the rock the Liger hid behind. Canon fire covered the other side and soon the rock was reduced to rubble. Sao quickly moved the Liger back in retreat.

"C'mon Sao boy!" Tran called on the open channel. "Gonna run away?"

Sao gave commands as he ran, "Snipe Master Units! Move 40 meters north-northeast! Target the 3 clustered units! Urgh!"

An electromagnetic charge hit the back of the Liger.

"That's it!" Heiden cried before opening a channel to Sao. "Sao! That electromagnetic charge must've been from the Geruder! The core unit is the Madthunder!"

Sao smiled. "Good work Ryan! Snipe Master units! Fire at will!"

The blasts of the Sniper rifles ripped through the air like a pounding bass – the resultant explosions cast up more dust than damage, but it was enough to cover the Liger's escape.

The right Snipe Master Unit exploded. "You didn't get me down completely!" Laura cried as she took another shot from her Gun Sniper, toppling the Snipe Master.

"Nova team! Non-core unit 2 – out of the battle!" The judge declared.

"Two more and he'll be cut off completely! And you can't adjust the attack angle before I fire again!" Laura aimed again.

"We'll see about that!" Sao yelled.

The Trinity Liger's twin beam cannons pounded into the side of the Gun Sniper.

"Ahh!" Laura screamed as her Zoid fell to the ground with the telltale Command System Freeze Tone.

"Veiz Team Non-Core Unit 3 – out of the battle!" The judge declared.

"Wait!" Tran yelled, "But, you can't use projectile weapons unless- shit!" Sao grinned.

"Dammit! Everyone! Make for the river, full speed! Argh!" Another shot from the Snipe Master hit the Megatropos full on. "But that means-"

"Ryan! They've found you out! Move for cover! Leave this to me!"

"You got it!" Ryan moved the Thundercannon slowly back up the hill.

"Dammit! Luke! Target the Thundercannon at all costs! I'll guard Dreik!"

"Tran! He's coming!"

The Trinity Liger ran straight for the Madthunder, gliding past the rocks and trees like he was flying. "Alright Trinity Liger – we just need one good strike!" The Liger roared as its vents began glowing.

"Dammit! Running straight at us like we're done? Who do you think we are!" Tran cried out, moving to face straight towards the approaching Liger. "Aaargh!" He fired off all five of his frontal guns. The bullets ripped right into the Liger's face but the Liger moved onward.

"Tran! I see the Thundercannon! I almost have him!"

"Take him down!" Tran yelled as the Liger glowed yellow and continued into the hail of lead.

"Haaaaaah!" Sao yelled, forcing the Liger to make a grand leap, straight over the Megatropos and right into the face of the helpless Madthunder. "Photon Cutter!"

A loud tone rang out from the Judge capsule.

"Battle over! Battle over! The winner is… The Nova Team!"

Still panting in his Megatropos, Tran leaned back and turned on the open channel. "Damn… Been a long time since I had a battle like that. A good one. So tell me Sao, why didn't you make yourself the core unit?"

"I figured you'd expect it. A plan revealed is a plan for failure. Besides, it goes without saying it's safer to keep your vital elements out of the enemy's grasp. You did a good job masking your core unit's lack of fire with your formation. I couldn't see from the ground who was firing. Unfortunately, my cohort could tell which units were firing by the weapons. If you use this mode again, I'd consider using identical weapons or even identical units to confuse your enemy."

"Why didn't you do that?"

"If I used three Snipe Masters, I thought you'd get the sense I was showing off and that something wasn't right. And the last thing I wanted was for you to get suspicious before I already knew who my target was."

Tran closed his eyes. Damn, this guy is just too far ahead. How has he stayed an unknown this long? I've just had a once in a lifetime battle…

"Well I can't speak for my whole team…" Tran proclaimed, smiling, "But I think I'm gonna try and use this battle mode again."

The downed Madthunder pilot spoke up. "You speak for me bro! Just don't let 'em get me next time!"

The Gun Sniper pilot chimed in. "Yeah! I think I got the hang of this now!"

The Geruder pilot too spoke out. "We needta find people to fight this mode more often!"

Sao couldn't hide the smile on his face as he responded.

"Just what I've been wanting to hear. Hey Ryan! We're headed back to the outpost! Let's get some dinner."

"Oh sweet! Nothing like celebrating a victory with some grub."

"We aren't celebrating the victory you idiot!"

"Huh?"

Sao's voice was one of pure rapture.

"We celebrate the propagation of the older battle modes!"

» Ryan Apollos [vs.] Baron Tomson [vs.] The Jackyl
» Ryan Apollos/Johnny Cage/Crimson Skull [vs.] Baron Tompson [vs.] Griffin Hawkins
» Baron "Blaze" Tomson
» Blyss Lockhart [vs] Baron Blaze
» Pulsar Prime [vs] Baron Blaze