Alexander Raven [vs.] Ryan Apollos

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The Legend Slayer......I have nothing to say.

Posts : 14 Join date : 2012-11-08

I'm posting just the off-camera scene first. Just in case I can't get the time to the rest, and then no-show. At least then I'll have something to be judged. Plus, it story lines well with the development of the character of Raven. And gives him a fresh start and mindset.

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Scene One
Off-Camera;
Father, can you hear me?

“Sometimes I wonder, how I get myself into situations like this. Why is my father still lying on the bed, a broken man, when I’m perfectly fine? Why is he still struggling between life and death where as I’m now almost one hundred percent? The doctors say it’s his age. Older men don’t come back as well as younger men. They say I was lucky. I’m part of the best demographic for recovery. I think its bullshit. The truth? My dad’s not as strong as he let on. He wasn’t as strong as me. He was weaker; he just had to appear stronger. I won’t miss him when he’s gone. He did nothing but fuck shit up for me. He ruined my UECW career. Remi and I would’ve never lost those titles. We would’ve been the top of the game, and one day, it would’ve come down to me and him, for that title. Me and him. But, he ruined it all by shoving his face into my affairs. Sometimes I wonder how I get myself into situations like this.”

Raven was sitting by his father’s bed. It had been a common sight ever since Remi had returned his father, strapped to the crucifix. Set on fire, and dropped. He’d had both legs pulled from their sockets, and the muscles in them torn and strained. His body still sweltered with blisters, not as many, but there was a few that kept coming back. He wasn’t a pretty sight. The doctors said it could be up to another few months before he was ready and able. Raven got a better deal. He’d been doused quickly enough, and the burns had been surface. 2nd degree. He’d blistered in a few places, and he still needed to rub cream over his chest most days, but he wasn’t in anywhere near as bad a shape as his father.

This would be the last time he saw him for a while though. Alex had been offered a contract with IWF. Perhaps so The Empire could have some more fun with him. He didn’t see the logic in their ways, but with the closure of UECW he had nowhere to go. He needed to stay in the ring, stay in the wrestling circuit. And if he had to join a company like IWF to do that, well so be it. Eric was lazily eating a yoghurt container, Raven having had to poke a straw into the juice container, due to his father’s inability to move his fingers. The burns on them still rather severe. Eric didn’t complain like he used to though, he didn’t moan and complain at the pain. He just sat there, looking lethargic, and lazy. Almost ready to give up.

||Eric Raven||

“I like the new haircut. It suits you. You don’t look like an angry homeless man anymore. Now, if we could just get you dressing properly, you’d at least look the part of a Raven. Ah well. One day perhaps, when you are over this stage of your life. One day. In the meantime, what’s this news you have to tell me? Finally decided to stop chasing stupid fantasies?”

Alex simply balled his hands into fists and gritted his teeth. He knew his father never really wanted him to be a wrestler. He wanted him to use his brains for something other than being knocked about. Even if he didn’t have much of them. Alex never really wanted to be a boxer like his dad, but he knew if he did training, he’d easily be able to do it. The anger was a good fuel, and he could hit harder and faster than most guys. But wrestling was where his heart was. Always would be. His father knew this as well. He knew it wouldn’t change.

||Alexander Raven||

“You know that’s not ever going to happen. I’ll never be like you. I’ll never be like the others. I wore a suit for mother’s funeral. And I’ll wear one to yours. That’s it. Maybe my wedding in the unlikelihood of me finally settling down with one person. No, father. IWF offered me a contract. I intend on taking them up on the offer. I need to stay… relevant. I need to remain within the major companies, my face a known thing. Without that, I’ll never amount to anything. I have to get back into IWF. Remington doesn’t matter anymore. Not for the moment. No, first I need to make sure everyone realises, that Remington’s a scared little man, who needed an entire group to assist him in defeating me. It was a fluke. I need to show, everyone that. I need to show them, exactly who Alexander Raven is. The Empire will falter at my feet. I’ll take every single one of them down. And then I’ll be the top dog. Like I always should’ve been. I don’t need your blessing, dad. I don’t need anything from you. I just felt I needed to let you know. Before I head off, and get ready for my first match.”

Eric rubbed his brow slightly and winced a little. Shaking his head a little he grunted slightly. A disapproval but acceptance of his son’s choice. He knew that he had no control over him any longer. He’d lost that when Alex finally realised that he’d done nothing but destroy and make Alex get rid of the most powerful asset he’d ever have, far too early. Eric simply lifted his juice and took a long drink out of. Slow, not really getting much, but long.

||Eric Raven||

“If that’s what you want Alex. I won’t stop you. However, I will call you a goddamned idiot, for ever going back to that place. If Remington gets his hands on you, we both know, neither of you will come out better. But do as you will. I have no control over you anymore, and I no longer care. This is your memory you are tarnishing. You’ll never be my son, in my eyes.”

Those words. How long he had waited to hear them. Yet now, that they were finally said. Alex felt a small part of him dying inside. He was without mother, and now his father, no longer cared. He was alone, an orphan of sorts. Emotionally, he wasn’t ready. He probably would never be ready. Clenching his teeth he nodded, and rose to his feet, and began to leave.

||Alexander Raven||

“I hate you. I hate you so much. I hate you.”

With those simple words, so much anger in them, Alex stormed out of the hospital room. Eric simply sitting there, lowering his head. A single tear escaping his eye, before he allowed himself to relax to sleep, needing the rest. Alex, water falling with tears ran from the hospital, and just ran. To try and escape his mind. He didn’t want to be here anymore.

Posts : 14 Join date : 2012-11-08

Scene One
On-camera;
Ryan Apollos;

“In the end, I went down in a pillar of flames. I went down and burnt. I crashed and burned, and now, I have only these scars to show for it. The Empire. People have always rebelled against their empires. The best thing about empires is no matter how big or powerful, they always fall in the end. People rebel, empires fall, and the people take their place. An empire is only as stronger as their supporters. I’ll take out each support, and in the end, there’ll only be two people standing there. The last barrier. Alexander Remington and Corey Casey. And then, Remington will be the one who begs for mercy. I’ll douse him in gasoline, and then, I’ll burn. But I won’t let it stop. I won’t give him a chance to breathe. He’ll burn, and then I’ll take that barbwire bat, and I’ll beat his skull in again. And this time, there won’t be any Eric Telfor to buy his medical certificates. There won’t be any escape. You’ll be turned into a vegetable, and then the whole world will see you for what you truly are. A weak, tired, weary old man. There won’t be anything left of you to scrape up out of that ring. I’ll cremate you right then and fucking there. But first, there is another in my way. A man, who I must defeat to get my spot in the spotlight. I’m a nobody to these people. A memory of UECW. But now, I’ll show them. The career of Alexander Raven starts here. This will be my time to shine. Nobody can stop this star from rising, nobody can end me. Nobody. Nobody. Nobody!”

As the voice-over narration had been echoing through darkness, images of Alexander Raven’s time in hospital flashed across the dark. His charred and burnt body being hoisted away in the back of an ambulance. Lying in a hospital bed, his pulse rate low, hooked up to all sorts of machines. Doctors surrounding him and examining him. Then one of him smiling, giving the thumbs up. Weak, but looking cheerful. The another sitting up in bed, a look of pain on his face, but his thumb still up. Another with him walking down the hallway talking with a doctor, a cheerful look on his face, a cream semi-rubbed into his skin, his hair shaved short, and a rough stubble across his jaw. Then another, of him standing in the ring, his hair trimmed sort, a rock solid stubble across his jaw. A crooked smile across his face.

As the scene came into focus, a cloud of smoke was slowly drifting out over water, towards the sun, which was beginning to dip beneath the horizon line. Fog on the shore. There was a slight line of snow sleeting down also, just lightly dancing along the slowly fading light towards the water’s surface. There was the slightest of breathing, gently, slow. In and out. The camera panned away from the water’s surface to the rail that separated a stone cobbled walking path and a small drop to the water below. Sitting upon the rail, cigarette hanging from his lips was Alexander Raven. A distant look in his eyes, his mind unfocused. He raised his hand to his lips, plucking the mostly smoked cigarette from his lips and flicked it out into the water. Closing his eyes as he lowered his head, scratching his face a little.

||Alexander Raven||

“Sometimes, I sit and wonder, how I got here. From the little scrawny kid, who looked up at his fast, strong and agile father. The boxer. I remember each and every day I was excited to get up, because. Things weren’t easy, but, we were a family. We were always close. Mother was always smiling, she always had a bright smile on her face, and she told me. No matter what, whatever I decided to do in life, she’d support me. And then, I was ten. And everything changed. My dad, I realise now, but not back then. My dad threw his last match. Got beaten in horrid style. Something changed about him. He didn’t come up and give my mother a big kiss, and a giant hug. He’d come home and he’d smack one of us around the head. He changed. He became what I had always feared would become of us. I don’t know why he changed. I don’t think I want to know why. What I do know, is he taught me something. That if I stand back in life, and let others dictate me. I’ll never get anywhere. I’ll always be that little scrawny kid, looking up to others. I looked up to Remington, and my dad, my father, he saw I was looking up to someone again. He made me break Remington. He made me do something I wouldn’t normally. And then, I was left to fend for myself. I was broken in both mind and body. I didn’t know what to do anymore. I gave up. Remington came back, but he saw. We both saw. I wasn’t the man I once was. Beating Griffin for the UECW title was my last chance, and I failed. I fell into my pit of despair, and in the end, I ended up getting burned. Burned bad. The same way my father got burned. Do I hate Remington, or The Empire for it? No. Will I let them get away with it? No. But first. There are other matters to attend to.”

Alex raised his head and let out a long breath, before swinging his legs over the rail, and stepping onto the path. He leaned back, leaning upon the railing, looking around. He appeared to be a waterside park of sorts, the trees casting long shadows as the sun began to sink further away, the sky darkening. A crooked smile broke his solid look, his eyes flashing with life. A small ember of anger bubbling within his eyes. Threatening to spark and explode into something more. A hand went up to his face, rubbing the stubble upon his chin once more, his eyes standing out more against his trimmed style. His hair no longer wild and untamed. The beast within however, still uncontrolled. Threatening to unleash, threatening to explode from within.

||Alexander Raven||

“Baron. When they told you to set me on fire. Did any thoughts other than following orders go through your head? Did you stop for a second and go. ‘Well, what do I get out of this?’ I can almost guarantee you didn’t. See, I don’t hate you for what you did Baron. I know you like to play with fire. I know you like to see things burn. But, Baron. I do have news for you. Play with fire, and you are going to get burnt. Fuck with the harbinger, and your soul is forfeit. I’m the Raven. The Raven. Corvus. Do you know what is believed to be superstition Baron? Ravens, crows, black birds. They carry one’s soul from this life to the next. They take one’s very essence and being and carry it to the next world. You failed to keep me down and out. And now, the raven has come for your soul. I want you to watch your back, Baron. For when I decide to come for you. There will be no stopping me. Your association with The Empire will be your downfall, and when you fall. I’ll make sure you fall just as hard. None will escape my wrath. You’re first on the chopping block. I want you to be careful, Baron.”

“This week, I face off against the man known as Ryan Apollos. Ryan Apollos. How fitting a start of my career now? To face off against what some might say. Is a legend destroyer. How will it look to everyone, Ryan, when I tear you down. Rip you limb from limb, and leave you the broken and bloody one in the middle of the ring. How ironic, it would be. To lose to the man who is coming into this a nobody. Just the man who everybody remembers went up in flames in the middle of that ring. The man who tried to destroy Alexander Remington. Nearly turned his brain to mush. Just the man, who talked big and couldn’t hold up his end of the bargain. I’m just, Alexander Raven. I’m nobody to you, Ryan, but after Battlegrounds, you and everyone will remember my name. I can almost guarantee that. And then, The Empire. They’ll scramble. They’ll scurry. Corey will try and change things up. Corey will try and get me kicked out of the company, because a little friendly competition. Well. They can’t risk losing members can they? Ryan, you and I both know, The Empire will be watching carefully. We are both seen as dangers. You can see it, can’t you? I should hope so, otherwise, I’ll be very angry with you Ryan. But, enough about others. Let’s talk about us, shall we? Just you and me. Ryan. I’m Alexander Raven. And it’s a pleasure to meet you.”

The grin on his face spread wider and the ember of anger in his eye exploding and becoming a roaring inferno. The smile now plastered to his face. He pointed pearly whites, perfectly aligned in his mouth standing out in his large, crooked grin. Rubbing his chin slightly, he ran a tongue along his teeth, moistening them and in turn making them glisten slightly. He narrowed his eyes slightly, and sitting back down on the rail, swinging his legs back and forth, rubbing his thighs gently with both hands. Coughing slightly, Alex shook his head a little, lowering his head, gazing down at his lap.

||Alexander Raven||

“See. Ryan, others may fear you. Many will also respect you. You’re elite of this company, there is no debating that. But whereas others may not want to face you. It is men like you that drive me to go further in this world. It is men like you that drive me to prove myself. To prove that I am better than you. To prove, that when your legend is long done and gone, mine will be reaching its ascension. I will be the one to take the crown of this business. I will be the one to eventually reach the top. I will be the one to take down the empire, Apollos. I will be the one who everyone looks up to. I will be the one to end legends, and destroy those who stand in my way, and then, Ryan. Then, you can look back on this coming Battleground and be happy with yourself. Knowing that you were the first step on Alexander Raven’s ascension. You were carried to the next life by Alexander Raven. That in the end, you couldn’t stop, Alexander Raven. You couldn’t stop him before he took off, and then, you can feel sorry for yourself. Only then, will I allow you to truly feel like you’ve failed not just yourself, but everyone. Failed everyone in stoping my ascension to the top of the pedestal. To knock off the likes of Stygian and Alexander Remington. To stop all and every, and to show, that when I decide to, I will be the one who people fear. I am, Alexander Raven. Pleasure to meet you, Ryan Apollos.”

He snapped his head up and licked his lips once more, shaking his head a little. Stepping forward of the rails, getting only his mouth full of ‘fangs’ in view of the camera.

||Alexander Raven||

“Insurgency. I hope you’re ready. Alexander Raven is coming. The end is near, my ascension begins. Nobody shall stand in my way. Or risk losing everything they hold dear. For only when the pinnacle of anger is reached, can one find a way to use it to their advantage. Only, when anger is conquered, can it be used as the ultimate fire against everything.”

With one more move of the tongue over the teeth, the scene faded into nothingness, soon followed by silence. Everything fading away.

Subject: Re: Alexander Raven [vs.] Ryan Apollos Sun Nov 11, 2012 11:57 pm

Dream State Zi
Part 12

"Battle over! Battle over! The winner is…" Slowly, the dust cleared. The Zoids at the edge of the battlefield leaned inward like a single entity. At the center of their vision – the last liger standing. The king of…

"The Blitz Team!"

"Ugh!" Bit groaned as he pulled the Liger back, panting. "Whew! That was a close one."

"Yeaahah! Bit! Ya did it!" The Doc cheered, "That money's all mine!"

"All ours, Dad!" Leena yelled. "It's all ours!" The two shouted.

Sao breathed deeply from within the Trinity cockpit. "COMMAND SYSTEM FREEZE" stood centered on his computer screen. "I don't know how much more time I can give you…" The words rang in his head. "What a time to lose…" He muttered as he ran his hands through his hair. "You know how long it's been...?" "I know I've taken awhile…" He muttered. "But it's still too soon… Too soon."

"Let's challenge them!" Ryan cried.

From his spot, slumped on the sofa, Sao delivered a near-monotone response. "They're an S ranked team, Ryan. They'd have to challenge us for an official battle to take place."

"We have their contact channel! We can ask them to challenge us!"

"And what mode do you think they'd want to fight in?"

Ryan grit his teeth. Eura walked in with a few mugs, smelling of pungent coffee, which Josef made a point of taking from her, with a robotic, yet meaningful nod.

"…So let's do it! " Ryan replied. "Just this once! We're show them just how pointless a mode it is!"

"To what end Ryan?" Sao remarked, eyes closed. "Everyone knows what to expect from that mode. That's the problem. We won't be able to show them anything. In fact, they'd probably be more formidable than they were today. It's their specialty mode. And with that Liger and its armors, it's like we're fighting 5 Zoids at once."

Josef placed a mug gently on the glass table before the sofa, and treaded away to Ryan, to offer him a mug. Ryan took a whiff – from the decidedly black coffee – and gestured to refuse.

"But the money Sao! What about your dream? Your stadium! You just told the whole damn world about it! You can't just stop now!"

"Sao," Eura inched forward, "Don't pretend you don't care just because you lost. Pride doesn't suit you."

"I lost to you Eura. The loss isn't the problem. And the pride isn't either." He reached over to the coffee mug, still not opening his eyes, "In fact, maybe it's a good time to drop the whole thing altogether. There are other ways to make money."

"What? Whaddya mean Sao?" Eura asked.

"Battling. Maybe I should start finding new ways to raise funds. I spend too much doing it this way…"

"Sao, aren't you the least bit pissed about this?" Ryan yelled.

Sao took the mug in hand. "No."

"You're a bad liar Sao." Eura called him out. His hand shook.

"…Ryan, you think you could put on some of that music you been listening to?"

"Huh? Some rock? Uh sure…"

"Thanks. I could use something calming." At length he sat up, as Ryan went over to the console and pressed play, as his music was still cued up. "Now look, you two." Sao said, as a soothing refrain of strings filled the room. "No one likes to lose. But they earned the win they got. It'd be counterproductive to dwell on taking them down."

"Counterproductive maybe, but it's still something we gotta do!" Ryan replied.

"You're getting worked up Ryan, moreso than me. Listen to the music, just calm down." Ryan sighed, as Sao continued. "Even if we did fight them, that battle would play out into a war of attrition whose outcome would be uncertain. It'd be as straightforward as this string chorus." He put the coffee to his lips.

A surge of guitars blasted out of the speakers.

Sao nearly choked, spilling the coffee on the sofa.

"Sao! Sao you alright?" Eura rushed to his side, and Ryan behind her.

"Pfft! What is this song?"

"Uh, I dunno! It was in the mix Naomi sent…" Ryan paced over to the console to look as Sao gave a few coughs and stood up, dizzily. "Uh… Starting Over by Killswitch Engage… 'Surprise'." Heiden read off the playlist. "Heheh… Surprise!"

"Ugh." Josef came up to Sao with a new cup of coffee. "Thanks." He took a swig. "Acck! Sweet!"

"Surprise." Josef replied, holding up a few packs of sugar in his other metal hand.

"What's with all of you?" Sao stepped back in awe.

"Hey, I didn't know that song was next!" Ryan laughed.

"I didn't surprise you at all yet!" Eura giggled, "Wait, lemme just get something from the fridge…"

"No!" Sao cried, breathing heavily. "That's ok!"

"Aw please! You'll never see it coming!" She winked.

"You just told me what you're going to do! If I know what you're going to do, I won't be…" His eyes lit.

"Sao?" Heiden called.

"Heiden, I have come across a brilliant idea."

"Oh, congratulations." He leaned his head towards Eura, who left for the hall.

"But," Sao continued, "If I'm wrong on this one, I think I'll have to stop battling for quite a while."

"Oh? Well, we'll stop with you. What's the plan?"

"We challenge the Blitz Team, just as you'd said."

"Alright! Now we're getting somewhere!" He patted Sao on the back. "Wait…"

"Hm? Having second thoughts?"

"No, it's just… I realized something. What if the Blitz Team doesn't accept our challenge? We can offer them more money, but if they don't want any…"

"Oh don't worry about that. I've figure out just the thing to get them to accept." Sao smiled.

Eura walked into the center of the room. In her hands, a bowl housing an amorphous mass of green, red and blue chunks, swimming in a pool of murky brown sauce. Three spoons stuck out of the bowl. "Have a bite?" Eura grinned.

"Heheheh." Sao sighed happily, took up a spoon and scooped up a sample. He looked at his teammates, shrugged and tasted the concoction.

"…What is this Eura?"

"A slight tinge of mint, a hint of blueberry sweetener, and premium mix curry." Sao grinned, and took another spoonful.

"What a pleasant surprise."

"Daad?"

"Mmyes, Leena? Hey!"

Brad and Bit wheeled the Doc's chair away from his Zoid kits to face the three of them.

"Dad, which account did you have the Nova Team send their money to?"

"Mm? Oh, my account of course!"

"What happened to the team account?" Brad asked.

"Oh, the bank cancelled that one a month ago after our last overdraft. So, I just started up a new one!"

"Oh."

"Oh."

"Oh." The three warriors exchanged concerned looks.

"So, Doc, seeing as it is basically the new team account…" Bit started.

"What's the access code, Dad-"

"Doc!" Jamie called from the other room, "The Nova Team's calling!"

"Ohoho!" Doc. Toros responded, jumping out of his seat, "So they wanna beg for their money back! We'll just see…" He strode smiling into the other room.

"Doc! Wait!"

"Dad, come back!"

"Doc, you still haven't paid me!"

The three chorused, following their leader into the main conference room.

Seeing the assembly approaching, Jamie answered the call.

"Uh, hello there!"

The Doc knocked Jamie aside, and stuck out his tongue, "Bleeeeh! Ya want your money back? That's just too bad!"

"Don't be sore losers! Mweeeeh!" Leena joined her father sticking her tongue out.

"Why are you doing that?" Bit asked, "You weren't even ther-Arrgh!" Leena responded with to the complaint with a back-kick straight to the gut."

"Well hello to you too, Blitz Team." Sao continued the conversation. "And thank you for the excellent battle yesterday."

"Our pleasure, and thank you for routing the money to our account so punctually!" The Doc smiled cheerfully.

"Yeah about that Dad…" Leena crawled up her father's shoulder and begin whispering.

Meanwhile, still clutching his stomach, Bit stood up. "Yeah! It was a great battle there, Sao. That last run really got my blood pumping, partner's too!"

"Good to hear Mr. Cloud."

"Bit, please!"

"Heh. Well in that case Bit, maybe you'll be on my side here. How do you feel about a rematch?"

"Yeah sure!"

"Bit! Please!"

"Bit! Please!"

"Bit! Please!"

Brad, Jamie and the Doc chorused. "Bit, you idiot!" Leena socked him upside the head. "What reason do we have to fight them now that we've done their battle mode and gotten their money?"

"Leena," Jamie interrupted, "Don't be so-"

"She's right, Jamie." Sao replied. "Put frankly, you have little motivation to fight me again, and being of inferior ranking, I have little ability to force you to fight me."

"Hm, so what's the deal Sao?" The Doc asked, "Gonna accuse us of taking the coward's way out? 'Cuz we don't care!"

"Doc!" Bit moaned.

"Actually, I was gonna take you up on your original offer." Sao paused for breath, "If you beat me this time, I'll give you my Trinity Liger."

"What?!" Ryan said after spitting up his drink.

"Sao!" Eura peeped.

Sao muttered a response to them both, not taking his eyes off the screen, "I told ya. If I lose this one, I won't be battling for quite awhile." He raised his voice, "So, what's your answer? Of course, it would only be fair to let you pick the location, time and battle mode."

"I dunno Doc," Jamie leaned over, "This sounds suspicious… Doc?"

"That is a deal I'll tak-!" The Doc exclaimed.

"Doc!" Jamie pulled him aside, "What about the money?"

"The Liger Jamie! Just look at it! And it'll be mine! Mine! I won't even have to pay for it!"

Once again, behind the Doc's chair, Leena, Brad and Bit had gathered and huddled. Their discussion was barely audible: "Doc can hide the accounts but he can't hide a Zoid." Bit declared.

"If we sell the Trinity, we'll make enough to pay our way for months." Brad continued.

"And, before we do that, we can hold it hostage as a way to force Dad to give us the account numbers!" Leena smiled.

"Is this agreement I sense in the air?" Sao mused aloud.

"Alright Ensiné," The Doc cleared his throat, "You've convinced me." He crossed his arms.

"Of course, you'll return our money when we win." Ryan called over.

Uncertain moans from the Blitz Team. Then Bit's voice: "'Course we will! Even if you somehow manage a win, you'll need the money to repair your barely standing remains!"

"No Bit!" The Doc turned sternly to him. "You are not to scratch my new Liger."

"What? But how can I-?"

"Its armor needs to be pristine and clear so the red paint goes on smooth!"

"Red paint?" The Blitz team wondered aloud.

"To match the model!"

"Dad, where are you gonna get the money for a paintjob?"

"The prize money from before!"

"No!"

"No!"

"No!"

"What's the problem?"

The Warriors struggled desperately for a response. "Well, Doc, I don't think it'd be respectful of Sao to change its color." Bit concluded.

"Sao, you don't care about that, do you?" The Doc asked.

"Well, I do think red would be an unsightly blight on the Liger, and a paintjob for painting's sake would be a waste…" He paused, "If you scrape up my Liger's armor so completely that it needs a new paint job, you may as well paint it what you wish."

"Excellent. Wait, scrape?"

"Sounds good Sao!" Bit replied.

"That is if you can scrape it."

"Trash talk huh?"

"Now we're getting somewhere!" Brad mused.

"This time, the Leena Special is gonna teach you some manners!" Leena nudged Bit.

"'I'd very much like to sample your skills." Sao replied.

"You're gonna regret those words!" Leena yelled.

"I regret them already!" Bit remarked.

Another day, another battlefield. A flat plain, not a rock out of place. Rugged mountains stood perched in the distance, but they would be outside the bounds of the mode.

Sao's Trinity Liger started a slow walk forward – the Blitz Team's Hover Cargo was just visible on the opposite side of the field, and the Judge had not yet arrived. The previous battle's swarm of reporters were, for once, nowhere to be seen, with one exception. The Pink Diloforce, of all Zoids, stood nearby.

Chuckling to himself, Sao approached it.

"Hi there!" The woman called out in her sing-song voice.

"Hello. Where is everyone?"

"Some are scrambling to meet deadlines for articles on your last battle, some are afraid you'll explode at them if you come, aaaand it seemed like a bunch didn't care. It's just a standard battle isn't it?"

"Heheh." Sao smiled happily, "I don't think I ever got your name miss?"

"Mary! Mary Genzinger."

"And what are you doing here Ms. Genzinger?"

"You never answered my question."

"I didn't really care to."

"I very much would like you to, though."

Sao sighed. "If it makes you feel better, I have been engaged before, yes."

"What happened?"

"That's a question I honestly don't know the answer to." Mary giggled. "Any more questions?" He asked, leaning on his right arm.

"No, I gotta get moving. Got two Zoids to get outta the way!"

"Two?"

"Ya! See there in the distance? That's my Gorhecks!" Sao looked – indeed, with magnification from the Trinity visual sensors, he could see the telltale spiked back of a Gorhecks, laden with quite an assembly of boxes and supplies. "The salesguy told me a long time ago that the fins could undo electric jamming or something, but I'd never used that. I just sling all my stuff over em!"

"Huh. Kept it even after all the business with your old boyfriend?"

"It wasn't Gorry's fault!" 'Gorry?' Sao thought to himself. "It's half his fault, and half the stupid bitch's fault. I got my revenge on him, now there's just the bitch."

"Oh. Any idea where she is?"

"No clue. I only ever heard her name. Lee-something? He talked about her like she was the more sexy than sex."

"Lee-something?" Sao scratched his chin, "What was his name?"

"Oh, I don't say his name in public."

"In public?"

"I only say it in private, preceded and followed by a series of rather vulgar expressions." Sao didn't need to see into her cockpit to know she was smiling at that sentence.

The Judge capsule hit ground. "Thanks for talking! Good luck!" Mary said, trotting off.

"Thanks!" Sao replied as the Judge gave the battlefield declaration. As he scanned the horizon for the Blitz Team's Zoids, he caught sight of another guest on the field. A large hovertruck with white backs and maroon jets. It was Alysia's. The truck slowly turned away, but the message was clear. She would be watching.

"Ya ready for a straight-forward beat down?" Leena called from her customized gray Gun Sniper.

"Don't expect to beat my Zoid twice." Brad grinned from the now-repaired Shadow Fox.

"One Liger to another, bring everything you got!" Bit cried out from the Liger Zero, again reverted to normal white armor.

"Count on it!"

"Count on it!"

"Count on it."

The Nova Team chorused back.

"Area scanned. Battlefield set up. The Blitz Team versus the Nova Team. Battle Mode 0-9-8-2. Readyy? Fight!"

"Alright guys, all ahead. Slow." Sao smiled to his team. He pushed the Liger forward, at a brisk but not at all fast pace. The Houndsoldier jogged alongside.

"Man! It's been ages since I gone this slow!" Ryan joked.

"I can't remember the last time I was running on the ground!" Eura piped in cheerfully, running the Evoflyer forward. "Careful boys! I'm gonna run right past you!"

"In a line Eura! It needs to look organized!" Sao ordered.

"I'll take the front of the line then!" She giggled.

"They're sticking pretty close together Doc, I don't like it." Jamie mused.

"'Course not Jamie. Even for a mode as simple as this, Sao makea plans. It'd be more suspicious if we couldn't see him planning!" The Doc responded, rotating the Trinity model in his hands. "And it's not obvious that his plan is a good one."

"Alright Bit," Leena declared, "You just stay back, and I'll take 'em out from here. You can head right over the Hover Cargo if you like! The Leena Special's goin' in!" With that, she started the Sniper straight towards the oncoming Zoids.

"Well Bit?" Brad shrugged. "Shall we?"

"And get in the way of her arsenal? No thanks! I'll deal with the aftermath."

"I like that idea." Brad nodded.

"C'mon you scumbags! Get some Weasel Unit Total Assault!" Leena yelled, letting her Sniper's weapon systems run wild.

"Alright now," Sao called as the flurry of missiles and laserfire approached, "Don't speed up, don't get fancy, but don't get hit!" He ducked the Trinity back and right.

"Got it!" Ryan rolled left.

"Roger!" Eura saluted as she flipped into flight mode.

The Zoids kept just ahead of the fire, like children running along the edge of a waterfront, and quickly rejoined, Eura returning to her ground form, as the fire subsided.

"Doc," Jamie observed, "Ya think he's trying to keep this straightforward?"

"Hm?"

"Coming right at us, with his entire team clustered, avoiding shots but keeping on course… Maybe he just wants a straight up showdown?"

"Very possible."

"Well in that case Doc," Bit cut in, "Why don't I switch into the Schneider and give 'em just what they're lookin' for?"

"Mm, yes Bit, go ahead. Try to keep the Liger together!"

"I always do Doc!"

"Not yours! The Trinity! My beauty will be unscathed one way or the other, and I'd prefer it to be the way we don't pay for…"

"Right…" Bit moaned as he moved back towards the Hover Cargo.

The Nova Team had kept formation and was now firing off the odd shot at the line of their two opponent Zoids.

"Sao? He's headin' back." Eura noted.

"Good."

"Shall we?" Ryan asked.

"Wait till it opens."

"Right."

Inside the Hover Cargo, the Liger Zero stepped into place between the twin modules of the CAS.

"Liger Zero, secured on the maintenance deck!" Jamie called over the com system.

"Engaging the system Schneider!" Bit declared, maneuvering the correct armor into place. Claws extended to adjust the Liger armor.

Outside, Leena's Gun Sniper fired spuriously at the Trinity Liger, which avoided contact through a series of zig-zag dashes. "What are ya waiting for Sao? Can't stand up to my Gun Sniper's weasel assault huh?" Leena cackled.

Sao fired a shot from his beam cannon, barely missing her legs. "Maybe I just don't need to compensate for horrible aim with millions of shots."

"What did you saaaay?" Leena burst with anger, running toward the offending Zoid, who continued his evasion, allowing Eura to fire off a shot at Leena's back. Brad ambled around delivering counterfire.

"Don't let 'em get to you Leena. Just hold out till Bit arrives."

"Aw, he'll finish everything!"

At that moment, the top of the Hover Cargo began to retract, and the magnetic catapult extended.

"Liger Zero Schneider – CAS complete! Moving the Zero Schneider to the catapult deck!" Jamie declared. The orange Schneider armor caught the occasional glint of light as it moved up to the catapult.

"Now?" Ryan called out?"

"Alright you two! Let's do this!" Sao replied.

"Goooooo Schneider!" Bit yelled as the Zoid sped off the catapult.

"Go! Go! Go!" Sao cried out.

The Schneider arced through the air, moving towards its targeted drop point, and prepared to wind up its legs following landing. Its claws struck the ground.

The Houndsoldier slammed straight into the side of the Schneider.

"Whoa! What the-" And quick as it had come, it was gone. But not before-

Shots from above – the Evoflyer had taken to the air and was raining down blows. The Schneider slowly started to move out of range, but the fire was heavy and unusually concentrated. And then, to top it off, the Trinity approached, charging straight forward, the Shadow Fox just visible, trailing behind.

"Hardened Alloy Claw!" The Trinity ripped into the Schneider armor, then ran straight past.

"Brad!" Bit cried, "What happened? I'm surrounded! Weren't you keeping them- Argh!" The Evoflyer resumed concentrated fire.

"I dunno!" Brad yelled back, "As soon as you launched, they all split! We couldn't keep up! Next we knew they'd gotten right to you!"

"Grr. If they think that'll stop us-" Bit shifted the Schneider's blades into position. "They're forgetting we're still a cut above!"

A blast flew straight into the right head-blade. Another scraped the hind-blades. The Evoflyer and the Houndsoldier were surging fire from two directions. "Urgh!" Bit withdrew the Schneider away from the two lines of fire, straight into the third – the face of the Trinity Liger, and its mounted cannons.

"I'll admit Bit," Sao began, "Your CAS is a magnificent device. It lets you switch between completely different Zoids, different strategies. And I wasn't prepared for that the last time." Bit dodged right, ran into the fire of the Hound Buster Cannon, parried left, was pelted by AZ assault rifle fire. "Problem is Bit, the CAS system has one constant – the drop location. Either you come out nice and slow from the side, or you jet out to one pre-defined location from the top. And when I know where you're going…" The Trinity charged its signature gold cutter. "I can get there first." The Photon Cutter ripped into the Schneider, and left only sparks in its wake.

"Blitz Team, unit 1, out of the battle!" The Judge proclaimed.

"Y-you're kidding!" The Doc exclaimed.

"Grrr! You want a constant? I'll give you a constant stream of firey death!" Leena yelled, targeting the cluster of three Zoids, and firing. "Weasel Unit, Total Assault!" The resultant blast smoke obscured the field,

"You know, Leena," Leena gasped – rYAn's voice. "From one former sniper to a Gun Sniper pilot, you should really consider reeling in your shot count…" The Houndsoldier had made it to the Gun Sniper's rear. "And making your shots actually count." A single blast from the Hound Buster Cannon drilled straight into the Zoid, sending it toppling into the ground.

"Nooo! Not again!"

"Blitz Team, unit 2, out of the battle!"

The Nova Team members advanced on their final adversary. "You're looking a bit worried, Brad my friend." Sao called out. "I've faced 3 on 1's before – it's not that bad."

"He's right you know." Ryan remarked, subtly cutting off Brad's escape route.

"'Course, when I do 3 on 1, the mode helps me out a bit. Guess you can't count on any of that today hm?"

"Uh, Doc. I think I'm gonna throw this one." Brad declared.

"What? No! You can't give in Brad! Think of the money! Think of my Liger!"

"Oh, I'm thinking about it. It's pointing at least 3 beam cannons right in my face."

"Brad!" The Doc whined.

"Go ahead Brad," Jamie sighed. "I can't see a way out of this one. No sense raising our repair fees."

"Judge, I forfeit the match." Brad declared. "See?" He called out to the Blitz Team, "Told ya you wouldn't bring me down today." The groups laughed.

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

Sao opened a channel to the Blitz Team cabin. A petrified Dr. Toros answered. "… The money's mine! You can't have it!"

"Doc, wait!" The screen was switched off. Sao couldn't help but smile.

"Congratulations, Nova Team, on your win! Until the next battle!" The Judge capsule announced as it took off into the stratosphere.

The screen lit up again. "Sorry about that, guys." Jamie replied nervously. A depressed, possibly physically restrained Doc was visible in the background.

"Hey, good battle there, Sao!" Bit's voice came over the intercom.

"Hardly. I think this rivalry needs a few more to get to any true satisfaction!" Laughter from the Teams.

Suddenly static filled the comlink.

Sao squinted – an interfering signal. "Josef? Eura? What is this signal? Can anyone get a read on it?"

"From the mountains." Josef declared.

"I remember these wavelengths…" Eura mused. "They're just like…"

A face appeared and a message accompanied: "The area within a 1000 kilometer radius is now a Neo Backdraft Battlefield. All unauthorized personnel will be destroyed!"

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