Fan Fiction / Zoids Fan Fiction ❯ a tale of (now) three warriors ❯ The Royal Cup Part I ( Chapter 7 )

Disclaimer: I own none of the Zoids in this fanfic , but most of the characters are mine. I'll be broke from when the people behind Metroid come after me, so there's no point trying to sue me. That's all.

By the way, for those who have also read my Gundam Wing fic, I do realise that there are two characters with the same first name in each of these fics. Trey Wenner and Trey Barker are different people, from different universes, and have nothing to do with each other except for the fact that I created them and was too uncreative to think up a different name.

It was that time again. After two years of waiting, the moment that the Blade Team were waiting for finally came. The Royal Cup tournament was upon them.

"It's going to be in the Jokairo Canyons region this time," Trey observed from the booklet he was reading, "That'll make for mainly close quarters fighting, with limited numbers of elevated sniping positions. There's also an equal number of plains areas, meaning that aerial zoids aren't totally disadvantaged. Hmm, that contradicts what I just said…open plains means good firing corridors means half good for ranged combat…my head hurts."

"Good," Ruby said, sitting up, ignoring Trey's - possibly - false stupidity, "That means that Ko's Stormsworder won't be put to total waste." Ruby looked over to Kohanna Sturn, who sat next to Robert.

They had met Kohanna, or Ko as she liked to be called, just over a year ago. Up until then she had been a freelance pilot, drifting with her Stormsworder to different places around Zi, looking for places to ply her skills. With its wing mounted beam blades, Ko's zoid met the Blade Team's more or less optional requirement, and having witnessed first hand Ko's skills, Trey was quick to offer a place. She was about Ruby's height, with a slim build and long raven black hair that fell across one side of her face. Her usual demeanour was one of fierce grimness, and the first impression most people got of her was that she had such an abrasive personality it would hurt to be around her. This was precisely the point, since Ko enjoyed a solitary life. But Trey's offer had awakened something in her, and now she was fighting as part of a team. The grimness remained, but more and more often her shy smile was allowed to show through.

That smile was showing through now, "I can handle Captain in a canyon," she said, "I'll just be flying by the seat of my pants, that's all."

"Aren't you always?" Robert asked, spooning another mouthful of ice cream into his mouth.

Ko looked sidelong at the Liger pilot, "What's your point?"

And so let the banter begin, Ruby thought, as Robert replied, "Well, it's possibly in your best interests to not take off your Stormsworder's wing or something on improvisation."

"Captain is MY zoid, and I can fly him how I like."

"Even if it means wiping it out?"

"Well, no."

"So you admit that your improvisational flying methods are a hazard to you and your zoid?"

"No again."

"No?"

"Yes, no. And do you know why?"

"Enlighten me."

"It's because I won't wipe it out."

Trey couldn't help but laugh at Robert's confused look, "Down, out and beaten, I think."

"What else do we know about the tournament?" Robert asked his teammate, eager to change the topic.

"Well, aside from the location, the final prize is a ticket to Class S. The format hasn't changed since last time," Trey continued, "There will be a number of judge capsules scattered around the battle area, each with more geographic information on the location of the final point. Zoids that are put out of action are to stay out of action for the remainder of the tournament: no running repairs, in other words, at least no running revivals."

"As it stands, all the other Class A teams will be in this," Ruby said, toying with her hair, "That means the Flugal Team, the Lightning Team, and the Decimus Kong team at least. And also, the Blitz Team have been offered a place in the tournament even though they're already in Class S.

"What?"

Ruby had become aware that the other three pilots were staring at her.

"It's not bad luck to say the Decimus Kong team, is it? Come on, we all know that Conan has retired and has been replaced, so what's all the grimness about?"

"The Backdraft Group are probably going to try and pull something like they did last time," Robert pointed out.

"Well, it's been four years. That could have been enough time to repair the Berserk Fury," Ko continued.

"That's not to mention the fact that they might try to take over the Battle Commission. Again," Trey kept the doomcasting rolling.

Ruby sighed, "Am I the only person here that ISN'T a doomcaster?"

"No, you're not," Robert said, smirking.

"I'm not what?"

"The only one here that isn't a doomcaster."

"Because…"

"You ARE a doomcaster."

"What?"

"We have a chance of going up against the Blitz Team. We're Class A, they're Class S. If that's not doomcasting, I don't know what is."

"You're a retard," Ruby huffed.

"And you're a doomcaster," Robert shot back happily.

Ko rolled her eyes, and Trey smiled to himself, seeing her look.

"Do we have enough fuel for the Whale Prince?" Trey asked.

"I don't know," Ko replied, "I'll check."

Ko got up from her chair and headed quickly to the hangar. The Whale Prince was a custom built zoid, and had taken a great slice from the Blade Team's coffers, but it was the best way to transport four zoids, although a pair of Gustavs could have done the job. It was essentially a Whale King, but it was a quarter the size, making it cheaper to maintain and easier to handle. It was perfect for carrying a small number of zoids - its maximum payload was eight - and made launching Captain immeasurably easier. In truth, Ko knew that the transport was fully fuelled already, but Trey had given her a half decent chance to get away from Ruby and Robert for a while. Trey joined her a moment later.

"Thanks for getting me out of there," Ko said when she saw him.

"It's not very good team work though," Trey replied.

"But it's how the team works," Ko giggled at Trey's expression and lay down atop a large parts crate.

Trey climbed onto the one next to her and sat down, "I forgot, you still think like a loner."

"Silence, miscreant!" Ko demanded jokingly.

There was a pause, until Trey said; "I was serious when I asked whether we had fuel for the Whale Prince."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The announcer's voice was annoying, but Robert knew that everyone had to put up with it too. That made him feel slightly better.

"Here we are again, at the Seventh (? I don't know if this is anywhere near and accurate number, it just sounded good so I used it) Zoid Royal Cup. All the teams have arrived, and we are just minutes from the start. The tension in the air is exhilarating!"

"God I hate that wanker's voice," Robert growled as he twiddled his thumbs from inside his open cockpit.

"Everyone hates that wanker's voice," Trey said from the open cockpit of the Gunsniper.

"Everyone hates that wanker in general," Ko added. She too sat at the controls of her zoid, with its cockpit canopy open.

Ruby was about to say that she didn't, but thought against it, "Are we going to leave Gorden to fly the Whale Prince?"

"That's why we hired him," Trey replied. He knew what she was about to say, but wasn't the type who liked to humiliate people.

"Don't worry, I'll take good care of it," the mercenary pilot said from the front of the cargo bay. The transport was landed, and so no one particularly balked when they saw their pilot walking around instead of being at the helm.

"There is now this announcement from the Chief of the Zoid Battle Commission," the announcer said.

"I'll get this thing in the air," Gorden murmured, walking through the connecting door to the cockpit.

"First and foremost," the Director, a grizzled man in his sixties said, "I'd like to thank each and every pilot who has decided to participate in this tournament. It is you who continue to make the Royal Cup a worthwhile and exhilarating event. I will not waste time in explaining the rules, as I am sure that you are all aware of them, being the responsible pilots you are. My second major point is to thank the Blitz team for participating in the Royal Cup once again, for as many of you know they have already been elevated to Class S, having been victorious in the last Royal Cup. That said, without further ado, I declare the Seventh Zoid Royal Cup open!

"Let the battles begin!!"

With a loud cheer, every transport lined up lurched forwards. Gustavs rumbled over the terrain, Whale Kings floated forwards overhead, and zoids without transports charged. The Whale Prince started a little but after the initial rush, deliberately, and made there way to the first known judge capsule.

"Where's the Hover Cargo?" Robert asked. Everyone knew what he meant. The Blitz Team was supposed to be present, but the trademark transport was nowhere to be seen.

They found the first judge relatively soon. A trio of Dibisons were on the ground waiting. It was a flat area, with only a few rock outcroppings as cover. Ruby and Robert decided to go alone, leaving Trey and Ko as backup, since tag teaming was not illegal in this tournament. The Whale Prince landed and the Zaber Fang and Blade Liger to run out from the open jaws of the zoid carrier. The judge capsule had embedded itself in the top of an especially large rock arrangement.

"Battle mode 0200, Royal Cup. The Thunder Taurus Team versus the Blade Team…Ready, fight!"

Immediately, and predictably, the three Dibisons let rip with their heavy and multiple guns, subjecting the landscape to a punishing beating, but the Zaber Fang and Blade Liger had split, each one running in to flank their opponents. The Dibisons on either side of the middle faced their respective Blade Team zoid, but the one in the middle looked to each one, indecisive about which one to fire on.

He was still in the process of being indecisive when his teammates had the cannons sheared from their backs. Ruby's beam guns blasted away one of his front legs, and the assault zoid fell to the ground, but continued to fire its mortar cannons at the oncoming Blade Liger. Robert's gatling cannon was already flaring, and one by one all seventeen barrels disappeared, and by the time the pilot of the Dibison got around to firing the micro missile pods mounted on his zoid's cheeks, his command system was frozen, and the Blade Liger was behind him, the crackling blade bearing a piece of circuitry from where it had amputated the Dibison's guns.

"How?" the Dibison pilot stammered, "How did you avoid all of my shots?"

"If you look closely, he actually didn't," Ruby snickered, and the Blade Liger stomped towards the Zaber Fang. There was light scratching and damage to the Liger's armour, but aside from that there was no damage.

"The winner is the Blade Team. Information on the whereabouts of the finish point will be uploaded to your team's computers now," the judge announced.

The canopy of the Dibison whined open, and the pilot stood up, saluting the Liger and Zaber Fang, "Good luck for the rest of the Tournament, Blade Team. It was and honour to fight you."

"Thanks," Robert said as the Liger jogged back into the Whale Prince. It stopped. "Ruby, you coming?"

Ruby shook her head lightly as if woken from a reverie. She decided to pay no mind to the shooting star that she had just seen in the distance, "Yeah, I'm coming."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Leon Toros had seen it too, a tiny streak of light zipping across the sky for a moment. The Blade Liger's blades folded back to their stored position, and Leon continued to stare at the now normal patch of sky.

"What is it?" Naomi asked, her Gunsniper walking up next to him.

"It's nothing," Leon replied, "Let's get going. I just got the info that judge sent us."

"Sounds good to me," Naomi replied, but inside she knew that something was wrong. So stereotypical, Naomi thought, There's always something that feels wrong. It's all the Blitz Team's fault, I tell you. Trouble always seems to find them.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Atop a flat cliff, three figures stood impassively, overlooking the day's proceedings. One of them had a pair of binoculars raised to his eyes.

"It won't be too long now before the first stage begins," one said.

"Not long at all," said the second, smiling.

The third lowered the binoculars and turned to face the others, "And then these fools shall know that the Backdraft will never be destroyed."

Behind them, three pairs of eyes glowed blood red…