Fan Fiction / Zoids Fan Fiction ❯ Two Birds, One Arrow ❯ Don't Get Mad, Get Even... ( Chapter 2 )

" " is obviously spoken dialogue

/ / is Wild Eagle's thoughts.

~ ~ is for Jamie and Pierce's thoughts

*Disclaimers- I tried attacking the organizations that own Zoids with the Liger Zero Panzer, and they handled me like an ally to Osama bin Laden! You know what happened after that (poor Liger)… Anyways, they decided to let me off easy as long as I promised to write this disclaimer from now on. I do not own Zoids in any way. Should anyone accuse me of otherwise, I'll see you in court, or we can duel Zoids-style (Liger just needs a lot of repairs). After that being said, sit back, relax, read, sure as hell respond, enjoy!

Chapter 2- …DON'T GET MAD, GET EVEN

"Hey guys, I got us another battle with Layon."

"You really shouldn't go around making decisions without our consent, Doc."

"Yeah! We're still recovering from the last time we battled him!" It was quite apparent that the males of the Blitz Team, particularly Bit and Brad, were against Dr. Tauros' impulsive decisions. Tauros, always being the calm, manipulative man that he is, soon turned the tide, winning the favor of his assembled team.

"You know, guys, there's a larger share of money for this battle. Besides, we get to spend some time at that famous hot springs resort up in the mountains!" As usual, Brad nodded, more so over the money aspect, and Bit would have still objected, but Leena joined her father in drooling over the idea of the resort, so he was forced to suppress his protest. Jamie was half-aware of what was going on. ~All this for a few hot springs?~

/ Lighten up! This is our chance to meet some total babes! / It was clear that Wild Eagle had no objections whatsoever to going and Jamie finally let out a sigh of defeat.

~Are girls all you think about?~

/ No… Like Brad, I think about money, and I also think about ruling the skies with the invincible Raynos! But for now… yeah, girls… / Jamie sighed again and looked up to the ceiling.

"Why do I even bother?"

"Huh, what was that Jamie?" Leena broke Jamie's concentration, startling him and causing him to yell in his squeaky tone.

"N-nothing. Just wondering why we have to go to some hot springs for a battle. Something's up. I'm sure of it."

"Relax! C'mon! It'll be fun," teased Leena, holding Jamie in a headlock and giving him countless noogies. Her strength left him somewhat short of breath and he tried desperately to squirm away. / C'mon! It'll be fun! / mocked the Wild Eagle. / Or are you just too shy to go meet some beautiful women?/ Jamie, still squirming, replied in his mind. ~…shut up…~

___________

Pierce, already up, was sipping on tea and looking outside her window to the long boardwalk and the shore. "I wonder what's going to happen today." Being that her usual occupation of Zoids pilot was not filled in on her to-do list, she was a little edgy. Pierce let out a sigh, a simple smile appearing on her face as she looked down into the steamy mug. "Guess I'll just relax and soak some rays." She got up as she heard her portable com-link beep, walking over to answer the call. "Who is it?"

"Hey, it's Stoler." The bold-faced pilot of the Elephandor had decided to check on his comrade.

"Hey, what's up?"

"Nothing. Just wondering how your little vacation's going. After all, it is you who's taking a vacation. I never thought that would happen!" Stoler let out a mild chuckle. Pierce simply smiled, acknowledging the truth behind his statement. Whether it had been because she was so caught up in her work or simply because piloting airborne Zoids was her passion, she had not had a vacation in ages. Her attire clearly showed that she needed to unwind. After all, her most common wardrobe was her work uniform, which was the baggy pilot's pants and red jacket, despite her closet being full of more casual wear.

"Nice to see you, too. In any case, my vacation is going well, but I can't wait to get back up in the air."

"Same old Pierce." Stoler smiled and then continued talking. "So what ya' doing?"

"Just finishing my breakfast. I'm looking forward to going out today."

"Oh? And where would you be going out?" he inquired.

"Oh, nowhere in particular. Just… out."

"That's a change in routine for you. You've practically been living on the base. Now that you don't have that 'I'm always working' excuse to hide behind, does that mean you'll finally go out with me?" Pierce simply chuckled at Stoler's invitation.

"I'm sorry, but I'm not looking for dates or relationships right now." She did not notice his temporary look of rejection. She was lying to herself, as there was one person she was interested in. ~That Raynos pilot… who was he? He called himself the Wild Eagle.~

"Hello? You still there?" interrupted Stoler. He liked Pierce, but didn't really let her rejections get him down. He was content with their friendly and professional basis. Pierce gathered her thoughts and composure, simply nodding. "What's on your mind? You seem a little distracted."

"Just thinking about that Raynos pilot, that's all."

"Don't worry! You'll get him back soon enough! Besides, this is your break! Stop thinking about work and relax!" Pierce couldn't help but continue thinking. ~That's not what I meant…~ Stoler decided to change the subject, gaining interest in the clothing bag he saw in the background on Pierce's bed.

"You're going to the beach?"

"Yeah, why?"

"In that? Most women wear bikinis, not pilot attire." Pierce blushed. However, she decided to go along.

"It just so happens that I have a bikini in my bag."

"Yeah, right. So what's this so-called bikini look like?" Pierce decided to humor the skeptical Stoler.

"Oh, nothing much. A simple, sexy little black bikini. It's a two-piece, showing off my already radiant skin-tone and cute belly button. It gives focus to my cleavage and thighs, but that's about it. I gotta go." Pierce was preparing to shut off the com-link, smiling victoriously as she cut off a screaming Stoler, his face lit up like a full-blown thermometer.

"What? Hey wait a second Pie--" The room's peaceful tone returning, Pierce walked back to her seat, resuming sipping on her tea, which had long since cooled.

____________

In the Hover Cargo, Jamie sat sighing at the breakfast table. He was glad that it wasn't his turn to cook breakfast, and his eager teammates, Bit and Leena, joined by Tauros, chanted "Feed me! Feed me!" over and over again, edging on Brad, who cursed to himself about having to cook.

"You know, that really is annoying guys!" Jamie said, trying to aid his teammate because he knew the feeling all too well. Bit stopped to answer the sensible team member.

"Yeah, we know! That's why we do it!"

"Yeah! I mean, if it's bothering you, just hurry up and cook for us! It's not that hard," added Leena. Jamie sighed, looking over to Brad with a facial expression full of apology. Brad simply nodded, continuing to labor in the kitchen.

/ You know, if you really want to show how it feels, why don't you and Brad do the same thing when Bit or Leena have to cook? / Jamie grinned devilishly at his counterpart's suggestion. ~That's not a bad idea…~ Bit and Leena were too busy chanting to notice. Brad muttered something about not being paid enough for this as food and pans clattered to the kitchen floor.

After breakfast, which was more than worth the harsh efforts of the team's mercenary (every great team's gotta have one), Dr. Tauros made a keen observation.

"Hey guys! We're here!" Bit and Leena stampeded out the Hover Cargo, anxious to try their luck at the water jets, a calm Brad walking behind with his hands on the back of his head. Tauros took the opportunity to mischievously play with his Zoids action figures before joining Brad in the hot springs. Seeing that no one was around to notice, Jamie spoke out loud.

"Well, I'm going off to hover board in the hills."

/ Aww… we'll never see any girls like that. Make it quick, okay? /A large drop of sweat came down Jamie's forehead.

"Right…"

_____________

Pierce sat coolly at her boardwalk table, sipping on equally cool lemonade and staring off into the ocean at the seaward activities. She was sporting a nice pair of sunglasses. A smile on her face, she removed her bracelet from her wrist and placed it on the table. She noticed a huge splash in the distance and her eyes lit up at who rode around it. ~Isn't that the red-haired girl from the Blitz Team?~ Her smile grew wider with a sense of anticipation when she realized that her day might actually be a little exciting after all. ~That pilot definitely has to be around here somewhere…~

Crossing her legs, she brought her body to an upright position, continuing to sip her lemonade. She remained so for a few minutes until her glass was empty. The waiter walked past, preparing to refill the glass, but she signaled that she didn't want anymore. "That won't be necessary," replied Pierce, as she turned and bent over to get the money for payment and tip. The waiter, who didn't have any trouble noticing her beauty, blushed furiously, due to the view that he had gotten. He tried his hardest to regain professional posture and to remove the burning sensation on his face, and succeeded just as the green-haired beauty turned. As she handed him the payment, she smiled, causing him to sweat nervously.

"Have a nice day," she stated, watching confusedly as he walked off, unable to shake the awkwardness of the meeting. "What's wrong with him?" she said to herself, as she returned to her cross-legged position. Soon afterward, someone brushed against her arm as he walked past, turning to apologize to her. He was holding two cones with three-layers of ice cream each.

"I'm sorry… hey, I just can't help feeling that I've seen you somewhere before," he murmured. Taking off her shades, she looked up into his large green eyes and smiled.

"Bit Cloud…"

_____________

/ That was fun and all, but can we please go babe-hunting now? /

"All right, all right! Fine! We'll go--"

/ Hold it! That's her! / interrupted the bold half of Jamie.

"Who's her?"

/ The girl over there with Bit. / Jamie stared in awe, unable to believe how beautiful she actually looked. ~Wow, you were right.~

/ Told you. /

~She's the one who shot me down?~

/ Yep, she's the one. /

~Even so, we can't just go over to talk to her. What if she thinks of me as nothing but an enemy?~ Jamie thought as hard as he could to find excuses not to go over and greet her. Wild Eagle was growing annoyed. / She's talking to Bit, for God's sake! If she likes him, she's gotta love you! / Jamie laughed. "You're right."

/ So are you. We can't just walk over to her in what you're wearing. Hurry up and change into your swim shorts! /

Immediately returning from the Hover Cargo, Jamie arrived just in time to see Pierce turning from Bit. Behind Bit, about ten feet away stood, Leena, glaring coldly. ~Uh! Oh! Leena looks pissed,~ thought Jamie. Wild Eagle decided to explain.

/ Why not? He's supposed be bringing her ice cream from the looks of it, and she catches him flirting with some beautiful girl he doesn't even know. She's got every right to be jealous. /

~WHAAAT! You mean Leena likes Bit?~

/ Oh, for crying out-- c'mon! It's so obvious! I mean, think about it! /

~I guess you're right, now that I think about it… Oh! No! She's coming our way!~

/ Relax… it was me she heard in battle, so I'll take care of the details. She'll practically be at your feet when I'm through. /

"A-all right," concluded Jamie, still unsure of whether he should trust his subconscious half. He stifled a laugh when Leena purposely jumped up behind Bit, causing him to drop her ice cream cones and then yelling at him like it was entirely his fault. Before he knew it, however, Wild Eagle had fully taken over to do all the talking.

_____________

Pierce walked away from Bit, leaving him confused after she had touched his chest. ~I sure hope that other pilot was watching.~ She giggled to herself. ~I sure hope I made him jealous.~ She continued walking, and as she reached a turn, Jamie, under the possession of his more confident half, walked into her purposely, intent on striking a conversation.

~That's him!~

"My bad… say, you're that Backdraft pilot. I didn't catch your name." Pierce, caught off guard by this unexpected encounter and more so by his forwardness in greeting am enemy struggled to answer.

"It's-- it's Pierce."

"Pierce… I see. It suits you." She blushed at his compliment, but it wasn't very noticeable.

"Thanks. So uh, what's your name?" countered Pierce, surprised that she was now the one feeling awkward after her encounter with Bit. She was really amazed and intrigued at the Wild Eagle's confident ambience, even though it kind of made her nervous. He moved melodramatically, stretching and sighing as he turned his back.

"Wild Eagle's what they call me," he said. Turning his head around to Pierce, he added, "but you can call me Jamie." Pierce smiled. ~Smooth. Real smooth.~

"So uh, Jamie… why are you being so nice? I am your sworn enemy, as Bit put it."

"Well, if you talked to a lost soul like Bit, you can't be all that bad, now can you?" Pierce laughed at his answer.

"I don't know about that, but I guess you're right."

"Besides, can't there be respect and honor amongst good pilots? I admire your skill, and you can't hurt me here, anyway, so there ain't much reason to be afraid, ya know?" Pierce simply nodded. ~I might have a chance with him after all…~ The Wild Eagle continued. "Anyways, I thought you almost had me when you knocked me out of the air all of a sudden." He smiled when he noticed her smile.

"So did I. That was amazing piloting you did back there. I don't know how you pulled out of that fall." Pierce looked to the Wild Eagle for an answer. He just shrugged and laughed nervously.

"Something must've possessed me. It was instinct, I guess. In any case, I wanted to let you know I like your skill, among other things," he said, looking her up and watching as she blushed. Smooth as ever, he continued before she could get a chance to respond. "Look, I gotta go, see you some other time, little lady." He smiled again as he noticed her blush deeper.

"Please, stop calling me that. What's it gonna take for you to stop with that name?"

"You gotta beat me in combat."

"Fine, then I'll catch you in the air."

"Whatever, little lady," he said, laughing as he walked off. She sighed, and smiled to the heavens. ~Wow… that went pretty well.~

______________

"See, I told you that it'd go well," said the Wild Eagle.

~Yeah, but I'm confused… Wasn't she just flirting with Bit?~

"Did you see the way she acted? It meant nothing! She was just messing with his mind, probably to mess with your mind."

~Wadda ya mean?~ Jamie asked innocently. The Wild Eagle smirked evilly.

"You're jealous, aren't you?"

~Wh-what? That's crazy!~

"Whatever. In any case, she's in my hands like butter. I've got her guessing at every turn of the way. You two will be an item in no time. Let's head back to the Hover Cargo. We need to discuss plans for our upcoming battle."

~Uh… just one thing…~

"Yes, what is it?"

~GIVE ME BACK MY BODY!~ The Wild Eagle sweatdropped, and reluctantly returned Jamie's mind to his body. The two headed back to the base.

____________

Pierce was already on her way to the Backdraft base, already changed and ready to go after a call from her com-link. ~Finally, back to work!~

Arriving there, she saw several of her comrades ready and waiting for their mission orders. Among them were Major Polta, the man wearing strange purple shades, who had recently designed a cloaking device, and a pair of twin pilots, unknown to her. They were more than likely support for the mission. One of the major figure of the Backdraft Corporation appeared before them, and they offered him their salutes.

"Greetings. I'm sure you all are wondering why I've brought you here. We have a new addition to our organization." A familiar looking man, dressed in a black trench coat, stepped forward. "I would like you to meet Dr. Layon. He will head our next unsanctioned battle. He has devised a method that I am sure you will all find useful in the defeat of the Blitz Team and the acquisition of the Liger Zero. Dr. Layon?" said the man, diverting the attention over to the technological genius.

"Come with me. I am sure you'll find my latest works more than satisfactory." Walking down the short corridor, their guest led them to four incredible sights.

"Those are Stormsworders…" noted Pierce, observing the breathtaking spectacle that there were actually four of these Zoids in possession of the Backdraft. She smiled. ~You'll call me Pierce yet, Wild Eagle…~

___________

The battle was fierce, and the Blitz Team was losing. The Stormsworders dominated the skies, and they caused the earth to heed their power. All of these fast Zoids were too much for Leena's Gun Sniper. A Wild Weasel Unit Total Assault would never work. Brad's Command Wolf was naturally a sitting duck. It was all Bit's Jager could do to keep from being blasted, not to mention that the Stormsworders that were equipped for ground combat repeatedly attempted to barrage the Hover Cargo.

The only one having any luck was the Raynos, piloted by none other than the Wild Eagle. He had just managed to take out one, watching as Brad caught another off guard. With two down, he turned his attention back to the Command Wolf, targeting the third one that put his comrade out of commission.

Locking on, there was no doubt that he shot it down. He was about to celebrate, but his glory was cut short when the final Stormsworder tailed him. He was brought back to reality after a couple shots rocked his Zoid's hull. He decided to take evasive action, maneuvering to the fullest of his abilities, looping, spiraling, playing chicken, but none of his tactics would work. Kicking it up a notch, he was once again surprised to see that his aggressor was able to break the sound barrier as well. / Wow! This one's tough! /

"Give it up! You can't shake me and you know it," taunted the all-too-familiar voice of Pierce.

"You again?" The reluctant pilot continued to struggle for a short while longer, looking for help from his teammates, who could not aid him in his mach 3 battle, and Pierce smiled, knowing that she had won.

"Say goodbye…" in less than a second, the shot sounded, firing missiles that overwhelmed the Raynos, and it fell to the earth, ultimately defeated. Wild Eagle returned mental control to Jamie, too upset at his loss, and Jamie dragged his way back, disappointed in the upset, but not so much as his mental partner. He arrived back at the Hover Cargo and entered the control room.

"Sorry I got shot down so soon, Doc," he said, every ounce of his voice oozing the apology and guilt he felt inside. Tauros, issuing him a sign telling him that he wasn't at fault returned to watching the dark-looking battle. Wild Eagle then thought of something. / Hey! I've got a way to win this thing! /

~But how? We've lost the Raynos.~

/ So? The only thing we need is the Gun Sniper. I sorta got a sensational rush when I took off on the magnetic catapult. It is magnetic, isn't it? /

~Yeah… so what are you getting-- oh… I get it! If we give the GS a super-charge…~

"Hey Doc! I've got a plan!"

/ Yeah, sure! Take all the credit! /

~Shut up…~

"Get Leena on the com-link, now!" After informing Leena to return to base, Tauros asked Bit to stall for a while longer. Stalling wasn't even looking so good, let alone fighting back. There was no way that Liger was able to avoid the sonic booms that sounded every time the remaining Stormsworder moved overhead. Eventually, Bit got tired, and challenged Pierce to fight him. Pierce, torn between Layon's orders and Bit's challenge could not make up her mind on attacking the Jager or the Hover Cargo. She then recalled what Wild Eagle told her the other day.

"…can't there be respect and honor amongst good pilots…" She made up her mind. ~I may not use conventional rules but I do want to be known as respectable and honorable, not as some cheap criminal who will do anything to win. Maybe fighting Bit will help them see that the Backdraft isn't as bad as they say it is.~ Turning to fight and ignoring all complaints by Layon, she continued to barrage Bit with sonic booms. Bit grew tired of stalling this way and decided to attack head on. Turning to charge her, Jager charged forward at full speed. Pierce fired two missiles, but was surprised to find the Jager leaping over the two and using Strike Laser Claw while in mid-air. Slightly scratching her hull. She dismissed the stunt as raw luck, and proceeded to turn, but the fireworks in the distance silenced her. Fully charged with magnetic energy, the Gun Sniper fired its missiles in full blast.

Pierce tried to escape, but the missiles were too attracted to her hull, and she ended up being shot down. Listening in on the conversation from the hull of the Hover Cargo, she overheard everyone's praise for Jamie, and smiled when she found out that he had planned this defeat.

"Even when I get you, you still get me. You are my rival, maybe even something more…"

______________

Jamie had decided to get some scuba diving in. Swimming around in the bay area, he was surprised when a small bracelet hit his head. Swimming to the surface, he saw Bit walking away in the distance. He tried to call out, but he was surprised when he looked down to notice the name etched on the bracelet:

'PIERCE'

After returning to the Hover Cargo, everyone anxiously awaited their turn to look at e-mails that had accumulated over their stay. Bit and Leena snarled at each other, while Brad waited calmly for the two to finish their turns. When both left, depressed to find no mail for them, Brad stepped up. He was rather disturbed to find about fifteen consecutive messages, all from one Naomi Fluegel. He was happy to know she liked him so much, but the amount of messages, all very long, gave him quite a headache. Leaving to find some aspirin and to discuss his pay, Jamie was left with the computer all to himself.

He instantly checked his e-mail, surprised to only find one message. Opening it, he smiled when he saw from whom it had come. The message read:

"You truly are an impressive Zoids warrior, Wild Eagle. You continue to amaze me on and off the field. Never have I met someone as intriguing and cunning as you. I really look forward to meeting you in the sky and on the ground in the future. I'm on suspended leave because I failed to follow orders, but I have no regrets. Thanks, with love, your Little Lady."

Jamie looked down further to see a phone number in the postscript and in big letters, 'CALL ME.' He proceeded to write his own letter. It read:

"I appreciate you as much as you appreciate me. You give me someone to look forward to outside of the Zoids world, and it ironically is the Zoids that brought us together. Don't thank me on my latest strategy, though. It belittles the feat you've accomplished, so let's just say it's a tie. You beat me. I beat you. I didn't shoot you down the second time, Leena did. I want to see you as much as you want to see me, and I too hope we'll see each other again, which we probably will. I mean, you're in the Backdraft, c'mon! Anyway, I'd like to go out with you sometime since you're officially off duty. Peace! From the heart, Jamie." He played with that thought for a second.

"From the heart… I wrote this, not Wild Eagle." Continuing to type, he wrote in his postscript:

"You truly are a beautiful, impressive lady… Pierce."