van and mercenary chapter 17, a zoid fanfic, in which the century's Van meets Bit Cloud and others

Very clever fanfic. It makes it so that characters from two eras which are hundreds of years apart end up meeting. The main Zoid in here, called The War Wolf, is very believable. Tim Seltzer, seltzer@seltzerbooks.com

Sakura's Disclaimer: This goes for all chapters,so I don't have to write this dislaimer again...I don't own Zoids and don't get paid for writing this.Thank you.

Sakura had run off on her own after seeing Sombra and I's acciddental kiss,coming up to a volcano to think.Upon even going so far as to ponder suicide then and there,an old enemy of mine showed up:Raven.

Sakura and Raven fought,Sakura almost winning,had it not been for Raven's Organoid Shadow,who nearly knocked her into the boiling lava pit below.Fortunately,I had happened upon the scene just in time to save her.

In the rescue though,Raven managed a bullet into one of my wings during flight,and so it's a wonder Sakura and I are still alive.

We got things sorted out about what she had seen before,and Sakura understood,grateful that she was'nt losing me to someone else.

But there's still the matter of Raven and Shadow...how did they get here,300 years in the future?

Chapter 17

"Brother"

I tossed and turned in my sleep,cold sweat forming all over my body.I was in the middle of another nightmare...

Inside of this awful dream,I had found myself in a strange,creepy,dimly lit place where nothing but pure,dark metal made up the walls,floor,ceiling,everything.I started to wonder if I was dreaming about Sakura's past again.If that was the case,all I wanted to do was wake up.It hurt way too much to see what Sakura had had to go through...

But sure enough,that's when I started hearing blaster fire just down the corridor.I closed my eyes,not wanting to go through this again.I just wanted to wake up.Why did I have to be there again?It did'nt make sense...

The sound of the blaster fire ended and I dropped to my knees,holding my head with my eyes still closed,trying to get myself to wake up.

But then,I heard something I had'nt heard before in the dream.It sounded like someone struggling nearby.I blinked my eyes open and looked up,seeing a few Stormtroopers carrying a little boy of around 7 years old off.He looked strikingly familiar,having short,unruly blonde hair and unmistakable aqua eyes.

And that's when the dream took a crazy twist,the metal corridors swirling and mixing around me like melting paint,until it formed into a cliff in the desert.

I blinked,looking around some before noticing two Zoids down below:The War Wolf and a White Liger.I remembered that White Liger...it was the Liger Zero that one of the pilots on the Blitz Team used...Bit,I thought.

But I also remembered something else as I watched the Zoids go into combat:I had seen this before...I had seen this in a dream just before the Blitz and Vesuvius Teams faced off,and that idiot Blade and his Vesuvius Wolf had intervened.

I muttered,then watching as the War Wolf and Liger Zero were once again caught in the bloody quicksand,sinking fast.

I forgot for fear that it was all a dream and ran down,trying to think of some way to help as the Zoids disappeared,Sakura and Bit left sinking into the quicksands.

I watched as Bit reached out futilely for Sakura,trying to get to her to help,but it was'nt any use,as they were both already up to their necks.

Bit yelled to her.I blinked in confusion,wondering how he knew Sakura's real name.I thought I was the only one she had told...

I watched helplessly as they both sank,Sakura letting out a final desperate yell of fear and frustration before going completely under.I swallwed hard,fighting back tears before letting out my own yell.

I sat straight up in bed,drenched in a cold sweat and breathing heavily as I sat there,thinking about my 'dream'.I swallowed hard and whispered to myself,

"I hope that was'nt another vision...but,that all happened before...I mean,Bit and Sakura did'nt die,but...it still happened similarly...why am I still having dreams about it?Is there...something I have'nt seen yet?"

I heard Sakura yawn in the next bed of the hotel room we were in as she stretched a little,looking over to me.

But Sakura did'nt seem satisfied with that and so walked over to my bed,sitting down on the side.

"If you say so Van.But feel free to wake me up if you feel the need or even just want to,okay?"

Sakura gave a slight blush and smiled to me,then patting my forehead like I was a little kid and telling me good night before retreating back to bed.I cracked another smile as I watched her and laid back with a yawn,letting myself drift off to sleep as well...

The next day,Sakura,Sombra and I found ourselves heading out across the desert once again.As usual,I sat in the back seat of the War Wolf.Gah,this scene was getting way too usual.Sand,sand everywhere you look...

I then figured I'd pass the time by trying to figure out my dream again,thinking back.It was painful,yeah,but what were the visions for if I was'nt gonna try and figure out what they were trying to tell me?

I got this feeling that it had something to do with Bit...it was like it was focused on him and Sakura.

Wait,Sakura!That was it!How could I have not seen it before?!That little boy I had seen on the starcruiser was Bit!And so that meant...

Sakura looked back at me,noticing how silent I had become.She got scared when she saw my pale face.

"Van,are you okay?You don't look good...you're pale.Are you coming down with something?"

Her voice broke me from my thoughts and I blinked,looking to her and managing my reply,

She said,turning back to piloting the War Wolf.I wanted to tell her what I had figured out then and there,but...no.No,this was'nt a good time.I'd better wait until she was'nt piloting a Zoid or anything...

That's when Sakura brought the War Wolf to a stop,looking around some.Sombra stopped her Shadow Fox abruptly and turned on the comm. unit,opening a link to Sakura.

That's when I heard it...Zoids moving all around us.Somehow or other,Sakura had heard it while the War Wolf was running,and the scanners had'nt picked up anything...neither did we see anything.The Zoids,whatever they were,must've had one heck of a stealth unit...

Sakura growled like an enraged Wolf,meddling with her scanners a little,even going so far as to cross a couple of wires in a quick fashion,trying to pick up on the enemy,but nothing worked.

"Sakura,we can't fight what we can't see...we don't even know what kind of Zoid it is.I hate to say this,but maybe we should make a run for it..."

She then threw a glare at me like I had killed a family member.Just like Sakura...never backs down from a fight.

Sakura and Sombra and I looked all about,but the loaking mechanisms on these Zoids were good.We could'nt seem anything.Sakura even tried letting loose a few rounds of her Wild Weasel Units,but nothin' doin'.The pilots were good too and evaded the fire easily.

I swallowed hard,knowing this was trouble on a stick,but not knowing what we could possibly do about it,all though I wished there was something I could do...

That's when the crystal aroun my neck started to glow.I blinked and looked down at it,then feeling my eyes sting a bit.I grunted and rubbed them before looking up again,surprised as heck when I now saw this literal army of Lightning Saix coming in at us.But Sakura and Sombra were still looking around,trying to find them on radar.

Sakura just nodded and turned to the left,firing off her Wild Weasel Units and taking down the Saix.

But there were still a lot left...and we WERE talking well-piloted Lightning Saix here...

Either way,we kept fighting.I was the eyes of the operation as you can probably guess,pointing out all of the Lightning Saixes' positions to Sakura and Sombra.

Unfortunately,this was'nt enough,as we were sheerly outnumered.And pretty soon,the War Wolf and the Shadow Fox were taken down...

I heard a voice say.I opened my eyes painfully,finding myself staring up into a bright light,causing me to immediately close my eyes back.

I asked,my headache making my stomach churn right about now.I felt like I might throw up.Then I felt a needle prick my arm,taking some blood.I moved away immediately,nearly faling off the bed I was laying in.Whoever pricked me with the needle chuckled and held me down.

I swallowed hard and finally managed to get a good look at this person.He was a tall man with blonde hair pulled back into a ponytail.He wore these glasses that were just big enough to cover his eyes.I think he purposely stayed at an angle where the light reflected off the lenses so I could'nt see the eyes behind them.And he wore a white lab coat over a red shirt and brown pants...a doctor?No...a scientist...

I repeated,wanting to know who it was that was 'running tests' on me,all though I had this bad feeling in the pit of my already ill stomach that these were'nt tests...but that they were experiments.

I whispered to myself,feeling that I had heard the name somewhere before...but where?I was'nt sure as I watched Ryota pick up another needle.He looked at it,shook his head,put it down and picked up another.I growled,not liking this one bit.

I demanded,Ryota never faultering at my yelling.He just smiled at me like nothing was wrong and said,

"Don't give me that,they're not fine!Not while in the presence of the Neo Empire!"

I struggled against Ryota's grip,but he drew yet another needle from his pocket,giving me a quick injection from it.I was immediately paralyzed.I could'nt even move my little finger.

He began,placing two fingers on my bare back,as I did'nt have a shirt on now.He pressed in a little,my wings automatically coming out.

Sakura growled as she threw herself against the bars of the cell,Sombra just sweatdropping as she said,

"Sakura,maybe that is'nt such a good idea...you're gonna kill yourself trying to get out like that."

"I don't CARE!Better than being prisoners of the Neo Empire!I swear,every one of these creeps will die by my hand!I swear it!"

Sombra blinked,wondering why Sakura had such a vandetta against the Neo Empire.Sure they were bad,but...Sombra had never seen her this angry before.Never.

The mercenary continued trying to break the cell bars with no luck.She growled again,finding she was doing this a lot lately.But she did'nt pay much attention to that when she saw a Neo Trooper coming down the hallway,his black armor gleaming under the hallogen lights of the hallway.Sakura stuck her head out the bars and yelled at the Trooper.

The Neo Trooper walked right on out of sight,Sakura letting out an angered huff.

"Sakura,calm down!There's no way we can escape and help Van if you let yourself go ballistic!Now settle down!"

Sakura blinked her aqua eyes a couple of times,the shock of Sombra taking charge like this jerking her back to reality as she nodded slowly.Sombra let go of her shoulders and said,

The two girls stood there,going into deep thought as they looked about.Sakura looked up to an air vent,knowing that would be a good escape route if they could just get up there...

That's when struggling could suddenly be heard down the hall,Sakura and Sombra immediately seating themselves in the corners of their cell,trying to look like they were'nt doing anything as two Neo Troopers came forward,carrying a struggling person with them.They quickly opened the cell door and threw the young man into the cell with Sombra and Sakura before locking the door back and quickly leaving.

Sombra asked him as he sat up a little,rubbing his forehead.The two girls gasped when they saw his blonde hair and aqua eyes.

"Yeah,the cowards...they fight dirty.They used cloaked Zoids and sheer outnumberings..."

Sakura said,looking back up at the air vent.She smirked,knowing that three people on one another's shoulders could definately reach it...

I sighed a while later as I now found myself sitting in a cylindrical,glass cell.The kind they used for experiments...

No,I had to stop thinking like that.I had to figure out some way of getting free and finding Sakura and Sombra.

That's when I could have sworn I heard something outside my glass imprisonment.I turned,fearing it may be Ryota.But to my surprise,I saw what looked like the grate off of the ventilation shaft that hung above.I raised an eyebrow before looking up,watching in yet more surprise as I saw someone crawling out of the opening of the duct.

I backed up a little in my cylindrical prison and watched,whoever it was dropping down out of the opening a second later.I sighed with relief when I saw that long,blonde hair and those aqua eyes.

I whispered,then standing and calling her name out at the top of my lungs,hoping she could hear me through the glass.I saw her sensitive ears twitch and she turned to me,a huge smile coming across her face as I saw Sombra and Bit drop out of the duct behind her.She ran over to me and stood outside the glass vessel.

Sakura said,as I now learned there was an automatic comm. unit that allowed us to hear each other,regardless of the thick glass.I pressed my hands against the glass and made my reply,

"Not as good as it is to see you!Now,let's figure a way of getting you outta there!"

She said,looking around the vessel for any and all mechanisms.Sombra and Bit did'nt hesitate to come over and help,looking all about for the respective item.

It went on for a few minutes,and I was starting to think that maybe Ryota had some code or something.But that's when Bit sighed exasperatedly,leaning against a control panel and muttering something under his breath.His hand unknowingly rested on a blue button on the panel,and the glass around me suddenly lifted up with a soft hiss.I blinked in surprise,but did'nt hesitate to get out.

He muttered as Sakura suddenly lunged onto me with the tightest hug I had ever felt.I smiled and hugged her back,Sombra and Bit giggling a little,like it was supposed to mean something.Sakura opened her eyes and threw them a quick glare over my shoulder.I sweatdropped and said,

"Right...let's get back into the ducts.We came by an exit in there while we were looking for you."

She told me,starting toward the duct opening.Sombra,Bit and I went to follow her,but we all sopped dead in our tracks when the nearby door suddenly flew open,none other than Ryota stepping in.Sakura growled and stepped forward.

She asked,not realizing the way Bit looked at her when she was called that,his jaw dropping as his eyes widened.He repeated the name a couple of times under his breath.

Well,at this point Sakura just thought Ryota to be plain crazy as she sweatdropped.But when he said it,it was like I felt my stomach drop about five feet for some reason...but...he could'nt possibly be telling the truth.Sakura's parents...

Sakura told him,like knowing what I was thinking.But Ryota was about to give Sakura and Bit both one heck of a wake-up call.

"No,they were not your genetic parents.They just took you in after my old lab was raided by Rebels.You see,I made you...both you,and your Brother..."

I saw both Bit and Sakura go pale,Sombra just looking confused.Sakura shook her head though and picked up a metal rod from a nearby table to fight with as she said,

Ryota smirked as he threw his blonde ponytail back a bit,then taking off the glasses that had been hiding his eye color.Jaws dropped all around when we saw that a pair of aqua eyes,just like Sakura's and Bit's,ha been resting behind the glasses all that time...

He just smirked to her and came forward,placing his finger under her chin and looking into her eyes.

Sakura shook for a second,then growling and bringing up her fist so fast I never saw it fly into Ryoto's face before he hit the ground.She turned to us after her attack,a mixture of what looked like fear and hatred all the same eminating from her eyes for the Neo Empire and Ryota as she said,

Her words were monotone and unemotional,as she was probably trying to keep them for wanting to hide what she was feeling right now.None of us hesitated to go with the plan of getting out of here though as we all headed back into the air ducts...

Thankfully our escape went pretty easy afterwards,and now,after having found out Zoids in the hangar and making a run for it,we all found ourselves hundreds of miles away from the Neo Imperial base that we had been trapped in before as we sat peacefully around a campfire in the middle of the desert.

Bit had'nt exactly paid much attention to what Ryota had said about how he had made them,not really caring.That's just how Bit was.Bit was just glad to be alive,really.He was cheerful and happy that we had escaped,and was glad that he had found his sister after so long,trying to catch up on old times with her.

But Bit's words seemed to flow over Sakura,like she was sitting there asleep with her eyes open as she stared into the fire.Bit even poked her a couple of times,but she did'nt respond.I decided to try and sat down next to her.

Sakura just sort of gave a frustrated grunt and stood up,staring to run off across the desert.Bit started to get up,but I put a hand on his shoulder and shook my head.

I told him,starting after Sakura.She was fast,but after being around her and in on her adventures,I had gained similar speed and kept up well,even in the desert sand until I finally caught up with her,gripping her shoulders to stop her running and urning her around to face me.I felt my heart drop when I saw tears running down her face from her glimmering aqua eyes.

"I'm just some...Imperial experiment...I don't...I don't deserve to live even..."

Sakura shook her head,apparently thinking otherwise as her tears started to flow more profusely.She reached forward and pushed me away from her,reaching quickly into her combat boot and drawing her combat knife,bringing it toward her throat.I paled when I saw this,but lunged forward regardless,managing to wrestle the knife from her and throw it a distance away.Sakura blinked as though surprised that I had managhed wrestling something from her of all people's grip.She shook her head and started running for the knife again,but I gripped her shoulders once more and turned her to me,then coming on her with a passionate kiss.

Sakura's eyes widened and she froze for a second,but it was'nt long before she kissed back to me with just as muh love as I had used to kiss her.

We finally pulled back from each other after a minute and stared into each others' eyes.

I whispered to her.She sniffled,her tears still flowing as she croaked out her reply,

With that,she fell onto me,burying her face in my shoulder as she sobbed harder than ever before.I hugged her to my body gently and kissed her forehead.

"Shhhh,it's okay Sakura,it's okay.I don't care who you are or how you were born.You can't help any of that.The circumstances of your birth are irrelevant,it's what you do with the gift of life that determines who you are...and believe me,you've done a lot,and I love you..."

Sakura sniffled and nodded,listening to my words as I continued to embrace her and whispered comforting words to her.

This went on for about an hour before Sakura finally fell into a peaceful sleep leaning against my body...

Van and the Mercenary by Sakura

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