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Chapter Text

The echoes of a chain rattled through the narrow metal hallway. It was dimly lit, with flickering, pale-blue tube lights. They gave off an eerie buzzing noise that studdered every time the lights flickered.

Deep, heavy footsteps followed suit, emanating from a tall man wearing black military boots. A second pair followed after that. This pair had a sharp metallic clang to it, the sound of metal on metal. Those metallic footsteps belonged to a red Theropod, the Organoid named Ambient. Its large metal claws clanged against the steel floor, small clusters of sparks arched in the air as its claws made contact with the ground.

Ambient walked behind the tall man, a chain going from the Organoid's neck to the man's right hand.

The man was dressed in a standard imperial officer's outfit: A purple coat with gold trim, and long, baggy purple pants that puffed up near the bottom as the pants sleeves pushed up against the knee-high black boots. His short, dusty brown bangs peaked out of his officer's hat, forming jagged waves along his forehead.

He held the thick metal chain tightly as it jostled and swung slightly from side to side.

Ambient's emerald green eyes slowly, and cautiously drifted to each wall and back. They were covered in dents, scratches, and patches of brown rust. The patches had begun to flake off, leaving splashes of darker brown engraved into the walls.

Wherever this place was, it was abandoned long ago. It was unsettling, or at least, it should've been.

But the thing that unsettled Ambient wasn't any of that. It was the presence of a Zoid that truly unsettled the Organoid.

Ambient had been feeling it for a while now, and the further the Organoid walked, the stronger it felt. The presence felt powerful, yet unstable and incomplete. Whatever Zoid it was, it wasn't natural, and it had a chilling presence that sent shivers down the Organoid's spine. It reminded Ambient of the Geno Breaker. No, it felt even more wild than that, almost...primal.

Ambient didn't want to be there, but then again, where could the Organoid return to? It had nowhere to go. Its partner, the red-haired man named Hiltz, died when the Death Saurer was destroyed. That man was the only one the Organoid had ever formed any kind of bond with, if you could call their relationship a bond. And after all the things Ambient did with Hiltz, nobody else would want the Organoid either. Its head hung low, shame weighed like a stone in its mechanical stomach. The Organoid didn't care where it was at this point. Ambient just didn't want to be alone again. Anything but that. That dark, crippling loneliness was too much for it to bear anymore.

The Organoid was brought from its thoughts, bumping into the man's leg. He had stopped. Ambient hadn't noticed, too lost in thought.

The man said nothing. His light, icy blue eyes looked straight ahead, eyeing an old, dusty keypad on the wall. The small bar-like screen above the keys was cracked and had a thick layer of dust. Next to the keypad was what looked to be a door-shaped outline, in faded and scuffed white paint. He reached his index finger out towards the old keypad, quickly pressing a series of numbers. The small, cracked glass screen then lit up for a moment, before turning green. The text: "Access Granted: Klein Masterson" flashed across it.

The part of the wall outlined by the paint slowly began to split into top and bottom halves. The top half began to rise up into the wall above, and the bottom half began being swallowed into the floor.

The screaming of rusted metal rubbing against each other cried out, causing Ambient to wince from the unpleasantness of the noise.

Bright white light began to pour in as the door slowly opened, casting and stretching their shadows down the hallway. The Organoid's emerald eyes burned, used to the dim lights thus far.

Ambient scowled, giving off a low growl of annoyance.

The loud screeching of the doors. The unsettling presence of that Zoid. And now, the burning of its eyes due to a sudden flood of light. This place was already testing the Organoid's patience.

After a few moments passed, the screeching of the doors stopped, the two halves being swallowed into the walls. Once the screeching of the door ceased, it let a new sound be heard: The frantic clacking of keyboards.

Ambient began to blink as its eyes adjusted.

Once its vision cleared, the red Organoid saw a large room, completely flooded with the white artificial light.

In the middle of the room was an old man in a large white lab coat. He was hunched over a tall podium, typing vigorously. The first thing the Theropod noticed about the man was his long silver hair that reached his thighs. However, despite the long hair, the top of his head was completely bald. He seemed to be extremely engrossed in whatever he was doing, evident by the way he didn't even react to the door being opened.

Klein stepped into the room, the chain pulling Ambient along with him. The Organoid let out a disgruntled grumble, but followed anyway.

Now that they were in the room, Ambient could see serval large computer towers spread out against the walls. The front wall had a massive monitor mounted to it, the source of the bright light. It had a 3D model of a black, unarmoured Tyrannosaurus-Type Zoid spinning on it. The title, "Project S", was above the model, set against a white background.

Just before that large monitor were two computer screens, a man and a woman occupying them. They too were typing away, just as engrossed as the old man.

Klein stood to attention, straightening out his posture and saluting his free hand.

"Doctor S, I have brought you the Organoid you requested!" He shouted in a loud, firm voice, befitting somebody of his looks.

His words echoed through the large room, causing the keyboard clacking to cease immediately.

The old man whipped his head around, his long silver hair flowing behind him. His wrinkly mouth opened wide as he smiled, letting out a raspy laugh. Quickly, he ran off the podium, his arms raised up high in the air, flailing and waving expressively. The sudden burst of movement from such an old man unsettled Ambient. The Organoid stepped back defensively, with wide, surprised eyes.

Klein pulled the chain sternly, keeping the Organoid from walking back any further, much to Ambient's annoyance. A low metallic growl rumbled in its throat.

The old man ran right past Klein, kneeling on one knee in front of Ambient.

Now that the old man was face to face with the Organoid, his appearance didn't help to calm Ambient's nerves. His eyes were hidden behind long bangs. His gums were a pale grey, with tinges of dark red, having only one tooth that poked out of his bottom gum.

The old man brought his face closer, clasping the sides of Ambient's cheeks with both his hands. As he brought his face closer, the Organoid could see his eyes were not only hidden by his bangs, but sunken in too, hidden in shadow. Only faint gold irises were visible. He looked oddly familiar to the Organoid, but Ambient couldn't recall from where or when.

The old man softly chuckled as he moved Ambient's face from side to side, curiously examining him. The Organoid let out a louder growl as it shook its face free, bearing its sharp teeth in a snarl.

"Oh-ho-ho!" The old man slowly laughed, "Feisty, are we?"

Spit flew from his mouth, landing on Ambient's face as he spoke.

Raising its small arms, the Theropod tried to wipe it away, but couldn't reach it.

The old man chuckled, grabbing the edge of his white coat and bringing it to the Organoids' face, gently rubbing the spit away.

"I'm sorry Organoid, when you get my age with no teeth, it's hard not to spray when you talk." His voice was soft and raspy, putting Ambient ever so slightly at ease.

The Doctor got back up on his feet as the two others came into view. The man had black hair and blue eyes while the woman had brown hair and green eyes. Both of them had on the same white lab coat as the doctor. They softly laughed as they looked at Ambient. Their eyes were wide and wild, filled with madness, putting Ambient back on edge immediately.

The Organoid bared its teeth and snarled, not wanting to be near them. The Doctor shooed them away before turning and walking back up to the podium.

"Seeing as we now have an Organoid in our possession, we can complete the final step to finalizing the S" The old man spoke as he began typing vigorously again. "And seeing as you helped acquire it, Masterson, I see no harm in letting you see it now. After all, you've helped with its construction in your other efforts."

Klein was taken aback by the statement. He'd been with the Doctor since the start of the project, but never once had he been allowed to see the 'S'.

"I appreciate it, sir!" He shouted, saluting again.

He was curious as to what this 'S' was, and why the Doctor and the other two were so obsessed with it. Looking over at the man and woman, they were completely sane, normal people at the start. But in a relatively short amount of time, they descended into madness, working on the 'S' nonstop. Becoming consumed with nothing but thoughts of the 'S'.

Ambient too was curious, the Organoid had never felt a Zoid like that before.

The Doctor finished typing on his keyboard, the large monitor on the wall flashed green with the words: "Access Granted" appearing. Loud metallic screeching rang out as the entire left wall of the room was slowly being drawn up. As it opened, Ambient could see large Tyrannosaurus-like feet with 3 long silver claws that arched slightly, giving the claws a shallow crescent shape. As it raised further the Organoid could see its unarmored black legs and body, tubes and wires were strung all around its frame. And then finally, as the wall raised all the way up, its head became visible. It had clear red eyes, and several small, but sharp silver fangs that lined the inside of its mouth. The fangs were closed around a cannon that looked almost identical to the Charged Particle Cannon of the Geno Saurer and Breaker.

"So this is the S…." Klein muttered, eyes wide in astonishment.

Just at a glance, he could see that this Zoid was something special.

Ambient too could instantly recognize this Zoid was different from all the others. In fact, it almost felt nostalgic in a way. The Zoid before Ambient was closer to the wild Zoids that roamed Zi during the Ancient Zoidian times than the modern Zoids that had been tamed and outfitted with man-made weapons. It was abundantly clear that this Zoid was different on a fundamental level. The Organoid couldn't figure out what was so different, but whatever it was, made it feel wild and unpredictable, a force of nature.

A sudden hand on Ambient's head drove the Organoid from its thoughts, looking up to see the Doctor with a wide, proud smile.

"This is the amalgamation of my life's work. The ultimate, adaptable Zoid. It's so very close to complete, all it needs is you Ambient, an Organoid!"

The Doctor stared at him with glee, his hand trembling from excitement.

"Sir…" Klein spoke, causing the Doctor to avert his gaze from Ambient to him.

"What would you need an Organoid for?" He asked in genuine curiosity, "To my knowledge, they only serve as a temporary power-up and nothing more."

The Doctor snickered at Klein's question as he took his hand off Ambient's head. His eyes showed arrogance, as if he was talking to a child.

"Masterson, I assure you that there's much, much, more to Organoids than that. They draw out the full potential of a Zoid and then multiply it. They are similar to a living Zoid core. And then, when interacting and fusing with another Zoid core, they amplify it by an order of magnitude."

His voice was full of arrogance and pride as he spoke, but his demeanor quickly changed, his smile curling down in a scowl, his thick gray eyebrows furrowing down.

"Of course, I was the first one to document and discover this phenomenon, but that damned Dr. D beat me to it, hogging all the glory for himself!"

His hands clenched into white-knuckled fists.

Klein gave a small sigh, this obviously wasn't the first time he'd started this tangent. However, the Doctor quickly regained his composure, letting his wrinkly fingers uncurl, his scowl disappeared, returning to his wide smile.

"But none of that matters anymore, with Ambient, I'll have the ultimate Zoid!" His tone back to one of joy and excitement.

He rushed into the hangar, a long wooden table was at the Zoid's feet, a large laptop lay upon it. Several wires from the S were hooked up to the laptop, with several more wires laying on the ground. The Doctor motioned for them all to come.

Klein and the two assistants began walking. But Ambient didn't, not wanting to get near that Zoid. Despite the nostalgia, the feeling he got from it was much like the uncontrollable Death Saurer. The Organoid wanted no part. But as Klein walked, the chain started to pull on Ambient's neck. Klein looked back at Ambient with stern eyes, jerking the chain, causing the Organoid to stumble forward. Ambient shot a hostile warning glare at Klein, a deep growl rumbling in his throat. The Organoid wasn't there to be a pet, and it wasn't going to be treated as such. Klein's cold, icy blue eyes met Ambient's. He said nothing, but his eyes made it clear that he wasn't going to back down. The tension was palpable.

The Doctor ran in between them, coming up to Ambient and kneeling down, placing his hands on the Organoid's small shoulders.

"Please Organoid!"

The old man pleaded. His eyes, though hidden, still shined through with excitement and vigor.

"I need you! Without your abilities and data, my work here's all for not! So please, help a poor old man…"

His face drooped with a saggy frown as he spoke, causing Ambient to avert his gaze as hot guilt rose within the Theropod.

After a moment, Ambient gave a small nod. The Organoid was already there, and a small part of it was curious what its role was in the Doctor's plan.

The old man's demeanor changed instantly, his wide smile returned and his hands shook once again with excitement. He laughed as he rubbed Ambient's smooth metallic head.

"Oh, thank you Organoid!"

He shouted as he sprung up back to his feet and ran to the laptop, quickly opening it and started typing away.

Ambient gave a defeated sigh. The Theropod had nothing better to do. And perhaps, this could be the start of making up for what happened with that red-haired man. Slowly it walked towards the Doctor. Its footsteps were slow and lumbering. Ambient still didn't want to be a part of the situation, but its other options were slim to none.

Klein began to walk again, getting in front of Ambient. He walked up next to the Doctor, curiously looking at his screen. But it was a bunch of information he didn't understand.

"Alright, stay where you are, Organoid." The Doctor ordered.

Ambient did as it was told, stopping about 10 feet away from the Doctor and Klein. The Organoid cocked its head curiously as to why.

The Doctor then waved for his two assistants to come over and they immediately did Their wide, crazed eyes looked at the data on the laptop's screen with a primal hunger. The Doctor grabbed the mass of unused wires and handed it over to them.

"Go hook the Organoid up so we can start the process."

He ordered, his voice seeming off, it was very flat and monotone, losing all the enthusiasm it once had.

The assistants paid no mind, eagerly grabbing the wires and hurrying over to the Organoid.

Ambient bared his teeth once again, growling intensely as they approached. The Theropod didn't want those crazed humans touching it.

But that didn't stop them at all. They knelt down right next to the Organoid and brought the wires up to his body.

Ambient opened its mouth, showing its full set of sharp teeth as they began to touch it. But The Organoid didn't bite as they started to attach wires to its body and head. Ambient knew that if it bit them, it could be thrown out. And that thought alone scared Ambient enough not to bite. But it never stopped growling. The Organoid just didn't want to be alone again. And while Ambient didn't care or like any of them, it was still better than being alone.

The whole process took a few minutes, but at the end, the Organoid had several wires connected to its body and head. They felt uncomfortable and itchy.

"Alright, you all give the Organoid his space."

The Doctor spoke, the two assistants ran back over to him, eagerly eyeing the data flashing on the laptop screen.

Klein, however, stayed put.

"Sir…do you think it's ok to leave the Organoid without any restraint?"

He asked, unsure of what Ambient would do.

"Yes, yes, leave the Organoid be, I trust it'll stay put." The Doctor responded in an annoyed, cold tone.

Klein looked back at Ambient, then dropped the chain, making a metallic clink as it hit the steel ground. He then walked up to the Doctor and saw a completely cold and flat expression. The life his face once had was gone, now wearing a cold scowl. He raised his head from the computer screen to meet Klein's gaze, giving a chilling smirk before slowly looking back at Ambient.

The Organoid could sense it immediately. The Doctor's cold eyes chilled his very core, despite being so hidden behind hair and shadow. Panic hit Ambient and a single thought popped into its mind: "I'm in danger". But it was far too late, and with one last keypress, a surge of electricity flooded Ambient's body.

In an instant its legs gave out, falling to the ground, convulsing, as it shrieked in agony. The Organoid could only feel searing, burning pain as electricity ravaged its body. Ambient began to beat its head on the ground over and over again, the sickening metallic clanging noise could scarcely be heard over its ear-piercing screeches.

Klein put a hand over his mouth as he watched. Though, he quickly had to look away, the sight was just too much.

The Doctor and the assistants, however, watched on with gleeful smiles. The S's clear red eyes began to glow. The Doctor turned, not from the sight, but to check his laptop. He began wickedly laughing as he saw a bar filling, the caption reading: "Organoid Data Transfering: Organoid System 1% complete".

Klein couldn't handle it, it was just too cruel. He leaned into the Doctor so he could be heard over Ambient's shrieks.

"Sir, don't you think this is a bit too much?!" He shouted, terrified and infuriated by the cruelty before his own eyes.

The Doctor snickered, closing his eyes for a moment, sighing then motioning to his two assistants.

"You both keep an eye on the data and the Organoid, Masterson and I are going to have a talk!" He shouted to his assistants but their eyes were already glued to the laptop's screen, not even acknowledging what he said.

And with that, he began to slowly walk out of the hangar, motioning Klein to follow him. Follow him he did, but his eyes looked back at the convulsing Organoid one last time, the blood-curdling shrieks not stopping or slowing down.

***

There was a loud bang as Klein slammed his fist into a wall, pain pulsating throughout his hand, but he paid it no mind.

"Sir! With all due respect, what you're doing is beyond cruel! It doesn't matter how much good your experiment can do if it's the product of suffering like that!" His voice gradually lost control, screaming to the top of his lungs, partly because he was furious, and partly to try and drown out Ambient's still distant screams.

The Doctor wasn't phased by Klein's anger, he slumped against a wall, pulling out a pack of cigarettes from his coat pocket. He pulled a cigarette out and then pulled out a lighter, lighting the cigarette. He took a large breath before slowly letting it out, smoke puffing up in the air.

"Masterson…you've no idea how many lives that Organoid has ended. Believe me, that Organoid deserves every bit of this"

His words were flat and uncaring, his sunken-in golden irises drifting to Klein.

"B-but sir! This is still going way too far!" He shouted back, causing the doctor to sigh, taking another puff of his cigarette.

"Are you aware…?" He spoke with a sudden coldness, sending chills down Klein's spine. "That Organoid is responsible for your good friends, Mark and Donna Chen's deaths. That monster killed them and left their little boy orphaned…."

The news came as a shock to him. He had heard they were killed by a Zoid they were researching, but that was all. He couldn't help but feel anger bubble in his stomach. All the sympathy he had for Ambient was washed away in that moment.

"And that's just the tip of the iceberg. That Organoid is a war criminal and deserves nothing less."

That news was a shock to his system, he didn't know how to respond or even if he should believe it at first.

"H-how do you know about the Chen's?" He asked shakily, cold sweat beginning to race down his forehead.

The Doctor chuckled before taking yet another puff of his cigarette.

"The Chen's were brilliant Zoid researchers. Of course I'd know them on some level. And it just so happens that I was put on a team to track down and research the Zoid that killed them. A red Organoid, the same Organoid in this very base. I know because I've met it before. We were able to track it down once, but it escaped."

"I see…" Klein muttered, his fists clenched into white knuckles.

The Doctor's mouth curled up into another wrinkly grin, placing a hand on Klein's shoulder.

"Now you understand."

Klein only nodded, unable to do any more than that. His sympathy may have vanished, but those shrieks were just too chilling.

With a final puff of his cigarette, he flicked it to the floor, stepping and grinding his foot on it to put it out before taking his hand off Klein's shoulder before walking back towards the hangar.

"That monster will become a part of something great. Rest assured, despite its crimes, it can still atone. If not willingly, then force is simple enough." He said in a tone that could only be described as maliciously calm, before disappearing back into the hangar

Klein stood there, wondering if the Doctor had any room to call Ambient a monster. He was beginning to feel as if the Doctor was a monster himself.

***

Hours had passed, and the bar on the laptop's screen was now at 100%. Ambient laid on the floor, almost motionless, if not for the constant twitching. His crimson body was burned by the electricity. It had no strength left to do anything but let out labored and quick breaths. It was a pitiful and horrid site, faint whimpers escaping its mouth.

Doctor S softly chuckled, in his palm was a small green chip.

"What're you doing, sir?" Klein inquired as the Doctor approached the Organoid.

"A precautionary measure. This will ensure that the Organoid is obedient, if the process it just endured didn't make it."

Ambient weakly looked up to the Doctor, whimpering as he knelt down. Wasn't what it'd just gone through enough? Hadn't it had enough? it didn't want anything more, trying to plead with bleary emerald eyes, but the Doctor paid no mind.

"We're running low on supplies, Masterson. After I've installed this chip, why don't you take your Zaber Fang and pay the nearby town a visit? Take the Organoid with you for a test drive. See if it can still fuse properly with your Zoid, even after this ordeal.

Klein stood to attention, saluting as he shouted: "Sir, yes sir!"

Though, despite following orders, he hated forcing the village to give up their food and supplies, but they were strapped for options.

He looked over to the two assistants who were engrossed with the data on the laptop.

"Would you both like to come along and see your son again?" He asked, guilty that they had been separated for so long. However, they hardly paid him any attention, simply shaking their heads as they continued to obsess over the data.

It was in that moment he could see they were too far gone, consumed by some sort of obsessive madness. They no longer were the people they were. He had a sneaking suspicion that it was the S's doing. He looked at the massive Zoid with a wary stare. It was clear to him that this Zoid drove them to madness. He wondered if the Doctor was succumbing to the same madness, or maybe, he already had...

Chapter Text

A loud bang rang out, causing the hairs on his neck to stand straight. Next, a terrified scream that turned his blood to ice. Then, as if nothing had happened at all. Silence. Pure, sickening, silence. Only the thumping of his heart in his ears saved him from the cacophony of nothing. It was that alone, the thumping of his heart in his ears, that broke him from his frozen state. Slowly, inch by inch, he turned and began creeping forward. Shakily, he made his way to the stairs. He stopped just before them, staring at the dark abyss they descended into. His young mind conjured up all manner of vile and horrid things as he stared into the abyss. He conjured images of bloodthirsty monsters out to haunt and terrorize him, that they were waiting for him inside that abyss. But the ever-present thumping steadied him, if only a little. After all, monsters weren't real, right? His dad had told him as much. Oh, how wrong he was.

He gripped the cold metal railing of the staircase, shakily placing a foot on one of the sheet metal steps. It creaked and groaned as he placed his body weight upon it, causing him to flinch. His body shook, rattling the staircase, causing it to groan even more. The abyss stared back into his wide, petrified eyes. He stood there for a moment, unable to move forward or step back. But the incessant thumping of his heart in his ears kept him from losing his nerve completely. With a gulp, he descended into the abyss.

"W-what's….what's g-going on?" The young boy timidly called out as he walked down the stairs. The creaking and groaning of the stairs was the only thing that answered his response.

His long braided hair rested on his shoulder, bobbing up and down as he descended into the darkness with each step, soon consumed by the abyss. The stairs he used every day with his mom and dad now seemed foreign. Like they were sending him somewhere new, somewhere scarier, despite knowing exactly where they led. After a few moments, a foul odor assaulted his nostrils, causing his lips to curl and his nose to scrunch into a sneer of absolute disgust. It was an unmistakable salty stench. He'd never smelt it before, but as soon as the stench invaded his nostrils, he knew something was wrong. His heart lurched, skipping a beat as he stepped down the last stair.

An open doorway was to his immediate left, the doorway that led into the laboratory. He stood still for a moment, his heart pounding harder in his ears. His body trembled, but he clenched his small fists tight, working up the courage to go in. He took a deep breath, trying in vain to calm his nerves. He turned and stepped into the room. It was dark; the boy could scarcely see anything. Only a darkened figure of something, a creature of some kind. It was in the middle of the room, standing next to two mounds. The ominous whirr of its mechanical breathing filled the silence.

"Mom…? Dad?" He thought, stepping forward.

A splash echoed suddenly as he stepped into a puddle. A puddle of what, he didn't know. The dark figure quickly turned around. Its ghastly green eyes glowed in the near pitch-black darkness. It growled, stepping away from the two motionless mounds. Fear chilled his blood as his eyes met with the monsters'. He wanted to run, but he was frozen in place. His legs were numb and heavy, like lead. His face shriveled in terror as the monster came closer. Its footsteps made a distinct metallic clank as its feet hit the ground, sloshing in the liquid that puddled around them. He wanted to scream, but nothing would come, only faint squeaks of air. His throat felt like it had closed in on itself, paining him to even swallow.

The monster opened its mouth, and even in the darkness, the boy could make out its numerous sharp teeth. The monster let out a horrid metallic roar that echoed throughout the room. A warm stream flowed down his shaking legs as he heard the roar; a primal fear relieved him of his bladder. He was so terrified he became numb, feeling both weightless and unbelievably heavy at the same time.

It ran at him, and for a moment, it was like time had slowed, forcing him to wait in sheer, cold terror. The monster seemingly slowed to a crawl. He wanted to move, to run, to hide. But he couldn't. It was as if the monster before him was Medusa, its deep green eyes turning him to stone. He could only watch in horror as the monster whipped its body around, slamming its large tail into his side. The sudden surge of pain caused his mouth to become agape, forcing all the air he had out of his lungs. The force of the strike made him fly back. At that moment, time resumed its normal pace and the monster ran out of the laboratory in a flash.

He hit the wall hard as the lights in the laboratory suddenly flashed on, his body had hit up against the light switch. Deep, aching pain pulsated from his side, causing the boy to be unable to gasp for air. He laid there, slumped against the wall. His vision blurred from the sudden change in light. Though, as it cleared, he wished he could stay oblivious forever. Oblivious to the wretched sight in front of him. A wave of nausea passed over him, his stomach lurching. His head felt like it might explode, as foul, warm sludge was ejected from his mouth and onto the floor. He let out primal groans between each convulsion, feeling as if he'd vomit out his very soul each time. He shook uncontrollably as all that he had left in his stomach, emptied onto the tile floor; his throat burning from the stomach acid. And still after that, dry heaving over and over again.

That liquid he had stepped in, that the monster had stepped in. It was blood. Warm, scarlet blood. It was everywhere, pooling on the floor and splattered on the light bluish-gray walls and machinery. The mounds the monster stepped away from. The motionless bodies of his mother and father; blood still leaking from their fresh corpses. The Zoid pod they had been studying, was completely shattered. Countless tiny shards of deep lime glass scattered across the bloody tile floor. The monster was none other than the very Zoid they were researching, hatching, and killing them. He reached out his hand, his vision fluctuating between clear and blurry, on the verge of passing out from the shock of it all. He may have been young, but he knew. He knew death was in front of him, that his parents were no longer among the living. Had that creature been the Grim Reaper?

"Raven…" A distant voice called.

He stretched his arm further; everything around him dissolving into a mess of colors and shapes.

"M-Mom…" He called out weakly, unable to keep his eyes open any longer. His head slumped down, everything fading to black.

"Raven, it's alright!" The voice called again. This time it was far louder, clearly echoing in his mind.

"Mom! Dad!" He screamed.

His eyes flung open to a clear, starry night. He was suddenly sitting up, his hand reaching out, moonlight shining through his fingers. His mouth was agape, taking in heavy, labored breaths, cold sweat drenching his entire body.

"Everything's alright. It was just a nightmare." A familiar voice softly whispered in his ear.

Raven felt arms wrap around him, gently pulling him back. He looked up to see Reese gazing down at him with empathetic green eyes. His head resting on her soft chest. Immediate tranquility washed over him. His body ceased to shake as he took in her sweet scent of lavender. A warm metal snout nudged his cheek. He turned to see Shadow's big, pale blue eyes. The Organoid opened his mouth, letting out a low, worried trill. Raven gave an assuring smile; taking his hand and softly stroking Shadow's head.

"I'm ok now." Raven said with false bravado, trying to sound more ok than he actually was.

Closing his eyes, he took in a deep, relaxing breath. Listening to the soft, rhythmic thumps of Reese's heartbeat, and the metallic whistling of Shadow's breaths helped him ease up.

Reese slowly pulled a purple blanket over Raven, resting it over his now relaxed shoulders. She pulled herself and Raven up a little bit. Now sitting up, on a large blue sheet spread on the cold sand of the barren Elmia desert. She glanced over to Specula, her grin expanding into a smile as she saw the blue Organoids' tannish yellow eyes gazing at Raven. Not overly concerned but concerned all the same, causing a small chuckle to escape her mouth. She then looked at the clear night sky and the countless glimmering stars that dotted it. The two moons of Zi were high in the sky, casting a wondrous bright silver on everything. She clutched Raven a little tighter, her fingers still stroking his hair. Shadow gingerly laid his body horizontally to them, his head resting on Raven's legs.

"That same nightmare again?" She questioned in a soft, quiet voice.

"...Yeah..." Raven responded, but his voice was subdued, still having a hint of fear as he spoke.

He looked at the clear night sky, his eyes lost in thought, wondering how he got where he was. He began to stroke Shadow's smooth and warm metallic head. He recalled all of their time together, causing a slight grin to cross his face. But that quickly faded as his eyes slowly glanced over to his Geno Breaker. He felt a whirl of feelings swell inside his stomach: regret, anger, and pride. They made his stomach turn and his mind race. Unable to know how he really felt about the machine that caused so much destruction with him at the helm. But it was also the thing that made him realize how much he loved and needed Shadow. That machine of mass destruction was living proof of their bond in a real physical form. And beside it was Reese's new Psycho Geno Saurer, formed through the combined effort of Shadow and Specula, causing its former purple accents to become black. Much like how Ambient helped reform his Geno Saurer with Shadow, causing its purple to turn red.

Reese held Raven's hand reassuringly, her strong 6th sense able to understand Raven's feelings, without even uttering a word. But a question did come to her mind. One she knew Raven couldn't fully answer, but she still felt the need to ask anyway.

"Do you regret 'it'?" She asked gingerly, not wanting to upset him any further.

Her question caused Shadow to look at Raven, his pale blue eyes wanting to know it as well, since he was a part of 'it'. Raven took a deep breath, letting it out slowly, trying to put his feelings into words. He shifted uncomfortably. Feeling frustrated, not being able to understand how he should feel. Several moments passed in near silence, only the faint wisps of the wind made noise. He looked into Shadow's anxious blue eyes before closing his own. Turning back to 'it', he opened them again, looking upon the massive red behemoth with conflicted eyes.

"I...don't know." He finally said. Frustration and uncertainty laced his words as they came out.

The answer caused Shadow to cower his head, slightly hurt at the statement, but also relieved that he didn't fully regret 'it'. Raven patted the Organoid on his head, to try and reassure him, not knowing what to say to him beyond what he'd already said. Instead, he shifted his gaze to Reese's new Psycho Geno Saurer.

"What about you?" He asked, more eager to change the subject than his innate curiosity. "What do you think of yours?"

She glanced over at her new machine only for a moment before shrugging.

"Nothing really, it's just a machine to me. I don't have a history with mine, like you do with your Geno Breaker, so I can't say I have any feelings for it." She stated, causing a wave of dejection to hit Specula.

The Organoid hung her head. Just like Shadow was a part of the Geno Breaker, she was a part of the Psycho Geno Saurer, and to hear that her partner had no feelings for it made the Organoid a little bitter. However, Reese was so preoccupied with Raven that she didn't notice what her words did to the Organoid. Shadow perked his head up from Raven's lap, giving a sympathetic glance. However, Specula just turned her head, giving a disgruntled 'humph' before curling back into her sleeping position.

"Well in any case," Raven said as he laid back down. "We should try to go back to sleep."

Reese nodded and laid down next to Raven, Specula already curled into her sleeping position about a foot from her. A little farther from her than usual, but Reese didn't seem to pick up on it.

"Are you sure you want to go there?" Raven then asked, causing her to jolt a bit, due to its suddenness.

"Even if it was the place where you were released from your pod, I doubt the people there will be too kind. We have committed some pretty terrible atrocities." His tone became more regretful with every word.

She took her own deep breath, letting it out as she turned to meet his eyes with a soft smile.

"Yeah, I know, and I never expected any kind of warm welcome. I just want to pay respects to Nichalo's grave. And then we can turn ourselves in." Her tone was soft but heavy with grief, causing Raven to give an apologetic nod for asking.

He then turned over, his back facing her. He closed his eyes a little tighter than normal, trying his best to forget that horrible night.

"Sweet dreams." She uttered, before closing her eyes, embracing the near silence.

Chapter Text

Large clawed feet imprinted the hot desert sand. The mechanical whirrs of gears and hisses of pistons rang out, mixing with the ever-present buzz of cicadas. The Geno Breaker and Psycho Geno Saurer lumbered across its surface. The latter lagged slightly behind the former. Shadow and Specula were running behind them. Their mouths open in heavy pants. Their chests heaved as the hot yellow sun beat down on them from a blue sky. Dark clouds looked to be moving in from the north.

Inside the dark cockpit of her Zoid, Reese stared blankly at the main camera's monitor with a solemn frown. Lights flashed all around the cockpit, but she paid no mind to them, or even the camera she was looking at. Her mind wandered elsewhere. To that day. The day her only friend up to that point was bleeding out in her arms. Raven's voice came over the radio, snapping her from her thoughts.

"What's this village like?" He asked, knowing she was lost in her own head by the way she was lagging. He wanted to get her talking, keep her in reality.

She blinked a few times, the words dazing her for a moment. She shook her head, trying to clear the image from her mind.

"Honestly, I don't know much about it." She admitted with a sigh. " I was so young when I was there. The entire place seemed like a dream."

She grit her teeth and gripped her sleeve tightly, the fabric starting to tear a little from the force. Her mind flashed to Nichalo on the ground bleeding out in her arms while she was unable to do anything.

"If it wasn't for Nichalo I would have forgotten all about that place." Her voice was somewhere between angry and regretful. "The Village of Nordiance, that's all I know, only its name."

"Right…I'm sorry for bringing it up" He apologized. He knew she had some trauma from the village, but she never spoke about it. He could tell by the tone in her voice that it was flaring up.

Reese took in a deep breath, calming herself as she wiped the image of the boy from her mind.

"There's no need to be sorry Raven, it was a harmless question." Her tone was honest, making no attempt to hide her emotions. After she said it, she felt strange. She was so used to covering her emotions and denying she had any. Acknowledging them felt foreign. But for some reason when she was with Raven, she felt she could show her true self.

Specula could feel what she was feeling, the Organoid began to growl. Causing Shadow to distance himself a little bit from her, not knowing why she was growling but didn't want to be the one she snapped at. The growl grew louder and louder as a sense of acute jealousy welled in her stomach. She could feel that Reese felt comfortable with Raven, feeling she preferred to be with him more than her. Had she been replaced? No, she couldn't have, right? She shook her head to try and get the thoughts from her mind. They had been partners long before Raven joined the picture. She looked up at the Psycho Geno Saurer, wondering if Reese could sense her feelings. Closing her bright yellow eyes, she focused her feelings, trying to direct them at Reese. But she could tell they weren't reaching her, she was too preoccupied with Raven.

"Do you think they'll accept you back?" Raven asked. He knew it was a little harsh to ask, but he wanted her to face reality. Their crimes may have been pardoned after their help with the Death Saurer. But they were for all intents and purposes, War Criminals. Most people wouldn't take too kindly to them.

"I don't care if they do or not." She said almost instantaneously, giving the question no thought. "I just want to visit the grave of an old friend. Once I do that, I'll be more than happy to leave."

Raven's chuckle came over her radio. "You won't have to wait much longer, I think I can see the village up ahead."

She looked into her camera and he was right, the village was on the horizon. She hadn't noticed since she was so lost in thought. She smiled, knowing that it wouldn't be long before she could be with Nichalo again, even if it was his tombstone. However, she could also see something else, tiny dots on the horizon that slowly got closer. It wasn't long before she could see those dots were people running to them.

"Seems our reputation proceeds us…" Raven said over the radio. "We should get out and meet them face to face. Show them we mean no harm."

"Yeah…" She quietly agreed.

They stopped their Zoids, Shadow and Specula stopping with them. They opened the cockpit door to their Zoids, jumping out onto the hot sand below. They could hear the people yelling as they got close. Raven walked forward with his hands raised in the air and Reese followed suit. The two Organoids walked behind them, Shadow looking on curiously at the people coming towards them. But Specula began to growl, not wanting anything to do with them. She was silenced as Reese dropped her left hand, motioning her to be quiet. Specula couldn't believe it. Reese hated people, or at least she used to. Or she used to hate being around people. She was the only one Reese ever wanted to be around. Even with that red-haired man, she only stayed by him because their interests at the time aligned. And even then, Reese only interacted as much as she needed…

"Stop right there!" A man yelled as the crowd of people ran to them. Some held guns while others held knives.

"We have peaceful intentions," Raven said calmly. "We've just come to visit a boy's grave. Once we've done that, we promise to leave."

The crowd of people looked at them skeptically. Clearly, they weren't going to believe them.

"I apologize if that is truly your intention," One of the men said as he walked up to them, gun pointed at Raven's head. "But we've had a lot of bandit trouble. We simply cannot allow you to come into the village." He said as he looked at the two Organoids.

Specula bore her teeth, a deep growl rising in her throat. Reese brought her hand down again, this time hitting Specula on the nose. Looking back at the Organoid with disapproving eyes. Specula stared wide-eyed, feeling hurt and heartbroken. Reese had never hit her before or given her that look. Was this really the Reese she once knew?

"Please!" Reese pleaded. "I've come to see Nichalo's tombstone!"

A wave of silence fell over the group. Their gazes grew outright hostile.

"How do you know about that boy?!" The man demanded as he stormed over to Reese, his eyes were both angry and regretful.

Her eyes shifted to the golden sand at their feet.

"M-My name i-is Reese…" She shuddered, unsure how to say what she wanted. "Nichalo… he was an old friend of mine. H-he died b-b-because of me….and I just w-wanted to see him…just one last time." It was clear she really wasn't good with talking to strangers. Especially when trying to convey something personal like that.

Before the man could say anything, an older man pushed through the crowd, running up to them. His hair was completely gray with age as was this thick beard. Reese recognized the old man. He was the village Chief, though he was a little younger the last time she saw him.

"Reese! Is…is that really you?" He asked in surprise, his soft brown eyes staring into hers.

She nodded. "Yes, it's me."

Tears started to run down his face. Wrapping his arms around her in a tight embrace. The old man started to shake.

"I'm so, so sorry!" He choked out through the tears. "W-we were too cowardly back then to do anything. And because of that Nichalo was killed and you were taken."

Reese smiled and hugged the man back, a single tear falling down her cheek, but she quickly whipped it away. It was nice to know she wasn't despised, not by this man at least.

The rest of the villagers ease up a little. Though many began to whisper among themselves. About what, they couldn't hear. But it was clear the pair and their Organoids were still held under suspicion. The Chief let go of his embrace on Reese and grabbed the barrel of the gun the other man held at Raven's forehead and pulled it away.

"Any acquaintance of hers is welcome." He said to Raven. "You are both warmly welcomed into the village as guests!" He declared for all to hear. "It's the least we can do for all we didn't do all those years ago."

***

They walked through the village, houses were nestled in a rocky cliff. Many of the villagers who didn't come with the angry mob -mostly women and children- were peeking at them suspiciously through cracked doors or windows. The Chief walked in front of them, guiding them through the village, Shadow and Specula walking behind them.

"So, about these bandit attacks?" Raven asked.

The chief stopped, lowered his head, and sighed. "We've had a string of bandit attacks. It's always just one man in an old Zaber Fang. We've contacted the Guardian Force multiple times. But we've received no help thus far." He said as he clutched his fists and gritted his teeth, They were obviously frustrated at the lack of help. "Once again, we are powerless to stop anything in the face of force."

Raven scowled. "A Zabre Fang...?" He thought to himself. He thought back to his own Zaber Fang, and the grizzly fate he made it suffer.

"Um…." The Chief inquired, looking at Raven's scowl. "Is something the matter?"

Raven relaxed his face and let the scowl disappear, realizing he was letting his emotions show too much.

"No, I'm fine." He assured, raising his hand in a waving motion. "But, we'd be happy to deal with this bandit problem ourselves." He said, looking over to Reese, who gave an approving grin.

"Oh?!" The Chief blurted with widened eyes. "W-we would be grateful!" His enthusiasm quickly faded, however. "Pardon my rudeness, but are you equipped to handle such a bandit? From what we know he's an ex-milliary officer of the Empire. He's no common bandit ruffian."

Reese brought her hand over her mouth as she chuckled at the question. One lowly bandit -officer or not- in a Zaber Fang would stand no chance against them.

"I can promise you, it'll be no issue. We could easily dispatch a single Zoid on our own. With the two of us, there's no way we could lose." Reese said with absolute confidence.

She looked to Raven for the same response. Instead of the cruel excitement he used to show, he just gave a solemn nod. The Raven she used to know would take any chance to happily destroy a Zoid and gloat about it. But he didn't seem like he wanted to at all. He seemed almost sad that he had to. She couldn't help but smile. He really had matured.

The Chief bowed in respect and gratitude. "Oh, I thank you both!" He exclaimed. "You both can stay here for free until the bandit shows!"

Raven closed his eyes and slowly exhaled. "I'm sorry, but I can't accept your hospitality…" He said solemnly. It was clear he wasn't trying to be humble, rather he didn't believe they deserved such treatment. They weren't worthy of that.

The Chief looked up at him with confusion and alarm. "No, no. You both are our guests, it would pain me dearly if you both were to go without proper food and shelter!".

Raven drew in a sharp breath and exhaled again. He put a hand in his pocket, the chime of change jingling as he grabbed a handful of coins from his pocket.

"Then the least we can do is pay for our own room and board. We won't be staying otherwise." His tone was soft yet stern. Making it clear he wouldn't budge on the matter.

"Well…if you insist." The Chief relented. He pointed to a large house in the distance. "There you'll find a woman named Martha who'll take you both in with open arms."

Raven bowed and thanked the old man, starting to walk off.

"Oh, young man!" The Chief called. "I never caught your name!"

Raven stopped dead in his tracks. Apprehension took hold of him.

"My name?" He asked, unsure what to call himself at first. He didn't want to say his name, he didn't want them to realize who he was. "My name is…Joyce." He said, though right after he looked down at his hands in confusion. Where had the name Joyce come from? He couldn't recall the name, but it came so naturally to him.

"Well, Joyce. It's nice to meet you. And I can't thank-" He was cut off as a loud scream startled him, causing all three of them to look over.

There was a young boy running at them. He had short brown hair and large, deep brown eyes and looked to be no older than 10 years old.

"GET OUT!" He screamed, a furious scowl branded his face. "TAKE YOUR ZOIDS AND NEVER COME BACK!"

Reese's eyes widened as she saw him. "Nichalo?!" She thought, but quickly dismissed it. She knew he was dead. He died in her arms.

"Nichalo!" A woman yelled as she ran after the boy.

As soon as the name hit her ears, tears began to flow down her cheeks and she made no effort to stop them. She couldn't even if she tried. She held her hand out to the approaching boy. A wealth of emotion hit her all at once, rising in her stomach.

"Ni…cha…lo…." she called quietly, scarcely heard.

The boy ran up and swung his foot at Specula in a wide kick. The Organoid easily dodged out of the way, causing Nichalo to fall forward. The blue Organoid retaliated, opening her jaws wide, revealing two rows of sharp teeth and letting out a deep hostile growl. Reese swung her head over to Specula.

"Don't you dare Specula!" She yelled, slapping the Organoid with all her might. Immediate regret hit her, but she was too focused on Nichalo to apologize. Specula cowered her head. This was the second time she was hit. She didn't understand, why was Reese like this all of a sudden? The Organoid stepped back, a small whimper escaped her. Shadow gave a sympathetic trill but Specula eyed him with a look of rage. Shadow let out a whimper of his own before quickly stepping back from Specula. It wasn't that she was mad at him, but she felt too betrayed to show anything else at the moment.

"Are you alright?...Nichalo?" She asked the boy, bending down to help him up. She extended a hand but it was swatted away. He glared at her with a hateful grimace, tears falling down his cheeks.

"Get away from me!" He snarled as he jumped to his feet, trying to kick her. "Go away! And never come back!"

The Chief grabbed the boy's arm, pulling him away from Reese and Specula.

"Calm down boy!" He yelled sternly. "These people are our guests!"

"No!" He yelled back trying to yank his arm free. "Not with those filthy Zoids!"

The woman who was chasing after him caught up. She brought her hand up smacking the boy across the face.

"Nichalo, leave these people alone!" She shouted, grabbing his other hand as she tried to drag him off.

"Wait…." Reese called out quietly, extending her hand out to the boy.

The Chief knew what she must be thinking. Placing a hand on her shoulders, he looked her in the eyes, shaking his head.

"That boy isn't the Nichalo you once knew." He told her softly, knowing it must be hard seeing his spitting image.

"He must've gone through a lot." Raven commented, watching the boy be dragged back while thrashing.

"Yes…." The Chief sighed. "He hates Zoids. His father and mother were brilliant Zoid researchers. But they spent all of their time buried in their work and not with him. On top of that, the bandit took his parents from us and hauled them away to work on some Zoid project. The poor boy has never been the same since."

Raven winced, seeing his younger self in the boy. And not wanting him to turn out like he did, he ran after him. He knelt down, placing his hands on the boy's shoulders, and looked him directly in the eyes with a hard but empathetic look.

"I'm sorry for what you've been through, but hate isn't the path you need to follow." He told him in a soft but stern voice.

"And what do you know!" He growled back with an angry sneer.

Raven closed his eyes, letting a breath out through his nose.

"My parents were always busy too. With researching Zoids. They never had time for me." He said with somber eyes. "And they were also killed by the very Zoid they were researching. That sent me on a long and dark path. One I don't want you to repeat."

The boy stared at him for a few moments with that same angry glare, before shutting his eyes tight, tears beginning to flood down his face once again. He was able to yank his arm free, running off, away from Raven. The woman was about to run after him but Raven shook his head.

"Let him vent, it'll be better for him that way."

The woman sighed, conceding. Reese and the Cheif came up to them. Reese watched as Nichalo ran off.

"Why does…" She shuddered. "Why does he look and sound just like him?..."

The Chief sighed. "It's a long-winded story. But it has to do with the religion of this village. When somebody here is killed and they have regrets or unfinished business, their spirit stays here on earth. And a new vessel is made for them called a 'Shell'. And eventually, the Shell will meet with the spirit, becoming one. Or so the legend says. A few villagers have reported seeing Nichalo's ghost and a silver Helcat near the ruins. As to whether these claims are legitimate, I can't say. But many think that boy is Nichalo's Shell. He was born shortly after Nichalo was killed and you were taken from this village"

Raven saw hope light up in Reese's eyes, and it pained him to do it but he had to tell it to her straight and not get caught up in some village superstition.

"Don't get your hopes up Reese." He told her straight. "You'll only end up hurting yourself."

She gave a somber nod. She knew something like that was impossible. Besides, Nichalo could never hate Zoids.

***

The orange evening sky was covered by thick ominous clouds. It was clear a storm was brewing. Reese knelt down by a large tombstone with the name "Nichalo" engraved into it. She laid down white flowers with thick green stalks in front of the tombstone. She pressed her forehead against the cold and rough slab of stone, mouthing a prayer. Footsteps caught her attention, causing her to look behind her, seeing the living Nichalo watching her.

"They keep telling me that I'm just some kind of shell for that dead kid." He said, his voice showing he wasn't comfortable with the idea. "That's all they treat me as."

"You certainly do look like him," Reese replied, looking at him softly.

"Yeah…" He sighed, looking to the ground as he kicked up dirt. "That's what they all say."

"I used to know him when he was alive. In fact, he was my best friend." She explained

"Really?" He asked, his eyes now a little curious. "What was he like?"

Reese chuckled. "He was very kind and caring. And above all, he loved Zoids more than anything." She said with a smile, getting lost in remembering him

"Humph!" He snorted. "That's why I could never be him. I hate Zoids!" He spat.

"My partner Rav- I mean..Joyce used to say that all the time. He despised nothing more than Zoids. It led him down a path of destruction. It's not a path you want to follow."

"Well, because of Zoids, my parents never had time for me. And because of their knowledge of Zoids, they were taken. And now I don't even know if they're alive!"

Reese got to her feet, walking over and hugging Nichalo.

"We'll try and find your parents for you…" She whispered into his ear. "We agreed to stop the bandit. So once we beat the bandit, we'll make them tell us where they took your parents."

Nichalo squeezed her tight. "Thank you, lady!" He shouted in glee, a large smile formed on his face.

"Nichalo!" A voice called out, causing him to break away from Reese. He turned and ran off, though he waved back at her with a smile.

"Sorry for trying to kick you!" He yelled back at her.

Reese looked on with a satisfied smile, his happy expression really did look exactly like the original Nichalo's.

"You certainly look happy." Raven said suddenly, causing her to look over. Raven, Shadow, and a few yards from them, Specula. They were walking over to her.

"I hate to interrupt, but a storm looks like it'll be here soon. Best to head in now." Raven said.

"Right," Reese replied back, running up to them with that same smile. Not only did she get to pay her respects, but she also got to meet a boy who looked just like Nichalo. And the thought of the boy being Nichalo's 'shell' gave her hope. Maybe, just maybe, she could see her friend again.

***

The large paw of a red Zabre Fang kicked up sand as it walked forward. Thick grey clouds covered the evening sky.

"Seems like a Sandstorm's brewing. That should cover my tracks" Klein said to himself as he looked over the barren desert from the green glass 'eyes' of his Zoid.

He flicked a button on his control panel and in a few moments, his Zoid had completely disappeared, along with the hum of its motor. He couldn't help but be amazed, even after all this time. The Stealth Sheild of the Helcat. Something the Doctor had outfitted his Zoid with, so it would be difficult for him to be followed. A large Zoid like the Zabre Fang could never make use of such a delicate system, and yet here it was. Doctor S really was a genius.

Klein let out a sharp exhale, preparing himself for what he was about to do. He was a veteran and did many things far worse than theft in his time of service. But he never liked doing anything to civilians. It made him feel like a villain, and what he was doing now certainly made him one. But they needed supplies, and that village was the only thing close enough to get supplies from. He had believed that the Docrtor's new creation, the 'S' and the Organoid System, would help bring peace. A super weapon that would help maintain balance. But now he was having his doubts. Not of the machine itself, it was powerful, no doubt. But of the Doctor's intentions. However, he'd made his choice, no turning back now.

He grabbed the control stick and pushed it forward. The Zabre Fang began to run silently, footprints appearing in the sand from out of nowhere.

"I'm sorry Village of Nordiance, forgive me….."