Thomas sat there, staring up at the hazy sky. Van and Zeke lied there, still unconscious, unaware of the great evil that plagued Zi once more. Two of the best pilots, the two men in the Guardian Force whose soul purpose was to protect the citizens of Zi, failed miserably against the Death Stinger and Hilz. And another mystery surrounding these chaotic times, how for a third time was Hilz alive. Clearly killed when the Death Sauer was destroyed then killed again when Van destroyed that advanced GenoSauer. Now for a third time he had returned, like a demon who refused to return to the dark pits of Hell, an Ogre feasting on the terror and death he caused. How could a man so evil and dark be given so many chances to live, how can any man deserve another chance to live while Karl slumbered in the cold ground for eternity. It wasn't fair life just wasn't fair. He had tolerated it, but that toleration had ended. What was the point of fighting if you could never win? Thomas noticed himself crying as the thoughts skipped and leaped around in his mind, he hadn't cried in years but it didn't matter. How could they win now; how could they survive against something supernatural, something no mortal had any control over. Something had brought Hilz back, who and why it was doubtful Thomas would ever find out in his lifetime, which seemed to be closing on him quickly. Thomas looked back at Van, blood coming out of his stomach and cheek, sleeping peacefully while the world suffered. He wished he could help Van, but his Dibision was destroyed and the Blade Liger inoperable. Thomas closed his eyes, wishing none of this happened, wishing everything would be silent and peaceful and the great evil flowing in Hilz's veins would dry up. Zi was slowly being engulfed into the flames of Hell; the Death Stinger was the Devil's chariot, taking the souls of the innocent who had no right to die. Emperor Rudolph, Karl, Irvine, Marianne, Kruger. Those were just a handful who died long before there time, who died before they could live life to there fullest. Thomas wished he would just die as well, end the misery of life and join his brother and parents in hopefully a peaceful afterlife. Even Hell seemed better then this though, and Thomas knew he could leave for it anytime he wished. But he wouldn't, no his devotion to the Guardian Force, to his friends, to Fiona was all he needed. This would be a battle to the death. Thomas, Van, then no longer had anything to lose. Zi no longer had anything to lose. Thomas wasn't familiar with religion or the Bible, but he knew about Armageddon. The true battle of good versus evil, the fate of life resting on the shoulders of those involved. Thomas knew it had come, and like he said before. This would be a battle to the death.
Raven listened to Ryss, listening to her demand that he slow down so the GenoSauer could catch up. But Raven just smiled, he was in no mood to delay any more time. He wanted Shadow back, he wanted Hilz and Jason dead, he wanted to end this chaotic Hellhole once and for all, or he would die trying.
"Raven!" Ryss shouted again. "Will you please slow down, you can't fight the Death Stinger alone!"
"I have before." Raven replied to her quietly. "And ill do it again."
Ryss looked at the Hellcat; amazed he would say that but simply smiled; wiping away the startled look she had before.
Jason turned and saw the two Zoids, separated but traveling together. A blue GenoSauer and black Hellcat, he already knew the pilots. "I thought Ryss and Raven wouldn't be a problem?"
Hilz turned and smiled. "It doesn't matter. Raven no longer has Shadow, and Ryss is worthless. The Death Stinger will finish them off easily."
Jason stared at Hilz's eyes, grinning with an evil thought. He wasn't sure if Hilz would succeed or not, Zoid Eve resurrected him with the same ideas in mind when she brought back Jason and Drake. Now only five Zodians remained on Zi, and soon all five of them would be on the same level, working with the creature they feared and dreaded. "Shame Alisi didn't destroy Zoid Eve when she had the chance, none of this would be happening if she had."
Drake smiled. "She'll learn of it soon enough."
"Now we watch as the most unexpected person makes a desperate attempt to save the life he has wanted to kill so much." Hilz said, pointing to the ground in front of the quick Hellcat. "The messenger of doom as returned, and now the end of life has come. The darkest hour has fallen upon the planet sent to burn in Hell for eternity."
Raven watched as the massive Death Stinger burst up from the ground in front of him, catching the Hellcat with its pinchers and slowly squeezing the Zoid. "Where the Hell did this thing come from!" Raven shouted, using the Hellcats claws to slash at the arms of the Death Stinger.
"I told you it was more powerful then before!" Ryss shouted back. The GenoSauer planting his claws into the ground, taking aim at the Death Stinger's arm that held Raven. "Hang on Raven!"
Raven tightened his grip as the charged particle cannon crashed into the Stinger's arm, tearing it off of the Zoid. Raven was free and the blast had done only minimal damage to his Zoid. Raven fired the Vulcan Cannon at the Death Stinger's head while dodging the cannon shots of the Stinger. "Ill send you to Hell!" Raven shouted, still shooting at the Death Stinger, sick and tired of this beast and everything it had put him through. He made a charge at the Death Stinger, it's claws starting to glow as he sliced off one of the many legs the Stinger had. Raven turned back around and made another charge at the Zoid, pouncing off of its back, barely dodging the Death Stinger's tail as it struck at the flying Hellcat.
"Raven get out of the way!" Ryss yelled as she fired another charged particle blast at the Death Stinger, tearing off the left side of the Zoid. "Why does this seem to easy?" She said to herself, gritting her teeth as she waited to see what the Death Stinger was up to.
Raven stopped and looked, he to sort of confused at why this seemed to easy.
Jason watched as two Organoids flew out of the Death Stinger and landed next to the three men, there heads down. "Hilz, what the Hell is going on?"
Hilz clenched a fist, looking down at the Death Stinger. "Shadow still isn't under are control" He said between his teeth. "Ambient, why did you let that Organoid take control of you!" Shadow was a very powerful Organoid, more powerful then all except Phantom, which rested in the Tiger, evolving it ever so slowly.
Drake started to laugh as Anubis walked up to him. "Hilz, you just lost."
Hilz folded his arms across his chest and smiled. "This is far from over, far." He looked at Ambient and nodded.
Jason watched as Hilz merged with his red Organoid, then both of them merging with the Death Stinger, it's torn ligaments regenerating and the blue light of Shadow coming out of the Zoid, crashing into the ground.
Raven watched as the Organoid he had cared for crashed to the ground, mixed emotions circling around in his body. He still had feeling for his friend, but had just as much anger at him for killing his love. But Raven knew it wasn't by Shadow's own will, his friend would never bring a monster like the Death Stinger back or side with Hilz. Raven turned back to the Stinger, snarling at the new pilot of the Zoid, Hilz. "You just made the biggest, mistake of your life!" He looked back at Shadow who finally stood up. "Shadow!!" The black Organoid merged with the Hellcat, the Zoid springing to life as it unleashed an attack on Hilz.
Hilz smiled as the Stinger's shield was drawn, the Hellcat bouncing off of it as if it was a rubber ball coming off of a solid wall. "You just don't get it do you Raven, you cannot win with or without Shadow. This is the deadliest Zoid, and I will show you power right now!"
Raven watched as a charged particle beam shot out from its tail. Raven jumped out of the side, watching as it crashed through a cliff and leaving a massive gash in the landscape.
"Van couldn't beat this Zoid, what makes you think that the now soft Raven has the ability." Hilz said taunting Raven.
Raven stared at the Stinger, never had he felt this much anger or hate swell in his heart.
Jason looked over at Drake, who watched in amazement at the battle below. "Aren't you going to send Anubis to help Hilz?"
Drake turned and looked back at him. "No, lets see if Hilz can handle this himself."
Raven looked at the Death Stinger, still not sure what to do, still not sure if he could do anything. The Hellcat was fairly powerful, but nothing compared to the Death Stinger. Raven made another charge at the Stinger, but had to pull back at the pinchers made a quick jab for the hellcat.
"It's useless Raven, you cannot win. The Death Stinger has never been beat."
"I beat you once already!" Raven shouted.
Hilz closed his eyes and shook his head. "You mean at Jade River, no Raven I let you win. To set you up for something much darker then the Death Stinger could ever cause. It set up the birth of the Tiger."
Raven looked at him, harboring the words in his mind, trying to shove them out but they wouldn't leave. "I beat the Tiger to!"
"No Van beat the Tiger, Van has defeated everything. You have defeated nothing." Hilz was now toying with Raven, trying to make the boy snap and make a fatal move.
"Raven, he's playing mind games with you!" Ryss shouted, wishing she could do something to help.
"You're a master at mind games aren't you Ryss." Hilz said raising the Stinger's tail. "Even if you defeat this Zoid, something even darker, something a thousand times deadlier is slowly growing out of your reach."
"Raven!" Ryss screamed as the Death Stinger drove its tail into the Hellcat, staking the Zoid like it had the Blade Liger.
"It's pointless Raven, every time you strike me down I come right back. I am like a viper, I strike when you least expect it, I strike long before you even know I'm here. And now you will die, and you unlike me will not come back." But Hilz watched as Shadow left the Hellcat and landed on a ridge near by, Raven coming out of the Organoid.
Raven looked at Shadow, trying to figure out what the Organoid was doing taking him out of the cockpit. "Shadow what are you doing!" But he fell to the ground as Shadow swung his tail at him, not hard, just enough to force him down. "Shadow." Raven's voice was much softer as he rubbed the side of his head, looking at the Organoids eyes. "Shadow, what are you doing?" Raven got up and put his hand on Shadow's none, stroking it gently. The Organoid back away soon after and walked to the edge of the cliff and looked down at the Hellcat, which was run through with the Stinger's tail. Shadow turned and looked at Raven one more time, before merging with the Hellcat. "Shadow!" Raven ran towards the edge of the cliff and looked down, the hell not moving, not even budging, and just sitting there at the mercy of the Death Stinger. But soon Raven knew what was going on; watching the black Hellcat slowly glow, his eyes widened and tears ran out of them. "Shadow! No!" Before he knew what happened a blinding light flashed in the dark hazy sky, and a powerful gust of energy force Raven to fall on the ground.
Ryss had to put of the shield on the GenoSauer to keep her Zoid from becoming part of the intense explosion, though the Zoid slowly slid back from the massive burst of energy.
Jason stood there, watching as the Death Stinger slowly incinerated under the ball of heat, he heard Hilz give of a scream of pain and terror before Ambient took him to safety.
Finally the light died down and Raven wasted no time, he ran towards the edge of the cliff. From where the Hellcat and Death Stinger once stood, now an empty crater with incredible size permanently engraved in the ground, the terrain all around flattened. "Shadow!" Raven yelled, hoping, praying for a response but knowing none would come. "Shadow! Sha.d.ado…owww!" Raven fell to his knees, weeping like he had never done before. He didn't cry like this for Alice or his parents, he only cried like this for the only creature that he cared for, the only thing that cared for him during those tedious years of the war and Van.
Ryss opened her eyes and looked around, the terrain flat with the exception of the large crater from where the two Zoids stood. "I don't believe it." She said underneath her voice, looking at the crater. Shadow had given his life to destroy the unstoppable monster. Ryss got out of the cockpit and looked at Raven who rested on his knees, his hands over his eyes, feeling nothing but sorrow and hate in his heart and soul.
Hilz got up off of the ground and looked down at the crater.
"You lost Hilz." Jason said walking up to him. "Ambient should have let you burn in that inferno."
"What did that Organoid do?" Hilz still wasn't sure what happened.
"He forced the power core to over react, causing it to basically incinerate anything around it." Drake said. "Let's go Anubis, nothing left here."
Hilz clenched a fist still looking down at the crater. "It's. It's not possible!"
"Shut up Hilz!" Jason shouted. "You lost, your pathetic self lost because you didn't listen to me!"
Hilz looked at Jason, giving him a scold, he was ready to kill Jason right there.
"Ambient, får ham ut av her." Jason said, the Organoid obeying and taking Hilz away. He smiled and looked at Ryss who now stood besides Raven. "Til vi møtes igjen, Raven." He turned and started the long walk back.
Ryss put her hands on Raven's back, rubbing his shoulders, trying to calm him down. "He knew what he was doing."
"He. He did it because." The sobbing made it almost impossible to understand Raven's voice. "He did it to make up for killing Alice."
Ryss looked at him and sat on the ground besides him. "You would have died if he didn't do what he did, all of us would have."
Raven closed his eyes, clearing his voice and eyes. "Death isn't looking to bad right now."
"Don't say that Raven."
"He wanted me to forgive him for killing Alice." Raven stood up and looked down at the hole. "Shadow. Shadow you didn't have to do that, you didn't have to kill yourself. I would have forgiven you anyways." Raven waited, hoping to see Shadow burst out of the smoke and rock but only silence came up, a cold eerie silence Raven hated. Raven continued to stare down. "Shadow. Shadow!" For some reason he kept calling him, expecting him to come back. The Organoid that had been his only friend for years had just made a noble sacrifice, to be forgiven, to allow his master to live on and slay the demons that had tormented his life. Raven clenched his fist and closed his eyes, saying a pray in his mind that he had heard a man say a long time ago, right before Raven murdered him. "Shadowwww!!" Raven threw his head up violently towards the sky as he screamed the name one more time in vain, the sun finally shooting its rays through the clouds of dust and smoke, reflecting off the tears that came from Raven's eyes.
Authors Notes: No Damnit I'm not picking on Raven, he's just always in the wrong place at the wrong time. Personally I think I killed my story with this sequel, but Hell I got my other story to fall on, 16 reviews with 3 chaps, I can live wit that.