Chapter 1

Thunder rumbled in the zone as the sound of fallen warriors played in harmony. Vert face two of the deadliest beings in the multiverse; Krytus and Kyrosys, red sentients with a red hot temperament to match. In a growling voice, Krytus gave Vert a choice.

"How do you want this to end, human? His fire?" he glanced at Kyrosys' flaming wheels. "Or my blades?" Vert didn't like either of his options. He was outnumbered, almost out-skilled, but overall, sorely in need of backup.

"Vert!" Zoom's voice piped up through the com-link. "I got the fuser!"

"Sage, Zoom has the fuser." The leader looked at his on-board computer, mind enveloped with an idea. "Can you get him here by matching the Chopper and Saber's frequencies?" Sage hurriedly clicked away on her blue quantum computer.

"I'm reconfiguring the fuser which will allow Zoom to zone-jump to your coordinates." She nodded. "Ready in five, four, three, two…"

A portal burst open a few yards away from Vert's position, and Zoom shot through. Krytus and Kyrosys shielded their eyes from the light emitted when the fuser hit the ground and exploded into funnels of energy.

"Unite!" Vert yelled, driving for the vortex.

"And strike!" Zoom followed just behind and together, they drove into Sage's newest weapon. A fuser, able to take two sentient vehicles and combine their greatest assets into a hybrid with greater power, speed, and agility. The team mates came soaring out on a saber-like jet. The leader sat in the main driver's seat with a windshield and red body like the Saber, while the scout rode in an open cockpit colored yellow, just above him. Wings popped out on either side and the front unfolded to reveal the deadly chainsaw that Saber was famous for. But once on the ground, Skyknife drove like a massive trike; two wheels on the front and one giant wheel in the back. As an extra touch, the boys' uniforms also transformed to white and red or orange, according to the driver.

Screaming through the air, the hybrid held an intimidating sight. Kyrosys lit his wheels and launched two circles of fire into the air, hoping to clip the Skyknife's wings. Vert timed an expert maneuver, dodging sideways then flipping past the two shots.

"Woah," Vert raised his eyebrows at the astonishing control. "Sage wasn't kidding about this fusion power!"

"I hear that! Skyknife is AWESOME!" Zoom gave a whoop as they swooped down on the red sentients and scraped the top of Krytus, who roared his disapproval.

Kyrosys launched another pair of flaming wheels. Vert swooped around, dodging them easily, but at a cost. The energy they used shook the hybrid, causing a noticeable vibration through the vehicle.

"Woah…" Zoom glanced down at Vert. "Is that the 'tremor' Sage said…"

"…that means our ride is half up?" Vert nodded. "Afraid so… Just means we gotta fight faster!" He took the Skyknife in for another dive, gliding over the ground and missing both sentients by an inch. Vert circled around to give it another go, but the vibrations began again, this time accompanied by the flicker of uniform color fading back to the originals.

"Hang on!" Vert yelled. "The Skyknife is out of energy!" Too late to turn around, the hybrid continued its course toward the enemy. It passed them, skimmed the ground, and with a flash of light, reverted back to its original form of the Chopper and Saber. The drivers pulled a one-eighty before stopping at the foot of dirt mounds. Krytus and Kyrosys closed in with evil grins on their faces.

"Time to send you back to your respawn chambers, Krytus!" Vert clenched his jaw with determination.

"Unless we send you to oblivion first!" the red sentient roared. "You had your chance humans…"

"We have no mercy." Kyrosys hissed with a devilish grin.

"When it comes to sentient scumbags like you," called a familiar voice. "neither do I."

Both parties' attention turned to the cloaked figure standing atop the mound behind Vert and Zoom. A black cape and hood hid the physical features, but Zoom didn't need a face to match the voice. He knew who it belonged to.

"Silver?" the scout almost stopped breathing to hear a response. A gloved hand reached up and pulled the hood back, revealing black hair with a metallic silver streak near the front, a determined smile, and startlingly vivid rainbow colored eyes.

"The one and only." she said. Zoom released a whoop.

"Haha!" he laughed, punching a fist in the air. "She's back!"

"Ah, back from your nap, Guardian?" Krytus said, peering up at her with a slight chuckle. "Judging from the condition of your home world, the Order chose wrongly for their protector." Even from his distant position, Vert could see Silver clench her jaw in a quiet reaction.

"Silver, what's he talking about?" he asked with a confused expression. But she brushed his question aside and focused on Krytus.

"As did the Red sentients choose for their leader." Silver retorted, then cocked her head in mockery. "What happened? Oh yeah. All of the red planet frozen in stasis without the peace of death to rest their souls. They stand there, like trophies of war unknowingly on display for the world to see your failure." This earned a furious roar from Krytus. Silver smiled, knowing she struck a nerve. Zoom was surprised Kyrosys didn't burn her to a crisp. He looked at Vert and made eye contact. With the brotherly connection they shared, Vert roughly read: what are they doing?

Silver started to walk down the incline and a glint of light betrayed the steel blade beneath her robe. "I read up on my history and know aaaaaalll about your little mishap."

"In contrast, my world isn't reduced to pillars of metal and heaps of stone." Krytus gestured around himself. "I had such fun hearing the ridiculous pleas your people gave me before I snuffed out their rebellious spark. Your masters' especially,"

Silver did her best to conceal a scream climbing in her throat, but Krytus didn't need a physical response to know he'd bore through to her core.

"Strange really," the sentient's face made an evil grin. "even to his last breath, one master spoke only of you. I gave him the chance to become welcomed into the sentient race for his rare fire, but instead, he ranted on about how he would remain faithful only to the guardian." Krytus watched Silver's guard drop as he tore open her deffense with mere words. "How noble." He finished with a smile that pushed his opponent over the edge. Silver released the scream stuck in her throat and launched herself at Krytus, blade held firmly in front. This was the kind of reaction the red sentient had hoped for, and he signaled Kyrosys. Two flaming wheels flew at Silver, causing Zoom and Vert immediately took action. The girl didn't need their help, though. A white glow filled her eyes. With the flick of her hands, water came up from the ground and extinguished the fire, producing a huge cloud of steam. The sentients didn't see her coming, and she rushed in with vengeance as Silver burst through the fog high above the Syfurious. Her steel blade slashed across the red vehicle, missing Krytus, and left a nasty glowing gash in its place. With excellent grace, she somersaulted through the air and landed behind the vehicle. Vert and Zoom followed closely behind and the battle began. Kyrosys immediately launched two more wheels, both in chase after Zoom.

"Woah!" the scout veered to the side, and the flames turned and followed. He kept glancing back at the fire as he came up with an idea…

In the meanwhile, Vert and Silver took on Krytus. The Saber nearly hit the red sentient vehicle, but missed as it darted to the side. Krytus shot up a rock ramp. His vehicle dissipated into glowing, crystal-like pieces and Krytus emerged, soaring through the air with a blade for an arm. He plummeted down hard onto the Saber, thrusting his blade into its scarlet frame just below the windshield. The sword was quickly pulled free in order to parry a strike from Silver. Vert launched out of Saber as the windshield pulled away, a red-hilt close behind. Catching it in the air, he rushed in to help the guardian.

Silver focused her anger as she parried the red sentient's thrusts. She glanced to see Vert rush in behind her opponent, and was vaguely aware of Zoom racing on Chopper. Krytus took the distracted opportunity to slice across her midriff. Silver leapt back in time to avoid a lethal wound, but received a thin cut. A scarlet stream ran down her stomach as she panted and opened up space between herself and Krytus, who whirled to defend from Vert. Silver roared and launched herself at the red sentient, her rage fueling her skill and energy. With glowing eyes, she summoned water and magic around her sword as she charged.

Vert and Silver fought side by side, still trying to get used to each other's fighting presence. But, the more they fended off Krytus together, the better their attacks pushed the sentient backwards. Silver barely noticed the cuts across her arms as she felt victory draw near. Her eyes glowed and she fired two icicles from a nearby puddle. The sentient broke them both in midair and they shattered, spritzing Vert and Silver with shards.

"You may have strength in numbers," Krytus growled and made a wide sweep across both of them, causing them to step back and catch their breath. "but I cannot be defeated! Your efforts are futile." Then, with a new rush of power, Krytus thrust out his other arm, forming a second blade and advanced. The two partners were pushed back and almost lost their balance.

In the meantime, Zoom drove madly to avoid flaming wheels wheels. Circling around, he drove directly for Kyrosys, the wheels in close pursuit. With a racing heartbeat, the scout hoped his idea would work. Kyrosys was so busy staring at the screen to steer his fire wheels, he didn't see Zoom coming straight for him. Just before Zoom collided with the red vehicle, he veered to the side. The fire wheels didn't have any time to change direction and the impact was extraordinary. Kyrosys erupted into plume of flames and his essence burned through the sky as Zoom grinned.

Krytus watched his comrade's essence blaze off into the distance and roared angrily. Silver and Vert were weakened and tiring, and the sentient kept pushing harder and faster. Surprisingly, Vert was nearly unharmed as opposed to Silver whose body looked streaked with red dye. Her movements were sloppy and starting to lag. Zoom shot a grappling claw at Krytus's arm, hoping to drag him across the dirt.

"Got him!" he smiled and drove past the sentient. Vert watched, horrified.

"Zoom, no!" the leader shouted.

Krytus chuckled and yanked on the wire, pulling the Chopper of balance and towards his razor sharp blades! Silver acted quickly. Water collected into a ball, then pushed the yellow bike and its rider out of the way before Silver cut the wire. Zoom rolled to the ground, disoriented, and his bike tumbled next to him. The guardian kept the collected water hovering in the air, but sheathed her sword. She unclasped her cloak at the neck, letting it fall to the ground. Rain began to gently patter the earth and some collected into the puddles she suspended in the air. Krytus looked almost pleased.

"Let's see what the full Gaurdian power really looks like." He taunted.

"Oh," Silver waved her arms and crouched in an odd fighting position, hands crossed in front of her face, eyes aglow. "I'll show you what it looks like." She was more than ready to finish this fight. Krytus charged and Silver thrust her hands forward in a pushing motion. The water formed a wall, then a bubble around the red sentient. Krytus slashed viscously at his liquid prison with a wild expression as Vert stood back and watched in amazement. He could see Silver struggling to keep the strong sentient contained. The guardian inhaled. Then, on the exhale, she froze the entire orb with its captive inside. With a swift, slicing motion of her hands, the orb dropped to the ground and shattered. Krytus somehow survived, but kneeled on the wet ground, dazed. Silver drew her sword and swept up magic water to hold the sentient in place as she walked up to him. With the patter of rain, Vert could hear Krytus… almost moaning.

"This is for the Order, for my people, and for SORREN!" She said, and viciously thrust the blade into his chest. The red sentient exploded and his essence blazed through the sky, off into the distance. Silver breathed deep, relaxing the weapon in her hand. The rain turned into a drizzle. The sound of war pressed on through the sky, louder and more noticeable then before.

"You are avenged, my dearest friend." She whispered to herself, and a tear slipped down her face. Zoom, smudged with dirt and soot, walked up to the guardian with his helmet in hand.

"That was awesome!" he grinned, "They're all… gone!" Vert nodded with a bit of regret.

"For now…" he remarked. Silver looked at the leader.

"What do you mean?"

"Well…" Zoom scratched his head and laughed nervously. Silver's face became unreadable, a slightly scary sign.

"Look, how about you come with us and visit earth?" Vert suggested while hopping into Saber. "Our friend, Sage, can fill you in on everything that's happened. Maybe stay a couple nights because we have some questions of our own." Silver face didn't change.

"C'mon." Zoom chided. "You need to get those cuts treated and we've got a lot to talk about." Silver glanced at the mini trickles of blood running down her arms and abdomen that the rain slowly washed away. She could bandage the wounds herself, but the guardian's mind went back to when she first met the team, and then how she left. She looked back and forth at the boys, then raised her index finger.

"One night." She said. Silver sheathed her blade before picking her cloak up off the ground, fastening it around her neck, and pulling up her hood.

"Where do you stay, anyway?" the scout asked as he popped on his helmet.

"I have a cave not far from here." She followed him to his bike, sprawled on its side. With the motion of her hands and the glow of her eyes, water from a nearby puddle pushed the massive damaged vehicle upright. Zoom slid onto Chopper. It started and thrummed with a heartbeat only a machine can make.

"Do you need anything?" Vert pulled the saber up next to them.

"Just a little. If you wait here, I'll be back with my things shortly." Silver swept up a wave beneath her and nodded to the boys. As long as she held the magic, the strange white glow in her eyes persisted.

"We could give you a ride," Zoom shrugged, trying to make eye contact. It was odd speaking to a pair of white eyes.

"No." She responded quickly. "I mean, no thank you. I would like to go alone." The guardian gathered the wave under her a bit higher before speeding away. The boys looked at each other.

"Odd, don't you think?" Vert made asked his scout.

"What?" Zoom sighed. "Silver or her planet?" His leader chuckled.

"Both."

"What happened here?" Zoom drove in a wide circle, weaving in and out of metal shafts sticking from the ground. The rain pattered on the ground and thunder rumbled in the distance.

"Guess we'll find out when we get back to the hub." Vert com-ed into the rest of the team, scattered in other battle zones. "Everybody ok?"

"It's quiet as an alien desert, mate." Stanford responded in his thick accent.

"We're all good here Vert." Agura's voice spoke up. "How are you and Zoom?"

"You are not going to believe who we found." The scout shook his head and grinned.

"Who?" Spinner looked quizzically at Sherman, waiting for the response. "Zemerick?" Just then, Silver rode up to Chopper on her wave, eyes still aglow. She carried a small satchel at her side beneath her dripping wet cloak.

"Ready." She said, and the wave flattened to the ground into a puddle. Her eyes returned to their natural state. Zoom grinned and clicked a button beside his helmet that transmitted a live video feed.

"Say hello!" he looked at her and chuckled.

"Um… hello?" Silver pulled her hood back a little, her confusion evident. The team all spoke in unison, staring at their onboard screens.

"SILVER?"

"You're alive?" Stanford half exclaimed, half questioned.

"How did you escape?" Agura asked, but Silver couldn't hear them. All she could see was Vert watching with an amused expression and Zoom laughing.

"What's going on?" she crossed her arms and walked up to Zoom. Annoyed, Silver knocked on the top of his helmet like a door. "Hello? Is Zoom's brain in there? I would like to speak with it please."

"Sorry," he collected himself. "Guys, she can't hear you."

"Who are you talking to?"

"The team." Zoom grinned and pressed a button on his dashboard. Four screens with shocked faces popped up, and Silver recognized them with a small smile.

"Hello," she nodded the greeting.

"How did you escape the creepy robot battlezone?" Spinner asked.

"I'll explain later."

"Silver is staying over a night so we can catch up and get some answers," Vert explained.

"And tell me how the red sentients got released." Silver filled in.

"Yeah, um… funny story actually… uh…" Spinner fidgeted with his fingers and tried to laugh, but it was too nervous to convince the guardian of any humor. She sighed.

"Like I said," Zoom looked at the guardian. "we've got a lot to talk about." He revved the massive yellow bike and nodded behind himself. "Get on." The live feed ended, and Silver shouldered her satchel.

"Can't say no this time, can I?" she teased gently, rain dripping off the lip of her hood.

"No you cannot." Zoom gave her a playful look. The guardian slid onto Chopper behind him. A slight tingle buzzed up Zoom's spine when she wrapped and arm around his waist, and he could feel Silver's warmth as she settled in behind him... vaguely familiar.

"Let's go." Vert ordered, and the two vehicles sped off through the rain.