Chapter 1.01 Awakening to a Surprise

Whelp, this could be worse.

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Location: Unknown

Date: Unknown

Have you ever had that feeling that everything was different around you? Like that nightmare of being in school giving a presentation before realizing you're in your birthday suit? Or the one of being chased by something like a wolf or a monster?

I ask this because I have felt that mechanical howling caused me to fall off my bed since I woke up. At least, I thought it was my bed before I realized it was too short of a fall. The shock of the fall made me look around, realizing I wasn't in my room but a weird Spartan room. There was nothing inside except a dim light overhead, and the morning light, I realized, was fading behind me. I turn to see what seemed like a light in the shape of a door vanish entirely into a plain wall.

Well, damn, this is going to suck. I moved to what seemed to be a door to this room and opened it to reveal a long hallway. I cringed as another low mechanical howl echoed down the hallway. This entire situation was ridiculous. I'm an average guy waking up to cries in an unknown location. I should be freaking out, not walking to whatever makes that noise. So why am I walking to the noise?

I finally realized I had reached the end of the hall and had already turned the door handle. Then, taking a deep breath to mutter the only words on my mind, "Once more, onto the breach."

Will this door lead to darkness and an orange floating gate? Pushing it open, I hear the sound of slamming breakers. The kind you hear in movies and TV shows when the lights in an area are about to turn on.

The light started flashing on from the right and quickly destroyed my night vision with its brightness.

"God damnit," Blinking until my vision came back, I realized a slight warm breeze was in front of me. The blur in front of me became huge metal spikes…no teeth. If anyone ever asked me what I did when I first met old Wolf, I would say I jumped up in joy and began piloting him. Not passing out was my first accomplishment. Freaking out for a couple of hours in detail about missing my family and friends before hunger brought me back to my senses… or what Wolf memories show when accessed.

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After that… freakout, I finally looked around once I realized the Zoid in front of me wasn't going to kill me. I could feel the excitement, or was that just wishful thinking? Looking at it, I knew it had to be a Command Wolf, but what was up with all that extra armor it had? Was that even a roll cage around its head? And those twin boxes around its mouth. Mini missile launchers? It had to be a variant, but it wasn't clicking in my mind. In fact, besides the twin 50 mm beam cannon on it, it had even more weapons on him. Four big tubes were either cannons or rocket launchers on his back. But they had to be one-shots since I didn't see a loading mechanize or a place to hold the ammo. However, one thing was sure. The white coloring meant the Republic faction from the older Zoid series. Something that begins with an H, if I remember correctly. Err, I think, man, my mind is still everywhere.

I saw a terminal next to an empty mech bay. It has the typical drills and work equipment in mecha anime and several mech video games. Heck, it's surprising to see in real life. Unfortunately, there is a section where the lights haven't come on, so I only go there if I find a flashlight. I will hope into the Command Wolf once we bond more or he lets me. Although his night vision mode would be excellent, those flicking lights might blind me even more.

Based on the thump of footsteps behind me, I walked towards the bay area with the Zoid following me. I spot something I recognized right next to the terminal from faint memories of one of the Zoid franchises. It looked like an oversized calculator but had no visible symbols on the keys. If I remember correctly, it's the registration device used in Zero Century. In the anime, it acted as an IFF beacon during those fights, at least when the judge was present.

So either I am in the Zoid series, or some goddamn ROB is writing an SI Story. Neither option is helping with the stress that's coming back. I don't need another breakdown before I figure out what is happening.

I walked up to the device and picked it up. I heard a slight thump from the floor. With a glance, I noticed a keycard. It didn't take a genius to connect it to the door I could see in front of me with a keycard slot. I slipped the card in and waited for the light to turn green, only realizing there was no handle. I looked around to see if there was a camera, but there wasn't any. The best thing to do was to take the card out. The fact that the door opened sideways didn't surprise me. However, I could only consider it a safety hazard if the power went out. I didn't want to be trapped in this locker room.

I looked back at the Command Wolf behind me. And decided right there and then, "Hey, Command Wolf, I'm just going to check this room out. Mind walking around and seeing how big this place is?"

For a moment, I watched as the Zoid paced around the hanger while he walked around like a dog checking its territory. Then I walked through the door. It looked like a locker room with several full-size lockers lined up on both sides of the wall—the type of lockers used at my workplace to store uniforms and PPE. The only thing missing is the locker combination locks. Instead, there is a slot for a keycard. Three guesses as to which one and the first two don't count.

I noticed a glass gun case nearby the door. It held a freaking massive rifle that I think must have been an anti-zoid rifle. It was an antique during the Zero Century and only got its time to shine when Brad used it to one-shot a bandit or was it a gang's(?), Ray-type zoid. Walking up and opening the case up let me see what was behind the bottom part of the case. I paused as I only recognized one of the handguns, while the rest looked like they were freaking 80s-era ray gun toys. Well, more slimmed-down-looking 80s-era toys. Zoid only had these if they were in the games I never played. Still, a bit worried that this gun case had no lock and looked out of place compared to the lockers.

I decided to grab the handgun, the old 9 mm, and the waist holster to put it in. I opened the bottom cabinet and saw ammo for the pistol and the rifle. Behind all that were some weird battery packs. Probably for those ray guns, I decided to sell these things if I find civilization outside this place. I have no training for those weapons and don't want to die if I accidentally damage them from a battery explosion.

GRRRRRRRR

"God damnit," I shouted as the growling behind me caused me to bang my head on the bottom of the glass case's open door.

I gave the giant wolf behind me a glare before shouting out, "What was that for?"

Then I noticed that the door to the hanger was still open with the said wolf's hind leg in front of it. It dawned on me that he was guarding the entrance before I heard a low whine coming from a tunnel opposite the hanger. A part is still covered in darkness as the lights on that side flicker. The wolf Zoid moved slowly but steadily toward the tunnel but stopped growling. He seemed worried now.

I grabbed the heavy anti-Zoid rifle and tried to load a round in it. It seems similar enough to the .50 rifle my uncle once owned, which worked as such. I don't know what is down that tunnel, but the fact that what responded to the Command Wolf growling with another mechanical animal sound meant another Zoid was coming.

I rushed into the hangar as the thumps from the Command Wolf, and the Zoid's footsteps down the way seemed to slow down. The rifle nearly fell from my hands as I saw the larger but recognizable zoid limp into view. Its twin lances pierce two dangling lumps of metal with legs. The triple barrels on its chest are visibly steaming, with a massive cannon at the bottom. The huge open missile pods on its shoulders and the distinct canine appearance. The successor to the Command Wolf in the Helic Republic army (yeah, I remember the name [Shut up mind voice]), the HoundSoldier.

Based on the German Shepherd, it's a badass Zoid of 60-plus tons, 7.4 meters tall, and a 23-meter-long beast. Max speed over 330 km/h and more weapons than most high-spec Zoids.

However, my reverence for it quickly turned to concern as I noticed its damage. Its lower massive cannon seems warped, like overheating a gun barrel from shooting too much. That or something had rammed into the main cannon. The forward missile pods had no missiles visible inside, and the right side one was missing its armoring like something hot melted it. Finally, their most significant issue is on Houndsoldier's lances as they stopped in light. Those are not wild Zoids or anything similar-themed mech. When I saw the things, shish-kabab on its lances seemed very familiar to me. The objects caused my gut to drop, and the rifle in my hands fell to the ground.

I recognize them from every play-through of my favorite mech game outside Gundam. My second favorite tabletop game too. The near-unlimited bug of bugs, the Locust battlemech from Battletech. I'm not in a Zoid series. I'm in fucking Battletech with Zoids.

"Oh, Shi-" I shouted as the Houndsoldier seemed to look at me with concern as my world turned black again.

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Well, here's my second ever story on this site. Admittedly, it's a lot shorter than my other story in word count, but life doesn't give me time these days.

Time to add another Battletech crossover story here and welcome all. Before anyone asks, yes, there is a reason for the Zoids I picked, and there is more to come from my usual 20- to 60 min write the time I get a day (if at all).

Special thanks to the Battletech thread and AkumaOuja, who help me finalize my idea for a crossover months ago, bullethead for a suggestion that will appear much later. If you are reading this bullethead, don't spoil it. Let them look through the Battletech thread for it. Also, AkumaOuja, yes, I'm still starting with the Command Wolf even though you said go Liger.