LAP 49
The 150 Year Duel
Miss Killer wishes to know - what was the meaning behind Black Shadow reviving her? He's only happy to answer. Ryu Suzaku is the savior of the galaxy, and she was his last resort at defeating him; if she had done her job, he would be ruler of the universe by now!
Alas, that has not come to be. Still, she's served him well all this time so he won't kill her - instead he'll chuck her in a cold sleep pod and blast her into space. Her cold, lifeless body can drift through space for eternity.
Ryu is still reeling from the revelation that Haruka Misaki still lives as Miss Killer, though Dr. Stewart is there to keep him from doing anything rash - it's awful news to hear, but he's in no position to go storming into Dark Million's base, wherever they are.
Meanwhile, Zoda discusses with Baba and The Skull his curiosity for the data Miss Killer had found. He suggests they take a ship while Black Shadow is distracted and hunt down the cold sleep pod - maybe they can extract the info from her brain!
The Haruka/Miss Killer situation is discussed at Falcon House, and Lucy acknowledges that despite all the trouble Miss Killer has given him, Ryu still holds faith in a little bit of Haruka existing inside her. She puts her feelings for Ryu aside and believes they should do their best to unite the two lovers once more.
At the F-Zero committee meeting, the chief of the Galaxy Mobile Platoon is making a speech about the committee's dissolution over its connections to Dark Million. Jody and Captain Falcon keep an eye from the back and agree to follow the two known connections from the commitee to Dark Million; Jody will follow Deathborn, Captain Falcon will follow Black Shadow. The two siblings wish each other luck.
That night, Jody and EAD spy on Deathborn as he makes his way to the Mute City Hotel. They follow him up to his apartment and watch him enter...
... only for Don Genie to exit! What's going on here? The two sneak in to find whatever evidence they can get, but the room is empty. The windows suddenly shutter over, along with the door - they're trapped inside!
A laughing hologram of Black Shadow appears to taunt them, asking them if they saw the "real" Deathborn before kindly informing them there's a bomb ticking down. There's no time to open the doors, so Jody hops onto EAD's back...
... as he rockets through the ceiling, carrying them out of the building before the entire floor explodes. EAD carries her down to street level before dismounting, where they regroup with Dr. Stewart. Where could Deathborn be?
Meanwhile, Samurai Goroh and his crew finding a strange object floating in the depths of deep space: a cold sleep pod! They retrieve it and try opening it, but it's lock is too complex to crack...
Not complex enough for Goroh's sword, though! The door slices open and inside they find Miss Killer; Tsukikage believes they shouldn't get involved in Dark Million's affairs, though the samurai chooses to return to their base on Cryton. Zoda and company watch them get away with their precious cargo, Baba claiming there's no way they'll give it up, though Zoda has his ways of making people give in.
Namely, launching a million battle stations to fire upon his mountain base. Samurai Goroh isn't concerned one whit and resumes eating his lunch. Zoda eventually enters his abode and explains what he's after.
Baba and The Skull try threatening him - if they give them what they want, they'll leave him alone - though Goroh brushes off their threats and confesses he's tight with Ryu. He'd never want to cause him any trouble. Zoda's patience has run thin and is ready to just blast this punk where he stands... only for the Fire Needle to burst through the table!
Zoda can only watch as Goroh and his comrades flee in their spaceship. Those show-offs!
Ryu, meanwhile, is fretting over Haruka's safety, blaming himself for having ever met her and roping her into this situation.
Sasuke appears behind him and tells him of Miss Killer's whereabouts, urging him to come before making her leave. As he makes his way to the Dragon Bird Ryu finds Lucy working hard fixing it up, and she and Jack ask him where he's going off to. He tells of his business on Cryton and urges them to follow after him; they only hope Ryu doesn't get himself killed before they can arrive.
Samurai Goroh is busy wrecking Zoda's forces, flying the Fire Needle straight through the hulls of his battle stations and using the blade to slice them apart. However, concentrated fire on the underside of his hull forces the ship to make a crash landing, his crew willing to stand and fight until Ryu arrives.
The Death Anchor crashes through the ship, making way for a wave of Dark Soldiers to follow after, only to be met with Samurai Goroh standing in their path. Zoda uses his Reactor Might to produce a sword so they duel like men!
It doesn't last long. He produces another blade, but the samurai's battle technique is too strong for Zoda's lack of finesse. Only charging his blade with an excess of Reactor Might energy is enough to repel Goroh, who's still standing after the blast... but eventually collapses. Even Zoda is winded.
The rest of the gang carrying Haruka's body are cornered by Baba, The Skull and a group of robots, but Sasuke's whip knocks them down in a single blow. Zoda advances upon them just as Miss Killer awakes, and asks her to come with him - he wants to know of Black Shadow's secrets!
A chunk of the ceiling is sliced apart and Samurai Goroh falls from it to block Zoda's path. He can only support himself on his sword, but he and his men are ready to fight and let Miss Killer make her escape.
Outside, Ryu is finally approaching the Fire Needle - and it's in bad shape!
The Dragon Bird bursts through the ship's door and clears the way of Dark Soldiers while Lisa Brilliant and her men send Baba and The Skull running. Goroh informs Ryu that Haruka has fled and is being pursued by Zoda, though Ryu is reluctant to go - the samurai is seriously wounded! He calls him out on his priorities; isn't Haruka the woman he loves most in all the world? Isn't she the person he'd fight the hardest to protect?
Haruka's escape through the desert is quickly halted when the Death Anchor blocks her way, but the Dragon Bird is quickly approaching. Zoda quickly ignores the woman for another duel with his nemesis, eager to rip the Reactor Might from his machine's engine.
Zoda's machine repeatedly crashes against the Dragon Bird - he was created with the sole purpose of defeating Ryu, and if he can't manage that, how can he go on to conquer the universe? Zoda's Reactor Might imbues him with such strength that Ryu is forced to retreat, but the Death Anchor comes roaring at him full force...
... and launches a projectile at him. As it spins closer and closer towards him, Ryu is reminded of his death 150 years ago... and he's not going to go down the same way twice!
The Dragon Bird's Reactor Might begins to glow, emanating waves of energy that not only deflect the projectile, but thrust the Death Anchor right off a cliff!
Zoda tumbles out of his machine with tears streaming from his eyes. Why can't he defeat Ryu?! Ryu has little time to reflect on his victory as the battle stations open fire upon him.
... only for them to get shot out of the air by the Galaxy Runner. Jack and Lucy beckon Ryu to catch up with his girlfriend, and he obliges. He catches up to Haruka slumped down in the sand, but she urges him to stay away...
... or else she'll shoot herself! She fears she is no longer the woman he loved, that she's nothing but a threat and a danger to him, but Ryu still extends his hand to her. Those events were out of her control, and it's his fault for having gotten her involved in the first place. The two make their peace and are prepared to reunite...
When Haruka suddenly finds herself ensnared in a tractor beam! She's pulled inside a Dark Million battle station as a hologram of Black Shadow appears, commending Ryu for having tested the powers of his Reactor Might tremendously. If he ever wants to see Haruka again, he'll have to challenge him face to face!
Burt's F-Zero Classroom: Viewers are invited to join a contest: if they send in a letter expressing their thoughts on the show, they could win a copy of the then-upcoming F-Zero Climax for Game Boy Advance, a handmade Burt doll, and a copy of Jack Levin's debut album. Closing date is September 30th 2004!
EAD's pose during his rocket boost is a wee bit similar to Mario's jumping pose, don't you think?
(stop me before i make parallels between his rocket boots and the Super Mario Bros. movie's Thwomp Stompers)
Bibirichi and his bandits are now Lisa Brilliant's grunts, in colour-coordinated pink garments no less. In the past she either borrowed Goroh's lackeys or used pink Dark Soldiers.
