Desert Raid

BLITZ Team: Desert Raid is the sixth episode of BLITZ Team's first season. It is a static-panel art project created by RampGroovesFighter.

## Synopsis

Barton and Ward must team up with the enemy to find the revered Taka-Toko, a large gem capable of summoning horrible monsters and nation-crippling tsunamis, before it destroys the Aela region. Without their off-road vehicles, it seems unlikely they will ever make it...

## Plot

Barton gets a call from the Rivvian Museum of Natural History that the Taka-Toko gem has been spotted in Aela's Mohara desert, and that the gem has been recharged from its last pulse over 1,000 years ago. Barton asks what he is supposed to do about it, when the archaeologist tells him that he needs to take some helpers and retrieve the gem before it pulses again. Barton asks what a pulse is, and the archaeologist says that a pulse is a destructive force that flooded the Aela region with the prehistorical tsunami that wiped out all of Aela's ancient wildlife except a few lucky survivors. Barton says he will get his most trusted assistants and head to the museum to set up a plan.

Meanwhile, Ward and Hunter are busy playing a heated game of chess when Barton enters the room. Ward stands up as soon as his name is called, and asks Cathie to take over his side of the game for him, but she answers that she's not very good at the game. It doesn't matter at this point, as Ward has already followed Barton out of the room, but Kiera steps in to help Cathie play.

At the museum, Barton, Ward and Jacky talk with several paleontologists about the gem's power, and the lead scientist, a woman named Dr. Marlin, explains that the gem, if left unchecked, could destroy Aela for a second time. The gem possesses enough power to completely annihilate the city of Rivvia, including the legendary Shulker Tower, the city's tallest building and its premium defense point. Ward shudders at hearing this, and Barton says they will have to leave right away, asking what they will need to do in order to stop the gem. Dr. Marlin explains that the team will have to take on the creatures that have already been spawned by the gem, then traverse through Poison Vine Chasm, across the Mandarin Waterfalls, and get into the palace that sits at the top. Dr. Marlin says that the gem is sitting on a stone pillar inside the palace, but there will be creatures all around it, so they must be defeated before the gem can be discharged safely. The doctor gives Barton a clamping tool that will discharge the energy safely from the gem.

Meanwhile, Kurt, who has hacked into the security system of the museum, is watching the meeting. Kurt slams his fist on the table in rage, saying that if the gem discharges, Rivvia will be destroyed and he won't be able to conquer the city. Gren suggests possibly sitting back and waiting for Barton and his team to take out the danger, but Kurt says they are too weak to do something about the gem. Gren says that if Kurt doesn't think ASSD is powerful enough to stop the Taka-Toko, then he should help them. Kurt tries to find a way out of that, but finally he groans loudly and reluctantly agrees to help.

Meanwhile, Barton, Ward and Jacky are heading out of town in the Crawler when suddenly the engine light comes on. Ward looks at the instrument panel, saying that the engine is overheating and the Crawler should be sent for repairs. Suddenly the engine starts billowing smoke, and Barton tells Ward to pull over and shut off the engine. He tries to radio for a helicopter to come pick up the Crawler, but the signal is too weak in the heatwaves of the desert. Barton tries again, but Jacky says it won't work, and that they will just have to abandon the Crawler for the time being. Barton pats the hood of the vehicle and the gang continues off on foot.

A little while later, Barton spots figures running towards them, and orders Jacky and Ward to arm themselves. Ward pulls out a laser pistol, Jacky pulls out two fighting knives, and Barton transforms into his BLITZ form, getting ready to use BLITZ Blade. Suddenly three figures wielding scimitars and wrapped in dusty white cloth from head to toe appear, and Barton's team engages in combat with them. Ward shoots at the creature in front of him, but misses. Barton uses BLITZ Blade to block the blows from the enemy's scimitar. Jacky swipes rapidly with his double fighting knives. After this, Kurt and Gren drop from the sky, and they use weapons to quickly annihilate two of the Desert Dead, before Barton grabs the third one and shoots him through the head with a BLITZ Shard, killing him. Barton asks Kurt why he would help them of all people, and Kurt says that first, if he didn't get to kill Barton he'd never live it down, and second, if he lets ASSD handle finding the gem, the gem will discharge and he'll never get his chance the rule Rivvia. He then says he's coming, and nothing will stop him.

The screen shows several slides of the gang fighting different creatures, including a large snake, a pack of Fryverns, and two large, furry, angry creatures, before they finally arrive at Poison Vine Chasm. Several large snakes drift down from the vines but Barton shoots them quickly, and they fall into the abyss. Kurt slips and falls, landing squarely on his groin on the thinner parts of the rocky bridge. Kurt yelps in pain, which alerts more snakes to come out. Barton turns on his BLITZ form and grabs Kurt and Ward, running out of the Chasm with Gren and Jacky behind him.

When they get out, the palace sits right in front of them, and in the doorway sits the Taka-Toko gem on a pedestal. Ward exclaims that they've found the gem, and runs towards it, but Barton tries to tell him to stop as the building may be booby-trapped. Ward accidentally steps on a loose tile in the floor, and the ground starts to shake. Barton lightly smacks Ward on the back of the head, saying "didn't I tell you to wait?" and the Great Claw appears from behind the palace. It jumps onto the pavement, launching the gang a few feet off the ground. Kurt takes one look at the gargantuan creature, saying he doesn't want any part of this, before taking Gren by the hand and running for cover behind some rocks. Barton, Ward and Jacky get ready to fight the creature, and the two BLITZ Seraphs turn on their BLITZ forms and rush the creature. Barton orders Ward to get the gem while he and Jacky hold off the Great Claw, and Ward rushes under the creature's feet, but the creature blocks the door with its massive tail. Ward tries to get over the tail, but the Great Claw suddenly retracts its tail, throwing Ward onto the ground.

Barton dodges a shot from the Great Claw and holds its tail off long enough for Ward to crawl to the gem, then throws the clamping tool to Ward, who discharges the gem with it. The Great Claw roars loudly and then fades away, as do all of the other creatures the gem created. The three ASSD employees start to head back, before Barton looks at Kurt, who is still cowering behind some rocks, and says, "Mhm, and you said the gem would discharge if we tried to stop it." Barton flips the bird at Kurt and he, Jacky and Ward set off for home. As they exit the chasm, a rescue helicopter is there waiting for them. Kurt and Gren try to get on it and end up having to cling to the landing gear.

The episode ends with a scene showing the palace and the gem resting inside it, slowly charging its energy again.

## Trivia

* This is the first episode of BLITZ Team not to feature Wyndhill's vehicles in a major role.
* The offroad vehicle ended up getting discovered by the rescue team on their way back to the city, where Barton skillfully dropped a tracking device into the seat before the helicopter returned to Rivvia.
* As usual, RampGroovesFighter has given hints of other paths that might've been in the battle scenes of the episode.
	+ If the Great Claw had hit Ward upside his head instead of his back, he would've been knocked out cold.
	+ If Kurt and Gren had been manly enough to assist in the fight, the five of them could've wiped out the Great Claw.
	+ If Kurt and Gren had not showed up when they did, Barton and his team would've been stuck fighting the Desert Dead for a very long time.
		- Subsequently, Ward would've died also.
	+ If Jacky had used his BLITZ form, he could've protected himself a lot easier, though RampGroovesFighter says he wanted each ASSD fighter to use a different ability in that scene.
* If Cathie knew about anything about what happened during the episode, she would've been worried sick.