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Introduction
With
high expectations, human beings leave Earth to begin a new life
in Space Colonies. However, the United Earth Sphere Alliance
gains great millitary power, and soon seizes control of one
colony after another, in the name of justice and peace. The year
is After Colony 195: Operation Meteor. In a move to counter the
Alliance's tyranny, rebel citizens of certain colonies scheme to
bring new arsenals to the Earth, disguising them as shooting
stars. However, the Alliance headquarters catches on to this
operation....
Five
Gundams Confirmed
Gandamu
5 Kikaunin
Treize Kushrenada stands, holding a rifle, aiming at a shelf of targets. "Hm, so we've been forced into a stalemate..." he says thoughtfully.
A computer sitting on a table next to Treize answers him. "There wasn't much we could do about it since we don't know their objectives," Zechs Merquise replies. "But if we must move first, we should do it in the Mediterannian Sea."
"That's where the old manufacturing base for Leo is...the Alliance appears to be thinking about its security." A row of rabbit shaped targets, each with a bullet hole on the bul's eye lower, and fresh ones rise. "So, we shouldn't discourage them."
"The Aries Middle-East troops would be appropriate, although there's quite a gap when it comes to their ability to handle mobile suit combat, so they probably shouldn't join the Alliance Millitary."
"Do you want to go?"
"Huh?"
Treize smiles. "It's written all over your face, Zechs." A bird flies out from behind the shelf of targets. With the smile still on his face, Treize raises his rifle, changing his target. He fires, and red bird feathers rain to the ground. "Shoot 'em down for me, Zechs."
A blue submarine drifts underwater. Inside, Zechs and Otto stand infront of a Cancer mobile suit. "So, you're saying even Oz's latest mobile suit, the Cancer, was defeated?" Zechs asks. "That suit's very advanced."
"It's a shame," Otto answers. "Is that wounded enemy's model really so dangerous?"
"We've lost five of our best men, and that's just....too many."
"What is our next step, Lieutenant?"
"We need to confirm where the five machines are and find out their objectives. We'll leave this search to the Alliance's Marina."
"Yes, sir!"
A blue carrier flies down, skidding along the surface of the ocean. As it comes to a stop, the outline of the rising submarine can be seen beneath it. Zechs stands, thinking. The enemy is no longer in the ocean...they've gone far beyond what we expected. They succeeded in a mission we deemed impossible...
Elsewhere, a camera watches the strapped down form of Hiiro Yuy intently. "Respiration 27, pulse 57, temperature 34 degrees Celsius. The number's are rising," the man watching Hiiro says.
Suddenly, Hiiro's eyebrow twitches.
"Huh?" the man says.
The military woman standing next to him asks what's wrong.
"Nothing....just thought I saw a little fluxuation."
On the table, a stream of blood, pouring from Hiiro's bullet wound, drips off the side...
Hiiro's eyes slowly open. He flexes his arms, realizing that he's strapped down. I've been captured, he thinks. This is the treatment room on the fiftieth floor of the number 3 Alliance Military medical building in the Sub JAP area.
The man watching Hiiro turns to the woman, oblivious of Hiiro's regained consciousness. "Major Sally, there's a call in for you, ma'am."
The man on the other side of the line stands in front of a computer screen analyzing a computer disk. "The disk you gave me is protected with high level encoding," he explains. "It won't take an access code."
"That kid had the disk hidden on him," Sally replies. "So even the Alliance's mother computer can't decode it?"
"Major Sally, do you think he's an intelligence member of the rebels?" the man watching Hiiro asks.
"It's a little too early for that kind of conclusion," she answes.
A computer screen analyzes Hiiro's body as Sally says, "He's in excellent phsyical condition. And although though he has over two hundred bruises and broken bones, his only visible inuries are the shot wounds! It's obvious he's not just any ordinary kid."
"Should we use truethcyrone?" (and yes, I most likely misspelled the HELL out of that)
"Absolutely not!" she snaps. "Using drugsimprudently will only poison someone at his age!"
Duo stands outside, talking on a pay-phone in a booth. "Yeah, that'll do," he says. "Also, both the pull carts are broken, so I'd like you to have my lunch ready at the back of the wheat field, if you would. Thanks, I'll help you thresh the wheat later."
He hangs up the phone and walks out of the booth, looking at the hospital building in front of him. "Now," he says, "I should go visit that patient..."
In Zech's blue carrier, a computer prins out a map showing the movements of a tracked object. "It's travelling as if it knows that we've locked on to its position," Otto says. "It's the same unit that was spotted at the Yangzhee River."
"It's slow," Zechs notes. "Judging from its speed, it doesn't specialize in flying."
"Are you suggesting that there are number of different types of these fighting units, Lieutenant?"
"Yes. We may be able to see one of these machines at the Corsica base in the Mediterranian. We might be able to destroy it right then and there. The machine spotted at the Yangzhee River won't show up at the ceremonies at the Corsica base. It's heading for the Alliance offensive. It's not as bad as long as we can see it."
"At this rate, the Indus supply base will be attacked."
"We'll hope that they fight well. It's about all we can do."
The Shen-Long Nataku destroys the surrounding base, receiving no opposition from its inhabitants. Inside, Wu Fei sits. "They're just so defenseless," he says. "Looks like they're not taking me seriously enough," he says, with some scorn.
Back at the hospital, Relena Dorlian attempts to be allowed to visit Hiiro, with no luck. When the receptionist realizes that Relena is the one who brought Hiiro to the hospital, she goes and retrieves Major Sally. "Hi, my name is Major Sally. Could you give me a little more information about that handsome young man you brought in?"
Relena frowns. "About him...?"
The two look at each other.
The man watching Hiiro glances away from his newspaper to check on him. "No changes," he says sullenly and goes back to reading his newspaper.
However, the computer doesn't tell him that Hiiro is awake and struggling to free himself of the bonds tying him to the table. He flexes his arm, dragging the arm of the table, which has to be heavy, up a little bit. He stops struggling when he notices a computer monitor that has just turned on and is displaying a screen of snow.
Suddenly, Duo's face appears, holding a finger to his mouth to signal silence.
Duo starts talking, but there's no sound. HIiro watches intently.
An unconscious doctor lies behind Duo as he stands crouched over the computer console he's at. "I see you've got no choice but to lie there," he says. "I'm sure a talented guy with your skills would be able to read my lips. Well? Can ya?"
Hiiro looks away, but Duo keeps talking:
"Your acting is just amazing. You've regained consciousness without increasing your pulse or brain waves," he says, explaining why the person watching Hiiro didn't notice he had woken up. "I've got a few questions I'd like to ask ya. If you're feeling up to it, I thought I'd help ya break out of here." (Duo then said something here that I couldn't comfortably distinguish...if anyone has any idea what he says [I think it was one or two words], please send me an e-mail. -PJ)
Meanwhile, Relena and Sally ascend to the top of the building in an elevator.
"I'm very interested in that young man," Sally says. "He's got a wild look to him, but I sense an inner strenght..."
"I haven't noticed anything different about him, he's just your average young guy. That's all," Relena answers, looking away.
"Mind if I ask your name?"
"No, of course not, my name's Relena Dorlian." Its obvious that Relena's starting to get a little annoyed.
"You're not related to the Vice Foreign Minister by any chance, are you?"
"I'm his disobedient daughter."
Sally smiles. "I hope you'll forgive me, it seems I've said something to upset you."
Relena sighs. "No, don't worry about it. Can I go and see Hiiro now, please?"
"Hiiro?" Sally repeats. "Are you sure that's really what his name is?"
Relena smiles a huge fake smile. "Yeah! I am a close friend of his and we're in the same class!"
Sally and Relena walk into the room where the guy monitoring Hiiro resides. "Any changes?" Sally asks.
"None, Major Sally," he responds.
Relena runs up to the glass and looks at Hiiro, laying spreadeagled on the table, strapped down. "Hiiro!" she gasps. She turns around and asks sharply, "What do you have him tied down for!? Let him go immediately!"
"We're unsure of him," Sally answers. "He's much too strong for us, that's why we've got him tied down in restraints like that. We have a number of questions we'd like to ask him, but once we get some things cleared up, at least we'll be able to unbuckle him."
"So he's not part of the Alliance Military..." Relena says thoughtfully.
"Let's go downstairs."
Relena nods.
As the two of them walk down the stairs, a bomb explodes, the explosion throwing the two of them momentarily offbalance.
The white room that Hiiro's tied down in has turned almost black and is covered with smoke. The shadow of Duo, crouched over and guarding his face, stands in the middle of a giant, fresh crater in the wall. Hiiro watches him. Duo looks up from behind his arm. "Time to liven things up, buddy."
The hospital's in chaos. Confused and startled doctors run in all directions.
Duo stands over Hiiro, looking at the table he's strapped down to. "Damn!" he curses. "How do you get these things off?"
Hiiro stretches out a bloody hand to Duo. "Hand me your knife. I'll cut them down the middle."
"Ugh!" Duo snorts in disgust. "What'd you do to your hand!?"
Hiiro doesn't answer, just holds out his hand.
"Damn, you got some guts," Duo comments, looking at the pool of blood on the table where Hiiro's arm had been. Hiiro cuts himself free.
"You all right?" Major Sally asks Relena as the two of them race down the rest of the stairs.
Duo, holding a staff-like object, and Hiiro, wearing a parachute, run down a corridor towards a wall of windows. Duo throws an explosive at the wall and the two dive for the ground. The two then race and leap out of the building through the newly formed wall, plumetting towards the ground far, far below. "Geronimo!!!" Duo yells.
Duo front-flips and then raises his staff-like object into the sky. The staff is apparently a mini scythe, ala Duo's Gundam, the Deathscythe! A little blade of energy spouts out of the tip and starts spinning at a blinding speed. Holding it like an umbrella, Duo is able to float slowly at a safe distance towards the ground below.
Hiiro falls past Duo, spinning as he goes. "Hey!" Duo calls, "are you crazy? Hurry up and release your parachute!"
Hiiro ignores him and continues to plummet, his arms at his side and his eyes shut.
"Damn, I'm gonna have nightmares over this one!" Duo groans.
Relena and Sally race to the hole in the wall that Hiiro and Duo jumped from. "They must've jumped off from here!" Sally states.
"Oh my God!" Relena cries. Then she leans over and screams, "HIIRO!!!!"
Hiiro hears her voice, then suddenly his eyes shoot open. He pulls the ripcord and releases his parachute. Duo looks away, screaming, "It's way too late now!"
Hiiro falls down toward a the edge of a cliff and unlatches the parachute from his back, falling onto the cliff full force. He lands on his feet, then falls over and tumbles and rolls down the cliff to the beach below. He keeps on rolling in the sand until he's kicked up a screen of dust and sand.
And in the middle of that dust, the figure of Hiiro stands up, seemingly unhurt after jumping off the fiftieth floor of the hospital.
"Hiiro..." Relena coos.
"He's still alive!" exclaims Sally. "Incredible! I really hope that boy's not one of our enemies..."
Duo floats down to the ground, relinquishing his grip on the spinning scythe and letting it float away.
"Damn it!" Hiiro snarls. "I shouldn't have released my parachute."
Duo walks over, taking off his cap. "Now, I could understand you wanting to take your own life," he says. "But maybe, just maybe, you should think of another way of committing suicide, buddy!"
The two stare at each other as a boat floats past on the ocean behind them.
Duo walks over and puts Hiiro's arm around his shoulder. "I'm not asking you to trust me or anything, but right now I'm the only friend you've got."
Elsewhere, a radio spokeswomen states: "Now we bring you the latest news from the military. Mass production of Leo mobile suits is expected to resume at full capacity at the Corsica mobile suits factory without any further problems. The factory had experienced major delays as the result of an explosion, the cause of which is still unknown. In order to continue the inquiry into the explosion and for safety precautions, special troops from the Middle-east station will oversee the factory."
A carrier holding several Aries suits opens up and Walker, the pilot of one of the suits, says: "Lieutenant Zechs should be there by now. I'll be back in two hours."
Meanwhile, Zechs' blue carrier lands and Zechs walks out. "Looks like I've managed to make it in time for the ceremony..." he states.
Several Leo suits guard a giant blimp. "Commander Bonaparte, it'd be too risky to go in this," an underling says.
"You fool," Bonaparte, the aged commander of the blimp, responds. "This is the best way to make our intentions known to both the enemies and the Specials. We don't need the Specials to help us, they'll use this kind of a situation to show themselves off.
The narrator's voice then ensues as various pictures illustrate the subject matter he talks about: "The special millitary force, known as the Specials, made great progress in the miltary of the United Earth Sphere Alliance in the expansion of armaments. However, there were many that disliked and distrusted The Specials. Young leaders are trying to start a new trend, Colonel Treize Kushrenada is the aristocratic founder of the Specials. He is also a official of the mysterious Romefeller Foundation, financially backed by royalty and aristocrats, who place importance on tradition. With this strong backing, Treize has focused on the development of mobile suits. Specials is a complete unit that not only supplies mobile suits, but have also started instructing the combat army corp. Their reputation on the battleground is excellent, earning them the right to act independently anytime, and on any battle they wish. However, it can't be denied that this status has angered the elder soldiers even more."
Commander Bonaparte looks out the window of his blimp. "These men confuse the battleground with some kind of aristocratic game. They want to kill so badly that they're sparking things up themselves. We mustn't be persuaded by them. By acting cautiously, we can avoid any unneccessary battles. I'll teach those blood-thirsty specials a few things about intelligent battle!"
Zechs stands outside the doors to some sort of building of importance. "So, Commander Bonaparte isn't here?"
"No, I am terribly sorry, Lieutenant," a guard replies.
"I've heard rumor that he doesn't like me," Zechs says.
"Sir! My apologies!" a guard says, standing straight up and saluting.
"Don't worry about it. I can't blame the man for the way he feels about me."
Walker rides up on his motorcycle. "Lieutenant Zechs!"
"Walker, it's been quite a while."
"You haven't changed one bit, Lieutenant!"
"Have you got a machine ready for me?"
"I wanted to show you something to do with that, sir..."
Zechs and Walker stand in the middle of a factory, a gigantic white mobile suit in front of them. "This is huge," Zechs comments with awe.
"Apparently, it's one of the original mobile suit models. It's somewhat larger than the Leo. It's outdated, but when you showed me the data on Gundam, it reminded me of this suit, which has only been regarded as a historic artifact," Walker explains.
"You're from Corsica, aren't you?" Zechs asks.
"I used to work there," he answers, then moves on. "This is the only machine that can compare to the data I received. I wasn't told how it was made, but we know it would have to be this big to maintain its power. It was determined that this size exceeded their needs, and thus the present mobile suit size became standardized. Tallgeese. I believe that was what they called it."
"So you're saying this unit could compare to a Gundam if needed?"
"Go ahead and take it from this factory."
Zechs turns to Walker. "Counting on dying, are you?"
"Lieutenant, everything I've done up till now has been based on your advice to fight for the soldiers of tomorrow."
"You are a brave soldier, Walker. How many Gundams are you expecting?"
"I'm expecting the maximum, as you always taught me to do."
"There are four. One isn't headed this way. That's all I can tell you. Sorry."
"I'd be grateful if we got rid of even one, Lieutenant."
Later. "Please don't Commander Bonaparte!"
"No enemies are coming," Bonaparte responds.
Walker gets into the cockpit of his Aries. "But they are coming."
"Are you out of your mind?" Bonaparte snaps.
The blimp starts to float away and the Leos guard its departure. "What it is would challenge this security," Bonaparte proudly states.
Zechs stands in front of his carrier. He looks up and says, "See for yourself."
At that moment the Gundam Heavyarms opens up every compartments and unleashes everything its got. Several Leos are destroyed.
Inside the cockpit of his Aries, Walker watches. He pulls his flight goggles down over his eyes. "Specials! We'll start our counterattack immediately! All units, go!"
"Only one of them is here, sir!" an underling replies.
"It doesn't matter," Walker responds. "One is good enough."
Bullets fly everywhere and explosions sprout up constantly. Leos are riddled with bullets and planes are shot out of the sky. Tanks are leveled mercilessly.
As the blimp attempts to flee, someone yells, "Descend! Descend at once!"
"Calm down!" Bonaparte commands. "We know there's only one...surround and destroy it!"
"It's not showing on the radar!" another subordinate cries. "I'll check the observation camera. Enemy confirmed!" The underling yells this just in time to see the Heavyarms aim and fire into the screen, destroying the camera.
Bonaparte backs away, disgusted. "This is what happens when you rely on equipment!"
Inside the Gundam, Trowa sits in the dark. "Strategically speaking, when attacked by a small number of enemies, the best solution is to cut off the retreat path and shower it with bullets. In this case the commander's decision to surround and destroy the enemy was, in fact, technically correct. However..." The breastplates over the Heavyarm's chest opens up and two gatling guns fire, destroying tanks that are attempting to surround it. "He should not have taken action before fully understanding his enemy's potential."
Bonaparte stands, looking over the computer screens, aghast. "How could we have possibly made such a huge miscalculation?"
Walker's voice commands: "Assist retreat of the commander's vessel...everyone else, attack the enemy!"
"What are you doing!?" Bonaparte yells.
"Considering the enemy's strength, we won't make it out of here alive," Walker replies, sullenly. "Give appropriate instructions to the stats department of the factory. For soldiers of the future."
Bonaparte hangs his head in shame. "I'm sorry..."
Walker and two other Aries fly towards the Heavyarms. "Attack up close and stay focused!" Walker commands.
"Roger!"
Otto stands behind Zechs. "The aircraft is ready," he announces. "You may leave at any time."
"And Commander Bonaparte?" Zechs asks.
"There was a transmission confirming his safety,Lieutenant Zechs," Otto replies. "I am going to go there on the Leo as well."
"Please, Otto, I wish you wouldn't make it any more difficult for me."
"Sir?"
"Right now I'm just on the verge of convincing myself to take on the responsibility of protecting Tallgeese. It's humiliating, but I need your help."
"Sir!" Otto salutes.
Zechs says nothing, just watches the battle in the distance, hearing the rumbling of explosions and the rattling of gunfire. He, too, salutes.
Two Aries close in on Heavyarms, surrounding it on both sides. Heavyarms just stands and watches as the two start spinning around him. He then starts firing from his shoulder turrets and unleashes the battle knife on the right arm. He slices one of the Aries in half with a devestating upwards chop, and then spins around and slices the other one, which was at the time charging him, in two pieces as well.
Several other Aries float in the air, watching Heavyarms. It pulls up the gatling cannon and aims, but no bullets spew out - the gun is out of ammo. He drops the gatling cannon off of his left arm. He then opens his breastplate and tries the two vulcan cannons in there - still no luck.
"He's out of bullets!" one of Walker's underlings cries joyously. "We did it!"
"Don't let your guard down!" Walker advises.
"I'll show you what the Specials are made of!" the underling screams, ignoring Walker.
"You fool!!" Walker cries. "We can't afford a mistake at this point!!"
Inside the cockpit of Heavyarms, Trowa closes his eyes and bows his head. "That was pretty fast. Surprise, surprise."
The Aries flies up over Heavyarms, the pilot screaming. However, suddenly a bullet pierce's the mobile suit's head, demolishing it.
A massive stream of gunfire flies from the horizon, taking out several wandering Aries suits. At the source of the new gunfire: The Maganac Corp!
Walker flies back in his Aries, dodging the bullets. "COME GET ME, YOU MOSTER!!!" As he flies back, he fires at the approaching white and black Gundam....Quatre Rebarba Winner's Sandrock!
The Sandrock flies forward, through the gunfire, gripping the Aries in a deadly hug with its two gigantic Shorters.
"I wanted to find out what this thing could handle..." Walker says calmly.
"Sorry...." Quatre says, looking away.
"I'm on my way there," Zechs states.
The Aries finally gives way to the Shorters, splitting in half and exploding.
Heavyarms stands alone, staring at the Sandrock and the countless Maganac suits behind it. "Master Quatre," one of the suits says.
"I don't need any help," Quatre snaps.
"He's already used up all of his bullets," the soldier continues.
"That pilot isn't relying on any sort of firearm," Quatre replies.
Suddenly, Zechs' carrier blasts off, distracting Quatre. "Crap! There goes an Oz aircraft!"
Trowa takes advantage of Quatre's distraction and the Heavyarms charges. Heavyarms slices at Sandrock's arm with the battle knife, but the blade can do little against the gundanium alloy that coats the suit. Sandrock grabs Heavyarm's outstretched arm and bends it backwards, slowly tearing it off at the elbow. Heavyarms then knees Sandrock in the gut and the two start walking backwards. Sandrock punches, but Heavyarms catches its fist.
Inside the Sandrock, Quatre bows his head. "This isn't right...it's not."
The door to Sandrock's cockpit opens and Quatre runs out as Just Communication starts up in the background. "You and I shouldn't be fighting each other!" Quatre yells.
Heavyarms powers down and its own cockpit entrance opens. Trowa walks out slowly, his arms raised.
"Put your hands down," Quatre says softly with a smile on his face. "I was the first one to surrender and come out, remember?"
The two stare at each other, their Gundams still locked in a hostile embrace, surrounded by the soldiers of the Maganac Corp.
Meanwhile, on a ship at sea, the Deathscythe lies near a hole in the floor of the ship. The ocean's waters can be accessed through this hole, and currently the cable to some cranes are in the water. Slowly, the Wing Gundam surfaces.
"There," Duo says, at the controls to the crane system. "I pulled yours up too. You could at least show a little gratitude." He looks back and his eyes widen. "What's he doing?"
Hiiro lies on his back, his leg propped up on a rail. He's holding his thigh with both of his hands and grimacing with pain. He pushes his femur upwards, and then suddenly flips to his left. The sickening snap of bones grinding together as they pop back into place can be heard.
Duo groans with disgust as he watches. He holds his head with hands. "I can't take much more of this..."
Hiiro makes a rudimentary cast - which is to say he takes a wrench for support and ties a bandage around it, holding his thigh in place.
"He just goes and puts a broken bone back into place," Duo says as Hiiro walks by, barely limping at all. "Man, that totally grosses me out just thinkin' about it..."
Hiiro walks up the edge of the water and stares, with cold, emotionless eyes, at the Gundam Wing.
Next
Time
Hiiro's
voice: "Duo and I depart for another battleground. In the
meantime, Wu Fei heads for the Lake Victoria base in Central
Africa. At the base are Oz's advanced Taurus space mobile suits,
as well as instructor Nuin, an instructor of top pilots. There,
instructor Nuin encounters a nightmarish incidents. Next, on
Gundam Wing, Episode Four - The Victorian Nightmare.
Written by PJ