SD Gundam 1. A Brand New World! Start Me Up

I do not own SD Gundam.

**SD**

_Gundam Force_

Adventure

_Imagine a bright, peaceful place, where the skies are almost always sunny. Where a perfect balance between man and machinehas been achieved. This is Neotopia, city of the future. _

_Here, robots are not just workers, but pets, friends, and guardians, in the form of the Gundam Force. But why would a perfect place like Neotopia need guardians? Because we were under attack by the Dark Axis, robot invaders from another dimension. _

_As the fighting continued to escalate, other victims of the DA's tyranny joined up with us, and as we beat the invaders back into the other dimension, Soladiorama, taking the fighting to places like Lacroa and Ark. Eventually, we came face to face with the supreme leader of the Dark Axis, General Zeong. It at first looked hopeless, but thanks to the help of the allies we gained, we were able to destroy Zeong, for good._

_But how many other worlds have been victimized by Zeong's evil? To find out, a boy named Shute - That's me! - , Captain Gundam, Zero the Winged Knight, Bakunetsumaru, and Princess Relehimana(or just Rele for short) have gone on a journey to find and help all those other dimensions plundered by the Dark Axis. It's not gonna be easy, and it may be impossible, but we're willing to try._

_Gundam Force, let's GO!_

A Brand New World! Start Me Up!

Zakozakozakozako

Most people associate the light at the end of a tunnel with death. Shute, on the other hand, associated a tunnels light at the end with dimension travel.

When the world came into focus once more, he found he and the rest of the Gundam Force had been dropped onto a cliff, with a woods to the back of them.

"Wow…" Shute said, "A whole 'nother dimension!" He looked around. "Where are we?"

He didn't get an immediate answer. Rele and Bakunetsumaru were to busy taking in the new surroundings, Zero was looking over the cliff, and Captain didn't react.

"At this point I am unable formulate a satisfactory answer." Captain said at last, "But I am unable to detect any Dark Axis activity."

"The Dai Shogun would not just drop us in the middle of an enemy camp," Bakunetsumaru said wisely, "I am certain the Dark Axis is here. I can feel it in my Gunsoul."

"If that is true," Princess Rele spoke up, "Why are there no signs of petrified life?" Rele knew more than anyone that using Bagu Bagu was a favorite tactic of the Dark Axis.

"Hmm…" Captain's scope slid down over his eye and he scanned the area. "I detect a faint, subtle amount of magnetic energy in the atmosphere."

"Energy?" Rele asked.

"Correct. There is an 89.67 chance that this energy in the air may prevent Bagu Bagu from functioning."

"Perhaps we can find out more about this land by questioning the natives." Zero intoned.

"Natives?" Shute asked.

"Look yonder!" Zero gestured over the cliff, directing everyone's attention to a port town it looked over.

Zakozakozakozako

As the Gundam Force entered the town(it was called Purpleton), a nervous looking man saw them coming. He began to run all over whispering, "Strangers in town!"

This caused the townsfolk to greet the Force with suspicion, and to not meet their eyes.

"I don't like the looks we're getting," Shute said uneasily. The glares he was getting were making him nervous.

"They are just wary," Bakunetsumaru assured, "We need to show them that we're not enemies." Then to the closest person on the street, he said brightly, "Hello! My name is-"

He didn't get the chance to finish. The woman he was talking to zipped into a nearby building, shut the door, and closed the curtains.

As such was the rest of the day. The Gundam Force had doors slammed on them, signs on stores that said 'open' were replaced with 'closed', and etcetera.

By noon time the Gundam Force was feeling mightily discouraged.

"All right," Bakunetsumaru yelled suddenly, "What's going on? Why won't anyone talk to us?"

"Perhaps," Zero muttered, "It is your lack of conduct!"

"What!" Now Bakunetsumaru was outraged. It wasn't too long before both egos began to clash…as usual.

_Gurgle_

Everyone turned to look at Shute. "I'm kinda hungry." The boy said, helplessly. It _was _lunchtime, after all.

Zakozakozakozako

The Gundam Force managed to locate a restaurant on what was identified as Main Street. From the outside, the eatery(named, 'Slums') seemed to be filled with loud conversations.

Upon entering, however, the conversations ceased, then, picked up at a much quieter tone.

At the bar, Shute hoisted himself onto one of the stools, and the others – except Captain – sat down as well.

"What'll it be?" the large, statuesque barkeep asked in surly tone.

"Um…" Shute's train of thought derailed as he didn't know what Slums had to offer. Rele politely asked, "May we see a menu of you choices?"

The Barkeep, whose name was Shelly as evidenced by the nametag sewn on his shirt(Actually, it was his wife's shirt, but his name was Shelly all the same), gave the Princess a look and passed her a sheet of pink paper with writing that looked hastily written. As the Gundams crowded around Rele, Shelly asked, and an ominous tone, "You got money?"

The five froze as they realized that they had no money in this world's currency. Sure, Shute had a few buck from Neotopia, and as a princess, Rele would have some cash on hand, but would Shelly accept it?

"Put whatever they have on my bill."

Amazed and taken by surprise by this sudden charity, the Gundam Force turned to see who had spoken.

He was a young man, of average height. He was wearing a black pants, a light brown shirt with a torn off collar and breast pockets, and glove on his right hand. Around his forehead was a black bandana with an occasional white spot. On his back held by a strap was some sort of musket. His hair was a black-green sort(Bleen?) that jutted out in all directions(a traditional shonen do), and his eyes looked rough. Across his nose was a bandage, and on his left cheek were three scars.

"Thanks!" Shute said brightly, partly because he wouldn't have to worry about lunch, but mostly because they had found someone remotely friendly.

zakozakozakozako

Soon after, the Force had ordered and while they were eating, Shute decided to introduce themselves to the young man.

"My name's Shute, This is Captain, Zero, Bakunetsumaru, and Rele, what's yours?"

The young man glanced at the out of the corner of his eye. "Sinbad," He said after a beat.

"Well, Sinbad," Said Rele in what was a regal manner, "You have our eternal gratitude for your act of kindness."

"Forget about it."

Zero nudged Bakunetsumaru, already into his second serving. "Not one for conversation, is he?"

Baku' didn't bother to finish chewing before answer. "He's-" _Glumpf, _"a mite-" _Munch _"more-" _Chomp _"friendly-" _Crump _"than-" _yum _"the rest of this town."

Sinbad stared at the amount the Musha Gundam was eating. "Yeah, about that," He said finally, "If you wanna know, one of the reason's everyone's so spooked is that you didn't enter town from the docks."

"Why's that?" Shute asked.

"Well," Sinbad began, straightening himself up, "The thing is, aside from this little port, the rest of the island is nothin' but jagged rocks and cliffs. So unless you've got one heckuva boat, and some climbing gear, there's no way you could have landed there."

"What makes you think we are not from another part of the island?" Zero challenged. Earlier on the five had decided not to publicly reveal they were from another dimension.

Sinbad fixed The Winged Knight with a cool gaze. "Because," He answered, "The rest of the island is nothin' but untamed wilderness." Sinbad fixed the Gundam Force a challenging glare. After a few minutes, Shute said, "What's the other reason?"

"The other reason," Sinbad paused to take a swig, "Is that there's been a word of pirates in the area, so everyone's a little antsy."

That got the Gundam Force's attention.

"Pirates?" Asked Captain.

"Pirates." Sinbad affirmed.

"Pirates?" Zero asked.

"Pirates." Sinbad replied coolly.

"Pirates!" Bakunetsumaru was getting anxious.

Now Sinbad, on the other hand, was starting to get annoyed. "Yes, Pi-" He began to growl before a cry was heard outside.

"PIRATES!"

Zakozakozakozako

As the sky began to fill with screams, the Gundam Force rushed outside to help repel the imminent threat. All five of them were expecting rum-guzzling, salty seadogs of the swashbuckler variety.

What they saw was a hoard of little robots, about half of Shute's height, colored dark blue, black, and grey, with moving mouthpieces.

Rele gasped. "Those are-"

"Zako soldiers!" Captain finished.

Bakunetsumaru unsheathed his swords. "So, the Dark Axis _is _here." He looked ready for a fight.

One Zako, the leader, as evidenced by presence of his command fin, was quickly barking orders. "Take anything and everything of remote value…to us! No quarter asked, none given! Show no mercy!"

His troops were more than willing to oblige, as they swarmed around the village, taking stuff, terrorizing villagers, and generally causing mayhem.

Shute desperately tried to keep track of the Zakos. "They're everywhere!"

Captain was quick to give out orders. "Everyone, split up and be sure to watch your back!"

"Right!"

The Gundam Force swung into action. A small half-dozen of Zakos charged into a store, and when they charged back out, arms laden with stolen goods, they met with Bakunetsumaru. Swords already drawn, it took the Musha Gundam a few good swipes to send the little robots flying.

Meanwhile, Zero lost track of his Princess(Well, technically, she wasn't his Princess. More like, he was her knight) when he spied a pair of Zakos coming onto a young attractive woman who, in the midst of fleeing, tripped over her own feet.

The Winged Knight raised his hand skyward. "O Mana, come to me!"

A blue magical circle, inscribed with runes inside of it, appeared in the sky. Zero's shield dropped from it, an Zero unsheathed his sword from inside the shield.

Just as the Zakos were just about to come on the lady, a shard gust of wind blew the two of them away. The lady(whose name was Shelly) looked up and got an upward view of Zero, The Winged Knight, looking tall, proud, and every bit the hero he made himself out to be.

Zakozakozakozako

In another part of the town, a group of Zakos, armed with guns, prepared to open fire on a group of civilians. Just as they were about to pull their triggers, Rele leapt between them and the would-be victims, creating a magical circle to shield her and them.

"Run!" The Princess of Lacroa yelled to saviees, who did as told. She kept up the shield, the Zakos kept firing, until-

_Click click click_

The Zakos looked at their empty guns, then at Rele. She smiled sweetly, and flung the circle at them.

Zakozakozakozako

Hovering in the sky, Captain used his elevated position to not only pick off the Zakos with blasts from his wrist gauntlets, but was able to keep track of the rest of the team. He glanced down in one direction and caught sight of an interesting development.

"What's Shute doing?"

What Shute was doing, if it wasn't obivious, was running at a dozen of Zakos(all in tenpins formation) while pushing a shopping cart. At the last minute, Shute leapt into the cart, and, riding it, plowed into the Zakos. This had two effects, one of which was scattering the Zakos like tenpins(complete with the traditional sound) and the other was that the collision sent Shute flying. Luckily, against most odds, Shute landed on his feet, though a little off-balance from the jarring maneuver.

Captain could only shake his head, thank whatever hi-power controlled this universe that his friend wasn't hurt, and go back to business.

Zakozakozakozako

One Zako saw fit to charge into the Slum's. He was immediately pushed out by Sinbad, who had finished his meal and was curious to see what was going on.

The Zako, who was acting braver than it felt, brandished its heat-hawk. "Stay back, zako!"

Sinbad glared at the Zako. He then unslung his musket from his back and gripped it by the barrel. Then, in a motion that would make Tiger Woods proud, sent the little robot flying into the pile of Zakos Shute crashed into, once again scattering them like tenpins complete with the traditional sound effect.

Zakozakozakozako

Eventually, both sides of the skirmish regrouped, the Gundam Force looking ready for more, and the Zakos, hiding behind their leader like little cowards.

"Zako!" The Zako Squad Captain squawked, "Where'd you Gundams come from! There aren't supposed to be any Gundams here!"

"That's for us to know and you to find out," Captain answered, his gaze unwavering. No one seemed to notice that Sinbad had come closer, while the rest of Purpleton stayed back to watch the conflict from a distance.

"Zako!" The Cap-Zako waved his men, er, Zakos. "Back to the ship!"

The Zako platoon promptly took off and raced into the water, vanishing from sight.

Zero lowered his raised sword. "Well," he said, "that was easy."

Bakunetsumaru narrowed his eyes. "_Too_ easy…"

Captain kept his attention on the water, which began to ripple. "I detect a large object rising out of the sea, possibly a vehicle."

Something did rise out of the water, and might have counted as a vehicle of some sort.

It was arc shaped, and floated on its flat side. On the flat end of it, on both corners, were claw-like attachments, possibly where the thrusters were. On the front, the rounded end, were gun, much like the Komusai.

"Zakozakozako!" The Cap-Zako's voice could be heard on a loudspeaker. "You guys are in for it now! Grabola, sky-mode!"

The ship, Grabola rose into the air until it looked down on upon the town.

"Fire!"

The Grabola's guns began to fire massive shots. Zero and Rele could barely erect a shield in time. The force of the blasts knocked Sinbad off his feet.

"Zakozakozako! How's that taste? Want some more?" Cap-Zako's voice crackled over the loudspeaker. "Grabola! Prepare for the mega-burst!"

The Grabola ceased fire and began to charge up energy.

Looking more scared than he would dare admit, Sinbad could only stay seated on his landing pad(for lack of a less crude term) and stare up at what may be his impending doom.

"Don't worry."

Sinbad looked over at Shute, who had a never-say-die expression on his face.

"These guys are nothing," Shute looked over at the Gundam who was his best friend. "Right?"

Captain nodded. "Right!" Captain looked over at Zero and Bakunetsumaru. "Ready?"

The samurai and knight nodded as well. "Ready!"

"Gundam Force, Triple Attack!"

"Secret Arts, Baku Netsu…Tenkyo-Ken!" Bakunetsumaru ran forward, and cut into the air, creating a fiery 'X'.

"O Mana, give me the power to defeat those who would harm the innocent! Super Magical Violet Tornado! Zero, sent out a massive wind, much more powerful than the last, laced with flower petals.

Shute clenched his fists as he gave Captain a positive look. "Go for it!"

"Soul Drive, activate!" Captain's chest glowed as slightly as his Soul Drive charged up, his fist glowed gold, and a fighting fire appeared in his eyes. Activating his flight boosters, Captain flew up with the Tenkyo-Ken and Violet Tornado, wind up his punch.

The Grabola's guns fired, just as the Triple Attack reached it. For a faint moment, the two blasts looked even, and then-

_POW!_

And then the Grabola was sent flying, as it never stood a chance. The last thing heard from it before it disappeared over the horizon was, "I'll remember this…!"

As Captain lowered himself to the ground, the sun began to set.

Sinbad was so astounded by what he saw that could barely make out one query. "Who are you guys?"

Captain turned to him, the sun shining on his V-fin. "We are the Gundam Force."


	2. The New Allie

_Okay, listen up. Name's Sinbad. I wanna welcome you to Grand, a world that's mostly ocean, with some couple thousand islands, and few small continents. It's a place where if can happen on the sea, it will happen on the sea. It can get pretty rough, but I manage._

_But lately, it's been getting too rough. A group of metal pirates have been causin' trouble, and it's getting to be that nowhere is safe!_

_But a bunch of strangers called the Gundam Force are willing to change all that…_

The New Allie

Zakozakozakozako

That night at Slums, a party was in full swing. The people of Purpleton, after snubbing the Gundam Force in the morning, were hoping this shindig would be a good way of saying 'thank you' and 'we're sorry', after the way the Force saved the town from the Zakos, or 'pirates', as they called them.

Shelly the Barkeep in particular was especially grateful to Zero for saving his wife, and offered them free food and drink on the house- Everyone else, of course, had to pay.

Sinbad was amazed. He had only docked in Purpleton for a day, but he had never seen this, or any other town, be in such good spirits. All because of the Gundam Force.

He decided he would have a talk with them first chance he got.

Zakozakozakozako

Meanwhile, a large, crimson vessel, the _Chivvay_, picked up a smaller, brown, arc-shaped ship, which belonged to the Zako crew the Gundam Force had saved Purpleton from.

"Whaddya mean you got nothin'?"

The Zakos, after being forcibly dumped out of the _Grabola_, found themselves the target of a monstrous robot's ire.

This robot, being just as tall as Destroyer Dom, but with stubbier legs, longer arms, and claw-like hands glared at his much smaller subordinates.

"Um, zako, we could've gotten something, Lord Gargos Gogg," the Cap-Zako stammered, knowing full well it would be much easier for Gargos Gogg to simply smash him than listen to his excuses, "But-but-but, some Gundams stopped us!"

Gargos didn't like the sound of that. "Whaddya mean, 'Gundams'?"

Cap-Zako waved for one of the other Zakos in his crew to step forward. He then gave the unfinned one a bonk on the head, causing him to project an image of Captain, Zero, and Bakunetsumaru.

"These guys appeared in that town we were gonna sack, zako, and beat us, zako!"

Gargos leaned back some, in deep thought. "But there ain't supposed to be any Gundams here, Zakerello said so." Gargos leapt forward some, causing the deck to shake slightly with his landing. "Looks like we'll have to take care of them now, before they become a real problem! Full Speed ahead!"

Zakozakozakozako

The next morning in Purpleton, the Gundam Force was busy trying to figure out their next move. As they walked down the main road, they kept getting many friendly greetings from the townsfolk. It was welcome change compared to the constant snubbing they got yesterday. Along the way, met up with Sinbad.

Shute waved at him. "Hey Sinbad!"

Sinbad nodded. "Yo."

Rele whispered into Shute's ear. "Ask him about the Zakos."

Shute nodded. He looked at Sinbad and said, "Could you tell us about those, um, pirates?"

Sinbad gave Shute a penetrating glare. He shrugged. "Sure, why not."

Zakozakozakozako

_(Sinbad's narration)_

_It all started about…twelve, maybe thirteen years ago. Things were pretty quiet, though there were a few bands of normal pirates swarmin' about, from what I hear. But aside from that, it was business as usual. Then, these weird…machine-men just popped outta nowhere. At first, nobody took 'em seriously because of how small they were, from what I hear. I was about five, maybe four when the attacks started. It was crazy…those little on-eye's would blast a port, like this one, strip it down, and leave. Pretty soon it seemed like nowhere was safe… except Atlanter and Pacifica._

"Atlanter? Pacifica?" Bakunetsumaru queried.

_One of the two big islands. Atlanter and Pacifica were the biggest islands in the world, big enough to have more than a few small villages, and their own navies._

_Then…Atlanter was hit._

Zakozakozakozako

Sinbad sighed, looking slightly pained, and yet, somewhat desensitized to the pain.

"And that's how it's been." He finished. "With Atlanter ransacked, it seems like the world belongs to the Pirates now."

"What about Pacifica?" Captain asked. "Haven't they been fighting against the Pirates?"

Sinbad snorted. "Sure they have, if the Pirates get to close. The Pacificans don't give a charb what happens to the rest of the world so long as they're safe."

The Gundam Force looked at each other.

"Then our mission is clear," Captain said, "We must go to Pacifica and convince them to help us with our mission." The others nodded.

Sinbad waved his arms to get their attention. "Wait a minute, who are you guys? You just pop outta nowhere, beat up some pirates, and have no idea what's going on? Who are you!"

The Force exchanged glances. Rele stepped forward. "Sinbad, can you keep a secret?"

The seaman nodded.

Rele took a deep breath, and began. "First you must understand that we are not from…around here. We are from a different world than this one."

Sinbad didn't understand. "What are saying?"

Shute looked a little uneasy. "We're from different a dimension," The boy said, "That's why it looked like we appeared out of nowhere."

"We appeared on this island by means of a dimensional portal." Captain explained.

Now it was Sinbad's turn to look uneasy. "If you guys are from…somewhere else…whaddya doin' here?"

And so the Gundam Force began to tell their tale….

Zakozakozakozako

After the Gundam Force finished. Sinbad didn't really know what to say. So, he decided to summarize what they said.

"Let me get this straight," He began, "You're telling me that the Pirates are part of some big force called, the 'Dark Axis', and you guys are from another world, here to destroy them?"

"That's the general idea." Shute answered.

"Do you now know why we are here?" Bakunetsumaru asked, a passion building in his voice, "We cannot allow any piece of the Dark Axis' evil remain to hurt other lands! Not after seeing what they did to our homes!"

Sinbad relaxed his shoulders. They had tensed up. "Well, maybe goin' to Pacifica would help. You might be able t'convince them to do somethin' other than hide behind a line ofwarships."

"But how will we get there?" Zero posed, thinking.

Sinbad shrugged. "Well, the townsfolk like you, maybe they'll give you a boat if you ask real nice-like. Anyway," At this point, Sinbad began to walk off. "I gotta get back to my boat-"

"You have a boat?"

Sinbad stopped, cringing. He had a bad feeling… "Yeah, I have a boat…"

Sinbad turned back, and found himself looking at four sets of puppy-dog eyes. Captain would have been puppy-dog-eyeing as well, but Kao Lyn neglected to add that feature when installing the Gundam's new facial expressions.

Sinbad, meanwhile, didn't care about Captain lack of puppy-dog eyes. "No." He said firmly. "I am not ferry service. You want a ride, maybe you could hook up with some fishermen. I mean it! No!"

Zakozakozakozako

"Well, there she is," Sinbad said, showing his new passengers the thing he grudgingly called a boat.

"Your vessel does not appear to be capable of operating at 100." Captain stated.

"Yeah, she's doesn't look like much, and she isn't, but she gets me to where I'm going."

Sinbad and Captain weren't kidding, especially since Captain hadn't developed the capacity to kid around yet. Sinbad's seafaring vessel, named _Love & Piece_, was a rusty rig if there was one. The hull was patched together by various metal plates, the paint was peeling in numerous spots, and the glass in almost every porthole was broken. In short, it was, as hinted numerous times earlier, a piece of junk.

Rele, whose first experience with motorized transport was on the Gundamusai, looked apprehensive. "Are we really going to go to Pacifica…on that?" The Princess asked.

Sinbad, who didn't really take kindly to the tone of Rele's voice, said, "If ya don't like it, you can swim. And I'm not takin' you guys to Pacifica. I'm droppin' you off at the next island, and from there, you're on yer own."

"Besides," Shute said, trying to brighten the mood, "I bet it's not as bad inside."

Shute was right, the inside of the _Love & Piece _wasn't as bad as the outside. It was worse. Sinbad, as with most bachelors, kept the cleaning of his 'pad' to a bare minimum. And it was possible that the dust bunnies had evolved into sentient life. Bakunetsumaru swore that one pile of gunk winked at him.

And so, after much grumbling and mumbling, on Sinbad about the working condition of the _Love & Piece_, and Rele about the sanitary condition, the ragtag alliance finally shoved off. Little did they realize that this would be no pleasure cruise…

Zakozakozakozako

(Some notes:

(Charb, is a sort of like a curse word in this world. Translate it as you will.)


	3. Piracy Aboard the Chivvay

_Okay, listen up. This place is called Grand, and unlike your 'other worlds' it's mostly water, with a few thousand scattered islands._

_Nowhere is problem-free, and Grand is no different. Fer at least ten years, with been menaced by a robotic breed of pirate, and until recently, they've been pretty much unopposed._

_But some new, uh, acquaintances a'mine tell me that these pirate-machines are from another world, part of somethin' called the Dark Axis. How do they know? 'Cause they're from other worlds as well._

_Now I gotta take this…Gundam Force to Pacifica, the last sanctuary against the Pirates, so they can help 'save the world', you'd think that would be easy, wouldn't you?_

Piracy Aboard The _Chivvay_

Zakozakozakozako

In the vast ocean of this world called Grand, a little boat chugged along. This boat, _Love & Peace_, was not an overly appeasing to the eye sort of sea craft, nor did it have any special weapons or features to make up for its ugliness. All it did, as it was meant to do, was get whoever was on it from point A to point B.

Whoever was on it was Sinbad, its much-griping owner, and five outworlders, the Gundam Force.

At the present time, meaning now, the two human members of the Gundam Force, Shute and Princess Rele, were on the deck, looking out at the endless-looking amount of sea that they needed the _Love & Peace_ to get across.

Zero the Winged Knight and Bakunetsumaru were below deck, and on Rele request(or orders, as defined by a grumbling Bakunetsumaru) were attempting to clean up the _Love & Peace_. Or rather, they were waging war on the semi-sentient life that had evolved from the long-untouched gunk and grime.

Captain was busy helping Sinbad with directing the _Love & Peace_ to its intended destination, which left the two human youngsters alone.

"Wow…" Shute breathed, looking out at the water. "It just goes out forever…"

Rele glanced at her interdimensional friend and smiled. "Yes, it does." The Princess enjoyed these private moments, where she and Shute were alone. True, one of the Gundams or Sinbad could ruin the moment at any second, but she was going to enjoy it while she could.

And she had to admit, the ocean _did_ appear to go out forever. And the waves went up and down, and up and down, up and down, up and down…

Shute glanced at her majesty and noticed her cheeks were developing a rather greenish hue.

"Are you okay?" He asked her.

Rele forced her eyes away from the mesmerizing water motions, and then answered, trying to keep her breakfast down. "I…don't believe…the sea agrees with me."

The exchange was brought to an end when an unpleasant sounding bang erupted from below deck, followed by what might have been Sinbad cursing Grand-style.

Zakozakozakozako

"Lord Gargos Gogg! Lord Gargos Gogg!"

Gargos looked down on the little zako, taking in the underling's diminutive stature. "What now, Zako?"

"Zako, we have detected the vessel carrying the Gundams, zako."

Gargos was pleased. "Oh good. Steer towards it, and as soon as we get within rang, blast 'em with our cannons!"

"Aye-aye, zako."

Gargos looked in the direction the _Chivvay _was heading. Soon, one potential problem would be taken care of.

Zakozakozakozako

Meanwhile, on the _Love & Peace_, a potential problem wasn't being taken care of. In fact, the problem was probably being made worse!

It turned out the engine on the _Love & Peace_ had died, and Sinbad's attempts to bring it back to life caused it blow out.

Shute offered to look at the engine, and though Sinbad wasn't too keen at letting, in his view, a 'dumb kid' mess around with the heart of the _Love & Peace_, he figured it couldn't make things worse. At this point, he was ready to get some rope(an absolute must-have on a ship!) and have Captain and Zero tow the ship.

"Is this kid any good?" Sinbad asked, as Shute went at the thing one could, if feeling generous, call an engine.

"Shute has prodigious intuitiveness with machinery." Captain answered, "He was able to repair me."

"If anyone can fix your engine," Zero said proudly, "It's Shute. He can do it."

"I can't do it." Announced the boy in question. Everyone else facefaulted.

Except for Captain, who asked, "Why do you say that?"

Shute scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "Well…some important-looking piece… kinda crumbled to dust. Heh."

Sinbad rolled his eyes. "Oh well, time for plan B." He was about to get some rope for the two flight-capable Gundams when Captain cried, "I am detecting a large vessel coming in our direction!"

Zakozakozakozako

The motley crew of the _Love & Peace_ rushed out on deck to affirm Captain's detections. And sure enough, coming at them fro east-by-west was a large, red, none-too-friendly-looking vessel.

"We're saved!" Bakunetsumaru cried.

"We're doomed!" Cried Sinbad, "That's the flagship for the pirates!"

Zakozakozakozakozako

On the _Chivvay_'s deck, Gargos Gogg saw the Gundams' vessel.

"All right boys!" He yelled, "Just like we rehearsed! Aim our cannons on that puny rig, and FIRE!"

Zakozakozakozako

The Gundam Force and Sinbad saw the Pirate ship's cannons turn and point in their direction.

_BLAM! BLAM! BLAM!_ (And so forth.)

The cannon plasma blasts hit the _Love & Peace _dead-on, creating a great deal of smoke and saltwater.

Nodding, Gargos Gogg turned his back and marched into the door to below deck of the _Chivvay_, chuckling.

"Well, that's done. Set a course for the next island!"

And so the Pirate vessel sped off. If it stuck around, it would've seen that instead of being mere denizens of Davy Jones' Locker, the crew of the _Love & Peace_ were actually standing on a magical circle, safeguarded by a magic shield, courtesy of Zero and Rele.

"Phew…Thanks, Zero, Rele." Shute breathed, a little disoriented by the fact that a few moments ago, he and the others could have been blown to smithereenies.

"No thanks are necessary, friend Shute, but now what do we do?" replied Zero. He and her majesty couldn't keep this up indefinitely, and there was no telling how far the next island was.

"I'll tell ya what now," Sinbad growled, "Where're gonna pay the Pirates a little visit!"

Bakunetsumaru looked at Sinbad, as did the others. "What do you mean?" asked the Musha Gundam.

"I mean, if we hustle, we can catch up with their ship," Explained Sinbad, "I bet that rig has a lotta smaller ships we can use."

"Like the one that attacked the village!" Rele cried happily.

"Right," Captain said, "Let's go."

Zakozakozakozako

As it turned out, getting to and aboard the _Chivvay_ was no problem. The large vessel wasn't very fast, and the only reason it had gotten the jump on the Gundam Force was that they were occupied with the _Love & Peace_'s engine.

On the _Chivvay_'s deck, Sinbad looked around for any sign or form of security.

"Looks like the coast's clear," the young man said, eyes darting, "Quick, let's see if this rig has anything we can use."

"How about that?" Shute pointed out the Grabola, still gripped by the crane.

Sinbad's eyes lite up. "Perfect!" He quickly guestured for the others to help him. "Quick, let's get it down and out before someone-"

"Zako?"

Everyone turned around to look at the Zako that appeared.

Zakozakozakozako

"Lord Gargos Gogg! Lord Gargos Gogg, zako!"

Gargos put down the book he'd been reading, taken in an earlier raid, and glared at the Zako.

"What is it?" He growled.

"I-i-it's the Gundams!" The Zako squeaked, "They're on deck, trying to steal one of our boats, zako!"

"WHAT!" Gargos leapt up, hitting his head on the ceiling. "But we blasted them with our cannons!"

The Zako had no answer to that, and simply stood there and shook with fear.

Gargos made a noise more associated with a volcano about to erupt. "Grrr…I'll have to take care'a this myself!"

Zakozakozakozako

Back on deck, a fight, if the term could be used as such, was in progress between the Zako crew of the _Chivvay_ and the Gundams. Well, it wasn't much of a fight, if were to be honest about it. Basically, the Zakos kept charging blindly at the Gundams, only to be smacked away. Meanwhile, Sinbad, Shute, and Rele kept trying to get the Grabola down from the crane's grip.

"I could keep this up all day!" Bragged Bakunetsumaru, as he swatted more Zakos with his swords.

"We may have to," Captain mentioned, punching another away. "At the amount of Zako soldiers this vessel holds, combined with the lack of progress the others are making."

"We're doing the best we can!" Sinbad yelled, "This stupid thing won't let go!"

Eventually, Sinbad got so worked up he climbed onto the crane hand and began hitting it with his gun.

"Uh, Sinbad," Shute said, "I don't think that's gonna-"

Shute was cut off by a groaning noise emanating from the crane. Then, with all the grace of a hippo in labor, the Grabola slipped from the crane and landed upside-down on the deck with a rather unpleasant sounding CRASH.

"Never mind," Shute finished.

"Quick, let's get it into the water, now!" Sinbad yelled, jumping down from the crane.

"Zero, help!" Rele called out, and the Winged Knight was only too willing to help.

"Coming, milady!" Zero said, then he looked back at his fellow gundams, "Can you handle this without me?"

"Affirmitive," Captain affirmed.

"_WHAT"S GOIN' ON HERE!_"

All heads turned to the rather imposing presence of Gargos Gogg. Gargos himself blanched when he saw the Gundams.

"What the-? How'd you Gundams get here?" He asked furiously.

"That's for us to know you to find out!" Captain answered.

Gargos glared. "Fine. I don't care about where y'came from," he stepped forward in a threatening manner. "All I care about is where your going- DOWN."

Captain was about to step forward to meet the unsaid challenge- but was blocked by one of Bakunetsumaru's swords.

"Captain," The Musha Gundam said, "Go help the others with the boat. This-" He brought his swords to a fighting stance. "-is my forte!"

Gargos laughed nastily, "You? You'll be lucky t' last a second against me, with those antique swords!"

With that, Gargos swung his clawed hands down on the samurai. Bakunetsumaru brought both swords up to block the assault.

A crowd of Zakos gathered to watch the fight. No one seemed to notice – or care – that the rest of the intruders were busy getting the Grabola right side-up, Zero and Rele using their magic, Shute, Captain and Sinbad using good ol' fashioned physical strength.

Meanwhile, the duel, if one were to use such a term, between Bakunetsumaru and Gargos Gogg appeared to have no end in sight, as the two were evenly matched. While Gargos was possibly stronger than Baku', his stubby feet made it difficult to keep up with the Musha Gundam's quick movements. But none of Bakunetsumaru's slashes seemed to affect the brutish robot.

Back with the rest of the Force, Zero and Rele were now using their magic to lower the Grabola into the water, while Shute looked over the edge and directed them. Sinbad and Captain kept an eye on the fight, hoping no one would notice what they were doing.

"Little bit more…lower, lower," Said Shute, on his belly to get a better view, "A little bit more… Okay! That's it! Perfect!" Shute got up and yelled to Sinbad, "It's in!"

Sinbad quickly took off for the deck's edge and jumped, landing on the Grabola's top.

"Okay, hatch, hatch, where's the- Here it is!"

The thrusters of the Grabola glowed as the engines started up.

Shute flashed a thumb's up to Zero and Rele, who released the Grabola from their magic. Zero then picked up the Princess in his arms, and floated her down to the Grabola.

Back with Bakunetsumaru, the Musha Gundam noticed Captain waving to him. The Samurai knew at once it was time to go, but unfortunately, between him and his friends were Gargos Gogg and the Zakos.

"Hmm?" Gargos turned his head to see what the Bakunetsumaru found so diverting, and saw that the Grabola was gone from its roost…and the Gundam Force were jumping overboard. "Hey!"

Of course, by moving his attention from his opponent, Gargos gave Bakunetsumaru the opening he needed.

"Secret Arts…Baku Netsu…Tenkyo-Ken!"

The flaming 'X' Bakunetsumaru created proved very usefull as Bakunetsumaru used to plow through the wall of enemies. As Baku' landed next to Captain, he said, "Well, time to go."

Captain nodded, "Agreed."

The two of them jumped overboard…and right into the Grabola via the open hatch.

Zakozakozakozako

Gargos Gogg regained consciousness, just in time to see the pirated-Grabola zoom off into the horizon.

"Th' Commodore's gonna kill me fer this," He moaned.


	4. Shanghi'ed!

_Okay, I'd like to welcome ya to Grand, the world of high seas and adventure._

_Last time, those Pirates sunk the _Love & Peace_, but thanks to some weird powers on account-a Zero and Rele, we managed to survive. Then, it was just a matter of sneaking aboard their flagship and stealin' one a'their smaller ships…heh, that Gargos Gogg must be feelin' pretty stupid right about now…_

Shang-hi'ed!

Zakozakozakozako

A robot, officially designated Amuro Acguy, marched down a foreboding-looking hallway to what may usually was considered his inevitable doom.

It wasn't his fault that Gargos Gogg flopped the way he did. All Amuro had to do was relay the bad news…unfortunately.

Sure, his commading officer, the ever-fearsome Commodore, stuck to the old adage of not killing the messenger, but that never stopped him from chewing Amuro out verbally.

Eventually, Amuro came to the one thing separating the Commodore' chambers and the foreboding hallway – A door, with two Zakos standing at each side.

Amuro didn't really know what good the Zakos were, especially since they looked as scared as he felt, being so close to the Commodore.

Amuro entered, and felt very relieved that the Commodore had his back to him, sitting in his chair. This bit of news wasn't worth telling him face to face.

"Sir," Amuro began, very glad(and not for the first time) he wasn't built with sweat glands, "I-I just have received a contact from Gargos Gogg…and…"

"And?" The Commodore sounded like he already knew he wasn't going to like the news, but was waiting for the bombshell to drop.

"According to him…Gundams have appeared on this planet." Amuro finished. He trembled, waiting for the Commodore's reaction(or overreaction, in this case)

He wasn't disappointed.

"_WHAT!_" Hollered the Commodore, swinging his chair around to give Amuro the full 'benefit' of his attention, "_GUNDAMS!_"

If Amuro was shaking before, he was now. Commodore Z'Gok wasn't a pleasant sight to see, even when he was in a calmer state of mind.

Built similar to Amuro Acguy, Z'Gok was even more menacing, bigger, with more powerful weapons, and special feature – His eye could circle around his head, giving him 360 degrees of visibility. And his reddish paint job made him downright scary.

"Y-yes sir," Amuro affirmed, terrified for his life.

"We haven't had to deal with Gundams, not since we broke away from that cripple Zeong," Z'Gok growled, his initial temper already cooling down. Which was good for Amuro, who could now give the 'bad news' without fear of being scrapped.

"Well, sir, they appeared a few days ago, according to Gargos Gogg," Amuro wasn't completely sure Gargos could tell time, so for all he knew the Gundams could have been running around for _months_. "And recently they've stolen one of our ships, the _Grabola_."

Z'Gok made a noise that would sound like chuckling, under most circumstances. "Heh Heh heh…"

"Sir?" Amuro, who was more used to seeing the Commodore in rage than anything, wasn't sure what to make of this. "is something wrong?"

"No, no," The crimson Commodore said, a certain nasty tone in his voice, "in fact, I think it's time to call in my ships…_all of them_."

Zakozakozakozako

Meanwhile, the _Grabola_, now under control of the aforementioned Gundam gang, zipped through the water, weaving about and occasionally leaping out and back in again.

This pattern of movement was because of the vessel's new captain, Sinbad, who couldn't get over the fact he now had a ship that could break thirty miles(Nautical miles, which I'm fairly certain are longer than regular miles).

While Captain was for the most part, unaffected by the rather jarring course, Zero, Bakunetsumaru, and Rele would've been happier going straight, rather than over, around, and under every which way.

Shute was the only one who seemed to like what Sinbad's newfound form of seafaring, which up until recently, consisted of simply plodding as fast as the vessel would go to the intended destination.

All of a sudden, however, the joyride came to a would-be halt as the _Grabola_ took a sharp turn left, causing all those who didn't have their safety belts fastened – which included everyone, as the arc-shaped ship didn't have such things – to become one with the right wall with a jarring SMACK.

Rele was the first to peel herself from the unexpected redirection. "Now really!" She admonished to the surprised Shute and Sinbad, "That's enough!"

"I didn't do that!" Sinbad attempted to snarl, but was too dizzy from the previous happenstance to make it menacing. He ran to the controls and attempted to correct their course. Unfortunately, nothing he did caused any change. "I've lost control of this heap!" He cursed.

Captain looked up from where he was helping Shute to his feet. "But if you are not controlling this ship – who is?"

Zakozakozakozako

"Amuro Acguy," Commodore Z'Gok droned ominously, "Have a hundred Zakos at Pier 13."

"Yes sir!" Amuro said, before running off to not just to implement those instructions, but to get as far away from the instructor as possible.

"Heh heh heh…" Z'Gok chuckled, "This is all too easy."

Zakozakozakozako

Back on the _Grabola_, Bakunetsumaru asked the inevitable question.

"Where is this thing taking us?"

No one had an answer, and since the view screen was off, no one could see the approaching coastline of an island covered with factories…

Zakozakozakozako

At the aptly-named Pier 13, a hundred Zakos stood ready, waiting for the _Grabola_ and its unwitting prisoners.

One Zako glanced at another and said, "Zako, I'm bored."

Zakozakozakozako

Eventually, the Gundam Force and Sinbad felt the _Grabola _slow down, and soon after that, they felt it stop.

The minute it seemed like the ship had no more surprises for its crew, Sinbad began to move to the hatch.

"Time to see where we are." He explained, as he began working the door on the ceiling.

"It could be a trap," Bakunetsumaru warned, and Sinbad stopped.

"Good point," He conceded. The seaman looked at Captain. "You first."

Captain nodded, and stuck his head out of the hatch.

"All clear!" The GP01 announced, and soon everyone else was out.

The area they were in was dank, dark, deserted pier, that looked like no one had used for years. Barely readable over some graffiti was a sign showing the number 13.

In fact, the area seemed utterly devoid of activity…aside from one working security camera the group noticed.

Zakozakozakozako

Z'Gok stared at his video moniters, showing the bewildered Gundams and humans. They had arrived at Pier 13, on time as planned…

_But where were the Zakos!_

"Acguy!" The Commodore boomed to his nearby lackey.

Amuro snapped to attention. "Sir!"

Z'Gok did his best not to sound angry…too much. "Didn't I order you to have a hundred Zako Sailors at Pier 13?"

Amuro nodded vigorously. "Yes sir! They should be there now!"

"Is that so? Then…" At this point Z'Gok grabbed Amuro very painfully with his claws and swung around so the stooge can see the moniter. "WHERE ARE THEY!"

Amuro squirmed in his superiors grip before looking at the screen.

"Oh…That Pier 13. I thought you meant the new Pier 13. We haven't used that one since the paintball incident- Awk!"

Z'Gok flung Amuro against the wall without any preamble.

Zakozakozakozako

Meanwhile, the Gundam Gang was busy wandering around, trying to take in their new surroundings. Or, in some terms, _not_ take in their new surroundings.

"Boy, what's that awful smell?" Shute complained, his face contorted into a scowl at the unpleasant odor.

"It is most foul," Agreed Rele, placing a handkerchief over her mouth and noise daintily.

Captain's scope slid down. "There is sulfur and smoke in the air," He announced.

Bakunetsumaru wasn't too concerned with the air quality. He had his focus on Sinbad, who had strange look in his eyes, a look he had seen those eyes on another.

Zero, during their brief visit to the ruined Kingdom of Lacroa.

"Is there something to this place you know about, Sinbad?" Baku' questioned, concerned for the seaman.

"This…" Sinbad sounded like he was in a dream, "This is Atlanter…my home."

Everyone looked at him suddenly. This was one tidbit until recently unknown!

"You're…home?" Shute delicately.

"Yeah," Sinbad had a far-off look in his eyes now. "My home."

Zakozakozakozako

_(Sinbad's narration)_

_When the Pirates attacked…we didn't know what to do. Things kept happening too quickly, and we were going stir crazy trying to make sense of it._

_Eventually, anyone who couldn't fight, like the old, young, and infirm, were put on a boat and taken to 'safer' waters._

_That was twelve years ago._

Zakozakozakozako

Sinbad finished his narration. The Gundam force looked at each other, then each did they're best to comfort the seaman. They all knew what it was like to have the peace and safety of home shattered so quickly.

"Did you have family here?" Rele asked, thinking of her father.

"yeah, my mom," Sinbad answered sadly, "She was a fighting Sailor for Atlanter, so she stay behind. I've haven't seen her since." He looked up at the huge buildings. "And I guess I never will."

No one knew what to say to that. It was then they heard the tromp-tromp-tromp normally associated with footsteps.

"Now what?" Sinbad growled, the trip down memory lane making him irritable.

They all turned around to see a large number of Zakos – looking mighty irritable themselves, for some reason – marching down the street in their general direction!

"Oh great!" Groused Sinbad, "Whadda we do now?"

"I suggest a strategic retreat," Captain intoned, "It would not be wise to engage in combat here."

"Sounds good to me!" Shute agreed. And without much more to say, the Gundam Gang took off.

Except for Bakunetsumaru, who had his swords out, and his ears closed to what was just said.

"Come and get me you spawns of evil," He challenged, "And taste my blade!"

Zakozakozakozako

After a great of running, Shute allowed himself to stop and catch his breath, self-assured of his own safety.

"I think we lost them, guys- Guys?" Shute looked around, and found that he was alone. "Captain? Sinbad? Zero, Rele? ANYONE?"

Zakozakozakozako

Captain stopped running, and believing to have put considerable distance between himself and the Zako hoard.

"Are you alright Shute-" Captain broke off when he realized no one was there. "Shute? Shute!"

Zakozakozakozako

Zero looked around in a panicked fashion.

"Princess Rele? You majesty!"

Zakozakozakozako

Rele had never felt so alone, as she wandered the dark alley she found herself in.

Zakozakozakozako

Sinbad glanced around, seeing no one friendly.

"Sheesh, whatever happened to 'togetherness'?"

Zakozakozakozako

It seems that in their haste to initiate a strategic retreat, Each member of the Gundam Force and Sinbad had run down separate road, not just losing their persuers, but the rest of their group!

And as for Bakunetsumaru, the only one who _didn't _run?

Zakozakozakozako

The Musha Gundam trudged away from the scene of the battle, using his swords as makeshift crutches, worn out from the fighting.

"So…many…" Bakunetsumaru moaned, fatigue setting in. "Must…get… to the others…"

Bakunetsumaru moaned, and fell on the ground face first.

"But first a nap…Zzzzzzz…"

Zakozakozakozako

Commodore Z'Gok stared at the monitors, each one showing one of the Gundams/humans.

"I'll get you…" He hissed, "you won't escape!"

Zakozakozakozako

**TO BE CONTINUED**


	5. Escape from Z'Gok!

_Shute here! Last time, we forcibly arrived at Sinbad's old birthplace, Atlanter, now industrialized by the Dark Axis. But while attempting to avoid capture, we ended up separating ourselves! Now we've got to get back together, and out of this mess!_

_Don't worry, Captain, we can do it!_

**Escape from Z'Gok!**

Zakozakozakozako

Shute wasn't going to panic.

No really, he wasn't.

Even though he was in a foreboding ally on a foreboding island covered in foreboding factories, and that he was separated from his friends, and the current rulers of the island could care less about organic life in general, he wasn't going to panic.

"I'm not gonna panic," Shute said to himself, under self-restraint not to jump at every shadow like a little sissy-boy, "I just gotta stay calm, and everything's gonna turn out okay-"

"Zako! Look! A human!"

With a slight combination between a shriek and a yelp, Shute took off as fast his little legs could carry him, followed quickly by at least three dozen Zakos.

But he didn't panic, no sir.

Zakozakozakozako

Captain wasn't panicking. He was too intrigued by what he was seeing.

Earlier, the Mobile Defender of Neotopia had ducked into a random-looking building, after getting over his initial shock about losing track of Shute, in order to avoid some security detail.

What he saw was most interesting.

Amid the sound of machinery, power tools, the smell of molten copper, A massive crimson vessel was being developed.

It was huge, possibly three times the size of the _Chivvay_.

All around, various Zakos kept working on it, filling it with supplies, connecting wires, doing this, doing that, etc. and so forth.

"What is this…?" Captain queried to no one in particular.

"Hey, zako!" Someone yelled, "It's a gundam!"

Captain whirled around to see a group of Zakos racing towards him. The GP01 whipped out his V Rod. He then noticed that _every_ Zako in the building was coming after him. This was going to get rough.

Zakozakozakozako

It certainly was rough for Princess Rele. Not only was she trapped on a strange island, but she was alone – no Zero, no Shute. When she was Kibaomaru's prisoner, at least she had the Neotopian boy's company, but now…now she was truly by herself.

"Zako!"

Of course, compared to a few Zakos chasing her, being alone wasn't ALL bad.

Zakozakozakozako

Z'Gok sat at the security monitors, fuming.

Not only had his idiot security force went to the wrong port to capture the cursed Gundams, but now he had lost track of them on his monitors!

"Where are they…" He muttered. Gundams don't just vanish into thin air!

It was at that moment that a Zako walked in. "Zako!" It said, alerting the Commodore to its presence.

"What do you want?" Snarled Z'Gok. "Did you find one of the Gundams?"

"No sir, zako!" the little bit of cannon fodder answered nervously. It had heard tales of the Commodore's violent fury, and was taking measures not to be near his grasp.

"THEN WHY ARE YOU HERE!?" Roared Z'Gok, the power of his voice causing the room to shake.

"Well, ah, zako zako," The Zako tried not to lose its balance, "Be-Because we captured one of their humans, zako!" the Zako cried anxiously.

"What?!" Z'Gok yelled, "A human?!"

Before the terrified Zako could affirm, two more Zakos came in with a constantly struggling Shute. The boy wasn't going to make things easy for his captors…until he got a good look at Commodore Z'Gok.

"So…human." Z'Gok began, giving Shute the evilest of evil eyes. "Tell me…_WHERE DID THOSE ACCURSED GUNDAMS COME FROM!?!?_"

Shute gave a slight yelp as his Zako captors dove behind him for cover.

For a brief moment, Shute's life flashed before his eyes. Considering he was 10 years old, this wasn't an all too glaring flash.

"Well?" Snarled Z'Gok.

"Beats me," Shute shrugged, lying through his teeth.

An ominous silence ensued. It was at last broken by the Commodore.

"Of course you know…you have to know…" Murmured Z'Gok, more to himself than anyone. He began to walk out of the office. "But that's a pretty good idea…"

Just before the Commodore left the room, he threw one last order at the Zakos.

"Beat him."

The Zakos looked at Shute.

Shute looked back at the Zakos.

"Zako!" and the Zakos leapt at Shute. It would have been the end for the young boy, but luckily he had developed the reflexes needed to avoid such an end in various games of dodge ball. So, he just jumped to the side-

Clang!

-And the hapless Zakos, who were standing on either side of Shute, knocked each other out when the leapt and collided.

Shute nodded triumphantly. "Ha! That was easy." The Neotopian looked around for any other surprises. "Time to go."

Shute was about to make his way to the door when he noticed some sort of notebook on Z'Gok's desk. Curious, Shute picked it up. He would've opened it up to what was written inside, but the groaning of two Zakos coming back to the world of the awaken told him to save for a safer reading area, preferably off the island. Shute went ahead and cut out.

Zakozakozakozako

Sinbad wasn't too sure what to think. Ever since he'd been separated from the Gundam Force, he'd been looking around, checking out the various buildings and such. It was quite unpleasant to see any remnants of his old home now had large factories built over, but even more so when he released what those factories were making on their production lines.

'Ships…missles…' Sinbad thought to himself, not really paying attention to what he was doing. He was so lost in thought that he didn't realize he had wandered into a supply room with a small grouping of Zakos, not until one of the little guys yelled, "Hey, A human! Let's get him!"

A few swings of Sinbad's musket was more than to quell any urge to arrest him the Zakos had.

"He's pretty tough, zako!" One Zako cried, nursing the bump on its head.

"Zako," Another said, "Let's get reinforcements!"

And with that, the little band of robots rushed out of the room.

'Finally,' Sinbad thought, 'Now I can think.' It didn't occur to him that reinforcements might be a bad thing-

"Zako!"

At least, not until that same bunch with many more rushed back into the room, trampling the seaman.

"Where is the human, zako?" One Zako, the leader, asked, unaware that said human had been just used as a doormat.

"He must have run off!" Another yelled, equally unaware of the falsehood of its statement, "Let's go, zako!"

And so, the zako squad rushed out, once again trampling Sinbad, leaving him to his thoughts, now filled with fantasies involving the wholesale slaughter of little robots.

Zakozakozakozako

Princess Rele slumped against the wall, exhausted. She had been throwing spell after spell after spell at her pursuers, in several vain attempts to get them off her back. But now, she was out of magic, and trapped at a dead-end in an alley she thought was a shortcut.

As the hoard of Zakos closed in on her, Amuro Acguy shoved his way to the front.

"Finally," He said, "Are you going to come with us quietly and stop throwing those weird things at us."

She would have answered, but it wasn't princess-like to swear.

"All right," Amuro gestured to the Zakos. "Go get her-"

Before Amuro could finish, a sharp beam o light shot down into the crowd, scattering the Zakos. They were in an alley, so they weren't scattered to far. Meanwhile, there was a slight burst of light in front Rele.

The Princess of Lacroa gasped, "Zero!"

Yes, it was Zero, his shield and sword ready at hand. "I have sworn an oath to protect all fair maidens from evil forces, and I will be true to that oath, regardless of the dangers!" He declared dramatically.

Amuro was somewhat put off by the sudden bout of dramatics, but not so much to realize what was going on.

"Hey!" He cried, "You're a gundam!"

Zero turned back to Amuro, and took a battle-stance.

"This is great!"

Now it was the Lacroans turn to be put off. "What?" Zero asked, feeling a sweatdrop run down his head.

"I was wondering how I was gonna find you gundams," explained Amuro, "Then you pop up! This is gonna really save me some time!"

"Assuming, of course," Zero readied his sword, "You capture me."

Amuro raised his arms and three blades popped out of each one. The mono-eyed robot lunged at the Knight Gundam.

The two robot warriors' blades clashed, as the two went at it. With Zero busy, the Zakos would've used this chance to capture Rele, but there wasn't enough room in the alley for anyone to get around Zero and Amuro. As it turned out, Amuro wasn't as good as fighter as the other Dark Axis leaders, somewhat less than Grappler Gouf. However, Amuro's spinning blade hands made it difficult for Zero to get an edge, so the two were at a standstill.

This didn't last, however, as Zero managed to bunt Acguy back into the crowd of Zakos.

"Lacroa…Crescent!" Zero sweeped his sword through the air, sending an ark of magical energy at the robots, causing them to explode with a KER-BAMF!

With Amuro and the Zakos temporarily indisposed, Zero turned back to his princess.

"Your majesty, let us leave this wretched place." The knight said, kneeling.

Rele smiled. "Lets."

Zakozakozakozako

'Let's see,' Shute thought as he ran. 'This is where I last saw everyone before we got separated. So maybe-'

Shute's train of thought derailed when he ran into someone, knocking them both down. It was Sinbad!

"Oof!" Sinbad grunted, as his 'landing pad' hit the ground. "Watch it will y-Shute!"

"Sinbad, your okay!" Shute cried, happy, then he looked confused. "But what happened to you? You look like someone used you as a doormat."

"I'll tell ya about it later," Sinbad muttered, looking somewhat annoyed. He thought he wiped those footprints off. "But where is everyone?"

Shute shook his head. "I don't know," he admitted, "I came back here because I thought everyone else would be here."

"Yeah, me too," Sighed Sinbad.

Just then they both heard the sound of rockets. Looking up, they both saw Captain Gundam fly down to them.

"Captain!" Shute cried happily, glad to see his friend. The boy ran up to greet the Gundam. Sinbad grinned. "Lemme guess, you thought we'd be here too?"

"Affirmitive," Captain responded. "I believed everyone would return to the point where we last saw each other."

Shute looked from Captain to see two more familiar faces coming down from upwards.

"Zero! Princess Rele!" Shute ran up to the knight and royal. Zero let Rele out of his arms so she could stand.

"It looks like everyone one is here," Zero commented.

Rele, however, wasn't too sure about that. "But where is-" She gasped as she saw the prone figure of a certain Musha Gundam lying face-first on the ground, several yards ahead of her.

"BAKUNETSUMARU!" Everyone ran over to the samurai and saw he was covered in various cuts and scratches.

Shute looked horrified. "Is…is he-"

"Zzzzzzzzz…."

Everyone sweatdropped.

"Asleep." Shute finished, staring at the indeed snoozing warrior.

"I don't believe this," Zero muttered, and he gave Baku' a good kick. "Wake up, you lightheaded fool!"

Bakunetsumaru groaned, before coming to. "Wha…hrmm…huh?"

He was up instantly, swords drawn "Zero! What's going on?! How many are there!? Where am I?! What was I doing?!" he demanded.

"You were sleeping." Captain stated calmly.

"Sleeping?" Baku' asked, a '?' appearing over his head for a moment. "All that fighting must have taken a lot out of me."

"All what fighting?" Shute asked, a '?' of his appearing over his head. Rele tapped Shute's shoulder and gestured around. Shute then noticed all the Zako bodies lying…the amount of which rose into the hundreds.

Sinbad was awestruck. "YOU did all this?" he asked, a look of pure astonishment on his face.

Baku' nodded. "I am a warrior," He said proudly, "I do not flee from battle – Not if I can help it." That would have been very impressive – if he hadn't collapsed a second a later.

Sinbad shook his head as the others went to Bakunetsumaru's aid. 'What a buncha characters.'

Zakozakozakozako

Aboard the _Grabola_, while Captain and Zero laid Bakunetsumaru to rest on the floor, Sinbad and Shute went at the controls.

"What are you doing?" Rele asked.

"I don't know about you," Sinbad replied testily, "But I don't wanna have to come back to this place, so me and Shute are gonna hafta re-wire this thing so we don't wind up like last time, so either help out and keep out while me and Shute get busy."

Some noises were heard from outside.

"Now what?" Snarled Sinbad, feeling mighty testy.

"I'll go look," Zero volunteered, and flew up through the hatch.

Zakozakozakozako

As soon as the Winged Knight got outside, he saw a few hundred Zakos – some of which, he noticed were part of Amuro Acguy's security force! Amuro himself was noticeably absent.

Zero shook his head. Raising his hand, he called out, "O Mana, come to me! By your pact with the Winged Knight, be my sword and my shield!"

The Mana circle, with all its runes and such, appeared and Zero's shield lowered down from it. After unsheathing his Vatras sword, Zero gave it a swing.

"Super Magical Violet Tornado!"

The powerful gusts, laced with rose petals, easily blew the Zakos away.

"I hope Shute and Sinbad are having as much ease as I am!" Zero laughed.

Zakozakozakozako

They weren't.

"What's with this stupid thing!?" Sinbad roared, feeling fit to tear his hair. No matter how hard they tried, the ship wouldn't leave the pier.

"There's gotta be something we missed!" Shute yelled frantically.

"Excuse me," Rele said.

"What?!" Snapped the two human boys.

Put off, and feeling very haughty as a result, the Princess raised her noise and pointed to a part of the console they hadn't looked.

A flashing light with some writing underneath.

Return-home beacon

Do not forcibly tear out.

The boy and man stared.

"Oh!" They both cried.

Zakozakozakozako

Outside, Zero observed his handy work. He wasn't sure how far the Zakos had flown, but he couldn't see them anymore.

Just then Shute's head popped out of the hatch.

"Zero, c'mon! We're getting outta here!"

Zakozakozakozako

Commodore Z'Gok was not happy to find out the human boy had escaped. He was very ticked to hear that Amuro had been defeated by one of the Gundams. He was pretty opset to find his notebook gine. And he was certifiably P.O'd when it became apparent the Return-home beacon on the _Grabola_, so when the Gundams made their way off the island in it he couldn't bring them back.

He didn't bother to turn from the monitors as he heard the door open. "Well, what is it?"

"W-well, sir, Commodore, sir," He recognized Amuro's stutter. "E-even though the, ah, Gundams escaped…" Amuro quickly sped up when he felt the aura of malice his commanding officer began putting off. "The_Tivvay_hasbeencompletedandwillbereadytolaunchassoonaswechartacourseSIR!"

Z'Gok whirled around. "The _Tivvay_ has been finished?!"

Amuro was too terrified of the crimson robot to reply verbally, so he just nodded fiercely.

Z'Gok began to laugh. At least SOMETHING good happened today! "Fantastic. And I've already have a destination for its first voyage…"

Zakozakozakozako

On board the _Grabola_, Shute read the list written in the notebook he picked up from the Commodore's office.

_Item 1: Finish construction of _Tivvay

_Item 2: Invade Pacifica_

_Item 3: Conquer/Destroy Pacifica_


	6. ZakoZako Hour!

ZakoZako Hour!

An iron curtain rose, revealing a stage with a screen backdrop, and three Zakos holding microphones.

The one in the middle had a microphone that was black and cone-shaped.

The one to the right had a microphone that was green and cylinder-shaped.

And the one to the left had a microphone that was white and octagonal.

"Hello everyone, and welcome to the ZakoZako Hour," The black microphone Zako said, "Todays meeting is about, all together now-"

The other two Zakos chimed in, "_Where did these Gundams come from!_"

After letting the audience calm down, green microphone Zako said, "Zako! I can't believe we have to fight Gundams again! I thought we came to this planet to get away from that sort of thing, zako!"

He gestured to the screen. It showed an image of the floating Dark Axis headquarters used by General Zeong.

"Zako!" The other two Zakos said, "That looks familiar!"

Green Mic nodded. "That used to be our old base until Commodore Z'Gok brought us to this dimension, zako."

"Ahh, yes," White Mic Zako said, "I remember now. We used to be part of a powerful force called the Dark Axis. Commodore Z'Gok shared control of its armies, which included us, with two other powerful guys, Commander Sazabi, and Colonel Gelgoog."

A '?' appeared in Black Mic Zako's eye. "But why did the Commodore decide to leave?"

"I….don't know." White Mic admitted after a minute. The other two facefaulted.

"Wait a minute, zako!" Green Mic Zako yelled, jumping up. "I remember! Apparently, Commodore Z'Gok didn't like collecting Gundanium for this guy! Screen please, zako."

The screen lit up again, this time showing the vile visage of General Zeong.

"He's scary!" The other zakos cried, quaking in fear.

"This is General Zeong, the supreme leader of the Dark Axis," Explained Green Mic, "A long time ago he was damaged, so he had the rest of us collect materials for his repair, like Gundanium, which Gundams are made of.

"But somewhere along the line Commodore Z'Gok got fed up with that, and took whatever forces loyal to him – like us – and came to this dimension, thinking he would never have to deal with Gundams or the General again.

And that," finished Green Mic, "is how we came to this planet!"

"Hold on!" Black Mic yelled suddenly, "Why are we drudging up ancient history, zako? We should be figuring out where these new Gundams came from!"

"Zako, they're not like anything around here, that's for sure." White Mic commented.

Black Mic gasped. "That's it!"

"What's it?" The other two Zakos asked.

"If these Gundams aren't like anything in this dimension," Theorized Black Mic, "That must mean they're from ANOTHER dimension!"

"You've got it!" Cheered Green Mic.

"Za-Kohhh!" Sang White Mic.

The Zakos cheered and danced around, chanting, "We've solved the mystery!"

For a minute, anyway.

"Hey, you guys!"

The screen suddenly showed Gargos Gogg's image.

"Lord Gargos Gogg!" The Zakos cried, ceasing their merry-making.

"You guys better quite messing around," Ordered Gargos, "And get it together! We're taking our forces to attack another island!"

"Yes SIR!"

WHAM! The iron curtain slammed shut.

"Anyway, everyone," Black Mic's voice rang out, "For the future of Z'Gok's Armada-"

"Zako Sailors FIGHT! Yeah!"


	7. Grand's Admirals

_Shute here! Last time, we managed to escape from the ruined island of Atlanter, a place on Grand that was conquered by the Dark Axis. Now we have to get to the only safe place from their reign, Pacifica, and warn them! If we don't, there'll be no way to stop Commodore Z'Gok, and his plans of world conquest!_

**Grand's Admirals!**

As the Gundam Force and Sinbad sped towards their goal, Shute continued to leaf through Z'Gok's notebook. After he discovered the Pirate's 'plan' (if you could call it that) to conquer Pacifica, Shute wanted to find anything that could be used to stop them, such as battle strategies and blueprints. Unfortunately, all there was written in the following pages were doodles, 'To do' lists, and some angry notes about what stupid thing his minions did to annoy him.

'This guy has way too much time on his hands!' Thought Shute as he stared at a rather unflattering doodle of Gerbera with a dagger in his head. It was at that moment that a purple CD fell out of one of the pages. 'What the…?'

"Are we almost there?" Rele asked of Sinbad.

"No, we are not almost there," Sinbad growled testily from the controls. "We weren't 'almost there' the last time you asked, so why would we be 'almost there' NOW!?"

"Sorry." Rele said after a moment as everyone stared at Sinbad.

"Oh, forget it," Sinbad muttered, "I mean, taking you guys to Pacifica was one thing, but now we have to save them from an invasion? This is getting out of-"

"Sinbad," Captain interjected, putting his grumblings to a standstill, "Sensors indicate a large landmass on the horizon."

Everyone quickly gathered to the viewscreen, except for Bakunetsumaru, who was still recovering from his one against a hundred fight with the Zakos on Atlanter. He just turned his head in that direction.

"_Now_," Sinbad said, "We're almost there."

A cheer went up- and was cut off when the _Grabola_ sudden jerked to a stop. This had the unpleasant effect of causing anyone close enough to bang their heads against the console.

"What…what happened?" Rele asked as she rubbed her royal noggin.

"I'll go look." Zero said as he flew out of the hatch.

Topside, the Winged Knight found that two larger ships were on both sides of the _Grabola_, and had extended claw-like mechanisms which had clamped onto the ship.

"Sinbad?" Zero called down, his gaze not turning from the boats.

"Yeah?" Sinbad's voice wafted up.

"What does the flag of Pacifica look like?"

"I think it's a trident in a circle," Sinbad's voice answered, "Why? What's going on up there?"

Zero stared at the trident-in-a-circle stamped on the side of one of the boats. "I think we're going to get to Pacifica faster than you think…"

Zakozakozakozako

Farther away from where the _Grabola _was in relation to Pacifica, a monstrous vessel chugged down the sea, cutting through any meager wave unlucky enough to get in its path. It was the HMS _Tivvay_, a warship much, much bigger and armed much heavier than the _Chivvay_. It was also much more streamlined than the _Chivvay_, though being of similar design.

In its bridge sat Commodore Z'Gok and the only surviving officers since his navy had descended on Grand; Gargos Gogg and Amuro Acguy.

"Amruo Acguy," Z'Gok murmured in an alarmingly calm voice, "How soon till we reach our destination?"

"Erm," Amuro peered at his instruments, "About several hours, Commodore."

"Excellent."

"What'd I tell ya, Commodore?!" Gargos boomed suddenly, "This new ship beats the tar outta the old ones! It woulda taken us DAYS to-"

"Shut up."

Gargos cowered, "Yes sir."

Z'Gok turned his gaze to his opened claw. "I hope we see find those GUNDAMS there…" He clenched his fist. "I hope to destroy them once and for all…"

Zakozakozakozako

After the Gundam Force found themselves being forcibly escorted to Pacifica, they wound being arrested, sent to jail, and had mug shots taken- all in the space of an hour.

("Pacificans move pretty fast when it comes to law enforcement," Sinbad grumbled)

They were now being interrogated.

"Tell us everything you know, and we might go easy on you," the interrogator threatened, "Why were you in control of a pirate vessal? You're with the pirates, aren't you? Silence won't make it easy! SAY SOMETHING!"

The Force(who had been tied to chairs) was silent for a moment. Then Shute opened his mouth. "Well-"

"Aha! You admit it!"

"LET US FINISH!" Bakunetsumaru boomed angrily.

The interrogator fell back for the force of the Musha Gundam's yell. "He-hey! You can't yell at me!" He protested pathetically.

"Listen!" Princess Rele called out, "We need to speak with your leaders!"

The interrogator got up and loomed over the Princess. "Why should I?"

"Because these guys can save your stupid country!" Sinbad yelled impatiently. This was starting to irk him.

"Huh?" Ask the interrogator stupidly.

"The Dark Axis are plotting to invade," Captain explained, standing up. He was still tied to his chair, but that didn't make much difference.

"The who?" The interrogator was really getting confused now.

"They're the ones you call pirates," Zero explained.

"Aha!" The interrogator cried triumphantly, "You ARE with the Pirates!"

"No!"

After at least ten minutes of yelling, the Gundam Force was finally able to tell the interrogator what they knew of the Pirate's invasion plans.

"This IS serious!" the interrogator cried in a panic, "We must tell Fleet Admiral Gilligan!"

Zakozakozakozako

Fleet Admiral Gilligan, the supreme head of Pacifica's naval forces, was many things. He was a superb tactician, he always promoted the right people, and he knew what medals to give out. He also enjoyed eating ice cream sundaes in the privacy of an empty room.

This was exactly what he was doing at the time the Gundam Force were being 'interrogated', just several floors down. The reason why Gilligan was eating ice cream in an empty room was that he felt it was unprofessional for an Admiral to be seen eating dairy products.

Now, just he was about to plunge his spoon into said confection when the door burst open.

"Fleet Admiral Gilligan!" the interrogator cried, the Gundam Force and Sinbad right behind him. "We have an emergency!"

In a panic, Gilligan flung the sundae out an open window. After he calmed down, he glared at the interrogator. "Knock next time you're about to go through a closed door, fool!"

"I'm sorry, sir," the interrogator apologized, "It's just that-"

"Wait," Gilligan held up his hand, "Did you see anything?" Heaven help him if he was seen unprofessional…

"We saw you throw something away," Princess Rele answered, "But that's not important!"

Before Gilligan could ask who Rele was, two more people burst in, this pair wearing the same uniforms as the ones who captured the Gundam Force and Sinbad.

"Fleet Admiral! We have a situation!" one of the two newcomers exclaimed.

"Now what?" Gilligan sighed, his sense of surprise slowly being dulled.

One of the two quickly set up some kind of projector and screen while the other began talking, "While on patrol," She explained, "Our ship saw something…unbelievable on the horizon!"

It was at that moment the lights went out and the projector started up. On the screen it showed a very large, very foreboding, and -to Captain- very FAMILIAR vessel.

"That ship…" Captain murmured, his eyes on the screen. That ship, that very vessel, was the same one he saw being built on Atlanter.

"Judging from its speed and last seen location," the woman continued, "It will probably reach our shores in," She took a deep breath, "In fourteen hours."

Fleet Admiral Gilligan stood up, looking all professional. "Contact all hands, ready all ships," He marched out of the room, his hand gripping his long-forgotten spoon, "The Pirates are coming!"

Pretty soon, the room was empty, with only Shute, Captain, Zero, Bakunetsumaru, Rele, and Sinbad in it.

"So," Bakunetsumaru said at last, "The Dark Axis is here."

"We should talk with the Fleet Admiral," Shute said, "And see what we can do to help."

Sinbad nodded, "Okay, enjoy."

Suddenly all eyes were on Sinbad.

"Excuse me?" Rele asked.

Sinbad sighed and rotated his shoulders. "Look, guys, the deal was for me to get you to Pacifica in the first place," He paused as he stretched his arms out, "I never said anything about helping you from there."

Shute looked hurt. "But…Sinbad…"

"Don't you remember what the Dark Axis did to your home!?" Bakunetsumaru burst out, "Don't you want to avenge the loved ones they took away!?"

Sinbad groaned. "Why? Even if I do 'avenge' my mom, she'll still be dead. It wouldn't change anything."

"Sinbad," Shute was really looking sad now. Sinbad turned away from him, avoiding eye contact.

"Look…" Sinbad now had a strangled tone to his voice, "I'm not like you guys…" He began to walk away. "I'm not a hero."

Zakozakozakozako

Outside, Sinbad, now separated from the Gundam Force, walked down a street, lost in his thoughts.

'What do I do now…' He thought, as he walked aimlessly, 'I wonder if that pier I stole the _Love & Peace_ is still open...' he clenched his fists, "I should probably get off now before that warship gets her-'

"Mommy! Mommy, mommy!"

Sinbad snapped out of his thoughts and looked at a small boy who seemed to be tugging at some lady's –his mother, probably- dress.

"Mommy," the pipsqueak begged, "Can we go to the pier, please please PLEASE!?"

The mother smiled patronizingly, "Maybe after we're done with these errands- and only if you behave."

"OH KAY!"

Sinbad felt a lump in his throat. 'I…I used to be like that…'

Zakozakozakozako

Meanwhile, the Gundam Force were busy…siting on a sidewalk in depression. Fleet Admiral Gilligan and the rest had completely left the building, and they couldn't find where he had gone. This, coupled with Sinbad's departure, left the five in a very saddened state.

"Now what do we do?" Princess Rele asked. The others had no answer.

"Well, if you want my opinion," A very familiar voice spoke up, "We could forget those idiots and do things ourselves."

The Gundam Force looked up. Standing in front of them was…

"SINBAD!"

The seaman grinned lazily, "Hey-OOF!" He felt the wind leave him when Shute and Bakunetsumaru grabbed him in a hug.

"I knew you wouldn't leave us!" Shute laughed.

"Welcome back, Sinbad." Captain said, saluting.

After Sinbad managed to squeeze out of the hug, he waved them to follow. "C'mon, I got us a good ship. Let's show those pirates the power of the Gundam Force!"

"YEAH!"


	8. ZakoZako Hour! v 2

ZakoZako Hour

The iron curtain rose, showing the Black Mic, Green Mic, and White Mic Zakos.

"hello, everyone, and welcome to the ZakoZako Hour," He bowed, as did the other two, " Today's meeting is all about-"

All three struck a pose. "_Our master plan is underway, but what is it?_"

After the audience finished cheering, White Mic began, "Why do we have to go aaaaaallll the way from Atlanter to Pacifica, zako, it's sooooo far away!"

"Allow me to explain," Said Black Mic, "when we came to this planet, we invaded and conquered the island nation of Atlanter and set up a base there, zako."

"Our first and best impression!" The other Zakos chimed in.

"Since then, we have been sending our forces all across the seas of the world, asserting our authority wherever possible," Continued Black Mic, "But, occasionally Pacifica would use their ships to harass ours, zako."

"Those jerks, zako." Green Mic muttered.

"Eventually, Commodore Z'Gok got fed up with the Pacificans, and wanted to crush them for good," Black Mic said, "However, because we no longer had the element of surprise we had when we conquered Atlanter, it was too difficult to break throught the defense the Pacificans had set up, zako, so he began construction of a warship strong enough to break through and lay siege to the island- this one!"

"And may I say what a great ship this is?" Green Mic piped up, "Screen, please, zako," the screen lit up showing a rough(very rough!) schematic of the _Tivvay_. He began to point to the outline, "Not is the HMS _Tivvay_ big enough to contain all our forces, but on the outside it is equipped with cannons over the port, starboard, stem, and stern, capable of shooting mortars strong enough to puncture any hull," Green Mic began gesturing inside the outline, "On the inside are at least 3 dozen _Grabola_s to be launched when dealing with smaller threats that the outer cannons can't reach, an equal amount of tanks for the land battles, and on top of that," Green Mic stood triumphantly, "It's outer hull is strong enough to shrug off any force!"

"The _Tivvay _is awesome!" He and Black Mic declared happily.

"Wait…" An '?' appeared in White Mic's eye. "If all our forces are onboard, wouldn't that mean if the ship is destroyed, the Armada is finished?"

Black Mic and Green Mic gasped. They hand't thought of that!

"Do-don't say things like that?!" Shrieked Black Mic.

"Everything will be fine!" Affirmed Green Mic nervously.

"Or the Commodore will kill us…"

The iron curtain lowered.

"An-anyway, everyone… For the future of Z'Gok's armada-"

"Zako Sailors fight, yeah!"


	9. Pirates of the Dark Axis

_Shute here! Last time, we had just arrived in Pacifica, hoping to warn their leaders about the Dark Axis' invasion plans. But we only got there a little bit ahead of them. Their most powerful warship is on the way, and we've got to stop them!_

Pirates of the Dark Axis

Zakozakozakozako

On the seas of Grand, a very small, very fast craft sped away from Pacifica. Unlike the _Love & Peace_, it was in good condition and clean, and unlike the stolen _Grabola_, it did not look threatening in the least. The passengers of this unnamed vessel were the Gundam Force and its new owner/captain, Sinbad.

Shute, of course, was amazed at the technology on the ship, as he was prone to be with new technologies.

"Sinbad, this ship is amazing," He breathed, "Where'd you get it?"

Sinbad smirked. "Let's just say a certain pier foreman is gonna be pretty surprised when he checks the ships."

Rele got the hidden meaning. "You stole it?" She asked, shocked.

Sinbad shrugged. "Well, yeah. But this time I didn't go to a used ship lot."

"This time?" Bakunetsumaru asked.

Sinbad glanced over his shoulder to a look at the samurai for a minute. "Where'd you think I got _Love & Peace_?"

Zakozakozakozako

As the Gundam Force moved closer to their target, they reviewed the plan. It was simple; they would damage the Dark Axis warship and take out as many of its strongest fighters, weakening them long enough for the Pacifican Navy to arrive and finish them off. It was a good strategy. Simple and straightforward.

In theory, that is…

The real trick was getting close enough to the Warship without being blasted out of the water by its cannons. Luckily, Princess Rele had her magic for that.

Pretty soon, the massive warship, the _Tivvay_, loomed over the horizon…

"Here we go," Shute murmured.

Zakozakozakozako

Aboard the _Tivvay_'s bridge, a Zako working at the radar noticed odd. "Uh, sir?" he said uneasily. Gargos Gogg, Amuro Acguy, and, most dangerously of all, Commodore Z'gok turned their attention to him.

"What now?" Gargos demanded irritably.

"According to our radar, zako," He explained, "A small, fast ship is coming towards us, but, zako, zako, zako," He began stammer nerviously.

"Get on with it!" Yelled Z'Gok angrily.

"It's on our radar, but we can't see it!" the zako cried in terror, more of the commodore's than anything else.

"Huh!?" the Commodore and his officers cried in confusion.

"Look."

A bigger screen lowered down from the ceiling. It fizzled on, showing a read-out. However, no boat of any kind could be seen where the sensors said it was!

"What's going on!?" Gargos yelled.

"A malfunction? Is something wrong with the radar?!" Amuro tried rationize.

Z'Gok didn't say anything. Then…

"Fire our cannons onto the unseen target!"

Zakozakozakozako

"Here it comes!" Sinbad yelled.

"Right," Zero said, nodding. "Super magical I-field!"

Earlier, Captain had theorized that even with Princess Rele's magic hiding the ship's appearance, the warship's sensors and radar would still detect them. That being said, Zero would create a forcefield with his magic when it became obvious that they had been noticed.

The ship rocked as the mortars the _Tivvay_ fired impacted onto the I-field.

"How long can ya keep it up, Zero!?" Sinbad yelled over the explosions.

"I don't know!" Zero answered loudly.

Sinbad looked at captain and gave him a curt nod. Captain nodded back and made his way to the hatch.

Zakozakozakozako

One last mortar hit the field….and there was a tremendous explosion!

Ba-FWOOM!

When the dust clear, the forcefield, and the boat it was protecting was gone.

Inside the bridge, the the Commodore and his officers stared at the screen.

"Did we get it?" Amuro asked nervously.

On the deck, some Zakos trotted over to the edge to get a closer look. "Zako?"

RATATATAT!

The Zakos suddenly found themselves under gunfire. Looking up, they saw Hyper Captain Gundam, flying with his flight boosters, firing his headvulcans. Following behind was Zero, the Winged Knight, carrying Bakunetsumaru. Shute, Rele, and Sinbad came up after them on a Mana circle.

Captain landed behind the Zakos and snapped his V-rod together. He then began to parry and strike at the Zakos, while Zero dropped Bakunetsumaru onto the deck.

Zakozakozakozako

"The-they're here!" Shrieked Amuro.

Z'Gok didn't say anything, save for the fuming noises he made.

Gargos began to yell into a speaker. "Attention, all available Zako Sailors! All hands on deck and deal with the Gundams!"

Zakozakozakozako

On the deck, the Gundam Force just finished dealing with the Zakos.

Sinbad munched on an apple. "Not bad," he muttered between bites, "Sure wish we had s'more."

It was _exactly_ after Sinbad said that did a door fly open- and Zakos by the dozens scurried out!

"Wish granted!" Baku' yelled, unsheathing his swords.

Captain didn't bother to snap his V-rod together again. Instead, he began firing beam-shots from at the zakos. Sinbad, meanwhile, began swinging his musket into any one of them that got close enough.

Three Zakos jumped at him in a flying kick-

"Zako kick! Hi-yah!"

-and passed right through him, sailing overboard into the sea below.

Over where Sinbad really was, he looked over and saw another him near the edge of the deck. 'Must be another of that Princess' weird magicks…' He thought absentmindedly.

Once more, the deck was clear of Zako Sailors.

"Now what do we do?" Zero asked, his sword and shield in each hand.

"Hey!" Shute called pointing to a door. "How about that?"

Sinbad shrugged. "Might as well."

With only mild apprehension, the Gundam Force went through the door.

Zakozakozakozako

"The Gundams have infiltrated the _Tivvay_!" Amuro Acguy wailed.

"The Zakos were defeated!" Gargos Gogg cried in a panic.

"And you're surprised?" Commodore Z'Gok growled. The other two looked at him.

"Sir! What do we do!?" asked Amuro hurriedly.

"Go to the specialized combat room and wait," Z'Gok ordered in a venomously calm voice, "I'll stay here."

After exchanging looks, Gargos and Amuro made their way to the door. Before leaving Gargos looked back at the Commodore. "Are y'sure you'll be…?"

Z'Gok's eye spun around to glare. "Any problems with my orders?"

"No sir!"Gargos yelled as he made himself scarce.

Zakozakozakozako

Meanwhile, after going down some stairs, the Gundam Force found themselves walking down a dark, dimly lit hallway. The sounds of machinery could be heard all over.

"Does anyone know where we are?" Rele asked.

None of them did. They sweatdropped.

"Hmm?" Captain noticed something on the wall.

"What is it, Captain?" Zero asked.

"It appears to be a diagram of the ship." The Neotopian Gundam answered, studying the framed object. On point on the picture was a little arrow with the words **YOU ARE HERE** typed in bold.

"It's like one of those maps at the mall," Shute commented.

Sinbad began tracing a path on the map with his finger. "Okay, according to this thing," He said, "Their engine is here," He tapped one area on the map, "And the bridge is here," He tapped another area, "Anybody got an idea?"

"I say we got to the bridge," Bakunetsumaru declared, "That's where the leader of the Dark Axis should be,"

"If we destroy the ship's engines, they won't be able to move forward," Zero pointed out.

"Yes, but it won't stop them forever," Bakunetsumaru countered, "They will still keep trying. We need to stop them here and now!"

Rele turned to look at Shute. "Shute, you are the only one to have seen their leader," She said, "What's he like?"

"Hmm," Shute crossed his arms and scrunched his face for a moment, "He's really loud and scary, and he seems stronger than guys like Zapper Zaku, but..."

"But?"

"I don't think he's stronger than Sazabi." Shute finished, uncrossing his arms and unscrunching his face.

"Look, how 'bout this," Sinbad said, "Some of us'll go take out their engines, while the rest'll go after that commodore guy."

"Agreed," Captain said, making the decision. "Shute and I will go confront Commodore Z'Gok, while you, Zero, Bakunetsumaru, and Princess Rele sabotage the engines."

With that decided, the group split in two. As Captain and Shute ran down the corridor, the human said to the gundam…

"Captain…I think he has a Soul Drive."

Zakozakozakozako

As the two groups made their way to their intended destinations, they ran into little resistance. In fact, after the scuffle on the deck, no Zako Sailors had been seen since.

However, this didn't bother Sinbad's group the slightest. Instead, they had another conundrum to face; picking between two doors that hadn't shown up on the map from earlier.

"I say we go left," Zero proposed calmly.

"And _I_ say we go right!" Bakunetsumaru counter-proposed not-so-calmly.

"Perhaps the doors lead to the same room," Rele suggested.

Sinbad shrugged, "Sure, why not?" He moved for the left door. "I'll take this one."

Rele looked at him and said, "Are you sure splitting up is wise?"

Sinbad once again shrugged. "If both doors lead to the same place, it shouldn't matter. See ya."

And with that, Sinbad went through the door. Looking at each other and shrugging, and rest of the group moved for the right door.

But what none of them realized was that although both routes did lead to the engine room- EVENTUALLY –the door on the left led to a the tank hanger, where a platoon's worth of heavily armed tanks were waiting, and the door on the right led straight to Gargos Gogg and Amuro Acguy's private arena!

And while Captain and Shute thought they were going to get the drop on Z'Gok, they head no idea that the violent Commodore had everything they did under his cruel gaze...

…via security cameras.

Zakozakozakozako

As Sinbad opened the door at the end of his corridor, he suddenly noticed two things about the room he was in;

It was not the engine room.

The large hanger was filled with tanks.

And to top it all off, Princess Rele and the Gundams were no where to be seen! Luckily, none of the armed vehicles were active…

"Zako?" A hatch flipped open and a Zako popped out. "Zako! It's that human guy!"

Suddenly every gun barrel(and what big gun barrels they were!) swiveled around to point at Sinbad.

"…Crud."

Zakozakozakozako

Meanwhile, At the same time Sinbad discovered the tanks(and visa versa) Rele's group had come upon a room with a large swimming pool. Surrounding the pool were some lawn chairs and a lifeguard stand.

"What is this place?" Bakunetsumaru asked.

"It's your water-y grave!"

Out of nowhere, Gargos Gogg leapt into the pool, dragging Zero and Baku' with him!

SPLASH!

Under the water's surface, Gargos let go of the Gundams and moved with more grace and ease then thought possible over to Amruo Acguy.

"We've been waiting for you," Amuro said, his voice sounding unusually confident. "This time you won't get away so easily."

"I was just about to say the same!" Bakunetsumaru growled, unsheathing his swords. "Secret arts, Bakunetsu, Tenkyo Ken!"

Bakunetsumaru slashed his swords…and nothing happened.

Baku's eyes bugged out. "Huh!?"

"Aww, what's the matter?" Gargos taunted nastily, "Why don't ya throw that fiery x thing at me? Oh, that's right, YOU CAN'T!"

"And it's our turn." Amuro said, and then he moved at Zero with speed so fast that he slashed at the Knight Gundam several times before he knew what was happening.

"Wha- Ow! Arrg!" Was all Zero could make out as he was knocked around.

"Hahaha!" Gargos laughed, "What's wrong? You're not built for underwater combat, are you?!"

Meanwhile, Rele found herself being surrounded by Zako Sailors…

Zakozakozakozako

As Sinbad found himself being 'tanked-up' and Zero and Bakunetsumaru were being 'schooled', Shute and Captain had arrived at a large slightly-ornate door.

Captain had his V-rod out and ready. "This is the entrance to the bridge. You ready?"

Shute nodded. "Yup."

The door opened up, and the two jumped in, looking all heroic-like.

Z'Gok, sitting in his chair, didn't move an inch. "You took your time, didn't you?" he sneered.

Captain ignored that. "I have been granted special dispensation to use weapons by the authorities," he said, "My name is Captain Gundam, of Gundam Force."

"And I'm special forces member, Shute!" The boy piped up.

"Commodore Z'Gok, I order you to cease your invasion of this planet," Captain continued, "Immediatly!"

Z'Gok, with his back still turned, stood up. "You, order _me_?" His eye spun around to face the duo. "This is my world. You don't give orders-" (His eye glowed ominously) "-you obey MINE!"


	10. Deep Six'ed! Sink or Swim!

_Hey, guys! Shute here! We had just arrived on the HMS _Tivvay _in order to stop the Dark Axis from conquering the world. It's not easy. Not only is the warship filled with weapons and Dark Axis warriors, but I think Commodore Z'Gok has a Soul Drive…like Captain!_

Deep Six-ed! Sink or Swim!

Zakzakozakozako

In the tank hanger of the _Tivvay_, chaos was in full-swing. Gun barrels were blasting, Zakos were yelling random things, and the smell of something burning was in the air.

"Waaaaiiiitttt!" Someone yelled, "Stooooop!"

In an instant, everything calmed down. The tank room looked like a poster for the apocalypse. Half the tanks were slag, the other half were barely standing in one piece. A good shake would be all it took to shatter them.

A Zako looked around. "Did we get him, zako?"

There was silence. Suddenly, a door cracked open.

"Hey, you guys done yet?" Sinbad asked from the other side of the door.

No one answered. Taking the silence for an affirmative, Sinbad quickly moved through the room, taking care not step on anything that looked ready to explode. As he went through the door on the other side of the room, he muttered, "Idiots."

The Zakos facefaulted.

Zakozakozakozako

Meanwhile, on the bridge, Z'Gok, undisputed leader of the Dark Axis forces on Grand glared at Captain and Shute.

"Who should go first?" He sneered, his eye shifting between the two. It stopped on Captain. "The one I _need_ to take care of..." The eye moved to glare at Shute. "Or the one I _want_ to take care of...?"

Without warning, Z'Gok lunged himself at Captain, his claws ready to slash. Captain quickly caught them in his V-rod, deadlocking the Commodore.

"Business before pleasure," Z'Gok sneered, pressing himself forward. Captain's heel-wheels spun like mad trying to keep the Gundam from losing the 'reverse tug-o-war'(Push-o-war?).

"Go, Captain!" Shute cheered.

A fire lit up in Captain's eyes, and his Soul Drive began to glow with energy. With newfound strength, Captain pushed back.

Z'Gok's couldn't believe it. Not that he was losing the 'push-o-war'(Although he had a hard time buying that as well), but because of Captain's newfound power. And of, course, he didn't understand what the fire in the Gundam's eyes meant.

Captain, meanwhile, activated his flight boosters and successfully pushed the Commodore out the bridge's front window, knocking him onto the deck. While Z'Gok landed with a 'THUD' Captain kept aloft with his boosters.

Zakozakozakozako

Whil Captain's duel with Z'Gok began to swing in favor of the GP04, things were not going so favorably for Zero and Bakunetsumaru. While they could easily best their opponents, Gargos Gogg and Amuro Acguy in a fair fight, they were at a disadvantage for three very important reasons

First, the fight was taking place underwater in a pool.

Second, neither the Winged Knight nor the Blazing Samurai could fight underwater.

Third, Gargos and Amuro _could_.

Which was why the two Gundams were _literally_ being smacked around by less-than merciful foes.

Princess Rele would've used her magic to help, but she was being restrained by Zako Sailors.

Underwater, Gargos fired a barrage of torpedoes at the Gundams. "Take this! Heheh!"

KA-PLOOSH! THWAM!

The impact of the torpedoes sent Zero and Baku' flying right out of the water….which they landed back in with a splash!

Princess looked horrified. "Zero! Bakunetsumaru!"

Zakozakozakozako

Meanwhile, while Zero and Bakunetsumaru were literlly being blown out of the water, Sinbad had found the engines at last.

They were huge. A massive mass of pumping pistons and spinning gears and fans.

'Okay, I found them,' Sinbad thought. 'Now what do I do?'

_ZakozakoFlashbackzakozako_

_Sinbad looked over the engine of his new ship, the _Love & Peace

"_Wow, this sure looks complicated," Sinbad breathed, "Better be careful-"_

_Then he dropped a monkey wrench in the works._

_Sinbad sweatdropped. "Oh boy…"_

_ZakozakoEnd Flashbackzakozako_

Sinbad cracked a sly grin. "Oh yeah…Now where's a monkey wrench…?"

Zakozakozakozako

Back on the deck, the fight between Captain and the Commodore waged on.

Z'Gok opened several ports on the top of his head and from them fired a slew of missiles. Captain, hovering safe in the sky, countered by firing a several bursts from his head vulcans and beam gauntlets. After the missile barrage was finished, Captain landed on the deck to face his opponent.

Captain kept one wrist gauntlet steadied at the Commodore. "Is there any more where that came from?"

Z'Gok quivered with rage. "You-!"

Zakozakozakozako

In the engine room, Sinbad was unable to find a decent wrench to throw into the machinery. He did find a grenade, and whatever works, right?

"Here we go," Sinbad sighed, as he prepared to move, "Never thought I'd ruin an engine on _purpose_, though…"

Pulling the pin, Sinbad flung the grenade into the works. What followed was a small 'boom', followed closely by the sound of metal grinding and tearing.

"That was easy," Sinbad muttered, turning back to the door, "Wonder what happened to the others…"

It was at that moment that Sinbad noticed the second door, right next to the one he came into the room through.

Zakozakozakozako

In the pool room, Princess Rele could only stare in horror as her loyal Knight and his fellow Gundam were being mercilessly knocked around underwater.

'What can I do…?' Rele thought helplessly.

It was at that moment that a loud BANG echoed throughout the room, followed closely by on of the Zakos restraining Rele being knocked away. With one arm free, Rele zapped the other Zako with a quick burst of magic.

"Who could have…?" Rele asked, then she saw.

On the directly opposite side of the pool room was Sinbad, his musket out and aimed. Smoke was slowly drifting out of the barrel.

"Thank you…" Princess Rele breathed lightly. Then, she crossed her hands and closed here eyes. " O Mana, come to me…"

Underwater, Zero staggered to his feet. Bakunetsumaru, who was already up, used one of his swords to brace himself up.

"I'm not sure I can take more of this…" the Musha Gundam moaned. Being thrown around and unable to fight back wasn't a situation Baku' would have wished on his worst enemies.

"Ha ha ha!" Gargos laughed. "What's the matter? Running outta steam already- Hey, is the water level lowerin'?"

Actually, it wasn't. But somehow, the distance between the combatants and the water surface was decreasing.

"Where did this platform come from?" asked Amuro, looking down.

At his words, the other three looked down as well. What they were standing on was no longer the bottom of the pool, but a large Mana circle!

On the pool's edge, Princess Rele had smile on her face.

In a minute the circle had risen out of the water. Both Gargos Gogg and Amuro Acguy had dumbfounded expressions (As much as possible for them) as the only advantage they had was suddenly lost.

"Thank you, Princess!" Zero called out. He then turned his attention to his foes.

"Now, you black-hearted fiends, prepare yourself!" Zero yelled, and began to gather magic, "O Mana! Come to me!"

Bakunetsumaru was getting ready as well. "Let's see how you like it! Secret Arts, Baku Netsu!" Bakunetsumaru began to swing both swords in a circle.

"Super Magical Violet Tornado!" Zero released a powerful wind laced with rose petals.

"Tenkyo-Ken!" Bakunetsumaru sliced his swords, unleashing a fiery 'x'.

"Hold me," Whimpered Gargos- just as the wind and fire struck.

Zakozakozakozako

Outside, on the starboard side of the _Tivvay_, part of the hull was blew open as a whirlwind and a fiery 'x' –carrying two hapless minions- blasted through and flew into the distance.

Zakozakozakozako

Inside, Zero and Bakunetsumaru met up with Sinbad.

"Sinbad! What have you been doing?" Bakunetsumaru asked.

"That's my line," Sinbad retorted, "And I already took out the engines."

"Then we should make haste and meet up with Shute and Captain in the bridge." Zero concluded.

Sinbad grinned. "Nah, I've got a better idea. C'mon."

Zakozakozakozako

On deck, the fight was in full swing. Z'Gok, having realized that projectile attacks would be countered, returned to using his claws in a attempt to dice Captain. With boosters on the back supplementing his strikes, this made it very difficult for the Gundam to parry his blows. It wasn't too long until the two were deadlocked in a stalemate once more.

"I won't stop until you're a bad memory!" Z'Gok snarled, pushing his boosters to the extreme.

"This fighting is pointless," Captain said, his heel wheel spinning to counter Z'Gok's push, "We've already destroyed your General, Zeong!"

"I could care less about that cripple!" Z'Gok growled, "But that's one less thing I can worry about!"

"Captain!" Shute's voice could be heard, "Knock him overboard!"

Hearing Shute's call, Captain's Soul Drive energized, the fire returning to his eyes.

This time Z'Gok caught that fire. 'Those flames, what-?'

"Hyper Mode, power up!" several vents opened around Captain's head, gathering energy. A visor slid over his eyes. "V Attack!"

From Captain's V fin came a powerful ray, catching Z'Gok at pointblank rage.

With a startled cry, Z'Gok was blasted away, flying overboard.

"All right, Captain!" Shute yelled, "You did it!"

Captain however, was still tense. 'Is it really over?'

Suddenly, he heard a splash, and a noise, like…spinning blades.

SLASH!

Without warning, a…_something_, zipped by, slicing away. Though Captain managed to move to avoid a fatal blow, he did not avoid the attack completely. His flight boosters were ruined. Detaching them, Captain looked over where whatever had hit him went…and saw Z'Gok.

"Surprised?" Z'Gok sneered, flexing a claw.

"You have underwater capabilities?" Captain asked.

"That's right," Z'Gok replied venomously, "I am the ultimate master of the sea. No one can touch me underwater!"

Before Captain could respond, a loud explosion was heard. It sounded almost like… a cannon being fired.

From his 'safe-point' in the bridge, Shute looked to see where that sound came from. On the horizon were a group of much nicer-looking warships.

"Captain! It's the Pacifican Navy!" Shute yelled, "They made it!"

Z'Gok glared at the ships in the distance. "Do you really think this makes a difference?! You're wrong!" The Commodore Gestured, "_Tivvay_, lock all cannons on the incoming ships ad FIRE!"

At his words, every cannon barrel on the _Tivvay_ that could aligned themselves onto the Pacifican Navy. A few minutes later, they began to fire all at once. On of the ships in the distance sank.

"Ha ha ha!" Z'Gok laughed cruelly, "This ship is immune to all outside attack! There's nothing you can do!"

In the bridge, Shute's mind raced. There had to be something he could do! Thinking quickly, Shute grabbed a nearby fire ax(In case of stupid minions, break glass) and started using it on the bridges computers.

'Maybe if I mess up these computers…' Shute thought desperately.

It worked, sort of. The cannons stopped firing, and began to move about, firing every now and then.

"Wha- What the- What's going on?!" Z'Gok screamed as tone of the mortars nearly hit him.

Captain, however, heard the noise from the bridge, and knew at once it must have been Shute's doing.

"Well done, Shute!" Captain applauded. Then there was an explosion in the bridge. "Shute!"

Surprisingly, Shute wasn't harmed. Even though one of the computers had blown up, he found himself being protected by a… blue forcefied?

Shute looked around. "This is…"

Outside, something shot out of the water. It was a Grabola!

"Who launched that ship!?" Z'Gok roared- just before it shot at him.

"Hey, Captain, mission accomplished." A voice on the Grabola's speakers called out- It was Sinbad's!

Inside the Grabola, Sinbad worked the controls as he spoke, Bakunetsumaru helping the best he could. Nearby, Princess Rele had her eyes closed and her hands together, as she worked her magic.

"Hey, Shute, you gonna stay in there all day?" Sinbad asked.

In the bridge, under the protection of the field, Shute shook his head and, taking a running start, leapt out the makeshift 'exit point' made by Captain and Z'Gok earlier. He almost made it to the Grabola, but not quite…

"Waah!" Shute cried in a panic- then Zero grabbed his hand.

"Don't worry, I've got you! Zero assured, bringing Shute aboard.

Back on the deck, Z'Gok's eye spun around, trying to catch everything that was happening.

"You think this changes anything? Hah!" Z'Gok sneered, "All you've done is give me more targets! And you're first!" Focusing on Captain, he began to spin his claws in each hand. Then, he began to spin his arms around his body. Seeing this, Captain took a step back.

"Blow him away, Captain!" Shute yelled as he stood on the Grabola with Zero, "_You can do it!_"

Captain felt the fighting fire in his ignite. He felt the power as his fist turned golden with energy. Activating a booster on the back of his gauntlet, Captain's golden fist spun with great power and speed.

"Hyper Captain…PUNCH!" Captain charged towards Z'Gok with deafening speed.

Z'Gok, with an inhuman roar, charged at Captain, his claws swinging a spinning.

The two blows connected-

KER-RACK!

-And Z'Gok found himself being blown away by the force of Captain's punch, sans arms(He still had one, but that one wasn't doing too well). Captain watched as he crashed into the foundation of the bridge. He was amazed as Z'Gok stumbled out, covered in scratches and dents, his sole remaining arm hanging limp and useless.

"You're…really…gonna…get it now!" Z'Gok hissed, almost futilely.

Captain couldn't believe it. Even after knowing his ship was now useless, and that he was inches away from the scrap pile, Z'Gok still clung to the belief that he was going to win. He was sure if the positions were reversed, Captain would keep trying as well, but even so…what was going on in Z'Gok's head?

"No," Captain said, racing towards Z'Gok to finish him off, "I'm not."

But Captain noticed something as he drew closer. The Hyper Captain Punch had not just torn off one of Z'Gok's arms, but some plating on his chest area as well. And That's where he saw…

…A Soul Drive.

On the Grabola, Shute caught his breath. 'I knew it…"

Captain skidded to a halt.

Z'Gok glared. "What's with you?"

Captain couldn't believe it. "You have a Soul Drive as well?!"

"What are you…Oh, I get it." Z'Gok snickered. "That's how you were able to keep up with my movements."

"Where did you get it?" Captain asked.

"I don't feel like telling you," Z'Gok sneered, "Besides…You're about to die!"

Without warning, Z'Gok swung his lone arm at Captain…who easily brushed it aside.

"No," Captain replied. "You are."

Captain brought his fist down onto the Soul Drive, shattering it.

"Nooouuhhh…NOOOO!" Screamed Z'Gok.

Captain quickly put some distance between himself and the Commodore as he began to self-destruct. Suddenly, another explosion was heard. Captain realized that the Pacifican fleet had got close enough to use their cannons.

"Don't worry, I've got you!" Zero quickly flew down and grabbed Captain, carrying him to the Grabola. After boarding, Captain found himself being hugged by Shute.

"You okay, buddy?" Shute asked.

"I'm fine, Shute." Captain replied.

"Hey," Sinbad asked as he piloted the ship away from the _Tivvay_, "What got you so shook up?"

Shute and Captain looked at each other.

"It's a long story."


	11. Bon Voyage!

_Hey, everyone, it's Shute! It wasn't easy, but we did it! We defeated the forces of Commodore Z'Gok's Armada! It got scary at some parts, especially when fighting Z'Gok himself. But with his ship totaled and being scrapped by the Pacifica Navy, I guess there's only one last thing to do._

Bon Voyage! The Gundam Force goes home

In the aftermath that followed the destruction of the _Tivvay_, many things happened.

In Pacifica, Fleet Admiral Gilligan, among others, were awarded medals in various orders, not to mention several Pacifican Sailors were promoted. Gilligan wasn't promoted because he was already at the highest rank. But, he was given a gift certificate to his favorite ice cream parlor, and that really made him happy, though he was too professional to show it.

Zakozakozakozako

Meanwhile, after leaving the destruction of the _Tivvay_ to the Pacifcan Fleet, the Gundam Force went to a deserted island. It was there that Shute and Captain told Sinbad all that they knew about the Soul Drive.

"So that's it," Sinbad said, leaning back against the beached _Grabola_, "other guys in the Dark Axis had these…Soul Drives as well?"

"Correct," Captain answered, "Up until the Dark Axis invasion of Neotopia, I, along with the rest of the S.D.G believed my Soul Drive was the only one of its kind."

"That must've been a shaker," Sinbad commented.

"More than you'll ever know." Shute replied.

For a brief moment, there was silence.

"So… What now?" Sinbad asked, "We've taken care of the pirates, so now what do we do?"

"The most logical action to take now is to return to Neotopia," Captain said, "For necessary rest and repair for our next mission."

"Wait," Sinbad intruded, "Whaddya mean, 'Return to Neotopia'?" No one else would look at him. "You're…leaving?"

Princess Rele looked sad. "Mm-hmm."

"We only came to this world as part of our mission to erase the Dark Axis menace from all dimensions," Captain explained, "Now that this world has been saved, it is time for us to leave."

Sinbad looked up at the sky, his eyes squinting in the sunlight. "Yeah…you guys only came to get rid of the pirates, right? Now that you have…" He exhaled, and looked back at the Force. "Guess this is goodbye…"

"It-it doesn't have to be," Shute said. Everyone looked at him as his voice picked up speed. "You could come with us! The SDG could use a guy like you-"

"Shute," Bakunetsumaru interjected, placing his hand on the boy's shoulder, "What you ask cannot be so easily granted. Would you be willing to leave your homeland? Even if it's with the people who saved it?"

Shute looked downcast. "…I did for you guys…"

There was silence once more.

"Kid," Sinbad spoke up, "Thanks for the offer, really, but I'm gonna hafta turn it down." The cocky smile had returned, but there was something else there as well. "Ever since Atlanter, I've been goin' from one place to another. Every time I thought could settle down, the pirates would come and wreck everything. Eventually I got so used to running away it was the only way I could live. Then you guys came along." He nodded at each and every one of them, "Thanks for showing me not to run."

Shute, even though he was sad, smiled back. Silent tears ran down Rele's face, but she smiled as well. Bakunetsumaru's usual floodgates looked ready to burst, but he held back his sorrow in a display of self-control. Captain and Zero nodded.

Zakozakozakozako

Up on a nearby hill, a figure watched the going-ons.

'Let's see, there are three robots, gundam class, and three humans, six in all. Three are from the same dimension, the knight, the samurai, and the princess, while the boy and the military gundam are from a different dimension. The last human is native to this reality.' The figure focused its vision on Shute. 'the smallest human among them has the target objective. All of them show signs of coming from a battle, especially the military gundam.' The figure made a snickering noise. "This is going to be easy!"

Zakozakozakozako

"So how're you guys gonna do it?" Sinbad asked curiously.

Captain turned his head to look at Shute. "Shute, do you still have that device Chief Haro gave you?"

"Sure," Shute dug into his pocket. He was just about to pull something out when a noise rang through the sky.

BZZMM! _(a/n: remember the noise Captain's beam rifle makes?)_

Everyone looked to where the sound had originated from. Up on a large rock not too far away stood the strangest robot the Gundam Force and Sinbad had seen yet. It looked like a Dark Axis robot, but different.

Although in height and physique it resembled Grappler Gouf, in terms of equipment it looked more like Zapper Zaku somehow. Coming down from its right shoulder was a shield similar to Zapper's, perhaps to carry some deadly weapon, only twice as long. On its chest were vents like the ones Captain's original form used to have. Its mouthpiece was longer than the usual Dark Axis robots. Its chest area and the shoulder part were colored a dull black, while its limbs were a dull grey. Its arm was raised into the air, with a beam rifle, similar to the one Captain used to use, only different, in its hand.

"Sorry 'bout that," the robot said, not sounding very sorry at all, "But I had to get your attention."

Captain aimed his V-Rods at the newcomer, while Zero and Bakunetsumaru got their swords out. "Who are you?" He demanded.

"That's nothing to worry about," the robot said coolly, "I'll just get what I came for and leave, and we can forget each other."

"What you came for?" Zero asked, suspicious.

"Boy," the robot said, fixing its one eye on Shute, "Give me the disc now, and I will let you walk away untouched."

Shute reached into his pocket and pulled out the disc he found in Z'Gok's notebook.

"Yeah, that's it," the robot said, keeping his beam rifle steadied on Shute, "Just toss it here, and we can walk away."

Shute didn't answer. He stared the mysterious disc, holding it up into the sunlight. He wasn't sure why this skinny Zaku wannabe wanted it, he didn't know what it meant, but he now knew more than ever how important.

"No," Shute said sternly.

"Say what?!" the robot cried, nearly dropping his rifle.

"I don't what this is, but I'm not giving it up," Shute said, "Not if the Dark Axis wants it back!"

"The Dark Axis?" the robot laughed, "Kid, the Dark Axis are last year's design! I'm much more advanced than those tin cans!" He stopped laughing and fixed his rifle back at Shute. "But tech' updates aside, gimmie that disc or I'll stop your pulse!"

Captain quickly got in front of Shute. "I would advise you to retreat," the gundam ordered, "You are outnumbered."

"Good point." Conceded the robot, "GET 'EM, BOYS!"

Without warning at least fifty little robots that looked like Zakos but different came out of nowhere and began to swarm the Gundam Force.

"Yaah! Where did these things come from?!" Shute yelled as he ducked to one side, causing two of the Zako-like robot that jumped at him from opposites to collide. Oddly enough, upon impact, the two robots began to de-pixilate, out like a bad computer image.

"Careful, you idiots!" the larger robot yelled, "Do you Lozacks wanna de-rezz that quickly?!"

"Sorry, Sir Grand Hizack,, sir!" Another called out- just before being zapped by Captain and de-pixilating.

The robot, Grand Hizack, slapped his forehead.

The fight went on as such, with the Gundam Force knocking the little lozacks away, upon causing them to eventually pixel out, or 'De-rezz', as Grand Hizack had put it. Oddly enough, Grand didn't seem too concerned with the dropping minion population.

"Brake as many as you," Grand shrugged in an offhand way, "I can get more." At which point several more lozacks wandered into the battle.

"We can't keep this up forever!" Zero yelled, as he thwacked one lozack while blocking two more with his shield.

"Then let's leave these small fry alone and deal with the boss!" Sinbad yelled, as he made his way to the shallows. He quickly scooped up a handful of wet sand and packed into a ball.

"Here's mud in yer eye!" Sinbad bellowed as he flung the wet, sandy ball at Grand Hizack. The muddy projectile hit Grand square in the eye.

Grand let loose a girly scream. "Eek! I can't see!" In a blind(intended pun) panic, he began to run around, knocking over dozens of lozacks at a time. All the while, he kept squealing things like, "I'm blind! I'm visually challenged! My eyesight has been obscured!" And so, and so forth.

Everyone else sweatdropped.

After Grand inadvertly finished the last lozack, Captain grabbed him to a stopped. "Here, let me help." The Mobile defender offered, wiping the dried mud out of Grand's eye.

"Oh, thank you," Grand replied graciously- then noticed he was within combat range of Captain Gundam. With quick reflexes, Grand pulled out a beam saber from his waist. But before he could follow through with the intended blow, Captain sent him skyward with a swift uppercut. Instead of falling back down, Grand stayed in the air by means of rocket thrusters at the side of each leg.

"You haven't heard the last of me!" He threatened ominously.

"Wanna bet!?" Shute challenged, "Captain, go for it!"

Captain's Soul Drive ignited with energy, and the fighting fire lit up in his eyes. "Special formation! Gundam Force Triple Attack!"

Grand blanched in mid-air. "What the-?"

"Super Magical Violet Tornado!" Zero unleashed a powerful wind laced with rose petals.

"Can't we talk this over?" asked Grand worriedly.

Tenkyo-Ken!" Bakunetsumaru sliced in the sir, sending off a fiery 'x'.

"Aaarrggg!" I'm sorry!" Wailed Grand as he tried rocket away.

"Hyper Captain…Punch!" Captain's fist turned golden, and a thruster on his wrist gauntlet added speed to the spin. With the added speed and power of the tornado and 'x', Captain soared after Grand Hizack.

Hearing the impending doom coming after him, Grand whirled around and adopted a defensive pose with his shoulder shield. "I can take it!" He said more bravely than he felt.

Zakozakozakozako

Several miles off the coast of the island, a dark-skinned young lady, looking as old as Rele, sat on a raft floating on the water. She wore a flower in her bleach-blond hair, a purple tube top and a violet sarong. Looking up into the sky, she watched the fantastic explosion that occurred.

Then she vanished in a beam of light.

Zakozakozakozako

Back on the beach, Captain landed back onto the sand.

"Nice job!" Shute cheered.

"Who was he, though?" Rele queried.

"Who cares?" Sinbad replied, "But maybe you guys should go before another one shows up."

"Agreed." Captain answered. "Shute?"

Shute nodded and pulled out a weird device from his pocket. It was almost like a cell phone, but more like a flat version of Chief Haro's mask. The 'ear' antenna flipped up when Shute turned it on.

"What now?" Sinbad asked.

"You'll see."

A few seconds later, a swirling technocolor vortex appeared, about the size of a beachball.

"This vortex will take us back to Neotopia," Captain informed his gaping friends, "But we must all enter at once."

Before leaving, the Gundam Force said one last good bye to Sinbad.

"Here," Shute said, giving Sinbad the Haro trinket. "If you ever wanna visit us in Neotopia, do it."

Sinbad looked at the weird gadget, and stuffed it into his pocket, and turned around. "Aw, just get going." He then heard a clinking noise. Turning around, his eyes widened. "What the?"

Captain's faceplate had opened, showing his nose and mouth. Zero and Bakunetsumaru had taken off their helmets. "We will never forget you."

Getting over his initial shock, Sinbad smirked and nodded. "Ditto."

"Bye, Sinbad! See ya next time, okay?" Shute then turned to his friends. "Let's GO!"

Leaping at the vortex, the Gundam Force vanished from this world without a trace…no more than usual.

Zakozakozakozako

"Leaving is sad, but it'll be great to get home," Shute yelled, "Right?"

"Right!" The others agreed.


	12. Home Coming

_Shute here! We're finally coming back to Neotopia. I've got so much stuff to tell! It was pretty sad leaving Sinbad back on Grand, but you know what they say, there's no place like home. That's probably why he stayed, actually…._

Home Coming

The City of Neotopia was a place of splendor to behold. A marvelous metropolis, whose steel intertwined with the greenery, making a truly glorious blend of machine and nature. A paradise on Earth, some had called it, and those that didn't said it was the closest thing to one.

The greatest landmark in Neotopia would be the tower that stood directly in the center of the city. Each elevated platform acted as a park, and the tower was like the eye of a hurricane, centered and separated from the hustle and bustle of the city life- even though things were so efficient that hustle was nowhere near as frantic as one might think.

On one of the park-platforms a small boy, probably in first or second grade of school, was playing catch with his buddy, a Mobile Citizen, GM class. When this boy had some free time, he could be found on that platform throwing a baseball to and from his GM buddy.

The ball in question sailed over the boy's head, having been thrown to high. But instead of flying of the tower platform, it banged on someone reading a newspaper on a nearby parkbench. That litte boy ran over to get it. Giving the newspaper reader an apologetic glance, and saying, "Sorry," the boy ran back to his game of catch.

The paper reader lowered the edition to reveal an ominous mono-eye. He turned to someone else reading a newspaper.

"That's the third time, too."

Zakozakozakozako

"No matter how many times I see it, it always looks great," Shute commented, gazing at the tower.

"The architecture _is_ designed to instill a sense of well-being," Captain mentioned.

"I can understand why you and Captain love your home," Zero commented. Even the shadows he spent two years hiding in were majestic.

"A homeland worthy of the term paradise," Bakunetsumaru agreed.

"The view up here is truly lovely." Princess Rele breathed.

Up here?

It just occurred to all of them that the ground felt a little _too _soft. Looking down(despite warning bells in the backs of their minds telling them not too) The Gundam Force realized that there _was_ no ground! The rift had transported them several miles into the sky!

And when the reality of it reared its ugly head, so did the laws of physics, as they began to plummet to the ground.

"Aaaaaauuuuuggggg!" Bakunetsumaru screamed

"Here we go agaaaaaiiiiin!" Shute wailed.

"Eeeeaaaaaaahhhh!" Rele shrieked.

"Princess!" Zero yelled, holding out his hand for her, "Grab on to me!"

Rele, however, grabbed Shute's hand. Zero mid-fall facefaulted.

Captain was the only one to remain calm. "Don't worry, everyone," he said, "We'll be fine."

Everyone else stopped making a fuss to look at Captain in confusion.

"Just wait," Captain said knowingly.

Before anyone could inquire, they landed on a cloud.

"Oh yeah…I remember these things!" Shute laughed, as he stood up.

"Is…this some sort of new magic?" Rele asked, too astonished to get up.

"Have no fear, milady," Zero said, helping her up in a knightly way.

Bakunetsumaru stomped his foot a few times, "These clouds are unusually thick."

"Bakunetsumaru, Princess Rele, do not be worried," Captain explained, "These synthetic cumulus clouds were made as part of Blanc Base's camouflage."

It was at that moment that a platform rose up. Captain nodded towards it.

"Let's go."

Zakozakozakozako

The main head quarters of the Super Dimensional Guard, Blanc Base, was looking better than ever when the Force arrived. Despite its literal fall during the first phase of the Dark Axis full invasion. Still, despite that, the base received minimal damage and was able become operational again after being dug out of the ground. In fact, it now looked like nothing of the sort happened.

The Gundam Force stood triumphantly in the same area where Shute was first indicted into the S.D.G. Standing to attention, the GF stood ready to see Chief Haro. This was a bit of an experience for Princess Rele, who was more used to being on the opposing end of such situation.

The light above the door lit up. The Force straightened.

The doors opened up…

And out rolled Kao Lyn's ball.

He glanced at them. "Yo."

They facefaulted.

Zakozakozakozako

At the platform park, the mystery pair were still reading their newspapers. The one with the mono turned to the other.

"Can we please do something else? I'm tired of reading the front headline."

"Have you tried turning the page?"

The Mono-Eye didn't answer. Instead, it turned the page. "Hmm, shoeshine boy convicted agent of Jolly Roger Syndicate…"

It was at that moment that the girl in the sarong appeared in a beam of light.

"Grand Hizack has been deleted." She said with no emotion.

The second newspaper reader lowered his newspaper. He was a tall man in a grey suit. His age could be in the fifties bracket, and he wore a monocle over his left eye. The most defining feature of this man would be his bald head. Shaven completely clean, there was not one hair- or any sign that there was any –on his head. This coupled with his somewhat pale skin gave off the appearance of a billiard ball. In fact, if one was to only take a quick glimpse, they would assume a cueball was sitting were his head should be.

"Do tell." He said calmly, not taking his eyes of the fine print.

Zakozakozako

At Blanc Base, the Gundam Force were officially welcomed back by Chief Haro after he arrived(he had to make a stop at a water fountain, which, given his mask, was a chore). They were now telling him about their mission to Grand.

"I had no idea that there were different branches of the Dark Axis," Chief Haro confessed, "I thought we destroyed them all."

"Their leader, Commodore Z'Gok, had a Soul Drive as well," Captain put in.

"Like Sazabi…" Haro mused. The Chief looked unsure of himself, though it was hard to tell with that mask on.

"Chief Haro," Shute spoke up, "Where did Captain's Soul Drive come from?"

Chief Haro looked at Shute. "You'll have to ask Technical Chief Kao Lyn that, Shute."

"Kao Lyn?" Shute asked, "He made the Soul Drive?"

"Hoo-waa!" Kao Lyn yelled, performing a roundhouse kick followed by a flurry of punches into the air. "Actually, no."

"You didn't?" Asked Bakunetsumaru.

"No, not really," Kao Lyn confessed. "While I built Captain's body and designed the chamber for it, the Soul Drive was designed by another scientist."

"Who?" Shute asked.

"My former colleague, Professor Shelly," Kao Lyn answered, "Brilliant man. A little on depressed side, though."

"Can we talk to him? Where is he?" If this guy made the Soul Drive, Shute wanted to meet him.

"That's not going to happen in this lifetime, Shute," Kao Lyn sighed mournfully, "Shelly was on the Axis Space Colony."

"Space colony?" Princess Rele asked, confused.

"The Axis Space Colony was the very first of its age," Chief Haro explained. "A means of living among the stars that our ancestors only dreamed of."

"Then what happened to it?" Zero had a feeling the ending to this story wasn't happy.

"Unfortunately," Kao Lyn sobbed through his large sleeves, "A malfunction in its booster rockets when it was being launched caused the Colony to drift in deep space, never to be seen again!"

"What!? Aww, man…" Shute groaned.

"That's awful," Rele agreed. Still, the idea of 'living among the stars' intrigued her. She was about to ask for more about it when Shute pulled _that disc_ out of his pocket.

"Chief Haro," He said, "I found this disc in that other dimension."

Haro took the disc from Shute and examined it. "Another one?"

"Huh?"

"When we were removing the Horn of War from Neotopia Tower," Kao Lyn explained while doing his high-speed katas, "We found a disc, very much like this one, among the rubble! Though it was heavily encrypted, when found a technical readout of the Magna-Musai, which allowed us to reconvert into the Gundamusai! Yow!"

Shute was about to ask more when a S.D.G GM appeared.

"Sir," The GM began, "Mayor Margaret Gathermoon is on the line. She says it's important."

Zakozakozakozako

"Hizack actually thought he could take them on his own?" the cueball asked, "Was he really so delusional, Bermuda?"

"That's right," the sarong girl said, "He felt they would put up little resistance and give in after being fresh from a battle." Bermuda shrugged. "It seemed like a good plan in theory, so I didn't object."

"Most plans are good in theory." The mono eye muttered, putting down his newspaper.

"Long Marasai?"

Long Marasai was robot no taller than Grand Hizack, with the same mouthpiece and mono eye. That's where the similarities ended. His head was domed in a manner like Darth Vader's. His left shoulder was a spiked shoulder pad. His right had fin-like armament. His mid-section resembled a tunic in some sense. On his left forearm was a small shield fixed on.

"Now that Grand has failed like that," Long concluded, "The Gundam Force will now be on their guard. They will not give up the discs now that they believe powerful forces are after them."

"So we should give them something else to worry about."

Long Marasai glanced at the cueball. "You have something to say, Stonehenge?"

Stonehenge stood up from where he was sitting. "Better than that," He answered, "I have a plan. Beating their bodies isn't enough. To defeat the Gundam Force, we must break their spirits."

Zakozakozakozako

"Medals?"

"That's right," Mayor Margaret said on the screen. "For successfully halting an alien invasion, the leaders of the World Union would like to award the Gundam Force medals of honor."

"Cool…" Shute breathed. While he wasn't surprised at this(not too much, anyway) he didn't think the leaders of the WU would be involved!

"Well, I am not surprised," Zero said rather pompously, "It's only natural for a hero like myself to revive thanks for his work in a grand celebration."

"What work?" Bakunetsumaru laughed, "Getting blown out of the sky?"

While Zero and Baku' launched into another argument(Though they kept their heads and didn't come to blows), Mayor Margaret continued.

"The ceremony take place tomorrow at the World Union headquarters in Sector U. A special train line is being opened up for your benefit, but it leaves early. You should get a good night's sleep for the occasion. See you tomorrow!"


	13. The Terror Begins

_Imagine a bright, beautiful, peaceful place, where the skies are always sunny, and everyone can't say they've been better. This is Neotopia, city of the future, my home._

_Last time, we, uh, literally dropped back in from our adventure with Sinbad on Grand. Now Captain, Zero, Bakunetsumaru and me are going to get medals of honor for saving the city from the Dark Axis invasion. This going to be great!_

…_Right?_

The Terror Begins

The Next mourning, the Gundam Force, along with Chief Haro, Juli, and a SDG GM honor guard. with arrived at the train station for the trip to Sector U. They had stayed over at Shute's house last night, and now were on their way.

As they waited for the train to arrive, Shute's mind wandered over to the conversation he and Rele had last night…

_ZakozakoShute Flashbackzakozako_

"_And this is my badge!" Shute proclaimed, displaying his GF badge for the Princess as she sat on his bed. He had it mounted the way a fisherman with his favorite catch._

"_It's very nice." Rele replied, smiling. She then frowned._

_Shute saw the frown. "What's up?"_

"_This symbol," Rele began hesitantly, "It's the same as the Superior Dragon's."_

"_Huh?" Shute thought back to the Garden of Wisdom, and the image he saw inside. "I guess you're right. That's one weird coincidence."_

"_Maybe…" Rele looked away, uneasy._

_ZakozakoEnd Flashbackzakozako_

That little discussion had Shute up all night. It also brought up questions he never before thought of, like how did the S.D.G know about the Dark Axis to begin with? And what was the mysterious connection between the DA and Prof. Shelly?

The sound of train wheels spinning brought him out of his thoughts. Two blue trains- What vaguely resembled mice- rolled up to the station, pulling a lone car and caboose behind.

Captain recognized them immediately. "The train brothers!"

"Ordinarily we wouldn't divert from our normal schedule-" the Big Brother began.

"But when heard you needed a lift, we could not refuse!" the Little Brother finished.

Before boarding, Chief Haro gave them these words.

"This track will eventually connect to a special line rarely used. This line will get you to Sector U in a matter of hours on a trip that would take several days on the normal lines. Once you arrive at your station in Rufus Talea, a special procession will escort you to the headquarters of the World Union, and from there the ceremony. Are there any questions?"

"Are we going alone?" Shute asked.

"We'd like to come with you," Juli explained, "But there's been some strange activity lately. We need to stay here in case something happens."

"We'll contact you if we need your help. Any further questions?"

"No, sir," Captain replied.

"Alright then," Chief Haro flashed a salute, "Gundam Force, happy trails!"

The GF returned the salute and boarded their car. After they boarded, Big Brother began to speak. "Alright, let's get this show on the road."

Slowly, the train began to move, picking up speed as it eventually disappeared into the horizon.

Zakozakozakozako

Rufus Talea, the biggest city in Sector U, was known as the 'politic city' where most of the major political action took place. Neotopia, on the other hand, was based in Sector G, and known as the 'paradise city' because it was such a nice place to live.

Three hours after the Gundam Force left Neotopia, and soon with it, Sector G, they arrived at a secluded stop in Rufus Talea. The reason they made such good time was that they didn't have to make any extra stops, or slow down for any sharp turns. The line was completely straight the whole ride.

At the station, they were escorted to the World Union's HQ by what looked like a squad of stereotypical secret agents, complete with suits, sunglasses, and well-groomed hair. (since this little bit isn't important, there is no need to describe it in detail- A/N)

Eventually, after a series of somewhat annoying and for the most part unnecessary regulations(even the Gundam Force can't defeat red tape!), the Gundam Force made it to the ceremony!

Unfortunately, it seemed that several officials- who were more interested in blowing their own horns than honoring these brave heroes- preceded the whole thing in order to make several speeches that was basically saying the same thing over and over.

"And so I say again! …And again! …And again!" An individual with many medals on his chest bellowed pompously, speaking loud enough so those in back row can hear him without his microphone.

After he finished, there was _tremendous_ applause- not because of his speech, but because he stopped talking. A woman in a striking light blue dress stood up and took the podium.

"Thank you for your words Commander Woody," Said Graye Kenneth, Chairwoman of the W.U, "And now, we award these brave, unlikely heroes with medals in the Order of Dendrobium Orchis!"

As everyone applauded, Chairwoman Kenneth picked a medal out of a set and pinned each one on Shute, Captain, Zero, and Bakunetsumaru. Luckily, the medals for the Gundams were fastened by magnets and not pins. The Gundam Force Core stood proudly, taking in the applause and approval.

Zakozakozakozako

On the train ride back to Neotopia, Shute, Zero, and Bakunetsumaru examined their medals in detail.

Shute, for some reason, felt a strange tingling as he held the medal in his hands and up to his eyes.

"Attention, passengers!" Little Brother's voice spoke over the P.A, "We have just entered Sector G. We will be arriving at Neotopia station in 2 hours and 36 minutes!"

Zakozakozakozako

No one noticed the stowaways on the roof of the Gundam Force's car.

Adjusting her sarong, Bermuda glanced at Long Marasai and Stonehenge.

"When do we move?" She asked.

"When they sleep." Was Long's lone reply.

Zakozakozakozako

Shute jumped into bed, dressed in his pajamas. Captain was back at Blanc Base, while Zero, Bakunetsumaru and Princess Rele were sent back to their home dimension to rest from the events on Grand.

Shute lay down under the covers. Just as he closed his eyes, he heard a loud…

BOOM!

Jumping up, eyes wide, Shute stared out his window.

"What-?" Leaping out of bed, Shute ran for his parents' room.

"Mom! Dad! Are you oka-!" Shute cut off when he saw the room empty.

"Mom…? Dad…?" Shute's felt cold all of a sudden. Quickly, he ran to the nursery.

"Nana…?" Shute asked, a feeling of dread in his stomach.

The room was empty. Feeling the worst, Shute ran outside.

Zakozakozakozako

"Hello?" Captain called out as he walked through the base. Since he arrived back from Shute's house, he had not seen anyone in the base, be it human or robot.

Bam!

Hearing the gunshot, Captain leapt to the side, avoiding the blast. Turning around, he couldn't believe who he saw holding the recently fired beamrifle.

"GunEagle!?" Captain stared at the young Gundam, or more specifically, the weapon he had fired. "What are you doing?!"

"Shut up!" GunEagle said in an uncharacteristically snide tone of voice, his eyes an eerie shade of red. With that, he fired again, and again, and kept firing.

Captain, not wanting to fight his own subordinate, turned and fled. As he kept running, dozens of S.D.G GMs ran out from wherever they were hiding, each baring some sort of weapon, such as a beam rifle or saber. Some had V Rods.

Not slowing down, Captain shifted from running to rolling, activating his heel-wheels. He plowed right through them with ease.

"He's getting away!" One of them yelled.

"Stop him!" GunEagle roared, "The survival of the Dark Axis is only if he doesn't!"

'The Dark Axis?' Captain thought, 'But the Dark Axis is destroyed!'

Zakozakozakozako

Zero stood on a cliff, transfixed. The beautiful Kingdom of Lacroa, his home, recently brought back from disaster by the White BaguBagu…was no more. What was once a glorious city and castle, sitting on the roots and trunk of the great Spirit tree was devastated. The buildings were no longer recognizable, just piles of rubble. The once fantastic Spirit Tree was dead, most of its large branches torn off and resting in the now polluted water.

'How…How could this have happened?!"

Zakozakozakozako

That's exactly what Bakunetsumaru was thinking as he walked cautiously through the bamboo forest. When he had arrived, he expected to see Ark as it was when he left, enjoying the newly found peace after the civil war and Dark Axis attack. Instead, it looked destroyed, as if it had fought and lost a new war overnight.

'A little closer…' Bakunetsumaru thought, 'Tenchi Castle should be in clear sight now.'

Eventually, Bakunetsumaru arrived at the area where the castle was, near Mt. Anaheim. But what he saw made him wish he didn't.

The castle, in several parts, was on fire. The smoke it created blocked out the sky. It looked as if a fierce battle was fought, one to end all battles. Countless nobusshi were scattered about, not moving.

looking around, Bakunetsumaru saw Kinkaku, one of Britianmaru's generals.

"Master Kinkaku!" Bakunetsumaru ran over to the nobusshi. It looked like one of his arms had been torn off.

"What happened? Who did this? Where's Lord Britainmaru?!" Baku' asked, kneeling down.

Kinkaku groaned. "The…demon…" Was all he said before falling silent.

"What?" Bakunetsumaru looked around frantically. He began to call out for Entengo. Before leaving for Neotopia, he had left his steed in a stable at the castle.

"Entengo! Entengo!"

"Your little pony won't be coming, Bakunetsumaru." A very evil, very cruel, very _familiar_ voice said.

Bakunetsumaru felt his circuits run cold. "No, not…not you!"

Zakozakozakozako

Shute stared at the city with horror-filled eyes.

The city was a damaged beyond belief, and what was worse, multiple 'Horns of War' had sprouted up all over the place. But the worse sight was in the sky.

"This can't be happening," Shute said tonelessly, as he stared at the Dark Axis base.


	14. Gundam Force, Fight!

_Shute here. Last time, me, Captain, Zero, and Bakunetsumaru received medals of honor from the chairwoman of the World Union for saving Neotopia from the Dark Axis. But ,as relaxed our guard, the city, Lacroa, and Ark were destroyed! This is gotta be a nightmare!_

Gundam Force, Fight!

'This can't be happening," Shute thought, as he stared blankly at the ruins of Neotopia. 'This can't be happening! This can't!' Suddenly, Shute's eyes snapped into focus.

"Wait a minute!"

Zakozakozakozako

Captain ran down the halls of Blanc Base, keeping an eye out for anyone that could come. With GunEagle and the rest of the S.D.G's GMs turned traitor, Captain couldn't afford to be careless.

'I can't use the Re-Equip Ring in order to get my booster rockets, that would take too long,' Captain thought, 'My only chance of getting out of here unharmed would be to pilot a GunPerry.'

After his little skirmish with GunEagle, Captain hadn't encountered any other opposition. As he came closer to the GunPerry hanger, Captain heard something roll up behind him. Wrist gauntlet ready to fire, Captain whirled around-

And found Kao Lyn's Ball.

"I thought it was you," The Ball said, "C'mon, we have to get out of here."

The Ball rolled past Captain towards the GunPerrys. Captain kept his wrist gauntlet steadied on him.

"Everyone else has begun acting strangely," Explained the Ball, "And the human workers have disappeared."

Eventually, the Ball led Captain to the White GunPerry used by Chief Haro.

"This is the only one that still works," it said, gesturing, "You get it started, I'll keep watch if someone comes."

Captain, nodding, leapt into the cockpit and began to activate the GunPerry. Captain then realized something. How did Kao Lyn's Ball know the White GunPerry was the only one that worked? It didn't have the capabilities to 'look under the hood'!

It was when that awful truth sunk in did Captain realize that the White GunPerry would not start. Worse, he heard the sound of running along with the Ball, yelling, "He's in here!"

Captain instantly knew that the only way to escape the Base was the most dangerous way possible. But it was either that or fight, and Captain had no intention of hurting his comrades, not while he didn't know what was going on.

Taking a running, or rather, rolling, start, Captain took dived off the catapult deck, plummeting down towards the ruined city below.

Zakozakozakozako

Zero floated through the fallen kingdom, staring at the lack of life. When he came to investigate, he hoped he wouldn't find any petrified people, and that someone, anyone, might have escaped.

Instead, he found _pieces_ of petrified people. It was awful.

"No… No!" Zero moaned, "Now even the White BaguBagu can't save them!"

"_Zero…_" A voice behind him called.

The Winged Knight froze. Slowly, he turned around to see the near-transparent form of a Knight Gundam holding a curved blade in grey armor.

"Rock…" Zero breathed.

"_You failed, Zero,"_ The ghost said without emotion. He vanished and a Knight Gundam with a crossbow gun in red armor appeared.

"Battle!" Zero gasped.

"_We were counting on you to protect the kingdom," _Battle said, before fading away. A third Knight Gundam appeared, this one with a glaive-like hand.

"_This is because you could not fulfill you duties, Zero," _He said, fading.

"No..Nataku!" Zero cried, reaching out.

But they were gone. And Zero was alone.

Not really.

"What's the matter, Zero? You're not looking as chipper as you normally do." A familiar voice sneered.

Zero turned around and looked up. "You!"

Zakozakozakozako

Bakunetsumaru stared at the former friend turned foe. "Kujakumaru?"

"I do not recognize that name!" The multi-armed Musha Gundam snarled, "I am Ashuramaru!"

"But, what's going on!?" Bakunetsumaru was beginning to feel a headache. "I defeated you in Neotopia!"

"When you took my honor here in Ark so long ago," Ashuramaru growled, "I swore nothing would stop vengeance, not even death!"

"I don't understand your statement," Bakunetsumaru conceded, "But what has happened here?"

"Isn't this what you wanted, Bakunetsumaru?"

"What?!"

"You said it yourself," Ashuramaru accused, "You would rather have Ark in ruin."

"Yes…as opposed to being enslaved by the Dark Axis!" Bakunetsumaru countered.

"Well, no what its opposed to, Ark is as you wanted," Ashuramaru sneered, "Britainmaru, that weak old fool, could not hold the country together, and with Kibaomaru gone, it was only a matter of time. Ark is in ruin, with no ruler."

"You…" Bakunetsumaru reached for his swords when a thought occurred to him. "Where are Genkimaru and the others?"

"That brat?" Ashuramaru asked, "He wouldn't stop his blabbering, so I…silenced him. Along with those idiots."

Bakunetsumaru grew cold. If what Ashuramaru meant what he thought he meant, that would mean another friend was gone.

"You...you're not the friend I remember!" Bakunetsumaru shouted. Back at Neotopia, Ashuramaru stopped his initial attack because Shute had jumped between the two of them. Kujakumaru, even before his transformation, was never one to harm a child…

"So glad you've caught on to that," Ashuramaru replied, "Now draw your sword, Bakunetsumaru, fight me!"

With that, the two lunged and locked weapons, as the fires of a dying land burned.

Zakozakozakozako

Captain was amazed that, even after taking a fall that should have ceased his functions, he was still able to move and think. That being said, it did not surprise him in the slightest to feel pain in almost every part of him except his vital systems.

Getting up, he surveyed his surroundings. He wished he didn't immediately. The city was in ruins. Windows were cracked, doorways were torn open, and cars and other modes of transportation piled up in burning heaps.

"Looks bad, doesn't it, Captain Gundam?" A voice asked.

Captain whirled around. "Commander Sazabi!?"

The leader of the Dark Axis invasion force glared at him through his one eye. "All this territory…and no one to rule over."

Captain aimed his wrist gauntlets at the Commander. "I don't know what's going on, but I will stop you and save the city!"

"Save it, Captain?" another voice that shouldn't be said. Up above was Professor Gerbera on his plateform. "Save it for who?"

"Madnug?!" Captain gasped.

"My title is Professor Gerbera, Captain," The disguised gundam snapped, "And just what would you gain by defeating us?" higher above, the monstrous form of General Zeong loomed.

"There are no more humans in Neotopia, Captain," Gerbera went on, "We are the only ones left."

Zakozakozakozako

Zero stared the beings floating above him. "Talgeese! Deed!"

The two enemies, one formerly a friend, but both supposedly gone from this world, stared back down at Zero, both merged with Griffin and Steel Dragon, respectively.

Zero instinctively raised his hand up. "O Mana, come to me!"

The blue circle appeared- then vanished.

Zero was at a loss. "Wha-?"

"Didn't you hear, Zero?" Talgeese taunted. "Your good mana is fading, fast."

Deed threw something down at Zero's feet. Horrified, Zero picked up the petrified head of Princess Rele.

"Now no one can have her!" The Dark Knight spat.

"No… Noooo!" Zero screamed, tossing it away. This was too much for him.

"As you can see, Zero, we're the only ones left." Talgeese explained, "But since it would so very lonely here, we thought you would join us, Winged Knight."

"Join...you?" Zero asked, more to himself than them.

Zakozakozakozako

As smoke from the fires continued to fill the skies, the blades of Bakunetsumaru and Ashuramaru continued to clash against each other.

"You are a hardy one," Ashuramaru admitted, "But now it's time I finished this. Ashuramaru Lightning Shadow Ax!"

With that, Ashuramaru's face was covered by two panels, while a blue demon mask and red demon mask opened up on each shoulder respectively. His arms began to spin, and soon the Musha gundam became a whirling tornado of deadly blades. Without any more preamble, he rushed at Bakunetsumaru.

Zakozakozakozako

"Commander Sazabi," Gerbera ordered, "Eliminate Captain Gundam."

"With pleasure," Sazabi purred, the emitters for his death ray(well, what else can you call it?) opening up.

Captain didn't know what to do. Even if he fought, what would there be to gain?

"_Captain…"_

Captain, hearing that voice, quickly came to his senses and jumped to avoid the beam. Though he managed to dodge the blast, he didn't get out fast enough to keep a piece of his left shoulder pad from being chipped off. But Captain wasn't concerned with that.

"Shute?" Captain looked around, trying to find the source of the voice. "Where are you?!"

"Don't bother looking for your human pet, Captain," Sazabi sneered.

"That bothersome pest has already been taken care of." Gerbera explained.

Captain felt the life go out of him. "No… Shute…"

Up above, Zeong powered up his devastating mouth cannon. "GUUUUOOOOOHH…"

Zakozakozakozako

"Well, Zero?" Talgeese demanded, "How about it? Join us?"

"I..." Zero began, pausing. He looked down and saw the Princess' head. "…Will not! I'll never abandon my loyalties just because it's convenient! Not like you two!"

"Very well," Deed summoned his giant, double-edged scythe and prepared to swing. "She always liked you better."

Zakozakozakozako

As Ashuramaru came closer to grinding Bakunetsumaru into dust, the samurai tried to move but couldn't.

'No…' Baku' thought, as he began to lose feeling in his legs, 'This is it…I'm done for…'

But just before Ashuramaru could strike, a symbol of energy, in the shape of the Gundam Force's crest appeared, blocking the attack!

Zakozakozakozako

The three knights stared at the image that had appeared.

"What-?" Was Zero could make out, before the glowing emblem began to change. Rising into the air, the symbol transformed into Shute! Just as Shute landed on the ground…

Zakozakozakozako

Everything _changed_. Suddenly, the city, which looked beyond saving, was instantly restored.

Shute looked sharply at Captain. "Are you okay???"

"Yes, I'm fine," Captain answered, "But, Shute, how did you-"

Captain was interrupted by a strangled yell.

Zakozakozakozako

"I've had enough of you!" Screamed Talgeese, and summoned his griffin lance. With fury in their eyes, both he and Deed lunged towards the boy and gundam.

"Shute! Look out!" Zero cried, but to his surprise the boy held his ground.

Zakozakozakozako

To Bakunetsumaru's amazement, Shute caught both of Ashuramaru's swinging blades. Then, in a show of unseen strength, Shute tossed the Musha Gundam aside.

Growling, Ashuramaru got back up from where he landed. "I've had enough of this! Ashuramaru Lightning Shadow Ax!"

"Try it!" Shute challenged, "No matter what you do, we'll beat this!" He turned to Bakunetsumaru. "I know we can! Right!?"

Slowly, Baku' nodded. As Shute turned back to Ashuramaru, the samurai thought, "Shute…When did you get this strong?"

Zakozakozakozako

Sazabi threw his fists at Shute, but the boy caught both of them. A power struggle ensued one that Shute was able to keep up with. However, with his attention focused on the Commander, he couldn't do anything about Professor Gerbera. The disguised gundam was coming up behind him, his gauntlets opened with the drills and clippers coming ever closer to Shute.

"Look out, Shute!" Captain yelled, and delivered a solid punch to Gerbera's stomach area. At the same time, his body surrounded by a mysterious golden aura and a fire in his eyes, Shute forced Sazabi upwards, blasting his hands off!

Zakozakozakozako

But instead of simply being knocked away, Talgeese…vanished in a burst of black light. Deed fumed, looking more demon-like by the second.

"Ready, Zero?" Shute asked.

"Ready, Shute," Zero Custom, Knight of Silver Wings said. Flying up, he raised his combined Twin-Buster Sword into the air. "Super Spirit Magic…"

Zakozakozakozako

Key points on Bakushinmaru's armor began to glow. "Bakukaitensho…"

Zakozakozakozako

Glaring up the floating form of General Zeong, vents around Captain's helmet opened up and gathered energy. "Hyper Mode, power up…" the visor sliding down over his eyes, Captain's V-fin began to glow. "V Attack, fire!" With that, the ray show out of the fin at Zeong.

Zakozakozako

"Infinity Winds!" Zero projected energy versions of his sword at Deed.

Zakozakozakozako

"Hakkai!" Bakushinmaru became the source of a fiery explosion, catching Ashuramaru and sending him flying.

Zakozakozakozako

"Nice work, Captain!" Shute cheered as Zeong's form vanished.

"I couldn't have done it without you, Shute," Captain replied. "Thank you."

Zakozakozakozako

"No problem," Shute replied, smiling. "Now let's wake up."

"Wake up?"

Zakozakozakozako

"What do you mean?" Baku' asked, as everything began to fade away.

Zakozakozakozako

"It worked!"

Shute opened his eyes. He was strapped in a chair in Kao Lyn's lab, wearing a helmet with many wires and cords running out of his. The gundams were laid out on a steel table, their own helmets swapped with ones similar to the one Shute was wearing. They were connected through the wires and cords. Kao Lyn himself was nearby, punching commands into a computer. Watching at the entrance were Chief Haro and Princess Rele. The Princess had her hands clasped together, her eyes filled with joy.

While Zero and Bakunetsumaru slowly woke up, Captain calmly sat up and looked around.

Shute got out of the chair, took off his helmet and ran at Captain, throwing his arms around in a hug. "Man, I was so worried!"

"What's going on?" Captain asked, "Weren't we in the city just now, Shute?"

"The city?" Zero asked groggily, "Shute and I were just in Lacroa."

"And we in Ark," Bakunetsumaru said. He then realized that he wasn't wearing his usual helmet. "What is this thing?"

Chief Haro stepped up and began to explain. "Those medals you received were contaminated with a type of artificial virus that put you in a dream state. One that you couldn't wake out of."

Kao Lyn leapt up and added in his two bits while performing katas, "When Shute contacted us about your condition, we knew the only way to get you out of your trances was to have Shute interface with your CPUs with this re-wired virtual reality equipment. Hoo wah!"

Rele shuddered. "You were twisting and moaning so much in the basement, I didn't what to do until Shute arrived."

Baku' looked confused. "Basement?"

"That's where mom always makes you Zero sleep when you stay for the night," Shute answered. The Knight and Musha sweatdropped.

Something then occurred to Captain. "Wait, you said Shute was able to interface with us. But wasn't his medal affected as well?"

Shute nodded. "Yeah, but I snapped out of mine by myself." The gundams looked at him, amazed. "It's like when Zeong had me in his Soul Drive, remember? Then I called the S.D.G and told them what was happening-"

Shute was cut off when Bakunetsumaru got on his hands and knees.

"Thank you, Shute," the Musha Gundam said, "While we were ready to give in to our fears and traumas, you alone kept fighting. I now know that you are the strongest of us all."

Suddenly, alarms started going off.

"Chief Haro!" Juli's voice spoke over the intercom, "We have a situation! Three strangers have invaded Blanc Base and taken out most of our security force!

Zakozakozakozako

Amidst the beaten and de-activated SDG GMs, Bermuda, Long Marasai, and Stonehenge stared at the base's entrance.

"Well," Long said, "Let's get started."


	15. The Long Battle

_Welcome to Neotopia, city of the near future, where nature and technology exist side-by-side._

_Last time, the Gundams were nearly defeated- not by super evil robots, but by their own nightmares. Luckily, Shute(that's me!) snapped them out of it. Now we have to deal with the three invaders of SDG Headquarters, and that could mean an even tougher battle!_

The Long Battle

Shute stared at the video monitor showing the three invaders who appeared in Blanc Base and took out their (somewhat redundant) security force. He turned to Chief Haro. "Who are these guys?"

"I don't know," the chief said, "But judging from their actions, it's a good chance they're not friendly." Chief Haro then turned to the Captain Gundam. "Captain Gundam, I know you've just come out from a very disturbing experience, but with all our other units launched, you four are the only ones left to defend the base from these invaders."

Zero took a step forward, "What do you mean?" he asked.

"While you were sleeping, our sensors detected heavy activity in multiple districts," Kao Lyn explained, "Sense we couldn't wake you guys up, we had to launch GunEagle, GunPanzer, and the GunChoppers to deal with them."

Perhaps with impeccable timing did GunEagle's voice appear over the comm. "GunEagle, reporting to headquarters! Do you read me?"

"Yes, GunEagle, we read you," Chief Haro answered, "What is your status?"

"I'm up to my circuits in Zako-wannabes, chief," GunEagle's voice answered, "And when I swat one, two more pop up! There's no doubt these things are the robots Captain described in his report!" There was a noise like an explosion, "I can keep this up all day, and it might take that long!"

Chief Haro nodded. "Affirmitive, GunEagle. Keep at it!" He turned to the core Gundam Force. "Earlier contacts from GunPanzer and the GunChoppers report that they are dealing with the same thing, so they won't be back for a while. Gundam Force, it's up to you to defend Blanc Base!"

While the chief was talking, Bakunetsumaru was busy getting his helmet back on. "Sounds good to me," the Musha Gundam said, "I need to stretch my legs anyway."

POOF! Zero summoned a princess rose in his hand and presented it to Rele.

"Your majesty," the Winged Knight said chivalrously, "As your sole protector, I beg of you to remain in the safety of this castle while I deal with these uncouth rogues outside."

Princess Rele frowned slightly, but nodded and took the flower. "I leave this to you, Zero."

"Shute," Captain said, looking at his friend, "Can I trust you and the others to hold on while I get ready?"

Shute pumped his fist, nodding. "No problem! There's nothing we can't do!"

"Right." Captain turned and said, "Chief Haro, I request immediate use of the Re-Equip Ring!"

Zakozakozakozako

Outside, the three outsiders continued to stare into the entrance of the base's inner dwellings.

"Well," Long Marasai said, "It looks like they've run out of things to throw at us. Let's get those discs."

No sooner had the words left his, uh, voice box did Bakunetsumaru, Zero, and Shute, wearing his SDG backpack, appear before them.

Bermuda glanced at Stonehenge. "I thought you said they weren't going to wake up."

Stonehenge, looking somewhat surprised, didn't bother to look back. "I don't get it," He said irritably, "Those medals were at a 300 infection rate, they shouldn't have woken up."

Shute heard the exchange, and his eyes narrowed. "Infection rate…?"

_zakozakoFlashbackzakozako_

"_Those medals you received were contaminated with a type of artificial virus that put you in a dream state. One that you couldn't wake out of."_

_Zakozakoend flashbackzakozako_

Shute got it instantly. "It was you!" He yelled, pointing an accusing finger at the three intruders. Eveyone looked at him. "You're the ones who infected our medals, right!?"

While the revelation gave everyone at the base a good shock(Chief Haro's ears flapped), the three strangers didn't react.

"That's right," Bermuda said in an uninterested manner, shocking everyone even more.

"How can you say that and sound so uncaring!?" Bakunetsumaru demanded, swords drawn.

"Because it's true," she said, once more uncaring. "It looks like your strongest unit hasn't re-activated at least."

"Captain?" Shute grinned. "Don't worry, he'll be here."

Zakozakozakozako

Out on the catapult deck, the Re-Equip Ring, unused since Grappler Gouf's would-be take over of the Gundamusai, but unforgotten, prepared for take off. In the center of the ring, Hyper Captain Gundam was held up by the Ring's many robotic arms. One arm to the right side handed him his gattling gun, while an arm to the left handed him his heavy weapons mode shield. Behind, another arm pushed his Option F backpack on his back, where it fastened on with an electric crackle. Finally, two more arms attached flight boosters to the Option F.

Preparations completed, Captain began to power up his flight boosters. "Hyper Captain Gundam, Option F, ready for duty!"

Departing the Ring, Captain's made an arc in order to fly towards the combat zone.

Zakozakozakozako

Meanwhile, the battle had begun. Bakunetsumaru jumped the gun and launched at Bermuda, who easily jumped aside. Not to be deterred, Baku' swung his swords at Bermuda again. This attack was just as effective as the last (meaning it wasn't), and Bermuda once again jumped away, landing nearby, but on a different spot than the last two.

"Stop your cowardly retreats and fight!" Bakunetsumaru hollered, pointing at the sarong girl.

"All right," Bermuda once again jumped away, this time a sizable difference from the samurai. She put her thumbs and index fingers together in the shape of a triangle.

"Field," She said, and when she did, the points where she stood previously began to glow and connect, putting Bakunetsumaru inside a purple/red triangle.

"What?!" Baku' didn't understand what was happening- until it was too late. A massive beam shot out of the triangle, blasting Bakunetsumaru into the air!

"Aaauuugghh- Oof!" Bakunetsumaru yelled as he landed ungracefully back on the ground. Bermuda smiled.

Zero found himself battling the stone faced Stonehenge. While he didn't look very threatening, Zero soon found he had a very confounding power. Just as the Winged Knight brought his sword towards Stoneheng, the well-dressed cue ball raised his hands, and a grey slab appeared over it! Swinging it, Stonehenge slapped the slab against Zero, sending him flying! In the air, Zero flew back and tried to get at Stonehenge, but another grey slab appeared, blocking the assault! Stonehenge then brought his hands together, and the two slabs clapped against Zero!

While this was going on, Shute and Long Marasai were embroiled in a staredown. Suddenly, Shute's hand went for his backpack's handle.

'Hmm?' thought Long, 'Is that a weapon?'

Steadying the handle on his arm, Shute pointed the open end of the handle at Long, and began to fire it, shooting globs of green glue at the robot.

'If I can hit his eye…' Shute thought as he fired. Unfortunately, Long blocked the gooey assault with his arm.

'What is this gunk?' he thought, staring at the substance. He was knocked out of his studying by the sound of a gun firing. Leaping out of the way, he narrowly avoided being shot in the back. Whirling around, he saw who attacked him.

"I have been granted special dispensation to use firearms by the authorities," Captain said as he flew closer towards the battle, "You will lay down your arms and withdrawn at once!"

The three intruders stared at the incoming Gundam.

"He's awake too!?" Stonehenge gaped, looking very annoyed.

"That's odd," commented Bermuda, "I thought at least one of them would still be trapped."

"This is ridiculous," Grumbled Long, "But let's be clear on this. He was the unit who destroyed Grand Hizack, right?"

"He had help from the others," Replied Bermuda.

"Fine," Fumed Long, "I'll take care of him, and you two take out the others, that sound good?"

"All right," Bermuda said, shifting her attention back to Bakunetsumaru. While they were talking, he, Shute and Zero had regrouped.

"Here I come!" Long Marasai shouted, activating the rocket boosters on his soles and back.

In response, Captain fired several rounds of his gattling gun. Long swerved to avoid the shots. Long held out his hand, holding the palm so that it faced Captain. The GP01 noticed that in the center of his palm was an emitter, similar to the ones Sazabi had. It was at that realization did the emitter begin to glow, firing a burst of energy!

BAMF!

Captain held up his shield to block the burst. Under the cover of the smoke created from the impact(it was one hot burst) Captain launcher missiles from his shield. Long wasn't expecting such an attack, and couldn't avoid the missiles in time.

"Arrgh!" Long cried as the impact of the missiles knocked him in the air.

"All right," fumed Long, "No more fooling around!"

Zakozakozakozako

At the Base, Bakunetsumaru made another assault on Bermuda. The sarong girl didn't jump away like she did the last time. Instead, she spread out her legs and touched the ground with her hand, forming another triangle. She leapt away as Baku' came down, but as he did, he made sure to roll upon landing, in order to narrowly avoid the field beam.

"Nice try!" Bakunetsumaru taunted, but he wasn't feeling so confident inside. He would have to watch his footing. He decided to finish the fight quickly.

"Tenkyo-Ken!" Bakunetsumaru unleashed his fiery 'x' at Bermuda.

But instead of making movement to evade, as common would have dictate, Bermuda did something odd. She point to three points in the air…forming a triangle! The subsequent beam connected with the fiery 'x', causing a flash.

"Gah!" Bakunetsumaru cried, shielding his eyes.

Meanwhile, Zero wasn't faring any better. Stonehenge was barraging him with what seemed like a beam of continuously appearing smaller slabs, putting the Wing Knight on the defensive.

Shute, on the sidelines, tried to help by firing glue-globs at the cue ball, but only succeeded at distracting him.

"Bug off!" Snapped Stonehenge, turning to the boy. Raising his arm, a large slab appeared over it. Then, as Stonehenge swung his arm down, the slab swung down at Shute. It would have crushed him, he was saved by a Mana circle that appeared.

"Huh?" Looking around, Shute saw Princess Rele and Chief Haro. "Thank you!"

Meanwhile, Zero took advantage of Stonehenge's distraction. "Super Magical Violet Tornado!"

It might have worked, but Stonehenge merely summoned a much larger slab to hide behind.

"Nice try," Smirked Stonehenge, feeling very clever.

Of course he had completely forgotten about Shute, who wanted to pay him back for nearly crushing him. Propelled by his backpack's boosters, Shute body slamed Stonehenge into the slab!

"Erg…That's it!" Stonehenge snarled, shoving Shute off, "I've had it with you!" He stood up and summoned a slab in each hand. "I'll squash you flat!"

However, before he could make do with his threat, Zero swung his sword in an arc. "Lacroa...Crescent!"

The crescent-shaped burst of magic sliced through Stonehenge, causing him to cry out in pain.

"This can't be happening!" Groaned Stonehenge as something odd began to happen. First, his bottom half(waist down) began to fizzle out before he completely de-pixilated, much like a beaten Lozack. Before the top half(waist up) followed, Stonehenge had some final words.

"I don't understand…he said we were like Titans…"

Meanwhile, Bakunetsumaru managed to get Bermuda with Tenkyo-Ken. Burnt badly, Bermuda found herself at the end of Bakunetsumaru's sword.

"Talk!" the Musha Gundam ordered, "Why did you attack us?!"

Bermuda didn't get up from where she was lying. "We just wanted the Discs…"

"Why?!" Baku pressed.

Instead of answering, Bermuda looked up at the clouds. "I feel…bad." She as she de-pixilated.

Zakozakozakozako

Out in the air, Captain wasn't having such a good time. Though he managed to get some good shots in, whenever one of Long's bursts hit him it knocked the Gundam for a loop. It didn't help that Marasai had better agility than Captain. Both his shield and gun had already been destroyed.

'I have to disrupt his flight path,' Thought Captain, 'but how???'

BAMF!

Captain shifted to the right to avoid another burst. It was then he noticed that while the booster on Long's back projected him through the air, the ones on his feet allowed him to controlled his direction.

'If he wants to go left, he points them right… That's it!'

Captain opened his helmet's vents and began to gather energy. "Hyper Mode, power-up!" A visor slid over his eyes. "V Attack!" The devastating beam from his 'v' shot out, bearing on Long.

To counter it, Long unleashed a continuous burst beam from both palms. The two beams met, causing a massive flash of light.

"Geh!" Long covered his eyes to shield them from the flash. He then heard the sounds of lasers firing. "Wha-?!"

It was Captain! The Mobile Defender was flying at Long while firing whatever he had.

'The 'v' thing was just a feint!' Thought Long frantically, trying to get away, but it was too late. Captain had struck a decisive shot on his left foot booster. Oddly, instead of blowing up the way a robot parts would, the foot…dematerialized, the way the Lozacks would. Meanwhile, Long found his flight path taking a very literal twist.

"Yaa-aaa-aaa!" Long screamed, as he spun and looped through the skies. While Long tried to regain control, Captain took initiative, firing from his V Rod, wrist gauntlets and head vulcans. This second onslaught managed to knock out Long's back booster, causing him to loop around even more.

Captain's scanner slid down. "Analyzing flight path…trajectory confirmed!"

Then he heard it. "Captain! Go for it!"

Hearing Shute's voice, the Soul Drive began to energize. As a fire lit up in his eyes, Captain's right fist started to glow a golden yellow. As a booster on the back of his wrist gauntlet activated, giving the arm a powerful spin.

"Hyper Captain...PUNCH!" Captain zoomed at Long Marasai at top speed. What happened next was inevitable, and to be expected.

BOOM!

Zakozakozakozako

Meanwhile, in another place…

"So…That's four they've rendered obsolete."

"_Rello…"_

"I will have to improve my designs, it seems…"

Zakozakozakozako

With the destruction of the three 'Titans' as Stonehenge claimed to be, Lozacks stopped appearing everywhere. While GunEagle and the GunChopper squad returned to the Base(they had to stop and help out GunPanzer, who had gotten stuck in a tree again, somehow) Chief Haro congratulated the Gundam Force for their work.

"You defended the base from an invading force, and prevented what might have been certain disaster. Job well done, men." Chief Haro said, saluting.

The GF saluted back.

"Thank you, Chief Haro, but no medals this time, okay?" Shute asked, giving everyone a good laugh.

"But y'know," Shute said, turning to face the rising sun, "I wonder if we'll have to deal with guys like them again."

"Don't worry, Shute." Captain said, walking up beside him, "No matter what happens, we'll be able to overcome it."

Shute smiled. "Yeah."


	16. Genki Energy Force 1

_The country of Ark was currently a peaceful place. The previous civil war had hurt the land to some extent, as certain battles literally punched holes into the landscape (these battles occurred after Kibaomaru joined the Dark Axis), while families(Like the Cobra Clan) were blown apart by the trials of the conflict. But now that the battles ended, the people were focusing on trying to rebuild their lives. Even after the fighting stopped, though, some were afraid that the peace was nothing more than the calm before a storm, similar how the Dark Axis attack followed the end of the Battle of Daishinsho. Luckily, even if a disaster occurred, a special peacekeeping taskforce had been established, with members who were ironically part of the 'losing side'(though in war, neither side wins- one side loses more than the other.). A strong, able-bodied group, whose members were determined to protect to protect the weak and innocent, the Genki Energy Force!_

Genki Energy Force Misadventures # 1

Clash of the Titans!

It was a peaceful, quiet day in the country of Ark

"Where are those blasted keys!?"

Peaceful, anyway.

In a grassy plain, with a small town in sight in the distance, sat the Genki Energy Force's monstrous Big Zam. There were actually a few dozen BZs used in the Civil War, but this was the one that still worked. Near it, Zapper Zaku, Grappler Gouf, Destroyer Dom, and the Zako Soldiers were up to something mighty odd. Each of them where handling sickles, and chopping away at the grass, storing the clippings in baskets hung on their backs.

"I can't believe you lost the keys," Grappler groused.

"I didn't lose them," Zapper retorted, "I didn't even have them! I don't know who lost them, but it wasn't me!"

Up on the Big Zam, resting under the tree that was growing out of the moss(yes, moss!), the rest of the Genki Energy Force, watched the going-ons below. The ones that _were_ watching, anyway.

"Ugh," Bakuhamaru glared at the Dark Axis robots with disdain, "Why do we rely on this piece of junk-" He stomped the hull of the Big Zam for good measure, "-and those idiots?"

"It can't be helped," Cobramaru said, lying down, eyes closed, but alert for trouble. "We all can't ride on Oshogo."

Cobramaru was speaking of Kibaomaru's horse-drawn chariot, something he left Genkimaru before he went to Lacroa.

Mokinmaru looked away, floating in the air. "Maybe their in that last town we went to," He suggested.

"Okay."

Genkimaru, sitting on Oshogo, got up and walked to the edge. Looking down on Zapper's gang, he yelled, "Hey! The others are gonna check the town!"

"Whatever!" Zapper yelled back. Genkimaru looked at the Kibao Horde and Cobramaru.

"Okay, guys, see if the keys are in the town!" Genkimaru ordered.

"What about you, Lord Genkimaru?" Haganemaru asked.

"I'm staying here to supervise." Genkimaru explained, acting all important-like. The older Musha Gundams exchanged looks.

"What?" Genkimaru asked, irritably, "I'm not a baby! I can take care of myself!" He began to wave his little dagger around. "I'm a brave warrior of Ark! I can handle anything that happens!" Unfortunately, Genki' lost his grip at that last moment and the dagger, which thankfully was still in its case, sailed over the edge. Its fall was subsequently followed by a bonk and Destroyer's cry of, "Ouch!"

Zakozakozakozako

Meanwhile, none of them realized they were being watched. Up on a hill not too far away was an odd pair, made up what looked like a human and robot of Dark Axis design, mono-eye and all.

The robot was purple, a dark shade in some places, mainly the middle parts, and a lighter shade in others. Its body was oddly shaped, with certain parts and boosters on its shoulders. The oddest thing about it was its head, as it was placed in the center of its chest, rather than on its head, as was customary. It resembled a transformer in some sense.

The human was small, maybe as small as a Zako Soldier, as well as female. She was yellow-ish skinned, and wore red and black Chinese clothes for little girl. Her dusty grey hair was tied into two buns.

The pair watched as the Kibao Horde and Cobramaru made their way toward the town, leaving Genkimaru and Zapper's Gang to themselves.

"The warriors are leaving, Loud," said the girl.

"Good," the robot, now known as Loud, said quietly, "Now we can talk to those older units with little interference."

"_If_ they have it," the girl said without care.

"'If'? Whaddya mean, 'If'?" Loud snarled, "They better have it, we checked everywhere else!"

"It might have been broken," the girl sniffed.

"I hope not, Shangri-Lah," Loud moaned, "Or we're both in trouble. Listen," He pointed in the direction of the town, "You keep the warriors busy, and I'll talk to those losers. They might just give it to me, and if they don't, well…" Loud stretched his arms, "What are they going to do?"

Zakozakozakozako

After the Kibao Horde and a grumbling Cobramaru left, Genkimaru and Zapper's gang were left on their own.

Destroyer Dom lifted his head. "What's dat?"

Zapper shot a look at the larger robot. "What? What's what?!"

"Me hear something!" Destroyer insisted.

Up on the Big Zam, Genkimaru raised an eyebrow and looked up. He heard something too, some sort of whistling noise…

WHAM! Loud landed in the midst of the Zako Soldiers, sending them flying in all directions!

"Whoa…" Genki' breathed as he stared at the newcomer from above.

Ignoring the Zakos cries of pain as the landed, Loud directed his attention to Zapper, Grappler, and Destroyer.

"Hi," he said, "My name's Loud Messala, and I wanna ask you guys something."

"What?" Zapper growled. He wasn't sure where to stare, the chest or the shoulders.

"I was sent to this dimension to retrieve a certain object, a disc, if you wanna be specific." Loud explained, "It's about the usual size, purple-ish in color. If you guys have it…hand it over."

"Well, we don't," Grappler snapped, more than a little annoyed at the newcomer. "So why don't pop back to wherever you came from before we get nasty."

"Yeah!" Destroyer added. Meanwhile, Zapper was staring at his feet.

"Well, I'd like to…but can't." Loud replied, trying to sound apologetic and not succeeding.

"What?!" Genkimaru cried, looking down.

"See, the guy who designed me also had a second mission, concerning you guys," Loud explained, "I gotta wipe alla you out."

"The guy who made you?!" Zapper asked quickly, "His name wouldn't be-!"

Before Zapper could finish, Loud punched him in the chest, sending him flying. Zapper hit the ground a few yards away, tumbling.

"Zapper!" Grappler cried. He whirled at Loud. "okay, buddy, now it's on!"

Both he and Destroyer rushed at Loud, fists raised. However, Loud calmly caught both of them, and after giving them a moment to realize this, through them, putting a bit more effort for Dom.

"Like Donkey Kong," Loud said evenly, "Whatever that means."

Zakozakozakozako

Meanwhile, the rest of the Genki Energy Force had finished searching the town and were meeting at the village square.

"We've searched the entire town twice, and still nothing." Bakuhamaru grumbled.

"Let's go back to the Big Zam," Kijumaru suggested.

Cobramaru wasn't really paying attention to the discussion. He couldn't help but feel as if something was wrong. His suspicions would be proven correct when Haganemaru looked up and said, "Hey… Doesn't the sky look pink?

At his words the other four looked up and confirmed this. The sky _was _pink.

"No, it's not." A voice said.

The Kibao Horde and Cobramaru whirled at the source of the voice. In plain site was Shangri-Lah.

"A human?" Bakuhamaru asked. She did look a bit like the two children Kibaomaru brought with him from the Dark Axis base, but something was off…

"What do you mean, it's not?" Cobramaru asked, eying her with suspicion.

"The sky isn't pink," explained Shangri-Lah, "The village is encased in a bubble of pink energy." She said those words as if that explained everything.

"Why?" Mokinmaru demanded, his eyes glinting dangerously.

"My partner is busy dismantling the obsolete units by the Big Zam," Explained Shangri-Lah. "He would like to do it with as little interference, so we have to keep you occupied."

_Obsolete units? She must mean those Dark Axis leftovers!_ Cobramaru thought. _Genkimaru's with them, he could get hurt!_

"And you think we'll just idly stand by!?" Bakuhamaru demanded.

"You don't' have a choice," Shangri-Lah said calmly, "This bubble can only be undone with my choosing or passing." She allowed herself a smile. "Not that any of you can defeat me."

"I'll be the judge of that," Haganemaru retorted, enclosing himself in his spikeball, "_Hagane Dai Ko Shin!_"

Spinning at high-speed, Haganemaru rolled at Shangri-Lah, who hadn't moved an inch. Instead, she merely raised her hand in the direction Hagane' was coming from. A pink bubble appeared, growing large enough to contain someone. This was proven when Haganemaru got stuck inside when he moved into it!

"Now, then," Shangri-Lah, moving her arm back. Swinging her arm forward, she sent the _still spinning_ Musha Gundam in a bubble back at his teammates! The bubble vanished, and there was nothing to stop what would happen next-!

CRASH!

Only Cobramaru was able to fully avoid the collision that occurred.

"Ooh…" Moaned Haganemaru, "What happened?"

"That witch turned your power against us." Kijumaru explained, dizzily getting up.

Shangri-Lah merely stared at them.

"Do you understand?" She asked, "It would be better if you just wait. I'm not interested in destroying you."

"Yes…I understand…" Bakuhamaru said, standing up. "I understand this battle will be fierce!"

Zakozakozakozako

Back at the Big Zam, Zapper's Gang wasn't doing any better, if not worse. Loud Messala proved to be stronger and faster and smarter than all of them. When the Zako Soldiers attempted to swamp him by sheer force of numbers (Not that the tactic ever worked), Loud jumped over them and blasted them with a beam shot from his wrist (Like Space Ghost, only without buttons). Grappler Gouf tried to take him in one-on-one combat, but after a few traded blows got roundhouse kicked away. Destroyer Dom charged at him, but Loud merely stepped aside, causing the simple-minded robot to crash into the pile of Zakos.

"He was right, you _are _no trouble." Said Loud, wiping his hands.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Loud suddenly felt several bullets drive into his back. Whirling around, he saw Zapper Zaku, his knuckles pointed at him, the gun barrels on his wrists smoking.

"Wanna bet?" Zapper snarled.

"That's it," Growled Loud, "I don't have to stand here and take this!"

Leaping high into the air, Loud Messala's configuration changed.

Folding his arms and legs together, Loud transformed from a robot into a spacey aircraft, similar to how the GunDivers would transform.

Genkimaru stared from his vantage point. "Whoa…"

Not stopping, Loud began to blast the Dark Axis robots from the safety of the sky, occasionally dive-bombing them. This strategy was effective as it had the mono-eyed ones running.

Zakozakozakozako

Back in the town, the Musha Gundams were having battle that was more time-consuming than painful. Any warrior that got too close to Shangri-Lah found themselves trapped in one of her bubbles and thrown away. Not that long range attacks worked any better, as Bakuhamaru found out.

"Bakuha…Segaki!" Bakuhamaru bunted four balls of purple energy at the girl. _Let's see her contain _that!

Unfortunately, she did. And an even bigger surprise was when the four balls of energy, after swirling around for a bit, merged into one big ball of power.

Bakuhamaru felt his eyes bug out. _What!? _Was he could think when the bubble- and energy- smashed into him, sending him flying.

Cobramaru watched from the safety of the shadows.

_The way those fools are telegraphing their movements, they might as well be fighting by a script, _he thought, _I have to get at her without her noticing… _He then spied Haganemaru. _Hmm…_

Meanwhile, Bakuhamaru, Mokinmaru and Kijumaru huddled.

"There must be a way through her defenses…" whispered Mokinmaru.

"Maybe if we attacked at the same time?" Suggested Kijumaru.

"I'm not so sure…" Bakuhamaru muttered. It was then he heard someone yell.

"Hagane Daikoshin!" All three of them saw that oh-so familiar spikeball fly at Shangri-Lah.

"Hagane-!" Was all Bakuhamaru could yell before Shangri-Lah encapsulated and threw the Musha Gundam at his allies.

WHAM!

"Haganemaru…why'd you-?" Kijumaru groaned as he stumbled over to the spikeball. But when the two halves fell over, it revealed- nothing!

Over where Shangri-Lah was, her eyes widened as she felt an immense amount of pain. Haganemaru and Cobramaru had both shoved swords in her at opposite angles, crossing in an 'x'.

"Phooey…Beaten, just like that? No fair…" She moaned as her body de-pixilated. Everyone stared in horrified amazement. 'But Loud should be done by now…" Was all she said before vanishing completely. Above her, the pink bubble covering the town vanished.

Zakozakozakozako

Meanwhile, Loud continued his relentless assault on Zapper's Gang. No matter where they ran, Loud would simply fly over and blast them. At one point Zapper got fed up with the routine and tried to jump on him. However, the minute he was in the air gave Loud a good target and simply got shot down.

"I gotta do something!" Genkimaru said to himself, and made one of his portals.

Loud was very surprised when he felt a pair of tiny feet land on him. Nonetheless, Genkimaru was now standing on his back, directly behind his face.

"Hey, what the! Get off me!" Yelled Loud irritably as he bucked and shook, trying to knock Genki' off.

GEnkimaru, however, stood his ground. "You've had your fun, now it's my turn!" He yelled, jumping into the air. "Feel the strength of the Genki Power Squad! Ark Kosu Omai Senpo!"

Swinging his knife down with great force, Genkimaru plowed the ax shaped-handle into Loud.

"EEE-YOW!" Shrieked Loud. He quickly landed, changed back to his humanoid form and grabbed Genkimaru. The Musha Gundam kid struggled in his grip.

"I'll teach you to-!" But before he could exact vengeance, Zapper charged into to him, spikes first!

Crash!

Genkimaru sailed from Loud's grip and landed near the Zako Soldiers.

"How d'ya like that!?" Zapper taunted as Grappler and Destroyer quickly got next to him.

"Okay, let's end this! Final Deadly Screaming Chaos Catastrophe!"

Grappler Gouf opened his missile-launcher arm…

Ports on Destroyer Dom's chest opened…

And Zapper Zaku's visor lowered to reveal the laser port on his forehead!

All three glowing with power, they unleash a devastating beam at Loud Messala! Before the beam connected, Loud had one thought…

_Hey…He never said you could do that…_

BA-VOOM!

When the dust cleared, Loud was gone. Not a speck of him was left, though if someone had been watching closely, they would have seen him de-pixilate. A few moments later, Cobramaru landed in front of Genkimaru.

"Are you all right, Lord Genkimaru?" Asked Cobramaru.

"Yeah, we're fine." Genkimaru replied, as the Kibao Horde on Oshogo rode onto the scene.

"Oh sure! Just dandy!" Growled grouchy Zapper, "And if you morons had showed up sooner, it coulda been better! What kept you!?"

After some arguing, name-calling, and a general amount of dispute, both sides exchanged stories.

"So that girl just vanished?" Genkimaru asked.

"That's right," Bakuhamaru answered, "Bit by bit."

"Do humans normally do that?" asked Cobramaru to Grappler.

"Not that I'm aware of," Grappler admitted.

"She had strange powers, maybe she was from Lacroa." Mokinmaru suggested, rubbing his eyes.

"Lacroa humans don't wear clothes like that, zako," One Zako Soldier piped up.

"Great!" Snarled Zapper sarcastically, "Not only do get jumped by a pair of weirdos from who-knows-where," He began to stomp around, "But no one found those darn keys?!"

"Hold it!" Genkimaru ordered suddenly. Zapper stopped in mid-stomp. Genkimaru walked over to Zapper's raised foot, and pulled out from an ignition key with a Zako keychain.

"Is this it?" Genkimaru asked. Zapper took it from him.

"Well, whaddya know…they were jammed in my treads the whole time…" Zapper said, painfully aware of the glares he was receiving from all directions.

Zakozakozakozako

As the Big Zam stomped its way through Ark, Zapper kept to himself.

_There's only one guy who could make a robot like him, _He thought, _But we got rid of him…right? And why would he want that weird disc, anyway?_


	17. Back again, ZakoZako Hour

"ZakoZako Hour!"

An iron curtain raised, showing three Zako Soldiers, holding differently colored and shaped microphones.

One mic was red and sphere-shaped.

Another was blue and cube-shaped.

And the last was yellow and pyramid-shaped.

"Welcome, ladies and gentlebots, to the ZakoZako Hour," Said Red Mic, "And what a pleasure it is to be back after all this time, zako."

"I'll say!" piped up Blue Mic, " up 'till now it was nothing but posers and pretenders! Zako!"

"Sixteen chapters into the story," Yellow Mic grumbled, "And _now_ we make our grand debut? It's just not fair, zako!"

"It was a long wait indeed, zako," Red Mic conceded, "But now we get to go on with our meeting, where we discuss…"

"_What the heck was that guy's deal?!_" All three announced. Some applause followed.

"Zako! What _was_ that guy's problem?" Red Mic asked, "He just jumped us for no reason, zako!"

"He said he was looking for some disc," Yellow Mic said, "But what does that have to do with us?"

"That's a good question," Blue Mic said, "Let me think about it…aha! He asked us about the disc because he couldn't find it himself!"

"That must be it!" Cheered Red Mic, "Good thinkning!"

An '?' appeared in Yellow Mic's eye. "But why was that guy looking for a disc anyway?"

The other two froze.

"We… don't know!" They wailed as they fell down a pit of their own despair.

"But, we'll find out!" All three announced, just before the curtain fell.

"Anyway, everyone, for the future of the Genki Power Squad…"

"Zako Soldiers, fight! YEAH!"


	18. Bakunetsumaru's Sensei

_The country of Ark… a land of traditions an honor and battle. Here, the robot citizens are not built, but born, and flesh-and-blood creatures exist only in mist. Here, the country of filled with a specia type of Gundam called Musha Gundam This is the place Bakunetsumaru calls home. And although it's peaceful now, you know a fight could brewing in a land of samurai…_

Bakunetsumaru's Sensei

Across the valleys and plains and fields, a lone horse and his rider could be seen galloping towards an unknown destination.

"Forward, Entengo! We're almost there!"

"Neeiiigghhh!"

As his faithful horse kept going, Bakunetsumaru thought to himself, 'I must take this break from the Gundam Force's new mission not as an excuse to grow lax, but to train myself!'

Entengo entered a forest, moving swiftly down a well-used path.

'These new enemies we keep encountering become ever stronger, so I too must grow stronger, even if it means going back to…_him_.'

Exiting the forest, Entengo went up a short mountain path before the ground became level again. After fifteen more minutes of riding, the two came before a large wooden wall, constructed by tall logs, similar to the ones that surrounded Britainmaru's camp during the civil war. Only these looked more sturdy, and older too…

"Well, here we are," Bakunetsumaru said, dismounting. He walked over to a pair of large doors. "I only hope…master isn't home!"

Bracing himself, Bakunetsumaru pushed the doors open.

Zakozakozakozako

Bakunetsumaru entered the old training center and looked around. Off to one side was the sparring rings, while to another side he could see the old obstacle course. Between the two, he could see the living quarters where the kitchen and bedrooms were.

"It feels like only yesterday…" Baku' sighed, letting himself get lost in nostalgia. As Entengo trotted up next to him, something occurred to Bakunetsumaru.

"Wait a minute… It's quiet. Too quiet."

He instantly tensed up, now wary. Like a rabbit sensing the eyes of a wolf on him, Bakunetsumaru stood still, but stayed light on his feet when ready to move. Suddenly, he heard a faint movement.

'There!' Bakunetumaru thought, whirling around. Unfortunately, he couldn't move fast enough-

WHAM!

-To avoid being tackled.

"_Ba-kun!_"

Bakunetsumaru wailed as he felt himself be plowed several yards away from where he was standing.

Bakunetsumaru's assailant was a slim, pretty, femal Musha Gundam, only an inch shorter than he. The light blue skirt she wore under her white gi stopped at her hips, showing off her legs, while covering the essentials. Her hair was blonde in color, and went down to her ankles, while a cap with cat ears topped off her head. She also wore blue shoulder pads.

"Where have you been? What have you been doing? Why haven't you wrote back?" She demanded, her knees planted firmly against Baku's chest as she glared at him.

"Hi, Genko," Baku groaned as he shoved her off.

Genko pouted slightly at being pushed away. But then brightened up when she saw-

"Entengo!" She cried happily and skipped over to the horse. Entengo whinnied as she petted his nose.

'Oh, sure, the horse gets a peaceful greeting.' Baku thought grumpily, 'Me, I get a shoulder dislocated.'

"So, whatcha doin' here?" Genko asked, looking away from Entengo to Bakunetsumaru.

"I have come here for training," Explained Bakunetsumaru simply. Genko smiled brightly.

"That's great! Master just back from a trip! C'mon!" Without missing a beat, Genko took off towards the house.

'Rats!' Bakunetsumaru thought as he trudged after her, 'Why couldn't he still be on that trip???"

Suddenly, a small tea cup flew out of the door with such force and speed that Bakunetsumaru didn't have time to duck before it bounced off his forehead. At the door stood a menacing figure. This Musha wore armor similar to Daishinsho, only less decorated and intricate. He didn't wear a helmet, and his hair was tied in a single topknot.

"So!" The Musha Gundam said, "You've returned. You left so long ago, and now you return. Have you grown lax that you need a refresher course!?"

Bakunetsumaru rubbed his head. "It is good to see you again…Master Haomaru."

Zakozakozakozako

After Haomaru had Genko make some tea(He sure as heck wasn't gonna do it!) the master and student got down to business. Or rather, Haomaru grilled Bakunetsumaru about his experiences in the civil war.

"So," Began Haomaru, "When I heard you had disappeared in a battle, I was quite shocked. I know you are not one to flee or give up."

_ZakozakoFlashbackzakozako_

_Haomaru tried to pull a young Bakunetsumaru away from the obstacle course. "Just give it up!"_

"_No!" Protested young Baku', "I can do it! Just let me try again!"_

"_Don't be foolish" Snarled the master, "You're too hurt from your last attempt, how can you do it now?!"_

"_I can do it better than you, old man!" Baku' shot back._

"_WHAT WAS THAT?!" Haomaru boomed._

_In the distance, a young Genko giggled_

_ZakozakoEnd Flashbackzakozako_

Bakunetsumaru chuckled uneasily, "You know me."

"And a month later," continued Haomaru, "You just as mysterious reappear, with strange new allies, to fight in the war's final battle." He fixed Bakunetsumaru with a raised eyebrow, "At least, that's what the rumor mill says. So tell me, _what really happened?_"

And so, Bakunetsumaru, knowing full well that his master wouldn't let up easily, told him. He told how he was plucked from that faithful battle to Neotopia by Bell Wood's dimensional transport device. He told him how he joined the SDG's Gundam Force. Also described the humans he met in Neotopia.

Genko was particularly interested in the humans.

"And their skin wasn't _hard_?" She asked at one point, astounded, "_Weird!_"

Then of course, he got to his faithful duel with Ashuramaru.

"So that's what happened to Kujakumaru," said Haomaru, "I heard he had joined Kibaomaru's army, yet the abilities I heard about were nothing like Kujakumaru's style."

"He joined Kibaomaru because he wanted a chance to defeat me in battle." Explained Bakunetsumaru, "Because I did not finish him off in our battle…"

Haomaru said nothing.

"Master…was I right not to finish Kujakumaru there and then?" Bakunetsumaru asked plaintively.

"That depends," Haomaru said, "Why did you let him live?"

"I…I didn't feel proud of my victory," Baku' said after a moment of thought. "I felt that I should let him live because I did seek to fight him that day. I had no feeling in that battle."

"Why were you guys fighting?" Asked Genko, "You were great friends!"

_ZakozakoFlashbackzakozako_

_A young Kujakumaru and Bakunetsumaru spared with each other using bamboo poles. Master Haomaru was very adamant at making sure they did not use sharp weapons until he felt they were ready. In fact, he kept every sword, spear, and any other weapon under lock and key, and hid the key in his underwear drawer, someplace no one dared to go._

_Still, under the right(or wrong) circumstances, a staff could be just as dangerous as a blade. At one point, Bakunetsumaru lost his balance and was unable to defend himself for a single second. During this one second Kujakumaru delivered a sweeping blow, knocking Baku' off his feet. This, in turn, caused the young Musha Gundam to tumble into a stand of potted plants. This, naturally, had Bakunetsumaru painfully lying in a pile of dirt and broken ceramic._

_Kujakumaru's eyes widened. "Bakunetsumaru!" he helped his friend up. "Are you all right?!"_

_Bakunetsumaru groaned, "We should've planted these things when Master told us to,"_

_ZakozakoEnd Flashbackzakozako_

"That is a good question," Haomaru commented, "why were you fighting?"

Bakunetsumaru unsheathed one of his swords and held it up, the light reflecting off its side. As he gazed at it, he said, "He tried to take this from me," Baku' looked away from it to Haomaru, "The Sacred Sword you gave me."

Haomaru held out his hand, and Bakunetsumaru pressed the sword's hilt into it. Holding it up, Haomaru studied the blade.

"It's been broken once," He said, shortly, "But reforged with the original metal."

"Ashuramaru broke it in our first duel," Bakunetsumaru explained, "After the second duel, the Dai-Shogun of Perfect Virtue repaired it."

'There is no Dai-Shogun in Ark,' Thought Haomaru, but he did not say that. Instead, he handed Bakunetsumaru the sword back. "Continue." He said.

And so Bakunetsumaru told of Dai-Shogun's gift, the toothpick, and the role it played in the creation of the White BaguBagu. He continued onto his journey back to this dimension, and the detours in the Minov Sea and Lacroa before coming home to defeat Kibaomaru and aid in the destruction of General Zeong.

"And no sooner does the conflict end do you leave to find new troubles," Haomaru muttered.

Bakunetsumaru straightened up immediately. "Master! It was not my intention to seek out new conflict! I only wanted to help other worlds that suffered at the hands of the Dark Axis!"

Baku' instantly realized he talked back to his Master and prepared for his punishment.

"Don't interrupt when someone is talking!" Haomaru snapped, throwing his tea cup at Baku. It bounced off his forehead. "But, I'm pleased you are taking the mature approach for once." He finished, calm again. "So what brings you to my doorstep?"

"Master, in my journeys I have been encountering stronger and stronger foes," Bakunetsumaru explained, "If I am to aid the Gundam Force, I too must grow stronger! Please, train me again!"

Haomaru said nothing for a moment, then said, "Bakunetsumaru. I let you leave this place because I have nothing left to teach you." Haomaru turned away. "You are no longer my student."

Dejected, and knowing full well not to argue, Bakunetsumaru slumped out. Pouting, Genko followed.

Zakozakozakozako

'It was a good idea in retrospect," Baku' thought sullenly. He was actually quite disappointed. After he left the training center had become a wandering ronin, a samurai without a master. Then the war and Dark Axis came, Baku' found a path to follow, a place to be. The idea of home life with a family did not occur to him until his appearance in Neotopia, where Shute's mother and father graciously allowed him a place in their house.

'I guess I'll pal around Genkimaru's group for a bit,' Bakunetsumaru was so into his thoughts that he didn't hear Genko coming- until it was too late.

"Ba-kun!"

Whump!

Bakunetsumaru tasted the ground as Genko tackled him from behind.

"Where do ya think you're going?" Genko asked, acting as if she hadn't attacked him as she usually did.

"I'm leaving," answered Bakunetsumaru, shoving her off as he got up.

"Why?" Genko asked innocently.

"You heard him!" Baku' snapped, "He doesn't want me here!"

"That's not what I heard," Genko replied earnestly.

"What? You heard him!" Bakunetsumaru didn't know what she was getting at.

Genko sighed. Ba-kun could be really thick sometimes. "Ba-kun, Master said you're not his student anymore." She explained, "That means you can talk to him like an _equal_." She cocked her head. "Get it?"

Bakunetsumaru stood there for a moment. Then, without a word, turned and marched into the house.

Genko looked at Entengo who had trotted up. "I think he got it."

Zakozakozakozako

Haomaru wasn't too surprised when he saw Bakunetsumaru at the doorway. In fact, he expected Baku' to return.

"Master!" Bakunetsumaru said at once, "Please, let me live here until Neotopia calls for me! I'm not asking you to train me…but please, let me stay!"

Haomaru took a long look into his old student's eyes before sighing. "All right, okay. You can stay."

Eyes filled with happiness, Bakunetsumaru bowed, "Thank you, sir! I'll never forget your kindness-!" he was cut off by another tea cup flying against his noggin.

"Would you be quiet for once!?"

Outside, Genko gave Entengo a thumb's up. Things were going to be a bit more interesting…

Zakozakozakozako

(A/N: Special thanks to Talec who gave me the name of Bakunetsumaru's teacher. The name came from the SD Gundam Force Gaiden manga sold in Japan)


	19. Revenge of the ZakoZako Hour

ZakoZako Hour!

The iron curtain opened, showing our favorite Zako Soldier trio.

"Welcome, ladies and gentlebots, to the ZakoZako Hour," Said Red Mic, bowing, as did the others, "Today's meeting is all about, right, now here we go-!"

"_Who is Bakunetsumaru's teacher!?_" All three chimed in.

"Zako zako!" Said Red Mic, "In the previous chapter, one of the biggest questions of the series was answered!"

"Who made the General along with the rest of the Dark Axis?" asked Blue Mic.

"No!" replied Red Mic.

"Whatever happened to Lord T's Griffen?" asked Yellow Mic.

"No!" Snapped Red Mic, irritated.

Blue Mic and Yellow Mic exchanged looks. "Well, you've got us stumped!" They declared.

"I meant, _who was Bakunetsumaru's teacher! _Remember!?" Yelled Red Mic. He then pointed to the screen, which showed a screencap of Haomaru. "This guy!"

The other two glanced at the screen. "Hey! He looks mean!"

"That is Bakunetsumaru's master," Explained Red Mic, "Haomaru!"

"If this guy is Bakunetsumaru's teacher," Yellow Mic thought aloud, a '?' in his eye, "Does that mean he taught him the Tenkyo-Ken?"

"I can answer that one!" Blue Mic said suddenly, "When I asked Baku who taught him how to Tenkyo-Ken, he told me he made up the move himself."

"He did???" Red and Yellow Mics cried.

"Zako!" Affirmed Blue Mic, "It seems Haomaru refused to teach him any special techniques, and told him to invent something of his own."

"What a strict mentor," Commented Red Mic.

"Zako." Put in Yellow Mic.

"But what about..." Blue Mic pointed at the screen, "Her, zako!"

The screen showed a screencap of Genko.

"Zako! It's that tackle-girl, zako!" Red Mic cried.

"Her name is Genko," Explained Blue Mic, "And she's always been seen at Haomaru's training estate." A '?' appeared in his eye, "But why is she there?"

"Maybe she's training under Haomaru the way Baku trained under him!" declared Red Mic, to which Blue Mic replied, "That must be it!"

"You mean she's training like Baknetsumaru and Kujakumaru?" Asked Yellow Mic.

"I don't Kujakumaru trained Haomaru, zako," Red Mic put in, "I head Kujakumaru was from a rival school but became friends with Bakunetsumaru."

"They rivals from the start?" Blue Mic asked, "That's ironic."

"Yes, because Kujakumaru became Ashuramaru, and joined Kibaomaru and the Dark Axis by extension, becoming Baku's sworn enemy!" Yellow Mic.

"WHO CARES!?" Boomed Zapper Zaku, his face appearing on the screen(live footage!). "Would you morons knock it off and pipe down already! Sheesh!"

The Zakos went stir crazy for a few moments before the iron curtain fell.

"Anyway, everyone, for the future of the Genki Power Squad,

"ZAKO SOLDIERS FIGHT! YEAH!"


	20. A New Mission and the Zakos

_Welcome, to Neotopia, city of the future. Here, nature and technology have been integrated into a perfect balance. The result? Paradise. A while back, our home was attacked by an evil force from another dimension, the Dark Axis. Their evil was only repelled by the Gundam Force, a team made up of special robots and a boy named Shute.(that's me!) Now, it's time to go to the other dimensions and help other worlds that weren't so luck! Let's go!_

A New Mission and the Zako Soldiers

The Dimensional Transport Device was stationed at Lab C of the Super Dimensional Guard. It was set up for the occasion when the SDG would have to stop playing defense in the Dark Axis conflict and actually launch an attack on them. However, transport between different universes was much easier said than done, and seeing as they were no natural tears in the fragile fabric of space time, that meant having to start from scratch.

Luckily, the SDG managed to gain the help of a young prodigy who was agreed to stick his head in for laughs more than anything, and quickly rose to the head of the project.

And now, after five years of trial, error, many complications, and some amount of banging a head against the wall, Dr. Bell Wood finally felt as if his machine was finally making some semblance of progress.

"Hey! Bell Wood!"

The young scientist turned to see Shute running up from a recently landed gunperry. Soon Shute was right up next to him, catching his breath from running so hard.

"So you finally got it fixed?" Shute asked at last.

"You know it!" Bell Wood laughed, pumping his arms into the air. "I never thought I'd get this thing working! Not after what that samurai did!"

The Dimensional Transport Device(Now referred to as DTD) was originally destroyed after a battle between the excitable Bakunetsumaru and the just as excitable Destroyer Dom in the early stages of the SDG's conflict with the Dark Axis.

"So, how'd you fixed it?" Shute asked.

"Well, for one thing, the Zakrello Gate really helped," Explained Bell Wood.

Shute looked confused. "But we don't have the Gate…" After the full invasion of Neotopia, the SDG managed to capture the Zakrello Gate and use it to send the Gundam Force into the dimension were the Dark Axis were based. But after the destruction of General Zeong, the DA's leader, the Gate decided to go home…wherever that was.

"I know," Wood continued, "but when we had it, I was able to study it and figure out how it works. Plus, I found a list of dimensional coordinates. Also," Bell Wood grinned, "Those discs we found had some info on the Gate itself, so that really sped things up."

Shute looked really excited. "So we're going to have our own Zakrello Gate, right?"

Bell Wood shook his head, "Not right."

"Not right?"

"Right! See, the Gate was made of materials that can't be found on Earth," Bell Wood explained, "I was able to examine the tech', but I won't be able to make another Gate like it. But," Bell Wood finished, noticing Shute's disappointment, "I'll be able to send you guys to your next mission."

Shute looked up. "Hey, where _are_ the others? I thought they'd be here."

"Well, Captain's getting' somethin' for your trip, as for the others…" Bell Wood trailed off as he looked into the distance. "I think I see someone coming now!"

Shute looked to were Bell Wood was looking. In the distance he could see a figure riding horseback…

Zakozakozakozako

"Hurry, Entengo! The others must be waiting for us!" Bakunetsumaru yelled, as he rode his faithful steed across the sand. Genkimaru's portal had dropped him farther from the DTD than he expected. Luckily, the Device was now in sight.

"Forward, Entengo!"

Zakozakozakozako

"How do you suppose he got out there?" Shute asked, shielding his eyes from the sun as he looked.

"Probably got lost." Bell Wood replied in an offhand manner.

"Who got lost?" A dainty voice asked from behind.

The two boys turned around and were greeted wit the sight of Zero the Princess Rele.

Shute smiled broadly, "Hey! Glad you could make it!"

"I wouldn't miss seeing you for my kingdom," Rele said, as she and Shute began to make conversation.

"She almost did," Zero confided in Bell Wood, "The Princess' royal father was not willing to let her majesty go on another mission after heard about the last one."

"Dear old dad tried to put his foot down, huh?" Bell Wood asked, glancing at the princess.

"Luckily, _I_ was able to assure him that her royal highness would be safe on my watch." Zero concluded, sounding somewhat pompous. Meanwhile, Rele was telling Shute the same thing.

"So, your dad didn't want you to come with us?" Shute asked, hands behind his head.

"Yes," Rele said with a sigh, "But thankfully I was able to show him I am capable of protecting myself."

Suddenly, the sound of large thrusters filled their ears. Looking up, they, and Bakunetsumaru on Entengo, all looked up and saw a large ship armed with ball cannons and capped with a gundam head. On a balcony on the head they could see Captain waving.

"The Gundamusai!" Shute cried.

"It's been re-commissioned for your mission," Explained Bell Wood, "Captain was sent to bring it here."

Meanwhile, three Zako Soldiers poked their heads out from behind one of the towers around the site, one on top of the other in Scooby-Doo fashion.

"Look, there's the Gundamusai, zako!" The first Zako said.

"Zako, now we can get our weapons out from it!" the second one continued.

"And use the Dimensional Transport Device to get back to Ark, zako!" the third one finished. All three ducked behind the tower.

"Zako!"

Zakozakozakozako

"Gundam Force members, you have been called here to take part in the next mission of the SDG's efforts to restore worlds that have suffered at the hands of the Dark Axis," Chief Haro said, saluting. The assembled Gundam Force returned the salute. No one noticed the baker's dozen worth of small green figures scurrying towards the Gundamusai.

"And as part of your efforts will include depetrification, we have prepared this,"

A SDG GM marched forward holding a familiar object.

Shute's eyebrow went up, "Hey, that's a BaguBagu dispenser!"

"That's correct!" Kao Lyn yelled, leaping out of nowhere, "But we filled this one with White BaguBagu! since one alone didn't work in Lacroa, it's painfully obvious you'll need more than one!"

Shute took the dispenser from the GM. "Cool."

"Chief Haro," Captain said, "When will the portal be ready?"

"Just as soon as you guys get aboard," Bell Wood replied.

Zakozakozakozako

In the hold, the Zako Soldiers were hard at work, trying to retrieve their weapons from where Zapper Zaku had dumped them.

"Let's just grab what we can, zako," One Zako said, "We can get the rest later."

Zakozakozako

In the bridge, nothing had been changed except for one thing. The row of seats behind Shute and Captain's had been changed from two to three. After the Gundam Force had been seated, Captain contacted Bell Wood.

"We are prepared to depart, Dr. Bell Wood."

At his console, Bell Wood was already punching in commands.

Zakozakozakozako

In the hold, the Zako soldiers had made a discovery.

"Hey, look! It's Lord Destroyer Dom's Gallop!" It took a good five Zakos to lug the weapon storage trailer out. "We can stuff whatever we can't carry in this!"

"Good idea, zako!" another applauded.

Zakozakozakozako

Outside, as the DTD swung into action, a large, indescribable swirling yellow/purple vortex crackled into existence.

"There it is!" Shute yelled, "Everybody ready?"

"Yeah!" Zero, Baku', and Rele cheered.

Captain pointed. "Gundamusai, forward!"

On his command, the ship blasted itself towards the vortex.

Zakozakozakozako

In the hold, the Zakos became aware of the craft's sudden movement.

"Hey, what's going?" One Zako asked, clutching one of Destroyer's bazookas. "Aah!" He suddenly fell over…

Zakozakozakozako

Outside, the Gundamusai makes contact with the vortex, creating a glorious flash of light.

"Ahh!" Chief Haro cried, his ears flipping up.

In an instant, they were gone.

"That went well," Bell Wood, leaning back. "Usually something goes wrong."

Zakozakozakozako

In the hold, the Zakos could only watch in horror as the bazooka the fallen Zako was carrying went off with a loud 'Boom!' The fired shot subsequently became one with the right engine in a less than appropriate manner.

Zakozakozakozako

In the bridge, the Gundam got their first look at the new dimension. It may have been expected, but the site of a wrecked city was still a jarring one. Windows were broken, walls had been torn down, the streets were pocketed with craters, petrified people could be seen, and the skies they flew through were a dark grey.

"How awful…" Rele breathed.

Suddenly, the Gundamusai shook.

"What the?!" Bakunetsumaru yelled as he clung to his seat.

"Captain!" RAIMI spoke out, "The right engine has been damaged!"

"What?!" Captain cried.

A screen lit up, showing the hold in chaos. The Zakos were running around frantically, and black smoke could be seen billowing.

"The Zakos!" Zero yelled.

"How did they get there!?" Bakunetsumaru asked.

Before an answer could be thought of, the Gundamusai began to tilt and swerve.

"At this rate the Gundamusai will be unable to maintain its altitude," RAIMI announced.

"Then land!" Shute yelled, "But not here!"

"Roger," RAIMI complied.

The Gundamusai began to level out as best it could as it careened closer and closer to the ground. Eventually its flight path took it outside the city, in a field that, though stone at first, began to look less stone grey, though it was obvious the grass was dying. With a crumbling crash, the Gundamusai skidded to halt on the has-been-better landscape.

In the bridge, Princess Rele dispelled the magical bubble she was using to protect herself. "Is everyone all right?" She asked, looking around.

While Captain remained at his seat, the other boys had been clearly thrown around. At the moment, Shute was painfully sandwiched between Zero and Bakunetsumaru.

"Just dandy," Shute groaned.


	21. And another ZakoZako Hour

ZakoZako Hour!

The iron curtain came up, showing the three Zako Soldiers, standing in front of the screen, holding their microphones.

"Hello, everyone," Began Red Mic Zako, "And welcome to the ZakoZako Hour! Today's meeting is all about,"

The other two chimed in with him, "_What the heck are we doing aboard the Gundamusai, zako!?_"

They were met with a smattering amount of applause.

"Zako!"

"I know what we were doing here, zako!" Yellow Mic said, waving his hand in the air.

"What, zako?" the other two asked.

"We were getting the weapons Lord Zapper Zaku hid here during the Gundamusai's madein voyage, zako!" Yellow Mic declared triumphantly.

"Oooh!"

"Wait," Blue Mic asked, a '?' appearing in his eye, "When did Lord Zaku hide weapons here?"

"Hmm," Yellow Mic scratched his head, "Good question."

Red and Blue Mic glared. They were about to inflict bodily harm on Yellow Mic when Red stopped Blue. "Hey, wait, I remember!"

"You do?" asked Blue and Yellow Mic.

"Yes, zako, it's coming back to me. Screen please, zako."As Red Mic talked, the screen began to show the things he describing. "When Lord Genkimaru offered us weapons for our first attempted mutiny, Lord Zapper Zaku dumped them, pretending to be loyal to the SDG as revenge against the General, remember?"

"Do we ever," replied the other two, sweatdopping.

"It turns out Lord Zapper wasn't _really _throwing them out," continued Red Mic, "He was only stashing them away for safekeeping, knowing he could get them later, being the ship's janitor, zako."

"That explains how he was able to give us such great directions to the stash, zako," Commented Blue Mic.

"And it's a good thing Bakunetsumaru's friend held him up, allowing us to sneak through Genkimaru's portal, zako." Added Yellow Mic.

_Zakozakoflashbackzakozako_

_The setting is Ark. Genko is cling onto Bakunetsumaru, crying a river. Entengo Genkimaru, and Cobramaru are sweatdropping. One of Genkimaru portals is seen in the background. To the side, Zapper Zaku is handing the ZZH hosts what looks like a hastily and poorly drawn treasure map.._

_ZakozakoEnd Flashbackzakozako_

"Yep, a good thing indeed, zako." Said Red Mic, and soon all three started laughing merrily.

Then the iron curtain fell.

"Ahh! Uh, anyway, everyone, for the future of the ZakoZako Gang…"

"Zako Soldiers fight! YEAH!"


	22. Planet of the BaguBagu

_Shute here! Last time, The Gundam Force started its new mission with a bang- literally! While we entered the next dimension in our flagship, the Gundamusai, the Zako Soldiers were trying to take their confiscated weapons from where they were being held. But in doing so, they ended up damaging our engines! Now we're stuck in a totally different world with no way to travel!_

Planet of the BaguBagu

A lone figure, riding a motocycle, drove across a partially petrified landscape. Suddenly, there was a flash, and a large, familiar-looking ship flew by, before landing abruptly further away.

Confused and intrigued, the motorcyclist decided to investigate.

Zakozakozakozako

On the deck of the Gundamusai, Captain Gundam and Zero the Wing Knight surveyed the ruined landscape. Though not every organic thing had been petrified, whatever was left seemed to be dying, as if it lost its will to live.

"The petrification seems to lessen the further away from the city we are." Captain noted, scanning the area.

"Maybe," Zero said, gazing at the stony land with a heavy heart, "But that does not lessen the injustices done to this land."

Zakozakozakozako

A short distance away, the cyclist's eyes widened when upon getting a good look at Captain and Zero.

'So, they're back,' the cyclist thought, bringing out what looked like a hi-tech gun with a crank on its side.

Zakozakozakozako

Inside the Gundamusai, Shute and Princess Rele were reporting to Chief Haro over dimensional communication.

"I see," Chief Haro said, Entengo looking over his shoulder, "So the Zako Soldiers snuck aboard. What did they want?"

"Bakunetsumaru is talking to them right now," explained Rele.

Zakozakozakozako

In the Gundamusai's hold, things were a bit more active as Bakunetsumaru performed a heated interrogation.

"What did you think you were doing?!" The temperamental Musha Gundam yelled, glaring at the Zakos. They sweatdropped.

"We just wanted our weapons back, zako." The one at the front of the group muttered, looking at the floor.

"And you think that excuses your actions!?" Bakunetsumaru now had a vein visible. "You board our ship without permission, try to steal items that no longer belong to you, and to top it all off, you sabotaged our engines!"

"That last one was an accident," Another Zako pointed out.

"That doesn't matter! There is only one way for you to repent, Zakos!" Bakunetsumaru turned away and pointed. The zakos shook from fear. "Clean up this mess!"

Dutifully, the Zakos grabbed squeegees and got to work.

Zakozakozakozako

Outside, Captain turned to Zero.

"We should begin the de-petrification process," He said, "Do you have the dispenser?"

"Uh," Zero looked around, "No. I thought you did."

"It must still be inside," Captain theorized, "We should-"

That was as far as Captain got, as he was caught off by a loud BANG!

The two gundams jumped aside to avoid the bolt of plasma that flew by. They looked to see who or what had fired.

The antagonist was a slim figure wearing a black jumpsuit (like race car drivers wear), with white boots and gloves. They couldn't tell what gender the attacker was, as he or she was wearing a helmet with the visor down. In one hand the zip suit held a strange gun, and a wispy trail of smoke was wafting out of the barrel.

"I don't why you monsters came back," the attacker said(once again, they couldn't figure out what gender, as the helmet disguised the voice), "But I won't let you have such an easy time!"

The figure pointed the gun and pulled the trigger.

BANG!

Zakozakozakozako

Shute looked at Rele. "Did you hear that?"

Before the princess could answer, Shute dashed to the elevator. She followed.

On the balcony, the two got a good look at the going-ons below.

"Who is that?!" Rele asked, wide-eyed.

"Beats me, but that guy's attacking Captain and Zero! We gotta do something!" Shute yelled, activating the boosters on his SDG backpack.

Down on the deck, Captain and Zero were having trouble fighting back. For one thing, their attacker was firing so much there was no time to counterattack. Second, they didn't really want to hurt their antagonizer.

"I won't let your Dark Axis have its way again!" the figure yelled.

"He thinks we're members of the Dark Axis?" Zero cried, jumping aside from a plasma bolt, "Why?!"

"I'd like to ask him that, but he doesn't appear to be interested in dialogue at the moment!" Captain answered, trying to aim his wrist gauntlet at the attacker's gun. 'If I could just get a clear shot…'

Suddenly, all three of them heard a yell. Looking up, the saw Shute jumping down towards them, using his boosters to control his descent.

'What!' thought the attacker, 'Where'd that kid come from?!'

Then, without warning the figure fell face-forward, revealing Bakunetsumaru with a hand on the hilt of a sword.

"He was so concerned with what was in front of him," Baku' said, "That he left his back wide open."

Rele came over worried. "Is everyone-?"

"We're fine," Captain answered.

"And he should be too," Baku' said, "I only struck with the back of my blade."

Shute stared at the fallen figure. "I wonder who he is?"

"Let's get him inside," Captain ordered.

Zakozakozakozako

Meanwhile, two men were inspecting the attacker's bike. One was tall and skinny while the other was short and chubby.

"Here's the bike," Said the short man, "But where's-?"

"Hey!" the tall man pointed, "Look there!"

Shorty looked to where Tallman was pointing, and saw what he was seeing- The Gundam Force carrying their attacker into the Gundamusai.

"C'mon," Said Tallman, indicating the white ship.

"I dunno," Said Shorty, "They look like trouble to me."

"'Trouble' is what we'll be in if we hafta tell Cueball we lost another weapon to that troublemaker," Snarled Tallman, "C'mon!"

Zakozakozako

Inside the Gundamusai's bridge, the Zero and Bakunetsumaru laid out there attacker on the plateform under the dimensional com'.

Gingerly, Captain took off the attacker's helmet.

Rele gave a slight gasp.

"He's a girl!" Shute cried.

Actually, woman would have been a better term. Though she was, in some sense, attractive, her face seemed worn by what looked like years struggle. No wrinkles though. She had a odd birthmark under her left eye shaped like a droplet. Her hairstyle was quite different, as on one side had it straight down, while the other side was shaved into a buzz cut, giving the impression of a half of two styles put together.

She then opened her eyes, very slowly. Then she got a good look at all the faces staring at her.

Gasping, she leapt from the platform and backed up against a wall.

"Calm down," Rele said, "We're not your enemies, we're here to help,"

"That's a laugh," She said scornfully, "Since when did the Dark Axis care about the homes they destroyed!?"

"That is because we are not the Dark Axis," Captain said evenly, "We are the Gundam Force."

The woman stared. "…What?" She said at last.

"When the Dark Axis invaded our dimension, we were able to fight back and defend ourselves," Explained Captain. Behind him, the screen showed the events he was describing. "Afterwards, we journeyed into the dimension they were based in and defeat them completely." This last part was visually displayed by the scene of the Dark Axis base being vaporized.

The woman stared again. She looked all around at the bridge. "…Okay, let's say I believe you, you're not the Dark Axis." She said at last, "What are you doing here?"

Poof!

The woman was taken aback when Zero kneeled before her, a Princess Rose summoned to his hand.

"Milady, I understand you distrust, but I assure you, we are not villains of any sort," he said, in that flowery tone he used on the ladies, "We of the Gundam Force are on a mission of mercy, restoring worlds ruined by the Dark Axis war machine."

The woman didn't say anything, she merely looked a little dumbstruck.

Shute decided to take the initiative and introduced himself. "My name's Shute!" He said, holding out his hand, "What's yours?"

"…Kylie Conner," She said after a moment, shaking Shute's hand.

"Captain Gundam," Captain introduced himself, saluting.

"I am Zero, the Winged Knight," proclaimed the Knight Gundam, making his rose vanish with a snap.

"My name is Bakunetsumaru!" The samurai declared.

"I am the princess of Lacroa, Relehimana Miya De Lacroa," Said Rele grandly.

"Nice to meet you," Kylie replied. "You said something about restoring?"

Shute grinned. "C'mon and watch."

Zakozakozakozako

Outside, the Gundam Force got down from the deck and onto the terra firma. In his hands, Shute held the White BaguBagu dispenser.

"Okay, here we go!" Shute yelled, and squeezed the trigger.

From the dispenser's funnel out came White BaguBagu. Unlike the regular BaguBagu, whose swarms resembled dark, dirty smog, the White BaguBagu looked like bright, clean sparkles. One by one, each injected the reversal to the petrification in each stone plant and animal. The air became cleaner, and the ground became softer.

Kylie stood flabbergasted at the sudden change of the atmosphere. Not too far away, Shorty and Tallman were just as amazed when the tree they were hiding behind went from stone to wood.

"This is unbelievable!" cried Shorty.

"Yeah," said Tallman, "We gotta tell Cueball!"

The two ran off.

Back with the group, Captain decided to ask Kylie something.

"Ms. Conner," he began.

"Kylie," interjected Kylie.

"Kylie," he said again, "I've noticed that the petrification is worse the closer to the city. Why is that?"

Kylie sighed, and instantly the Gundam Force knew she was about to bring up painful memories. Sure enough…

"Let me tell you about what's with this planet…"

_ZakozakoFlashbackzakozako_

"_The Dark Axis began their attack by opening a portal to their world in the middle of one of our major cities. The city you guys appeared in, in fact._

_They were relentless. Their weapons were too advanced, and their BaguBagu turned so many people to stone that the millions of people were cut down to a few hundred. They mostly concentrated their attacks on the cities, going after areas that had the most advanced tech'._

_We tried to fight back, and by the time they left, we thought we won. But the reality was worse. They left because they decided our world wasn't worth attacking! They already took a good portion of our minerals, and probably got fed up with the fighting. And since all the cities were no longer good to live in, all the survivors retreated to the untouched areas. But with leftover BaguBagu turning what's left into stone, I don't know how long we can live like this…"_

_ZakozakoEnd flashbackzakozako_

Kylie sighed. "Then there's these gangsters fighting trying to take over everything that's left over." She rubbed her head. "It's a nightmare…"

Kylie's story had everyone looking sad. Baku' and Rele were close to tears.

"But…" Everyone turned to Shute. "That's changning, right? Once we unpetrify everything, your world will get better!"

Kylie stared at Shute for a moment before smiling. "You're a good kid, you know that?"

Zakozakozakozako

Meanwhile, Shorty and Tallman were talking to someone who was definitely not good. They were at what looked like a motorcycle and sidecar with one crucial difference. On the back was a large mechanism that looked like a large magnet. Tallman was busy working a CB radio while Shorty watched.

"H-hello, boss?" Tallman said into the radio, "This is Shorty and Tallman, uh, 'member us?" (Yes, folks, that is their names!)

"Yes, I remember you," Came a distorted voice out of the radio, "I hope you're calling because you've retrieved the prototype gun and taken care of that Conner girl."

"Uh, no."

"NO?!"

"We found an unpetrifyer!" Yelled Shorty anxiously, cutting their leader off before a rant could ensue.

"What?"

Grateful that the boss had calmed down(for now), Shorty and Tallman explained what they saw.

"Fantastic! Bring that gun to the base at once!"

"But we don't got it," interjected Shorty, receiving a good bonk on the head from Tallman.

"Then get it!" the boss's voice snapped, "Cueball out."

Zakozakozakozako

Back at the Gundamusai, plans were being made.

"It will be some time before RAIMI has fixed the engines," Captain said, getting into his role as leader, "But until they are fixed, we should chart out are flight plan." He turned to Kylie, "Kylie, will you help?"

Kylie, who'd been inexplicably excepted as a member of the team, nodded. "Sure, what do you need?"

"The locations of the cities you mentioned," Captain said, "It would be more time efficient to disperse White BaguBagu where the petrification is most severe."

That was all said, as the going-ons were interrupted by a loud 'POW'! A can landed in the middle of the group and began to pour out smoke. There was roar of engines and the sound of wheels grinding. Amidst the yelling and noise, Shute heard a weird noise like an electric pulse. He then felt the White BaguBagu dispenser being pulled out of his hands!

"What the-?!" Shute cried as he felt himselft being pulled up with it! He then felt pinned against something metal with the dispenser and a large weight pressed against him. Then he felt whatever stuck against move along the sound of the engines and wheels. As he moved out of the smoke, he saw that he was stuck against some machine on a motorcycle, with Captain pinned against him, the dispenser sandwiched between the two of them!

"What's going on?!" Shute yelled.

"We're being abducted!" Captain yelled back, his voice sounding somewhat distorted.

In the driver's seat and sidecar, Shorty and Tallman hi-fived.


	23. Without preamble, ZakoZako hour

ZakoZako Hour!

The iron curtain rolled up, revealing the three ZakoZako Hour hosts.

"Hello, everyone!" said Red Mic Zako, "And welcome to the ZakoZako Hour! Today's meeting is all about-!"

"Our miserable existence," interjected Blue Mic.

"Huh?!" Red Mic and Yellow Mic exchanged looks.

"That Bakunetsumaru's so cruel," sniffed Blue Mic, "Forcing us to become the Gundamusai janitors all over again!"

"The bully," put in Yellow Mic.

"Just because we Zakos are so small and cute, everyone thinks they can push us around!" whined Blue Mic.

"That's because they usually do," pointed Red Mic.

"Well, I've had enough!" Yelled Blue Mic fiercely, "It's high time we stick up for ourselves!"

"Power to the workers!" Cheered Yellow Mic.

"I say we should go teach that samurai a lesson!" Declared Blue Mic.

A '?' appeared in Red Mic's eye. "But do any of us have a chance against Bakunetsumaru?"

Suddenly, the fires of rebellion were doused with the cold waters of reality, and Blue Mic and Yellow Mic fell into a pit of despair.

"Zakoooooo!"

As his co-hosts went into a depression, Red Mic decided to get things back on track. "Um, anyway, today's meeting is all about," He struck a pose, "What is this planet!?

Though it sounded sort of weak without his co-hosts, there was much applause.

"Zako!" Red Mic looked at his friends. "So! Do you guys remember the name of this planet?"

They looked at him. "No."

Red Mic facefaulted. Recovering, he said, "Well, I do. It's the Planet Tee! And that's all the time we have left!"

The iron curtain rolled down.

"Um, anyway, everyone, for the future of the Zako gang, Zako Soldiers fight! Yeah!"


	24. Rescue Mission! Save the Saviors!

_Shute here! Last time, we were introduced to our new friend Kylie Conner, as well as the situation surrounding the petrified planet. But before we could act on our plans of helping this ruined world, we were ambushed by a pair of biker outlaws…and Captain and I were kidnapped!_

Rescue Mission! Save the Saviors!

While Shute and Captain were being carted off in a less than comfortable fashion, the rest of the group was still stuck in the black smog.

"I can't breath!" coughed Princess Rele.

"Leave it to me!" Zero yelled, "O Mana, come to me!"

Zero summoned a gust of wind that blew away the smoke, much to their relief. Their joy was short-lived, however, when they realized they were short two people.

"Where's Shute and Captain?" Bakunetsumaru asked, looking around. Everyone looked around.

"Their gone!" Rele shrieked.

"But how!?" Zero asked, eyes shifting, as if he expected the two missing ones to pop out of the bushes.

"It must've been those guys…" Kylie muttered, before swearing under her breath.

"Lady Kylie, do you know something?" Asked Zero.

"I think so," muttered Kylie, "Here, let me explain something. After the Dark Axis ran amok, most power supplies were ruined beyond measure, useless. Luckily, a new form of energy was discovered; pedal power. Basically having someone run on a tread mile to build up energy. Now, until a little while ago, this form of energy creation could only be used in the huge power plant, connected to huge generator to hold all the electricity. But, recently, someone figured out how to make it portable." She held up her crank-gun. "This little number for example. You just turn the crank until you fill up the energy meter. I stole this number from one of those gangster lords I mentioned earlier; Cueball, a nutjob who wants rule all the natural areas. Cueball sent some goons after me, and I was planning to lose them in the city."

"What changed your plan?" Bakunetsumaru asked.

"I saw you guys," Kylie said simply.

There was a silence, which was broken by Rele. "So, if I am to understand, did the ones tracking you attempted to steal back your gun and captured Shute and Captain by mistake?" She asked.

"Mmrmm," Kylie groaned, "I don't think so, those guys meant to capture Shute and Captain. But why…"

"Well, we can't just stand here talking about it!" Bakunetsumaru yelled, "Our friends are in danger, and we should go to their aid! Hyah!" With that, he charged off, only to run straight into a Mana circle Zero summoned in front of him.

"Hold it," The Knight said sternly, "I want to save Shute and Captain as much as you, but we don't know where they are."

"I do," cut in Kylie, "If the guys that took off with your boys were working for Cueball, that means they're being taken to the Mons Montis Mountains."

"That name sounds redundant," commented Rele, but it didn't matter. Now knowing where to go, it was just a matter of getting there!

Sort of.

"I am sorry," RAIMI said when the group arrived in the bridge, "But the Gundamusai is still undergoing self-repair."

The gundams and girls groaned.

"How soon will it be done?" asked Zero.

"Unable to form a definite answer at this time," RAIMI replied.

They groaned again.

"It appears we have two choices," Zero said, "Either we wait for the repairs to be finished, or we go on foot."

"I cannot just helplessly stand by while my friends are in danger!" Baku declared, "I'm going there myself."

"I'm with red," Kylie said, "I don't know why Cueball wants with 'em, but it can't be good."

"Then it's agreed," Rele said, "We must travel to the…Mons Montis Moutains ourselves."

"Wait, Princess Rele," Zero said, holding up his hands. He then kneeled, "I would advise you to wait here while the rescue is going on. We are heading into unknown territory, and I may not be able to protect you fully."

Rele frowned. "I am fully capable of protecting myself, Zero." She said haughtily.

"Actually, blue's got a point," Kylie pointed, "It'd be a lot easier if we didn't have one more person to worry about."

Rele was about to say something less than polite when RAIMI cut in. "It would be more advisable to have someone here to monitor the Gundamusai, as it is still vulnerable in this state." The AI said, "And to monitor the Zako Soldiers in the hold."

"Zako Soldiers?!" Kylie cried, whirling.

"We'll tell you about it later," Baku said, sweatdropping.

"I can't just wait here twiddling my thumbs," Rele said strongly. 'Not while Shute is in danger…'

"You won't have to," RAIMI said, "Once repairs are complete, the Gundamusai will be able to fly directly to the area, homing in on Captain's locator beacon."

"It's agreed then," Bakunetsumaru said, "We will scout out the area, and you will come in to help later!"

Rele sighed, knowing there was no point in arguing anymore. "Please, find them quickly…"

POOF!

Zero summoned a rose and held it out to her majesty, "Fear not, your highness, just knowing your thinking of me will provide the strength needed to succeeded in this endeavor."

Kylie shook her head. 'She's not thinking of him.'

Zakozakozakozako

Meanwhile, Shute and Captain were being taken for a ride. Unable to move do to being pinned against a magnet by Captain, who was unable to use his armaments due to the electromagnet itself, Shute was in a considerable amount of pain for the whole trip. After being forcibly pulled away from the Gundamusai, the magna-rider took it around a swamp area(but not through, as that would be stupid). From there, they crossed a desert that connected to a mountainous region. In the mountains themselves, they met up with some sort of honor guard made up of biker-like characters. Shute had been removed from the magnet and Captain, and had the White BaguBagu dispenser taken from him. From there they were taken into some sort of a factory inside the mountains, where Shute was tossed in a dark cell.

Shute wasn't sure what to do. Ever since they entered the mountain factory, he and Captain had been separated. He couldn't get out of his cell because he was sure it was being guarded. And if he did get out, he wouldn't know where Captain was. And he couldn't call him on his cell phone because he left that at the Gundamusai.

He was brought out of his thoughts when he cell door opened.

"Boss Cueball wants to see you, runt," the man(who looked more like a gorilla in a leather jacket than a man) said.

The guard led Shute down a series of corridors(they weren't winding, the layout was pretty straightforward. Eventually, they came to a door with a big white circle on the front.

"In ya go," grunted the tough, opening the door and shoving Shute in.

Inside, Shute found himself in a spacious and well decorated room. The main theme of all the decorating seemed to be plants, as most shelves were filled either potted flowers or chia pets.

At the end of the room was a desk. On the desk sat a little sign that said, in big bold letters, **THE BOSS**. Shute assumed this was Cueball, but the figure sitting behind it was nothing like he imagined.

For one thing, 'The Boss' was a woman. She wore a jumpsuit similar to Kylie's, but that was where the similarities ended as this one had its sleeves torn off. While Kylie's was loose, making the exact body-shape difficult to discern, the boss's was tight-fitting, making it VERY easy to see how she was shaped. Also, her figure was, um, very much like Margaret Gathermoon's to say the least. Her face, which was attractive too, was pointed and angular, unlike Mayor Gathermoon's rounder face. Her eyes were slanted like a cat's, filled with suspicion that made Shute instantly disbelieve her, despite not hearing what she said. And to finish it off, her hair was red and long, so long it went down to her waist.

"Why, hello there!" the woman said, sitting up and walking around to Shute. "So sorry if my boys were a little rough with you!"

"Ah…are you Cueball?" Shute asked, trying to keep his distance. There was something about this woman he didn't like…

"Andrea Cueball, mistress of all you see." The woman said proudly, bowing theatrically.

Shute couldn't help but stare. "Uh, okay." This encounter with 'the boss' was drastically different from his encounter with Commodore Z'Gok.

Grinning, Cueball began to walk for the door, and motioned Shute to follow. He did so. As they walked, Cueball launched into a monologue.

"The Mons Montis Mountains are like a kingdom to me, and I rule like a queen. So it's natural for any ruler to want to increase the borders of her territory. Isn't it?" She gave Shute a smile, but it gave the Neotopian had the uneasy feeling he'd better agree, or else.

"R-right." The boy said, nodding quickly. He didn't know where this was going, but he better stay on her good side until he did.

"The reason I called you here was so I could thank you for giving me the means to conquer the other natural spots." Cueball continued.

"Huh!?" Shute gave her a quick look. What was she going on about?!

They entered a room, and Cueball gestured.

The room itself was a viewing area, looking out into a much bigger area. What was in that bigger room had Shute's eyes widening.

Blimps. Lots and lots of blimps filled the room, each one being loaded with equipment by a random tough.

"This fleet of zeppelins are just a part of my soon-to-be actualized campaign," Explained Cueball, her eyes gleaming. "But their just a smaller part."

Shute looked at her. "What part?"

The woman grinned evilly and motioned to follow. They went to another room.

"This is little beauty was left behind by the Dark Axis during their attacks on our humble little world," explained Cueball, while Shute stared in a mix of fascination and horror.

It was a robot. But, _it was so big!_ It must have been as big as Daishinsho, and maybe a bit wider. It was clearly Dark Axis, as evidenced by its mono-eye. It's body shape reminded Shute somewhat of a control horn. On both sides of its chest where two ports which Shute was sure were for launching missiles. It had thick arms, and instead of hands it had three-pronged claws similar to Kijumaru's.

"My boys are modifying it for me," Cueball grinned, enjoying the look on Shute's face, "Once it's fixed up to my standards, no one will be able to stand up to me." She then motioned to follow. "But the key part of my plans is this way."

In the next room there was a large aquarium, but instead of water and fish, the tank was filled with something else; BaguBagu, buzzing around and tapping the glass, trying to break free.

"Aah!" Shute cried, jumping back.

"Don't worry, they won't hurt you," Cueball assured, "Or rather they can't. The glass is three inches thick, those little bugs won't be coming out anytime soon."

Shute, calming down, looked at her. "But why? Why do you have BaguBagu?"

Cueball smirked. "Oh, isn't it _obvious?_" she asked dramatically, "The strategic power of these electric fruit flies is too good to pass up! Why go you guns a-blazing when you just turn anyone to stone?"

Shute was horrified. "That's horrible!" He yelped, "That's the most awful, evil, thing I've ever heard a human say!"

"I know what you're thinking," Continued Cueball, not really hearing a word Shute said, "What happens if I turn something I don't want into stone? Well, that little problem has been solved, and it's all thanks to you!"

"What do you mean?" Shute asked suspiciously.

Cueball pointed to a nearby table, where the White BaguBagu dispenser rested.

"That's going to by the key to my plans," she explained, her eyes glinting. "I can use the regular BaguBagu to my enemies to stone, and use the white stuff to restore everything else! I'll be like an empress- no! A goddess!"

Shute looked at Cueball like she was crazy. "You're insane!" he shouted.

"I'm not insane," She said snobbishly, "I'm just a girl who knows what she wants."

Shute looked at the BaguBagu and back to her. "Why tell me all this, then?" He asked.

"I just thought I'd tell you what your tools are being used for," She said nastily, "how sweet it must be knowing that _you've_ provided me with the thing to give me ultimate control of the world! Guards!"

Two large men in leather jackets came in.

"Take this little pipsqueak to the good prison cell!" She ordered, pointing at Shute.

The two large men exchanged looks.

"There's a good prison cell?" One asked, confused.

"Cueball sighed. "The one with the _working_ lightbulb," she clarified.

Now in full comprehension, the two goons, grabbed Shute by each arm and dragged him out the door. Before he was gone, the boy yelled, "You won't get away with this!"

Cueball chuckled, examining her nails. "Yeah right. Who's going to stop me?"

Zakozakozakozako

Speaking of which, Zero, Bakunetsumaru and Kylie had arrived at the edge of a swamp. The first landmark on their rescue mission.

"Going through this swamp will get us to Cueball's faster," explained Kylie, "Let's go."


	25. Once again, ZakoZako Hour

ZakoZako Hour!

The iron curtain went up, showing the three Zako Soldiers with their microphones in the basic formation.

"Hello, everybody!" Red Mic declared, bowing. The other two followed suit. "And welcome to the ZakoZako Hour! Today's meeting is all about, all together now,"

The other two chimed in with him, "_What is this planet, part two!_"

The crowd cheered.

"Zako zako!" Said Red Mic.

"You know, I remember something about this planet, zako!" Blue Mic said, waving his arm.

"You do???" asked the other two.

"I remember that we released BaguBagu only in the big cities, zako." Blue Mic said proudly.

"That's it?!" Red Mic and Yellow Mic cried, stupefied.

"Is there more?" Blue Mic asked, cocking his head.

"Well," said Yellow Mic, "There's that even though we only unleashed BaguBagu in the big cities, they spread to the outlying areas around the cities."

"Or," continued Red Mic, "That after we left, we never bothered to collect the BaguBagu, so they're still buzzing around."

"Wow," Blue Mic said, "I can't believe we were so loose with our resources."

"Actually, BaguBagu were the easiest to make out of all our weapons, zako." Red Mic explained, "I suppose we could've afforded to be a little careless."

"That's not the least of it, zako," Yellow Mic pointed out, "I recall that after one of our leaders was defeated in the mountains, the Dark Axis just left him there!"

"That's terrible!" cried Red Mic.

"What a rotten thing to do!" wailed Blue Mic, "I feel so bad!"

"Wait a minute, hold on!" Red Mic yelled, "I got it!"

"You do???" asked the other two.

"I heard we're going to the mountains ourselves," explained Red Mic, "While we're there, we can save our lost comrade!"

"That's a great idea!" Blue and Yellow Mics cried.

"Let's prepare for the rescue mission!" Red Mic declared.

Then the iron curtain fell.

"Ahh! Anyway, for the futute of the ZakoZako Gang…"

"Zako Soldiers, fight! Yeah!"


	26. The Stone Swamp

_Shute here! Last time, the leader of the gang that kidnapped me and Captain told me what she was going to do; she was going to use weapons left over from the Dark Axis invasion and the White BaguBagu to conquer the planet! We have to stop her!_

The Stone Swamp

Captain was not enjoying his predicament. Being captive of an enemy was never a enjoyable, but it would have been slightly more bearable if Shute was nearby. Unfortunately, upon entering the complex inside the mountains his best friend was separated from him, taken to another area.

Even more irksome was that he couldn't access use of his parts, from his armaments to regular arms and legs. Somehow the magnet used in the kidnapping had an extremely numbing effect on his body.

"Did you hear about the boys in R&D?" He heard someone say. "They wanted cut open the robot Shorty and Tallman brought with them."

"Can you blame them?" another said, "That thing looks like something from one of those science fiction stories about the utopian future!"

'The way they talk, it sounds like I'm not a person,' thought Captain.

"They'd do it too, if we could turn it off," the first person said, "But it's too dangerous otherwise. That magnetic destabilizer is the only thing keeping it from causing trouble."

'Magnetic destabilizer?' Captain thought, 'Is that the source of my immobility?'

"Magnetic… Oh! That thing we salvaged from the military!" the second person said, "That's the machine they were using in the end of the Dark Axis War, right?"

"That's right," the first said, "It renders any electric device affected ineffective. Too bad the Axis left before we could really use it on them."

'That explains why I can't move,' Captain decided, 'Now that I know what's wrong…what do I do next?'

Zakozakozakozako

Meanwhile, Zero, Bakunetsumaru and Kylie had just entered the swamp between where the Gundamusai had landed and the mountain area.

"Going through the swamp is the quickest way to the Mons Montis Mountains without being seen by Cueball's patrols," explained Kylie, "But it's going to get a little rough. You guys can handle rough, right?"

"Don't worry about us," Bakunetsumaru replied.

"We've experienced worse than some wet collection of wood and moss, milady," Zero assured.

And so they went. Surprisingly, it wasn't nearly as wet as Zero had thought. This could be explained by several of the tree being petrified. This confused Zero, as BaguBagu were more effective than to simply stop without turning everything green into stone, something he knew from sad experience.

"Lady Kylie," he called out.

Kylie, still unused to being called 'lady' but now more than used to Zero's flowery lingo, turned to look at him. "What?"

"Why is it that every other tree in this swamp has been turned to stone, instead of simply every tree?" he asked, trying to free his cape which had been snagged on a branch.

"Kylie regarded him before walking again. "Well, I'm not sure," She admitted, "I always thought something in this swamp got 'em before they could do too much damage."

"Something that could destroy BaguBagu?" Bakunetsumaru asked, "Like what?"

"I dunno," Kylie said, stepping over a root, "A venus flytrap or something, maybe."

"And what, pray tell, is a venus flytrap?" asked Zero. He knew that Venus was the goddess of love, but the flytrap part didn't sound too lovely…

"A plant that eats flies," explained Kylie, "Sort of like a flower with teeth."

"A flower with teeth," Bakunetsumaru repeated, "yeah, right. If only some plants were that interesting!"

He laughed, and got glared at by Zero. He stopped laughing when something that felt like jaws clamp around his arm. Since he was made of gundanium, it didn't hurt, but was annoying nonetheless.

"What the…" Baku' began looking to where the teeth were felt to be coming from. He saw something that looked like…

A plant with teeth!!!

"AUGH!" Baku' screamed, "Get it off me!"

Kylie and Zero watched as Baku' began to beat on the flytrap with the scabbard of his sword until it let. Zero couldn't help but grin.

"I thought you said a plant with teeth would be more interesting, Bakunetsumaru." He teased, smiling broadly.

"Interesting doesn't always mean good," Bakunetsumaru grumbled, a little annoyed at himself for getting so worked up. "And for the record, THAT DIDN'T HAPPEN!"

Zakozakozakozako

Back at the Gundamusai, many robotic arms were hard at work repairing the damage done to the engines. It wasn't easy, as most of the damage occurred _inside_ than out, but progress was being made.

In the hold, the Zako Soldiers had gotten bored and fashioned a game to pass time.

Bong! Bong! Bong!

Two Zakos had frying pans and were whacking a dud bomb back and forth, while the rest watched, their heads turning back and forth in tune with the 'ball'.

Up in the bridge, Princess Rele asked how much time was left before the repairs were done.

"We are fifty-one percent done, your majesty," RAIMI answered.

Rele sighed sadly.

"Is something troubling you, your majesty?" RAIMI asked.

"I'm worried," Rele admitted, "Every moment we stand here is another moment of Shute's danger."

"Shute and Captain," RAIMI pointed out.

"Y-yes," Rele said quickly, "Shute and Captain's continued danger."

There was silence.

"I only wish I knew what's happening to him," Rele sighed.

"Don't worry," RAIMI assured, "I estimate that the rescue team is more than fifty percent there."

Zakozakozakozako

As it turned out, the rescue team was 50 across, but across the swamp, not the entire trek. In fact, in almost seem as if the swamp was fighting them.

"Aarrgh!" Bakunetsumaru cried as a flytrap chomped on his foot, tripping him and causing him to land in a puddle. "Kylie, please tell me we're close to the end!"

"I think so," Kylie said, looking to the horizon as best she could over the trees. "I think I see the mountains in the distance."

"And I see more foliage before us than behind," Zero said, trying to free his cape which had once again gotten caught on a tree branch.

Baku' fumed. They weren't going as fast as he wanted. The last thing he wanted was more obstacles. "Then I shall clear a path!" He whipped out his swords. "Secret Arts, Bakunetsu, Tenkyo-!"

He was cut off when Zero whacked him with a tree branch, the same branch that caught onto his cape.

"Would you knock it off?" Zero demanded. "We're trying to fix the world, not break it! The last thing we need is you setting a forest fire."

"Won't everything be restored once we use the White BaguBagu?" Baku' asked, rubbing his head.

"All the petrified plants and animals will be restored, but only if their kept intact!" Zero replied impatiently. Bakunetsumaru's tendency to act without thinking got on his nerves sometimes.

Kylie shrugged. "I don't care either way. Nothing in this mess but crocs and fish."

"Crocs?" Zero asked.

"Crocodiles," Kylie clarified, "Or alligators. Or both. I get the two mixed up."

Zakozakozakozako

They continued through the swamp, with nothing of interest happening after Baku's attempted path clearance. The most that had happened was when a flytrap tried to bite Kylie, with the exception of a close encounter of the swamp kind…

"Hold it!" Bakunetsumaru ordered, his hand going for his sword hilt. Zero and Kylie froze, not sure of what was going on.

"What's going on?" Kylie asked. Baku' shushed her. She tried again. "What's going on?" She whispered.

Bakunetsumaru didn't answer her. He was examining something that she couldn't see, her vision blocked by a tree.

"Seems to be sleeping," The Musha Gundam whispered, "If we're quiet, we might be able to get away before it wakes up."

"What?" Kylie hissed, peeking around the tree. She had to stifle a shriek. Resting above the water surface was the biggest alligator head she ever saw, obviously connected to biggest alligator body resting underneath the water surface.

"Careful," Baku warned, "it might wake up at any moment. We should move as quietly as we can."

Zero was the only one not worried. He rolled his eyes. "It's made of stone." He said calmly.

"Zero! Be quiet! Do want to- What did you say?" Baku asked.

"It's been petrified." Zero said, eyes closed. He floated over to the gator. "As you can see, it's grey color and still form shows that it is obviously been petrified. Not to mention its hard body!"

Laughing, the Winged Knight gave the stone grey lizard a good tapping with the back of his fist. Because he was facing his friends, Zero didn't see the 'petrified' gator open its yellow eyes…though they sure did!

"What's wrong?" the Lacroix Gundam asked, noting Baku and Kylie's oversized eyes. Then he heard an ominous growl that sounded like a drain clearing.

"Please tell me that was your stomach," the Knight Gundam whimpered. The human and Musha gundam shook their heads in fear. Knowing he would regret it later, Zero turned around and found himself staring into the eyes of the biggest alligator he ever saw!

"Um, hello," Zero said, trying to keep his voice calm. "Nice weather we're having, isn't it?"

Zakozakozakozako

Out on the road around the swamp, two men driving a truck full of supplies for Cueball were engaged in conversation.

"So how come we can't take the swamp road?" asked the guy in shotgun, "Wouldn't it be faster?"

"Are you nutty?" The driver asked, "With those albino gators in that place, we'd have a better time getting this rig to drive on air!"

They then saw a bunch of birds fly up from the swamp.

"What d'you suppose is going on in there?" the driver squinting.

"Maybe someone's taking the swamp road," the guy in shotgun suggested.

"Can't be," the driver replied, frowning, "Who'd be that stupid?"

Zakozakozakozako

At the moment, Kylie, Zero, and Bakunetsumaru were doing the smart thing and ran as fast as they could from giant grey lizard. Unfortunately, the gator wasn't too keen on letting a prospective meal just walk away from her, so she gave chase. The crashing the chase created had the unfortunate effect of attracting _other_ gators that weren't petrified.

"Is it still behind us?" Baku' asked, as he tore through anything in his way.

"Lemme check!" Kylie threw a quick look over her shoulder. She saw large mouth and scary set of teeth. "Yes, it's still there! Ahh!" She jumped to avoid stepping into the open mouth of another gator.

"Back, beast!" Zero yelled, whacking one with his sword. "Didn't the BaguBagu petrify _one _these things!?"

"Guess not!" Kylie answered as she jumped over another gator. "Can't one of you guys do something?!"

Zero, in the heat of the chase, slapped himself. "Of course! Why didn't I think of it before!? Super Magical I-Field!"

A blue forcefield of magic appeared and surrounded the three, safely keeping the hungry gators out, though some tried to force their way in.

"Have no fear, milady," Zero said, "Those monsters have no way of getting to us now. We can safely continue without worry."

"I'll be 'without worry' when those things go away." Kylie commented, eying the determined gators with some worry.

And so they continued, with the alligators following, but thankfully unable to get inside the I-Field. It was a small comfort knowing they were safe, but a little unnerving feeling the hungry eyes of a few dozen carnivores on them. Eventually, one by one, the gators got fed up and went away, possibly to find a more accessible dinner. Until, at last…

"They're gone," Bakunetsumaru noted.

"Finally," sighed Kylie, stretching. "Those things gave me the creeps."

"Indeed," Zero agreed. "There's no need for this then."

The Winged Knight snapped his fingers, and the I-Field vanished.

This turned out to be a mistake, as the largest gator, who had _not _given up on her potential meal, suddenly leapt out from under the water, bearing on the heroes!

"Aaaah!" The three cried, whipping out their weapons. Suddenly, the gator froze, as if it had been frozen in time. Kylie, Zero, Baku all stared for a moment, uncomprehending. Then, a regular BaguBagu buzzed by…and was easily eaten by a flytrap, which immediately spat out the metal parts.

"Well, that's that," Bakunetsumaru sighed, sheathing his swords. As he and Kylie walked off, Zero stayed behind for a moment to stare at the creature which had nearly been the end of them.

"I never thought I'd be thankful for BaguBagu," The knight sighed, before flying off to catch up with his friends.

However, he was gone only five minutes when the alligator regained movement.

Blinking uncomprehendingly, the gator didn't see it's prospective meal ahead anymore. Instead, it saw an angelic version of a BaguBagu fluttering by…

Zakozakozakozako

Finally, the party of three reached the edge of the swamp. Before them in the distance, the Mons Montis Mountains loomed.


	27. ZakoZako Hour Returns

ZakoZako Hour!

The iron curtain rolled up, showing the three hosts in position.

"Hello, everyone, and welcome to the ZakoZako Hour!" Red Mic announced, bowing as the other two followed suit. "Today's meeting is all abou-!"

Red Mic was cut off when a dud grenade bounced off his head with a bang.

"Foul!" Someone yelled.

"Do you mind?" Red Mic called, "We're in the middle of a meeting, zako!"

"Never mind them," Blue Mic said, "Let's get on with the show."

"Right, today's meeting is all about," All three struck poses and chimed in, "_The story behind our lost comrade!_"

There was applause, pocketed by a rhythmic 'Bong…bong…bong…' that echoed throughout the room.

"Zako! I can't believe we're going to see Lord Zangyaku Zock again, it's been too long!" Blue Mic cried.

"I'll say," Yellow Mic said, "Ever since that battle in the mountains…or was it the swamp?"

"It was the mountains, I remember," Red Mic said, "There was a fierce battle, and Lord Zock was in rare form. But then the humans used a device that shut him down!"

"I hope we'll be able to re-awaken him!" Blue Mic said, "It'd be too awful if we couldn't help him, zako!"

"And even if we do wake him up," Yellow Mic now had a '?' in his eye, "Will he forgive us for abandoning him?"

The other two gasped.

"Oh no!" Cried Red Mic.

"That's right! What if he gets angry!?" Blue Mic asked frantically.

As they shivered, a silhouette of Zangyaku Zock appeared on the screen. It looked a great deal like the machine Cueball's lackeys were working on.

"He's so scary," Whimpered Red Mic, "When he gets upset, he gets violent, and when he gets violent, only a guy like the Commander can take him down."

A '?' appeared in Blue Mic's eye. "Wait, if he's so scary, why are we getting him?"

"W-w-w-well, you can't just leave your comrade behind!" Yellow Mic cried, "Guys like the General can, but we can't!"

"Right!" Red Mic yelled, pumping his fist, "So, for better or worse-!"

All three shot their fists into the air. "Lord Zock, here we come!"

Bang! That dud grenade bounced off Red Mic's head, just before the iron curtain fell.

"Foul!"

"Anyway everyone, for the future of the ZakoZako Gang,

"Zako Soldiers fight! Yeah!"


	28. The Redundant Mountain

_Shute here! Last time, we(Me and Captain) were kidnapped by a bunch of outlaws led by Cueball, a crazy woman who's got it into her head that she's going to rule the world! I hope the others are doing okay… No time to waste, we gotta get outta here and stop her!_

The Redundant Mountain

In the bridge of the Gundamusai, RAIMI had good news.

"All repairs have been completed," Announced the ship's AI.

"That's wonderful!" Rele cried, clapping her hands together, "So now all we have to do is go rescue Shute and Captain!" She suddenly looked unsure. "But how will we know where to go…?"

"All SDG mobile defenders have a locator beacon built into them," RAIMI explained, "It is all a matter of following the beacon's signal. I am positive that wherever Captain is, Shute is with him."

Zakozakozakozako

Shute really wished Captain was with him. Being a prisoner of a madwoman would've been a little more bearable if one had your best friend around. Unfortunately, he was isolated and alone, trapped in a dark, dank cell. But if Shute's plan worked, that would soon change…

"Uggh…Ooh!" Shute pretended to moan loud enough to be heard by the guard(He knew there was a guard as one asked for a six letter word for unintelligent), so that he would come inside to investigate, giving Shute a window of opportunity to escape.

Unfortunately, that window wouldn't open.

"Forget it, kid," the guard yelled from outside, "That old 'fake-sick' routine never works!"

'Rats,' Shute thought. So the big ape was smarter than he seemed. 'Now what do I do?'

Zakozakozakozako

"Well, Canus," Cueball said, looking up at the monstrous machine that was Dark Axis, "How's our little project doing?"

Canus, a short, bald man in a tattered white coat looked up from his notes to his buxom boss. "Well, ma'am, all necessary repairs and improvements have been finished, as of…" He checked his watch, "two minutes ago. All that's needed is to charge up the unit until its energy cells have been replenished."

"Excellent!" Cueball clasped her hands together in an eager way, "With Zock and the BaguBagu under my control, no one will be able to stop me!"

"That reminds me," Canus looked up at her uneasily. "What are we going to do with that boy we caught with the White BaguBagu, anyway?"

"Oh, I don't know," Cueball replied, waving a dismissive hand, "I'll find _some _use for him, I'm sure." At that she began to smile nastily. Canus sweatdropped.

'A world run by crimelords,' He thought, 'and I end up working for the one with a Lolita complex!'

Zakozakozakozako

Meanwhile, Kylie, Zero and Bakunetsumaru had arrived at the entrance to Cueball's hideout in the Mons Montis Mountains. The real trick was getting in, which proved to be more cumbersome than one would think.

"I say we rush the place," Bakunetsumaru suggested, glaring at the stronghold holding his friends and comrades prisoner.

Kylie shook her head and said, "No offense, but let's try to think of something that won't put the entire mountain on guard for us, okay?"

Zero stared down the road leading from the mountain, and sighed. "If only I mastered the illusionary magics, I could make the watchmen think we're just another supply truck."

Kylie's eyes lit up. "That's it!"

"What's it?" Bakunetsumaru asked, and got pulled into a huddle with Zero by Kylie.

"Okay, here's the plan…" She began to whisper.

Zakozakozakozako

A truck containing supplies drove by, than stopped when a loud bang sounded off.

"What was that?" the driver asked, "Go outside and checked."

The driver's partner got as he was told to do, and began to check around. He didn't see anything wrong at first.

Then he saw the wheels.

"Nothin' t'worry about," he called back, "Just flat tire, that's all."

After the partner changed the tire, the driver called out to him before he got back in.

"Hold on, check the back," the driver said, "I don't wanna pick up any hitchhikers."

The sidekick checked the back where they kept the supplies, but didn't find anyone. Satisfied, they drove their truck into the entrance to Cueball's hideout.

Neither of them bothered to check the underside.

Zakozakozakozako

Meanwhile, Shute was running out of ideas. Every attempt he made to break out wouldn't work. At this point he was now trying to be polite and ask nicely to by let out.

"C'mon, please!" Shute begged, "At least give a room with a window!"

"Kid," the guard replied somewhat annoyed, "You've been at it for an hour, now, and this begging routine is the dumbest yet. So pipe down!"

Shute frowned and glared out the little window on the door. "A dumb ape like you probably can't work the knob," He muttered scornfully.

"What was that!?" the guard boomed angrily, "You did _not_ just call me that!"

Shute raised an eyebrow. He must've struck a nerve.

"Come out here and say that to my face!" Challenged the guard, less rationally than he should have. If Shute played his cards right, he might have a way out.

"I'd love to," Shute shot back, "But I'm allergic to your banana breath, it seems worse than the way your fur stinks!"

It worked faster than he thought, because the door slammed open, hitting the wall with a loud 'Bang!' and light flooded into the- all except for the light blocked by the guard's form. He stepped in ominously, growling. "Okay, kid," he snarled, "Now yer in for it!"

Shute was never so thankful for his small form before this moment, as he dived between the ape-man's legs, which were thankfully spread apart. After making outside, Shute reached back in a closed the door on the ape-man before he could react. Shute snapped the lock shut afterward.

"Hey! You little weasel!" the guard roared, but Shute ignored him as he ran down the hall.

'That was easy,' Shute thought, running as fast as he could, 'Now to find Captain!'

Zakozakozakozako

Meanwhile, the truck containing the supplies from earlier had parked in the parking level and the two guys driving it had gone off on a break(AKA; they were goofing off). There was no one else around…

Kylie peeked her head out from under the truck where she was clinging to. "Okay, let's go!"

After the two gundams had removed themselves from the truck's underside where they too had been similarly hiding, they quickly conferred on their next move.

"What to do next is obvious," Zero said," We need to locate where these scoundrels are holding are friends!"

"Do you know where to go, Kylie?" Bakunetsumaru asked.

"Don't look at me," Kylie said, shaking her head, "This is my first time here."

"Well, it's not like someone's going to give us directions!" Baku' grimaced, "What do we do?"

"Hmm?" Zero's eyes wandered from the conversation to some sort of poster on the wall.

"What is it, Zero?" Baku asked, a little annoyed that the knight wasn't paying attention.

"I've seen this before," Zero said, staring at it, "In Neotopia."

"What?" Kylie looked as well. "Huh, it's like those maps they have in the mall, weird."

Well, overly convenient or not, with the map they were able to deduce not only the most likely place Cueball's gang was holding Shute and Captain, but the closest exit from there as well.

"Let's hope it is as easy as it appears," Zero commented as they ran down a hall, "And that nothing else happens."

Zakozakozakozako

"So many things happening," Cueball whistled, staring at the ceiling in her office. She had just gotten word that Shute had just escaped from his cell, at the expense of the guard. And now, according to security, Kylie Conner had somehow snuck into her fortress with two robots of similar design to the one brought with Shute. She couldn't let this go on, but what could she do? She had already alerted all available forces, but it was like finding a needle in a haystack. Or was it ants in your pants…?

A buzzing noise brought Cueball out of her musings.

"What is it?" She asked tiredly, pushing the reply button on her intercom.

"Madame Cueball, I…I have some good news…" Canus' voice answered. Cueball raised her eyebrow.

Zakozakozakozako

'What is going on?' Captain thought. Judging from the faint yells he heard, something was going on. Whether someone broke in or someone broke out, Captain couldn't tell. However, he felt numerous twinges in his Soul Drive. Thanks to the Soul Drive's connection to Shute's emotions, he knew that something was happening concerning his friend.

Zakozakozakozako

"I think he went down this way!"

A group of thugs ran down a hall, right past a trashcan and a recycling bin. A minute after they were out of sight, Shute peeked his head out of the bin, with a banana peel on his little tuft of hair.

"That was close," Shute sighed. He took the peel and glared at it. "Man, this bin is for metals and plastics, not this stuff!"

After depositing the offensive foodstuff in the correct bin, Shute continued on his search for Captain. He had a rough idea where Captain was, thanks to listening to bits and pieces of conversation from passing thugs. For one thing, Captain was still stuck to that huge magnet used in their kidnapping, so Shute knew that Captain was still in that garage he last saw him in. Or hoped, anyway.

The tricky part, was getting there. Shute didn't remember how to get to that place, especially after zipping around trying not to get caught.

"I'll just have to trust my instincts and do my best, that's all there is to it!" Shute decided, putting his fist into his palm in that 'oh yeah' fashion.

He then heard footsteps, and dived back into the bin.

Zakozakozakozako

Meanwhile, the rescue party was having difficulty finding Shute, due to the boy's previous jailbreak. Though they had a merry laugh at the hapless ape-like man's expense, they were no closer to finding Shute than they were before.

"Wait, I have it!" Zero cried, pointing into the air.

"It's not contagious, is it?" Bakunetsumaru asked.

"No!" Zero said hotly, "I mean I know where to go!" The other two crowded around him. He continued. "Shute isn't going to escape alone, he'll want to save Captain first! That's where we'll find him."

"And kill two birds with one stone," Kylie finished, nodding. "So where do ya think they're holding Captain?"

There was silence.

"Good question"

There was sweatdropping.

Zakozakozakozako

The darkness of the room where Captain was being held was broken by a door opening, filling the chamber with light.

"Captain?"

Captain felt his Soul Drive flare. "Shute?!"

"Captain!" Shute ran over from the door to where the gundam was being suspended. "Are you okay?"

"I'm undamaged as far as I know, but this magnet renders myself incapable of accessing use of my body." Captain answered, glad to see the human boy. In fact, it was a miracle that he was able to say that.

Shute looked the huge magnet over before glancing at the sidecar. "Don't worry, I'll get you down!" he said as he dived at the sidecar and began to mess around with the controls. As Captain watched Shute, neither of them noticed two other men enter the room…until one of them said…

"Hey! There he is!"

Both of them looked up to see Tallman and Shorty at the door.

Shute gulped. "Uh oh!"

"Get him!" Yelled Tallman, pointing. Shorty obliged, charging at the boy. Shute quickly sidestepped away from the sidecar, causing the charging Shorty to collide into it with a thud, hitting his head. Shute paused for a moment to laugh, but then had to move to avoid being caught by Tallman. What followed was a merry chase around the magna-car, Shute being chased by Tallman and Shorty as they ran in circles around the vehicle. At one point, Shute leapt out of the circle they were running in and watched as the two idiots ended chasing themselves. This didn't last long, as the two quickly realized what they were doing and lunged at Shute. This time they got him.

"Lemme go!" Shute yelled as he struggled in their grip. They paid him no heed.

"C'mon, let's get him to Cueball," Tallman said to Shorty as they began to drag Shute away.

"Shute!" Captain cried, straining. The sight of watching his friend be taken away caused his Soul Drive to stir. Suddenly, in a burst of power, Captain ripped himself away from the magnet and charged at the humans.

"What-" was all Tallman managed to say before Captain knocked him out with an uppercut. Shorty soon followed afterward.

"Captain, you're free!" Shute said, glad for his friend, "But how'd you do that?"

"I'm not sure," Captain replied, staring at his fists.

Shute noticed this. "What's wrong?"

"I…I struck humans," Captain explained slowly, "But it goes against my programming to do so, so why did I?"

Shute didn't know what to say at first, then said, "I don't know…but we can't worry about that!" Captain looked at him. "We got another problem!"

Zakozakozakozako

"Ah, this is perfect!" Cueball sighed, as she sat in a well upholstered chair, surrounded by odd-looking controls, "Once the power up sequence is finished, I can get started!"

She began to laugh evilly, though her laugh sounded more annoying than villainous.

"Ohh ho ho ho ho!"

See what I mean?

Thankfully, her nerve-raking laugh was cut off by a beeping noise.

"What is it?" sighed Cueball, answering the phone.

"Madame, there's some kind of warship entering our vincinity! What do we do!?" a panicked voice answered.

"Oh, don't worry about it," Cueball replied uncaringly, "Just launch some of blimps and shoot it down."

"B-b-but, it looks like something the Dark Axis made!"

"Oh," Cueball smirked nastily, "You still don't have to worry about it. Just keep it busy until I get there."

"You?!"

Zakozakozakozako

Bakunetsumaru held up his hand.

"What is it?" Zero asked.

"I sense someone coming around the corner," The Musha Gundam answered unsheathing his sword, "Be ready."

Meanwhile, at the same time on the opposing end of the hall, Captain held Shute back.

"My sensors indicate someone is coming." Captain explained, connecting his V Rod. "Get ready."

Slowly, but surely, the two parties came closer to each other, neither knowing who was coming, until…

CLANG!

"Captain?" Bakunetsumaru asked.

"Bakunetsumaru?" asked Captain.

After the two put their respective weapons back into their holders, the two groups reunited.

"What are you doing here?" Shute asked.

"We came for you," Kylie replied, "This is a rescue mission! Now let's get out of here before something happens!"

"We can't!" Shute said, "We have to get the White BaguBagu and stop Cueball's robot!"

"Robot? What robot?" Asked Baku', confused.

And so, Shute explained the situation. When he was finished…

"What?!" Baku' cried, his eyes opened wide, "Cueball has a Dark Axis Daishinsho she's going to use to conquer the world!?"

"And she's going to use the White BaguBagu as well," finished Shute. "So let's go!"

Zakozakozakozako

And so, the team began their search for the room containing the DA robot Cueball was going to use and the White BaguBagu. Surprisingly, they encountered little amount of security, considering that Shute had orchestrated a jailbreak and that Zero, Baku, and Kylie were intruders.

This was because almost all personal were occupied engaging the Gundamusai in sky-combat, by use of the fleet of blimps Cueball showed Shute. It was pretty pointless though, as the Gundamusai's cannons easily shoot the oversized balloons out of the air, but they kept at it nonetheless.

Meanwhile, Shute opened a door and peeked inside. "In here!"

Inside, the rescue party and Captain were given their first glimpse at the monstrous robot.

"That's…big," Kylie said simply, gaping.

Captain's green scope slid down over his eye. "It does appear to be of the same magnitude of size Daishinsho was," He said, staring intently, "And it is of Dark Axis design,"

"I can only imagine the horrors that would follow if this colossus was awakened," Zero commented, staring. He glanced at Bakunetsumaru, whose eyes had a far away look to them. "Can you?"

The samurai thought back to the Ark civil war, and the violence caused by the battles with Kibaomaru's army and the Dark Axis' forces. "Vividly," he said shortly.

Captain's scanner slid back up. "Shute is correct, we cannot allow this machine to function." He pointed. "We have to destroy it completely!"

"Can you do that, I wonder?" A boisterous voice asked over the PA.

"Who is that?" Bakunetsumaru asked, going for his swords.

Both Shute and Kylie knew. "Cueball!" the boy cried.

"Why, Shute, what a pleasure to see you!" Cueball's cried, her voice full of sadistic shock, "I thought you were going to leave without saying goodbye to me! How sweet!"

Shute gritted his teeth. Taking a step forward and looking all over the place, trying to figure out where to direct his voice, he yelled, "Cueball! Whatever you're going to do with this robot isn't going to work, 'cause we're destroying it here and now!"

"Aww, is that so? Can't ya let me give a test drive, just once?" Cueball asked mockingly, "Like right now!"

Suddenly, the room began to shake. Rocks began to fall from the ceiling. The robot began to vibrate. And its eye glowed blood red.

"Zangyaku…" A deep voice rumbled somewhere within the machine.

"The room is collapsing!" Captain cried, "Retreat!"

"ZOCK!"


	29. With a vengence, ZakoZako Hour

ZakoZako Hour!

The iron curtain rose, showing the three hosts. Occasionally, the area shook every time a faint 'boom' was heard.

"Hello, everyone," Said Red Mic, bowing, as did the other two, "And welcome to the ZakoZako Hour. Today's meeting is all about, all right, all together now-"

All three chimed in as one, "_Let's prepare to rescue our comrade, zako!_"

The crowd cheered. Another explosion was heard as the room shook.

"Okay, does everyone know what to do to rescue Lord Zock, zako?" asked Red Mic, looking between his co-hosts.

"Let's do an inventory check on our rescue equipment, zako," Blue Mic declared, "Ready, zako?"

"Zako," answered Yellow Mic, "Fire away!"

"Flashlight?" Blue Mic asked.

"Check, zako." Yello Mic answered.

"Net?"

"Zako."

"Stereo?"

"Zako."

"Wait a minute, stereo?" Asked Red Mic, butting in, "What the heck do we need a stereo for, zako?"

"For the celebration, zako." Explained Blue Mic, "What music ya got for it, zako?" He asked Yellow Mic.

"I'll I could find was the official soundtrack for the movie _Char's Counterattack_, zako." Answered Yellow Mic.

Before anyone could say anything else, a much louded explosion sounded off, shaking the stage so much the hosts were nearly thrown off.

"What is going on out there, zako?" asked an irritated Red Mic, "We can't concentrate on the show with all that noise out there!"

At that moment a Zako Soldier wearing a chef's hat followed by several elmechu scurried onstage. He was carrying a ladle with him.

"There's a fierce battle going on outside," Ladle Zako explained, "Several blimps are trying to down the Gundamusai, zako."

"Blimps?" asked Red Mic, bemused.

"Who thinks a bunch of oversized balloons stand a chance against this mighty combat crusier?" demanded Blue Mic.

"Let's find out. Screen please, zako!" Yellow Mic pointed at the screen, which lit up to show the action going on outside. Action, meaning the site of several blimps getting blown out of the sky. Occasionally a blimp launched a missle, causing one the explosions.

"Pretty pathetic, huh?" Asked Ladle Zako.

"Zako," Agreed the hosts.

Boom!

The iron curtain fell, caused by the vibrations of the last explosion.

"Anyway, everyone, for the future of the ZakoZako Gang-"

Zako Soldiers fight! Yeah!"


	30. The Cruel Zock

_Shute here! Last time, I managed to break out of my cell and free Captain just as Kylie and the other Gundams were able to sneak in. Bu Madame Cueball activated her giant robot, Zangyaku Zock! Now it's up to us to stop her, or the world is doomed!_

The Cruel Zock

Rocks fell from the ceiling as the room shook. As there was no exit prepared for Zangyaku Zock, Cueball was determined to _make_ one.

"This is room is going to cave in on itself!" Kylie screamed.

"Everyone out!" Captain ordered, and everyone ran for the door. But the rest the mountain seemed no safer than Zock's room. It seemed as if the monstrous robot was going to destroy the mountain just by leaving it.

"We have to get out of here!" Bakunetsumaru hollered.

"Wait!" Shute ran for a nearby door.

"Shute, what are you doing?!" Captain cried.

"We can't leave without the White BaguBagu!" Shute yelled back. Looking quickly, he found the dispenser on the table were it left, grabbed it, and darted out of the room.

So fast was he going that he did not see the hairline crack in the BaguBagu tank.

Zakozakozakozako

Outside in the Mons Montis Mountain airspace, the sky-combat had stopped as all aboard the blimps and the Gundamusai found their focus on the Mountain itself. At the same time, the Zako Soldiers had arrived on the deck to see what was going now that the explosions had ceased. Everyone was wondering why the summit of the Mountain was shaking and cracking.

Then it happened. Like an evil demon forcing its way out of an imprisonment, the gargantuan Zangyaku Zock exploded from within the Mountain like lava during a volcanic eruption.

"Lord Zock!" Shrieked a Zako Soldier as the others cheered, "You're alive!"

On a cliffside, Shute, Kylie and the Gundams(except Captain) gasped for breath, having just narrowly escaped the Mountain.

"I can't believe we got of there without a scratch," panted Shute, sitting on the ground, "How'd we get out so fast, anyway?"

"Dunno," Gasped Kylie, "Just kept running."

Bakunetsumaru looked up and gave a start. "Look at that thing!" He cried.

Everyone did so and got a good look at the Zock. The first good look as most of it had been hidden by its entrapment in the Mountain.

"Man…" Shute breathed, staring, "Now that I've seen it for the first time. That robot looks…really lame."

Shute had a point. Although the body of Zangyaku Zock looked very intimidating, it had no legs to speak of. Instead, it had stubby, almost stump-like rocket boosters keeping it in the air. It looked like that if it was on the ground, it would've waddled than walked.

However, no one could comment on its appearance when the tip on its head began to light up, just before it shot out some sort of photon maser beam…straight up.

Zakozakozakozako

Inside the snug cockpit, Cueball slapped herself on the forehead. "Whoopsy! Wrong button! How do you shoot forward?"

Zakozakozakozako

"Why did it do that?" Princess Rele asked, confused. She had been worried- no, terrified, when the giant robot burst from the Mountain, but her fear had subsided somewhat when the machine sent that beam up skyward.

"Lord Zock has lousy aim as always!" a little voice beside her squealed. Rele looked down and saw a Zako Soldier standing next to her.

"Lord Zock?" Rele asked, uncomprehendingly.

"We left him here when invaded this dimension, zako," explained the Zako, "But now that he's alright, we can bring him back with us! Zakooo!"

Before Rele could respond to that(and say that on no certain terms were they bringing a gigantic robot on a ship half its size) the Gundamusai rocked as a beam came right out of the upper left port and hit the ship's side.

On the deck, the Zakos gave a scream and ran for the hold. "Lord Zock's upset! To the emergency shelter!" One of them hollered.

Zakozakozakozako

Cueball venomous smiled turned downright nasty with triumph. "So that's what _that_ button does," She said victoriously, "Now how do you move the arms…?"

Zakozakozakozako

On the cliff, the gang watched in horror as Zock raised one of it's huge arms and swung at the Gundamusai…only to miss and knock a blimp out of the sky, causing it to crash onto the ground in a fiery heap. "Oh, the humanity!" Someone screamed in the distance.

"That thing's a menace!" Bakunetsumaru yelled.

"Yeah, to everything around it!" Kylie replied, "We gotta stop that thing."

"First we need to assure the Princess' safety!" Zero yelled, flying off towards the Gundamusai.

"Wait, Zero!" Shute called, but Zero was out of hearing range. "Now what?"

"I'll call RAIMI and have some transport sent to us," Captain answered, as his V fin beginning to flash.

Zakozakozakozako

"Princess Rele," RAIMI said, "I am receiving a transmission from Captain Gundam."

Rele got up from where she fell when Zock's beam hit. "You did? Where is he? Are the others with him?"

"Yes I did, and they are." RAIMI answered, "They wish to be retrieved from their current location, but the situation at hand will limit the Gundamusai's flight path."

Rele's face fell. "So we can't get them?"

"Not ourselves. But I will be able to launch another in our place." RAIMI explained.

On that note, the front of the Gundamusai opened up, and the Re-Equip Ring flew out.

Zakozakozakozako

Inside her snug cockpit, Cueball raised an eyebrow at the queer ring that flew out of the battle crusier she was fighting.

"Queer," She commented, before punching a few commands into the controls.

Zakozakozakozako

Kylie stared at the Ring flying directly their way. "What is that thing?" She asked, staring dumbstruck at the green ball with a hat and jet engines.

"Just get ready to jump!" Shute yelled, bending knees in preparation for the intended leap. The Ring flew by, and Captain jumped inside the ring, while Shute made a surprising leap to the top of the haro head. Bakunetsumaru and Kylie however, didn't make the jump and nearly plummeted to their doom. Luckily, two robotic arms shot out and grabbed them, saving their lives.

Captain nodded at this. "Right. Now let's stop Cueball."

It was at that moment did all four of Zock's beam ports began to glow, unleashing four beams at the same time. But just before the beams hit the ship…

"Super Magical I-Field!"

A forcefield of pure magic covered the Gundamusai, protecting it from the beams.

In the bridge, Rele removed her hands when she used them to cover his eyes. "Zero!" She cried happily.

Outside, Zero floated before the Gundamusai and bowed. "Have no fear your highness," he said, Vatras sword and shield ready, "Whenever your are in danger, be sure that your knight in shining armor will always be around to save you from it."

Unfortunately, the Winged Knight was too busy bowing in mid-air that he didn't see Zock reach out and grab him!

"Ulp!" Zero gulped as he felt the behemoth squeeze.

On the Re-Equip Ring, Shute stared in horror at the recent action.

"It's got Zero!" He yelled anxiously.

"Then let's back him up!" Bakunetsumaru replied, unsheathing his swords.

"Roger," Captain said, and two robotic arms attached flight boosters to Captain's Option F. activating his boosters, Captain grabbed Baku and the two flew off at Zock.

"C'mon, let's go!" Shute yelled, nearly prompting the Ring to fly after the two, but Kylie yelled, "No, we need to get to the ship!"

Shute looked at her. "Why?"

"That thing has a radio, right?" Kylie demanded, "We have to tell those idiots in the blimps to clear out before they end up like the last one!"

Shute saw her point and directed the Ring to fly back to the Gundamusai.

Meanwhile, Captain and Bakunetsumaru came into conflict with the Zock. Captain started it off by firing several rounds from his head-guns. It didn't have any ill effect, and Zock retaliated by firing a beam from its upper left maser port. Captain dodged the beam, and took the chance to fling Baku' at the arm holding Zero.

SHWING!

The samurai sliced through the wrist, cutting the clawed hand off the arm. With the grip loosened, Zero flew out of the claw. "Many thanks!" He called out.

"Don't mention- WAAH!" Bakuetsumaru's eyes bugged out when he realized that with out Captain there was nothing to keep him from falling. He plummeted for a few minutes, wailing and tumbling, until Zero grabbed him.

"AA- Ah, thanks Zero." The Musha Gundam replied, calmer now that the distance between him and the ground was stable.

"Don't mention it," the Winged Knigh grinned- just before dodging a beam from Zock, a feat made harder from the burden he carried.

"Yow!" Bakuetsumaru cried, lifting his legs to avoid being blasted, "I never cared much for flying, but what I wouldn't give-!" Suddenly, a light bulb in his head turned on(and it's one of those good ones, like they use for traffic lights, not those cheap store-bought ones). "That's it! Zero!" The Knight looked at him. "Take me back to the ship, now!" Baku' ordered.

Zero looked confused. "Why-?"

"Just do it!"

Meanwhile, Captain continued his solo assault against Zangyaku Zock. Due to the constant firing of its maser beams, the GP04 had to both evade and counterattack. Captain decided to fly around and launch a V Attack from behind. What he didn't' expect was a maser beam from behind! Zock had four identical beam ports on its back, just like the ones on its front!

'So many ports!' Captain thought, bobbing in the air, 'It's nothing more than a hovering artillery placement!'

Zakozakozakozako

"That Cueball person made that thing???" Asked Princess Rele, astounded. Shute and Kylie had landed on the Ring in the hanger, and upon entering the bridge explained the situation.

"Lord Zock is being controlled!?" the Zako Soldier squealed.

"You wouldn't think so, from what's it been doing." Kylie replied. She gave a quick look around. "Is there a radio on this thing, I gotta tell those morons in the blimps to clear out."

In answer, a microphone descended from the ceiling.

"Speak clearly, please." RAIMI told her, "Communications between all ports in the area are now open."

Clearing her voice, Kylie began to talk into the mic. "What are you losers doing!?" She demanded angrily, "That monster doesn't care what it destroys, get outta here!"

In response to Kylie's warning, all blimps that haven't been shot or knocked down began to slowly get as far away from the battle as quickly as possible. (Which wasn't very quickly, what do you want, they're blimps!) Shute decided to head for the elevator.

"Where are you going?" Rele asked.

"I have to help the others!" Shute replied, "Stay here!"

Zakozakozakozako

Meanwhile, Captain and Zero were continuing their assault on Zangyaku Zock, a task made difficult do to the constant firing of its beams.

"It would be nice to have an extra hand here!" Zero yelled, twirling to avoid another beam.

"Where's Bakunetsumaru, you had him a minute ago," Captain asked, firing his V Rod. He tried to knock out one of the masers, but the much larger beam blew away the smaller beam.

"I dropped him on the Gundamusai, and he disappeared!" Zero replied, creating a magical barrier to block another beam. As if to counter his statement, a red flash zipped by, sending the Winged Knight spinning.

"Don't worry!" Bakunetsumaru yelled, "I'm here to- Help!" It became apparent that whatever force was propelling the Musha Gundam through the air, Baku' had little control over. He zipped and darted around erratically, confounding friends and enemies. Captain didn't understand what was going on until he saw Baku's back. Bakunetsumaru had strapped on one of the Dark Axis' flight packs the SDG had confiscated after their invasion of Neotopia. Bakunetsumaru must have thought he would be able to take part in the battle with one. It was a good idea, but it grew obvious that the Blazing Samurai lacked the flight training to use one expertly. Meanwhile, Baku' had managed, by some remote and fortunate happenstance, to slice off Zock's other claw while in an uncontrollable spin. After that, he began to slow into a hover.

"Aaaah- ah, okay, I think I've got the hang of this, now," Bakunetsumaru commented, glad his turbulent tumbling was done. He carefully flew over to where Captain and Zero were.

"Gundam Force, special formation!" Captain ordered, "Gundam Force Triple Attack!"

"Go for it!" Shute yelled from the Gundamusai's head-plateform.

"Secret arts, Bakuntsu Tenkyo-Ken!" Bakunetsumaru sliced into the air, sending out a fiery 'x'.

"Super Magical Violet Tornado!" Zero waved his sword, creating a violent gust laced with flower petals.

Captain's fist glowed with golden energy, and a booster activated on his wrist, causing it to spin with power. "Hyper Captain Punch!" Captain flew at hi-speed at his target.

The three attacks combined, creating a powerful missile that charged at the center of Zangyaku Zock.

Zakozakozakozako

Inside the cockpit, which was in the EXACT CENTER OF THE ROBOT, Cueball saw the attack coming(who wouldn't?) and retaliated by firing all four maser beams. It didn't do any good, and all Cueball could do was watch the end come.

"Oh, crud," She muttered, seconds before impact.

Zakozakozakozako

The Gundam Force Triple Attack bore through Zangyaku Zock with devastating force, causing the monstrous robot to explode with a thunderous explosion, sending metal and debris flying in all directions.

"All right!" Shute cheered.

"We did it!" Bakunetsumaru yelled. His feeling of victory was short lived when his flight pact shorted out. "Crud!" Baku' yelled as he plummeted, only to be caught, this time by Captain.

With the threat of Zangyaku Zock eliminated, the Gundamusai and all surviving blimps landed. The thugs in the zepplins didn't really know what was going on, but they knew the giant scary robot was gone, and that was good enough for them. Their relief was short lived when one of them saw a green robotic fly buzz up to his face.

"Au-!" His high-pitched scream of terror was cut off when the annoying bug thing stung him in the nose. Pretty soon chaos swept the area when it became obvious that there was more than one green robot fly buzzing around- heck, a whole swarm!

"Cueball's BaguBagu tank must have cracked!" Someone hollered in the confusion- just before being petrified. Shute's eyes widened when a BaguBagu flew right up to him- and froze. Shute realized the BaguBagu was staring upwards and looked up, finding a White BaguBagu staring back down. The White BaguBagu shot a slow beam of a light into the regular BaguBagu, and the regular transformed into a White one. At the same time, other White BaguBagu which had snuck in were doing the same to the other regular BaguBagu, who in turn upon transforming altered other regulars. Before long, all the BaguBagu in the area had transformed into White ones.

"But where did these ones come from?" Zero asked, as everything was de-petrified.

"The White BaguBagu we released earlier!" Shute cried in realization, "They must have traveled all the way here from that city we landed in!"

"I estimate that with this much reconverted BaguBagu," Captain said, "The restoration process of this dimension has been increased by 78 percent."

"That's great!" Shute cheered.

While they were talking, Kylie looked up and saw something interesting. It looked like a person hanging from a cliff, but from their…hair?

"Hey, guys!" She called out, and the Gundam Force looked at her in response. "Who d'ya suppose that is?" She asked, pointing at the subject of her query.

Shute squinted a bit before he realized who that was. "It's Cueball!" he replied, amazed. "How'd she get up there!?"

"That's Cueball?" Rele asked, confused. She didn't understand how someone could be evil with such a great figure.

"She appears to be stuck," Zero said, floating up, "I'll get her down. Even if she was an enemy, I've always believed in helping fair maidens in distress."

Zero flew up to where Cueball was, erm, hanging. Somehow, the end of her long tresses got caught under a rock on the cliff itself, as well as being tangled somewhat in a rock side branch('How' shall remain a memorable plot hole in this story). Cueball herself was bracing against the cliff wall with her feet, keeping her hands clamped firmly on her hair.

"You!" She shrieked, "Get me down!"

"Have no fear," Zero assured, "Chivalrous knights like myself shall never turn our backs on-"

"Just shut up and help!" She snapped angrily.

Zero's eyes narrowed. This was not the treatment he was used to getting from those he saved. He observed her situation and decided on a course of action.

"Don't worry," Zero said, summoning his sword, "One swipe of my magic blade and you will be free from your entrapment."

"No!" Screamed Cueball, gripping her roots tighter, "Don't cut my hair!"

"Ma'am, it will grow back," Zero protested, not sure why the ex-gang boss was being so difficult.

"Just get it fre-!" Suddenly, Cueball's grip on her hair slipped, and it separated, along with the top of her head, revealing her real head underneath- quite devoid of any hair. Her 'hair', or rather, her hairpiece, hung limply from the cliff as the actually bald woman fell to the ground, saved only by the blimp that was under her.

Zero stared bug-eyed at the whole scene, not moving.

Zakozakozakozako

Later, the Gundamusai landed a quite a pace away from the city it first landed near. The White BaguBagu had run their course, and Cueball's gang had broken up, the members presumably going off to reunite with their restored families. Cueball vanished, probably to weep over her lost dignity.

As for the Gundam Force and Kylie…

"Well, this is where I get off," Kylie said, loading some stuff onto her motorcycle. She insisted on not landing in the city itself, as it would cause a panic, and was going to ride the rest of the way herself. "My family should be back to normal by now." She gave the Gundam Force a rare smile. "Thanks for everything."

"And thank _you_, for lending us your support, dear lady," Zero said, kneeling. Rele curtsied, Shute and Captain saluted, and Baku' bowed, possibly to hide his tears.

"We'll come back to visit sometime," Shute said, "Promise."

Kylie laughed lightly. "Don't be in too much of hurry to come back, I wanna get used to my family all over again." Wait'll they see their little girl all grown up! "Bye."

Riding her bike and stopping, Kylie looked back one more time at the saviors of her world. It was a short goodbye, shorter than it should be. But she knew by now that in comparison her home got soft treatment, and that other places needed their help. Better for them to go quickly than to get bogged down in a single place…right?

She watched as the Gundamusai rose up into the sky. Then, a swirling vortex of purple appeared, and the Gundamusai went into it, vanishing in the way they appeared.

Nodding, Kylie started her bike up, driving slower than before…because she had trouble seeing through her tears.


	31. A useless ZakoZako Hour

ZakoZako Hour!

The iron curtain rolled up, showing the three hosts in their usual positions.

"Hello, everyone," said Red Mic, "And welcome to the ZakoZako Hour! Today's meeting is all about-"

"The sad memory of Lord Zock," sighed Blue Mic.

"Do we have to???" asked Red Mic and Yellow Mic.

The screen lit up showing Zangyaku Zock in action.

"Oh, Lord Zock, why did you have to go?" Sobbed Blue Mic as synthesized violins played in the background. The screen showed Zock blasting a blimp.

"Look how well he worked with others!" Blue Mic exclaimed.

"He wrecked his platoon on his first day of command," Red Mic confided in Yellow Mic.

"He had such a willful personality!" Blue Mic moaned.

"He was turned into an automated puppet by a bald woman!" whispered Yellow Mic to Red Mic.

Blue Mic was getting annoyed with their little comments. "Oh yeah!? Well, do you guys know how Lord Zock wound up in that mountain chamber!?" He challenged.

Red Mic and Yellow Mic found themselves cast into pit of despair from their own ignorance. "Nooo!"

As they sobbed, the iron curtain fell.

"Um, anyway everyone," Blue Mic's voice rang out, "For the future of the ZakoZako Gang

Zako Soldiers fight! YEAH!"


	32. Gundams From Space I

_Welcome to Neotopia, city of the future. Yeah, I know, you've heard it all before. And I know you know about how robots and humans live together in perfect harmony, and about the Gundam Force that protects that harmony from inter-dimensional threats. But, y'know what? Now that I know about other dimensions, I wonder about other worlds in this dimension. I wonder, are we alone…?_

Gundams From Space

If there's one thing everyone can and will agree on, it's that the stars look beautiful on a clear night. There's nothing like staring up at into the darkness of the sky and seeing all those little lights in the distance. In Neotopia, it was a little difficult, as at night the lights in the city made things a little too bright, even in the twilight, to stargaze.

Shute, living in the suburbs of Neotopia and not the city itself, did not have this problem, as he adjusted his telescope. After a half hour of begging, Shute had gotten permission from his mother Keiko to stay up late and stargaze.

"Hey, Captain, do you think there's life in outer space?" Shute asked as he adjusted his telescope.

"That's very possible, Shute," Captain answered, "As the existence of alternate dimensions are now confirmed, the possibility of extra-terrestrial life is even greater."

"It'd be so cool if we could meet an alien," Shute commented, looking through the scope, "I wonder what aliens are like- hey, check this out." Shute gestured for Captain to look through the telescope, "Don't you think that shooting star is acting funny?"

Captain looked through the telescope as Shute bid him to and had to agree. Was that light in the sky moving?

Zakozakozakozako

Deep in space, not too deep that you couldn't see from a nearby planet(like Earth!) but far enough that you'd need a telescope to tell what was going on, two mighty warriors clashed. One had a beautiful blue aura, while the other had blackish-red aura. Though their auras made it difficult to distinguish between the two as far as shape was concerned, the blue warrior had two eyes while the black-red had a singular eye in the middle.

The blue warrior fired several bolts from its aura, which struck the black-red warrior. Apparently enraged, the black-red lunged at the blue one and two spun towards the nearby blue planet.

Zakozakozakozako

Back on _terra firma_, Shute and Captain watched in amazement as the light they were watching became bigger and bigger…until they no longer needed a telescope to see it descend to Earth! Wide-eyed, the pair looked on to see the light crash into the ground not too far away!

"Uwah! Did you see that!?" Shute yelled, pointing.

Before Captain could reply, Shute took off in the aforementioned direction.

"C'mon!" Shute yelled over his shoulder.

Zakozakozakozako

At the crash site, one of the two figures made its way out of the crater that was created upon their abrupt landing. After taking a moment to relax, it glanced back into the center of the crater, glaring at its occupant through its single eye. Suddenly, it heard something.

"I think it landed here!"

"Shute, slow down, it's not a good idea to rush into things."

The being, not wanting to interact with any other beings any more than it had to, took action by leaving the area, moving as fast as it could.

After it left, Shute and Captain came onto the scene.

"Whoa…" Shute gaped, staring at the crater, "It's huge!"

That may have been an understatement, but Captain had to agree that the crater was very large, being twenty feet in diameter. However, in the very center of it was something vaguely shaped like a person. It lay unmoving, spread eagle, and Captain couldn't help but detect a faint emission of energy coming from it. When Shute made to jump and get a closer look at whatever it was, Captain caught him by his arm.

"That's not safe," he warned, "It's emitting a type of energy that does not match up in my database."

Shute, a little disappointed, looked down at it. "But what is it?" He wondered aloud.

"I'll contact the SDG and have it examined," Captain said. He couldn't help but wonder if the object looked familiar somehow.

Suddenly, there was a beeping noise.

"Huh?" Shute pulled out his cell phone and flipped it on. "Hello?"

"Shute, you come back here this instant!"

Shute held the phone away from him in reaction to his mother's voice. He looked at Captain uneasily.

"You should get to bed," Captain told him, having a good estimate on the odds that Shute was in trouble fro running off like he did, "I'll stay here and keep watch until a GunPerry comes arrives."

"Oh, okay," Shute turned to go back home, "See ya tomorrow, Captain."

As Shute ran back to his house(and subsequently to whatever punishment Keiko had in store) Captain turned back to look at the thing in the crater. What was it?

Zakozakozakozako

The next morning, after being chewed out once more by his mom for running off into the night the night before, Shute went to Blanc Base to get a better look at what ever caused that crater.

"It's in here," a SDG GM directed, and Shute entered the room. What he saw lying on the table before him could not be believed.

It was a Gundam.

It was similar to Captain in basic shape, such as its shoulder pads and metal 'skirt', but it appeared more streamlined than Captain. Its coloring was also different. All four of its limbs were gundanium white, while its torso was blue and red. It also had, for some reason, two V-fins, one on top of the other; A longer silver V-fin under the shorter gold one.

"This is, this is…" Shute could barely get the words out, as he was so astounded, "This is unbelieveable!"

"That's what I thought when I saw it," a voice besides him said. Shute looked up and saw Juli standing next to him.

"But this fell from space…" Shute replied, looking back at the mysterious gundam, "Didn't it?"

"Well, officially, all gundams on this planet were made by the SDG," explained Juli, "And though Kao Lyn IS making another unit for service, this isn't it."

'Another Gundam,' Shute thought, 'Is she talking about Madnug?' The gundam from the future was made by the SDG, but aside from that, Shute didn't know anything about his origins. Then something Juli said clicked in his mind.

"Hold on!" he said suddenly, "If no one on Earth made this Gundam, then that means aliens did!"

Juli looked thoughtful. "You might be right, Shute. But unless it reactivates and tells us, we'll never know for sure."

Zakozakozakozako

…_Internal power-up complete. All systems online._

The gundam's eyes flashed to life, now alert and full of life. Sitting up, it gave its new surroundings a quick look around.

_Currant location unknown. Where am I? Have I been captured by enemy forces?_

It then heard some voices it did not recognize.

"So what are you going to try now?" A voice that sounded pre-pubescent asked.

"As soon as we're done backing up all of our data, Kao Lyn's going to try to tap into its AI." An older sounding voice replied.

_Two confusions;_

_Why do these beings speak basic?_

_Am I 'it'?_

It was at this moment that a third voice sounded off, but this one sounded odd. Though the speaker sounded older than the first two, it spoke with a vigor and energy that exceeded both.

"O..kay! Hoo-wah! We're all set! Time to pick this guy's brain! Yow!"

The phrase 'pick his brain' did not do anything to ease the gundam's growing sense of panic. So it did what at the time seemed most rational. It bolted.

Zakozakozakozako

"Will this work?" Shute asked. Kao Lyn was carrying a laptop into and planned to use it to link up with the gundam.

"We'll soon find out," Kao Lyn replied, "I just hope this fella is compatible with Windows- it's gone!"

On the lab table where the gundam was last seen was empty space.

"It was there a minute ago!" Shute yelled, looking all over, "It's not like it could've…walked away…"

There was silence.

"What I don't understand is where the GMs Chief Haro placed here went," Juli said, "they were supposed to keep an eye on the gundam!"

It was that moment two SDG GMs entered the room from a side door, talking amongst themselves.(See if you can guess what episode they premiered in!)

"No, I disagree," One GM said in a meek voice, "I believe Optimus Prime is stronger than Kinnikuman,"

"Yeah, stronger," the other GM said in a somewhat more energetic tone replied, "But Kinnikuman's got wrestling moves and burning inner power. If it came down to fight, it'd be Kin' all the…"

The conversation halted when the two realized they were being stared at. They then realized that the gundam on the lab table was gone.

"I suppose taking our five minute breaks at the same time was a mistake," the meek one conceded.

Zakozakozakozako

As the gundam ran down the halls of Blanc Base, it heard an announcement over the PA.

"Attention all personal! Be on the lookout for a rogue gundam wandering throughout headquarters! Please contact central command if you have seen it. Be sure to proceed with caution. Thank you and have a nice day. This message will repeat."

The gundam knew from that announcement that now the entire base would be on the watch for him(A/N: I'm tired of using 'it'), so he'd better hurry if he wanted to avoid capture.

"Hey! There he is!"

At one end of the corridor, a squad of twelve GMs were running at him. Grabbing a nearby SDG Ball, the Gundam threw it at the GM squad, who were coincidentally running in a triangle formation. When the Ball made contact, the GMs were knocked away at the sound of a comical crashing noise. Though this little maneuver didn't knock all of them out, the ones still standing stumbled dizzily around.

The gundam took this as his cue to leave.

Zakozakozakozako

"Where is it?" Chief Haro asked. He, along with Kao Lyn, Shute and Captain were at...the usual stand where the SDG prepared to launch units. Juli was typing furiously at her computer, her visor down.

"It's near the cafeteria- wait, strike that, it took another turn." Juli replied, not taking her eyes off the screen, "It's heading towards the simulation room, sir."

"Try to steer it there," Captain spoke up, "I think if I can calm it down if I confront it,"

"Do you think you can subdue it, Captain?" Asked Chief Haro.

"I'll try, sir."

Zakozakozakozako

Meanwhile, the gundam from space was having difficulty finding an exit. Certain doors wouldn't open, while others opened before he got to them. Eventually, he found himself inside an empty room that seemed devoid of any sign that it was being used, just cleaned.

_What is this room?_

"Will you please calm down?" a voice behind him asked, "We're not going to hurt you."

Slowly turning around, the gundam found himself staring at _another gundam!_

"You're a…gundam?" the mystery gundam asked.

"Yes," Captain answered.

"And you speak my language?" The gundam asked.

"Apparently so," Captain answered.

A brief silence followed.

"My name is Captain Gundam," Captain introduced, saluting.

The other gundam stared for a moment, before slowly returning the salute.

"I am...Orion." He said.

Maybe it was something about the way Captain held himself, maybe it was the unspoken bond between gundams in general, or maybe it was some laziness on the author's part, but somehow Orion couldn't help but trust Captain Gundam.

"I thought my planet was the only one with gundams," said Orion.

"And I thought Blanc Base was the only one that produced gundams," Captain replied, "Why don't you tell us about it?"

Zakozakozakozako

Meanwhile, on a building in the city, two mysterious beings appeared in a two respective beams of light…

Zakozakozakozako

Back in the simulation room, Orion was seated in a chair while Chief Haro, Shute and Captain stood around him.

"I was constructed on the planet Terra-Junyor, a world that probably exists outside this galaxy," Orion began.

"Probably?" Shute scrunched his face trying to make sense of that.

"I will explain that soon enough," Orion said before continuing, "Currently, Terra-Junyor is being attacked by a race of beings called the Zaft. I was built for the purpose of repelling the invaders."

'That sounds familiar,' Captain thought to himself. He too, originally, was designed and constructed to fight a singular foe, that being the Dark Axis.

"What are the people that made you like?" Shute asked eagerly, "Are they like, bug-eyed little guys with green skin?!"

"No," answered Orion simply, "They actually resemble the humans of Earth to the most part." Orion didn't understand why Shute looked so disappointed.

"Wait," Chief Haro said, "If all this is going on in another galaxy, what are you doing here?"

"During a battle in space against one of the Zaft's warriors," Explained Orion, "I and he fell into some kind of wormhole that deposited us above your planet. Afterward we both fell and landed on your terrain."

Haro's ears flipped big-time. "There were two in that crater!?"

Orion looked at him, confused. "Yes, there was. Why are you so surprised?"

"Orion, we only found you in that hole!" Shute yelled.

Orion looked at Shute suddenly. "What? Where is the Zaft?"

"We don't know!"

Zakozakozakozako

In the city, a mono-eye observed the going-ons…

TO BE CONTINUED


	33. Gundams From Space II

_Welcome to Neotopia, city of the near-future. As the most advanced city on the planet, we've gotten our fair share of unusual stuff, like the evil robots from another dimension. But now we've got aliens as well!_

_Last time, two out-of-this-worldly characters crashed onto the scene. One, a gundam named Orion, is the good guy. We found him easy enough…but there's a bad guy too, an alien invader, and we've got to find him, before something happens!_

Gundams from Space, part II

On a building in Neotopia, two beings were listening closely to a radio. One of them was human, with dark skin and wearing clothes of Arabian origin, complete with a turban that covered his/her head, obscuring his/her face, expect for two yellow eyes. The other was a robot, one of an odd design. It was blue, with shoulder pads that curved upward. The joints that connected his legs were visable, and his head pointed up like a spike. Instead of one mono-eye, this strange robot had two; one were it should be and another above it, in a curved slot with the rounded side pointed up. On it's back were odd, manta ray-like fins(best way to describe them), and in the center was red glass…thing, similar to a soulstone.

"_Where is the Zaft?"_ One voice on the radio said.

"_We don't know!" _Another replied somewhat frantically.

The robot looked at the Arabian. "Zaft? What's that?"

"I don't know," the turban answered. "We should learn more about this situation though, before making a move."

Zakozakozakozako

In Blanc Base, Orion looked very distraught. "This is not good, not good at all,"

"It can't be that bad," Shute protested, "Can it?"

"I would prefer to get handle on the situation before it does," Chief Haro said. He began to issue orders. "Juli, contact Neotopia Police and Mayor Gathermoon, alert them to the situation, Orion, I need a full description of this zaft creature you were fighting."

"Affirmitive," Orion proceeded to give an in-depth view on what the zaft looked like.

"Sir, won't the concept of an alien invader throw the population into a state of panic?" Juli asked as she jotted down what Orion was saying onto a clipboard.

"That's why I hope to find it before they do," Chief Haro answered softly.

Zakozakozakozako

In the city of Neotopia, a strange figure walked amongst the populace. His appearance gave the humans and robots reason to stare, but he paid them no mind.

His was roughly the same size as Hyper Captain Gundam, give or take a few inches. His face, for some odd coincidence, resembled that of Dark Axis like Zapper Zaku, complete with the mono-eye, though he was leaner in some sense. Another difference was that his mouth piece wasn't square, but rounded. Instead of rectangular his head was rounded, which was topped off by what looked like(to onlookers) to be a large thick metal fin. On his back were flight boosters that resembled streamlined wings, though these looked damaged for some reason. His coloring was a mix between white and metal.

"What a mess…" He groaned(his mouthpiece did not move), "Here I am, stuck on some forsaken rock in some unspecified point in space, with no chance of getting home and back on the front lines,"

He felt some comfort, though, with the feeling that the accursed Gundam foe was no better off than he was, AND(he thought) still rotting in that dumb crater.

'Now if only I could contact the fleet,' he thought unhappily. An earlier communication attempt had yielded nothing. Maybe if he could get outside the atmosphere, he might be able to _fly _back…

Problem was his flight boosters were damaged from his fight with Orion, no longer strong enough to get him into orbit.

"So you're going to buy one?"

"You bet!"

His attention was grabbed at this moment, by two boys(He still couldn't get over the similarities to the Terrans!) engaged in conversation.

"The Thousand-Year Bird's the best ship in the series! I've been saving up my allowance for this!"

"Whaddya talkin' about? It's nowhere nearly as good as the S-Foil!"

"Says you! the Bird can enter orbit _and _lightspeed in 2 minutes! Beat that!"

The Zaft(You mean you haven't figured it out!? How stupid!) couldn't believe his luck! If this spaceship dealer would sell to small children, getting his own transport would a child's play…so to speak.

Zakozakozakozako

Back at Blanc Base, Orion made an odd request.

"Will you take me back to my crash site?" Orion asked.

"What for?" Captain asked.

"A crucial component was detached during my landing," explained Orion, "If I don't find it, my combat abilities will be severely limited."

And so, after getting permission to use a GunPerry, Orion, Captain and Shute set off. Along the way, Shute asked what this 'crucial component' was.

"It's called the SEED," explained Orion.

"Seed?" asked Shute, confused.

"The Space Energy Envelope Drive" clarified Orion, "It allows me to call my weapons to me from 0-D."

"Zero D? What's that?" Captain asked.

"0-D, our scientists theorize, is the space between all dimensions and points," explained Orion, "You can place an inexhaustible amount of materials in 0-D, and the SEED is a device that summons those items to my being."

"Coool," Shute breathed.

'A point between dimensions…' Thought Captain, 'that must be his name for the Minov Sea,'

When they arrived at the crater, Captain and Orion jumped down to search for the SEED inside while Shute looked around the area around it. Unfortunately, the device Orion described was no where to be found.

"Where could it be?" Orion asked no one in particular, "I know it was connected to me before de-activating, therefore it should be here somewhere."

"Can't find it?" Shute yelled from the crater's edge, "Me neither." The boy thought for a moment. "Maybe someone took it?"

Orion had to admit Shute had a point. Unfortunately, no one had any idea who could've taken it. Before any suggestions could be made, Captain's V fin light up.

"Attention, Captain Gundam! The suspect has been sighted near Vinnie's Model Shop on 135th and Lon Street, and is causing a disturbance! Local police are helpless. Please respond!"

Captain looked up at Shute and Orion. "We'll have to search for the SEED later!"

Zakozakozakozako

At Vinnie's, things were not pleasant. The Zaft was not happy to find out that the spaceships for sale were meant for decoration, and not space travel.

"How am I supposed to break out of the atmosphere with this!?" the Zaft demanded, shaking a space shuttle model in his hand, looming over the store clerk, a feat made more impressive by the fact that technically the human was taller than the alien.

"Who said they weren't toys?" Asked the trembling shopkeep.

"Argh!" the Zaft threw the model at the wall. He stomped out of the store in a huff. "Now what do I do…"

The Zaft looked ready to upend another car(when the police arrived, he that many times) when he noticed an ad someone fleeing the area dropped.

It read; **WANT TO SEE THE EARTH AND STARS FROM A DIFFERENT POINT OF VIEW? TRY THE SPACE COLONY EXPERIENCE!!!**

The Zaft raised a figurative eyebrow. Space colony?

Zakozakozakozako

At an unspecified but familiar corridor in Blanc Base, the robot and the turban were stationed at a computer terminal.

The turban glanced up and pointed at the security camera. A glass-like pyramid shot from the hand and enclosed over the camera.

"There, it won't see us," the turban said, "Now hurry up!"

Without a reply, the robot began to type…

Zakozakozakozako

At her post, Juli noticed an anomaly on her screen. It showed some sort of spacetime portal being opened up near the edge of the city' limits.

"Sir! Look at this!" Juli called out. When Chief Haro came over to get a look at it, he nodded.

"With Captain and Shute busy with the aliens, we have to launch GunEagle to investigate."

"Do you think it's dangerous, sir?" Juli asked, "It doesn't appear to be like any reading we've had before."

"That's why we're sending GunEagle," Haro explained, "He can reach the site faster than anyone and find out."

"Roger," Juli began punching commands into her terminal, "GunEagle, prepare to launch!"

Zakozakozakozako

Back at the corridor(y'know, that's a funny word, corridor…Let's get back to the story), the turban and the robot watched the successful launch of GunEagle on a nearby monitor.

"Okay, on to #2," declared the robot. It was about to begin typing again when the turban nudged its shoulder.

"Not now," the turban said. He was about to say more but was interrupted by two SDG GMs coming around the corner.

"Hey, intruders!" The two had their heads immediately incased in pyramids. One GM looked at the other. "Uhm, what does _déjà vu _mean?"

"You were saying?" the unnamed robot asked.

"If we cause another blip on their radar to quickly, they may get suspicious." Explained the turban, "Wait until the first unit reaches the site."

Zakozakozakozako

At the model shop, Team Captain(little group name) were investigating the Zaft's rampage. While Captain and Orion examined the surroundings, Shute interviewed the clerk on what had happened.

"…And then he left?" Shute asked, handing him a bandage.

"Just after throwing over another car," The clerk replied, "I don't get what his problem was, though."

Outside, Shute met with the Gundams and talked about what happened. While they did, two electricians worked on fixing a street light directly behind Shute.

"I don't understand why the Zaft would come here," Orion confessed, "If I'm right, he should be finding a way off-planet by now, how could he accomplish that is this area?"

Shute laughed. "Maybe he thought one of the shuttle models would do the trick!" Suddenly, a lightbulb went one over his head(Electrician: "Fixed it!). "Hey! I think I know where to find him!"

Captain and Orion looked to him to elaborate. Before Shute could, Captain's V fin beeped. The image Captain projected from it showed Kao Lyn, doing his expected martial arts posturing.

"Captain! Shute! I have news for Orion!" He announced, "Our satellites have detected a wormhole in space! This flux in space may be the thing that brought you into our solar system!" He paused to do some katas. "Annnnd this is a door that swings both ways! Wa-ha-ha!"

Captain glanced at Orion. "That's good. At least you may be able to get home now."

Orion shook his head. "I can't leave now. It'd be too dangerous to leave the Zaft invader here unchecked."

Shute jumped. "Oh my gosh! I almost forgot! To the airport!"

Zakozakozakozako

The Neotopia airport was the misleading name of the center of Neotopia's travel needs. It was the place to go if you wanted go far, far away in a jiffy, even if far, far away meant into orbit. Even though the disaster of Axis Space Colony's disappearance had set the space program back a step, Earth now had two orbiting 'homes away from homes'…each with its own corporate sponsor. However, due to the fact that colonies had to circle the entire planet before being in range of a shuttle launch, flights to one of the two were far and few between. Even though no launches were scheduled for today(or the next two months), shuttles were being kept in reserve, constantly being prepped for the eventual flight to come.

This didn't come as good news for the Zaft, as he was hoping to simply smuggle aboard the next launch into space and hijack the craft after the flight(He did not want to bring a bunch of Terran look-alikes along for the ride!). Nonetheless, he was determined to get off the planet _now_, and didn't care who or what he had to get through in order to do so. Which was why the airport was in currently in a state of chaos. It had started simply enough, a few inquiries, at most. Unfortunately, his little tantrum in town had put the officials on high-alert. And those that weren't on the lookout for the Zaft thought him to be an agent of the Dark Axis(whatever THAT was!) trying to conquer Neotopia.

After effectively fighting his way through an ineffective security force, the Zaft finally made his way to before the entrance to a hanger bay.

"This better not be another bum lead…" sighed the Zaft. Before he could enter, he heard the sound of rocket boosters from above. Leaping back, the Zaft was somewhat thunderstruck as _a different gundam_ landed before him!

'Huh?! A gundam?!' Thought the Zaft.

Captain Gundam readied a wrist blaster at the Zaft. "I have been granted special dispensation to use firearms by the authorities of Neotopia," He announced, "Lay down your weapons and surrender!"

The Zaft glared at him. "Listen, _yonbar-_"(A/N: A Zaftese term for a law enforcer, akin to the moniker sherrif.)"-I don't have time to deal with any quaint backwater customs. I have a more advanced civilization to get back to, and subsequently conquer. Get it?"

"I can't allow you to do that," Captain replied, "You have caused considerable damage to the city and must pay for your crimes. I would prefer to avoid violence, but if you do not come with me I will be forced to fire."

The Zaft made a noise that might have been sneering laugh. "Give me a break, I've scrapped more advanced robots that you. Get outta my way, or else!"

Captain sighed. "I was afraid you'd say that." Aiming his V-Rods, Captain opened fire on the Zaft.

Zakozakozakozako

Back at Blanc Base, Chief Haro was worried. While Captain's team was taking care of the Zaft, the base had detected several readings that required sending the SDG's other mobile defenders to the very edges of the radar, with the exception of the unfinished GP02. None of them found anything, but before they could return, the scanners would alert the base to another anomaly.

'Almost as if some force was trying to keep them occupied…' The chief. Suddenly, his ears began to flap wildly. "Juli, recall all of the dispatched units, immediately!"

Zakozakozakozako

Captain had rocketed ahead of them, so when Shute and Orion arrived at the site he and the Zaft were already fighting. Both were rocketing around, trying to shoot each other, though it looked as if they were holding back some.

"Wow!" Shute cried, watching them from below. "The battle's started!"

Orion stared at the airborn Zaft. "I hope Captain can keep up with him." He commented.

The Zaft was more than a little annoyed at Captain. Due to the close proximity of the hanger and the shuttle inside it, he couldn't unleash his full strength for fear of damaging it. Similarly, that was the same reason Captain was taking his time between each shot. He wanted to make each shot count, without causing unnecessary damage.

"I have to get him away from here!" Captain muttered, narrowly dodging a plasma bolt. Before he could counterattack, the Zaft grabbed him and began to pull.

"Let's take this somewhere else!" The Zaft commented, firing his boosters. Captain, trying to fight this treatment, fired his boosters in the opposite direction. This caused the two to spin and zig-zag uncontrollably. On the ground, Shute gasped as they careened around.

"Look at 'em go!" Shute cheered, "I think Captain's got him on the ropes now!"

Orion didn't look so optimistic. "I'm not too sure about that," he said, "The Zaft isn't showing its full strength…"

Meanwhile, Captain and the Zaft had crashed into a nearby cart, sending debris everywhere and shaking the ground.

"Whoa!" Shute yelled, falling back from the slight shockwave, landing on his rump. An odd device landed at his feet moments later. "Huh?"

The object was a gelatin-green screw-shaped object, roughly the size of a shoe(size 7 ½).

"What's this thing?" Shute asked no one in particular, holding the whatever-it-was up. His attention was pulled away from the thingamajig when he heard a strangled yell. Looking over, Shute saw the Zaft, holding Captain by the throat!

"Captain!" Shute cried in alarm. Orion slammed his fist into the ground in frustration.

Ignoring the boy and gundam, the Zaft used his free arm to tear Captain's left forearm off.

"Argh!" Captain cried in pain.

"We gotta help him!" Shute yelled.

"I'm on it!" Orion replied, charging at the Zaft. Unfortunately, the Zaft casually punched him aside, causing him to slide back to Shute.

"I forgot about you," the Zaft sneered, "How did you survive our descent? Ah, well." The Zaft turned his attention back to Captain, "I'll deal with you next."

Zakozakozakozako

Back at Blanc Base, the turban and the robot made their way to a certain room. After setting the SDG on several wild goose chases, the pair was ready to collect their prize.

"The discs are in here," said the turban, gesturing to a door. Nodding, the robot tapped on a keypad next to the door for a few minutes, typing in different commands. The automatic doors opened…

…revealing GunEagle and the GunDivers, their beam rifles out and ready.

"What took you?" GunEagle asked cheerfully.

The pair exchanged looks.

Zakozakozakozako

Back at the airport, things didn't look so cheerful for Captain. The Zaft had torn off his other forearm. On the sidelines, Shute and Orion looked on in horror.

"We gotta help Captain!" Shute yelled, clutching the weird screw-thing he found in anxiety.

"If I only had the SEED…" Orion groaned in frustration. He then saw the thing Shute was holding. "Where did you get that?!"

"This?" Shute stared at it for a second. "I found when they crashed a few minutes ag-"

"That's my SEED!" Orion cried, "Quick, put it in!"

Orion whirled around, turning his back to Shute. The 4th grader saw a hole in the direct center of his back open up, looking big enough to fit the screw(or SEED, as it was revealed to be) in. Comprehension dawning on his face, Shute jammed the SEED in, with only the large end visible.

Orion's eyes light up as power flowed into him. Though he didn't mention it to Captain and Shute, the SEED also acted as his prime power supply. He was running on back-up the whole time.

Now fully powered, Orion spread out his arms. "Launcher Shift!" He cried, and with a flash, an oversized rifle appeared on his left arm, while an apparatus with a gattling gun and two missile launchers appeared on his right shoulder, with a shield.

The Zaft didn't notice any of this, his attention focused on Captain. "Now for your head!" He cried.

Before he could act on this threat, a laser beam connected with his shoulder. Dropping Captain with a cry of pain, the Zaft glared over to where the shot came from and saw Orion aiming his rifle.

"You again?" the Zaft demanded. Meanwhile, Shute pulled a battered Captain away from the Zaft.

"This won't be like last time!" Orion replied forcefully.

"Prove it!" the Zaft countered. In response, Orion opened fire on the Zaft, unleashing thirty rounds and launching missiles from his right gun ports. The Zaft zipped aside and charged at Orion, using his flight wings for extra speed.

"Aile Shift!" Orions Launcher Shift vanished and red rocket boosters with elongated fins and wings appeared on his back. Activating these, Orion blasted away from the Zaft's attempted assault. On the sidelines, Shute and Captain watched the fight, amazed at Orion's combat abilities.

"Cool!" Shute cried, "I sure hope Orion can handle him…"

"He'll be fine," Captain assured him, "I managed to damage the Zaft invader during our fight."

Meanwhile, Orion dodged another attempted attack from the Zaft. "I've got to end this before more destruction is caused," He muttered, "Sword Shift!"

The Aile Shift vanished instantly and a hi-tech shoulder pad and shield appeared on his left shoulder and forearm, respectively. Hilted on his back was a long metal sword appeared, with a blade made of concentrated light, sort of a like a cross between and a hacksaw. Unsheathing the sword, Orion shot out a harpoon-like beam from his arm-shield. The beam struck dead-on and the Zaft was pulled back as the beam retracted. When the Zaft was close enough, Orion performed some pretty impressive swordsmanship, slicing and dicing the invader to pieces. His head, now separated from his body(as was his limbs), rolled on the ground somewhat before his mono eye went out.

"Orion!" Orion looked over to see Shute and Catptain running up to him(Well, Shute was running, Captain was walking.) When he got to Orion, Shute recoiled slightly at the sight of the Zaft's head.

Shute looked at Orion. "Orion, he's…"

Orion's Sword Shift vanished, now leaving him Shift-less. "I did what was needed to be done." He said softly, "If we were fighting over planet Terra-Junyor, the outcome would have not been any different."

Shute was silent.

"The good news is no sever damage was caused," Captain said. Shute and Orion stared at his missing forearms. "I can get new arms." He countered. Continuing, he said, "I'll contact headquarters for a GunPerry to pick us up, and to collect the Zaft's remains." He looked at Orion. "It's too bad no shuttles for the colony will be leaving for quite some time, so it won't be easy getting you back to that wormhole needed to get you home."

"The base…" Shute said softly, staring into the sky. His eyes focused suddenly. "Captain! That's it!"

The gundams looked at Shute quizzically.

Zakozakozakozako

Chief Haro was more than a little worried about the previous happenings at Blanc Base. Though the SDG was successful in protecting the mysterious Dark Axis discs from the intruders, he would have preferred to have gotten some information from the would-be thieves, such as why their group wanted them or how they rigged those false-alarms(It stung to have their computers manipulated so easily). Unfortunately, before any fighting could begin, the pair of intruders had escaped, by 'teleporting', it seemed.

"Sir, Captain Gundam and Special Operations Member Shute have returned, along with Orion." A voice on the intercom informed him.

"Send them in," Chief Haro ordered, and soon enough, the three entered. Captain and Shute saluted, Orion did so likewise, but Haro noted something was different about him.

"Greetings, Gundam Force," Haro said, returning the salutes, "What is your mission status?"

"Mission accomplished," Captain answered. "The alien invader has been apprehended by Orion, sir." Captain decided to leave the fact that the Zaft was now in several pieces in a trunk for the official report.

"Good." Haro nodded, "All that's left to do is for Orion to return to his galaxy."

"Shute has a plan, sir," Captain gestured to Shute, who stepped forward and began to talk.

"Sir, you know that big satellite the base hangs from?" Shute asked, pointing upward.

The Chief nodded. "Yes, what about it?" he asked.

"Doesn't the SDG have a way to get to it?" Shute asked, "You know, in case we're in a hurry?"

Haro once again nodded, "That's correct, at Lab A. We use the shuttle for maintenance checks. What are you getting at?"

"Kao Lyn told us about a wormhole earlier, that might be the one Orion needs to get back home," Shute continued, "If we can use that shuttle to get Orion close enough to the wormhole, he can go the rest of the way himself!"

Chief Haro didn't reply. Instead, he pushed a button on his intercom. "Juli, ready my GunPerry for immediate transport to Lab A!"

Zakozakozakozako

"Three…two…one…ignition!"

On a platform far away but well within sight of the shuttle launch, Shute, Captain, and Chief Haro watched as the shuttle blasted up into the sky.

"I hope Orion'll be okay," Shute commented.

"I'm sure he'll be fine," Captain confided in Shute, "He knows how to take care of himself."

"I guess you're right," Shute replied. After a moment of silence, he said, "I hope we can go to his world, and any other worlds out there!"

"You'll get that chance soon enough," Chief Haro remarked, "We're almost ready to send the Gundam Force on their next mission."

Zakozakozakozako

"So you failed in your mission, it would appeared."

The turban and robot exchanged looks. "That's correct." The turban answered.

"And yet, here you are, safe and sound."

"We thought a tactical retreat would be wiser," the robot replied.

"That wasn't very wise. If you've failed once, you can fail again. Giza, Gonzo Hambrabi, I do not like failures."

The two once again exchanged looks. They had one last thought before de-pixilating.

"Crud."

Then, they were gone.

"Since the subtle arts are not working, we must prepare a more direct approach."

"_Rello…"_


	34. One Planet, Two Worlds

_Welcome to Neotopia, city of the future, and home of the Gundam Force. In our city, robots and humans live together in harmony, creating a peaceful, beautiful paradise. Yeah, I know you've heard it all before. And I know you've heard about the Dark Axis, evil invaders from another dimension that tried to conquer us all. Now it's time for the Gundam Force to help other dimensions attacked by the Dark Axis war machine. Let's go!_

One Dimension, Two Worlds

At Lab C, the Gundamusai was ready to launch to another dimension, the next on the Gundam Force's mission. The launch took longer than necessary, mainly due to tedious triple-checks in security in Dimensional Transport Device mechanics.

"Do you think Bell Wood's getting paranoid?" Shute asked in his seat in the bridge.

"Considering the events that occurred at the last usage of the Transport Device, that's understandable," Captain replied.

Outside, Bell Wood was typing away at a keyboard. "Okay, power source functioning normally? Check. Transport Device undamaged? Check. No zakos or any other uninvited guests sneaking around?" He glanced at two SDG GMs, who gave him a thumbs-up. "Double check! Okay, Dimensional Transportaion sequence…" The young scientist slammed his palm on a big red button, "Start-up!"

As the machine's gears began to turn, power began to flow. A large, purple/yellow vortex appeared, spinning the way vortexes do.

"Okay, guys," Bell Wood yelled into a communicator, "It's all yours!"

"Affirmitive," Captain answered. He pointed towards the vortex and ordered, "Gundamusai, forward!"

"Let's GO!" Shute crowed.

The Gundamusai flew into the vortex, vanishing in a burst of light. Back at his console, Bell Wood checked the system readings. They were all green.

"That's good," he sighed, wiping his brow, "For once, nothing's gone wrong."

Zakozakozakozako

As the Gundamusai traveled through interspace, Shute watched in awe at the passing differently colored lights.

"I never get tired this," He confided.

"Now entering new dimension!" RAIMI announced.

There was a flash of white, and the passing colors were replaced with…

Nothing but clear blue skies and clouds!

"Huh?" Bakunetsumaru said, looking flummoxed.

"This looks like the Minov Boundary Sea!" Zero declared.

"RAIMI," Princess Rele said, "Are you certain we are in another world?"

"Affirmitive," the ship AI answered, "The dimensional jump proceeded as planned, and no anomalies occurred."

"But there's nothing but sky!" Shute cried out, exasperated.

"Altimeter indicates that we are thirty thousand meters in the air." RAIMI replied nonplused.

"We're in the sky?" Bakunetsumaru asked, "How?"

"Not enough to data to respond."

Princess Rele closed her eyes and thought for a moment. "Portals have opened up into the sky before- this must be another one of those times." She said at last, thinking of the trip from Grand.

"Whatever the reason is, we should find a place to land," Captain decided, "RAIMI, can you find the nearest land?"

"One moment, please." The AI chirped."

"I know where land is," Bakunetsumaru announced, "Down."

Shute looked thoughtful. "I dunno…" Something didn't add up. Why would the dimensional portal drop them so high up? And even so, at thirty thousand meters, land should have been visible below, but it wasn't…

"Attention," RAIMI called out, "Gundamusai scopes have detected land mass to west of our position,"

"To the east below?" Zero guessed. Bakunetsumaru had a point, after all. If in the sky, the nearest land would be below, wouldn't it?

"Negative. Just east." The AI corrected.

Everyone exchanged confused looks.

"What is this, a world of floating islands?" Bakunetsumaru demanded.

Zakozakozakozako

As a matter of fact, that was a very accurate description of the world. Large islands, not connected to anything below, were held up by immensely thick clouds, like slabs being held up by chicken wire. On the 'islands'(skylands?) were varying types of landscapes, mostly floral.

As the Gundamusai flew by, the Gundam Force observed the beautiful land with wonder and awe.(And no, we are not doing that stupid joke!) Shute and Princess Rele watched from the deck, and Bakunetsumaru and Zero watched from the hull.

"It's so beautiful!" Gasped Princess Rele, her breath taken away at the sight.

"I'll say," Shute replied, squinting to get a better look, "It's like something out of a dream."

"There certainly seems to be no sign of petrification, is there?" Zero asked Bakunetsumaru.

"No," the samurai admitted, "But that doesn't mean it isn't under attack. Remember Sinbad's world?"

"Yes," Zero answered, "I wonder how Sinbad is doing, anyway."

Zakozakozakozako

Somewhere on the high seas of Grand, Sinbad sneezed.

Zakozakozakozako

On a beach somewhere on the floating island(the water was trapped in some raised land near the edge) a strange man was busy reclining on a recliner.

"Ahh, what a nice day for a day-off." The stranger sighed. He began to wave to random things in sight, "Hello sun, hello sky, hello clouds, hello giant flying battleship- Huh!?"

The stranger stared as the Gundamusai flew past him. He watched it for a few minutes before freaking out.

"Auagh! Aliens! Invaders!" He shrieked, "I gotta do something! I gotta call somebody! I-I-I gotta get outta this chair!"

Zakozakozakozako

Back with the Gundam Force, RAIMI them to attention.

"There is a clearing with a diameter of five hundred meters," She announced.

"That should be enough room to fit the ship," Captain decided, "RAIMI, land us there."

"Roger."

As the Gundamusai landed in the clearing, the Gundam Force conferred on their next move.

"Our first action should be to investigate the area," Captain said, "then, Zero and I will fan out to locate whatever civilization is on this planet."

When the Gundam Force exited the Gundamusai, they were treated to a sight. All around the Gundamusai were dozens of law enforcement crafts, with at least thirty squads worth of what looked like SWAT team members.

"ATTENTION, INVADERS!" Someone yelled over a megaphone, "YOU ARE SURROUNDED! DO NOT MAKE HOSTILE MOTIONS OR WE WILL OPEN FIRE!"

The Gundam Force stared.

Zakozakozakozako

After being 'arrested', the Gundam Force were taken aboard the crafts, though they were separated. The ships flew not by rockets, but by high-powered vents on bottom. They flew from the floral area to another skyland, connected to the first by a large silver-looking bridge.

Eventually, the Gundam Force was brought to individual interrogation rooms. Each were questioned at the same time by different questioners. Since it would be tedious and boring to show each session individually, let's just go with some snippets, okay?

Captain was busy explaining the Force's presence in this dimension.

"…And so it was decided that an immediate investigation of the other dimensions was needed," Captain said, "To help other worlds attacked by the Dark Axis."

"That sounds like a cheap ending for a TV show in case the producers want to make a sequel," the interrogator remarked.

Shute, meanwhile, had gotten into a discussion about his somewhat loose school schedual.

"Y'know, I would never let my son go with robots to other dimensions if I had anything to say about it," the interrogator commented.

Shute gave out a frusterated groan. "Look, I'm doing all my make-up work, alright? Get off my case!"

Zero found himself in a heated lesson about feminism.

"All I am saying that as a knight, it is my duty to defend fair maidens in distress," he protested to his female interrogator.

"Oh, I get it! You think girls can't take care of themselves!" She snarled.

Princess Rele's interrogator, a little dull-headed, seemed more concerned with her hairstyle than her purpose in the skylands…

"Um, y'know, they look kinda like cinnamon buns, y'know,"

Rele now had a vein ready to pop, "Can we please talk about something else!"

Bakunetsumaru, on the other hand, was busy bragging about his battles in the Ark Civil War.

"…And then I felt this burning feeling within me, like a volcano erupting, or a great bundle of fireworks setting off at the same time! And within an instant, I became, _Bakushinmaru_!"

"Wow…"

After the 'interrogation' sessions were complete, each member of Gundam Force were left inside their respective chambers alone. A few days later, a soldier came to each cell.

"Come with me," the soldier said, and began to lead each one down the hall. Along the way, the Gundam Force re-united.

"Is everyone all right?" Shute asked upon being back around his friends.

"Yes, now that we are together," Captain answered, "I was starting to get worried."

As they walked down the hall, the group took an elevator.

"Where are we going?" Asked Zero.

"Madame President wishes to interview you in person," replied one soldier in the crowded elevator.

"President?" Asked Princess Rele confused. She still didn't understand democracy.

Eventually, they came to their floor. After waking down another hallway(which was much better furnished than the last) they came to a set of double doors.

"She's waiting in her office," explained another soldier.

The double doors opened, and the Gundam Force and soldiers entered the office-

-Which looked absolutely nothing like a presidential office!

The room was painted pink, the carpet was shag. On the walls were numerous posters for various boy bands(each with the standard five 'pretty boys'). In the corner was a pile of stuffed animals. In the center(but mostly to the back) was a desk, the kind used by elected officials. Sitting across it was a figure that seemed out of place at that position, but not with the rest of the room.

It was girl, looking about fourteen or fifteen. She wore a pink leather jacket, and a yellow tank top that stopped above her navel. She had blue eyes and brown hair which had a sheen that suggested she spent hours(and the state budget) on grooming it to perfection. Though the desk obscured this, she wore a cut-jean skirt and stopped juuuuusst above her knees, but so much to make it obscene. To her side was a tall, somewhat official looking man, wearing a white military uniform, with several medals dotted meticulously over the chest. His face was vibrant, but worn, suggesting that though he wasn't 'over-the-hill', stress had cut down on his life expectancy. He also had a pronounced mustache.

"Are you guys the aliens?" the girl asked abruptly.

The Gundam Force nodded.

"I," She began with an air of leadership beyond her supposed years, "am Madame President Samantha Dottz, leader of the government. I have decided to interview you weirdoes personally because I think the guys that did are morons."

Everyone else in the room sweatdropped.

"This old guy is my head of military, General Bradley," She then stated, pointing at the man, who was old enough to be her father. He sweatdropped.

"So!" She said suddenly, "What's with you guys?"

And so the Gundam Force told her about the Dark Axis, how they attacked their homelands, etc., etc., so on and so forth. When they finished, Madame President had this to say.

"That's the biggest load I've ever heard!" she declared, "There aren't any Axis guys around here!"

The Gundam Force sweatdropped.

"And besides," She continued without missing a beat, "That story sounds pretty well rehearsed to me!"

"We've told it a few times," Shute said, sweating.

"And it gets better each time, huh?!" A new voice yelled.

Everyone jumped. That voice seemed to come from nowhere! There was no one in the room who could've said that, but it didn't sound like the voice came from a speaker. Everyone looked all over the place for the source. Samantha even got up from her chair to look around.

"Over here!"

Everyone looked. Sitting the President's chair was a funny-looking little man with an oddly-shaped head(like a potato), wearing a white coat.

General Bradley gasped. "Dr. Exxai!"

Shute, confused, looked to one of the soldier escorts for explanation. "Um…"

"He's a mad scientist who wants to rule the world," the soldier explained. He said it so casually that Shute sweatdropped.

Hearing this, the mad scientist in question jumped from the chair, over and before the desk.

"Come now," he said grandly, "Do any of you think I'd be concerned with anything so petty as that? _Me?_"

Almost instantly, everyone responded, "Yes!"

Exxai facefaulted. He quickly got back up and pointed at the Gundam Force. "All right, I don't care about the rest of you, but have something to say to these aliens!"

Before the Force could ask him what, General Bradley cut in.

"How did _you _know about these people? That information has been restricted from the public's knowledge!"

Exxai merely looked at him and said, "the entire city outside knows, it's what they're talking about on the street."

"What?!" cried the General, "How can that be?"

"That blabber mouth, Marylou," President Samantha muttered irritably, "I told her not to tell anyone!"

Everyone facefaulted.

Upon straightening up, Exxai continued. "Ah, ignoring that, let me continue." He glanced around the room for a moment. "As all of you know, our world, Planet Genesis, is made up of two separate sub-dimensions."

"I didn't know that!" exclaimed Bakunetsumaru.

"Shut up!" Snapped Exxai, "No one cares about you! As I was saying, this sub-dimension, the one almost everyone lives in, is called Blue-Gen. And the other one is called Black-Gen. There, I built a magnificent utopian city, called Magnificentopia."

"That's a stupid name," cut in President Samantha, somewhat snidely.

"Shut up! No one cares what you think!" Exxai snapped, "Anyway, I was preparing to open the gates to my glorious metropolis to the masses, and when I did…the Dark Axis came!"

Everyone, gasped except the Madame President, who regarded the mad scientist with bored interest.

"So the Dark Axis _is _here!" Princess Rele cried.

"Those spawns of evil!" Yelled Bakunetsumaru fiercely, "They will taste my blade!"

"Will you shut up and let me finish!?" Roared Exxai, "I'm not done! Anyway, under the direction of their steel hearted leader, Colonel Gelgoog, those metallic monsters conquered my self-made kingdom, and drove me away! I'm certain those guys plan on setting after out to Blue-Gen as soon as they finish plundering Magnificentopia. Rallying an army would be pretty stupid, so in order to stop them, we must send an elite task force into the heart of their operations."

Exxai then pointed at the Gundam Force. "And who better to send then guys who know what we're dealing with!?"

There was silence for a moment. Captain then saluted. "Mission accepted."

General Bradley clasped his hands together, relieved. "Oh, thank goodness!" he cried, happy to find someone who sounded calm and composed.

"It looks like it is up to us to halt the Dark Axis war machine before it overruns all that is good and pure," Zero said in a grand manner.

"Hey!" Yelled President Samantha suddenly, "Hold on a sec'!" Everyone looked at her. "I never agreed to this!"

"What do you mean?" Princess Rele asked, wondering why the other girl was being so unreasonable.

"That guy's a mad scientist!" Samantha yelled, pointing at Exxai as the older man slipped pens into his pocket, "How do we know he's not lying?!"

"That's why we, that is, the Gundam Force, should go investigate," Captain answered loically, "If he is telling the truth, we will be able to sufficiently combat the Dark Axis, and if not, you will have not wasted any of your forces on a false alarm."

Samantha nodded, acting as she knew that already(she didn't), "That's a good point, but I can't allow all of you to go."

"Why not?" Asked Shute.

"Duh!" the Madame President sighed, "How do I know you guys won't run away? If one or two of you stay here under house arrest, the rest will _have_ to help out to free them!"

'So you want hostages?' Shute thought blandly.

After a little discussion, arguing, and some name-calling, it was decided that Captain, Shute, and Bakunetsumaru would go to Magnificentopia and take down Colonel Gelgoog, while Zero and Princess Rele stay and help fortify the Skyland's defenses.

"You don't mind waiting here, do you?" asked Shute when the talking was done.

"A little," Princess Rele admitted, "But I feel as if there is more to this than what we've been told." She sent a quick glance at Exxai, who was digging through his pockets. "I don't trust him…"

Shute nodded. "That guy does have shifty eyes, huh?"

Poof!

A princess rose appeared in Zero's hand as he held it out to the Princess. "Do not worry, my lady," He said(Shute rolled his eyes, seeing it all before), "I will standing by, ready to jump to your rescue whenever the need arises."

"Oh, brother," Shute muttered. Suddenly, Exxai popped up next time and pressed something into his hand. "Huh?"

The item was a small handheld computer, similar to Shute's cell phone.

"That's a personalized electroninc navigator," explained Exxai, rubbing his potato-shapped head, "It will not only show you the way to Magnificentopia, but also to the city's main generator. The entire place has the same power source, so if you turn it off, it will make it difficult for Gelgoog and his troops to move about freely."

Shute pocketed the device. "Thanks," He said.

General Bradley gestured towards the door, "Follow me," he said, "I'll find you an aircraft for you to use."

"That won't be necessary," Captain replied, "We'll just go in the Gundamusai, our ship. It has all of our needed supplies and everything."

Bradley looked a little concerned. "But it's awfully big- oh, never mind. You know what you're doing, I guess."

Zakozakozakozako

As General Bradley, Captain Gundam, Shute, and Bakunetsumaru walked down the hall to where the Gundamusai was being kept(it followed them and was subsequently captured), Shute took the moment to ask the General something.

"What's up with the President?" he asked suddenly, "She looks like she should be in junior high, and she's kinda weird, too…"

Bradley sighed. He knew the subject would come up eventually. "Our last president, Sir President Charles, wrote a bill before stepping down," He explained, "That stated no one, regardless of gender, race, and even age, would be denied candidacy."

Shute's eyebrow shot up. "Whoa! Hold on! You mean _anyone _could run for office!?"

Bradley nodded. "That's right," He affirmed, "At the next election, a high school junior named Samantha Dottz decided to run because 'It beats exams!'"

"Couldn't the people vote for another candidate?" Asked Captain.

"The other candidate was Dr. Exxai," Sighed Bradley.

Oh. That made sense. Between a ditzy teenybopper and a megalomaniac, it was just a matter of choosing the lesser evil.

"Also, for her campaign," continued Bradley, "Ms. Dottz distributed _these_ posters."

Bradley pulled a poster out of his coat. On was a picture of Samantha…well, let's just say it was something a little _too_ erotic.

"Every man in the Skyland voted for her," sighed Bradley, "It was considered the most idiotic victory in political history of our government…but it got her the job."

Shute, unneffected by the poster's content due to a lack of hormones and being prepubescent, gave the General a weird look. "If you don't like the poster, why are you carrying it around with you?"

Bradley didn't answer. Instead he stuffed the poster back into his coat.

Zakozakozakozako

It wasn't too long before the Gundamusai had lifted off and was on the way, after the trio had said their goodbyes. As the gundam-themed cruiser flew in it's pre-planned(sort of) trajectory, Shute couldn't help but marvel at the endless amount of clouds below.

'It's like the land just sits on it,' Shute thought, somewhat bored. Without Zero around to tease Bakunetsumaru and vice-versa, things were a little too quiet. And for some reason he missed Princess Rele as well…

"Great GunSoul of Ark!" Bakunetsumaru cried out suddenly, "What is _that?!_"

'That' happened to be a giant, swirling vortex in the clouds, about the size of a baseball stadium. Unlike the rest of the clouds around it, which in comparison were serene-looking, this whirlpool of air currents was dark, with occasional lightning.

"That must be the entrance to Black-Gen," Captain said. He looked to Shute, and said, "Shute, what does the navigator Dr. Exxai gave you say?"

Shute took the navigator(which included a chain to attach to his belt loop) and flipped it open. On it was an arrow…that pointed directly into an image of a spiral. "Looks like it." He answered.

Captain nodded. "RAIMI, take us into it," He ordered.

As the Gundamusai got closer to the mouth of the whirlpool, Bakunetsumaru looked concerned. "Maybe we should hold on to something-" He was cut off as the ship began to shake and vibrate uncontrollably. Stumbling around, he grabbed hold of a chair.

"What's going on!?" Shute yelled as he clung to his seat.

"A mixture a of hot and cold temperatures are causing the air currents to fluctuate at tremendous speeds." RAIMI answered.

"Try to stabilize us, RAIMI!" Captain ordered.

"I have been stabilizing," RAIMI replied shortly, "If not, the Gundamusai would be spinning uncontrollably."

"You mean we're in trouble either way?" Shute gulped, "That's not GOOOOOOD!" He wailed as the ship sank lower and lower into the darkness below.


	35. AttenSHUN! The Colonel’s Revelry

_Hiya, Shute here! Last time, we arrived on the bizarre Planet Genesis, were some of the land sits in the sky…and the rest hides under the clouds! We learned that a Dark Axis army, led by a character named Colonel Gelgoog had arrived and were planning to conquer both sides of the world! While Zero and Princess Rele stayed at the capital to help defend it, me, Captain, and Bakunetsumaru went on the Gundamusai to the center of Gelgoog's operations, the conquered city of Magnificentopia… only if we can survive the trip!_

Atten-SHUN! The Colonel's Revelry

"AAARRRGGGHHH!" Shute yelled.

"EEEAAAUUUGGGHHH!" Screamed Bakunetsumaru.

"…" Captain said nothing, but his eyes kept darting about.

Down and down the Gundamusai went, through the entrance to Black-Gen. The turbulent winds of the entryway made for a rough descent, causing the ship to bounce and shake this way and that.

"We're never gonna make it at this rate!" Shute hollered, "Can't you make it stop, RAIMI?!"

"Engines are already at maximum power," RAIMI answered.

Captain was silent for a minute, then ordered, "RAIMI! Do not fight the spinning!"

"Huh!?" Shute and Bakunetsumaru were flabbergasted. What was Captain getting at?

"Instead," Continued Captain, "Concentrate on keeping the Gundamusai level!"

RAIMI complied, and though this increased the spinning to an extent where everyone had to cling to their seats to avoid being thrown against the wall, the shaking and tilting ceased, allowing a somewhat smoother ride(in a sense).

Suddenly, the fall stopped with a sudden THUMP! The Gundamusai shook a bit, but it was over, no more spinning or shaking.

"We have entered Black-Gen," RAIMI announced.

"No kidding…" Bakunetsumaru groaned, getting up. He wondered if the trip back up would be any less distorting.

"Let's take a look around," Captain decided, and the three of them went to the elevator and rode up to the top of the Gundamusai.

Zakozakozakozako

"Wow…" Shute breathed, in awe of his surroundings.

To say that the land called Black-Gen was a wasteland would be stretching a point. To say that it was kinda gloomy would be kinder and more accurate. Although the land stretching out for miles on end with no edge in sight were lush with many types of plants and lakes, as well as forests and the like, there was a constant wall of clouds covering the sky, blocking out the sun and giving the countryside a depressing outlook. There was no sign of civilization, only untamed wilderness.

"So," Bakunetsumaru said, a little creeped out by the lack of sunlight, "Where do we go from here?"

Shute checked the navigator. "Um, that way!" He said, pointing to the east.

"Right," Captain said, "Let's go."

Unfortunately, the Gundamusai was in no condition go anywhere. So the trio decided to go with the next best thing.

"You know," Shute said as he stood on the head of the Re-Equip Ring while the Gundamusai front hatch opened, "I wonder if the Gundamusai's gonna get wrecked in every dimension we go to."

Seeing as the Gundamusai had no alternate means of transport(Captain was going to bring that up on the next mission report), the only thing left was to ride the Re-Equip Ring to Magnificentopia, with Shute on top and Bakunetsumaru inside. Captain would fly alongside with his flight boosters.

"It's probably for the better," Bakunetsumaru said, clinging to the Ring's edge inside on his knees(he didn't want to fall off), "It would be bad for our growth if things got too easy, right?"

As the Ring flew off towards their destination, Captain had all of them keep a look out for any possible danger.

"We're heading towards an area under Dark Axis control," he explained, "So the probability of encountering enemy patrols will increase by 5.465 percent as we get closer. Be on your guard."

However, the flight was without action as possible. It wasn't too long before Shute and Bakunetsumaru lost interest in watching for an ambush and became more interested in observing the natural beauty of the landscape. Plains, plateaus, rivers, lakes, mountains…it was all there. And it was beautiful, and maybe more so without the screen of dark clouds covering the skies. However, at one point they began to see tall buildings coming up.

"What's that?" Bakunetsumaru wondered aloud.

The Ring lowered into what looked like an old city, but not ancient. Though streets were cracked, and moss was growing everywhere, the city didn't look all too bad. Just kinda old.

"Could this be Dr. Exxai's city that was attacked by the Dark Axis?" Bakunetsumaru asked.

Captain looked at Shute. "What's the navigator say, Shute?"

Shute flipped it open. "We still have a ways to go, Captain." He answered.

It was at that moment that lightning flashed and thundered sounded off.

"Ahh!" Shute cried, terrified by the sudden act of nature. He was so shocked(not in the literal sense, mind you) that he fell of the Haro head!

"Gotcha!" Bakunetsumaru grabbed Shute's arm and pulled him into the ring. Once in the ring, Shute breathed a sigh of relief. "Thanks, Baku'."

Captain hovered up to them and said, "We need to get lower to the ground to avoid the lightning."

"Right!" They both agreed.

Zakozakozakozako

As it turned out, the storm wasn't as bad as any of them thought. Still, there were some occasional flashes, and that was more than enough reason to stay low to the ground.

As they flew through the old city, they encountered no signs of Dark Axis activity.

"I wonder why we haven't seen any Dark Axis around here," Bakunetsumaru wondered aloud.

Bakunetsumaru just had to open his mouth, because at that moment, something BIG landed in front of them with a WHAM!

It was a large, crimson robot, with a shield on its back. It had a mid section similar to Z'Gok's, but leaner. It had a mouthpiece like any other Dark Axis robot, but instead of a grill there were two holes on the end. In the direct center of its torso was a light bulb, in a way that it resembled a belt. On each wrist was a beam gauntlet, like Captain's only plainer so that they didn't stand out. Lastly, on the back end of its head were three funnels, resembling a Mohawk of sorts.

But the most obvious and striking feature of it was its size. IT WAS HUGE. Maybe not Dai-Shinsho size, but big enough to tower over Shute's house with ease. The lightning that flashed behind it only made it seem more imposing.

"GREETINGS, GUNDAMS AND HUMAN," It boomed in loud, scary, but somehow familiar voice, "I AM COLONEL GELGOOG, LORD AND MASTER OF THIS PLACE, AND SOON-TO-BE-RULER OF THE ENTIRE PLANET!!!"

"You're pretty loud," Bakunetsumaru commented, "Can't you be quiet?"

"WHAT WAS THAT!?" Gelgoog hollered, completely thrown off.

"You could turn it down a notch," Shute admitted.

"FORGET ABOUT THAT!" Snapped Gelgoog.

Captain looked up at the massive robot. "Colonel Gelgoog!" He yelled, "We have destroyed your leader General Zeong and comrades Sazabi and Z'Gok, surrender before the same happens to you!"

"HUH? Uh…WHO CARES ABOUT THAT!?" Boomed Gelgoog, "I'M GOING TO DESTROY YOU GUYS BEFORE YOU INVADE MY CAPTITAL CITY, MAGNIFICENTOPIA!"

"How'd you know that's where we're going?" Shute asked, confused.

"I KNOW EVERYTHING!" Bragged Gelgoog loudly, "NOW DIE!"

At these words, a beam sabre popped out of his back and into his hand, which ignited. Given the size of Gelgoog's hand, this equaled a beam the size of telephone pole! Naturally, the trio put some considerable distance between them and the Colonel upon seeing this. As Bakunetsumaru leapt from the Re-Equip Ring, Captain said, "We'll take care of him, Shute! You go on ahead!"

Shute looked at the giant robot. "What about you guys? I can't leave you!"

"Don't worry about us!" Bakunetsumaru said, unsheathing his swords, "We can take him!"

Shute wasn't convinced. "But how will you guys get to the city without me? I've got the navigator!"

"The Re-Equip Ring has a beacon I can detect," Captain explained, "We'll follow it to where the Navigator will lead you." Suddenly Gelgoog blasted forward, beam saber to bear. "Now go!"

Shute, reluctantly, nodded. As the Re-Equip Ring flew away with boy in tow, the Gundams prepared to fight their foe. They leapt away just in time to avoid being chopped in half by Gelgoog's telephone-length beam saber.

"HA! NOT BAD, DODGING THAT!" Gelgoog taunted, "BUT DON'T YOU THINK YOU SHOULD HAVE RUN AWAY WITH YOUR FRIEND?!"

"What kind of cowards do you think we are?" Bakunetsumaru demanded hotly.

"THE KIND THAT DIE!" Gelgoog hollered, bringing his saber down. Baku' swung his swords up and blocked the attack, his arms straining under the weight. While this happened, Captain rocketed up and delivered a solid kick to the Colonel's face, knocking his back a step.

"OW!" Cried Gelgoog, stumbling, "YOU'LL PAY FOR THAT!"

Gelgoog began to wildly swing his saber around. However, his long exaggerated movements gave the gundam pair plenty of openings to exploit. This meant a great dea of hit and run tactics.

"It's a good thing he's such a terrible swordsman," Bakunetsumaru commented, "Otherwise we'd be in trouble."

"Yes, his skill levels are remarkably low," Captain agreed, somewhat confused. Compared to the other leaders of the Dark Axis, Sazabi, Z'Gok, Zeong(He didn't want to include Madnug) had a considerable amount of fighting power to go with their ranks, but Gelgoog seemed to have little of that. The only advantage the Colonel had was his size, and even that didn't seem to help. Captain, even with Bakunetsumaru's help, didn't need the Soul Drive's power. And Gelgoog's voice sounded familiar to boot.

"DON'T GET COCKY!" Snapped Gelgoog. He brought his beam saber down, creating a great trench in the pavement when Captain and Bakunetsumaru jumped away.

"We can't spend all day doing this!" Captain yelled over to the samurai, "We need to catch up with Shute!"

"My thoughts exactly!" Bakunetsumaru declared, "Tenkyo-Ken!"

Bakunetsumaru slashed at the air, creating a fiery 'x' flying at Gelgoog.

"Hyper Mode, power up!" The vents around Captain's face opened up as they and the pads on his flight boosters gathered energy. "V Attack, fire!"

Captain's fired his V-shaped beam from his fin, and the ray combined with the Tenkyo Ken's fiery 'x'. As the crossed over attack flew at Gelgoog, the Colonel swung his beam saber to meet it. In a display of impressive power, he managed to bat it aside, though not without straining a bit. The re-directed attack crashed into a building, destroying it in an instant.

Zakozakozakozako

Somewhere further up the way, Shute looked back. He heard an explosion…back where Captain and Bakunetsumaru were fighting, if he guessed right.

"Captain…" Shute murmured. He looked toward where he was going. He looked back.

Zakozakozakozako

Back at the battle, the gundams were now having some trouble. Although Gelgoog was big and unwieldy, his large strong armor was difficult to penetrate, and his size gave him great strength, capable of tossing buildings, which he demonstrated at one point. This put the gundams on the defensive, and it was especially hard on Bakunetsumaru, who, unlike his teammates, had no means of flight. Captain tried to score some hits with his wrist gauntlets and V Rod. Unfortunately, Gelgoog blocked those with his shield.

"I think we were overconfident," Captain confessed, landing next to Bakunetsumaru.

"No kidding!" The Musha Gundam replied.

"AND IT GETS WORSE FROM HERE!" Gelgoog yelled nastily. He flung his shield at the pair, causing the two to leap up to avoid it. This proved to be a mistake, as while Captain was up in mid-air, Gelgoog grabbed him in his free hand.

"GOTCHA!" the Colonel cheered victoriously.

"Captain!" Baku' cried in a panic.

Captain squirmed in the iron grip. "Too tight…"

"WHAT DO YOU DO NOW, SAMURAI?" Gelgoog taunted, shaking Captain, "RUN AWAY AND LEAVE YOUR FRIEND TO HIS DOOM? AND IF YOU DON'T, THAT KID WHO WENT AHEAD WILL BE EASY PICKINGS FOR MY ZAKO SOLDIERS!" That said, Gelgoog began to laugh terribly.

"What do I do…" Bakunetsumaru was in a true dilemma. His pride and honor would never allow him to flee and abandon Captain, but he knew Shute would be waiting for them at Magnificentopia, and would be open to an ambush(He knew Shute had plenty of courage and potential, but no real training, something he wanted to rectify.).

"HEH-HEH… NO ANSWER? OH WELL!" Gelgoog raised his beam saber up and Captain down, planning to lop off the Mobile Defender's head(Don't think about it). However, before he could follow through with his intentions…

"Hey, you!"

…Shute, riding on the Re-Equip Ring, came flying from behind, ramming into Gelgoog! This caused the Colonel to fall and lose his grip on his beam saber…and Captain! Now free, Captain flew up to meet Shute.

"Shute, you came back," Captain said softly.

"You bet!" Shute grinned.

"Hey!" Bakunetsumaru pointed with his swords, "He's getting back up!"

Indeed, Gelgoog was back on his feet. He pulled out a second beam saber out from behind him, and ignited it. "NO MORE MR. NICE COLONEL!"

Shute looked at Captain. "Don't worry, that guy's nothing! You can do it!"

Captain felt a surge of power as his Soul Drive charged with life. His fist glowed gold with energy.

"I'll create an opening!" Bakunetsumaru called out before slashing with his swords, "Tenkyo-Ken!"

The fiery 'x' flew at Gelgoog who, like last time, moved to bat it aside with his beam saber. This time, he forgot to anticipate Captain, who moved in at high speed to deliver his Captain Punch.

BA-KOOM!

Captain landed next to the others as they gazed at the smoke that soon cleared away. When it did, they saw the extent of their combined attack. Gelgoog was covered in cracks and scorch marks, and both arms were blown off, along with a portion of his face.

"HEH-HEH… NOT BAD. YOU GUYS ARE STRONGER THAN I THOUGHT," He began to rocket up toward the sky, "BUT DON'T WORRY. WE'LL SEE EACH OTHER AGAIN…AND IT WILL BE MAGNIFICENT!"

The trio stared as the Colonel disappeared into the sky. Captain looked at Shute. "Which way do we go?"

Shute flipped open the navigator. "That way," He said, pointing.

As Shute pointed, the sky began to darken, signaling the coming of night. Suddenly, lights in the distance began to blink on. It wasn't long before a huge cluster of bright lights appeared.

Like a city. And in the direction the navigator pointed.

"That must be it," Captain decided, "Magnificentopia."

"Stupid name aside, it really IS magnificent!" BAkunetsumaru breathed, gazing at the sight.

"Right," Shute nodded. He pumped his fist, and shot into the air. "Let's GO!"


	36. New Unit! A Soul Reborn

_Hi, everyone! Shute here! Last time, Captain, Bakunetsumaru and I were on our way to Magnificentopia when we encountered the leader of this dimension's Dark Axis- Colonel Gelgoog. It was tough battle, and even though we won in the end, I wonder…shouldn't he have been…tougher?_

New Unit! A Soul Reborn

The three Gundam Force members Captain, Shute, and Bakunetsumaru walked bravely down the hallways of Magnificentopia's central building, a complex that resembled several science fiction references mashed together. The navigator Shute got from Dr. Exxai told them that the main generator for the entire city was in that structure.

After flying through the city on the Re-Equip Ring, the threesome sent the Ring back to the city outskirts while they infiltrated the main building.

"Will you cut that out?" Shute snapped at Bakunetsumaru, who had just whirled around for what may have been the thirtieth time. "You're creeping me out!"

"I apologize, Shute," Baku' replied, "But I cannot escape this feeling of unease."

Ever since the fight with Colonel Gelgoog, the leader of the attacking forces, the trio had encountered absolutely no enemies from that point on. Even after they entered the city, nothing, not even Zako Soldiers(A must for every Dark Axis invasion force, judging from past experience) had attacked them. It was more than a little bizarre.

It was downright spooky.

"Maybe they evacuated after we fought Colonel Gelgoog," Shute suggested, trying to lift the feel of ill-boding.

"Why would they do that?" Captain asked, "The extent of his damage wasn't fatal,"

"I don't know- hey, what's that?!" Shute pointed to a door that was slightly ajar.

Inside the room were Zako Soldiers. Lots and lots of Zako Soldiers. They weren't moving, nor showing any signs of life.

Shute, in spite of himself, called out to them.

"Hello?" he yelled, "HELLO?"

Bakunetsumaru stared in confusion. "Are they sleeping?"

Captain scanned the inert robots. "They appear to be inactive."

Shute tried one more time to get their attention. "ZakoZako Hour!" He called out.

Nothing.

Shute looked at his friends. "This is weird."

"Agreed," Captain answered, "If the city is under Dark Axis control, why are none of their units active? This is indeed very peculiar."

No sooner did the words leave Captain's…mouth did the supposedly inert Zako Soldiers sprang to life. Hundreds of red singular eyes turned to glare at the trio.

"You had to say that." Bakunetsumaru groaned as alarms and klaxons began to blare.

"WARNING! INTRUDER ALERT! INTRUDER!" A loud an obnoxious voice blared on the P.A.

Pretty soon the gundams and boy were running down the corridor, hopefully from whatever security that had been set up. Eventually, they came to a door labled, "Main Switch Room".

"This is it!" Shute yelled.

The three charged into room and slammed the door shut. The room was a mass of various meters and buttons, but in the very center was large switch. Above was a sign that said, "CITY MAIN POWER SWITCH".

Suddenly, the navigator spoke(?!) up.

"You are now in the main power room," it said in a recording of Dr. Exxai's voice, "Turn the main power switch to 'off' and Gelgoog's control over the city's automated functions will be null and void."

"WARNING! INTRUDER IN MAIN SWITCH ROOM! ALL SYSTEMS PREPARE FOR AUTOMATIC DEFENSIVE MEASURES!"

Captain noticed that the security cameras stationed on several key points in the room had small beam emitter where the lens' were.

"Flip that switch!" He ordered.

Shute, who wasn't busy keeping the door shut like the two Gundams were, quickly made use of his increasing reflexes and dived at the switch.

CLICK!

All at once the lights went out, and the room was plunged into darkness.

"Now what do we do?" Shute asked, his eyes slowly adjusting to the dark.

Unfortunately, a trapdoor the size of a camp tent opened up beneath them and they found themselves falling.

Zakozakozakozako

The trio landed in room that was sparsely lit. Shute hit the ground first, and not long after him Captain and Baku came as well. Landing a bit to the side of the boy, thankfully.

Off to the side, shute noticed, standing in what might be the direct center of the room(Shute couldn't tell- it was too dark) was a robot, standing in a beam of light that gave an almost heavenly glow.

It was painted a bright gold color, though it may have been a trick of the lighting, except for the torso. That was painted a deep blue. On its back was an odd booster with what looked like folded-in wings. Its face was vaguely gundam, but the faceplate was different, and the eyes didn't have irises. There was, Shute realized after a minute, an unusual presence about it…

"What is that?" Bakunetsumaru asked, after shoving Captain off him(It was a painful landing).

"SOMETHING MAGNIFICENT!" Gelgoog's voice boomed from out of nowhere. Another light turned on, illuminating Colonel Gelgoog, looking no better from his fight with the threesome.

"EVERYTHING WENT EXATCLY AS PLANNED!"

Captain suddenly noted that the voice wasn't coming from Gelgoog himself, but from speakers all over the room.

"HEH-HEH, NOW, ON TO PHASE-"

A sudden creaking and groaning noise cut the Colonel(?) off.

"UM, THAT'S NOT GOOD…"

Bits and pieces of Gelgoog's body began to fall over, slowly at first, but picking up speed with passing seconds.

"STUPID SURPLUS METAL."

With a final crash, Gelgoog fell to pieces! Shute, Captain and Bakunetsumaru stared in confusion.

"So…did we win?" Shute asked at last.

Before he could get an answer, the scrap metal that was once Gelgoog moved!

"Ow, that hurt."

"Of course it did, you idiot!"

Shute and Bakunetsumaru sweatdropped. Those voices sounded familiar…

"Out of my way! Where's the exit?!"

Out from the pile of scrap popped out…Dr. Exxai and Samantha Dottz!

"Huh?" Samantha noticed that they were staring. "What are you doing?! Help me!"

Bakunetsumaru, annoyed along with confused, pointed a sword at the Madame President. "Help you? You two idiots are in this together, aren't you!?"

Tears began to well up in Samantha's eyes. Suddenly, like a pair of twin waterfalls, salty water began to gush forth(Like in an anime!).

"Don't lump me with this idiot!!!" Sobbed Samantha.

Shute and Baku' stared with bugged-out eyes. Captain, unaffected by the whole thing, said, "I think you hurt her feelings."

"It's not my fault! This whole Dark Axis thing was just something from some stupid world conquest plan Exxai cooked up!" While Samantha was talking, some of the scrap next to her began to shake, "He told us about it on the way here!"

"Us?" Captain asked.

It was at that moment that Princess Rele popped out of the wreckage!

"Princess Rele!?" Shute cried, dumbstruck, "What are _you_ doing here!?"

"I was kidnapped by that idiot!" The Princess snapped, pointing at Exxai, "Along with _this_ idiot!" she finished, pointing at Samantha.

"All right, _what is going on here!?_" Bakunetsumaru roared, waving his swords around in fury.

Dr. Exxai, nonplussed by the samurai's fury, hopped out of the wreckage and made silly faces at the gundam.

"All right, you wanna know what's going on? I'll tell you! You've been set up!" He teased, "The Dark Axis did come here, but that was years ago! Just after that horribly fixed election!"

_ZakozakoExxai Narrationzakozako_

_While I was setting up my personal kingdom to rule, an army headed by Colonel Gelgoog came to conquer the world. Thankfully, I was able to bring them under my control by use of high-frequency jamming. After that, it was child's play to destroy the only one that resisted- Colonel Gelgoog. While I was constructing the robotic suit from a few minutes ago, I discovered a mysterious object that may have been the reason why I couldn't control him with the jammer, and the source of his power- An object you call…The Soul Drive! No matter how much I researched and tested, I couldn't find out the secret behind the Soul Drive's strength._

_ZakozakoEnd Narrationzakozako_

"But now, thanks to you guys, I have discovered the method to activating the Soul Drive!" Exxai cheered gleefully.

"So?" Samantha asked scornfully. While Exxai was talking, Princess Rele made her way back to Captain, Baku', and most notably, Shute.

"So, I'm going to destroy the lands of Blue-Gen," Exxai explained, "That way, every will _have_ to live here- under my rule!"

"Not if I cut you down, here and now!" Bakunetsumaru, swords drawn, lunged at the mad scientist. However, before he could get close enough to do the deed, the mysterious robot- which had been unnoticed till now- was suddenly between the megalomaniac and the musha gundam.

"Wha-?" Bakunetsumaru let out, confused. He skidded to a halt, his swords still ready.

"Where did that come from?" Shute cried, confused, "And what is it?"

Exxai grinned evilly. "After removing the Soul Drive from Gelgoog, I placed it into a robot of my own designs. And after ninety-nine failures, I have created the ultimate force to aid with my conquest of Genesis with this, my one hundredth attempt! Now, Robot See, destroy those weirdoes!"

The Robot (See, as dubbed by Exxai) wasted no time following orders. He swung his arm and knocked Bakunetsumaru away, though the samurai did his best to 'roll with the punches'. Not missing a beat, See launched himself at Baku', and brought his fist down upon the musha gundam. Bakunetsumaru quickly rolled out of the way to avoid having a knuckle-shaped dent in his face. However, he was unable to avoid the subsequent stomp on his chest.

"Ooh!" Bakunetsumaru groaned as he felt footprint being made on his midsection.

"We have to help him!" Shute cried in despair.

"My thoughts exactly," Captain took aim with his V Rod and shot a beam at Robot See. To his surprise, the beam carelessly reflected off of See and went upwards.

"Some kind of beam-proof armor?" Captain wondered. He was about to remove See from Baku' personally when a sharp wind blew in, blowing the robot off of the musha gundam.

"Hey, did it just get drafty in here?" Samantha asked. Then she noticed something and pointed upwards. "Hey, look!"

"Whenever there are fair maidens in distress," Zero said, floating above everyone with his sword and shield ready, "Or evil villainy afoot, there will always brave knights to fight! And the greatest among them will always be Zero, the Winged Knight!"

"How did you get here?!" Demanded Exxai.

"And how long have you been floating there!?" Bakunetsumaru demanded. Why couldn't have that so-called lady's man have come in earlier?

"Ever since you absconded with my fair ladies, I have followed you closely to this place," Zero explained matter-of-factly, "And I have kept myself secret until the appropriate time."

"More like you wanted to show me up," Baku growled, "The appropriate time was five minutes ago!"

"Just because you have no sense of subtlety doesn't mean I don't!" Zero shot back.

Exxai was getting fed up with all this. "Okay, this is getting stupid," He pointed, "Robot See, destroy those morons!"

At those words, Robot See opened the wings and activated its boosters. In an instant it was up in the air right next to Zero. Before Zero could react, See grabbed the Winged Knight and flung him at Bakunetsumaru, who couldn't get away in time to avoid the collision.

CRASH!

As Robot See watched the two Gundam warriors try to untangle themselves(with little or no success) a beam shot bounced off its back.

Captain couldn't believe it. He lowered his V-Rod, having snapped it together. "Does he have some kind of beam proof armor?" He asked, "I wonder if he felt that?"

Captain got his answer when Robot See turned around and glared down on the GP01. Captain quickly saw what was going to happen and gestured to Shute and Princess Rele.

"Quick! Get away!" He yelled, and Rele summoned a Mana circle for herself and Shute to ride on.

No sooner did the two fly to a safer point did See blast its way at Captain, knocking him flat on the floor. And before Captain could get up, See stomped him on the chest. Leaping straight up, See attempted to repeat its previous actions at higher velocity, when Captain unleashed several rounds on his head-vulcans. See quickly raised its arms to block the assault, and landed a ways to the side of Captain.

'It can handle beams, but not bullets?' Captain thought.

Before See could assault Captain again, Bakunetsumaru leapt at it, swords drawn. See quickly dodged the swords and grabbed the samurai's wrists- both of them- and flung Baku' away. Landing on his feet, Bakunetsumaru prepared to slash his swords into the air.

"Secret Arts, Baku Netsu! Tenkyo-Ken!" Baku' unleashed his fiery 'x' at Robot See, but to no avail. When Bakunetsumaru made to slash his swords, See blasted toward him- ducking under the 'x'- and socked him in the face. As Baku' skidded away on his back, See stopped his motion by slamming his foot on the Musha Gundam's chest.

"Oof!" Baku's eyes popped out some before going inert. The wind was effectively knocked out of him.

Satisfied with Bakunetsumaru's lack of movement, Robot See turned its attention back to the others.

Meanwhile, Dr. Exxai had hopped into an odd flying craft- something that resembled a Cadillac with no wheels, but booster rockets- and was watching the fight with eager anticipation.

"Did you see that? Robot See took out that loser in record time!" Excited, Exxai whipped out a microphone and began yelling into it. "Gooo, See!"

Samantha, tied and gagged in the seat next to Exxai, was not impressed.

Meanwhile, Zero tried his hand at defeating the Robot.

"Super Magical Violet Tornado!" Zero unleashed a petal-laced blast of wind from his sword. See didn't bother to fight against the wind, though. Instead, it ran with the wind to its back. With the extra push of momentum from the gust, See circled around and brought its fist into Zero.

"Ugh!" Zero grunted, but See wasn't done yet. Acting quickly, See grabbed Zero and boosted up into the air, then rocketed downwards, slamming Zero into the ground in a high-speed piledriver. Oddly enough, it seemed to be moving faster than before.

"Zero!" Princess Rele shrieked in alarm.

"Yeeees!" Crowed Exxai, "Two down, one to go!" He began to yell into his microphone again. "Go, go, See!"

See wasted no time in following orders, and turned to attack Captain. The Mobile Defender was already up in the air by means of his flight boosters, and once again tried to strike Robot See with a shot from the V Rod. Like before, the beam harmlessly bounced off See's armor. Not missing a beat, See went after Captain. Captain quickly slid his scope down, hoping to use the enhanced vision to catch the robot's movements. No such luck. See was simply going to fast for Captain to react in time, and before he knew it, See was behind him. Captain realized in an instant that See was going after his boosters, and was quick to turn around. See ducked away when Captain fired his head vulcans, and was once again behind him.

'I have to get away!' Captain thought frantically as he rocketed a distance further from See, 'It's too dangerous to fight hand-to-hand!'

As the two combatants zipped around the room, See trying to get closer to Captain while Captain was trying to keep his distance, Shute did his best to energize the Soul Drive.

"Go for it, Captain!" Shute yelled, but there was no visible change in Captain's abilities. This is something Rele noticed.

"It's not working!" She gasped.

Captain, meanwhile, was moving at speeds he hadn't before without pause. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Shute's mouth moving, but couldn't hear a word he saying…

And with that moment of distraction, he was lost. See was behind him, and tore his flight boosters clear off. As Captain began to fall(As was expected) he felt a pressure from above increasing his speed. See was going to drive him into the ground!

"CAPTAIN!" Shute screamed as he watched his best friend get plowed directly into the floor with a thunderous crash. The GP01 did not get up.

"Captain…" Shute said softly as he stared at the limp form.

"YEEEEESS!" Cheered Exxai, pumping his arms like a madman, "See, that was brilliant! You truly are my finest weapon!" He pointed upward. "Now, on to phase 2!"

Robot See flew up to what must have been an exit in the ceiling, with Exxai and his unwilling guest following.

"Where are they going?" Princess Rele asked aloud. She then noticed Shute wasn't listening to her. He was staring at the prone forms of the gundams.

Zakozakozakozako

With nothing else to accomplish, Shute And Princess Rele decided to leave the complex with their unconscious friends. Luckily, there had been an door at the floor level of the room, so they didn't have to use the ceiling exit Exxai and See used. As the Gundam Force went throughout the complex(Rele was carrying the gundams on a mana circle), they met up with some Zako Soldiers. Oddly enough, the Zakos seemed less concerned with the humans and gundams than they were with their current surroundings.

"That was odd…" Rele mused, "Why didn't they attack us?"

"I dunno…" Shute muttered, thinking. He then snapped his fingers. "I get it! When we turned off the power for the city, we also turned off whatever Exxai was using to control the Zakos! He already turned Gelgoog into a mobile suit, so they don't have anyone to take orders from!"

Rele considered this. Though the Dark Axis that nearly destroyed Lacroa were villains of the worst sort, the ones that decided to work outside of their Soul Drive powered leaders(AKA, Zapper's gang) were less hostile, and, in some cases, friendly. And from what she heard about Sazabi's leadership methods from the Zakos during her stay in Ark, it seemed that the Soul Drive robots relied more on intimidation than guidance.

Eventually, they made it outside, where to their surprise the Gundamusai was parked right in front. After the repairs were completed, RAIMI directed the ship to where Captain's locator beacon was sending its signal.

As they boarded the Gundamusai, Shute gave the order to head to the entrance to blue-Gen. And to call the SDG.

Zakozakozakozako

In Blue-Gen, things were far less peaceful then they were in Black-Gen. In the floating islands, civilized areas were being destroyed, and people were fleeing their homes in droves. And the most mind-boggling thing was that whatever was causing the destruction, it did it so quickly that by the time the military showed up to quell the situation, it was long gone, onward to it's next target.

In his hover-car, Dr. Exxai had a bird's eye view of the destruction.

"Magnificent!" He chuckled nastily, "This is going better than I thought! In just a few more hours, Blue-Gen will be completely uninhabitable!"

Samantha, with her arms and now her legs strapped to her seat(A response to her repeated kicks to Exxai's shins) glared. She always thought Exxai was more than a little eccentric(What madman promised to legalize doomsday devices?), but now she was convinced he had flown completely off the handle. "So?" She asked peevishly, "What good does that do?"

Exxai decided Samantha, aside from being a totally useless leader(Even though he was just as bad as her) was deserving of a little explanation. So, adjusting his position(And brushing his leg against the hover-car's console to boot), he began to explain.

"You see, with Blue-Gen unfit for civilized living, the people will have no place to go but to Black-Gen. And the only civilized place in Black-Gen(To my knowledge) is my city! They'll have no choice but to live under my rule!"

Exxai was so intent on his bragging/explanation, that he didn't notice that the communications unit had been turned on…and who it was transmitting to.

Zakozakozakozako

At the governmental command central for the Skylands, things were more than a little hectic. The kidnapping of the Madame President, followed by the attacks on the cities, had stressed more than one nerve cell, and no ones nerves were more stressed by this than General Bradley, head of military operations.

The General was about to take his third dose of stomach medicine for the day(for his increasingly frequent ulcer) when an aid burst in.

"General Bradley!" The aid cried.

"What is it!?" Bradley cried in response, dropping his glass of water.

The aid placed a recorder on Bradley's deck. "Communications just picked this up," he explained, "We thought you might want to hear this."

The aid pushed the 'play' button, and the following dialogue was heard;

"_You see, with Blue-Gen unfit for civilized living, the people will have no place to go but to Black-Gen. And the only civilized place in Black-Gen(To my knowledge) is my city! They'll have no choice but to live under my rule!"_

Bradley's eyes widened. That was Exxai! And there was more…

"_And to add the cherry on top, See's programmed to destroy the polar icecaps at the North Pole! Without the cold air from all those icebergs, the cloud layer holding up the sky islands will thin out- and the skylands will drop like rocks!"_

Bradley couldn't believe it! Of course it made sense that Exxai would have a hand in the random attacks, but to wipe out Blue-Gen as well!? Even for an ex-university professor that suffered a nervous breakdown, this was nuts!

"Send all available units to the North Pole!" He ordered, "We have to stop this cataclysm from happening!" As the aid began to leave the room, Bradley said, "And one more thing!"

Zakozakozakozako

On the Gundamusai, the Gundam Force was busy giving the run-down on the situation on Genesis.

The revival of the gundams hadn't been as difficult as Shute and Princess Rele originally thought. Rele had used her magic to heal Zero and Bakunetsumaru(holding a riceball of the samuari's nose had helped as well), and Shute, with the help RAIMI and direction of Kao Lyn via dimensional comm' had been able to repair Captain. After that, they told Chief Haro what was going on.

"A robot made from Dark Axis technology?" Chief Haro asked.

"That's right, sir," Shute answered, "That Exxai guy we told you about put the Soul Drive in Colonel Gelgoog inside a uber-strong machine called, Robot See."

"Fascinating!" Kao Lyn said in the background, performing his martial art moves, "To figure out the secret behind the Soul Drive in such short time…this Exxai must be a genius!"

"He may be a genius, but he's still a villain," Bakunetsumaru grumbled, rubbing his chest. It was still sore. "That fiend will taste my blade next we meet."

"Chief Haro," Captain said, "With your permission, we are going to remain in this dimension until the situation is resolved. It IS our fault Exxai knows how the Soul Drive works."

"Roger that, Captain," Chief Haro said, saluting, "Good luck to you all."

The communications screen blipped out.

As the Gundamusai flew to the entrance to Blue-Gen, the Gundamusai took the time to discuss on how they were going to do about Exxai- or more specifically, his weapon, Robot See.

"What I don't get is why your Soul Drive didn't energize," Shute said to Captain, "It usually does."

Captain said, "I didn't hear you."

"HUH?!" Everyone cried, blanching.

"When See and I were fighting, we were moving at high-speed," Captain explained, "There's a 98.67 chance that your voice couldn't reach us."

"But Exxai's could!" Shute didn't get it. "We both heard him cheering and See kept getting stronger- how d'you explain that?"

"I saw Exxai yelling into a device of some kind during the fight," Princess Rele mentioned.

"Hey, you're right!" Shute cried, "I bet that thing sent his voice directly into See's Soul Drive!"

"Then in order to neutralize See, we must destroy this device," Zero concluded.

They were interrupted as RAIMI alerted them to the fact that they were about to enter Blue-Gen.

"Grab hold of something!" Bakunetsumaru remembered with intricate detail on how turbulent the voyage down was.

Surprisingly, the trip up was somewhat less churning. This was because RAIMI steered the ship to fly with the air currents while going upwards. Upon arriving in Blue-Gen, they received a communication.

As it turned out, it was General Bradley.

"Finally!" Bradley cried, "I've been trying to get ahold of you for who knows how long! We need your help!"

Ten minutes and two tedious explanations later…

"So Exxai is going to destroy the polar icecaps?" Captain asked.

"Yes! Even now, his robot- what'd you call it, See?- is heading north as we speak!" Bradley answered, "I know it's a bit much to ask so much of you, but can we count on you to stop Exxai's plans?"

"Rest assured," Bakunetsumaru answered, "We will not stop until that fiend is brought to justice!"

"But how does attacking the North Pole fit into his plans?" Princess Rele asked, confused.

"At the North Pole there are active volcanoes buried underneath the ice and snow," Bradley explained, "Our scientists theorize that the constant clashing of hot and cold temperatures is what created the cloud layer holding up Blue-Gen's sky islands. If the icecaps were to melt or the volcanoes erupt…it would spell the end of Blue-Gen! The cloud layer would thin out and the skylands would crash into Black-Gen!"

Shute shot up from where he was sitting. "Then what are we waiting for? We gotta get up there before See and Exxai do!"

Zakozakozakozako

While all of this was going on, See itself was doing some introspect thing. When See was performing it's first duty, he received much positive response from Creator. But now that it was implementing the first stages of The Plan, the response rate was…not so positive.

"_No!"_

"_My home!"_

"_Why!? Dear lord, why!?"_

It was fulfilling its preprogrammed directive…so why was it not getting the positive feedback it received previously?

"_Monster!"_

"_Why do you do these things!?"_

Was it not performing its mission successfully? Was that why it received so much negative feedback?

"_There it is!"_

"_Run away!"_

Well, it couldn't do anything about it now. It had a mission to accomplish. On to Phase 3!

Zakozakozakozako

Exxai grinned evilly as he stared at the console. "See is going north! That means it's time for the final stage of my domination!"

Samantha, tied, gagged, and effectively incapable of any communication, verbal or physical, glared. Why did they have go all the way to the North Pole? Couldn't they just go back to the office?

Zakozakozakozako

See arrived at the point in the snow where the volcano was directly underneath. All that was needed was to go and activate the volcano, thus melting the icecaps and fulfilling The Plan. It was about to do just that when the sound of gunfire filled the air…from behind!

See shifted aside to avoid the bullets, and whirled around to face its attacker. Flying up to him was none other than…Hyper Captain Gundam, Option F!

The two of them landed in the snow, staring each other down.

'I don't see Exxai around,' Captain thought, "Good. That increases the chances of victory by 12.91."

See, meanwhile, was thinking about the revelation on Captain being alive. Was that the reason he received so much negativity? That he did not fulfill Creator's previous commands? Therefore, before initiating Phase 3 of The Plan, See decided that completing Creator's first order- to destroy Captain Gundam- took precedence. Activating its booster, See launched itself at Captain.

Zakozakozakozako

On the Gundamusai bridge, Shute and Rele watched the fight going on.

"They're going at it already!" Shute yelled, "I should be out there with Captain!"

"We need to keep an eye out for Exxai, if he's coming," Princess Rele replied, "That was the plan we discussed."

"Yeah, but even without Exxai, See is moving faster than Captain!" Shute protested, "He needs the Soul Drive's power!"

Rele's eyes narrowed as she thought about what Shute said. Then something caught her eye. "What's that?"

Zakozakozakozako

Exxai and Samantha arrived at the North Pole moments ago(They would've gotten there sooner, but Exxai wanted to buy snacks.), eager to watch the destruction of Blue-Gen(Okay, just Exxai.).

"That's weird," Exxai mentioned, in between mouthfuls of chips, "I figured the icecaps would've started melting by now…what's the hold-up?"

A loud bang was heard, drawing Exxai's attention in the direction it erupted from. There he saw See fighting Captain.

"What the!?" Exxai's eyes bugged out. He whipped out a pair of binoculars to take a closer look. "It's Captain! How come he's still- Oh never mind! Looks like See needs help!" Exxai whipped out his microphone, and was about to yell in it, when something caught his attention. "What's that?"

Zero, carrying Bakunetsumaru, flew at the Cadillac, swords drawn.

Zakozakozakozako

As See fought Captain, he began to hear Creator's voice.

"_What are you doing? Stop that! I mean it! No!"_

See froze. Creator was…critizing him! It did not compute!

See began to short circuit, as the positive and negative energies collided in the Soul Drive.

Captain noticed the drop in See's combat abilities and sucker punched it.

Zakozakozakozako

On the Cadillac, things were getting a little rough. Zero was trying to save Samantha, a feat made difficult by the numerous straps and restraints keeping her locked to her seat. At the same time, Bakunetsumaru was trying to relieve Exxai of his microphone, a feat made harder by the fact Exxai was less than eager to surrender, and the samurai couldn't get as 'persuasive' as he liked with Samantha still stuck in shotgun.

"All right! That's it!" Bakunetsumaru lunged at Exxai and grabbed the mic, in a desperate attempt to take it. "Hand it over!"

"What are you doing?" Exxai demanded, pulling the mic back , "Stop that! I mean it! No!"

A harsh tug-o-war ensued, one that ended with Samantha falling out of the tilting hovercar.

"WAAAAH!" The Madame President shrieked as she plummeted toward the freezing floor below in what would be a painful and frigid end.

Luckily, Zero caught her just before hitting the ice.

"Are you all right, milady?" Zero asked in his most chivalrous voice.

"Yeah…I am…thanks!" Without further ado, Samantha pressed her lips against Zero's cheek in a kiss, completely forgetting you are NOT supposed to put your lips against metal in low temperatures.

"…"

Up in the Cadillac, Exxai and Baku' watched the entire thing.

"That was close," Baku' noted.

"A shame, too." Exxai sighed.

Realizing that Exxai was distracted, and there was no danger of harming friends, Bakunetsumaru unsheathed his swords and pointed the end of one at Exxai's throat.

"Hand that thing over!" Bakunetsumaru ordered.

"Um, hold on," Exxai slowly made to hand the mic, then threw it over the edge. Bakunetsumaru stared for a minute before glaring back at Exxai.

"Well?" Exxai asked.

"Well what?" Bakunetsumaru asked back.

"Aren't you going to dive after it?" Exxai asked, flummoxed, "Isn't that what you're after?"

"What I was after was you not using it," Baku' verified, "Tossing over the side like that just easier! Thanks!"

Exxai looked at him for a moment. Then he took a hold of the steering wheel, and the Cadillac pointed down, causing Bakunetsumaru(who was standing on the hood) to fall over off it.

"See ya!" Cackled Exxai as he watched the Musha Gundam plummet toward the ground, "Now, to get the spare out…" It was then that Exxai realized that the mic he threw out WAS the spare, the first one having been lost on the trip from Black-Gen to Blue-Gen. "Dang!"

Zakozakozakozako

Meanwhile, Captain continued his fight with See, scoring a few good hits here and there. But the problem was now See was acting very erratically, seemingly losing control of its movements(A Processing error? A result of the numerous blows?). This made it difficult, as it was now harder to predict its next action.

"If I could only get a clean shot at it once…" Captain knew that one decent blow could end the battle. In order to achieve its level of speed, See's armor couldn't be very durable, since it was designed for agility. The strength of its attacks could only be made with great momentum.

"Captain!"

That was Shute! Captain looked over and saw Shute flying up on a mana circle, the Gundamusai without Rele's invisibility spell.

Shute shot his arm in the air. "Go for it!"

Strength flowed through Captain as the Soul Drive energized. Captain went to perform his Hyper Captain Punch, but as his fist connected, a strange thought, completely not his own, went through Captain's mind.

"_I just don't understand…"_

Thus did Robot See shot down toward the snow, going deeper and deeper upon impact. It didn't come out of the hole.

Later, when the Gundam Force and Samantha converged on the Gundamusai's deck(And Samantha was forcibly removed from Zero's check, painfully), Captain couldn't help but feel a little sad.

"Hey, whuth wrong?" Samantha asked, her lips little numb, "You saved the world and beat that evil robot, why so sad?"

"I don't believe See was evil," Captain replied, "He appeared, in the end, confused."

"Confused?" Asked Shute, "About what?"

"When I first met you, Shute, I began to experience feelings that were not programmed into me," Captain explained, "It's quite possible that See's Soul Drive gave See emotions that confused it."

Suddenly, the conversation was broken up by a evil laugh. Up in front of the Gundamusai was Exxai in his hovercar!

"You fools!" Exxai cackled, "You think this changes anything!? I'm still here! And I have THIS!"

He whipped out disk, very much like the ones the Gundam Force had been finding in different dimensions.

"The data on this disk allowed me to create See, and I'll be able to create another one, one that won't be inhibited by emotions and such! And then I'll take over the entire p-!" He was cut off as his potato-shaped head became a potato-shaped rose bush.

"You talk too much," Princess Rele said sternly, and the others laughed. AS they were laughing, Exxai dropped the disk, which landed on the deck. Shute ran up and snatched it quickly.

'I'm gonna take this to Chief Haro,' The 4th grader thought with great determination, 'And figure out what they mean…'

Zakozakozakozako

Coming up next, the mystery of the disks, and the final destination! Plus, Genki Power Squad returns!


	37. Zakozako whatever

"ZakoZako Hour!"

An iron curtain rose, showng three Zako Soldiers, each carrying a distinctive microphone. One was round and blue. Another was square and yellow. And the third was pyramid-like and red.

"Hello, ladies and gentlebots," Blue Mic Zako said, "And welcome to the ZakoZako Hour! Today's meeting is all about…"

The other two chimed in with him, "Our new city and how we got it!"

There was applause.

"Zako!" Yellow Mic spoke up, "I wonder where this city came from, anyway. It wasn't here before, was it?"

"Maybe it was built in the time we were mysteriously inactive, zako," Red Mic said thoughtfully.

"Ahh, yes, I get it now," Blue Mic said suddenly, as if a light was turned on in is head, "That Exxai guy we saw flying around with his girlfriend must be behind it all, it all makes sense."

"IT DOES???" Red and Yellow Mic didn't know what he was talking about.

"When we first came to this dimension, zako," Explained Blue Mic, "We ran into that Exxai person. He was scared of us at first, so we bullied him around. Then one day, he had this weird device set up, and when he turned it on, everything went black, remember?"

"We sure do!" Replied the other two.

"In the time we were unconscious, Exxai used us to build the city for him, zako. He was controlling us, zako." Finished Blue Mic.

"That explains how we got into that room," Mused Red Mic, "But what do we do now?"

"Uh…anything we want, I guess." Yellow Mic said slowly.

"Huh?" The other two didn't know what he was getting at.

"Wwwwell," Yellow Mic began uneasily, "A little while ago, some of us found the remains of something that…MIGHT…have been Colonel Gelgoog, zako. With the Colonel gone, we're…pretty much on our own."

"WHAT!?" Red Mic and Blue Mic cried. "The Colonel is…gone?"

"Yes," Yellow Mic sighed. "Our beloved colonel is gone. Oh, how I miss him!"

"It seems like only yesterday that we broke off from the Dark Axis," lamented Blue Mic.

All three of them sighed.

Then the curtain fell.

"A…anyway, everyone, for the future of our new city, Zakotopia…"

"Zako Soldiers fight, yeah!"


	38. the Abduction

_Imagine a- okay, you've probably heard it all before._

_Anyway, on our mission to help other dimensions ruined by the Dark Axis, we kept finding these weird discs. We're not sure what they're supposed to do, or what their for, or who made them, but ever since we found the first one, we've been attacked by strange enemies with mysterious powers. It's probably a coincidence, but I can't help but wonder if there's more to it… Where will it lead to, and where it will all end?_

The Abduction

In a mysterious place, a figure walked down a hallway. The hallway was brightly lit, yet there was a forboding feel to the area. Even more odd was the fact that the 'walls' seemed to be beeping.

"The time has come," The figure said. The being came to the end of the hall and entered a room where a computer with multiple screens rested.

"My plans are complete." The person sat at the computer and began to type.

"My designs are finished, and I know what to do."

Two of the screens of the screens lit up, one showing a grassy plain with Zapper's gang(with Genkimaru on Zapper's head) and the other showed the Gundam Force walking down a hall.

"All that's needed to do is to achieve my goal."

A final key was pressed.

Zakozakozakozako

At Blanc Base, Chief Haro led the Gundam Force down a hallway to a normally restricted area of the headquarters.

"This is where we've been keeping those discs you've been finding," Chief Haro said, "Ever since the 'nightmare' incident, they've been kept under top surveillance."

They entered the room, where in five separate glass cases the discs, those four discs were being kept.

"What do you suppose their for?" Asked Shute.

"Our top people have been read the data, but it's highly encrypted," Captain said, "progress has been slow."

"It must be very important," Princess Rele said, "Considering the strangers that tried to steal them."

"Strange doesn't even begin to describe those weirdoes," Bakunetsumaru remarked.

"It's strange how half of these new enemies resemble the Dark Axis though," Zero commented, "I wonder if the Genki Power Squad knows about them."

"They had their own encounter once," Bakunetsumaru mentioned, "But why would one of those strangers go to Ark?"

Zakozakozakozako

In the land of Ark, things were…boring. It had been some time since anything remotely battle-related had happened, and in a country of Musha Gundams, this meant they were quite a few in a slump, and no group of warriors were no more in a slump than the Genki Power Squad.

"Peace isn't good for a samurai," Bakuhamaru sighed.

"It's no picnic for us, ya know," Grappler groused, "I only stayed with this bunch because there's nothing else to do, but if I have to put with our 'leader' I'll go nuts!"

Currently, the Squad had parked the Big Zam in a sunny field, with a village in the distance, taking a moment to relax and enjoy the sun-fresh day…but Genkimaru didn't want to relax.

"C'mon! Let's do something! Anything! I'm bored!" Genkimaru whined, bound and determined to make it clear he wanted some action, and he wanted it NOW. This behavior, of course, was ignored by mostly everyone.

"Hey, kid, you want something to do?" Zapper asked out of the blue, sounding kind of tired. Everyone turned to look at him.

"I need you to go to Neotopia." Zapper said.

Genkimaru marched right up to him. "What for?" He asked.

Zapper didn't say anything. Instead, he flipped up his missile-launcher shoulder pad. This caused the Zako soldiers to panic, thinking he was about to launch some missiles. Instead, Zapper pulled out a purple disc…the same one he found in chapter 16!

"What's that?" Genkimaru asked. He jumped on top of Zapper's head to get a better look at it.

"Where'd you get that thing?" Grappler Gouf questioned. He and Destroyer Dom walked up to Zapper, while the Zakos gathered around.

"I found a while back," Zapper mentioned, "Right around when we were hot-wiring the Big Zam."

"And you're showing us NOW!?" Grappler Gouf demanded hotly.

"Hey! I had some thinking to do!" Zapper responded just as hotly. He and Grappler got in each other's faces.

"Some thinking to do!? That's your problem! You never tell us anything until the last minute!"

"I keep my subordinates on a need to know basis!"

"Guys…" Genkimaru said, sounding a little annoyed.

"That's pointless when you don't know ANYTHING!"

"Say that to my face!"

"I just did!"

"Guys!" Genkimaru yelled.

"What?!" Snapped the bickering robots.

"You wanna go to Neotopia or what?" Genkimaru's eyes widened for second. "What the-"

Zakozakozakozako

Alarms sounded all throughout Blanc Base.

"Chief Haro! We have an emergency! A dimensional rift is opening up inside the base!"

"What?!" Chief HAro's earf began to flap. "Where!?"

"I- Inside the Disk Room!"

Before anyone knew what was happening, there was a flash of light. When the brightness of the room returned to its original level, Chief Haro saw that the Discs weren't inside their cases…and the Gundam Force was gone!

Zakozakozakozako

In Ark, a similar happenstance occurred. Right where Zapper's gang and Genkimaru were, a bright beam of light shot down on top of them.

"Lord Genkimaru!" Cobramaru cried in alarm.

Just before the beam vanished, Entengo galloped into the light. When the beam rescinded, neither the horse, the child, or the one-eyed robots were there.

"They're…they're gone…" Cobramaru fell to his knees, unable to comprehend it.

Zakozakozakozako

When Shute came to, he found himself someplace that WASN'T Blanc Base. He was in an alleyway with tall, windowless buildings.

"What happened?" Shute asked. When no one answered, Shute realized that he was ALONE.

"Captain?" Shute looked around. "ANYONE?"

Once again, no answer. Shute looked down in despair, and noticed one of the disks lying on the ground.

Zakozakozakozako

"It seems I miscalculated,"

Some keys were typed, and each of the screens showed Shute, Captain, Zero, Bakunetsumaru, Princess Rele, Grappler and Destroyer, Zapper and Genkimaru, and the Zako Soldeirs.

"I brought the disks and my foes to my city, but they are now scattered."

Some more keys were pressed.

"This may be a good thing however, unforeseen though it is. I can retrieve the disks at my leisure, and eliminate those meddlers and traitors in without any interference. Still, I must work fast."

Zakozakozakozako

Elsewhere, Zapper and Genkimaru walked down the empty street of the city with mild trepidation.

"What's with this city?" Zapper growled, "There's nothing on the streets, the buildings have no windows, and- what are you doing?"

Genkimaru had just made a portal.

"C'mon!" The musha gundam child said, hopping in.

"Wait for me!" Zapper cried, leaping after him.

The portal took the up to the top of a building. This gave them a much better view of the city. In the distance, like a spike on a flat surface, was a white building. Unlike the other bleak, block-like buildings surrounding it, this building was elegant, taller, slim, and cylinder-shaped, very much like a smother Horn of War, but without the spikes jutting out of it.

"We're going there," Genkimaru said, pointing in the tower's direction.

"Why?" Zapper asked. True, the tower stood out from the rest of the city, but he felt that they should find the others. It had been pretty jarring to find his annoying(to him) allies had disappeared. He knew they were in the city somewhere…

"I don't know…" Genkimaru answered, frowning, "But I got a feeling that's where we'll find out what's going on."

Zakozakozako

Meanwhile, Grappler and Destroyer walked the streets of the empty city. Alone. They were at least several blocks away from Zapper and Genki', but did not know that.

"This is just perfect," Grappler groused, "It's bad enough that…light…dumped us in this ghost town, but we've been cut off from everyone else!"

While Grappler was saying this, something flew over their heads, much to the confusion of Destroyer.

"What was that?" Destroyer wondered aloud.

"What was what?" Grappler asked, having missed the thing that flew overhead. He got his answer in the form of Destroyer dragging him after the UFO.

"C'mon!" Dom said.

Zakozakozakozako

Meanwhile, Zero had come to the decision that heading towards the white tower was the best course of action so far. Unfortunately, his flight had been interrupted by what looked like his evil twin.

"What in the kingdom's name are you?" Zero asked, staring at the new comer.

It was a gundam, with a design eerily similar to Zero's, but somewhat more aerodynamic and less decorative. The color scheme was different as well. Instead of being blue with some yellow, the gundam newcomer's armor was coal black with some red, and there was no soul stone. Its sword was seemed to be of a sharper, thinner edge, and its shield was less ornate. It also had no cape, and its eyes had no irises(This will be known as Psyco Z).

Without another word, Pscyo Z launched itself at Zero and brought its sword at Zero, who defended with his own. Before long the two gundams were exchanging blows, neither gaining an edge, or so it seemed. Psyco Z's attacks had a bit more speed and power to them than Zero's, and it after a bit they were beginning to wear on Zero's stamina.

"You're stronger than I suspected," Zero gasped, separating himself from the clash, "But it takes more than strength of body to win a battle! _O mana, by your pact with the Winged Knight, give me your power!_"

That was as far as Zero got. Pysco Z swung its sword sideways in an arc, unleashing a crescent-shaped blast of power that caught Zero in the chest. The Knight fell, landing on the street with an ungraceful thud. The disk he had kept inside his shield fell out as well.

Grappler Gouf and Destroyer Dom arrived at the scene just in time to see Psyco Z fly off with disk in hand.

Zakozakozako

In another part of the city, Bakunetsumaru was cautiously going down the streets when he heard a sound.

"W-who's there?!" Bakunetsumaru cried, whirling around, his swords drawn.

Out from the shadows trotted-

"Entengo!?" Baku' lowered his swords in confusion, "What are you doing here? I left you in Ark."

Because Bakunetsumaru was distracted by the sudden appearance of his faithful horse that he didn't something land behind him. But Entengo did. The steed's eyes bugged out and he whinnied, causing the samurai to turn around and see what was so scary.

"What's there, En…" Baku' trailed off when he saw what was there.

It was a gundam, with armor similar to Bakunetsumaru's, but less ornate and more dynamic. Instead of red, the armor's coloring was black. The eyes were blanc, and there was no soul stone. (Pysco B)

"What… What are you?" Bakunetsumaru asked uneasily. Instead of answering, Pysco rushed at Baku', unsheathing its swords and slicing them in an 'x' way in one swing. Bakunetsumaru could barely bring his swords up in time to block the assault.

"Uh!" Baku' grunted, pushing Pysco B away, "What was that for!?" He demanded hotly.

Once again, he received an assault instead of an answer. The two began to clash swords, until at one point they accidentally knocked their swords away.

Baku's paused at the happenstance for only a moment(To realize what had happened), before falling back on the unarmed combat skills Haomaru beat(sometime literally) into him. Psyco B seemed unused to no-swords style, which quickly gave the Musha Gundam an edge.

Entengo, meanwhile, watched the entire scene with wide-eyed fascination.

Baku's advantage did not last long, though, as Pysco B quickly adapted and began to fight back, countering his blows.

"Master was right when he said I should've created an unarmed technique," Bakunetsmaru commented as he found himself on the defensive. This stalemate continued until at last Pysco B caught Baku's squarely in the chest, sending the samurai flying. Baku hit the side of a nearby building, and was barely on the ground when Pysco B was in front of him, hitting him with a barrage of punches. When the storm of blows ended, Bakunetsumaru lay limp against the wall. A disc fell out of his left shoulder pad. Pysco B picked it up and ran off, leaving Entengo to worry for his master.

Zakozakozakozako

Elsewhere, in a currently less disrupted area of the city…

"Zako…"

"Zako…

"Zako…"

…In a manner of speaking.

"ZakoZako Hour!"

"Ladies and gentlebots, welcome to the ZakoZako Hour!" Red Mic Zako said, bowing. Standing on either side of him, Blue Mic and Yellow Mic bowed alongside. The Zakos, in an attempt to make sense of the bizarre situation, decided to have a meeting. And you know what _that_ means…

"Today's meeting is all about…" Red Mic struck a pose, along with his partners, "What is this weird place?!"

The audience of Zakos cheered.

"Zako!" Red Mic quickly raised an arm for silence. "What happened, anyway, what are we doing here, zako?"

"I remember, zako!" Blue Mic said, shaking his hand like student wanting to answer his teacher in class, "We were talking to Lord Zapper Zaku about going to Neotopia, when this biiig beam of light hit us, and here we are!"

"But _where_ are we?" Yellow Mic asked, a '?' appearing in his eye, "This city doesn't look like Neotopia."

"I might have an explanation for that," Red Mic said, "Screen please, zako."

Yellow Mic quickly turned to face the wall, and Blue Mic bopped him over the head. From Yellow Mic's eye images were projected onto the wall, similar to how they would on a regular ZakoZako Hour stage screen.

"The last time we were caught in a beam of light, zako," Explained Red Mic, "Was in Lacroa, remember?"

As he spoke, the 'screen' flashed images showing what had happened.

"Zako, I remember," Yellow Mic spoke up, "It was after Zero beat Deathscythe, zako."

"Yes, and afterwards, the energies from the Feather and Steel Dragons sent us into the Minov Boundary Sea, zako," Blue Mic finished. "Hey! You're not saying-!"

Yellow Mic looked thunderstruck, "You don't mean-!"

Red Mic nodded. "That's right!"

"Whoever did this has dragons!?" Gasped Blue and Yellow Mics. Red Mic facefaulted.

"NO!" Snapped Red Mic, a wall of flames in the background, "I mean this city's in the Minov Sea!"

"Do you really think so?" A newcomer asked, stepping onto the 'stage'.

"Ahh!" The zakos cried in surprise, "Captain Gundam, zako!"

Captain stared at the goings-on with some confusion. He had heard of these little meetings among the Dark Axis' soldiers, but he didn't think they'd be anything like this…

He saluted. "Greetings," He said. After a pause, he said, "Do you really believe that this place is in the Minov Boundary Sea?"

The Zakos, a little thrown off by the intrusion of a gundam, nodded.

"What are you doing here, zako?" Asked Blue Mic.

"I was brought here by a beam of light, similar to you," As he said this, Captain projected a video on what happened onto the wall from his helmet, "Moments before, SDG's sensors detected a dimensional rift opening up in the room we were in."

"Was anyone else caught in the transfer?" Asked Yellow Mic, a '?' in his eye.

"Yes," Captain projected pictures onto the wall, "Shute, Zero, Bakunetsumaru, and Princess Rele. I believe they are here, somewhere."

"Maybe that guy knows something." Red Mic said, pointing.

The Zakos freaked out and scrambled to get behind Captain as a newcomer landed before them.

It vaguely resembled Captain(See a pattern here?), but only in outline. Its edges were more sharp, giving off a vibe of danger. It was colored mostly black, with some grey and red. Its eyes were lacking pupils. (This one's Pysco C)

Captain didn't know what it wanted, but he had a feeling he should be on his guard.

"Everyone, stay clear!" He ordered.

The Zakos needed no more prompting, as they scurried away and dived into an ally three blocks down. The reporter Zakos peeked out from behind.

"We've got your back, Captain!" Red Mic said.

"From waaaay over here." Blue Mic quipped.

"Zako." Yellow Mic commented.

Captain didn't have time to reply, as his fears were proven to be well-founded. Without a word otherwise, Pysco C fired two bursts from its V-Rod ends. Captain launched himself away with his flight boosters, and returned fired some rounds from his head guns. This proved to be useless, as Pysco C activated its own boosters and flew out of the way. The Zakos on the ground watched as the two combatants engaged in a dog-fight of sorts. Captain and Pysco C traded hit and run shots, but neither could get and advantage.

"I have to finish this, " Captain thought, "I can't give him time to get an edge."

Captain's vents opened up and gathered energy. "Hyper mode, power up! V-Attack, fire!"

Captain fired his V-Attack, but Pysco C countered with its own. When the two beams connected, there was a flash. While Captain was temporarily distracted by the brightness, Psyco C followed up with a barrage of shots from its V-Rod and wrist gauntlets. As Captain was pelted, his flight boosters lost power and he fell. As he hit the ground, the disc was knocked out of a compartment and landed a ways away from him. The Zakos could only watch in helpless fear from the ally as Pysco C took the disc and flew off.

Zakozakozakozako

Meanwhile, Princess Rele was in what could be assumed was a state of terror. Here she was, the crown princess of the Kingom of Lacroa, trapped on some wayward world in a deserted city, with no one around her.

As she nervously turned around a corner, she found herself face to face with a ominous mono-eye.

"Eeeek!" She shrieked.

"Aaauugh!" Zapper cried in alarm.

"Waaah!" Genkimaru yelped, diving behind Zapper.

"It's you!" She gasped, forcing her heartbeat to slow down to a reasonable level, "What are you doing here?"

"What are we doing here?!" Zapper blustered, more than a little sore from being scared by a _human_, "What are you doing here!?"

"I was kidnapped!" Princess Rele snapped, a little upset at being yelled at. She then looked unsure, calming down. "At least…I think I was…"

Zapper sweatdropped. "Oh, that makes sense."

A vein became visable on Rele's forehead as she glared at Zapper. "Well, you haven't told me how you got here!" She snapped back.

"We were kidnapped!" Zapper said boldly, pausing afterward. "Um, I think…"

"You don't know what's going on anymore than I do, do you?" Rele said quietly, looking at him through half-closed eyelids.

Before Zapper could come up with a decent retort, Genkimaru noticed something in Rele's hand.

"Hey!" He said, "You've got one too!"

The other two looked at Genkimaru. The Musha Gundam child snatched something from her hand. He held it up for them to see.

It was a disc.

"See, just like yours!" Genkimaru said proudly.

Princess Rele was flabbergasted. She looked back and forth between Zapper and the disc Genkimaru was holding.

"What do you mean?" Rele asked uncertainly.

In answer(And with a sour look on his face) Zapper pulled out his disc from under his missile launcher and displayed it for her to see.

"I don't…I don't understand." She said at last.

"Neither do I, but I ain't complaining," Zapper growled, "Wait a minute, yes I am! How did I get into this! What did I do?"

While Zapper was griping, none of them noticed Pysco Z and Pysco B landing on either side of the group. At least until they heard the clang of their feet.

Confused, Rele looked aside. When she Psyco Z racing towards her, sword pointed forward, she quickly summoned a mana circle, blocking it. "What-?"

Meanwhile, Zapper had to bring his heat hawk up to block an assault from Psyco B. "Hey, whaddya think you're doing!?" He snarled, exasperated. It was one thing after another…!

Genkimaru didn't miss a trick, and unsheathed his knife. Leaping over Zapper's head, Genki' made to plunge it into Pysco B…

"Hi…Yah!" Genkimaru shouted.

…Who calmly slapped the boy aside with its sword.

"Oof!" Genkimaru grunted as he hit a building wall and landed on the street. Just before his world went black, he saw the disc fall in front of him.

Meanwhile, Rele received a shock of her own. While she had negated Psyco Z's initial assault with a magic shield, Psyco Z did something unexpected…

ZZZMM!

Psyco Z release a pulse of black energy…a kind that she felt before…from General Zeong!

As Rele's magic shield shattered she instinctively fell back…right into Zapper! Who, at the same time, was trying to end the stalemate he was in with Pysco B by use of his forehead blaster. Unfortunately, the Princess' sudden intrusion on his personal space caught him off guard, and Pysco B used the distraction to bring its foot into Zapper's side. As Zapper went flying, the disc he held fell from his hand…!

With all three of the unexpected trio on the ground, Psyco Z and B took the discs and left.

'Who…' Princess Rele thought, rubbing her hurt back, 'Who were they…?'

Zakozakozakozako

Elsewhere, back with Shute, the boy in question was busy running. Running from what? Currently, nothing. However, his attempts to contact Captain were unsuccessful(Was it jamming?), so Shute, in a blind panic caused from being alone to along, broke into a cold run. He didn't bother to look where he was going or take a turn, he just kept going straight ahead.

It was at this time that Shute saw it. A massive pike like structure, jutting out of the otherwise bland metropolis, colored a brilliant white as opposed to the darker, smaller(in comparison) buildings.

"Whoa…" Shute breathed, staring up at it. Suddenly, he heard the sound of rocket boosters, coming from up and behind him.

"Huh?" Shute turned around and saw a figure in the sky flying towards him.

"Captain?" Shute wondered aloud, but then his eyes narrowed. No, it wasn't Captain. Shute didn't know what it was, but he wasn't going to assume it was anything friendly. Not in this place.

As Shute backed away from it, he kept his eyes on the incoming enemy. However, that meant he wasn't looking at where he was going, and as such, was unprepared when he vanished in a flash of purple and yellow.

When Psyco C landed, it wondered where Shute had gone as it picked up the disc the boy dropped.

Zakozakozakozako

"Well, that's that."

The man working at his computer was tall, skin tan and hair a graying yellow.

"I finally have all five discs in my possession."

He was of a lean build, though it looked as if he didn't exercise regularly.

"It's true those infidels are still existing, but I can remove them whenever I wish now."

His eyes were a mysterious shade of blue. His face was handsome, but looked worn. His clothing was black.

"Now, I can begin my final operation."

He pressed a key.

"Project: Control starts now."


	39. History Revealed! The Dark Side of Axis

_Shute here! Last time, we found ourselves being beamed into this deserted city, separated from each other. What's worse, we've lost those mystery disks as well! What are we going to do!? I hope everyone at home will be alright…_

History Revealed! The Dark Side of Axis

Shute's eyes fluttered open. As he felt the surface of something hard and cold against his head, he realized he was lying on a floor. He also felt annoyed. This business of vanishing and waking up somewhere else was getting old.

"Where am I now?" Shute wondered aloud. The room he was in was very dark, with light coming from a single lamp hanging on the ceiling overhead.

"Rello…"

Shute's eyes widened. HE couldn't believe his ears. Whirling around, he saw none other than the Zakrello Gate!

"Help…me.." The gate moaned.

Zakozakozakozako

While the unexpected reunion was occurring, something odd was happening in the mysterious city. Each building was beginning to hum…the way a computer would when being turned on.

No one noticed, however, as everyone was busy heading toward one place; the white tower.

"That villain went this way!" Zero yelled as he flew toward the tower, Grappler and Destroyer on his heels.

(Note, each group is in a different area, not together.)

"Onward, Entengo!" Bakunetsumaru commanded as he rode his horse, "We must catch up with that brigand!"

Captain said nothing as he rolled toward the tower, with the Zakos following close behind.

"Wait for us, Zako!" One of them yelled.

Eventually, all three groups met up at the white tower.

"Captain?" Zero asked, landing.

"Zero?" Baku' asked, riding up.

"Bakunetsumaru?" Captain asked, coming to a stop.

"Zako?" The Zakos asked, looking back and forth.

Destroyer looked upward and a question mark appeared over his head. "Huh?"

Crash!

Zapper landed on Grappler and Destroyer, causing all three to end up in a dizzy heap. Above, Princess Rele and Genkimaru poked their heads out of the portal Genkimaru made.

"You okay?" Genkimaru asked.

Genkimaru leapt down, landing on top of the dogpile. Princess Rele looked a little uncertain(She was much higher than she wanted to be!) until Zero flew up and helped her down. After getting Zapper off him, Grappler scanned the area.

"So the gang's all here," He mused, "I don't suppose any of you know what's going on here?"

There were negative responses all around.

"Do you have any theories, Shute?" Captain asked. It was then he realized that the gang WASN'T all here. "Shute?"

Everyone looked around.

"Shute!?"

Instead of the sound of the boy's voice(which would, in these circumstances, be very pleasant) the only answer to Captain's call was the sound of a light flickering on as man appeared higher up on the tower's wall. High, but not so high up that out of sight, looking as if he was standing on a ledge. It was the mystery man. On the chest of his black outfit was a symbol Captain had seen before.

On Commander Sazabi.

Princess Rele cocked her head. "Who is that?" She asked aloud.

While Rele did not know the man, and neither did the gundams, Zapper's gang reacted with shocked recognition.

"You!" Zapper growled.

"It's him?" Destroyer asked.

"Zako?!" The zakos looked confused.

"You're still alive? How?!" Grappler demanded.

"Let's say I got lucky," the man responded, "How else can I explain surviving the vacuum of space?"

"You know this man?" Captain asked, shocked, "Who is he?"

"He made us," Zapper replied grudgingly, "All of us. The Commander, the General, the Zakos, Grappler, Destroyer, me…everything in the Dark Axis!"

"What!?" The Gundam Force and Genkimaru couldn't believe it.

"I'd thought we'd got rid of him when we tossed him out of that airlock in space," Grappler continued, "How'd you get out of that one,Ciphyr!?"

"Like I said," Ciphyr(As was his name) replied, "It was luck. If I had better explanation, I would have used it."

Well, what're you doing here?" Zapper questioned, his eye glowing ominously, "Shouldn't you be, dissecting a puppy or something? You did a lot of stuff like that back at the base with the other humans!"

"There were humans at the Dark Axis base?" Zero asked, amazed. Judging from what little he'd seen of it(he only saw Zeong's chamber), that floating fortress did not look like the place good people would live in.

"Uh huh," Destroyer put in, "A lot. They left to another planet when we took over, though."

"Yes…save one." Ciphyr said softly, "I was the only one not to escape your uprising, and suffered greatly for it. I should have seen it coming, but was too preoccupied with the little details of my own take-over. Which is why I've invited you to this," He spread his arms out, "My ultimate conquest."

"What do you mean?" Captain asked.

"The disks you have collected over the dimensions for me," Said Ciphyr, "contain great amounts of data on dimensional travel. Combining that data with my own research and technology allowed me to create my grand dimensional transit," He waved his hand, "This place."

Captain suddenly knew why the 'buildings' were uninhabited. They weren't buildings at all! They were giant processors, similar to the ones on Lab C's Dimensional Transport Device.

"Soon, a dimensional link will connect all realities to this place, providing me with unlimited knowledge and power," Ciphyr allowed himself an evil smile, "When the process is complete, I will be like a god- only more powerful and more all-knowing."

"And why tell us?" Princess Rele queried, giving him a cockeyed look.

"Because you," Ciphyr glared at the Gundam Force, "took away my revenge. And you," He turned his gaze towards Zapper's gang, "Caused me such suffering. For that, the greatest torture is knowing your fate and being unable to change it."

"And what makes you say that?" Grappler challenged, aiming his missile-launcher arm. He fired his missile, which appeared to impact Ciphyr(and the tower!) with a loud boom. However, when the smoke cleared, Ciphyr was still there.

"I need to monitor the process personally," Ciphyr said calmly, as if nothing happened, "But I'll make sure you won't be neglected."

With that, Ciphyr 'winked out'. He had been a hologram the whole time. Suddenly, three beams of light shot down, and, pixel by pixel, Pysco C, Z, and B appeared in place.

Zakozakozakozako

In almost every dimension imaginable, people of any and all forms and colors noticed a change. Like a hole had been cut open in the fabric of the world.

In Neotopia, the SDG's sensors were going haywire from the change in their reality.

"Sir! This is unpresidented!" An SDG officer yelled as he typed at his console, "It's like the entire world's become a dimensional gate!"

"Try to isolate the rift," Chief Haro ordered as calmly as he could. Of all the days for the Gundam Force to go missing-!

"Chief Haro!" Juli called, "I've found where the disturbance is strongest!"

Over Neotopia tower, too small for anyone to see, a black vortex opened.

Zakozakozakozako

"Help you?" Shute asked, confused.

"Please…" The Gate moaned.

Upon further inspection, Shute realized that the Zakrello Gate had numerous cables plugged into its sides. Shute also noticed that the Gate's eyes seemed to be tearing, suggesting it was in pain.

"What happened to you?" Shute asked, "Is this where you went to?"

Last time he had seen the Zakrello Gate, it had vanished to whatever dimension it came from, following the destruction of General Zeong.

"No, brought here was." Paparello(as was the giant gate itself was called) replied in its usual broken grammer.

"When went to last place before Zeong took over," A tiny voice piped up. Shute turned around and saw Chobirello, the smaller handheld device used to call the gate in different dimensions. The Gate's 'son' seemed to be incased in some kind of metal locks on a stand. "Was captured and taken here, both me and Paparello."

"Brought here? By who? And what colony?" Shute asked. He didn't know what either of them were talking about.

"Long ago it begins…" Paparello said, "The story of our existence and purpose."

_ZakozakoPaparello NArrationzakozako_

_Long ago… Zakrello was created. The creator was human, who lived with other humans in a place called a space colony. The creator made Rello for the purpose of taking his people to where they came from, their home. But while he did this, another did something else. Creator's assistant, Aaron Ciphyr began to experiment and create. He created robots to do his bidding- his, no one else's- and made three robots with special cores. Soul Drives. He installed an extra-large Soul Drive in the colony core itself, giving it a new life and name. ZEONG. Ciphyr began to experiment on human minds, hoping to find answers to brains mysteries. These experiments created ill feelings from the unwilling subjects, and were absorbed by the Soul Drives. More and more ill feelings were absorbed, and soon the Soul Drive robots began to emulate these feelings. And Zeong, who had the largest and absorbed the most, took control of all robots in the colony and took over. Was Awful. Humans that survived take-over went to different planet, one like Home. Robots took Chobirello and use to control Rello. They came to emulate the Dark side of the colony. The Dark side of Axis…_

_ZakozakoEnd Narrationzakozako_

Shute was floored. The Dark side of _Axis_?!

"Z-Zakrello Gate," Shute said slowly, "Can…can you tell me the name of your creator?"

"The other humans called him," rumbled Paparello, "Professor Shelly."

Shute couldn't believe. He lost the feeling in his legs and fell on his rear with a plop. As this revelation ran through his mind, everything suddenly made sense. Why the leaders of the Dark Axis had Soul Drives, a device only a certain scientist knew how to make...And how the Dark Axis had gotten their base, even though they allegedly could not make things for themselves…It all came from the same source.

Space Colony Axis.

"All Rello wanted," Paparello continued, "Was to do what was made to do."

Shute didn't really hear him, though. He was too wrapped up in his own thoughts. "I…I can't believe it," He said, somewhat in a daze, "The Dark Axis came from Earth…my home."

"Home?"

Shute looked up. Did Paparello sound…intrigued?

"Earth," Paparello asked, "is _Home_?"

Zakozakozakozako

Back at the city, things were not going well. Captain, Zero, and Bakunetsumaru had found themselves in heated combat against the Pyscos and were not fairing well. Not only were their doppelgangers stronger and faster, but now they had no reason to hold back. They were being beaten, battered, and in Captain's place, blasted around. The rest of the gang could only watch in helpless terror.

"They're too much!" Princess Rele gasped, holding her hands to her mouth.

"We need to help!" Genkimaru yelled, and was about to charge in when Zapper grabbed him.

"Cool it!" Zapper growled, "You'll just get in the way! We need to take care of Ciphyr, that'll stop this!"

Genki' kept moving his legs, even though he was being held above the ground. At Zapper's words, he calmed down and fixed him with a penetrating gaze.

"But where is he?" He asked.

"There!" Grappler pointed upward, and everyone followed his direction. High up, distant but not out of sight, they could see Ciphyr on the top of the white tower. He seemed unaware and uncaring of the excitement going on below.

"What's he doing up there, zako?" A Zako Soldier asked, confused.

"Showing off, I bet," Grappler sneered, "He likes to do that."

"Then let's get him!" Destroyer said eagerly.

"Right! Final Deadly Screaming Chaos Catastrophe!" Powering up, the trio fired their massive beam at Ciphyr. The beam hit Ciphyr with a massive THWOOM!, but when the smoke cleared, there was a purple/red wall blocking view of Ciphyr. The wall afterward de-pixilated to reveal a smirking Ciphyr.

"HUH?!" Zapper's gang an Genkimaru cried in disbelief. Princess Rele merely rolled her eyes before closing them and beginning to chant.

"O Mana, which encompasses all living things in the universe…" She began to say.

On the top of the white tower, Ciphyr congratulated himself for the quick reaction time. With the incoming data and energy from the dimensions, he could now use the 3rd Dimensional Materializer instantly and without power charging. The technology used to create Titans like Long Marasai and Bermuda took who knows how long to make, but he knew it would be worth it, now more than ever. The process was now 33 complete…

Back on the ground, Bakunetsumaru was sent flying and upon landing on the ground, he skidded to a halt on front of the gang.

"Bakunetsumaru!" Genkimaru shouted.

Bakunetsumaru, struggling to get up, called to them, "Get out of here! Now!"

"Why should we?" Grappler asked, "You're the one in trouble, you should be the one running!"

"If I run…it will only chase," Baku' huffed, glaring at Psyco B, "And I will have wasted my energy for nothing. I will not back down! I will not turn away! I will face this head-on! I will FIGHT!"

Something inside of Bakunetsumaru exploded, and he burst into flames!

"HOT!" Cried Zapper's gang as they dived away from the erupting fire.

Zakozakozakozako

In all dimensions, the black hole was getting larger. It was now as big as the sun in the sky.

In Ark, almost everyone couldn't help but stop what they were doing to stare at the shadowy vortex in the distance.

Lord Britainmaru, age old, diminutive ruler of the country, sat out on the balcony of Tenchi Castle, meditating on the strange happenings with his generals, Kinkaku and Ginkaku, when a Zako Busshi ran up.

"Lord Britainmaru, busshi!" It said.

Britainmaru and his aides turned to address the Zako Busshi. "What is it?" Kinkaku asked.

"The, the Bakushin Armor, busshi," the Zako Busshi gasped, "It's-!"

There was a noise like a bomb going off, and next the four watched as the flaming armor flew into the air, disappearing into the black hole.

"Ahh, busshi, nevermind." The Zako Busshi said meekly.

"It went directly into the darkness!" Gasped Ginkaku.

"Hmmm," Britainmaru thought deeply. The Bakushin Armor was connected to the thoughts and feelings to it chosen wearer, which meant- "Bakunetsumaru is involved in this."

Zakozakozakozako

Bakunetsumaru felt the increase of power as his normal armor was replaced with the Bakushin Armor, transforming him into Bakushinmaru.

A bit away and directly in front of him, Psyco B watched the change with mild confusion. This meant nothing, right…?

As if to answer its silent challenge, Bakushinmaru launched himself at it with newfound speed. The two clashed swords, and Psyco B found the edge it once had gone. Baku's enhanced abilities allowed him to push back his doppelganger, which was a refreshing change of pace for the samurai. Suddenly he noticed a change in Psyco B's style. It was no longer trying to attack but was dodging and staving off blows. Suddenly, Psyco B jumped aside and charged past him.

"What is he-?" The answer hit Bakushinmaru in an instant. It knew it couldn't beat him, so it was going after easier targets!

Genkimaru!

Princess Rele!

Zapper's gang!

Baku' took off after Psyco B. He had to intervene! Bakushinmaru soon caught up with Psyco B, and grabbed hold. Then, in a flare of power, he jumped high into the air. Flipping around, Baku' positioned himself so he was over Psyco B. Gathering his power, key points on Bakushinmaru's armor began to glow as he back wings opened up. Bakushinmaru had a feeling that if he tried this under normal conditions, Psyco B would have run away. But this way, there was nowhere to run!

"Bakukaitensho!"

The awesome power of Bakushinmaru exploded out from him, the force of which blasted Psyco B away, driving it into the ground. A moment afterward it de-pixilated.

Baku', still in the air, nodded. "Right. Now, onto Ciphyr!"

With that, he blasted away toward the top of the white tower.

Zakozakozakozako

Meanwhile, Zero wasn't doing well against his opponent. For the duration of the fight, Zero had been forced on the defensive, doing his best to parry and avoid the blows from Psyco Z. but it wasn't enough. Zero quickly angled himself upward to avoid being his by Psyco Z's variation of the Lacroa Crescent at point-blank range. But it did little good. Psyco merely kicked him away.

On the ground, Princess Rele kept chanting. She hands glowed blue and her eyes opened.

Back in the air, Zero's eyes widened as he saw Psyco Z's sword glow with dark energy. But instead of sweeping across like it did before, Psyco Z merely pointed. Like one of Captain's rifles, a beam of the dark power shot out, directly at Zero…

"ROOOOAAAR!!!"

The air was split by a fearsome, and to Zero, roar, and a beam of the purest light shot between him and Psyco Z, canceling the purple shot. Both of them looked to where the light had come from…

It was Fenn! The Feather Dragon of Lacroa had appeared in the airspace. Not giving anyone time to react, Fenn dived at Zero. The Knight Gundam and Spirit Beast merged together, creating Zero, Knight of Silver Wings.

On the ground, Rele smiled and wiped her forehead in relief.

"Thank you, you majesty!" Zero called to her. Then he turned his attention back to Psyco Z. The doppelganger had charged its sword with energy again, but his time was flying at him, spinning.

"This fight will end differently than the last," Zero said evenly, not flinching. He spread his arms out. "Come to me, Twin Buster Swords!"

In his hands, two blades(that looked like they could be put together to form one big blade) appeared in his hands. A magical sphere appeared around Zero, acting as a forcefield, and the Knight of Silver Wings charged at the spinning Pysco Z. The two clashed with a crashing flash, and when the light rescinded, Psyco Z was flying backwards, its sword and shield de-pixilated. Looking more shocked than it was capable of, Psyco Z turned on its heels(even though it was floating in the air) and fly away.

"We are not through!" Zero said, and brought his two swords together. In a fantastic flash of light, the two swords merged into one. Then, raising the Twin Buster Sword into the air, he said, "Fenn, grant me your power!" The hole at the end of the Sword began to fill with magical energy. "Super Spirit Magic…Infinity Winds!" The sword projected energy versions of itself at Pysco Z, slicing the doppelganger in half. One half de-pixilated before the other.

Taking a moment to stare at where Pysco Z used to be, Zero flapped his wings and took off for the top of White Tower.

Zakozakozakozako

Captain's battle seemed to be going the worst of all. Psyco C kept him constantly on the move, firing every chance it got. Captain repeatedly had to change the direction he was flying in to avoid being hit. It was a dogfight, one that Captain was losing. It was also one that reminded Captain of his fight with Madnug. If the Option Z hadn't shown up when it did and Shute hadn't-

Shute. He had forgotten all about Shute when Ciphyr revealed itself. He suddenly remembered all the times Shute had, in his own special way, come to the rescue of the team, one way or another.

And it was then he realized how weak and pathetic he was. If Shute hadn't found him(or he had landed in Shute's workshop) Zapper Zaku would have destroyed him. He was designed to be the sole protector of Neotopia…but he needed the help of a child to succeed.

This time, however, there was no one to help him, no one to give him confidence, no one to supply him with the tools he needed…

Suddenly, it occurred to him that with Ciphyr opening a link between all dimensions, calling for help wasn't all that pointless.

"SDG Base!" Captain yelled through his communicator, "This is Captain Gundam! Please respond!"

Zakozakozakozako

In Neotopia, things were getting hectic. The black hole was now twice the size of the sun, and getting bigger. People on the street had stopped what they were doing to stare at it.

Chief Haro was feeling very frantic at the moment. Never had he felt so useless. He had just contacted Bell Wood to see if the Dimensional Transport Device could stop the expanding hole, but couldn't do anything himself.

"-Tain Gundam! Please responde!"

Haro's ears flapped like a humming bird's wings. He quickly pushed a button on his desk. "We read you, Captain!"

"Please launch Option Z!" For some reason Captain sounded relieved.

"What?" Haro didn't have a clue what Captain was going on about. "Launch it-? Where? What's going on!?"

"There's no time to explain," Captain's voice over the communicator replied, "Just have it lock onto my tracking beacon!"

Chief Haro didn't react at first, but a minute afterward he sent the order to the launch catapult. Afterward he slumped into his seat. After this he was going to spend a loooong vacation with his family…!

Meanwhile, Option Z, upon being launched from Blanc Base, flew into the black hole…

Zakozakozakozako

In the city, Captain was almost at wits end. He wondered whether or not his theory was correct while dodging beams from Psyco C when a barrage of missiles suddenly swamped it. Captain looked behind to where the missiles had come from. It was Option Z!

The weapons/rocket pack flew at him at high speed. Captain disengaged his flight boosters and felt the Option Z connect with a 'clunk', barely audible over the roar of the rockets. Not wasting any time, Captain unleashed a slew of missiles at Psyco C, who countered by firing repeated beams to destroy them. However, Psyco C had a surprise when the smoke cleared. Captain, with both gattling guns in hand, fired a steady stream of bullets into the doppelganger, not stopping until he ran out of bullets. By that time, Psyco C was de-pixilating. After making sure it didn't teleport to a safer location, Captain turned and flew to White Tower.

Ciphyr was there.

Zakozakozakozako

On the top of the White Tower, Ciphyr turned away from the console. He saw three Gundams flying towards him, looking much different than before. It didn't matter, though.

The process was 59 complete…


	40. Final Destination

_Shute here! Last time, the Zakrello Gate told me how the Dark Axis was created by a single evil scientist, and now that same man is trying to absorb the universe! We need to reunite and stop him, whatever it takes!_

The Final Destination

Bakushinmaru lunged at Ciphyr, trying to impale him on his swords. However, Ciphyr simply sidestepped the samurai. When Baku' tried to swing around to get him, a wall pixilated into existence, blocking him. Zero Custom made to strike Ciphyr as well, but Ciphyr countered by making a long lance materialize in his hand, not just to block the assault, but to push Zero away.

Up in the air, over the arena that had become the rooftop of White Tower, Captain readied his hyper beam cannon. His scope sliding down, Captain took aim, concentrating on Ciphyr.

"Fire!"

Captain fired his beam cannon, and the powerful shot hit Ciphyr dead-on. Or so he thought. When the smoke cleared, there was a dome of energy surrounding Ciphyr, which quickly de-pixilated. If this wasn't jarring, six funnel cannons pixilated into existence, like Sazabi's…only without the narrow funnel ends. Before any of them could react, each pair of the funnel cannons targeted a gundam and fired, shooting beams much larger than the ones Sazabi's unleashed. The gundams were each hit in two different places, and Captain and Zero were blasted out of the sky. They landed on White Tower with painful crashes.

"Is that all?" Ciphyr asked, staring at his gundam foes. He gave a cursory glance at the console.

The process 61 percent complete.

Zakozakozakozako

In the Zakrello Gate's chamber, Shute saw the whole thing. Paparello was showing the fight, but the reception seemed fuzzy for some reason.

"Guys!" Shute cried as he watched his friends get slapped around. "I have to help them!"

"Shute looked at Paparello, with a pleading look on his face. "Can you send me there?"

"Zakrello will try," Paparello answered, "Will be difficult. Ciphyr using Zakrello to absorb dimensions. May not get exactly where you want."

"I don't care!" Shute said, looking determined, "It's better than sitting around here!" He gave Paparello a reassuring look. "And don't worry, we'll free you as well!"

"Thank you-rello," Chobirello chirped.

Shute gave the little handheld a thumbs-up. Before leaping into the gate, Shute asked, "I'll have all my limbs where they should be, right?"

"Hope so." The big gate rumbled.

Knowing that he wouldn't get a better answer, Shute dived in.

Zakozakozakozako

Back on White Tower, things weren't going well for the Gundams. Any attack on Ciphyr was rendered useless by the barriers he summoned, and his summoning of the funnel cannons made for them to keep moving around, or to be blasted.

At one point the gundams were brought back together.

"We need help," Bakushinmaru panted.

"We need a plan," Captain replied.

"Wait," Zero held out his arm in front of them. "What's he doing now?"

What Zero was referring to was Ciphyr spreading out his arms. In response, the funnel cannons de-pixilated, but instead of vanishing into non-existence, the pixils reformed into into what looked like a hand. General Zeong's hand. And the fingers were powering up.

Zakozakozakozako

At the tower base, Princess Rele, Genkimaru, and Zapper's gang coldn't really see the fight- though they could hear the explosions.

"I hope their doing well," Princess Rele asked anxiously, "I can't see!"

"They better be," Zapper growled, "Or I'll be in a bad mood when we get back!"

"It'll be okay," Genkimaru said confidentially, "Nothin' can beat those three!"

There was a pause.

"Hold on," Grappler said, "Aren't we forgetting someone?"

Suddenly, there was the sound of a dimensional gate, followed by a thud. Everyone turned and saw-

"Shute!"

Shute groaned as he got to his feet. "Darn it…I missed" He quickly started feeling himself all over, "Got my arms, got my legs… I'm not done yet!" He noticed everyone staring at him. "Princess Rele! You're okay!" He looked at the others. "Genkimaru? Guys? What are you doing here?"

"We were kidnapped!" Genkimaru answered, "Where've you been!?"

"I'll tell you later!" Shute began looking around, "I need to find the Captain and others! Where are they?"

There was an explosion heard from the top of White Tower. Shute looked up.

"They're up there, aren't they?" Shute asked, looking up. His eyes narrowed. "That's where I'm going, then."

"Huh?!"

"They need my help!" Shute explained, "I know they do!"

"Kid, this isn't gonna be like another fight," Grappler said, reaching for him, "This guy their fighting, we know what he's like, and-"

"I know!" Shute gritted angrily, "I know all about Ciphyr! That's why I can't stay down here, safe…If we don't beat him, nobody will be safe."

Everyone was silent for a moment, taking in Shute's words. Then, to everyone else's surprise, Zapper stepped forward and said, "Then get to it, squirt."

Genkimaru looked at Zapper in amazement.

"Whoa, Do you know what you're saying?" Grappler asked.

"Look, I don't get, and I never will," Zapper said, in that brittle, blustery tone of his, "But when this kid jumps into the thick of things, a perfectly good evil plan goes straight down the waste pipe. I…" Zapper trailed off, trying to force the words out, "I…I believe in him."

Princess Rele looked shocked at what Zapper said for moment, then stepped forward and said, "As do I."

"Me too!" Genkimaru piped up.

"Ditto," Said Destroyer.

"Zako!" the Zako Soldiers said.

Grappler looked from one to another before, a bit grudgingly, said, "Me too, I guess."

Shute's eyes rippled from the emotion of the moment. "Guys…"

Rele waved her hands. "O mana!"

Shute suddenly rose into the air, raised by a mana circle that came up from under him. "Whoa!"

Genkimaru began to make a portal. "Use this, Shute!"

As Shute, on the circle, flew into the portal, he gave the others one last wave. "Thank you!" He then turned his sight to what was coming. "All right, Ciphyr- Here I come!"

Zakozakozakozako

Up on White Tower, things were going in the gundams' favor. That last shot from the Zeong-hand hand truly winded them, and blown off several pieces of the Option Z. the Gundams had little else to do but wait for the coming blow…and react to the best of what ability they had left.

"I'm impressed with how you've survived this long," Ciphyr said, "But I feel this next one will end your struggle."

All five fingers on the Zeong-hand glowed to life as the cannons prepared to fire. However, before they could, a crudely drawn square-which became a dimensional gate- materialized and out from it came…Shute!

"What?" Ciphyr's eyes widened as he saw this.

"Yah!" Shute yelled. He leapt off the mana circle, his arm pulled back, hand curled into a fist, and clocked Ciphyr clean on the jaw! Ciphyr stumbled back from the blow, more surprised than hurt…but hurt nonetheless. Shute, satisfied, nodded.

"How d'ya like that?" He asked. He then realized there were five cannons(in the form of a hand) glaring down on him.

"Eep." Shute would've been vaporized on the spot, but at the last minute, Zero swooped in and pulled him out of blast. As the two landed, Captain and Bakushinmaru gathered around.

"Shute, where have you been?" Captain asked, "And how did you get here?"

"I'll explain later," Shute said. He turned around to glare at Ciphyr, who was still heaving, "We need to beat that guy!"

"I wish it was that simple," Baku' said solemnly, "He has not only countered all of our attacks with ease, but he's repaid them two-fold! And he's getting stronger with each passing second…"

Shute kept glaring at Ciphyr. "It doesn't matter!" Shute said, "No matter how powerful he is, no matter how strong he's becoming, we're still here!" He whirled on the gundams, "We still have a chance! Are you with me?"

Shute held out his open hand, palm down. In a second, Captain placed his hand on top.

"I'm in." His Soul Drive charged up.

Zero did likewise. "As well as I." His Soul stone glowed, and his wings spread out.

Baku' copied. "Me too." His Soul stone glowed, and his fins unfolded.

"Right," Shute turned to face Ciphyr. "Let's get him!"

Ciphyr, having gotten his breath back, felt a scowl appear on his face. "This kid…He's a skilled leader as I am… maybe better.'

"Yaah!" Bakushinmaru charged forward, key points on his armor glowing. "Kajiba Tenkyo-Ken!"

Baku' slashed his swords across sending off a fiery 'x', but this one's fire seemed to be a more blue/white, signifying a flame of higher temperature. The 'x' went through the Zeong-hand, causing it to shatter in an explosion of pixils. Instead of vanishing, the pixils reformed around Ciphyr's outstretched hand, forming something akin to a buster gun(Like from Megaman!). He shot a beam of pulsing purple from it directly at Baku', but before the beam could connect, Zero Custom flew in front and created a shield of spiritual power from his soul stone, blocking the ray. While this was happening, Captain flew up from behind Zero and unleashed a slew of missiles. Ciphyr, his attention focused on firing his buster gun, barely had time to erect a shield in time to repel the onslaught. As the smoke cleared, Ciphyr saw the gundams charging at him…and Shute running toward his console.

'No!' Ciphyr thought, 'They've been after the console the whole time!'

Shute had been watching the battle via Zakrello, and he decided that the console held the key to stopping Ciphyr's plan.

'I won't lose…not when I'm so close!' Ciphyr unleashed a burst of power, blasting the gundams away…and off the tower! Captain managed to grab hold of the edge, though, and was able to grab Zero's hand, while the Knight of Silver Wings had grabbed Bakushinmaru's hand, resulting in a chain of gundams to hang on by the edge of the building. Meanwhile, Ciphyr practically flew at Shute. Shute, almost sensing his approach, whirled around, just in time for him and Ciphyr to lock hands, with Ciphyr pushing him down.

"Errrg!" Shute groaned.

"I will NOT let my progress by halted in this place of my creation…not this time!" Ciphyr growled, an dark, inhuman fire in his eyes.

Shute felt pain like no other, and his knees buckled under the pressure. 'No… He's too strong…'

Suddenly, just when he was about to give up, he heard it.

"Fight!"

"Beat him!"

"You can do it!"

"Ganbatte!"

"We know you can!"

"Zakoooo!"

Shute heard the voices from below, from Princess Rele, Genkimaru, and Zapper's gang, and felt so pathetic for thinking he could lose. Suddenly, he felt different, like a fuse inside of him had been lit, or that his soul was on fire. With renewed power, Shute began to push back.

Ciphyr's eyes widened as he saw the righteous fire in Shute's eyes. 'What-? Those eyes-!"

"It's not progress…" Shute gritted, making more and more headway in the struggle.

Meanwhile, Captain felt his Soul Drive power up. He began to activate his booster rockets.

"It's not progress," Shute said, "If it hurts people!"

With one last burst of strength, Shute pumped his arms forward, sending Ciphyr flying. Meanwhile, the gundams flew up from their precarious perch and zoomed in.

Ciphyr landed a ways from Shute, but when got up, the Gundam Force was closing in.

"Captain PUNCH!" Captain yelled, a fire in his eyes, his fist glowing a golden yellow.

"Super Spirit Magic PUNCH!" Zero Custom yelled, a fire in his eyes, his fist sparkling a vibrant blue.

"Kajiba PUNCH!" Bakushinmaru yelled, a fire in his eyes, his fist on fire.

"Superior PUNCH!" Shute yelled, a fire in his eyes.

All four slammed their fists into Ciphyr's chest, the impact causing his eyes to bug out. The force of the multiple punches was so great that Ciphyr was blasted off the tower and into the sky, far out of sight.

"We did it!" Shute cheered.

BLAM!

BOOM!

BA-KOOM!

The celebrations were cut off as multiple explosions occurred throughout not just White Tower, but through the rest of the city as well!

Zakozakozakozako

In every dimension, the expanding black hole started to recede, and receded…until it shrank into nothingness.

Though no one knew it, when the Gundam Force struck at Ciphyr during that last instance, their combined power matched and, for a small amount, surpassed Ciphyr's. And that overloaded whatever power Ciphyr absorbed from the multiverse, causing it to flow back where it came from.

Zakozakozakozako

Zapper Zaku, cautiously, uncovered his eye. Ever since the explosions started, he ducked down and covered his eye, hoping the lack of sight would lessen any pain from the combustions. To his surprise, surrounding him was nothing but clouds and blue sky…partially obscured by what looked like a waterfall of sparkling colors.

As it turned out, he(And the others) were standing on a large mana circle, covered by a force field. Princess Rele stood in the middle of the group, her hands crossed over her chest, her eyes closed. Everyone else was taking in their surroundings clearly impressed.

"Zako, we really were in the Minov Sea, zako," One of the Zako Soldiers commented.

"But," Genkimaru looked around anxiously, "Where are Shute and the others?"

Grappler pointed. "There they are,"

Flying into sight was none other than the Gundam Force, Captain carrying Shute and Zero carrying Bakushinmaru.

Princess Rele opened her eyes. The force field dissipated, and the four landed onto the circle. The Mana circle shimmered some as Zero added his own power to it. Everyone gathered around the Force, and Rele asked, "Are you all right?"

Shute grinned. "Never better!" He then looked around. "But now what do we do?"

No one noticed a crack forming in one part of the Sea…

Genkimaru smirked. "Leave that to me!" He traced a crude square in the air, and it expanded into a dimensional portal. As everyone began going through it(The Zakos were closest, so they crowded in), Captain heard something strange. Which soon everyone heard.

KERRRRR-RAACCKKK!

The crack in the Minov Sea burst into a full fledged hole, sucking in everything! Everyone saw this and, forgetting all pretense of being polite, began forcing whoever was in front through the portal, so as to get through the portal themselves. Suddenly, a purple beam shot out of the crack and struck Shute, who was in the back of the line!

"Wah!" Shute cried in alarm.

Intead of hurting him, the beam began to pull Shute away…into the crack!

"Shute!" Everyone yelled, and Captain dived after him.

And the two were pulled into the crack…

Zakozakozakozako

When Shute regained his sight, he was in a strange place. White…pure white. Miles and miles and miles of white. Nothing else. It was mind-boggling.

"Are you all right, Shute?"

Shute turned to look at Captain. "I'm okay, Captain," he replied, "But where are we?"

"I have no way of formulating an answer," Captain answered, "Last I recall, we were pulled into the crack in the Minov Sea."

"This is the end," A voice cut in from behind. Shute and Captain whirled around to see none other than CIPHYR standing a ways behind them.

"From here, we will be sent to another universe," Ciphyr said calmly, looking at them like they were vermin, "Which one? Who knows? But before we go anywhere…" He pointed, and a buster gun pixilated around his hand, "I'll have my revenge on you now, just to get it out of the way."

The buster gun powered up, but before it could fire, Captain spun around and detached the Option Z, causing it to fly at Ciphyr. Ciphyr jumped aside to avoid it, and fired a pulsing purple burst of energy.

"Captain!" Shute yelled, and placed his hand over Captain's Soul Drive compartment. Captain unleashed his V Attack, and the two beams struck each other, canceling each other out.

Ciphyr ground his teeth. 'This boy,' He thought, 'Can emit the same type if energy I can, only his kind is oppositely charged.'

The buster gun de-pixilated, and the pixils flew around the pair before reforming in the shape of six orbiting funnel cannons, smaller than the ones from earlier.

Captain saw what was coming and called for Shute. "Get on!"

Shute nodded and leapt on Captain's back, seating himself between where the V-Rods were. Shute quickly pulled each Rod from their slots and held them in his hands, like makeshift guns. Captain began to spin around, and the two began to fire, just as the funnel cannons began to fire repeatedly. After several minutes of this, the funnel cannons ceased fire and de-pixilated. Captain stopped spinning, and revealed that he and Shute were unharmed, their own beam-firing having countered the funnel cannons. Shute put the Rods back into their slots and hopped off Captain. Captain held out his hand and looked Shute straight in the eye. Shute returned his gaze and took Captain's hand. Captain once again began to spin, swinging Shute around. He let Shute go at one point, and the boy flew at Ciphyr, slamming his fist in the older man's gut.

"Guuahh-!" Ciphyr gasped, feeling the wind go out of him. Heaving, he stumbled back, staring at Shute, whose eyes shone with bravery and determination.

"I feel…bad." Ciphyr said in a pained voice, and then he faded away.

Shute was amazed. He turned to Captain…who was one knee.

"Captain!?" Shute ran up to his friend. "Are you okay, buddy?"

"It seems my left leg is unoperative," Captain said, "That, couple with our being stranded in a different dimension, our chances of survival are-"

"We'll be fine," Shute assured him, helping his friend up(which, given Captain's weight, wasn't an easy chore), "As long as we're together, there's nothing we can't do."

And then they vanished…

Zakozakozakozako

When the vision returned to Shute, he found himself- along with Captain- in a bright, sunny field, with flowers, trees all around, and a bright clear sky overhead. A gentle breezed wafted through the air. It also, for some reason, a large crater, though it looked as if it had been there for quite some time, as bits of grass was poking up through the dirt in it.

Shute saw the crater, and knew exactly what was what. "Captain…" he said softly, "We're home."

"What?" Captain asked, regarding Shute.

"We're home!" Shute yelled excitedly, "This place- this is where we first met! See?" He pointed over to the crater, "That's where the Magnamusai's cannons hit!"

Shute and Captain then heard several voices heading their way.

"Shute! Captain!"

The two turned and saw none other than Zero Custom, Bakushinmaru, Entengo, Genkimaru, Princess Rele, Zapper Zaku, Grappler Gouf, Destroyer Dom, and the Zako Soldiers running up to them, looking overjoyed!

"You're all right!"

"You're back!"

"Zakoooo!"

The gang gathered around Shute and Captain.

"How did you come to this place?" Captain asked.

"We landed over there!" Genkimaru announced, as he clung to one of Captain's V-Rods, "We didn't know what to do until we heard you yelling over here!"

Laughing everyone pulled in for a group hug.

Zakozakozakozako

Captain's leg wasn't the only thing damaged. His communicator was busted as well, so there was no way for them to call Blanc Base for a quick ride. However, Shute noted that they weren't very far from his house, so they planned to call from there.(Shute stifled a snicker imagining how his mom would react to THIS crowd!)

When they arrived, Keiko truly was surprised(especially when she saw Zapper's gang), but let them in just the same. As they waited for the SDG to send a GunPerry, Fenn separated from Zero and flew back to Lacroa, and the Bakushin Armor removed itself from Bakunetsumaru, so Princess Rele summoned his normal armor for him. Afterwards, the Gundam Force and friends discussed what had happened. Naturally, the news of the Dark Axis coming from Earth was met with some overreaction.

"WHAT!?" Zapper roared, leaping from the couch he was sitting in. His uproar was such that it woke Nana from her nap, resulting in him being scolded by Keiko.

"C'mon, you're pulling my leg," Grappler scoffed, a tone quieter than Zapper, "There's no way we're from THIS planet."

"Then again," Zero said, "It would explain why certain members of the Dark Axis had Soul Drives. Ciphyr must have received them from Professor Shelly himself."

"And you learned all this from the Zakrello Gate?" Princess Rele asked Shute.

"Yeah, he told me how the Dark Axis was made, an I put two and two together," Shute frowned, remembering something. "I sure hope it got out okay…"

No sooner did the words leave Shute's mouth did the ground suddenly shake and vibrate, causing almost everyone to tumble to the floor.

"My goodness!" Keiko gasped, steadying herself against the wall. When the shaking stopped, she rushed to see if Nana was all right.

"Jumping gyros!" Zapper cried, "What was THAT?!"

"It came from outside!" Baku's hollered, and everyone went for the door. Shute got there first, and when he flung the door open, he found his house had fallen under a shadow.

Cast by the Zakrello Gate.

"Wha…wha…" Shute could barely make any words out, and he could _hear _the disbelief from those behind him.

"HOME!" Boomed Paparello happily.

'_All Rello wanted,'_ Shute remembered Paparello saying, _'Was to do what was made to do.'_

Professor Shelly had made the Zakrello Gate to return to his home.

Earth.

Zakozakozakozako

What happened next was a whirlwind of actions and movement. When the SDG arrived, the Zakrello Gate was moved Lab C for further study by Bell Wood, since the disks were destroyed with the dimensional transit. With the Zakrello Gate's power of maintaining a constant doorway between dimensions, the need for sending the Gundam Force to each world attacked by the Dark Axis was no more, as the SDG could send White Bagu Bagu to each petrified world directly. Zapper's gang were offered a chance to join the SDG and live in Neotopia, but none of them wanted to stay, claiming that life in Neotopia would just a be a reminder of their failure to conquer it. Shute felt(but didn't say) that it was more likely they didn't want to leave Genkimaru. And so, Zero, Bakunetsumaru, Genkimaru, Princess Rele, and Zapper's gang, went through the gate, back to Soradio Rarma…

Zakozakozakozako

Shute walked down the street for home from school. It had been a few weeks since the others had departed for Soradio Rarma. He managed to see Captain, though…

He heard the sound of booster rockets, and Captain landed beside him.

"Hey, Captain!" Shute welcomed.

"Hello, Shute." Captain replied, "Do you mind if I walk with you?"

"No problem," Shute smiled, and the two walked together.

"It's weird, you know," Captain said after a bit, "I was built for the sole purpose of defending Neotopia from the Dark Axis. But now that there is no Dark Axis..what will I do?"

"Hm, I guess we can do whatever we want." Shute decided, "Summer vacation's coming up, so we can use the free time."

Zakozakozakozako

In Lacroa Castle's royal garden, Princess Rele walked among the flowers, thinking. It had been a few weeks since she left Neotopia. She had invited Shute to come with her to Lacroa, but he had declined. She then saw a beam of light in the air. Going to where the light's source was, and found Zero, practicing his magic. Noticing her, Zero stopped what he was doing and bowed.

"Your majesty," He said, "I hope you are doing well, milady."

Princess Rele smiled, and nodded. "Of Course, Zero," She answered, "You don't have to stop on my account." She then paused, and, looking a little uneasy, said, "Mm, Zero, can I ask you something?"

"Anything you wish, princess," Zero said, his voice filled with chivalry.

"Do you," She stopped, then continued, "Do you think…Shute likes me?"

Zero wasn't expecting THAT, and facefaulted, though he tried not to.

Zakozakozakozako

In the land of Ark, the Genki Power Squad was in action…meaning, once again, Zapper lost the keys to the Big Zam.

"Are you sure you didn't _step on them_?" Grappler asked as he searched through the grass.

"Yes I'm sure!" Zapper snapped, clearly irked, "I just checked! Now shut up and keep looking!"

On a hill, Bakunetsumaru riding on Entengo watched the goings-on with some amusement.

"Hmmph. Hard to believe those guys were are enemies once, eh Entengo?" Baku' asked, to which the horse responded with a winny.

BOOM!

Zakozakozakozako

Shute and Captain looked to where the explosion came from, surprised. A transmission then came through on Captain communicator.

"Attention, Captain Gundam! Trouble in sector 4-A! Please investigate!"

Zakozakozako

"I'll be back, shortly, my lady!" Zero said, as he flew off to investigate the explosion.

Rele waved. "Be careful!"

Zakozakozakozako

"I knew it," Bakunetsumaru said as Entengo galloped toward the blast site, "Whenever it seems like things are peaceful, something like this happens."

Zakozakozakozako

"But to avoid the tragedies of the past," Zero said, summoning his Vatras Sword and shield, "I must keep going forward toward that wonderous future!"

Zakozakozakozako

"That's why we are here," Captain said, "So that future will be someday become the present."

"So what are we waiting for?" Shute asked, jogging to keep up with Captain.

Then, though none of them realized it, all four at the same time said…

"GUNDAM FORCE, LET'S GO!"

Zakozakozakozako

The End

A/N: Phew! It's done! I never thought I'd get so far! Thanks for all the encouragement to keep going on, and G'night, everbody!

End Transmission.


End file.

SD Gundam, Adventure