SD Gundam 1. Prologue

**Superior Defender Gundam Force**

Book 3

_Neotopia Under Attack  
_

Based on _SD Gundam Force _episodes 14-26

Property of Bandai and Sunset.

_Imagine a bright, happy, peaceful place. Where a perfect balance between mankind and machine has been achieved. Where humans and robots co-exist in harmony. A clean and smoothl-functioning paradise, where the skies are always sunny._

_This is Neotopia, city of the near-future._

_Here, robots are not just workers, but pets, friends, companions, and guardians._

_But why would such a perfect place need guardians?_

_Because the city has fallen under attack by the evil forces of the Dark Axis, invaders from another dimension._

_To protect the peace, a boy named Shute- That's me- and a team of unique robots known as the Gundam Force have risen up! And they are bound by an unshakable resolve to oppose the Dark Axis-_

_-Wherever they may appear._


	2. Undercover Mission!

Chapter 1: Undercover Mission! Learn the Gundam Force's Secrets!

The Gundam Force- mobile defender Captain Gundam, Zero the Winged Knight, Bakunetsumaru, the Blazing Samurai, and ten-year-old wiz kid Shute Ray- were spending one lazy Sunday hanging outside of the boy's house. Even the Super Dimensional Guard's headquarters were in Blanc Base, which hung over the center of the city, the Gundam Force had, through unspoken consensus, adopted the Ray family's house as their own barracks. Well, Zero and Bakunetsumaru did. Shute lived there by virtue of being born of the family, and Captain still technically resided in Blanc Base, while making daily visits. Despite many offers to take up residence in the main base, the knight and samurai had chosen to remain on _terra firma_ as much as they could. They preferred to have solid ground underneath during the night, and thus became indefinite houseguests of the Ray family. Luckily, his mother and father didn't mind.

Right now, they were not so concerned with sleeping arrangements as they were with the object on the back patio's table. It was a brown box, and resting inside was the Sprit Egg, an egg shaped crystal the size of a baseball. It glowed with a faint blue energy that swelled around.

"Wow, this Egg is something else!" Shute breathed, staring at the light.

"On the contrary, Shute. It is _not _something else. It is exactly what it is," Zero said firmly, "The Spirit Egg; the key to restoring peace and justice to my troubled homeland of Lacroa."

At these words, Bakunetsumaru suddenly bent over and trembled. A sniffling noise escaped his lips.

"Don't remind me!" He whimpered.

"Bakuentsumaru, what's wrong?" Shute asked, concerned.

Bakunetsumaru looked up, revealing his watery eyes, and said, "I cannot think of Lacroa without being reminded of the friends we left behind there, abandoned! Those brave triplets, Coah, Noah, and Doah! Have the rest of you forgotten them so soon!"

The rest of the Gundam Force looked down somberly. No, they didn't forget. The three identical children were survivors of the Dark Axis' destruction of Lacroa, the only ones not to be turned into stone. They had summoned the Gundam Force to Lacroa in order to give Zero the Spirit Egg, proclaiming him their savior. And after defeating the evil knight Tallgeese, they had sent the Gundam Force home…and without the Spirit Egg's power, turned to stone.

"Why, they risked their lives for us!" Bakunetsumaru went on, and held the Spirit Egg into the air grandly. "And to protect this Spirit Egg! Can you not blame me for shedding a tear on their behalf!"

"Be careful with that!" Zero snapped, and snatched the Egg away.

"Huh?" Bakunetsumaru looked away from his empty hand to Zero.

"The Egg is not meant to be handled by _anybody!_" Zero scolded, floating up.

"I am not just _anybody!_" Bakunetsumaru insisted, "Look, my hands are clean!" He held them out for inspection.

Zero rolled his eyes. "It is to be touched _only _by a Knight of Lacroa, whose heart is pure and noble, such as myself."

"If you're so special, what are you waiting for?" Bakunetsumaru demanded, "Take it and go save Lacroa!"

"You do not understand, my ignorant friend, the Egg must be _awakened _before its powers are revealed." Zero replied sternly.

While this was going on, Captain kept staring at the Egg, trying to analyze it. However, the numbers of the read-out kept changing.

"Very peculiar," Captain remarked, "That Spirit Egg seems to be impervious to all my sensors."

"_I _can tell you what it consists of," Zero said, "The spirits of all the sacred Mana, in all shapes and forms. Creatures, great and small, their essence is contained within it. It is a mystical thing!"

Shute thought about the strange spirits he saw during his time in Lacroa, like the jellyfish like Mms, and the fantastic Griffin Tallgeese controlled.

"So, like, what's going to come out of the Egg when it finally hatches?" Shute asked, "A new creature?"

Zero did not answer.

"Yes, if you're so smart, why don't you get it to hatch?" Bakunetsumaru pressed, "Then perhaps we can use its power to save my beloved Ark, as well as Lacroa!"

Zero looked down. "Well…"

But his silence was all the answer Bakunetsumaru needed.

"Huh. I thought as much," Bakunetsumaru snorted, and looked away. "The great, all-knowing knight doesn't have any idea how to get it to hatch."

"What's that!" Zero demanded angrily, hearing the sneer in Baku's snort.

Bakunetsumaru glared at him over his shoulder. "You pass yourself off as a savior, but in fact you are useless."

_Uh-oh! _Shute cringed, knowing that this jab at Zero's character would not go unchallenged. And it didn't.

"I dare you to repeat that!" Zero shouted hotly.

"Useless useless useless!" Bakunetsumaru shouted back, "_Worse _than useless!"

"How _dare _you!"

"I am _always _having to rescue you!"

"Never! Not _once!_"

"Ha-ha!"

"_What _did you say!"

"I said, ha-ha!"

"I _thought _that's what you said!" Zero quickly floated back to Shute and handed him the Spirit Egg. "Here, hold this for me, will you?"

Shute looked at the Egg and then back at Zero. "Uh…"

"_O Mana, in the name of your pact with the Winged Knight, be my shield and my sword!_" Zero proclaimed, and summoned his shield and Vatras Sword. _"Come to me!_"

"_Secret Arts! Bakunetsu!_" Bakunetsumaru yelled, unsheathing his swords and taking a stance. "_Tenkyo-Ken!_"

The two warriors from the other dimension, knight and samurai, stared each other down.

"_Now _we shall see who needs rescuing!" Zero declared, "Let us find out who is the finer swordsman!"

And without another word, the two Gundams went at it, clashing, parrying, and slicing at each other. As their swordplay grew more and more frantic, Shute wondered how long it would be until someone got seriously hurt.

"C'mon, you guys!" Shute yelled, upset. "Cut it out! _C'mon!_"

"Alert! _Alert!_" Captain cried.

Shute, Zero, and Bakunetsumaru stopped what they were doing and looked at the Gundam. His v-fin was glowing.

"Receiving emergency transmission from base!" Captain reported, and activated the speaker-function on his transmitter.

"Unidentified Dark Axis forces have penetrated our dimension." Chief Haro, leader of the SDG, said through the speaker.

-z-

In Blanc Base, Haro, his head as round and green as ever, looked at a monitor showing a dot symbolizing the Dark Axis force as it hurried down the road towards Shute's house.

"We've picked up the signature of a small, trans-dimensional gate in your vicinity," Haro continued, "Their purpose is unknown, but keep an eye out, Captain."

Haro's calm composure betrayed the sense of fear and terror he felt. Ever since the beginning the Shute's involvement with the SDG's activities, he always worried what would happen if either the boy or the rest of his family were to get caught in the cross fire.

And now, it looked like he would find out…

-z-

"Roger!" Captain nodded. He hoped he could find a secret place to change into his defender mode, as his current mobile citizen form was not designed for heavy combat.

Shute looked around, uneasy. It was quiet…too quiet. The Dark Axis weren't that big on stealth or subtlety.

"If this is an invasion, where are they?" He asked, confused.

"_Hellooo!_"

"_you-hoo!_"

The Gundam Force looked down the road and saw a sight to see. Coming up were two little green robots with doomed heads and singular computer eyes. Over their normal torsos they wore orange armor, and over their eyes wore visors, like the kind Neotopia GM-class mobile citizens wore. One robot wore a dirty blond wig over its head and a red microphone in hand, while the other wore a construction worker's helmet and a video camera.

"We know you're extremely busy, pardon us for interrupting!" the wigged robot said, bowing.

"Yes, a thousand apologies!" the helmeted robot added, bowing.

"But you see," The wig robot went on, "I'm Zakoko, with _Neotopia News_, perhaps you've seen me on TV?"

"And I'm Zakotom," the helmet robot introduced, "I'm her, uh…What'd you call it?" He glanced at some writing on his hand. "Cameraman! That's it!"

"We came here to do a story about you guys!" The robots sang, doing a little dance. "The famous Gundam Force! What they're really like! You know, up close and personal!"

The Gundam Force gaped, flabbergasted at this spectacle.

"Zako-zako, they are completely taken in by our disguise." Zakoko whispered to her friend, giggling.

Zakotom nodded. "Zako! It will be easy to trick them into revealing all their secrets!"

While the two robots snickered nefariously at their scheme, Shute, Zero, and Captain conferred.

"Who are these guys _kidding?_" Shute asked, rolling his eyes.

"Not us." Zero sighed. It was embarrassing to deal with nuisances like this.

Captain nodded. "Those are Zako Soldiers, our Dark Axis enemies."

The Zako Soldiers were the grunts, the tiny cogs in the Dark Axis war machine…and thus, the easiest type of enemy to deal with.

"These villains must be after the Spirit Egg." Zero decided.

"They are in for a big surprise." Captain stated, cocking a fist. Even in mobile citizen mode, it would be easy to deal with just _two _soldiers. He was just about to show the Zakos the door (figuratively speaking) when Shute put his hand on his shoulder.

"Wait, Captain," the boy said, "Why don't we play along for a while and find out what they're after? What do you think?"

Captain looked from Shute to the Zakos…who were still snickering.

"…Yes, perhaps you're right." Captain decided.

However, before anyone could make a move, Entengo, Bakunetsumaru's robotic steed, galloped onto the scene, with Bakunetsumaru riding. The Musha Gundam had both swords out and looked ready for a fight. The Zakos saw the incoming horse and panicked.

"_Oh no!_" Shute exclaimed, pointing.

"Bakunetsumaru!" Zero shouted. He should've guessed that the battle-happy samurai would start a fight.

Bakunetsumaru leapt down from the saddle and glared at the Zakos. "I, Bakunetsumaru, the Blazing Samurai…"

The Zakos cringed. So did the other Force members.

"…Would be delighted to grant you an on-camera interview!" Bakunetsumaru finished, smiling brightly.

_Huh?_

The samurai re-sheathed his swords and preened. "How very exciting to have one's name and face on television! Don't you think so, Entengo?"

Entengo shrugged. He preferred the radio himself.

"…Does he _really_ believe they are what they say they are?" Zero asked at last.

Shute nodded dully. "Uh-huh…"

-z-

Zakoko stood proudly in front of Zakotom's rolling camera.

"Today I have an exclusive interview with the Gundam Force," She said, "And I'm going to get them to reveal all the innermost secrets of…well, the Gundam Force."

Zakotom panned with the camera to catch the Gundams and Shute, who smiled awkwardly.

"If we're lucky, I might even get one of them to cry!" Zakoko giggled, "Here they are, the Gundam Force!

Zakoko hopped onto the table and scuttled towards the Force.

"Let's see, where to start …" She murmured thoughtfully, "There's so many things I want to ask! Well, to begin with, which of you is the strongest Gundam?"

"That would be me." Bakunetsumaru said quickly, sliding in front of Zakotom's camera.

"No, that would be me!" Zero said, pushing Bakunetsumaru away.

"Excuse me," Bakunetsumaru growled, "_I am!_"

"No, _I am!_" Zero insisted.

"_I am!_"

"_I am!_"

"Well, while you two are trying to figure that out," Zakoko intervened, "Let's hear about your leader, the great Captain Gundam!"

"Ooh!" Shute waved his hand in the air. "I can tell all you wanna know about Captain!"

Captain glanced at Shute. While he was grateful to Shute for covering for him, he hoped Shute wouldn't talk _too _much…

"He's my closest friend in the world!" Shute proclaimed proudly.

"Isn't that sweet?" Zakoko replied, trying not to roll her eye. She waved to Zakotom, who focused his camera on Shute's profile.

"Yeah, I wouldn't be here if it weren't for Captain!" Shute continued, "I'll never forget the day I saw him.

"I was attacked by the Dark Axis," Shute said went on, thinking. "I thought I was a goner for sure…"

He had been on his way home from school when he saw the Dark Axis' forces land, and was almost killed by their BaguBagu when a mysterious new robot pulled him from danger.

"And then _he_ showed up and saved my life- Captain Gundam!" Shute said, and remembered how Captain had shielded him from the cannon fire of the Dark Axis' warship. "He almost lost his _own _life in the process. The blast sent him crashing through the roof of my workshop. I figured since he saved _my _life, I should try to return the favor."

Shute recalled how much trouble fixing Captain was, and how long it took before the Gundam began to show any change. And how quickly he left when the Dark Axis attacked the factory.

"He left in kind of a hurry, and forgot his shield. I thought he might need it…"

Shute had lugged that heavy shield as fast as he could to the factory, just when the Dark Axis was about to blast him again. Captain, touched by his bravery, activated his Soul Drive for the very first time.

"One punch, and he knocked those goons out of this dimension!" Shute whooped, "Man, you should have seen it!"

Calming down, Shute asked, "Pretty good, huh? The Dark Axis is no match for Captain!"

Zakoko and Zakotom smiled, or at the very least, the edges of their mouthpieces curved upwards.

"Yes," Zakoko growled, "That's so very impressive."

Poof!

"Wha-?" Zakoko jumped as roses sprouted on her mic.

"Oh, would you really like to see impressive?" Zero asked innocently, poking his head in front of the camera. Now that he had their attention, Zero floated up into the air.

"_I _am unmatched in swordsmanship," He declared, "I am fearless in battle! I defend the helpless! I even rescue damsels in distress! I have proven myself a match for any opponent. What is more, I do it all while maintaining an elegant sense of style. For I am Zero the Winged Knight! Savior of Lacroa and the mightiest Gundam of all!"

As he spoke, Zero summoned a violet rose to his hand. With a dramatic flourish, he scattered the petals in the air, where they drifted away in the wind.

"Now _that_, much as I dislike boasting-" Zero concluded, "-Is impressive."

Zakoko and Zakotom glared up at the Gundam, clearly vexed by his ego. Exchanging looks, they nodded.

"We've got a little surprise for you, Zero," Zakoko said, "We'd like to show some footage of our own of you, and your exploits!"

"What's this? You have captured images of _me?_" Zero asked, "I am very flattered!"

Zakoko snickered. "Don't be. _Hit it!_"

Zakoko gave Zakotom a bonk on the head, and his eye began to work as a movie projector, displaying a screen into the air.

"You're battles weren't always quite so elegant." Zakoko explained as the movie began.

The first clip was from the time Grappler Gouf zapped Captain and Zero with his rubber bazooka. Zero blanched how silly he and Captain looked, with their heads sticking out of that rubber ball. Then there was the time he had lost his sword to Destroyer Dom, and had to substitute with an egg beater. And after that was during that fight on the train, where Captain almost shot him, which was followed by when the knight had crashed into the tunnel.

"Was that really _me?_" Zero gulped, feeling the air go out of the balloon called his ego.

"'Was that really _me?_'" Bakunetsumaru mocked, pointing and laughing. "Yes indeed! That was more like the Zero _I _know!"

"It's a mistake!" Zero yelled, waving his arms frantically. "I don't remember any of that!"

Bakunetsumaru quickly stepped in front of Zakotom's camera. "Forget _him_ and keep that camera pointed on _me _if you want to see what a _true _warrior is like!

"I was in the midst of defending my homeland when suddenly, and much against my will, I found myself brought to this dimension, along with my faithful steed, Entengo! But no matter where I am, my purpose remains the same: _destroy the Dark Axis!_ Unlike some _others_ I could name, I have no need for boasting! I let my blades and my deeds speak for me! I am always focused, always vigilant, always ready for battle!" He shot Zero a meaningful look. "You will never see a Gundam like _me _fighting without my sword!"

"A-and just what does _that _mean!" Zero demanded, trying to retain what little dignity he had left.

"Well, Bakadamatsa…" Zakoko stumbled over the word and decided to just skip it. "Whatever. We have some super special footage of _you _we'd like to show you, too!"

Bakunetsumaru froze in fear. "You…you do?"

Upon hearing this, Zero grew a cruel smile. "Excellent! Personally, I cannot wait to see it. By all means, go right ahead!"

"No-no-no! Wait! Please, don't!" Bakunetsumaru pleaded, jumping in front of the Zakos.

"All righty!" Zakoko said, ignoring the Musha Gundam's pleas. "_Hit it!_"

She gave Zakotom a bonk on the head, and the camera-bearing Zako began to project images into the air. The first clips were of the times flowers sprouted from Bakunetsumaru's helmet and swords, while next few were times that Bakunetsumaru were blasted off his feet or knocked back. Then it went into Lacroa, showing the confession Bakunetsumaru made concerning a phobia he had while he and Captain were trapped in the Dark Hole.

"All right!" The on-screen Baku' yelled, "I am afraid of ghosts if you must know!"

Then it switched over to his rather terrified attempt to cross the invisible bridge, before ending at the battle on Grypapa, a giant digging machine, when the Zakos made him spin around and round.

Captain wondered where the Zakos were getting their footage, as none were present during the flower incidents, or in Lacroa.

"Uh, no…" Bakunetsumaru said weakly, "That wasn't me… That was, uh, _obviously _an imposture…"

Zero laughed triumphantly. "I may have made mistakes, but I was _never_ afraid of ghosts!" He taunted, pointing.

Bakunetsumaru gave Zero a mean look. "At least I do not require _magic _tricks to win my battles for me!"

Zero returned Baku's mean look with his own. "I need no magic to defeat _you!_"

The weapons were out again, and the two Gundams charged at each other. However, they had put to much effort in their charging, and could not stop in time to prevent the inevitable collision.

CRASH!

Their weapons went flying into the air, and Zero and Bakunetsumaru leapt up to grab at them. However, when the two landed back on the ground, something was wrong. Zero now held two katana in his hands while Bakunetsumaru clutched the Vatras Sword and shield.

"Huh?" Zero looked at his new blades, confused.

"Huh!" Bakunetsumaru gave the sword and shield an annoyed once-over. "You call this a _sword!_"

"At least I need only one, you coward!" Zero shot back.

"Villain!"

Shute lowered his head in dismay as the two fought. "Oh boy…"

Captain noted that while obviously inexperienced, both Zero and Bakunetsumaru were surprisingly proficient with each other's weapons. Perhaps they had learned each other's styles whenever they feuded.

"Our plan is working, zako-zako!"

Shute and Captain looked over to the Zakos, who were once again huddling.

"We are discovering their weak points!" Zakotom snickered.

"What plan?" Shute asked, raising an eyebrow.

The Zakos jumped and began to jabber a barrage of denials. "_WhatplanIdunnowhatyourtalkingaboutwhatareyousaying!_"

Shute rolled his eyes. So that was it. The Dark Axis wanted to learn more about the Gundam Force, and came up with this stunt. It was both inventive and sad. But, what was good for the goose was good for the turkeys.

"We have our differences, but there's one thing we agree on," Shute said, "The Dark Axis is a joke."

That did it. The Zakos were hopping up in down in fury, waving their arms.

"The Dark Axis is no joke!" Zakoko yelled hotly.

"_Yeah!_" Zakotom shouted, "We- I mean they- are the most powerful force in the universe!"

"Yeah?" Shute grinned. Now to reel 'em in. turning to Captain, he said smoothly, "Gee, Captain, sounds like they know an awful lot about it."

Captain saw Shute was getting at and quickly picked up. "How could they know anything about the Dark Axis?" he asked in a fake-confused tone, "I am sure they are just making it all up."

"You callin' us liars!" Zakoko demanded.

"We really know 'em, it's true!" Zakotom insisted.

"If you don't believe us, just take a look at this clip!" Zakoko said, and gave Zakotom a bonk on the head. "_Hit it!_"

Projected from Zakotom's eye came an image of a giant, dark purple ball with three horn-like structures sticking out of it.

"There, you see that turnip-looking thing?" Zakoko asked, "That's the home of the Dark Axis."

The image then panned over to a shot of a dark-red battleship with spikes and cabins shaped like Zako heads.

"And that's the _Magnamusai!_" Zakotom added.

"And in front is the Zakurello Gate!" Zakoko continued, pointing at the yellow, mouth-like thing floating into view. "It's a trans-dimensional portal, don'tcha know!"

Shute looked at Captain, who nodded. He was already transmitting everything to headquarters.

-z-

Chief Haro stared at the footage on-screen, amazed.

"Are you getting all this?" he asked an aide.

"Yes, Chief Haro." Replied Juli, lieutenant-chief of the SDG. She brushed aside some of her short, light-blue hair as she typed at her notebook PDA.

Haro's eyes never left the screen as he took it all in. Shute had come up with a brilliant counter for the Dark Axis' little scheme.

"Those fools are giving us a tour of all their secrets!" He chuckled.

-z-

"Then there's Lord Zapper Zaku!" Zakoko continued.

Zakotom showed an image of the red, spikey robot who had first led the Dark Axis into Neotopia, firing off his machine guns.

"And Grappler Gouf!"

The next image was off the blue, sleeker-and-taller-than-Zapper robot, showing off his claw arm and sword.

"And of course, Destroyer Dom!"

A clip of the large, bulky robot, lugging his yellow weapons cart, the Gallop, around was shown. This was followed closely by an image of dozens of Zako Soldiers.

"And who could forget the dreaded Zako Horde?"

Zakotom switched off the projection, and he and Zakoko turned and looked triumphantly at Shute and Captain.

"So you see," the Zakos said simultaneously, "Put it all together and there's no force in the universe that can stop us!"

"You?" Captain asked.

The Zakos froze. Panicking, they yelled, "_Them!_"

Shute nodded. So far, the Zakos had just confirmed what the SDG had already suspected. Now it was time for the big question.

"So…those three guys," He began, "Are _they _the toughest guys in the Dark Axis?"

Ever since they had returned from Lacroa, Shute had been wondering what else the invaders had to throw at the Gundam Force. It seemed unlikely that three goofballs like Zapper, Grappler, and Destroyer could have wasted Lacroa so much, even _with _the help of a heavy-hitter like Tallgeese. There had to be more.

And from the way the Zakos were bouncing on their feet, it looked like that might be the case.

"Nonono!" Zakoko squealed, "Not even _close!_"

"There's another one!" Zakotom exclaimed, "Who's a lot tougher, and a lot scarier than any of them!"

Zero and Bakunetsumaru had been too caught up in their nonsensical duel to pay attention to the Zakos, but their words stopped them right in their tracks.

"_Another one?_" Zero asked.

"Tougher _and _scarier?" Bakunetsumaru asked.

Zakotom nodded. "Oh, _yes…_" He snickered darkly.

Zero and Baku' quickly hurried over as the camera-holding Zako projected an image that began with the close-up of the _Magnamusai_'s highest door.

"He is very powerful, and very mysterious," Zakoko explained, shivering. "He is rarely seen, but his presence is felt everywhere."

As they watched, two fannels- small, self-propelled laser cannons- zipped around before hovering on either side of the door. Then, a dark, mono-eyed shadow appeared on the door.

"He is the great one…the _Commander!_"

Zero stared, awestruck at the image. Perhaps it was just the way Zakoko talked, but Zero found himself becoming very afraid.

"So, _that _ is the leader of the Dark Axis?" the Winged Knight asked.

"The one known as 'Commander'?" Bakunetsumaru added, his tone suggesting that Zero was not alone in his fears about this new player.

Zakoko and Zakotom suddenly became aware that they had done something very silly.

"I have a feeling we may have divulged too much information." Zakotom whispered.

Zakoko nodded. "Zako. We've learned enough for now. I say let's take what we got and get out of here."

The Zakos quickly began to scurry away. Then, remembering their manners, as well as their alibi, they turned around and bowed to the Gundam Force.

"Thank you all for your cooperation!" they chorused.

"Aw, hey, don't go yet!" Shute said, "We want to find out more about the Dark Axis," He turned to the Gundams. "Don't we, guys?"

The Gundams did not reply. They were staring into the box. Shute looked as well. To his amazement, he saw that the Spirit Egg was glowing, much more than usual.

"The Spirit Egg…" Bakunetsumaru said at last. "It's…"

Shute slowly moved to touch the Egg, and jumped away when he did. The little thing was _vibrating!_

Unfortunately, his reaction tipped the box over, causing the Egg to fall out. Luckily, it was caught…by Zakoko!

"Hmm, what's this?" The Zako asked, holding the relic up to her eye.

"Hey, leave that alone!" Shute cried.

The Zakos were fast. They backed away so hurriedly that within seconds they were at the edge of the yard's entrance.

"Ooh, this wouldn't happen to be something very important to you, _would it?_" Zakoko asked mockingly, waving the Egg around.

"Stop!" Zero cried.

"Give that back!" Bakunetsumaru yelled.

"Be careful!" Captain urged.

"No, don't!" Shute cried.

The Zakos laughed, and threw their 'disguises' off. "Sorry! Finders-keepers!"

"We got you to reveal all your secrets!" Zakotom sang tauntingly.

"And on top of that, we got this little thing, _dontcha know!_" Added Zakoko, holding the Egg up.

"Face it!" the Zakos gloated together, "You've just been burned, Gundams!"

And with that, the Zakos took off down the road, proving that even those with short legs can make land-speed records.

"They are Zako Soldiers in disguise!" Bakunetsumaru cried out, pointing.

There were too thuds, one soft and one hard, as Shute and Zero fell over.

"Are you saying you just figured that out?" Captain asked.

The Musha Gundam looked around awkwardly. "Well, aren't they…?"

"Of _course _they are!" Shute and Zero yelled.

-z-

The two Zakos hurried down the road, Egg and camera in hand. True, the brass would not be happy that the Gundams had found out about the Commander and stuff, but the information they gained along with the strange-glowing ball would make up for that.

Right?

They were about halfway to the rendezvous point when something barred their way, bucking up. Entengo released a loud whinny, having successfully caught the Zakos and looked ready for action.

The Zakos screeched to a halt and did an about-face, but found themselves confronted by Zero.

"Oh, no you don't!" The Knight Gundam said firmly as the rest of the Gundam Force showed up.

The Zakos cowered as the Gundam Force surrounded them.

"It was a misunderstanding, don'tcha know!" Zakoko trembled.

But none of them were having any of it.

"All right, now just hand over that Egg." Shute demanded.

The Zakos quickly racked their artificial intelligence for a solution, but before they could begin to find one, the Spirit Egg suddenly pulled itself out of Zakoko's grasp, and floated into the air. Instead of hatching open, like other eggs, its crystal-like shell faded as something grew out of it.

"Huh!" Bakunetsumaru cried, backing away.

"What is it?" Captain asked, transfixed.

"Could it be!" Zero wondered, his eyes shimmering.

It was a small, blue, round creature, all covered in fur, with two poofy-feet at the bottom, a puff-ball on the top, and a pair of big, blue baby-like eyes.

"Is _that _the spirit of the Egg?" Bakunetsumaru asked, bewildered.

"Kinda…funny-looking." Shute commented.

The furry-ball made a noise that sounded like fennnn.

"Aw, look at him!" the Zakos gushed, "He's _cute!_"

The creature turned to the Zakos, reared back (_Awwww_) and a giant blast of flames spewed forth from under its eyes!

"_Aarrghquiteitquiteitaaauuggh!_" The Zako screamed as the fire consumed them. When the incineration ended, the Zakos were covered in soot and scortch marks.

Then their armor fell off, revealing their skeletal bodies.

"_Don't look!_" The Zakos squealed, covering themselves. They then took off, disappearing into the horizon.

Captain noted that they had dropped their camera. Upon inspection, he found that it had no film. With that settled, he looked at the creature.

"So, this is the spirit." He commented.

The spirit bobbed in the air, going 'fen' in high-pitched growls.

"_This _creature is destined to be the savior of Lacroa?" Zero asked, trembling. Shute wasn't sure if he was going to laugh or cry. And neither did Zero.

"Impossible!" Bakunetsumaru remarked.

Shute cracked a smile. "It looks like one of Nana's stuffed animals!"

Hearing this, the creature closed its eyes, took a deep breath…and breathed fire!

-Chapter 1 end-

A/N: Well, here we go again. Sorry for the long wait in comparison to the other chapters. Distractions abound.

I would like to comment for those who feel that this is weak, well, you're right. In the series proper, this is what is known as a 'clip show,' a cheap way to make a full episode without working to create all new animation, by using footage from past episodes. This chapter also serves to re-integrate viewers with the Gundam Force's normal routine as the adventures in Lacroa was quite a change. We re-learn everything that was already well-known to us. It's difficult to write out something like that on paper, so I did the best I could. In the actually episode, dialogue from the flashbacks was quite different then when the appeared in their episodes, which I felt to be too confusing to deal with. So I cut it out.

Next time, we learn NEW things about the Dark Axis, and the Gundam Force!

Please review!


	3. ZakoZako Hour 5

Chapter 1.5: Zako Zako Hour

In the deepest area of the _Magnamusai_, there was a place where the Zako Soldiers gathered after a hard day's work of invading peaceful worlds and crushing any who opposed them. It was a place with a stage, hidden by an iron curtain.

The curtain rose, showing the hosts of the show, standing in front of a big screen; The Zako Soldier with the red round microphone, the Zako with the blue triangular microphone, and the one with the yellow square microphone.

"Good evening, ladies and gentlebots," Red Mic Zako greeted, bowing. His partners did the same. "This meeting is all about…"

Blue Mic sniffed sadly. "_The Bad Memory of _Komusai, zako!"

Red Mic and Yellow Mic huddled together. "This is so _grim_, zako!"

Blue Mic sadly looked at the screen as it showed the _Komusai_, the Dark Axis' small transport, just before it became the center of an explosion.

"Poor _Komusai_," He wept, "Why did you get defeated, zako?"

The last time the ship had been used was during a disastrous attempt to destroy the Gundam Force by Zapper, Grappler, and Destroyer. It would have survived the defeat, had it not been stuffed to the point of bursting with ammunition.

"Look how cute an efficient the body design is!" Blue Mic said, as the screen showed an image of the _Komusai_.

"Some might call it cute and efficient, but I just call it _short_." Red Mic put in.

Yellow Mic nodded. "Zako."

The screen showed a clip of the ship in flight.

"It flew so gently and gracefully, too!" Blue Mic went on.

Red Mic and Yellow Mic watched as the clip went on to show the _Komusai _bumping into a hill.

"Yes," Yellow Mic commented, "If by saying gently and gracefully you mean _broken down_."

"Zako!" Red Mic nodded.

"It was victorious during its many countless battles!" Blue Mic exclaimed.

The screen then showed many clips of the _Komusai _being knocked back through the Zakurello Gate.

"It was destroyed on its first and only failed mission." Red Mic pointed out.

Yellow Mic nodded. "Zako."

Blue Mic glared at his partners. "Oh yeah? So, zako, do you smart guys know why the _Komusai _is attached upside-down to the _Magnamusai?_"

That was right. The _Komusai,_ when not in use, stayed docked underneath the deck of the _Magnamusai_. However, the reason for this stationing method had always been a mystery.

In the face of this, Red Mic and Yellow Mic found themselves cast down the abyss of despair. "_Noooooo!_"

"IdunnoIdunnoIdunno!" Yellow Mic jabbered, and then calmed down. Pointing at the screen, he said, "But there's one thing I _do _know about, and that's the Zakurello Gate, which is simply marvelous."

"Zako?" Red Mic and Blue Mic asked.

The screen showed an image of said gate.

"Because even though the Zakurello Gate is such a _funky_ color," Yellow Mic went on, "And even though it has such an interesting yet _bizarre _shape, it has the ability to cross over into different dimensions!"

Yellow Mic stood proudly, his fists on his hips.

"Zako-zako!" Red Mic and Blue Mic cheered.

"The marvelous world of the Dark Axis!" The hosts exclaimed happily.

"I'd like to explain a bit to the audience," Red Mic said, "There are a lot of parallel worlds in this world, zako. Are you with me so far?"

"Uh, parallel worlds?" Blue Mic and Yellow Mic asked.

Red Mic pointed to the screen, which began to show a field of stars, and then faded into a green grid amid a black background.

"It's simple, really," He said, "You see, one world is going from the past, to the future. It is only one kind of time-flow, zako., in the space called 'Total Dimensional Space'."

On the green grid, an arrow with a picture of the Dark Axis base appeared, illustrating his point. The grid then folded on its side and shifted upwards, where a blue grid appeared, with an arrow with Neotopia Tower on it.

"The contains a lot of different time flows, just like this, zako," Red Mic continued, "the Zakurello Gate creates a bridge that temporarily connects the various connections, zako."

On the grids, two symbols for the Zakurello Gate appeared, connected by a dotted line.

"That's why we Dark Axis can go to Neotopia, zako," Red Mic went on, "The point is, my friends, we cannot really _freely _go back and forward in time in other dimensions. Do you understand, zako?"

Blue Mic and Yellow Mic squirmed, trying to take in all of this new information. Their processors couldn't handle it, however.

"_I just don't get it!_" Blue Mic screamed.

"_Me neither, zako!_" Yellow Mic wailed.

Red Mic watched as they fainted. "In other words, if two years passes in the Dark Axis dimension, two years _also _pass in Neotopia's dimension, you see?"

Blue Mic and Yellow Mic jumped up and began to flip out, jabbering wildly from the data overload. Managing to calm himself, Blue Mic looked to the heavens as an image of Zapper, Grappler, and Destroyer appeared.

"Lord Zapper Zaku, Lord Grappler Gouf, Lord Destroyer Dom! Please help us, zako!" He prayed.

...The vision faded.

"They never answer." Yellow Mic lamented.

Red Mic sighed. "No matter how many times-"

"We call them-" Blue Mic continued.

"Zako." Yellow Mic finished.

The three hosts soon realized that they hadn't seen either of the three officers since that very same mission that claimed the _Komusai_. As the implications sunk in, they began to cry.

"_Stop crying, you idiots!_"

Zapper, Grappler, and Destroyer leapt down from the ceiling and glared irritably at the Zakos.

"_We're just ignoring you!_" they shouted angrily.

The Zakos stopped leaking and glanced at each other, having the decency to look embarrassed. "Zako?"

The iron curtain came down, and Red Mic's voice echoed across the audience.

"Anyway, everyone, for the future of the Dark Axis…

"_Zako Soldiers, fight! Yeah!_"


	4. Mach Wings: Guneagle!

Chapter 2: Mach Wings! Guneagle!

It had taken some time to calm the newly-born(or, given context, hatched) creature of the Spirit Egg down. Once that was accomplished, the Gundam Force took it back to Shute's house, where it now rested on the patio table, sitting on the Egg's case, blinking at the world in wonder.

"Huh," Bakunetsumaru sniffed, giving the ball of fluff an skeptic look. "So, this flabby little thing is the secret treasure of Lacroa?"

The creature glanced at the samurai and went, "Fen?"

Shute leaned back uneasily. "Better be careful, Baku', I think you're making him angry."

"Zero, do you think you can get him to calm down?" Captain asked, worried that the creature would attack again.

Zero clicked his tongue thoughtfully. "Hmm…I don't know…"

Bakunetsumaru softly poked the creature in the back with his finger. "I didn't mean to make him angry. But even if he is, why worry about?"

The creature rose about a half-inch into the air, turned to face Bakunetsumaru, and reminded him why he should worry by giving him a blast of fire. Pretty soon, the creature was chasing Bakunetsumaru, Captain, and Shute around the yard, while Zero tried to restore order. Unfortunately, animal control wasn't part of a knight's training, so the creature ignored the Winged Knight's commands as it floated around committing arson by exhale.

"Shute, what's going on here?" A woman's voice called out, grabbing the attention of everyone, including the creature.

"Mom!" Shute cried, trying to casually stomp out a small brushfire. "We were just, uh…"

Keiko, Shute's mother, gently plucked the creature out of the air and held it in her arms like a newborn baby.

"Well, hello there!" She cooed, snuggling the creature. To everyone's surprise, the blue furball made a giggling noise. Looking up, Keiko asked, "What is he? He's _adorable!_"

Zero and Bakunetsumaru glared at the creature, looking very annoyed with the creature. It was not pleasant to see something that had proven itself to be so adverse to your presence getting along so well with a stranger.

"Oh, well, uh," Shute stammered, trying to think of an explanation. "He's, uh, Zero's pet!" He exclaimed as inspiration struck. "Cute, isn't he?"

Keiko smiled down at the creature. "And so sweet, too!" She gushed, "I think you and I are going to be great friends, little fella!"

The Spirit of Lacroa, having just born not more than forty-five minutes ago, decided that maybe this odd place wouldn't be so bad after all.

"Fenn!" It cooed.

-z-

At Blanc Base, a flying object rocketed around the base. It was a new unit for the SDG, and if its test-flight was successful, prove itself to be a great help to the Gundam Force.

"Calibrating turning radius!" Chief Kao Lyn announced, and sent in a new command to the unit. "Checking response time!"

Kao Lyn made a motion with his hand, and the unit seemed to follow it on the monitor.

"Checking thruster balance!" He yelled as the unit did a barrel roll. "Good! Very good! But not good enough!" Kao Lyn punctuated this statement with several punches into the air, as well with a high-kick.

Some would say that Kao Lyn, chief scientist of the SDG, was one of the most brilliant masters of robotic engineering ever. Others would agree, but wonder if that was a good thing. To call Kao Lyn eccentric would be akin to saying the ocean is wet. A middle aged, somewhat chubby man, Kao Lyn was born far in the east, and his uniform looked more like one a Chinese Zen-master would wear. His graying hair had been tied into a braided ponytail, and the lens of his glasses resembled red and purple yin-yangs. A barely-combed bushy mustache that twitched as he spoke was the only clue that the robotics expert had a mouth, as the collar of his uniform covered most of the underside of his face. And unlike other geniuses, who spent their free time telling hunchbacked assistants how those fools at the university called them mad, Kao Lyn practiced Tai Chi, Kung Fu, and arm wrestling.

Chief Haro walked out to the area were the test was being monitored. He nodded at the screen. "It looks like thing are going well, Chief Kao Lyn. It won't be long before he's ready for combat."

But Kao Lyn shook his head vigorously. "He must have a tighter turning radius!" He cried, and began to perform katas. "Faster acceleration response! Streamlining of the top stabilizer, and recalibration of the thruster balance on both wings!"

"Undestood." This was said by a Ball-class mobile worker, one that had been painted in the same color of Kao Lyn's uniform, and given a ponytail like the scientist. The Ball rolled over to some technicians who were watching and told them, "Turning radius. Acceleration. Top Stabilizer. Thruster Balance."

The techies nodded and jotted that down.

But Haro wasn't put off. From what he saw on the screen, the unit was already as good as it could be, but knew how much genius' prided in their work.

"A very impressive aircraft, Chief." Haro told him.

"It must be _perfect!_" Kao Lyn insisted, and took a fighting stance. "The Dark Axis may appear at any moment, and we must be prepared!"

-z-

In the land of the Dark Axis, the invasion force was preparing to do just that. They had crushed many lands underneath their heels, plundered their resources, and generally ruined any world they got wind of. Except for one. Thanks to the Gundam Force, Neotopia had become a blemish on their otherwise spotless record.

But was going to change.

All around the _Magnamusai, _ small, flying figures buzzed around in the air alongside the larger ship. They were Zako Soldiers, held aloft by yellow jet packs. At the head of the pack were Zapper Zaku, Grappler Gouf, and Destroyer Dom, each wearing a much larger jet pack.

"Commander, all units are deployed and ready for battle!" Zapper announced.

On the door to the _Magnamusai_'s bridge, the shadow of the Commander nodded. "I see. And what is the status of the new equipment?"

"Ready!" Destroyer replied, "With this new equipment…"

"And the new _Komusai_…" Zapper added.

"We are invincible!" Grappler finished proudly.

The trio laughed evilly as a ship, one that looked exactly like the _Komusai_ only yellow, rose up. Unlike its predecessor, the _Komusai II _was equipped with better weapons, stronger armor, and more powerful boosters.

"Just wait'll you see what this baby can do!" Grappler bragged, pointing at the ship. "It's amazing!"

"And that's not all, zako!" Two Zako Soldiers flew up, each holding the handles to a barrel-sized bucket full of Control Horns, Dark Axis mind-control devices for machines.

Zapper flew above them and said, "We are very grateful you have given us so many control horns! These will make those Gundams bow down to _us!_"

As he said, 'bow down' he and the Zakos did a bow in the air.

"_Wait!_" The Commander cried, "Not now, you fools!"

"How's that?" Zapper asked, and looked down. He saw that the barrel was empty, the Horns having fell out when the Zakos tipped it over bowing. "Whoopsy."

And to make matters worse, the _Komusai II _was directly below. The Control Horns attached themselves to the top of the ship.

"Now those Control Horns have been activated!" The Commander yelled, "The _Komusai _will attack anyone in sight!"

The invasion force watched in shocked and awe as the Horns glowed to life, turning the _Komusai II_'s eye red. It shook violently as it was told to obey the Dark Axis, even though it already knew to obey the Dark Axis. The result was not pretty.

"_Let'ss get outta here!_" The officers wailed in alarm, putting as much distance as they could between them and the ship. The _Komusai II _suddenly switched from hover to flight-mode, flying and firing at everything. The Zakos screamed as the air shook from explosions., trying to get out of harm's way.

"Watch out!" Zapper shouted, "Here it comes again! Outta my way, you idiots!"

Perhaps by divine intervention who felt irony had its limits, the invaders were spared the agony of being blown to bits by their own weapons when the _Komusai II _flew through the Zakurello Gate, which had already been open to Neotopia.

"That was a close one." Destroyer gasped as he and his fellow officers stared at the Gate.

"Yes…" The Commander hissed icily before exploding. "_Thanks to your incompetence!_"

Zapper cringed, and he tried to cover up this major blunder. "Y-yes sir, I was just eager to show you what our new weapons were…"

"_Silence!_"

The trio whirled around and stood to attention. Even though the _Magnamusai_, and more importantly, the Commander, were farther back from the Gate than they were, the three officers could still feel the Commander's red hot gaze as if they were on the deck during normal meetings.

"You three will follow the _Komusai_ and bring it back," the Commander snarled, "Or I will fry your circuit boards! _Move!_"

"Y-yes sir!" Zapper gulped and turned to the Zakurello Gate. "Let's go!"

-z-

At Shute's house, Bakunetsumaru was attempting to win the spirit over with the only method he knew to work- lathering it with love and affection.

"You're such a cute little spirit!" he gushed, rocking the blue ball of fur in his arms back and forth. "Just think of me as your Uncle Bakunetsumaru!"

Judging from the spirit's expression, there was a distinct difference in being cradled by a human woman and a Gundam samurai. The spirit showed its displeasure with the only _it _knew- fire.

"Or not!" Baku' cried before his head was engulfed in flames.

"What now!" Shute cried as he watched Bakunetsumaru get toasted from behind Captain.

"Who knows?" Captain wondered, "Since he doesn't eat, perhaps he's not a living thing."

His head now covered in soot, Bakunetsumaru held away the spirit and stomped over to Zero with a disgruntled expression on.

"Zero," He said, "Are you sure this little puffball is _really _a spirit of Lacroa?"

Zero tried not to meet his eyes. "Yes, it is a noble spirit I have been entrusted with," he looked down at the 'puffball' and got a face full of fire. "…I think."

Bakunetsumaru laughed at the sight of _entirely _cooked Zero. "Hey, what's cookin', Zero? Ha ha ha!"

Shute laughed a little too, but was nervous. He hoped the spirit wouldn't set fire to _everything…_

There was a beeping from Captain's v-fin, and the Gundam announced, "Wait, the base detects Dark Axis activity! Prepare to move out!"

"Roger!" Zero said, dusting himself off.

Bakunetsumaru did the same. "Let's mobilize!"

None of the Gundam Force wanted to leave the spirit unsupervised, but with the rest of Shute's family out for various reasons, the best they could do was stash him in Shute's workshop.

"We must go now to fight for justice and freedom," Zero told the spirit as it floated around, "Please wait here, and behave yourself."

The spirit gave its new surroundings a once over. "Fffen!"

Once he had made sure the door was shut tight, Shute gave Zero a nod.

"All right, let's do it!" He yelled, and ran for the others.

None of them had remembered to check the hatch on the roof. Shute had installed it there to replace the hole Captain had made the first time he landed in the workshop. And as no one bothered to check it, they did not see that it was about half way open. But the spirit did. Once he had poked its way out, he began to follow his new friends to see what they were up to.

-z-

By the same forces of irony that caused the Control Horns to attach to the _Komusai II_, the Zakurello Gate deposited the ship far off from Neotopia, in the adjacent desert. And just their luck it was nowhere near where the SDG were working on their Dimensional Transport Device.

And thus, the ship rocketed around aimlessly, making bizarre zigzagging maneuvers in the air, looking for something to attack.

Watching this, Zapper Zaku shook his head. "The _Komusai _is completely out of control!" He glanced at Grappler, hovering next to him. "How will we get it to calm down?"

"Show it who's boss!"

Zapper and Grappler turned, and blanched when they saw that Destroyer had two bazookas out.

"Order the _Komusai _to take a time out!" Destroyer explained, giving one bazooka a meaningful wave.

Zapper flew up and kicked him. "One more suggestion like that and I'll- Huh?" He looked down and saw a familiar group on the ground. "The Gundam Force!"

-z-

Captain, now in his combat mode, rode Gunbike into the area, with Shute sitting in the sidecar. Next to him was Bakunetsumaru on Entengo, with Zero floating alongside.

"According to the report we received," Captain explained, "they must be nearby."

Shute glanced upwards and pointed. "Up there. Zakos at twelve o'clock!"

The rest of the Force followed Shute's gaze and saw the rocketing invaders.

"They dare fly right over us!" Bakunetsumaru growled.

"Well then," Zero said, "I shall have to get rid of them!"

Zapper smirked nastily as Zero's comment reached his audio-receptors. "How you gonna do that? You can't fly _this _high, you Winged _nut!_"

Before more verbal jabs could be exchanged, the invaders heard an all-too-familiar roar of rockets and flew out of the way for the _Komusai II. _The transport's artificial intelligence might have been twisted by the Control Horns, but it retained enough sense to know to attack its enemies.

"Hey, it's a different ship!" Shute realized as the _Komusai II _flew towards them.

"Probably with different weapons!" Captain noted.

The hatches underneath the _Komusai II _opened up, and a plethora of bombs rolled out. Each one exploded as they hit the ground.

"Hold on, Shute!" Captain yelled as he and the rest of the Force moved as far away from the explosions as they could. Once the air stopped shaking from the bombs' detonations, Gunbike slid to a halt, and Captain took aim and fired his beam rifle at the _Komusai II_.

But the yellow ship had another trick up its sleeve. It's bottom-hatches opened p again, and dozen fannel cannons flew out. But these fannels were different from the ones the Commander used. Unlike his slender red fannels, the _Komusai II_'s fannels were yellow, spherical, and dotted with holes. When the beam from Captain's rifle went into one hole, they would come out another- and then into the next fannel's holes.

"What are _those?_" Captain asked, shocked.

The fannels kept passing the beam around until it went flying back at the Gundam Force, blasting Zero, Bakunetsumaru, and Entengo off their feet.

Watching this, the invader trio laughed nastily at the Gundams.

"Hahaha!" Zapper gloated, "We won! We're great! You're not!"

Zero was _not _going to take this lying down. "_O mana, be my shield and my sword! Come to me!_"

Now armed, the Winged Knight glared at the second _Komusai_. The ship was flying at them again.

"_Super Magical Violet Tornado!_"

Zero directed the petal-laced-winds at the _Komusai II_, causing it to spin rapidly in the air, but it maintained its altitude.

"It's still flying!" He cursed.

And to make matters worse, the ship's bomb hatch opened again, sending bombs _everywhere!_

"_Pedal to the metal, Gunbike!_" Captain ordered as Gundam Force made a hasty retreat. All around them, bombs went off.

"See ya, see ya, wouldn't wanna be ya!" the trio cackled horribly.

Not one of them saw the small ball of blue fluff known as the Spirit of Lacroa float into the air. The Spirit had followed the Gundam Force into the area, and was now quite curious about the flying yellow thing that was scaring them. Unfortunately, the _Komusai II_ pulled out of its spin and resumed its normal flight, zipping around the air. Its flight path took it directly in front of the Spirit, who, out of reflex, began to spew flames at the yellow ship.

Shute was the first to hear the blow-torch noise, and followed it to see something trying to incinerate the _Komusai II._

"_Look!_" He cried, pointing.

Bakunetsumaru looked and asked, "What is it?"

Zero felt his heart leap into his throat. "It's the _Spirit!_"

The Spirit, meanwhile, had run out of flames, and during its moment of exhaustion, the _Komusai II_ surged ahead. Instead of hitting its front with a splat, the Spirit ended up squashed into one of its cannon barrels.

"They're abducting the Spirit of Lacroa!" Zero realized, horrified.

Neither Zapper, Grappler, and especially Destroyer had any idea what that weird fuzzball was, but they weren't going to ignore it if it was as important as all that.

"_Lose _something?" Zapper snickered as the trio followed the _Komusai II _as it flew off into the horizon.

The Gundam Force watched on helplessly as the Dark Axis became a mere speck in the distance.

"We can't fight them up there." Captain said.

Shute looked at Captain in confusion. "Huh?"

Captain nodded. "...Because _we_ can't fly!" He looked towards where Neotopia's main city was. "But I know who _can_."

-z-

"Chief," Juli reported, "Captain is requesting an immediate launch of _Guneagle_."

Kao Lyn did a triple back-flip in shock. "Guneagle? _Guneagle? _No way! Not a chance! He's not fully equipped!" He began to do punches and kicks in the air. "He's hasn't even been field-tested in combat yet! It's absolutely out of the question! Uh-uh!"

"I understand how you feel, Chief," Captain said over the communicator, "But we can't wait! We have an emergency situation! We need his power _now._"

"I agree 100%, Captain," Chief Haro turned from the screen to the aging scientist. "Well, chief?"

Kao Lyn clasped his hands together in thought. "Hmm! It is written, 'A wise man must leave prudence behind when the dictates of reality leave no alternative,' or something like that. We have no choice. We shall launch Guneagle ahead of schedule!" His yin-yang lens' spun.

"Excellent," Chief Haro turned back to Captain and nodded. "Done deal, Captain!"

"Thanks, we'll be waiting!"

Chief Haro turned to Juli and ordered, "Juli, scramble Guneagle!"

"Roger!" Juli began to type commands into her computer. "Positioning linear electro-flow catapult for launch! Super Dimensional Guard ready for elevation!"

-z-

He was the next robot to be built for the SDG's Gundam Force branch- the aerial fighter Guneagle. Built slimmer than Captain Gundam was, Guneagle was designed to take advantage of his speed, equipped with a pair of sliver wings on his back, prepped with missiles.

Guneagle stepped onto the lift that would take him to the launch deck. As he rose to the deck, Kao Lyn's voice buzzed over his communicator.

"Now remember," the scientist chattered, "You're systems haven't been tested at full capacity yet- so be careful!"

Guneagle shrugged as the sunlight gleamed off of his dark blue and white armor. "I'll be fine, sir. You worry too much!"

"It's what I do!"

Guneagle shook his head as he prepared himself for launch. The edges of the runway lit up.

-z-

"Okay!" Juli announced, pumping her fist."All systems are green and ready for go!" She winked. "Hit 'em hard, Guneagle!"

-z-

"Piece a cake!" Guneagle grinned, stepping into position. There were two clack noises as the catapult launcher's braces snapped over his feet.

"Activating ignition systems," He said as he felt his jets power up, "Guneagle, taking off!" A pair of protective shades slid over his eyes. "Powered up for launch…I'm outta here!"

The catapult surged forward, building up more and more speed. Once it reached the end of the runway, it released Guneagle, who blasted off into the air. Adjusting the position of his wings for better speed, Guneagle was soon out of sight.

-z-

High in the air, the _Komusai II _shoot ahead as its unwilling passenger quivered inside the cannon barrel.

"Hey, slow down, you lunatic ship!" Zapper bellowed as he and his partners flew after it.

"It's too fast for us to catch!" Grappler groaned.

"If we_ don't_, the Commander's gonna zap us all into a pile of scrap!" Zapper pointed out with a groan.

Their focus on the _Komusai II _was broken momentarily as the air filled with the sound of…jet engines?

"Huh?" The trio looked behind and saw something headed their way- _fast_. "_Uh oh._"

POW!

The flyer shot ahead, sending the trio spinning as he blasted past them.

"Who was _that _guy?" Grappler groaned, trying to stabilize himself.

A horrible thought gripped Zapper's mind. "Do you think it's possible that this guy is…"

The trio exchanged worried looks. "…_a new Gundam?_"

-z-

The _Komusai II _might have been a more powerful version of its predecessor, but its top speed hadn't improved much. Guneagle was able to easily fly ahead of the ship and position himself in front. Deciding to hold off on his beam rifle, Guneagle pointed the guns on his helmet and wrist at the incoming ship.

"_Bon appétit!_" Guneagle yelled, and began to fire.

The _Komusai II _didn't budge from its flight path, but its fannels moved out in front and began to fire back at the flying Gundam, forcing him to dodge in the air. All the while, Guneagle kept firing. However, the bullets simply bounced off of the ship's armor, and almost crashed into him, forcing both to swing away in the air.

"Ha!" Guneagle laughed, nonplussed. "You can run, but you can't hide!" He yelled after the ship.

He heard the sound of jet engines from behind, and turned to look. He saw two Gunperries flying towards him. Their bay doors where open, with members of the Gundam Force standing outside- Captain and Gunbike with Shute on one, Zero and Entengo with Bakunetsumaru on another.

-z-

Shute stared in wonder at the jet-propelled Gundam flying towards them. "What is _that?_"

_So, he's here… _ Captain thought.

Guneagle halted in front of the Gunperries, and slid his visor up.

"Guneagle, reporting for duty, Captain!" he greeted, "I've been looking forward to this for a long time! Now we can finally fight the Dark Axis together!"

"Wow…" Shute gasped, amazed. "You can _fly!_"

Captain turned to Shute. "This is the newest member of Gundam Force," he introduced, pointing at the flying Gundam. "Aerial combat Gundam, Guneagle!"

Guneagle gave Shute a quick salute. "Nice to meet you, what's up?"

Shute smiled brightly. "Hi, my name's Shute! Welcome to Gundam Force, Guneagle!"

Guneagle quickly cart-wheeled in mid-air over to Shute's side of the Gunperry, grinning.

"Yo, Shute!" He said, "Captain said you guys needed some help! That's why he asked for yours truly! Once you see my moves, you'll see why a flyer can do tons more than a purple flower Gundam or an antique motorcycle!"

"_What'd you say!_" Gunbike growled. He sounded like he was ready to throttle the rookie.

_Purple flower Gundam? _Zero thought angrily, and said, "Who does this upstart think he is! How _dare _he insult us like this!"

"One must forgive the arrogance of youth…" Bakunetsumaru grumbled, crossing his arms. He had a feeling he knew why this 'Chief Kao Lyn' wasn't ready to let Guneagle onto the field.

But Captain wasn't willing to let a fight break out just yet.

"This is no time for idle chatter, Guneagle!" He order, and the flying Gundam zipped over to him. "We have to stop this new battleship!"

Guneagle nodded. "'Nuff said, Captain! I'll blow it to smithereens!" Guneagle turned and resumed his chase.

"_No!_" Captain yelled.

"No?" Guneagle jarred and bobbed in the air for a few moments at the sudden stop, flipping upside down. Righting himself, he flew back to the Gunperries and protested, "But, Captain! That's what I'm here for! To get rid of those guys! It's the only way we can win!"

"But the Spirit of Lacroa is being held captive inside that ship!" Captain explained, "We need to disable it, not destroy it!"

"Spirit of Lacroa?" Guneagle asked, perplexed, "What the heck are you talking about?"

"He's our friend," Shute answered hastily, "And where Zero comes from, he's very important!"

Guneagle looked from Shute to Captain.

"We will not allow the Dark Axis to rob _any _life form of its freedom!" Captain said firmly, "That's why we are the Gundam Force, Guneagle!"

Zero smiled. "Well said, Captain."

"Yeah." Shute smiled.

While Guneagle still didn't know what this Spirit thing was, he did know the duty had to perform.

"Captian," He said, saluting. "I'll do my best to rescue your buddy."

Captain nodded, glad Guneagle was listening to him. Pointing at the _Komusai II_, he said, "First, we need to eliminate those reflector-cannons."

"I'll give it my best shot!" Guneagle yelled, and shot forward.

Captain's green targeting scope slid down and he told Guneagle, "Okay, synchronize visual sights!"

Guneagle slid his visor down. "No problem, Captain!"

There was a moment's pause as the Captain received the data Guneagle's sensors were picking up.

"Guneagle, fire your missiles!" Captain ordered.

"Roger, Captain!"

Guneagle released a slew of missiles from his wings at the _Komusai II. _The fannels quickly darted around to zap as many as they could, though some got destroyed.

_Beam rifle! _Guneagle thought, and fired a purple beam from his rifle. However, the surviving fannels easily redirected the beam back at him, almost getting his leg.

"No, Guneagle," Captain said, "Do not use the beam rifle!"

"But with so many reflector cannons, I don't have enough missiles!" Guneagle protested.

"Aim the rest of your missiles to converge on a single flight path behind the ship!" Captain ordered.

"Roger!" Guneagle quickly did as told, but his face fell when he saw the fannels' reaction. "Those cannons are converging on the same flight path, Captain!"

"Perfect!" Captain replied, and fired his beam rifle.

While it was true that the fannels could reflect any beam, that only counted if they could position themselves in the air so that the beam went into one of their holes. There were no holes on their fronts where their laser barrels were, and during the split second when they were all lined up, Captain's beam cut through them, causing a chain reaction of explosions. And whatever fannels weren't destroyed by that were quickly taken care of by Guneagle's missiles and bullets.

"Right this way!" Guneagle laughed, destroying the last fannel. "Sweet, Captain!"

"Thanks," Captain replied, "Now get to the _Komusai _and rescue the Spirit of Lacroa!"

"Roger that!" Guneagle quickly accelerated, moving towards the yellow ship. Flying around, he scanned the _Komusai II_.

"I detect no life form!" Guneagle reported.

"How can that be?" Captain asked, echoing Zero's thoughts.

Shute watched Guneagle's scans through the screen in Gunbike's sidecar. "I hope he's okay…" he murmured, worried.

Zero was worried too. While he and the others had seen the Dark Axis kidnap the Spirit, there was no telling what they had done with it afterward. What if they had _done _something to it! The salvation of the kingdom, for some reason, rested on that little fuzzball.

…And, obnoxious little fire-breather it was, he had become rather fond of him.

"…Captain!" Zero said firmly, "He must get closer!"

Captain nodded. "Move in, Guneagle!"

"Moving in now, Captain!" Guneagle replied, and flew closer to the _Komusai II._ As he got near the right cannon barrel, a cloud of frames burst out.

That was it! They'd know that fire anywhere!

"All right!" Shute cheered, laughing.

"Our friend's a fire-breathing Spirit!" Zero explained belatedly.

"Great!" Guneagle laughed sarcastically, "Next time I'll bring marshmallows!"

When the flames died down, Guneagle quickly moved in and looked down the barrel.

"Got a visual!" He reported, "Hey, they got him inside a cannon barrel!"

The Spirit trembled under the gaze of this new comer. Who was he? Where did he come from? And who was he talking to?

"Be careful!" Shute warned.

"As far as he knows, none of us can fly," Zero pointed out, "So he probably thinks _you're _the enemy!"

There was another blast of fire, forcing Guneagle away.

"_Geez!_" he groaned, "Ya think!"

"In spite of himself, Shute laughed. He knew he shouldn't but he did.

"He's really a pleasant little fellow once you don't get him fired up." Zero explained, embarrassed as any owner of a disobedient pet would be.

Guneagle decided not to comment. Instead, he reviewed the weird situation.

"The barrel's too long- I can't reach him!" he reported.

"Guneagle!" Shute suddenly yelled, "_Behind you!_"

Guneagle turned and saw a group of mortars flying his way. He zipped up, but couldn't get far enough from the explosions as the mortars struck the _Komusai II,_ sending him flying. The yellow ship, for it's part, did the opposite, spiraling downwards.

Destroyer Dom nodded proudly at his handy work. "The new _Komusai_'s got some great moves! Love that spin!"

"That spin isn't a move!" Zapper roared in frustration, backhanding Destroyer.

"What were you _thinking!_" Grappler screamed.

"But…but…" Destroyer tried to say as his two partners yelled at him.

"_Party's over, guys!_"

The trio stopped bickering and looked. Guneagle had recovered and now had a beam saber out, having lost his beam rifle.

"All right, there's plenty for everyone!" he said, swinging and firing at the Dark Axis officers. The trio were quick to bug out, leaving Guneagle alone.

"Are you all right, Guneagle?" Captain asked worriedly.

"Yes sir!" Guneagle replied, and looked to where the _Komusai II _was going. "But that ship's in trouble! It's losing altitude!"

And that wasn't the worst of it. The aerial battle had taken the ship out to sea, near where the oceanic trench was reported to be.

"If we don't do something, it's gonna crash!" Shute gasped.

"Guneagle!" Captain yelled, "Push the ship upwards and _ram it_ just before it hits the water!"

"I'm not sure I have the energy left for that!" Guneagle gulped.

"Use any means necessary!"

"Roger!" Guneagle slid his visor down. "I'm on my way!"

Guneagle switched to full-speed mode, igniting the jets built into his soles and repositioning his wings. Going faster than ever before, he shot forward, skimming the water.

"He's giving everything he's got, see!" Captain said, pointing.

Bakunetsumaru nodded. "Yes, now I can see that Guneagle is indeed a true Gundam warrior!"

"Atta boy!" Shute said, pumping his fist. "Go, Guneagle!"

Zero said nothing, but he too felt Guneagle's determination.

Meanwhile, Guneagle kept going faster and faster, and as he was moving, he spun around as well.

"_Aerial Stiniger, activate!_" He yelled, shooting forward, becoming a blur.

As the _Komusai II _got closer and closer, his internal systems sent him an alert.

_Oh no…my energy's running out!_ Guneagle thought in alarm. _C'mon…just a little bit _longer…!

Just as the _Komusai II _reached the water, Guneagle blasted under it. There was a tremendous sound as the ship was knocked back into the air, spinning wildly.

"Incredible!" Bakunetsumaru cried.

"All right!" Shute cheered.

"Now, Guneagle, cut off the gun barrel and release the Spirit of Lacroa!" Captain ordered.

"Roger, Captain!" Guneagle yelled, and shot up and towards the _Komusai II_. With his beam saber out, he zoomed by the ship, cleaving the end of the cannon barrel off. As the metal tube flew off, he saw something blue fly out as well. The Spirit of Lacroa plummeted towards the sea, but before it could hit the water, Zero zipped out underneath and caught it.

"He's safe, Captain!" Zero yelled, "Mission accomplished!"

In Zero hands, the Spirit shook from fear and adrenaline- it never wanted to do anything like that _again!_

"Excellent!" Bakunetsumaru said.

"Well done, son!" Gunbike rumbled.

"Hooray!" Shute cheered.

Guneagle watched as the _Komusai II _hit the water, sinking beneath the waves. Turning away, he pumped his fist.

"See ya!" He shouted, and pumped his fist, sliding his visor up. "Haha, how cool am I?"

Then there was a sputtering noise, reminding Guneagle of another, more personal crisis.

"Whoops…" He said softly, "All outta gas."

With a cry, he plummeted downwards. Just before he hit the ocean, something grabbed him, jarring him in the air. Looking around, he saw that Bakunetsumaru had gotten off of Entengo and caught him by his foot.

"Thanks, Bossanova," Guneagle said, "I mean, Baggamassu- er, Copacobana…"

"_Bakunetsumaru!_" The Musha Gundam snapped.

"Whatever." Seeing Captain's Gunperry fly up to theirs, he saluted. "Guneagle, reporting in!"

Captain nodded. "Good work out there, Guneagle."

Shute hopped out of his sidecar and said, "You flew rings around those guys! And best of all, you rescued our friend!"

Zero floated up to the group and said, "For all of Lacroa, I thank you, Guneagle."

"Piece a cake!" Guneagle replied, "Anyone gives you a hard time, just call on me and I'll help you out!"

"How generous," Zero said with an amused and irritated look in his eyes. "We'll be sure to call on you."

Chuckling, Guneagle glanced at the Spirit, who was still shivering. "Funny thing is, the way you talked about him, I thought the Spirit of Lacroa was some kind of glorious creature. But he's just a fluffy little pipsqueak that says 'fen' all the time."

"That's it!" Shute cried, and everyone looked at him, even the Spirit. "From now on, you're name is Fenn!"

"Fenn, you say?" Captain asked, "That name is not included in my internal dictionary."

"I think Fenn is a fine-sounding name!" Bakunetsumaru commented.

The newly-christened Spirit squirmed in delight, sharing Bakunetsumaru's opinion, apparently.

"Fenn, huh?" Zero asked, amused. "So be it!" Holding up the Spirit, he said, "You shall be known as Fenn, the Spirit of Lacroa. Will you assist me, noble spirit, in my quest to regain our homeland?"

Fenn happily bobbed in Zero's hand. "Fen! Fen! Fen!"

"Sheesh, what a ham," Guneagle groaned, "Talk about dramatic… Hey, check this out; 'Fen! Fen! Fen!"

Fenn's eyes narrowed.

Bakunetsumaru began to sweat. "Uh oh, now you've made him angry!"

"Indeed," Zero nodded, "And I'm afraid spirits do not handle criticism very well."

Fenn floated out of Zero's hand and towards Guneagle, who has being held as far away from Bakunetsumaru as possible. Everyone else laughed as the spirit began to fry Guneagle, the poor Gundam's cries for help largely ignored.

-z-

As the sun began to sweat, Zapper, Grappler, and Destroyer continued to fly across the sea, helplessly calling out for their ship.

"Heeere, _Komusai, Komusai, Komusai!_" Zapper yelled, "Come out, come out wherever you are!"

"Ollie ollie income free!" Destroyer cried.

"I don't think this is working…" Grappler sighed.


	5. ZakoZako Hour 6

Chapter 2.5: Zako Zako Hour

"Ladies and gentlebots," Red Mic greeted, bowing. "Welcome to the Zako Zako Hour! Today's meeting it all about…"

Red Mic trailed off. He felt unnaturally alone. Looking around, he realized that he was the only one on stage.

"Hey, where are they?" He asked, looking for his co-hosts. "Zako zako!"

"_Ya-hoo!_" Blue Mic whooped, flying by on a jet pack.

"_Geronimo!_" Yellow Mic laughed, doing loop-de-loops with his own jet pack.

Red Mic felt a volcano inside about to erupt. "That looks like a lot of fun, zako…" he growled, "But do you realize that the show has started?"

Blue Mic and Yellow Mic ignored him. They were enjoying themselves too much.

"Giddy up, little horsey!" Yellow Mic laughed as he and Blue Mic flew around.

"Zako, please be on time!" Red Mic yelled, the volcano erupting.

"Right, right, right!" Yellow Mic chuckled as and he and Blue Mic landed on either side of Red Mic. "Comin' down for a landing!"

"Sorry about that, zako!" Blue Mic said, "But we were having so much fun flying around we completely lost track of time!"

"Why don't you tell them all about this wonderful apparatus, zako?" Yellow Mic suggested, pointing at the screen. It showed a clip of the invasion force flying around the _Magnamusai _earlier.

"This flying unit," Blue Mic said, "Has a total thrust power of 220 pounds, a total weight of 290.4 pounds, and a thrust-weight ratio of 1.32 pounds. The wings' surface weighs 778 pounds per one square meter, zako."

"And everything is based on meticulous calculations, zako," Yellow Mic added, "It's the most exciting mode of transportation ever!"

"Fly fly fly fly _fly!_" Blue and Yellow Mic chanted happily.

"But, wait!" Yellow Mic said, "There's more! The flying units of Lords Zapper Zaku and the others are much bigger than ours. Why, take a look and check out these bad boys!"

The screen showed an image of one of the officers jet packs.

"_They_ are equipped with six ion-loaded super homing missiles," Yellow Mic explained, "and two 47.895 millimeter gatling guns. Wonderful design, zako. Additionally, with the stalfield generator, this flying unit generates five times more-"

"_Oh, enough explanations, zako!_" Red Mic exploded. No one noticed that Blue Mic had run off.

"But maneuvering at a much higher altitude feels great, zako!" Yellow Mic exclaimed.

Red Mic groaned. At this rate, they were never going to get to the subject of today's meeting.

"Look what _I _got, zako!" Blue Mic shouted from off-stage.

"Oh boy!" Yellow Mic cried eagerly, "Where'd you get it?"

Blue Mic dragged one of the larger jet packs onto the stage and said, "Actually, I, uh, _borrowed _it from Lord Zapper Zaku!"

Blue Mic and Yellow Mic looked from the flying device to Red Mic. "Let's take it for a spin!"

Red Mic blanched. They weren't suggesting _he _use that thing, were they? It was out of the question! He could get in trouble! He tried to say all that, but the his shock overrode his speech.

Blue and Yellow Mic mistook his shaking for excitement. "Glad to see your so excited, zako."

Red Mic waved his hands desperately. "No no no!"

"Now now now?" his co-hosts asked.

"No no no!" Red Mic insisted.

"Now now now?"

"_No no no!_"

"_Now now now?_"

"Absolutely _not_, zako!" Red Mic yelled, "I demand you get rid of that thing!"

Blue Mic and Yellow Mic exchanged mischievous looks.

"Whatever you say, zako…" they hummed, and threw the flying unit away- onto Red Mic. There was a click as the flying device hooked up to Red Mic.

"Hey, what's that?" Red Mic asked before realizing what was happening. "Oh no, whaddya think you're doing!?" He heard a hum of rockets. "Oh no, don't make me go!"

There was a rush of as Red Mic blasted off. Blue Mic and Yellow Mic watched in wonder as he flew around, screaming.

"_Oh no! Oh, whaddya doing!? I'm afraid of heights! Oh, please stop this thing!_"

"I think he like it, zako." Blue Mic commented. Yellow Mic nodded.

"_I want my mommy!_" Red Mic screamed before flying out of sight.

"Now, let's just try to refresh your memories," Yellow Mic said pleasantly, "Screen, please, zako!"

The screen showed a clip of the _Komusai II_ in action.

"this is the new type of _Komusai_ that recently made a cool appearance, zako, but was soon shot down," Blue Mic explained as the screen showed the _Komusai II _sinking into the ocean, "See, the improvements in the new model are…"

The iron curtain then slammed down.

"See?! Times up!" Red Mic yelled as he flew around uncontrollably, "Anyway, everyone, for the future of the Dark Axis…"

"_Zako Soldiers fight! Yeah!_"


	6. Masters of the Deep Sea: Gundivers!

Chapter 3: Masters of the Deep Sea: Gundivers!

Off the coast of Neotopia, Guneagle flew over the sea.

"SDG Base, this is Guneagle," he reported, "I've detected a metallic object, seems to be our target. Sending coordinates now."

Guneagle focused his scanners into the water, picking upwhat could be the shape of the_ Komusai II _nestled into the underwater rocks. He transmitted his findings to Blanc Base.

-z-

At the Base, Guneagle's scans appeared on a screen in the main courtyard. It was definitely the _Komusai II._

"Guneagle, we have received your transmission and confirmed the presence of a target enemy ship," Chief Haro said, and turned around. "All Gundam Force crews, you will begin underwater recovery operations immediately."

"Roger!" Captain said, saluting.

"Yes, sir!"Shute said, saluting and clicking his heels.

There was a pause, and Shute noticed that Zero and Bakunetsumaru were standing a bit away, their eyes shut and heads turned up. Above them, Fenn looked quizzically at the two.

"Huh?" Shute walked over to them, confused by this behavior. "What's up?"

The two gave no definite answer, muttering excuses.

"Oh, wait!" Shute cried, pointing an accusatory finger. "Don't tell you two can't swim!"

"Well, actually…" Sighing, the two Gundams bowed their heads in shame. "…No."

Shute suddenly realized that the recovery operation had hit a snag before it even began. Whirling at Captain, he asked, "Captain, you can swim, right!"

Captain gave Shute an impartial look. "Not to my knowledge."

Shtue groaned and fell over. Yup, it certainly hit a snag."

"It's all right!"

Shute got up and looked at Chief Kao Lyn. The aged kung fu scientist was standing on a platform, making martial art stances, his Ball following his movements.

"I have the perfect solution!" he said as the platform rose. "We can give the undersea mission to these guys! Hoo-wah!"

The side of the platform opened up, revealing two aqua-blue robots with dark orange packs on their backs. Their faces looked like they had scuba-gear built in. The one on the left had the number 01 on his left shoulder, while the one on the right had the number 02.

"Sir! I am Gundiver One of the Gundam Force, sir!" 01 introduced.

"And I am Gundiver Two!" 02 added.

The Gundivers saluted and kicked their heels. "We are now reporting for duty, _sir!_"

Kao Lyn hopped down from the top and landed in front of them.

"They're experts at undersea recovery, you know!" He laughed, spinning away.

"That's great!" Shute exclaimed, "Two new Gundams joining the Force!"

Zero and Bakunetsumaru looked at the new Gundams in wonder. Zero was about to say something, but was interrupted by Captain, who said, "Welcome aboard, gentlemen."

"Are they twins?" Bakunetsumaru asked.

"Thank you!" The Gundivers answered, "We are ready for assignment!"

-z-

Juli typed commands into her console and announced, "Gundiver units! Stand by for take-off!"

On the catapult launcher, Gundivers 01 and 02 fitted themselves into position and began to do some pre-launch calisthenics.

"All systems optimal!" They reported, "We are A-okay and ready to go!"

The two took their launching postures.

Juli nodded. "Status confirmed. Launch!" She gave her fist a pump and winked. "And good luck to you both."

There was a loud beep, which told the Gundivers that…

"Launch sequence initiated!"

The catapult launcher shot forward, sending the Gundivers flying off of the runway. They did a synchronized double flip as they fell through the air, hitting the water in a perfect dive.

-z-

Under the water, a specialized Chopper-ball, this one built for oceanic travel, surged through the water, manned by Shute. Captain hung onto one of the claws. Unlike the Gundivers, who had propellers built into their feet, he had no means of maneuvering underwater.

Hearing the subtle splash, Shute looked out of his windshield and saw the Gundivers shoot alongside them.

"Ah, there they are!" Shute noted.

Captain nodded. "Gundivers, this is Captain. You're search may now begin."

"Roger, Captain!" the Gundivers saluted.

"I'll transform into submarine mode!" 01 announced.

"I'll join you!" 02 added.

The Gundivers surged ahead, and then folded their bodies inward so that they resembled miniature submarines.

"Very cool!" Shute applauded, "They can change their configurations"

"They _are _built for maximum efficiency under water," Captain reminded, "Stay alert, Shute, we need to keep up with them."

"I read you, Captain. Increasing speed!"

-z-

Far, far ahead, the ocean was teeming with activity- but not from fish. Zapper Zaku, Grappler Gouf, Destroyer Dom, and the Zako Soldiers had outfitted themselves with special underwater gear, and swimming all over the place in search of the _Komusai II_.

Well…_Grappler _was.

"Hahaha!" Zapper laughed, spinning around. "This is fun!"

Most of the invasion force mindlessly drifted underwater, clearing enjoying themselves in this new environment. Who knew it was better, down where it was wetter?

"Whee, I'm a fishy!" Zapper cackled as the Zakos made stroking motions with their arms. Their underwater propulsion packs did most of the work, but they did it just the same.

"Ha ha ha, giddy up!" Destroyer guffawed, steering his Gallop around.

All the while, Grappler Gouf tried to incite discipline into the chaos, to no avail.

"Listen up, everyone!" he yelled, "We're not down here to play around! If we don't find the _Komusai II _immediately, the Commander will punish us all!"

Before he could say more, the Gallop charged by, sending him spinning.

"Don't be so serious, Grappler, we'll find the _Komusai!_" Zapper assured jovially, "But why don't we relax and have fun while we're doing it, huh?"

Grappler regained control of himself and glared at Zapper. "You don't understand, there's a deadline- Wait a minute, what's that?" Grappler saw something out of the corner of his eye and looked. He almost overrode his breathing mask in shock. "It's a _Gundam! _Oh no!" He looked at the rest of the squad. "_Hide!_"

For all their fooling around, the Dark Axis invaders were quick to station themselves behind the rocks and spied at the SDG recovery team.

"Why are these Gundams here?" Grappler asked worriedly.

Zapper gave him a worried look. "Don't tell me they're _also _looking for the _Komusai II!_"

"You _always _think of the worse possibilities…" Grappler muttered.

"Duh, I…" Destroyer tried to speak up, but was shoved back down by Grappler.

"_Quiet!_" The blue robot hissed, "I can't hear myself think!" Looking down at the SDG forces, he drummed the blades of his claw on the rock. "We better watch them and see what they're up to…"

-z-

The Gundivers, still in submarine mode, surfed through the water ahead of Shute's marine-ball. The area around them was devoid of life, or even any interesting rock formations.

The submarine modes of the Gundivers weren't simply for looks. With their arms and legs tucked away, they could focus their processing power into their supplementary functions- such as sonar.

Not too long after the recovery team had entered the area where Guneagle scanned, the Gundivers began to emit solitary pings.

"…Captain!" 01 alerted, "Sonar indicates target 3000 meters ahead!"

"I show the same reading." 02 added.

Shute squinted, and could just barely see something yellow sticking up out of the rocks- with booster rockets.

"That's it!" He yelled.

The Gundivers resumed their normal forms.

"Target confirmed," 01 stated, "Beginning recovery procedure."

02 nodded. "Affirmitive."

-z-

Up in Blanc Base, Bakunetsumaru and Entengo stood at the edge of the base's courtyard fence. The Musha Gundam was testing his fate by leaning over it, looking down into the ocean.

"I'm very concerned about the recovery team," He told Entengo, "Do you think they'll be alright without me?"

"Don't worry about them!" A gruff voice said.

Turning around, the pair from Ark saw Gunbike, Captain's former instructor, roll up.

"They're highly trained, and they've demonstrated outstanding abilities!" the old-timer went on, "In fact, they're ten million times more reliable than _you!_"

Bakunetsumaru nodded, relieved. "I see. Well, if they're ten million times more reliable than me, they should be able to…" He frowned as the rest of Gunbike's words reached his brain. "…_Hey!_"

-z-

Under the sea, the Gundivers were busy fitting the _Komusai II _with the floatation gear Shute brought along in with his marine-ball. With that, the ship would be able to float to the water's surface, where the rest of the SDG's forces would be waiting to complete the pick-up.

"It would be great if we could find a way to save Zero and Bakunetsumaru's homelands with whatever we find on the ship." Shute commented.

"Anything's possible, Shute," Captain said, "The Dark Axis has technology we're not aware of, and it may be helpful- Huh?" Captain heard a noise and looked up.

"What's the matter, Captain?" Shute asked.

"A large group of missiles seem to be approaching from the west-north-west!" 01 said.

"I confirm that reading," 02 said, "400 meters and closing!"

Shute jumped in his seat, and pressed his face as far as he could against the glass of his window. Sure enough, a pack of missiles were heading straight towards them. "Huh! What are they!"

"Gundivers!" Captain ordered, "Defensive battle formation!"

"Roger!" The Gundivers yelled, and moved in front of the marine-ball. They pointed their wrists and each fired two torpedoes at the incoming missiles.

BOOM!

-z-

The Dark Axis looked at where the missiles exploded.

"We did it!" Destroyer cheered.

"Don't get cocky!" Grappler snapped, "We have to check it out, first!"

Out from the huge loud of bubbles shot two figures. Zapper blanched at the sight of them and whipped out a hand-sized missile launcher.

"Someone's coming!" he yelled, "_Fire!_"

The Gundivers easily dodged the missiles, and retracted their hands into their arms, and propellers popped out. Pointing their arms and legs at the Dark Axis, they spun a fantastic spiraling current at them. The officers were quick enough to get out of the way, although the Zakos weren't.

"Zako!" the Zakos wailed as they were sent spinning.

"They're _Gundams!_" Grappler realized, tensing his claw.

"They seem to have a unit for every occasion!" Zapper snarled. First Captain showed up on land, then that jet Gundam in the air, and now there were these guys in the sea!

Zapper and Destroyer fired more missiles at the Gundivers, with Grappler shooting forward, his claw out front. The Gundivers easily avoided the attacks.

_They're so fast!_ Grappler thought angrily.

Down near the _Komusai II_, Shute and Captain watched the action.

"Great, Gundivers!" the boy cheered, "Chase 'em away!"

-z-

At Blanc Base, the top brass watched the battle on their giant screen.

"So, just as I thought," Chief Haro said, "_They've _turned up."

It was only natural that the Dark Axis would try to recover their own weapons. That only showed how important the new _Komusai _must be.

Kao Lyn did some swinging motions with his arms. "Ooh, it'll be a good test for our squad!"

Juli stared at the screen worriedly. "Gundivers…" She said, "Be careful."

Suddenly, there was a poof of smoke and Juli found a violet rose being offered to her by the Winged Knight.

"There's no need to worry," Zero said gallantly, kneeling. The effect was ruined by Fenn perching on his helmet. "If it becomes necessary, _I _will personally step in and protect the Gundivers from any harm."

Juli tilted her head. "I _thought _you said you weren't able to swim…" She pointed out.

Zero sweated. "A mere inconvenience… But for you, milady," he said quickly, trying not to lose the moment, "I would charge through boiling lava or plunge to the depths of the deepest and darkest ocean! I- huh!"

Zero smelled smoke and saw that his rose was on fire. He and Juli looked at Fenn.

"Now, my pupils can handle these dimensional barbarians," Kao Lyn assured, "If I'm proven wrong, you'll be the first to know!"

Haro nodded. "Thank you."

-z-

Back underwater, the battle raged on as the Gundivers fought the Dark Axis. 01 popped out an air-stream sword and used it to defend against the Dark Axis' missiles, while 02 kept firing torpedoes at the invaders. All the while, the Dark Axis kept swimming in and out of the battle, trying to avoid not just the Gundivers, but their owns missiles as well. As they did, Captain and Shute watched from the _Komusai II_. At one point, Zapper was knocked back towards the pair. When he saw them, he yelled, "Leave the _Komusai _alone! It's ours!"

Captain, acting quickly, pulled out and ignited his beam saber…

"Oh!" Zapper cringed. "Okay, we'll sit down, have a nice discussion! We'll relax, and-!"

…Which fizzled out. Captain did a double-take. Now he remembered why the Gundiver's swords were formed from air pressure.

When no pain came, Zapper opened his eye. "Huh?" seeing Captain's dilemma, he chuckled cruelly. "How can you use such a stupid weapon out here? Oh, that's right, you're totally useless underwater!"

Captain tried to fire his wrist-missiles, but the added resistance from the water caused them to drift around.

"Slow motion blasts like that won't even _graze _me!" Zapper taunted, "_Nah-nah nahnah-nah-nah!_"

Not ready to quit just yet, Captain fired his helmet guns at Zapper. But the invader just playfully dodged the bullets, which were also slowed down underwater.

"Missed! Hahaha!" Zapper laughed, and pulled out his own missile launcher, aiming at Captain. "I will avenge myself for all of those defeats!"

Unfortunately, Destroyer heard the click of Zapper's gun. Not one to be left out of a shoot-out, Destroyer called his Gallop forward.

"Target acquired!" He yelled, and pulled out every missile launcher he stuffed into the weapons trailer. "Operation: Full-fire!"

Destroyer fired every launcher at once, battering the _KOmusai II _with explosions. Captain was sent flying…but so was Zapper. The _Komusai II_'s floaters were knocked loose, and the ground underneath began to break up…which was upsetting, as they were on the edge of a cliff. This was especially upsetting for Shute, whose marine-ball was now underneath it! The boy tried to steer the marine-ball away, but couldn't get far enough before the _Komusai II_ hit, catching him in their bomb-hatches.

The noise attracted the Gundams' attention.

"Wha…" 01 muttered, looking. His CPU churned with fear.

"_No!_" 02 cried.

Captain watched in alarm as both vessels went down. "_Shute!_" He cried, and jumped from the rocks after the ship.

"_Aaaaaahhhelp!_" Shute screamed as the ship tumbled downwards.

"_Shuuute!_" Captain screamed, ineffectively flailing his arms and legs against the water as he tried to swim after the _Komusai II._

-z-

"What happened?" Zero asked worriedly, staring at the giant screen. The image had turned to static when Destroyer Dom's missiles truck.

"Shute! Captain!" Chief Haro cried, clenching his fists. He shook with fear as the possibilities, each one more terrible than the last, began to crop up in his mind, despite his best efforts. Next to him, Juli clutched Fenn to her chest.

"Are those guys all right down there!" Bakunetsumaru asked as he, Entengo, and Gunbike looked down from the end of a runway.

-z-

"_Captain!_" The Gundivers cried, racing after their leader.

All this was observed by the Dark Axis.

"Hahaha!" Destroyer guffawed, "It's _sinking!_"

"Of course it's sinking, you _idiot!_" Grappler yelled, smacking Destroyer with Zapper so hard the larger robot spun upside-down.

"If we don't recover that ship," Zapper snarled, "The Commander's gonna make sure we're punished for the next ten millenniums!"

"Wait, is that longer than a week an' a half?" Destroyer asked, trying to stop him.

Zapper and Grappler swam past him.

"C'mon!" Grappler yelled, giving Destroyer another smack. "We've gotta follow them and get it back somehow!"

Destroyer tried to follow his partners while regaining his balance as the Zakos dog-paddled behind.

-z-

Meanwhile, Shute frantically shook the controls.

_I can't move,_ He thought, _My legs're caught!_

True enough, the marine-balls skeletal legs were jammed tightly into the_ Komusai II_'s bomb hatches. Shute could do nothing but yell in alarm as the ship continued to spin on its fall.

Farther back, Captain stroked ineffectively as he tried to swim after the _Komusai II_.

"_Shute! I can't keep up!_" He screamed, more to himself.

The Gundam was more scared than he had been in his entire existence. He had been warned by Chief Haro that Shute's association with the SDG might threaten the boy's life, but Captain had been so _sure _he could protect Shute, that he had the strength to save him whenever danger arose, but now…_but now…_

Two blurs zipped past Captain, which he realized were the Gundiver in submarine mode.

"We'll go ahead, Captain-" The Gundivers yelled, "-And see if we can head him off!"

"Affirmitive!" Captain cried, "_Hurry!_"

The Gundivers were able to do just that, positioning themselves right under the ship as it fell. Re-entering their Gundam modes, the two caught the ship in their hands. However, the ship was too heavy for them to slow down.

Grunting, they cried, "Maximum output!" and spun their leg propellers faster than ever before. Now the _Komusai II_ was beginning to slow down, and for a brief moment it stopped. However, the ship was too big for them to lift completely, and it fell against the cliff's side, top-down.

It was at this time that Captain had caught up. 'Swimming' up to the marine-ball, he cried, "Shute!" as he looked in. Shute opened his eyes (Having them shut tight) when he heard the Gundam's voice.

"Captain?" he asked, worriedly.

"Don't worry, Shute," Captain assured, "We'll get you out of here!"

Shute bit his lip and nodded, but this relief was cut short as the _KOmusai II _jolted. The cliff side's rock was crumbling away! Captain fell away from the ball and ran back up against the slanted rock, catching the _Komusai II_'s nose where the Gundivers were. He pushed up against the ship, trying to slow it down, but the rock crumbled under his feet, it being too soft. Off to the side, the Gundivers' legs sparked.

"Output levels exceeded!" 01 grunted.

"Captain!" 02 said, looking at the Gundam. "We're almost to the bottom of the oceanic trench! The depth is 10000 meters!"

Captain looked back at the Gundam. "_What?_"

"Captain, at that depth…" Shute said, gritting his teeth as he vibrated in his seat from the ship's shaking as it slid against the rocks. "the pressure'll crush!" Suddenly, the _Komusai II _jolted, halting. Shute looked around. "What's happening?"

Zapper, Grappler, Destroyer and the Zakos made grumbling, grunting noises as they pressed themselves at the ship, trying to push it up. Captain and the Gundivers stared in amazement.

"The Dark Axis forces are here, Shute!" Captain cried, unable to believe himself. "They're helping us lift the ship!"

"_What?_"

"We…have no choice!" Zapper grunted irritably, "There's no way we can…"

"…Lose the _Komusai II!_" Grappler finished.

"The Commander'll go crazy and punish us!" Destroyer explained, his eye showing an x in reflection of the strain this was. All around, the Zakos jabbered "Zako" as their own eyes showed x's.

But even with the Dark Axis' help, the _Komusai II_ continued to slide. Captain was just beginning to panic when Kao Lyn's voice came through.

"Captain! I'm sorry it's taken so long! I'm sending reinforcements!"

Captain looked up, his hope renewed. "Thank you, sir!"

-z-

Kao Lyn frantically tapped away at a holographic keyboard, talking wildly as he worked.

"Here we go! Sequencer activated, okay! Modulator, okay! Preparations set! Everything's set!" He jumped in the air and did a twirl before facing the keyboard again. "Start-up is now complete, everyone!" He pushed the last button. "Ready to _launch!_"

On the electro-flow catapult, five familiar figures stepped up.

"I am Gundiver three of the Gundam Force." One said as he locked down onto the catapult, followed by the others.

"Number Four!"

"Number Five!"

"Number Six!"

"Number Seven!"

All five Gundivers saluted. "We have just been assigned this mission!"

At her station, Juli with her visor down said, "Launch preparations complete. All active Gundivers launch!" her visor flipped up and she winked, giving her fist a pump. "And best of luck!"

"Roger, control!" the Gundivers said, leaning forward. "Initiating mission!"

The catapult shot forward, sending the Gundivers flying off. With a synchronized flip, they dived into the water.

On the runway, Bakunetsumaru and Entengo looked down, wide-eyed. "_Wow!_"

By the big screen, Zero watched the Gundivers' zip through the water, transforming into submarine mode.

"I had no idea there were so many units ready for service…" He said in amazement.

Chief Haro, also watching, nodded with approval. "Go get 'em, Gundivers, we're counting on you!"

-z-

Meanwhile, the group at the _Komusai II _weren't making much progress in slowing the ship's fall.

"Looks like we're gonna get that ten millennium punishment thing!" Destroyer groaned.

"Try 'eternity' lug nut!" Grappler snapped.

Shute looked around nervously, once again aware of his mortality. "Uh, Captain…"

"Don't worry, Shute!" Captain said, "Help is on the way!"

"I don't mean to be a worrywart," Shute said uneasily, "But, uh, _who _is coming and how long before they get here?"

Captain was about to reply when he saw five dots in the distance, rapidly getting bigger.

"_Oh!_ They're here now!" He cried.

"_The entire Gundiver squad present and at your service!_" The arriving Gundams announced.

They soon shot by the marine-ball, getting behind the others.

"The good guys are here in the nick of time!" Shute cheered, elated.

"Squad, are you ready?" 01 asked.

"_Yes!_" Gundivers 03-07 exited submarine mode and joined in the push.

"Are we outnumbered?" Destroyer asked, staring at the newcomers.

Grappler looked around in shock. "How many of you _are_ there?"

"There are seven of us!" 05 answered.

"Attention!" Captain yelled, "All Gundivers, unlock your output limiters _now!_"

"_Roger, Captain!_"

There was a click in their legs, and the Gundivers' propellers began to spine even faster than before. Within seconds, the _Komusai II _began to rise quickly.

"Yeah!" Shute smiled, "Going up!"

"Not too shabby," Grappler admitted grudgingly, "Keep it going!"

"Push, you morons!" Zapper urged, "_C'mon!_"

And just like that, the _Komusai II _shot over the cliff, now free of the rock. The Gundams and Dark Axis let go, and it landed safely on the flat ocean floor, top-down.

_Yes! _Captain thought, and jogged over to where the marine-ball was stuck. "_Shute!_"

"Captain!" Shute called out as the Gundam arrived at his window.

"Tell me, are you all right?" Captain asked, concerned.

"I'm fine!"

"I'm going to try to pull you loose," Captain said, "So hang on to something!"

Shute nodded. "You got it!"

Captain took a firm hold of the marine-ball, and after wriggling it for a few seconds, managed to pop it out of the hatch where it was stuck.

-z-

Zero, Bakunetsumaru and Juli gave a short cheer as they watched Captain free Shute. Fenn did a somersault in the air.

"Thank you, Captain," Shute said before facing the camera. "Chief Haro and Kao Lyn, thanks to your brave Gundivers, I was saved."

Kao Lyn made some waving motions with his arms before resting them in his sleeves. "I'm glad they got to practice under real conditions...I hope they don't have to do it again, hoo…"

-z-

Captain and Shute's marine-ball landed besides the _Komusai II_.

"Wow…" Shute said, staring.

In front of them, the Dark Axis were bent or keeled over, clearly drained from the experience they just went through.

"Am I ever exhausted…" Grappler groaned.

"Yeah, well…" Zapper made a failed effort to look cheerful. "At least we're not being punished…"

"I want to say thanks to you guys, too." Said Shute.

The Dark Axis looked up. Captain and the Gundivers were now standing around Shute's marine-ball, staring at them. They stared, confused.

"Sure," Shute went on, "Thanks to your help I was saved."

"I appreciate your cooperation," Captain said, saluting. "Thank you."

The Gundivers imitated Captain. "We salute you!"

Now completely bewildered, Zapper, Grappler, and Destroyer looked around and watch awkwardly as the Zakos got up and bowed to the Gundams.

"Hey, let's not get carried away here…" Zapper muttered, embarrassed.

Shute laughed. He couldn't help it. It was so weird, working together with their enemies. But, now that he thought of it, Zapper and his bunch weren't really all that bad, were they? Obnoxious, for sure, but to compare them with guys like Tallgeese, or this Commander they all feared…

Zapper rubbed the back of his head awkwardly. "Well, I guess it doesn't hurt to help out every now and then…" He muttered, more to himself than anyone else.

Grappler gave him a mean look. "Sure, Zapper," He began sarcastically, "Well, you know, If we're in the neighborhood, then I suppose lending a helping hand in an emergency…" He gave the red robot a smack with his claw. "_Dummy! _We can't do this!"

"What? Oh, yeah…"

Zapper collected himself and swam onto the _Komusai II_'s bottom. Looking down at the Gundams and Shute, he yelled, "This ship belongs to us! And I'm not letting take it, except and authorized representative of the Dark Axis! And if you don't like it, you can send a letter to the complaint department, and it's _closed!_"

Shute stared half-heartedly up at the red robot. So much for being friends…

No one had noticed that the mono-eye on the _Komusai II_'s windshield had turned on. Or turned red…

"Let's get this ship back to headquarters," Grappler said as he and Destroyer joined Zapper, "They'll fix it up, and we'll be heroes."

Then, the three of them gave a yell as the ship shook, knocking them off. Rising up in the water, the _Komusai II _let out a feral cry and shot forward, proving to be just as agile in water as it was in the air.

"Oh, we forgot!" Zapper exclaimed, "The Control Horns are still in place!"

The Gundams looked with worry as the _Komusai II _did a U-turn, coming back at them, releasing bombs from the hatches. The water shook from the explosions, sending Zakos flying left and right. The Gundams took that as their cue and bolted, carrying Shute's damaged marine-ball with them.

"Collection of the target is now 99% impossible!" Captain said over the communicator, "It's operating on its own, it's out of control, and dangerous! Request permission for an immediate attack!"

-z-

In Blanc Base, everyone looked to Chief Haro. The leader of the SDG's forces nodded.

"Understood. Permission granted," Haro said, "Attack and destroy the target!"

-z-

"Copy," Captain said, and pointed. "Gundiver squad! Clearance to attack! Repeat, _attack at will!_"

As Shute carried captain away as quickly as the damaged marine-ball could go, the Gundivers floated up between them and the rampaging _Komusai II_.

"Roger!" They yelled, and pointed every propeller at the incoming ship. "_Maximum Spiral Attack, engage!_"

Their rotors spun, and the combined force created a giant undersea twister that caught the _Komusai II_ and sent it flying back. The Dark Axis forces were also caught in the maelstrom and sent flying away.

Watching from a safe distance, Shute said, "Good work, Gundivers!"

But the Gundivers weren't done yet. Air-pressure blades were released from their packs, which they held together.

"_Rainbow Seven Vortex, ready!_"

"_Fire!_" 01 ordered, and the Gundivers shot the air-blades away, where they spun and became a cross between a tornado and a missile. The air-bullet struck the _Komusai II _dead-on, and the ship exploded.

"_Whoa!_" Zapper screamed as he and the rest of the Dark Axis were sent flying. "_Dizzy!_"

"After all that…" Grappler wailed.

"We're gonna get punished _anyway!_" Destroyer cried.

Caught up in the Gundivers' artificial current, the Dark Axis spun out of sight.

Watching this, Shute pumped his fist. "Way to go!"

-z-

Later, Shute and the Gundams boarded the Gunperry waiting for them at the water's surface took to the skies. As they flew, Shute got out of the marine-ball and stretched. Never before had the sun felt so good on his skin. Looking up, he saw a familiar hand-shaped cloud coming up.

"All right!" He said, "There's the SDG base!"

As they got closer, the clouds parted, showing, for the first time, the entire base in all its glory.

"Wow…" Shute gasped, amazed. "I've never seen the base so clearly, without its cloud-cover! It's _enormous!_"

Once they had landed, the recovery team met with Chief Haro, Kao Lyn, Juli, and the other Gundams.

"Welcome home, team-members," Chief Haro greeted, saluting. "We're glad to have you back. Your safety is more important than any information we could get from that enemy ship."

"Thanks!" Shute said, and looked over to where the Gundivers were standing, saluting. "And thanks to the Gundivers for their great work!"

"You are very welcome, Master Shute!" The Gundivers chorused.

Off to the side, Zero and Bakunetsumaru exchanged looks.

"They really proved themselves today." Zero commented.

Bakunetsumaru commented. "Their dependability is second to none!"

"_Not true!_" Guneagle exclaimed, jumping in. "Their dependability is second to _me!_"

Zero and Bakunetsumaru glared. "Huh!"

Kao Lyn, Juli and Fenn laughed.

Shute looked at the Gundams assembled and said, "Y'know what? The team really came through today! Watch it, Dark Axis," He shot his fist in the air. "_We rule!_"

"Heck, I didn't get to do anythin' on this mission!" Gunbike snarled, bouncing up and down on his rear wheel.

Shute backed away and said, "You're still a valued member of the team, Gunbike," He stifled a laugh. "Maybe the next attack'll happen on a major highway!"

"I hope so! I don't have any traction underwater!"


	7. ZakoZako Hour 7

Chapter 3.5: Zako Zako Hour

"Ladies and gentlebots," Red Mic said after the curtain rose, "Welcome to the ZakoZako Hour! Today's meeting it all about- all together now…"

"_Why We Still Can't Win With All These Devices?_" The hosts said at once.

"Zako-zako!" Red Mic cried, and the screen lit up to show the Dark Axis using their flight gear and dive equipment.

"I can't _believe_ even though we have all these _terrific _weapons and vehicles we're still losing!" Blue Mic wailed, "In fact, when we went to Neotopia in the flying units, there was that guy who was called Guneagle!"

The screen then showed clips of Guneagle in flight, using his weapons and techniques.

"That guy was such a show-off!" Blue Mic said, "What a rude Gundam! He flies really fast, and is even able to transform! On top of everything, he's equipped with an arsenal dangerous missiles and deadly beam rifles!" He began to cry. "And! He! Even! Has! Some! Ultimate technique!"

Blue Mic fell to his hands and knees, sobbing. Red Mic went over and patted his head.

"There, there, zako." He said soothingly.

"_Errgh!_" Yellow Mic yelled suddenly, "We never win! Like the time we went to Neotopia wearing those ridiculous underwater units! There was this bunch of swimmer guys who called themselves Gundivers!"

The screen then showed the Gundivers.

"In fact," Yellow Mic went on, "There are actually _seven _of them- one for each day of the week. These guys can transform, too, can you believe that? And they also have an impressive array of weapons!" He began to cry. "They are all capable of performing ultimate techniques, too!"

Like Blue Mic, Yellow Mic fell to his hands and knees, sobbing. With that feeling of _déjà vu_, Red Mic went over and patted him on the head.

"There, there, zako, please don't cry," Red Mic comforted, "Just because the enemies' _better!_"

The hosts froze. Then, after exchanging looks, they cried, "_Better!? No wonder we're always losing!_"

"Enough is enough!" Red Mic yelled.

Blue and Yellow Mic nodded. "Zako-zako!"

Blue Mic then smacked his hands together. "It's time for some action, zako! So! I've prepared a brand new weapon just for the occasion, zako!"

Red and Yellow Mic looked at him in amazement. "Wow, a new weapon?"

Blue Mic rushed off of and back on to the stage carrying a large flight pack, with dozens of missiles, a gatling gun, drills, battle axes attached.

"_Tada!_" Blue Mic declared, showing off the new machine. "This unit is equipped with an ultra-space universe bazooka cannon, gatling-triple-double-wonderful drill gun, super-missile rocket machine gun-gun-gun, _zako!_"

"_Zako…_" The other hosts said in awe.

Then Yellow Mic asked thoughtfully, "But can you make an intricate weapon such as that _actually work?_"

None sooner were the words said when the 'secret weapon' fell apart, littering the stage with scrap. Blue Mic chuckled nervously.

Red Mic and Yellow Mic fell into the abyss of despair. "_We cannot win…!_"

"There _must _be a way to defeat them, zako!" Blue Mic pondered. Then, his eye lit up as inspiration struck. "Wait, I've got it!"

Red Mic and Yellow Mic gave him dry looks. "What's it gonna be _this _time?"

Blue Mic triumphantly said, "If the enemy's getting extra help, then _we_ _too _must get extra help!"

"Good idea!" Red Mic and Yellow Mic said, impressed.

But then Yellow Mic looked doubtful. "But where are these helpers going to come from, zako?"

Now all three hosts chuckled nervously. That was a good question…

"Looks like you three are ready for your new mission!"

The hosts panicked as the Commander's shadow appeared on the screen. After two second of running and screaming, the faced the screen and stood to attention.

"Commander! _Sir!_" They squeaked in voices mixed with fear and respect…but mostly fear.

"Back to boot camp." The Commander said sternly.

"Yes, sir…"

The iron curtain slammed down, and Red Mic's voice echoed over the audience, now despondent.

"Anyway, everyone, for the future of the Dark Axis…"

"_Zako Soldiers, fight! Yeah!_"


	8. Ashuramaru: The Old Rival Returns

Chapter 4: Ashuramaru! The Old Rival Returns

"Fools! Incompetents!"

The deck of the _Magnamusai _ flashed with crimson light as the Commander's fannels zapped Zapper, Grappler, and Destroyer, an increasingly frequent occurrence. Down on the lower level of the deck, the Zako Soldiers shielded their eyes from the bright lights. After about five minutes of this relentless beam-bombardment, the fannels ceased fire, leaving only the scent of cooked metal in the air.

"Be grateful that I don't blast you into scrap!" The Commander snarled.

"Oh, we _are_, Commander…" Zapper coughed, dizzy from the pain.

"You clattering collection of clowns," The Commander sneered, "How many times have you failed me?"

The three officers got up from where they had been lying, confused and guilty expressions abound.

"Um…" Grappler tried to come up with an appropriate answer, but none came to mind- None that he would say directly to the Commander, anyway.

"Is this a trick question?" Zapper asked nervously.

"You are no match for the Gundam Force," The Commander said simply, "But, behold! I have found someone who _is!_"

"Who?" Zapper gulped, when he heard a soft thud from behind. Turning around, the entire invasion force quavered at the terrible sight they saw, standing on a large boulder floating by.

It was a demon- or it looked like one. Its body's torso was like a black skull, and it's helmet had two horns sticking out on either side. On its back were a basket full of swords and spears of all shapes and sizes. On its large, armored shoulders was an emblem, a sun-yellow pentagram with a black spike, with two pairs spikes sticking out on the bottom and top, and glistening eyes inside, the same emblem on the holographic banner it held. Its eyes were brown amid a poison-purple screen, above a black-tinted face plate. On the forehead of his helmet was spearhead-like fin. In in the skull's jaw was a small gem.

"I am Ashuramaru, from the land of Ark." The demon introduced, and as he did, purple Japanese characters for his name appeared in the air; A-SHU-RA-MARU.

"_What!_ Zapper screamed, pointing. "He's a _Musha Gundam!_"

"What's a _Gundam_ doing here!" Grappler demanded, on guard.

Ashuramaru looked down at the invasion officers and said, "I have been sent by my master Kibaomaru to serve at the will of the Commander."

Serve? Confused, Zapper nudged Grappler and whispered, "I don't get it, Gundams are the enemy, aren't they…?"

Grappler rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Well, yeah, but I've heard of some Gundams from Ark that switched sides and joined the Dark Axis." This guy must have been one of them…like this Kibaomaru person.

Zapper was shocked. "A traitor _and _a Gundam? Talk about a hostile work environment!"

Ashuramaru grew impatient, and leapt onto the _Magnamusai_'s deck, right in the middle of the Zako horde. With one swing of his flag pole, he sent the green robots flying off the ship. All of them.

"On second thought," Zapper gulped, as he and his partners watched the Zakos become specks in the sky. "Let's give it a whirl!"

But Grappler's pride would not allow him to be intimidated by some newbie, let alone a _Gundam_.

"Hey!" He called to the Gundam, "Listen, _Achoogazu_, maybe you're tough, but you don't know what you're up against- we do." Grappler thumped his chest with pride. "We know the Gundam Force better than anybody!"

Ashuramaru shrugged. "I am not really concerned with the _Gundam Force_," He said dismissively, "There is only one of them who is of interest to me," His eyes glinted. "_Bakunetsumaru!_"

-z-

And so, with Zakos still suffering from gravity's curse, the _Magnamusai _rocketed off. On one _of_ the floating boulders it passed, hanging upside-down, was something that looked like a giant, purple, cobra snake…worn by a Gundam.

"Leaving without _me?_" The snake hissed.

-z-

In Shute's workshop, Bakunetsumaru sat up in the loft, polishing his swords. It was difficult work, requiring more skill and a lighter touch than one cleaning their car would have. The window was open, allowing the Musha Gundam to feel the breeze.

_A warrior keeps his blade prepared, _Bakunetsumaru thought, dabbing the metal with a white puffball. _Especially when danger is near._

He put the polisher down and held up his blade to examine his work. Unnoticed, Fenn floated over to see what was going on. He had never seen the samurai so quiet and reserved.

_And I sense it growing nearer with each moment, _Bakunetsumaru thought, _Like a distant storm cloud looming over closer, even while the sun-_

"Hey, look!"

The sound of Shute's voice shook Bakunetsumaru out of his thoughts, and the samurai turned and looked to the floor of the workshop. There he saw Shute, holding up a sheet of paper with some odd characters on it. Next to him was Mobiel Citizen Captain, also holding a paper up for inspection, though what was drawn on his looked more like an obscure picture. Earlier, Bakunetsumaru had given the two a rudimentary lesson in writing, Ark style, and the two had undoubtedly used that lesson to draw their names. Tried to, anyway.

"Whaddya think?" Shute asked, holding up his paper. "How am I doing?"

"Yes, and I am finished as well." Captain said, also holding up his paper.

"Uh, very impressive, Captain. Very good, both of you, an excellent start," Bakunetsumaru said, "Of course, the written language of _my _homeland requires great skill and patience," Distracted by Shute and Captain's calligraphy, he grabbed Fenn while reaching for the polisher. He absentmindedly rubbed the Spirit against the side of his blade as he continued to talk. "It takes years of practice."

Fenn, uncomfortable with this new activity, made an irritated growling noise. This got Bakunetsumaru's attention, and he quickly pulled Fenn away from the metal. The little puff ball's eyes began to ripple.

"Oh! Fenn, a thousand apologies!" Bakunetsumaru said, smiling sheepishly. "Will you forgive me, my little friend?"

"_What are you doing, are you mad!_"

Zero, flying in the air outside, sent a blast of magic at Bakunetsumaru, knocking him away out of the loft and onto the grass. Fenn, surrounded by magic, was pulled gently to the Knight Gundam.

"Are you all right, Fenn?" Zero asked worriedly, "That absent-minded fool almost cut you in half!" Glaring down at the Musha Gundam, he yelled, "Bakunetsumaru, put that rusty sword away!"

Bakunetsumaru pulled his head out of the bushes and shot Zero an affronted look.

"_Rusty!_ This is one of the Five Sacred Swords!" The samurai yelled, holding the sword up. "And a warrior never sheaves his blade when he senses danger is near!"

This argument did not sway Zero in the least. "It is _always _near in these dark times. Now put it away before you hurt someone!"

Meanwhile, Shute and Captain came up to the loft to observe the formation of yet another battle in the feud between knight and samurai.

"Are you suggesting I do not know how to handle a sword?" Bakunetsumaru asked tensely, "You, who never even _cleans _his sword?"

Zero's Vatras Sword was a construct of magic, and thus needed no grooming whatsoever. However, instead of pointing that out, the knight said, "I will clean it on your insolent hide if you're not careful!"

"Ho-ho!" Bakunetsumaru chuckled, "I challenge you to try that, you villain!"

"_You,_ a challenge?" Zero chuckled, lowering himself to the ground. "You flatter yourself."

"Oh, _no,_ here we go again!" Shute moaned, and said, "C'mon, you guys, knock it off!"

But they weren't listening to him.

"_En guard!_" Zero cried, pointing his sword at Bakunetsumaru.

"Grow up!" Shute yelled, trying to get their attention. It was no use, however. They charged at each other.

However, intervention came in the form of a log, half of one, fell from the sky and planted itself into the ground, directly between the dueling Gundams. They crashed into it, and fell backward.

"Urg, of all the…" Bakunetsumaru groaned, getting up. "Who dares to interfere…?"

Annoyed, Bakunetsumaru went over to take his frustration on the timber when he noticed something. On the flat side of the wood, someone had carved a picture of a bridge on an abandoned bridge on the outskirts of the city. And above it was writing.

"Huh?" Bakunetsumaru, his curiosity aroused, examined the message. "What is _this?_"

As Baku' read, Shute, Captain, and Zero came up from behind.

"Bakunetsumaru, what's wrong?" Shute asked. Looking at Zero, he asked, "What is this thing, Zero?"

"I'm not quite sure, Shute." Zero admitted.

"Interesting," Captain said, staring at the log. "A communication of some kind…"

"…Could it be him?" Bakunetsumaru whispered to himself, "After all this time…"

The samurai's eyes hardened, and he took off without another word.

"Hey, did I miss something?" Shute asked, staring after Baku'. "Where's _he _going?"

Captain looked back at the log and said, "This communication is written in the language of his homeland."

"Can you decipher it, Captain?" Shute asked.

Captain nodded. "Yes. It says, _'Though we faced each other once before, I demand we meet again. I will wait for you at this place. Come alone. This time the fight will be to the…end.'_"

-z-

On Entengo, Bakunetsumaru raced down the road, his mind whirling. Was it really…

-z-

Shute stared at the log, and then looked in the direction Baku' had went.

"_What _fight will be to the end?" He asked.

"Clearly," Zero said, "An old adversary is challenging Bakunetsumaru to a duel. I shall accompany him to ensure it is not a trap."

Zero took to the air and flew off after Bakunetsumaru. Captain glanced at Shute.

"Whaddya say?" The Gundam asked, "Shall we?"

Shute nodded. They weren't going to be left out of this!

-z-

The bridge had been unused for years, not since the city had built a more straightforward road into Neotopia. Built between two hills, it spanned across a river at the bottom.

Ashuramaru stood patiently at one end of the bridge, staring intently into the tunnel at the other end. His eyes narrowing, he said, "I know you are there."

The cobra Gundam poked his head out of a nearby tree and said softly, "I am here to conquer this world, not to settle an old grudge."

Ashuramaru was indifferent to this subtle accusation. "Watch closely, Cobramaru…my intention is _both_."

There was the soft sound of hooves in the distance.

"_He _is coming." Ashuramaru stated.

Cobramaru took the hint and pulled himself further into the tree's leaves, hiding himself. Not a minute later Entengo galloped out of the tunnel and onto the bridge. Bakunetsumaru leapt out of the horse's saddle, landing on the bridge.

"Be warned, warrior of Ark!" he called out, "I am Bakunetsumaru, the Blazing Samurai!"

Ashuramaru's eyes narrowed. "So we meet again."

Bakunetsumaru's eyes widened from recognition as he took a good look at Ashuramaru.

"Kujakumaru? Is it you?" he asked, shocked. "Why have you come to this place?" Then Bakunetsumaru saw the emblem on Ashuramaru's banner and shoulders. _What? The crest of the Dark Axis… _"No! It cannot be!" He cried, "Tell me this does not mean you serve Kibaomaru now! That you are a traitor!"

Ashuramaru smirked. "Many things have changed since last we met. Prepare for battle!"

"_Wait!_" Bakunetsumaru cried, holding up a hand.

Ashuramaru pulled out a sword with ridge teeth like a saw and yelled, "The warrior you fought then was nothing compared to what I am now!"

Ashuramaru leapt at Bakunetsumaru, swinging and jabbing his sword at the Blazing Samurai. Bakunetsumaru, his mind whirling from these revelations, took the defensive, dodging and blocking the blows.

"What are you doing!" Bakunetsumaru cried between swings, "Kujakumaru! Stop this!"

At one point Bakunetsumaru landed a hard elbow into Ashuramaru's chest, knocking him back. Undaunted, Ashuramaru charged at Bakunetsumaru again, swinging harder and faster. Bakunetsumaru was still able to duck and dodge the assaults, but when he blocked once, Ashuramaru swung around and kicked him so hard the Gundam Force member was sent flying all the way across the bridge, and just barely landed on the edge, almost losing his balance and falling.

"Why do you not fight? Have you changed too?" Ashuramaru demanded, pulling out a spear. "Draw your sword, Bakunetsumaru! Fight like a samurai!"

"Don't do this!" Bakunetsumaru insisted.

"It is our _destiny!_" Ashuramaru yelled, and with two weapons in hand, leapt at Bakunetsumaru.

"Kujakumaru!" Bakunetsumaru cried, trying to get the other Musha Gundam to calm down, but to no avail. The challenger landed in front of Bakunetsumaru and swung his saw sword at the Blazing Samurai, which he caught with his wrist guard. Bakunetsumaru managed to jump away to avoid the sweep Ashuramaru made with his spear, and caught it when Ashuramaru went for his neck. Then, catching both blades at once, Bakunetsumaru landed a kick on Ashuramaru, and bolted. With Ashuramaru close behind, Bakunetsumaru leapt into the air.

"So, you run from me now!" Ashuramaru yelled, and jabbed his spear at Bakunetsumaru. The Blazing Samurai caught it between his arm, but could not properly defend himself from the saw sword. Ashuramaru then swung his spear and kicked Bakunetsumaru down. The Blazing Samurai landed face-down on the bridge, skidding to a halt on the concrete. Spitting out gravel, Bakunetsumaru got up.

Ashuramaru landed behind him and cried, "You _have _changed! You turn your back on the enemy!"

Ashuramaru charged again, but Bakunetsumaru had had enough. Gripping his swords, he asked, "This is our destiny, you say?"

Whirling around, Bakunetsumaru whipped out his swords and blocked Ashuramaru's saw sword.

"So!" Ashuramaru declared, "You are in a mood to fight!"

"If I must fight," Bakunetsumaru retorted, "So be it!" he swung at Ashuramaru, forcing him to jump away. Bakunetsumaru took a battle stance, and Ashuramaru put away his saw sword and pulled out another spear. The two launched at each other, vigorously clashing blades. They were so engaged in their fight that apparently neither one noticed the rest of the Gundam Force and Fenn appear from the tunnel.

"Whoa…" Shute gasped, "These guys don't waste any time!"

"Yes, the battle is well underway." Captain stated.

"And a fearsome battle it is!" Zero added.

Meanwhile, Bakunetsumaru mistimed one of his blows, and his blunder allowed Ashuramaru to get a few good hits in, finally kicking him back. Bakunetsumaru flew into one of the bridges support structures and fell to the ground.

Shute cried out in alarm. Turning to the other Gundams, he said, "I don't know who this guy is or what he's got against Bakunetsumaru, but he's bad news! What are we waiting for, we should help him out!"

"_No!_"

"Huh?" Shute turned back to see that Bakunetsumaru had gotten up.

"Do _not _interfere!" The Blazing Samurai insisted, "This is _my _battle!"

"Yes," Ashuramaru said with wicked anticipation, "And it will be your last."

Upon hearing Ashuramaru speak, Captain focused his sensors on him.

"That's amazing!" He cried, "Is that a Gundam?"

"A Musha Gundam from Ark!" Zero realized, "I have heard of them!"

"Huh?" Shute stared at the demonic creature advancing onto Bakunetsumaru and saw the familiar face plate under his eyes. "_That _is a Gundam?"

Bakunetsumaru and Ashuramaru charged at each other, and Baku' leapt over him, taking Ashuramaru's back. The demonic Gundam whirled around quickly to block an attack, and the two kept moving about each other, swinging their blades, making jabs and slices in a frenzied dance of violence.

"But this is crazy!" Shute exclaimed, "We've gotta stop it!" He began to move forward. "Gundams don't fight each other!"

Shute's path was then blocked by Entengo, who gave Shute a look that would have made an airport security guard proud.

"Entengo," Shute asked, "What are you-"

"No, Shute," Zero said firmly, "They must settle this themselves. It is their code."

Shute stared at the Knight Gundam. "Their code…?"

"Shute," Captain said gently, coming up from behind. "It's a matter of honor."

Shute looked down at his feet, torn. He understood if Bakunetsumaru and this new guy had some history, what he couldn't get why they were fighting about it. He could tell at a glance that this little tussel wasn't anything like the kind he got in with Zero. _That _was just harmless one-upping. But _this _fight…it looked like they were trying to kill each other.

It has been said, that a child who knows nothing but peace has different views, than that of one who's known nothing but war.

Meanwhile, Zero noticed that Fenn seemed to be floating towards a group of trees on one of the nearby hills. He could just faintly see a flash of something long and purple.

_Someone is there… A trap, perhaps. _Zero thought, and floated after Fenn.

Back in the fight, Ashuramaru began to jab his spears at Bakunetsumaru in a fast, frenzied, but calculated pace.

"Let's see how you like the ultimate _Kitsutsuki!_" He gloated.

But, even when the speed of the spears made it look like there were a thousand coming at once, Bakunetsumaru was able to dodge and block them with little effort, slowly backing away.

"Ha!" The Blazing Samurai laughed, "You have not improved as much as you thought, _my friend!_"

Bakunetsumaru just barely felt the surface of the support structure- That _same structure_- and jumped, high into the air. As he expected, Ashuramaru's spears dug themselves deep into the metal, becoming stuck. With a yell, Bakunetsumaru fell back down, his swords in front, ready to Ashuramaru. However, just as he was seconds away from making the blow, the saw sword appeared and blocked it, even _though_ Ashuramaru's hands were_ firmly gripping the spears_.

_What! _Bakunetsumaru thought, and then was sent flying as a metal spiked club slammed into his side. Getting up from where he had landed, he saw that the 'armor' on Ashuramaru's shoulders were actually mechanical arms! And two more appeared, each pulling out another sword and spear.

"You have only just _begun _to witness what I am capable of!" Ashuramaru laughed evilly, advancing.

Shocked, but too proud to let the sight of a six-armed monster scare him, Bakunetsumaru rushed back at Ashuramaru, swords swinging. However, in spite of the furious, fast-paced assault Bakunetsumaru made, Ashuramaru was able to casually block with his multiple arms. Eventually, he was able to force Bakunetsumaru on the defensive, until he kicked him away.

"Hey, that's not fair!" Shute cried out. Where did that guy get those arms!

Perhaps hearing Shute's silent query, Ashuramaru said, "Kibaomaru has given me powers beyond your imagining! As you shall soon discover!"

Ashuramaru charged at Bakunetsumaru, and Blazing jumped over him, and tried to take his back. Ashuramaru spun around and the two resumed their fast-paced swordplay. But no matter how quickly Bakunetsumaru moved, he wasn't fast enough to keep up with more than two arms at once.

"Why are you doing this, Kujakumaru!" He yelled before being knocked away again.

"_Do not call me that! I have abandoned that name!_" Ashuramaru screamed, "_I am Ashuramaru!_"

Ashuramaru lunged at Bakunetsumaru, his shoulders spinning like windmills as his arms brought their weapons down onto the two-armed Gundam. This method actually made it easier for the Blazing Samurai to defend, but not by much.

"How!" Bakunetsumaru cried, "How could you betray –_Uh!_- your homeland!"

Shute bit his lip, worried. "He can't keep this up- not for long!"

The two Musha Gundams kept fighting, leaping at each other from across both sides of the bridge.

"It is _because _of our homeland that I have chosen this path!" Ashuramaru declared, "Ark is exhausted! Devastated! We cannot oppose the Dark Axis any longer! Only by _joining _them can we hope to save Ark!"

"You are either a fool or a villain!" Bakunetsumaru shouted back, "Better that Ark is free and in ruins than safe and a slave of the Dark Axis!"

Shute jumped. "You hear that! He's working for the Dark Axis!" He looked at Captain and said, "This is more than just a private feud!"

Captain nodded. "You're right. It's a matter of dimensional security!"

"You bet it is!"

Captain's V-fin lit up, and he said over the communicator, "Captain here! Come in, SDG Base! Request immediate launch of Re-equip Ring! Do you copy?"

Chief Haro's voice replied, "Affirmative, Captain! We're ready on this end!"

"Stop, and think of what you are doing!" Bakunetsumaru cried out to Ashuramaru, "Before you disgrace your Gundam warrior spirit!"

Ashuramaru chuckled humorlessly. "_My spirit._ That was ruined long ago! Along with my name! Thanks to _you!_"

"_Me!_"

Ashuramaru nodded. "_The day you defeated me in combat…_"

_**Ark, in days long past. **_

_**Two mighty Musha Gundam warriors clashed, until one lay on the ground, with the other looking over him.**_

"_**Ah…how can this be?" Kujakumaru whispered. Looking up at his opponent, he said, "I have lost."**_

_**Nodding, Bakunetsumaru turned and walked off.**_

"_**Wait! Where are you going!" Kujakumaru cried, and struggled up. "What is this, pity! I do not want it! This was a fight to the death! Finish it, Bakunetsumaru! It is your right! It is your **_**duty!**_**"**_

_**Bakunetsumaru stopped, but did not turn to face Kujakumaru.**_

"_**I know you love Ark as I do, Kujakumaru," He said, "I will not take your life."**_

_**Kujakumaru's eyes widened in fury. "You must take it! You dishonor me! **_**Bakunetsumaru!**_**"**_

_**But Bakunetsumaru kept walking, until he was out of sight. Now alone, there was nothing to distract Kujakumaru from the feeling of shame.**_

**I do not want this life, **_**He thought, **_**Or this name! They are worthless to me now! You have shamed them both!**

_**And so, Kujakumaru wandered the lands, consumed by thoughts of revenge.**_

**If I must live, then I will live my life for no purpose but to defeat you! I will be avenged!**

_**And it was then that he found a new master...or, to be more accurate, a new master found him.**_

"_**Kujakumaru!" Kibaomaru said, "I, Kibaomaru, can give you the power to take your revenge, if you wish it."**_

'"_**I will do anything, Lord Kibaomaru!" Ashuramaru said, prostrating before his lord. "**_**Anything!**_**"**_

"_**Excellent."**_

_**And so it was thus that Kujakumaru received a special gift. The attachment of four mechanical arms to add to his own.**_

"_**Henceforth, you shall be known by your new name…**_**Ashuramaru!**_**"**_

The two Musha Gundams leapt at each other, and in the air, the clashed. Ashuramaru kicked Bakunetsumaru down, but he Blazing Samurai jumped back up. Bakunetsumaru tirelessly slashed his swords at Ashuramaru, but the rival simply spun his fist, and the spear in gripped, around, blocking the assault. For one brief second, Bakunetsumaru slowed down, and Ashuramaru struck. His other spear stabbed into the red samurai's shoulder, knocking off a piece of armor. Bakunetsumaru howled in pain, and AShuramaru laughed cruelly, kicking him down. Baku hit the bridge, landing flat on his face. Ashuramaru landed a ways behind him.

"You should have finished me when you had the chance!" The demonic-looking Gundam crowed, "You soft-hearted _fool!_"

Getting back up, Bakunetsumaru turned to face Ashuramaru, hunched over from pain.

"I did not seek to fight you then," He gasped, "Nor did I ask to fight you now. But fight I will!" Straightening, he pointed his swords at Ashuramaru. "For you are now a creature of the Dark Axis- and I am partly to blame. Yes, I will fight you, my old friend! To the end!"

Ashuramaru smirked. "Excellent, I am glad to hear it! Then prepare yourself for the ultimate defeat- _Kibaomaru Style!_"

Ashuramaru stuck out his arms and straightened his posture. On the front of his helmet, two panels slid together to create the emblem of Kibaomaru over his face, while the horns slid up, revealing masks underneath them- a blue sad mask on the left, and an angry red mask on the right. His arms began to spin, faster and faster, until they became a blur.

Shute cried in alarm, his eyes widening. Ashuramaru was transforming into a horizontal tornado!

Now a frightening drilling maelstrom of blades, Ashuramaru charged towards Bakunetsumaru, his red mask leading the way.

Bakunetsumaru, for his part, spin his swords around in twin circles, combining the two. A character appeared in the circle…

"_Secret Arts Bakunetsu: Tenkyo Ken!_"

Bakunetsumaru ran out from the circle, and sliced a fiery X into the air. Bakunetsumaru charged, and flaming X met spinning, jabbing spears.

"_Ashuramaru Lightning Shadow Axe!_" Ashuramaru screamed.

The two warriors struggled against each other, then Ashuramaru's club swung out…

CLASH

…and broke off the top of Bakunetsumaru's Sacred Sword.

_My Sword!_ Bakunetsumaru thought, horrified. His shock at this was so great that he barely registered began jabbed by Ashuramaru's weapons. As he was sent flying, the broken-off piece of blade landed next to Ashuramaru's Kibao banner, the tip of the blade stuck in the ground.

Bakunetsumaru struggled to his feet, and looked at his broken sword in dismay.

"This Sacred Sword was given to me by my master…!" He moaned.

He stared at the half of a sword so intently that he didn't see Ashuramaru charging at him, blue mask first, intent on skewering his rival for good.

"We've gotta do something!" Shute yelled.

"Yes, I agree!" Captain yelled, and started forward. He was still in Citizen mode, and the Re-equip Ring would not be close enough for several minutes. And so there was only one thing to do!

Ashuramaru moved in to Bakunetsumaru, and just as they were feet apart…

SHASH!

"Captain…" Bakunetsumaru gasped, "What have you done?"

"What is this!" Ashuramaru demanded, showing his normal face. "Why have you interfered!"

Indeed. Captain was now directly between the Musha Gundams, his body pierced by Ashuramaru's blades.

"Out of my way, fool!" Ashuramaru snarled.

"_Captain!_" Shute exclaimed.

Disgusted, Ashuramaru pulled his spears out from Captain's body and leapt away. The damaged Gundam fell back against Bakunetsumaru.

"Are you all right, Captain?" The Blazing Samurai asked, concerned.

"_I'm…sorry to have interfered with your fight…_" Captain said, his tone becoming vague and distant. "_But I…estimated your chances of victory at…point 9187…percent…_"

At this time, Shute had arrived at Captain's side.

"Captain, are you all right!" He asked, worried beyond belief.

"…_I have felt better…_"

There was an angry yell, and Shute and Bakunetsumaru looked up to see Ashuramaru coming down at them from the sky, his arms and weapons whirling.

With blood in his eyes, Bakunetsumaru screamed, _"Spawn of evil!_" and leapt up at the incoming Gundam. The two passed each other in the air, and for a brief moment, nothing happened…

_Clank_

…And a piece of Ashuramaru's leg armor fell off in a clean cut. The two landed and whirled to face each other, their faces indicating rage akin to animals, but those expressions gave way to confusion at what they saw between them.

"_What!_" Ashuramaru snarled in confusion. He had never seen anything like what was before him then.

"Stop it, you're both Gundam warriors, you shouldn't be fighting each other!" Shute yelled, holding out his arms as he stood in front of Ashuramaru, barring the way between him and Bakunetsumaru.

"I am growing tired of these interruptions!" Ashuramaru growled, and would have cut Shute in two had he not felt a sudden surge of pain in his leg. Bakunetsumaru had done more than cut off a piece of his armor down there. With bitter reluctance, he said, "Enough. We will fight another day," He began to back toward the side of the bridge. "When there are not so many…_distractions._"

"You concede defeat?" Bakunetsumaru asked, his eyes narrowing.

"As I said…" Ashuramaru replied, "_We shall meet another day!_"

With that, Asuramaru turned and leapt off the bridge. Shute and Bakunetsumaru rushed over to the edge and looked down, but saw nothing. There was no sign of Ashuramaru, not even the river had been disturbed…

"Huh? Where'd he go?" Shute asked, looking around.

Bakunetsumaru did not answer. Even as he stared at the river, his mind was elsewhere.

_Kujakumaru…_

-z-

Zero, with Fenn sitting on his shoulder, looked around the group of trees. His search had so far yielded nothing.

_If there _was _anyone here,_ Zero thought, _Then he is surely gone now._

Fenn looked up and went "Fren!"

Following the spirit's eyes, Zero saw two Gunperries fly overhead…back to the bridge! Fearing the worst, he took off after them.

-z-

"Gunperry One to base! Looks like Captain is down!"

The Gunperries had landed, and a pair of GM-class mobile soldiers for the SDG had Captain placed on a stretcher.

"_I'll be…okay._" Captain said as his friends looked on in worry.

Shute took a deep breath, trying to hold back his tears.

"Hang in there, Captain," he said, but his heart leapt into his throat as Captain's eyes vanished. "Captain!"

Zero turned to Bakunetsumaru and took special note of his missing shoulder pad- and the cut shoulder.

"And how are you feeling, Bakunetsumaru?" the Winged Knight asked.

"I, uh…_ugh…_" Bakunetsumaru could not say more, as he fell forward. Zero hastily caught him, and heard an ominous clank. He looked and saw that Bakunetsumaru had dropped one of his swords, the one that had been broken…

"We've got two Gundams down!" the Gunperries pilot reported, "Returning to base! Have the maintenance unit ready to meet us!"

The two Gunperries took off into the sky, leaving Entengo alone. The horse looked down at the broken-off blade, and then up at the holographic banner. Then he looked higher up…

…And just barely saw something purple underneath Gunperry One.


	9. Zako Zako Hour 8

Chapter 4.5: Zako Zako Hour

"Ladies and gentlebots!" Red mic said as the iron curtain rose. He and his co-hosts bowed. "Welcome to the Zako Zako Hour! Today's meeting is all about, all together now…"

"_What The Heck Is A Musha Gundam, Zako?_"

"Zako!" Red Mic chirped, as the screen showed footage of Ashuramaru and Cobramaru.

Blue Mic turned to his co-hosts and said, "In fact, I heard a delicious rumor about Musha Gundams, zako."

"What kind of rumor?" Red Mic and Yellow Mic asked.

"I heard that Musha Gundams," Blue Mic said, "Have little _baby _Musha Gundams!"

"Zako?" Red Mic and Yellow Mic contemplated this and felt their little minds go pop at the inclinations.

"OhnoIdon'tlikeverymuch!" Red Mic cried as he and Yellow Mic jumped around in confusion. Calming down, he asked, "Oh! By the way, what in the world is a Musha Gundam anyway?"

"Ashuramaru and Cobramaru are both Gundams," Yellow Mic remarked, "But how come they're on the side of the Dark Axis, zako?"

"Ahh,yes! It's all coming back to me, now!" Red Mic cried, "I remember Ashuramaru and Cobramaru! In fact, they're from the country of Ark!"

"From the country of Ark?" Blue Mic and Yellow Mic asked.

"The good guys- that's us, the Dark Axis," Red Mic explained, "Took it upon ourselves to invade the country of Ark, where the bad guys, like Musha Gundams live, just like we did a long time ago with Lacroa."

"We're the good guys, zako!" Blue Mic and Yellow Mic cheered.

"May I finish?" Red Mic asked.

"Go on, zako!"

"As I was saying," Red Mic continued, "Some of the Musha Gundams that we conquered became our _allies _during the battle of Ark."

"Musha Gundam traitors, zako!" Blue Mic and Yellow Mic cried.

"The one who commands these Musha Gundams is Kibaomaru." Red Mic said.

"Kibaomaru!" Blue Mic and Yellow Mic exclaimed.

Then the screen flickered, and the emblem on Ashuramaru's banner appeared on it.

"Hey! We've seen _this _thing before!" Red Mic and Blue Mic cried, pointing at it.

"This is the family emblem of Kibaomaru, zako!" Yellow Mic explained.

"Yes, zako!" Red Mic exclaimed, "And Kibaomaru's followers are these two guys, Ashuramaru and Cobramaru!"

The screen lit up to show the aforementioned Gundams.

"That's why they are on our side, zako!" Yellow Mic said.

Red Mic then said, "But still I ask…"

Blue Mic continued, "…What the heck…"

"…Is a Musha, zako?" Yellow Mic finished. A thought struck him and he began to wave his arms wildly around. "Waitwaitwait! The way Musha's sign their names is kinda cool, zako!"

The screen then showed Bakunetsumaru's introduction sequence. The hosts watched it.

"Cool, zako!" they raised their arms and cried, "Let's try to write our names now! Let's do it!"

On the screen, a very tiny flame appeared in the background with two poorly drawn characters above it.

The hosts struck poses. "_Tada!_"

"Wait a minute, wait a minute! There's something very wrong here!" Red Mic cried, "That doesn't say zako' it says tacos!"

"Mmm, how about some waffles?" Blue Mic asked as the characters on the screen changed.

"I like pizza." Yellow Mic commented.

"Mmm! Calligraphy makes us hungry!" all three of them cried as the iron curtain slammed down.

"Anyway, everyone, for the future of the Dark Axis…

"_Zako Soldiers, fight! Yeah!_"


	10. Fly, Captain!

Chapter 5: Fly, Captain! The SDG Base Hangs By A Thread!

The pair of Gunperries flew through the sky towards Blanc Base, carrying their injured passengers.

"This is Gunperry One, returning to base. We have recovered Captain Gundam. Damage assessment shows his condition is critical."

In the Gunperry, Shute knelt by Captain's side. The Gundam was sitting in a chair and had not moved since his boarding.

"Captain, you'll be okay!" He said anxiously to the inactive Gundam. "Just hang in there!"

"SDG Base, this is Gunperry Two, heading in. We have Bakunetsumaru on board. Preliminary assessment indicates that he has sustained severe damage as well. His condition is deteriorating."

Within Gunperry Two, Bakunetsumaru sat on the floor, staring up at his broken sword with a distant look in his eyes, while Zero and Fenn watched him. It seemed so strange to see him so listless.

"Both passengers are in need of immediate attention. Request emergency deployment of the maintenance unit."

"Roger, Gunperry One, we copy!"

Underneath Gunperry One, Cobramaru gazed at the large, hand-shaped base as it loomed closer. He had never seen such a marvel in his life, and wanted to commit it to memory.

_Ahh… Castle in the sky…_ He thought, and then smiled evilly. _Well, the higher the castle, the faster it falls!_

As the Gunperries were landing, Cobramaru invoked the traditional camouflage technique of ninjas, turning blending in with his surroundings so as to appear invisible. He stealthily made his way into the base, moving with silence. He ended the technique as he entered an empty hallway. A beeping noise drew his attention. Looking up, he saw some sort of translucent blue eye-like sphere, with a green circle in the center, pointed at him, blinking red. A security camera!

Acting quickly, Cobramaru pulled out a small, pencil-sized pipe with a purple cobra head and blew into it. A purple dart shot out of it and into the camera's center, and the dart's special properties caused its processors to glitch, filtering Cobramaru out of its sight. It ceased its alert and went back to its normal monitoring routine.

Cobramaru snickered. Anything shot by his darts fell under his control. It was too easy!

"_Hey! _We've got an intruder! Halt, there!"

Cobramaru turned and saw two of the SDG's mobile soldiers running towards him. Leaping up onto the ceiling, Cobramaru blew two more darts out, hitting their foreheads. The soldiers sparked for a second before turning to each other.

"Anyway, what were you saying?" the other soldier asked.

"I didn't say anything," The first soldier to speak said, "I thought _you _said something."

"_I _didn't say anything."

"Ah, well, back to work."

Humming, the two soldiers turned and marched away.

Cobramaru fell down from the ceiling and landed on his feet. This castle was guarded by _that _kind of soldier?

"This is going to be easy!"

-z-

"_Ahh-oooogah!_"

Humming to himself, Chief Kao Lyn turned on the spot lights and looked down at Captain, who was now lying back on a table. The Gundam's Soul Drive compartment had been opened up, and was thankfully showing no signs of damage. Ashruamaru's spears had missed the glass ball complete. The lens on Kao Lyn's glasses spun.

"Is he going to be all right?" Shute asked, as he and Chief Haro looked on from across the other side of the table.

Kao Lyn didn't answer. Instead, he did three jumps, kicking into the air.

"Chief Kao Lyn," Haro said, "What is your prognosis?"

"Can you make him better?" Shute asked, his heart thumping with worry.

Again, Kao Lyn didn't answer. Humming at a faster tempo than before, he waved his hands over Captain's Soul Drive, as if enacting a magic spell, before doing a cartwheel and pointing dramatically at the Gundam.

"Uh…Is that a yes?" Shute asked, now worried for a different reason.

Kao Lyn looked up, as if he just realized that there were other people in the room. Smiling under his mustache, he said to Shute, "Yes, yes! He will be just fine! I foresee a complete recovery!"

Shute exhaled, having held his breath involuntarily. "I'm sure glad to hear that."

"Just leave him to me!" Kao Lyn said assuring, "He'll be back in operation in no time!"

Kao Lyn cocked his head, looking past Shute and the chief. The boy and SDG leader turned to see Bakunetsumaru staggering into the ward, helped by Zero.

"Ugh… How is he?" Bakunetsumaru asked, groaning slightly.

"Never mind him," Zero said sternly, "Someone has to look at you!"

"No need… I'm fine…" Bakunetsumaru said before passing out. He fell forward, showing the mobile soldier carrying his shoulder pad.

"_Bakunetsumaru!_" Shute cried, and rushed to his aid.

"Are you okay!" Zero asked, reaching down to pick him up.

The Blazing Samurai was placed onto a separate operating table nearby, with his swords and pad placed on a side table. Kao Lyn began to examine him, but seemed to be less certain about the Musha Gundam's condition.

"The problem is," Chief Haro said, "He's from a different dimension, and we are not familiar with their technology."

Shute turned to Zero and asked, "Zero, what about your magic? Maybe that could help him!"

Zero looked sadly from Shute to Bakunetsumaru and said, "Alas, this sort of wound cannot be healed by magic." The damage from the fight was more than just a matter of an injured body and a broken sword- Bakunetsumaru's very soul had been torn asunder. The shock of seeing an old friend go down the wrong path, and a cherished keepsake being broken on top of it, had been a serious blow to the samurai's spirit.

Shute looked down at Bakunetsumaru and asked, "What are we going to do?"

But then, the Musha Gundam's eyes poked open.

"What you _could _do," he said, "Is fetch me some of those rice balls your mother makes!"

Shute and Zero exchanged confused looks.

"Err…rice balls?" Kao Lyn asked, bewildered.

Bakunetsumaru nodded as best he could lying down. "I think I could eat…about a hundred!"

Shute smiled. That sounded more like the Baku' he knew.

"Okay!" the boy said, "A hundred rice balls, comin' up!"

-z-

Shute and Zero made a quick trip home. Surprisingly, Juli went along as well. As it turned out, she and Keiko were friends, having gone to the same _akido _class at the community center. It was a bit of a change to see the usually composed and dignified SDG officer wearing a blue and white summer dress and chatting it up with a friend, but Shute had to admit that the extra help made the work go faster, even more so when Sayla, Shute's classmate and neighbor, got involved in the rice ball-making.

"This certainly is a lot of rice balls," Keiko commented when they were about halfway through, "What did you say this was for again?"

"Well, it's, uh, it's, uh…" Shute's mind raced. "For some firefighters!" He said quickly, and shot Juli a pleading look.

Juli nodded and played along. "Yeaaah, that's right! They're fighting a big forest fire, and this'll really help out!"

"We're happy to, aren't we, Sayla?" Keiko replied, smiling at the girl.

Sayla giggled. "Oh, yes!" She began to hum. "Rice balls… Hm hm hm… Mine are going to be the prettiest rice balls of all!"

Fenn trilled inquisitively at the growing pile of packed-rice.

"Captain Gundam's really quite a guy, isn't he?" Keiko commented, "Organizing all this, and for such a good cause!"

Juli grinned nervously. "Oh, he's quite a guy, all right. Isn't he, Shute?"

Shute nodding, sweating. "Oh, yeah, yeah…he's quite a guy."

"There, I finished one!" Zero exclaimed happily, and held out his rice ball.

Shute looked and went, "Guh-whoah!" It was the size of an ostrich egg!

"Did I do it wrong?" Zero asked, taking note of the shocked expressions on the humans. Looking down, he muttered, "I'm not very good at this…"

"No, no!" Shute said quickly, getting over his surprise. "It looks…scrumdiddlyumptious!"

"…That is a good thing?" Zero asked, almost pleadingly.

"Oh, you bet!"

-z-

Once the rice ball order, including the _grande_-sized ones Zero made, was completed, it was rushed to Bakunetsumaru in his sick bay. The Musha Gundam didn't give a second glance before digging in.

"Mm, perfect." Bakunetsumaru muttered in-between chews, "I feel better already!"

Zero watched in amazement as Bakunetsumaru consumed the rice balls at an increasingly faster pace.

"Do they really taste _that _good?" He asked.

"They're delicious!" Bakunetsumaru grinned, "Especially these big, ugly ones!"

Zero pointedly avoided meeting the samurai's eyes.

"Such a simple thing actually heal your injuries?" the knight asked instead.

"There's much more than _rice _in these," Bakunetsumaru explained, "Each one contains the love and respect of the person who made it!" He shoveled in three more. "They're food for the _soul!_ Don't they know anything about rice balls where you come from?"

Zero wondered if Baku' was just having him on, and asked Shute, "Are they really so miraculous?"

Shute nodded. "I'll say they are! I once won first place in a track meet, all because of my mom's rice balls! It's true!"

"Fascinating…"

While they talked, Bakunetsumaru continued to chow down. After about five minutes and twenty-five balls, he began to slow down.

"Ahh…perhaps just two more," He said, "Annnd two more…"

-z-

In Captain's ward, Chief Kao Lyn began to ready himself for the repairs. First up was mind-clearing calisthenics.

"Captain, Captain, listen to me ramble!" He sang, doing kicks, punches, and flips into the air. "Captain, Captain, it's time to scramble!"

Shute peeked into the room through the space in the slightly-open door.

"Is it working?" He asked.

"Don't worry."

Shute looked up at Juli.

"Chief Kao Lyn knows what he's doing." She said.

"…Yeah."

Juli's smile dropped as she rested her head against the wall.

"Still," She sighed, "Let's hope the Dark Axis doesn't attack…"

POOF!

There was a puff of smoke and Juli found a violet rose began held up to her.

"Fear not, fair maiden," Zero said, "Even without them, the Gundam Force is still here. I mean to say _I'm _still here-"

Shute rolled his eyes.

"-And therefore, you have nothing to worry about." He finished, ignoring the boy.

Juli smiled in spite of herself. She said, "Thanks, Zero." and reached for the flower.

But then klaxons began to sound off all over the base.

"_Attention! Attention! Superior Defender Gundam Force!_ We are currently picking up Dark Axis presence in the warehouse district and sector 14!"

-z-

"We show enemy forces approaching from seaward and multiple unidentified aircraft!" The technician continued, typing away at his console.

An orange-haired female technician checking the read-out on her console said, "Looks like an all-out assault!"

There was a rush of air as the doors to main check station opened, letting Chief Haro in.

"Sir!" the orange-haired techie cried, standing up.

Haro nodded. "Yes, there's only one thing to do. Scramble the Gundam Force!"

The male techie nodded and announced into the PA system, "We are in battle mode! All Gundam Force units report to the launch deck!"

-z-

Bakunetsumaru eyes widened and he put down the half-eaten rice ball.

"I cannot sit here while the rest fight!" He said to himself, "Ashuramaru will be there… I am the only one who can defeat him!"

Trying to ignore the pain in his shoulder, Bakunetsumaru stood up- and fell down as his legs gave away. Scowling, he began to crawl towards the door.

"Must…get…to the launch deck!" He gasped, "I must…get…"

There was a puff of smoke as a patch of roses sprouted off his hand.

"You won't be of any use until you get better," Zero said soothingly, as he Shute helped him back onto his bed. "Just keep eating rice balls."

Bakunetsumaru looked back and forth between his friends- no, between his _comrades._ Shute had that determined, 'we-can-do-all' look he always did in times like this, and Zero_ did_ not have that 'ha-ha, you fool' look he had when he was one-upping the Musha Gundam. He remembered the rice balls, and realized that to risk himself right after they had gone to such trouble would be a grave, _dishonorable_ insult.

Nodding, Bakunetsumaru said, "So be it."

-z-

"Guneagle in position and standing by! I am good for launch!"

With a wild cry, the jet Gundam rocketed off into the wild blue yonder.

"Gundivers One and Two ready!"

The Gundivers 01 and 02 were shot off of the runway, and with a "Dive!" fell to the ocean. Next off were the last five Gundivers, who yelled, "Synchronization activate!" as they dove.

"I'm not lettin' all these young squirts have all the fun!" Gunbike yelled, detaching his sidecar. Speeding down the runway, Gunbike left off and with a "Yeehaw!" plummeted out of sight.

"Of course they attack us when we are at our weakest, the cowardly villains!" Zero cursed, unsheathing his sword. With a gallant leap, Zero jumped from the edge of the runway, falling until he got low enough for his flight magic to work.

Back at the base, the alerts kept coming in.

"Two more Dark Axis signals detected! Enemy activity increasing in all sectors, sir!"

"And we've launched every unit with got!"

Chief Haro clenched his fist. "The cunning fiends…"

"I'm going, too!"

Haro snapped out of his thoughts and looked a screen that showed Shute in the maintenance ward.

"Shute?" the orange-haired techie asked, hesitantly.

"You said yourself there's no one else!" Shute pointed out. The look in his eyes said that this was _not _a joke.

"No," Chief Haro said sternly, "I want you here with Captain."

"But, Chief Haro-!" Shute began.

"_No, _not this time, Shute," Haro interrupted, "But, you have given me an idea. Prepare my ship!"

-z-

"Chief Haro's Gunperry to catapult one, on the double!"

Unlike the other Gunperries used by the SDG, which were painted black and blue, the one reserved for the leader of the organization was pure white. As the ship rose into the daylight, Chief Haro stood proud and erect on top of the body.

"Full speed ahead!" Haro ordered, pointing.

The ship took off, and it was a testament to the Chief's physical abilities that he did not get blown off by the wind.

-z-

Inside the maintenance bay, Shute stared at the take-off, feeling both awed at the Chief's commitment to the cause, and a little frustrated that he couldn't go himself.

"Good luck, everyone," He whispered, "I only wish I was out there with you!"

-z-

"Fools!"

Cobramaru snickered as the side-terminal in the hall displayed radar showing Zero, Guneagle, Gunbike, the Gundivers, and Chief Haro leaving the base. He had hacked into the computers easily enough, especially with his darts already weakening their overall security systems, and it was a simple matter to feed the SDG false information.

As he worked, those two soldiers from earlier walked by. Cobramaru restrained the urge to laugh out loud at them, as no one had removed his darts from their heads.

"Nothing to report in block R7." One reported.

"Same here. All secure in block R8." The other replied.

"This base is so secure, it's boring!" The first chuckled.

"Guess we must be doing our job pretty well." The second remarked.

"Yes, that's why they pay _us _the big bucks!"

"Well, back to work."

"Right."

And they marched off, without giving Cobramaru a second look.

_Like I said...fools, _Cobramaru thought, _Just look at how easily they were tricked by my simulated invasion, and deployed all of their forces outside!_

Now that phase 1 of his scheme was complete, Cobramaru set to work onto the next step. Typing quickly, he began to go through the SDG's files and data, specifically on Blanc Base's blueprints. The overall schematic showed him exactly what he needed.

"_There!_ Yes, that's the castle's weak point!"

So Blanc Base wasn't flying at all. Instead, (And Cobramaru wasn't sure how they pulled it off) the entire structure was being suspended from an even higher facility.

_So,_ Cobramaru thought, reading up on it. _This is what holds the whole thing up, huh?_ A cruel smile grew on his face. _ Another castle falls to Cobramaru!_

-z-

At the very top of the base, where the ultra-steel suspension wire was attached, Cobramaru shot his darts into the security cameras keeping a close watch. He was a bit disappointed that his success would come so easily. He looked up at the four massive cables jutting up from the base into the sky. Then he looked at one of the cameras. He grinned.

-z-

Klaxons sounded as the ultimate alert sounded.

"Warning! Intruder alert! Intruder alert!"

All over Blanc Base, Cobramaru's face appeared on screens.

"Helloooo…helloooo? Anybody home?" He asked sinisterly, "I was just admiring how incredibly well-defended your castle is- _Not!_"

"Where is he!" Juli asked, rushing into the main station.

"He's at the main suspension wire coupling!" A female techie said.

Juli bit her lip. "That's not good…"

-z-

In the maintenance ward, Shute stared at the person…or rather, the _creature _on-screen. He was rather slim, in black, form-fitting armor, with an ornate purple cobra hood worn over it. A long, swishing tail trailed out from the back of the hood.

"I am Cobramaru, the Castle-Conqueror!" The snake-man said, and rose up, held by his tail. A series of Japanese characters shot out into the air; KO-BU-RA-MARU. "There's never been a castle built I could not take, I have captured many! You pathetic defenders of this hopeless dimension, you should feel _honored _to be added to my list!"

The screen turned to static.

"So…Ashuramaru was not alone."

Shute turned Bakunetsumaru, who had a worried expression on his face.

"This is _another _renegade Gundam from my homeland of Ark!" Bakunetsumaru explained, trembling. "Cobramaru's name is legend. He has single-handedly captured nine castles. Castles that have been safely guarded for millennia! But his face has never been seen before today…"

Shute's expression grew sour as he glared back at the screen.

"I guess nine's not enough," He muttered, "He wants ten!" Standing up, he yelled, "Okay, that's it!"

-z-

At the coupling, Cobramaru detached one of the spike-fins from his hoods and held it as a makeshift sword. He tapped the wire a few times.

_Its fate hangs by such a slender thread, _He thought, _If I just cut this, the castle will fall, crushing the city below it! _He smirked. _That's what I call killing two birds with one stone…this is my lucky day!_

-z-

"Someone's launching the chopper-ball!"

Juli looked up from her own terminal, trying to alert an SOS, and asked, "What? _Who!_"

"It looks like…" The techie squinted at her screen and gasped. "It is! _It's Shute!_"

-z-

In the cockpit of the chopper-ball, Shute checked every read-out to ensure a safe flight as quickly as he could. Once that was done, he gripped the controls and took off.

-z-

"Here we go," Cobramaru said, pulling his blade back. "Number ten…_Gyah!_"

Cobramaru struck the cable, but the blade merely bounced off it. He glanced at his sword, confused, and tried again, and again, but to no avail. He couldn't even make a scratch.

"_Blast!_" He snarled, hitting the cable one last time. "_This _part is solid _gundanium!_" Scowling, he reviewed what he had looked up about the base. An idea struck as he looked up. "Ahh, but, perhaps at the top…"

-z-

The chopper-ball arrived at the coupling area, and the pilot looked around.

"Shute, have you spotted him?" Juli asked over the radio.

Shute shook his head. "That's a negative! Do you see him?"

"Directly above you! He's ascending the suspension pylon!"

Shute nodded and increased the chopper's altitude. As he rose, he could just barely make out Cobramaru's form slithering up the cables.

"…_Oh no!_ He's heading for the junction point!"

Shute cocked his head. "The what?"

"The pylon connecting us to the satellite is constructed out of gundanium," Juli explained, "But the junction point way at the top isn't! If he cuts that, the base will fall!"

Shute gulped as the file Juli transmitted to him showed a demo of the junction point between Blanc Base and the orbiting satellite it hung from split apart, causing the base to plummet.

"Yikes! Right, I'm on my way!" He said.

-z-

Cobramaru snickered with evil glee as he crawled up the pylon. He had his arms and legs tucked away as his tail did almost all of the work.

_One little snip, _he thought, _And I can add number ten to my list!_

He paused. What was that whirling noise? Looking back, he saw one of the SDG's weird little balls with spinning blades on top flying towards him. So those things could fly? Even more peculiar was the voice that was emanating from it…

"Cease and desist at once, please, Shute said, "I'm sorry, but I'm going to have to ask you to- Why am I being so polite?" Scowling, Shute yelled, "Listen, beat it, or I'll blast you!"

It was a boy! In fact, it was _that _boy!

"They send a child to stop me," he muttered, "How insulting!" and resumed his climb.

"Hey, I'm not a kid!" Shute yelled, "Listen, you copper-plated gopher snake, you asked for it!"

Shute sent the chopper-ball forward, and just barely missed Cobramaru, hitting a section of the pylon below him. The chopper-ball began to fall. Shute, growling, wrestled with the controls until it halted in the air, and shot back up. Once it reached Cobramaru, the ball began to circle him.

"Now it's official," The Gundam hissed, "_You're annoying me!_"

Cobramaru flipped up one of the knives on his armor, and swung at the chopper-ball as it closed in. The ball just barely swerved out the way, Shute gripping at the controls and trying to keep the ball under control.

"Shute, be careful!" Juli cried.

With a snarl, Shute got the ball under control and positioned himself over Cobramaru.

"All right, tough guy," The boy said, activating the ball's claws. "Let's see how you handle a one-two chopper-ball punch!"

The claws shot forward, but Cobramaru, with a disdainful yawn, flipped above them. Grabbing the pylon with his clawed hands, his tail rose and slammed down on the propellers of the ball. The chopper-ball went down, again.

Not wanting to waste anymore time, Cobramaru activated two small rockets in his hood, and flew up, landing at the junction point.

"So much for _that _little brat!" He snickered, "And _now-_" He pulled out his hood blade. "-Down to business."

Cobramaru glanced at the junction system, and took a moment to laugh at it. The whole thing looked like it was held together by giant screws! He stepped forward, but before he got close enough to do any damage, something heavy began to pull him back.

"_What!_" He yelled, grabbing hold of the safety railing, just barely catching himself before falling. Looking back, he saw (and felt a flash of anger at) the chopper-ball, clutching onto the end of his tail with one of its claws.

"Yeah, that's right!" Shute shouted, "I've got you, you robotic reptile! Now, surrender! Or else!"

Cobramaru shook his head, almost pityingly. "You just don't get it, do you? _Playtime is over!_"

Cobramaru, grunting and groaning from the strain, began to swing his tail around, smashing the chopper-ball against the top and bottom of the junction point. In the cockpit, Shute felt his bones rattle and his guts quiver like jell-o as he was banged around. Still, in spite of the pain, he forced his hand to remain clamped around the button of the claw's joystick.

"I can't let go," He grunted, "If I do, it means the base and all of Neotopia are history!"

The chopper-ball, with a groan, lifted itself up. Cobramaru could see Shute in the cockpit, glaring determinedly.

"All right, boy," He snarled, "I hope you seatbelt is securely fastened!"

Cobramaru began to swing his tail around even faster and more violently, sometimes raking the ball against the junction point. But it remained firmly clamped to the tail.

"Hang o…everyone's counting on you…" Shute muttered to himself.

The chopper-ball clamped both claws onto the tail.

"_I can't quit now!_"

-z-

In the maintenance bay, the Soul Drive, feeling Shute's determination, lit up as it energized.

Captain's eyes reappeared. "Shute?"

Kao Lyn had his back turned, getting some new tools, when he heard a clunk from behind. Turning around, he saw Captain Gundam rising from his stretcher.

"Captain, you're awake! _Amazing!_" Kao Lyn exclaimed happily. _Did I do that!_

Captain did not reply as he closed up his Soul Drive compartment. Activating his communicator, he said, "Captain, here. Requesting to be equipped with rocket boosters!"

-z-

Juli's face lit up in a relieved smile as she heard Captain's voice.

"Roger!" She said, typing commands into her terminal. "Request granted, Captain!"

-z-

The Re-equip Ring appeared at the runway, with Captain already in the magnetic field.

"Launching Re-equip Ring!" Juli yelled.

The catapult-loaded Ring shot forward, launching the Ring off the runway and into the air. As the Ring flew around, the mechanical arms in the interior moved around, replacing Captain's citizen parts with his defender parts, and a beam rifle was placed into his hand. After they were done, two more compartments in the Ring opened- purple rocket boosters. The boosters were attached the sides of Captain's shoulder pads.

"Rocket boosters loading…completed," Juli murmured as an excited Kao Lyn bustled up behind her, "Ten seconds to launch."

The Re-equip Ring began to tilt in the air, going from its normal vertical stance to a horizontal position, with Captain facing upwards.

"9…8…7…6…5…4…3…2…1…Ignition!"

The rockets fired up.

"All systems are go!" Captain announced, and blasted off upwards.

"Happy hunting!" Juli said.

"Yes," Kao Lyn added, "_Bon Voyage_, Captain!"

-z-

Up at the junction point, Cobramaru succeeded in knocking Shute's chopper-ball off his tail, along with one of the ball's claws. Before the ball could fall, though, Shute grabbed hold of a piece of the upper portion of the station, hanging on for dear life.

"Enough, boy!" Cobramaru yelled, stomping over to where the ball was. "You have delayed my far too long!"

With a grunt, the Castle Conqueror ripped the hatch off of the ball and glared at the human boy in the cockpit. Shute gave a cry of alarm.

"There, you have a ring-side seat!" Cobramaru snickered, "Watch as your precious castle falls-_ and you with it!_"

As much Cobramaru wanted to wring the little brat's neck for his constant interruptions, he knew that business came before pleasure. Turning back to the connectors, Cobramaru prepared to slice with his blade.

"Now," He said, "To add number ten to my list…"

Before Cobramaru could complete the chop, a bolt of purple energy shot through the air, hitting his wrist. With a cry of pain, Cobramaru let go of his blade. Looking at where the shot had come from, Che and Shute just barely saw something rocket past the junction point.

"I don't believe it," Shute cried happily, "Captain, you're awake!"

Cobramaru was far less pleased. This latest interruption was the final straw that caused him to snap.

"_You!_" He screamed, "What are you doing still functioning!" Ashuramaru had speared him all the way through; there was no way he could have survived! _No one _should have survived a blow like that!

Captain did a U-turn in the air and flew back at the junction point.

"Attention!" He shouted, "I have been granted special dispensation to use firearms in defense of Neotopia! Lay down your weapons at once!"

Furious, Cobramaru began to hop around in circles at high speed, moving and stopping in a way that made it look like there were three of him. As he moved, he pulled out his blow pipe and shot three darts at Captain. If just _one _of them hit, the mobile defender would be under his control!

But Captain simply caught all three between his fingers. His targeting scope slid down, and the defender scanned Cobramaru, analyzing his movements and speed. Rocketing forward, Captain elbowed Cobramaru at just the right moment, knocking the blow pipe out of his hand. Captain shot past him, and began to circle around for another strike.

But for Cobramaru, enough was enough. Two more blades popped out of his hood and into his hands as he readied himself. As Captain flew towards him, he flung the blades, following up by shooting a barrage of _shuriken _from his hood. Captain swerved around in the air, dodging them.

"Yeah, that's it!" Shute cheered, "_Way to go!_"

A fire lit up in Captain's eyes, and his fist glowed gold.

"_What!_" Was all Cobramaru could say before Captain rammed his fist into the Musha Gundam's gut. The Castle Conqueror howled in pain as he was sent flying off the junction point.

"_Yeah!_" Shute whooped, punching the air in imitation of Captain.

-z-

Cobramaru plummeted for several feet before activating the rockets in his hood. Glaring up at the heroes, he swore a silent vow of vengeance.

_All right… You may have won this time, but I _will _return!_

Turning around, he flew off.

-z-

Shute looked down, trying to see if Cobramaru would be coming back for a second round. A rush of rockets caught his attention, and he saw Captain hovering in front of the junction point.

"Are you all right, Shute?" Captain asked.

"Sure, I'm fine!" Shute replied, "But how about you?"

"I'm fine, too-" Captain began, when his rockets suddenly sputtered off. "Huh?"

Captain fell. As he plummeted, he tried to activate the boosters in his backpack to slow his speed, but they wouldn't respond.

"Boosters malfunctioning!" Captain said, "Estimated chances of surviving this fall, zero point-"

Suddenly, Captain jolted as his rapid descent halted. Looking around, he saw that he was in the claw of Shute's chopper-ball.

"Chances of survival, 100%!" Shute laughed, "Got ya! Good to have you back, buddy."

-z-

Elsewhere, Zero and Guneagle flew back to the base, both sporting identical sour expressions.

"I can't believe we fell for that false alarm!" Guneagle groaned, "He must have hacked into our computers!"

"The villain…" Zero muttered.

"Hey! A little help here! Somebody!"

Looking down, both of the flying Gundams saw the back end of Gunbike sticking out of a tree.

"Gunbike," Guneagle chuckled, shaking his head. "When's that dude gonna learn he can't fly?"

"I gotta mouthful of dirt here!" Gunbike shouted, revving his engine and trying to shake himself loose.

-z-

Chief Haro was the first to arrive back, and when he did, he had only words of praise for the heroes.

"Shute, Captain," he said, "You defended the base and adverted almost certain disaster. Job well done."

"Thanks, Chief," Shute replied, and turned to Captain. "I'm just glad Captain's all right again!"

"I owe it all to you." Captain said.

"Yeah?" Shute cocked his head, a bit confused, but decided not to dwell on it. "Well, okay! If you say so!" He had no idea that his determination and will, through the bond he had with the Soul Drive, was what reactivated Captain from the emergency shut-down.

"Still," Haro said, looking into the setting sun. "I fear for the future if we have to face any more Musha Gundams…"

-z-

The maintenance bay, Bakunetsumaru fitted his shoulder pad on. He gave it an shake of approval when it did not hurt.

He burped. "Ahh, the healing properties of a well-made rice ball," He gazed at broken sword before starting for the door. "I'm ready for battle!"

-z-

"My wound is healed…"

With a fearsome cry, Ashuramaru sliced a rock in two.

-z-

At the bridge, where Entengo had remained, the sunlight glinted off of the broken-off sword piece. There was no more delaying it, he knew.


	11. zako Zako Hour 9

Chapter 5.5: Zako Zako Hour

"Ladies and gentlebots," Red Mic began after the iron curtain rose, "Welcome to the Zako Zako Hour! Today's meeting is all about, all together now…"

Blue Mic and Yellow Mic chimed in with Red Mic and said, "_What The Heck Is A Musha Gundam Part 2!_"

"Zako!" Finished Red Mic.

Yellow Mic raised his hand and said, "You know, I heard another great rumor about Musha Gundams, don'tcha know, zako!"

"What rumor?" Red Mic and Blue Mic asked.

"I heard that Musha Gundams have a very special armor that heals automatically!" Yellow Mic stated.

There was a pause as they took that in.

"Zako," Red Mic commented, "Musha Gundams are…"

"…So mysterious!" Yellow Mic finished.

"It's not so mysterious, zako!" Blue Mic cried, "Not if you know the secret! If we had the secret, we could repair our damaged weapons _and _the _Komusai, _zako!"

"Finally," the three hosts shouted, "The Dark Axis can have an advantage, zako!"

"_Hey!_"

The hosts jumped and did a panic dance as Cobramaru landed on the stage from above.

"Did someone call me?" He asked, glaring.

Calming down, Red Mic asked, "How does your armor heal automatically, zako?"

"We wanna know the se-cret!" The hosts sang, dancing as Cobramaru stared. "We wanna know the se-cret! Tell us!"

Cobramaru decided that he had had enough.

"Our nano-skin system!" He yelled, "Bye!"

Cobramaru rocketed away, just before the iron curtain fell.

Red Mic yelled, "For the future of the Dark Axis…

"_Zako Soldiers, fight! Yeah!_"


	12. showdown! Bakunetsumaru vs Ashuramaru!

Chapter 6: Showdown! Bakunetsumaru vs Ashuramaru

No sooner had the Gundam Force returned to Shute's house from Blanc Base did another log from Ashuramaru appear. The message carved on it said,

_Bakunetsumaru,_

_Our last contest was indecisive._

_Therefore, I demand that we meet again in combat, at the same place, at the same hour._

_This time, let there be no interference. It shall be just you and me- two warriors of Ark, in a battle to the finish._

And so, the very next day, at exactly the same time the first duel took place, the Gundam Force went to the bridge, where they found Ashuramaru, standing vigilant. While Bakunetsumaru marched up to face him, Shute, Captain (In his defender mode), Zero, and Fenn stationed themselves on a space next to the tunnel's entrance. Entengo stood directly behind Bakunetsumaru.

"Ready?" Ashuramaru asked.

"Ready." Bakunetsumaru answered.

Ashuramaru pointed his spear at Bakunetsumaru and said, "Now, I, Ashuramaru, will regain at last the honor you took from me so long ago!"

The rest of the Gundam Force watched in silent anticipation as the two Musha Gundams stared each other down. Ashuramaru twirled his spear, while Bakunetsumaru stood waiting, braced for an attack.

"Here we go again…" Shute murmured.

Then, Fenn looked off into the distance and made an inquisitive growl. Shute, Captain and Zero looked as well. Flying in from the horizon was a squad of five Zako Soldiers and Zapper Zaku, each wearing a flying unit and armed with a mini-missile launcher.

"_Now _we've got 'em!" Zapper crowed, "Blast that samurai Gundam into scrap!"

The Zakos fired, sending five deadly missiles screaming towards Bakunetsumaru.

"The Dark Axis!" Captain exclaimed as Shute gasped.

"So, they're back." Zero muttered darkly.

Amazingly, each missile zoomed harmlessly by the Blazing Samurai, not even hitting the bridge. Needless to say, Zapper was not pleased.

"You _missed, _you idiots, and he's not even moving!" he bellowed, "Get him! _Get him!_"

Once again, the Zakos fired.

"Interrupting a duel between warriors," Zero growled, "Have they no honor?"

Cupping his hands over his mouth, Shute yelled to Bakunetsumaru, "Baku', watch out! _Incoming!_"

But the samurai did not budge. In fact, he did not seem to even notice the missiles as they blew past him. His eyes and Ashuramaru's remained locked on each other.

"Huh? What _is _this, a staring contest?" Zapper wondered before yelling, "Hey, Ashuramaru, yoo-hoo! You better get out of there, unless you wanna get blasted too!"

Suddenly, he felt something heavy land on his head and heard Cobramaru's voice.

"Fire away, his loss is a small price to pay for destroying the enemy. Besides, Lord Kibaomaru doesn't really like him…and neither do I, come to think of it!"

"Okay, fine!" Zapper snarled, fidgeting under Cobramaru's weight. "But, would you not mind _perching on my head! _You tin-plated pigeon! Get offa me!"

The Zakos, ignoring this comedy routine, fired another slew of missiles. But even as they converged onto Bakunetsumaru, he did not budge. He was still too fixed on Ashuramaru.

"Not moving?" Zapper asked nastily before laughing, "Makes an easy target!"

"_Get outta there!_" Shute yelled desperately. The rest of the Gundams were too far away to get to the missiles in time!

-z-

"No, not this way. _It shall not be!_"

-z-

There was a noise like a single clap, and the world…_turned_. The space where the missiles were suddenly flipped upside-down, so they weren't flying at the Musha Gundams, but at the Dark Axis.

"_Zako?_" The Zakos gasped at this turn of events.

"What the!" Zapper gulped, and panicked. "Whoa! Hey! Scat! _Scram!_"

The Zakos flew away from the missiles, and Zapper tried to do the same, but couldn't move properly with Cobramaru standing on his head. He desperately waved his arms, as if to shoo the missiles away, but to no avail. At the last minute, Cobramaru leapt away- shoving Zapper into the barrage.

BOOM!

As sound of the explosion echoed, the space returned to normal. It was at this moment that the dueling Gundams noticed something was amiss.

"Huh?" Ashuramaru muttered as he and Bakunetsumaru looked around in confusion. The sky began to darken, and everyone looked to see a group of clouds gather…but they weren't really clouds. They looked more like what artists depicted clouds as in their paintings. Behind the not-clouds, a series of Japanese sliding doors appeared. The middle doors opened, letting in an almost celestial light. From those doors came a magnificent white boat, with a unicorn figurehead in gold armor. On its sides were two ornate cannons, and an emblem that looked like a yellow phoenix within an orange circle. The boat had a rider, but his image was cloaked in shadows.

"What?" Ashuramaru asked, stepping forward.

"The Ship of the Golden Crest!" Bakunesumaru gasped, "But, it can't be!"

The Ship floated away from the doors, and its rider spoke, waving a yellow folding fan with a purple circle with a Japanese character in.

"As far away as Ark, I sensed the energy of two might souls in conflict. Are you the two warriors that seek honor in a trial by combat? Know you then who asks this question of you. It is I, Lord of Swords!"

A light shown down on the figure, revealing a Gundam, easily a head taller than Ashuramaru, in ornate golden armor, with a red symbol for the Japanese character 'dai' on his helmet. On his face plate was a metal piece that looked something like a mostache.

"_The_ _Dai-Shogun of Ark!_" The Gundam proclaimed, as the appropriate Japanese characters appeared. "Warrior of Perfect Virtue!"

The skies returned to normal, and the natural sunlight gleamed off of the Dai-Shogun's armor.

"The Dai-Shogun?" Shute asked, awed.

"An impressive entrance." Zero remarked.

"What is the Dai-Shogun doing on this wretched planet?" Ashuramaru demanded, staring at the Dai-Shogun.

"I thought there's been no Dai-Shogun in Ark for years!" Bakunetsumaru exclaimed.

Meanwhile, Cobramaru landed on the topmost point of the bridge's support.

_I've never heard of a Dai-Shogun whose name is Perfect Virtue…_ He thought sullenly, _This one must be a fraud!_ "What are you waiting for, Zapper Zaku? Blast this imposter!"

Zapper, who had been recovering from the missiles' impact, managed to give a shaky nod of agreement.

"You're right…" He coughed, and pointed at the Dai-Shogun. "F-fire!"

The Zakos complied, firing their missiles at the Dai-Shogun.

"Perhaps_ this_ will convince you," The Dai-Shogun said, "_Tenchi Gaeshi!_"

The Dai-Shogun folded his fan up and slapped it down onto the Ship, making a clapping noise. Just like before, the space the missiles were in flipped, sending them back at the Dark Axis.

"Okay!" Zapper gulped, "I'm convinced!"

The Dark Axis turned on their heels (So to speak) and fled, but were unable to avoid being blasted…again.

As space returned to normal, the Musha Gundams on the bridge gazed at the Dai-Shogun in awe.

"_Tenchi Gaeshi…_" Ashuramaru breathed, "The world turned upside-down…"

"Such power!" Bakunetsumaru gasped, "He _must _be a Dai-Shogun!"

"Bakunetsumaru, Blazing Samurai! And demon-hearted Ashuramaru! Hear me!" The Dai-Shogun proclaimed, "I, the Dai-Shogun, shall bear witness to your combat!" He began to wave his fan. "But, not in this setting. We need something more…_appropriate_."

Cherry blossoms floated through the air, and the world seemed to fade away. In its place, a large room appeared. There were screens along the edge of the floor painted with visions of a raging sea with occasional bolts of lightning striking down, and a large, raised platform was in the middle. At each corner was a large lantern, illuminating the room. In the middle of each wall was a large pair of sliding doors. More not-clouds floated in the air. The scent of incense could be smelled.

"What's all this!" Shute cried, looking around in confusion. Everything looked like the kabuki show his mother had taken him to once.

Before Captain could reply, he heard a frantic neigh. Looking around, he saw some kind of hole in the air, showing Entengo back at the bridge.

_Interesting… _He thought.

On the opposite side of the stage, the Dark Axis landed in a dizzy pile, with Zapper on top.

"What's this supposed to be, hmm!" Zapper demanded, trying to get his bearings.

Cobramaru landed down next to him. "A more appropriate setting?"

"Precisely."

Everyone looked to the Dai-Shogun, who had landed his ship on a raise seat between the two sides. Behind him was a screen with an image of a red, snow-topped mountain.

"This is the Garden of Samurai Spirits," The Dai-Shogun explained, "the gathering place of all warrior souls," Looking down at Bakunetsumaru and Ashuramaru,, who were standing on the stage, he said, "The stage is set. Now you may battle each other to your hearts' contents!"

The two Musha Gundams bowed. "Thank you, Dai-Shogun!"

Shute couldn't take it anymore. Clutching his head, he yelled, "I don't have a _clue _what's going on!"

-z-

Later on, the Dark Axis were seated on a couch on their side.

"Zako, did you bring popcorn?" One asked.

"Nuh-uh," Another said, "Did you?"

"Zako."

Zapper, sitting at the very end, gave his squad a dirty look. "_Quiet._"

On the stage, standing at opposite ends, Ashuramaru and Bakunetsumaru faced each other.

"So you're going through with this," Shute asked worriedly, "All on your own?"

Bakunetsumaru didn't look at him. "For this moment in time, I am not a member of the Gundam Force. I am Bakunetsumaru, warrior of Ark. And as such, I have my own battles to fight."

"You sure?" Shute asked unhappily. When Bakunetsumaru didn't respond, Captain stepped up and took a turn.

"You _are _considerably weaker this time, and your sword _is _broken," He pointed out, "I estimate your chances of success at less-"

"No, Captain," Zero interrupted, "It is not a question of numbers, but of honor."

Bakunetsumaru nodded. "It is our way. Just as you would defend Neotopia no matter how hopeless the odds, Captain, so I must defend the country of Ark. And I must do it-" He took a fighting stance. "-alone!"

Opposite of Bakunetsumaru, Ashuramaru jabbed the air with his spears, warming up for the match. Cobramaru watched him with disdain.

"Is this going to start anytime soon?" He asked, edgy.

"Be patient," Ashuramaru assured, "Once this business is finished, there will be plenty of time to conquer this world. We will go home as heroes, Cobramaru!"

Cobramaru raised his eyebrow as Ashuramaru turned to face his opponent. "And what if you _don't _finish him? Lord Kibaomaru doesn't like failure."

Ashuramaru glanced at Cobramaru over his shoulder, a shocked look in his eyes. "What? Fail? _Me? _Ha!"

His body tense, Ashuramaru took his spear and gave it a spin before planting its bottom into the ground. He and Bakunetsumaru marched up to each other.

"Are you warriors ready?" the Dai-Shogun asked.

"Ready!" They replied. From behind Bakunetsumaru, the Gundam Force tensed.

Dai-Shogun slapped his fan down. "Begin!"

"I am Ashuramaru from Ark!" Ashuramaru declared, making his name's characters appear. "My lord Kibaomaru has granted me the power to crush you!"

"Enough talk! I let my blades speak for me!" Bakunetsumaru shot back, making his name's characters appear. "Baku! Netsu! Maru!"

And without another word, the Blazing Samurai charged at Ashuramaru and sliced his whole sword down. Ashuramaru blocked the attack with the staff of his spear.

"Recovered from your injuries, I see!" Ashuramaru commented mockingly.

"Yes!" Bakunetsumaru retorted, "Thanks to Shute's mother and her rice balls!"

"_What?_" Ashuramaru cried before regaining his composure. "Oh, never mind!" He swept Bakunetsumaru away and pulled out another spear. "_Kitsusuki! _Kibaomaru-style!"

Jabbing his spears wildly, Ashuramaru charged at Bakunetsumaru. Bakunetsumaru effortless caught the spears with his swords, and the two glared at each other, one trying to overpower the other. After a minute, they leapt away from each other.

"You shall not escape me again!" Ashuramaru swore, pointing a spear at Baku'.

"I was about to say the same to you!" Bakunetsumaru retorted.

Off the stage, Shute pumped his fist excitedly at the match.

"All right, Baku'! Lookin' good!" He cheered, "Even with a broken sword, he stopped him!"

"Yes," Captain commented, "Considering the damage he's suffered, his energy and skill levels _are _remarkably strong."

Zero wasn't so confident. "Yes…but how long can he maintain them? That is what I worry about."

Meanwhile, Bakunetsumaru and Ashuramaru circled each other, glaring.

"Twice before you have survived our meeting…" Ashuramaru snarled, "Not this time!"

Laughing fiendishly, Ashuramaru activated his extra arms, which began pulling out every weapon in his basket.

"No fair!" Shute yelled, "You're not pulling that trick again!" He looked up. "Hey, Shogun guy…!"

"_Silence!_" Dai-Shogun ordered, slapping his fan. "Let them fight!" He gazed down at the stage unblinking.

Bakunetsumaru and AShuramaru circled each other before Ashuramaru grinned. The plates slid over his face, and the two masks on the sides of his helmet appeared.

"_Ashuramaru Lightning Shadow Ax!_" he shouted as his arms began to spin.

"Run, Baku'!" Shute called out, "Get outta there!"

But Bakunetsumaru didn't move. He stood his ground as a whirlwind of spinning blades with a red mask in the storm's eye charged towards him. At the last minute, he jumped, and Ashuramaru went under him. Not to be deterred by this, Ashuramaru did a U-turn and charged at Bakunetsumaru, who ran around the ring to avoid the onslaught.

"Running away!" Ashuramaru screamed, "Are you a warrior or a rabbit!"

Ashuramaru's words seemed to reach Bakunetsumaru, who glanced at his rival, his speed dropping.

"Watch out!" Zero cautioned.

"No, you can't slow down!" Shute yelled.

Ignoring his friends, Bakunetsumaru stopped on his heels and, with his body glowing with the same fiery aura he had when he appeared in Neotopia, _leapt _at Ashuramaru! The two forces crashed into each other, with Bakunetsumaru jolting as Ashuramaru's blades struck.

"Ha! I will break you in half as easily as I broke your sword!" Ashuramaru's gloated.

However, Bakunetsumaru had other ideas. Pulling himself out of the blitz, he flipped over Ashuramaru, landing right behind him.

"Now!" Zero called, "While his back is turned!"

"Do it!" Shute pressed, "_Yeah!_"

The Blazing Samurai needed no coaxing. He charged at the blade-free end of the tornado, but saw something blue pop up in the center.

"Greetings!" Ashuramaru yelled through his blue mask.

"What?" Bakunetsumaru cried as Ashuramaru's blades began to hammer him.

"I have many faces!" Ashuramaru gloated, "There is no back to me! There is no front! There is only _destruction!_"

With that last word, Ashuramaru sent Bakunetsumaru flying.

Zero gasped, and Shute cried, "Oh no, Baku'!"

With his armor cracked all over, the Blazing Samurai fell onto the stage, sparks of electricity appearing here and there. He didn't get up.

"Whoa!" Zapper cried, jumping off his seat. Dai-Shogun stood up as well.

"_Bakunetsumaru!_" Shute wailed in horror.

Ashuramaru stopped spinning his arms and returned his helmet to normal. He glared at Bakunetsumaru's prone form. The Zakos cheered at this turn of events.

"Jumpin' gyros, I've waited a long time to see this!" Zapper laughed, "Good job! I'd shake your hand, but I wouldn't know where to start!"

Ashuramaru ignored him. He was still staring at Bakunetsumaru.

"C'mon! On your feet, let's go!" Shute yelled, trying to wake Bakunetsumaru up. "Ugh, you're not gonna let this clown win like that!"

Ashuramaru stood over Bakunetsumaru, weapons raised, but did nothing. Zapper began to get annoyed at this lull in the action.

"Well? Whaddya gonna do, big fella? Just stand there and watch him rust?" he demanded, "All right, if you won't finish him off, then I will!"

Zapper whipped out a handheld missile-launcher and took aim. But before he could fire, Cobramaru knocked the gun away.

"_No!_" The ninja said firmly, staring at the ring.

"_Huh!_" Zapper blanched, "What do you mean? Let's blast him! What's wrong with you people!"

Cobramaru ignored Zapper, as he and every other Musha Gundam stared fixedly on to Bakunetsumaru. After a minute of silence, Ashuramaru began to yell.

"Stand and fight, Bakunetsumaru! Your wounds are nothing compared to the injuries _I _have had to bear! Will you not stand?" He snorted. "Where is your samurai spirit, now?"

Shute gasped as he saw Bakunetsumaru move, groaning. Planting his unbroken sword into the ground for support, the Blazing Samurai stood up, heaving with exhaustion. With one final, angry groan, he re-took his stance.

"There, you satisfied?" Zapper grumbled, "You waited long enough and now he's got a second wind, ya jerk."

On the stage, Bakunetsumaru glared at Ashuramaru. "Weary, battered, and broken as I am, the one thing I _do_ still have is my samurai spirit," He said, "That is something you gave up long ago, Ashuramaru. And for what? A few tricks, and techniques, and special powers? But all the power in the universe are worth nothing without your samurai spirit!"

"Talk talk _talk!_" Ashuramaru shouted angrily, "I will take your advice and let my weapons speak for me!" His face was shielded again and his masks appeared. "_Ashuramaru Lightning Shadow Axe!_"

Laughing fiendishly, Ashuramaru's arms began to spin again. As they increased in speed, Bakunetsumaru stared at them, considering his options. In the blue mask that faced him he could see Ashuramaru's confident smile, and inspiration struck.

_His new powers have made him arrogant…and blind, _He realized, _He cannot conceive of defeat! And _that _is his weakness!_

Just as Ashuramaru's arms reached maximum rotation velocity, Bakunetsumaru gave a yell and charged.

"Look!" Zero cried, pointing. "He goes right back into the fray!"

Bakunetsumaru and Ashuramaru clashed, and the Blazing Samurai had several spears jab into him. Ashuramaru laughed in vicious victory, but Bakunetsumaru wasn't done yet. Raising his arm, he threw his broken sword, impaling Ashuramaru in the shoulder, directly on the Kibao emblem!

Everyone gasped as Ashuramaru cried out in pain.

"Are you _kidding!_" Zapper roared.

Ashuramaru's arms stopped spinning, and Bakunetsumaru, still held in the air, said, "You are beaten…Ashuramaru."

With an angry groan, Ashuramaru swung his spears down, throwing Bakunetsumaru back onto the stage. The samurai did a quick tumble before rolling onto his feet. Ashuramaru, his face still covered and masks still out, lunged at him.

"_Fool!_ Beaten, am I!" He screamed, his blades raised. He stabbed his saw-sword directly into Bakunetsumaru's helmet. "Haha, victory!" He pulled up the sword, hoping to rip Bakunetsumaru's head from his shoulders, but blanched as the helmet simply came off. "Huh!"

"You missed." Bakunetsumaru said calmly. He dashed by Ashuramaru and the two swung at each other. Once they were standing behind one another, Ashuramaru's Kibao plate slid off his face. There was a look of shock in his eyes.

"_No!_" Ashuramaru screamed as his extra arms began to fall off. With one final groan, Ashuramaru fell. He did not get up.

"You guys see that!" Shute asked, amazed. He never even saw Bakunetsumaru's arms move, and yet he managed to chop Ashuramaru's arms!

"Yes," Zero replied, "I did not know his helmet could do that."

Bakunetsumaru, his metallic hair combed back, looked down at his fallen enemy. There was a loud clap as the Dai-Shogun slapped his fan down.

"The contest is over!" The Dai-Shogun said, "Bravely fought, warrior of Ark! I declare Bakunetsumaru the victor!"

"Yo, way to go, Baku'!" Shute whooped, and ran over to congratulate the samurai with Fenn floating close behind.

"Quite a heroic victory." Captain commented.

Zero turned to him and said, "You see, Captain, not every outcome can be mathematically calculated."

"Agreed."

The two Gundams were about to follow Shute's example when they heard Zapper yell.

"All right! Now that that _ridiculousness _is over, we're gonna do things _my _way!" He hollered, "guns up, Zako idiots, blast them into atoms!"

The Zakos, standing on either side of Zapper, pulled out their firearms and took aim with a short cry of "Zako!"

The Dai-Shogun, with one of those 'They never learn' expressions, calmly slapped his fan down. Instantly, the room faded away, the world becoming the bridge area.

"Huh?" Zapper looked around, confused. "Hey, did you guys feel a breeze?"

Zapper looked down and saw that he and the Zakos were no longer standing on solid ground, but in the air several feet next to the bridge!

"_Oh no!_" He wailed as he and Zakos plummeted.

The Kibao banner faded away, and Entengo let loose a neigh of victory.

-z-

"I…never imagined defeat," Ashuramaru moaned as the Gundam Force and Dai-Shogun stood around his prone form. His eyes were devoid their eerie purple glow, now brown against a white background. "Bakunetsumaru…" He groaned slightly. "You are still as fearless as I remember…"

Bakunetsumaru said nothing as he took his friends trembling hand.

"Try to believe me…when I say…" the wounded Gundam said, "What I did…I did for Ark…"

Bakunetsumaru nodded solemnly. "I believe you…Kujakumaru."

"…Thank you…Farewell." His hand went limp.

Bakunetsumaru set Ashuramaru's hand down and stepped away. As they looked down at the fallen Gundam, Shute felt a tear come to his eye. He heart ached at the injustice of Ashuramaru just now renewing his friendship with Bakunetsumaru, only for his life to end, when he gasped. Ashuramaru's body was glowing! The entire husk condensed into a glowing golden ball with a Japanese character in the center. The character was then consumed by the light.

Trembling, Shute asked, "Is this what happens…when you guys, uh…" He could bear to say it.

But Bakunetsumaru shook his head warmly. "He is not dead, Shute. When a Musha Gundam's strength is gone, his Gunsoul remains, awaiting reincarnation." He gazed at the orb as it floated into the air. "I was wrong about him. He _did _have a soul."

"Yes," The Dai-Shogun said, holding out his hand. The Gunsoul floated above it like a butterfly. "And I shall see to it that someday his Gunsoul is returned to Ark, there to begin life anew." He turned and looked sharply over the bridge. "And as for you, the one who calls himself Cobramaru."

On the underside of the bridge, Cobramaru winced. How did he know…?

"Who, me?" The snake Gundam asked sheepishly.

"Return to your master," the Dai-Shogun ordered, "And tell him that Ashuramaru fought bravely, but in vain. Go now!"

"…Rats!" Cobramaru snarled, and released his grip on the bridge, falling into a Zakurello Gate.

Once the gate had vanished, Bakunetsumaru walked up to his steed and petted his nose.

"Noble Entengo, my faithful companion," He said warmly, "Were you worried for me?"

Entengo whinnied, which was horse for, "No more than usual, friend."

"Bakunetsumaru."

Everyone looked to the Dai-Shogun.

"Such indomitably courage and swordsmanship deserves a reward," He said, "Ask me what you wish, and I shall grant it."

A reward? Bakunetsumaru's mind raced as the possibilities appeared. With the Dai-Shogun's power, power that could bend the world to his liking, anything was possible. Even a doorway to Ark! He could go home!

But no. It wouldn't be right. To take a gift that came at the cost of a friend's life, even one consumed by evil, would be…dishonorable.

"…No," Bakunetsumaru said at last, looking away. "I want nothing."

"Well, then," The Dai-Shogun said, his eyes twinkling. "Will you permit me to examine that sword of yours?"

Bakunetsumaru looked at the broken sword in his hand. "You mean…this?"

"May I?"

Bakunetsumaru handed the broken sword to the Dai-Shogun, who placed it on the floor of his Ship. He snapped his fingers, and the knocked off piece popped out of the pavement and landed in the boat, positioned so that the two halves of the blade were together. The Dai-Shogun slapped his fan down again and again, sending up sparks as he did so. After a minute he stopped, and stared at his handy work. Satisfied, he handed a whole sword back to Bakunetsumaru, its blade still glowing red from the heat. Amazed, the Blazing Samurai held the sword up for all to see.

"At long last!" He cried, "My Sacred Sword is whole again!"

"Whoa! He fixed up better than ever!" Shute exclaimed.

"Such magnificent power…" Bakunetsumaru looked to the Dai-Shogun and cried, "You _must _be a true Dai-Shogun what Ark has been waiting for!"

"Patience, Bakunetsumaru," the Dai-Shogun replied, "There will come a time when all is made clear. Until then, keep your soul as pure and strong as that blade you carry. The path you and your friends have chosen in the right one."

"Yes, my lord!" Bakunetsumaru replied.

"You bet it is!" Shute said.

Zero nodded. "Yes."

"Affirmitive." Captain agreed.

"Fnn!" Fenn squeaked.

Their spirits ignited by victory and praise, the Gundam Force set off for home.


	13. Zako Zako hour 10

Chapter 6.5: Zako Zako Hour

"Ladies and gentlebots!" Red Mic began after the iron curtain rose, "Welcome to the ZakoZako Hour! Today's meeting is all about, all together now…"

"_What The Heck Is A Musha Gundam Part 3?_" He and his fellow hosts announced.

"Zako-zako!" Red Mic cried, and struck a pose. "Zako One!"

Blue Mic posed as well. "Zako Two!"

As did Yellow Mic. "Zako Three!"

"We like to warm up before the show!" Red Mic explained.

"It makes us feel really good!" Yellow and Blue Mic added.

"Atten-_shun!_ It's time for our final warm-up, zako!" Red Mic announced, and pointed towards the screen, which now had backdrop of a red, snowcapped mountain in front of it. "Bow down for good luck!"

"Zakooo…" Blue Mic and Yellow Mic chanted, bowing. The backdrop fell away and they resumed their normal postures.

"Okay, zako!" Red Mic said, "Today we'll talk about the most mysterious and strongest Musha Gundam!" The screen showed the Dai-Shogun. "This guy!"

"He has a mustache!" Blue Mic and Yellow Mic sang.

"I'm trying to be serious, zako!" Red Mic went on, "His name is Dai-Shogun Perfect Virtue, and that's all I know about him."

Yellow and Blue fell over. Getting up, they yelled, "Oh, c'mon! Tell us more about him, zako!"

Red Mic thought about it. "Well, now that you mention it, he sort of _looks _like he has a mustache. Other than that, I don't know much!"

Yellow and blue fell over again. "That makes absolutely no sense, zako!"

"Hmmm," Red Mic hummed, "I guess he must be a great man…uh, I guess."

"You are unprepared to ask the special guest here!" Yellow Mic declared.

"What special guest?" Red Mic and Blue Mic asked.

"_Hey!_" Cobramaru landed on the stage. "Did you call me?"

Yellow Mic got right down to it. "What actually _is _a Dai-Shogun, zako?"

"We're gonna know about Dai-Shogun!" The hosts sang, dancing.

Cobramaru looked awkward. "Um, I don't know…"

"_What!?_" The hosts cried, pointing their microphones at Cobramaru in accusation. "You don't know even though you're a Musha Gundam, zako?"

"_That's enough!_" Cobramaru barked.

The Zakos froze. "Yessir!"

"Now, listen carefully," Cobramaru began, "There is no Dai-Shogun in Ark at this time. It's been years since one existed, and I've never heard of the Dai-Shogun of Perfect Virtue!"

"But his techniques are awesome!" Yellow Mic gushed, as the screen showed the Dai-Shogun using his powers.

"Secret Technique! _Tenchi Gaeshi! _Hai-ya!" Blue Mic squealed, and did a fantastic flip in the air-

Bonk!

-Landing on his head.

"Ugh… Secret Technique _Tenchi Gaeshi…_" Cobramaru grumbled, "That's something only the Dai-Shogun can do!"

"I wanted you to say that earlier, zako…" Blue Mic groaned .

"I _knew _coming here was a bad idea…" Cobramaru muttered to himself, "I should have listened to my mother and become an accountant! But no, _I _had to become a Musha Gundam!"

Red Mic helped Blue Mic up and whispered, "I guess we better change our subject, zako."

The other hosts nodded.

"Za-" said Blue Mic.

"-ko." Said Yellow Mic.

"Activate the screen, zako!" Red Mic ordered, and the screen showed a glowing yellow sphere. "What is this bright ball, zako?"

"We wanna know!" Sang the hosts, "We wanna-!"

"It is a Gunsoul!" Cobramaru said quickly, "the spirit of a Musha Gundam! That spirit moves into a body, and becomes a Musha Gundam. Ashuramaru lost his body, and became a Gunsoul once more, and will wait for another reincarnation- _are you paying attention!?_" he screamed when he noticed the hosts staring off into space. As the hosts panicked, he shook his head and groaned. "I can't waste my time here! I must go to Lord Kibaomaru, and report to him about the Dai-Shogun and Ashuramaru!"

Cobramaru rocketed off the stage just before the iron curtain fell. As he flew over the audience, he yelled, "Anyway, everyone! For the future of the Dark Axis…"

"_Zako Soldiers, fight! Yeah!_"


	14. Fenn's Disaster

Chapter 7: Fenn's Disaster

In a field outside of Neotopia, a Zakurello Gate swirled into existence. Unlike most gates created by the Dark Axis, this one was rather small. Only a child, or a very small person could fit through it. And a very small person _did _fit through it as he fell onto the grass. It looked very much like a suit of blocky armor. It was a Pawn Leo, one of the magically animated soldiers used by the Dark Axis forces in Lacroa.

Getting up, the Pawn Leo looked around. "Hmm, nobody is here, pawn. All right! Execute the disappearing magic, pawn!"

The Pawn Leo held up a card with a red octagon with magical runes in the center up to his visor-face, and vanished in a puff of smoke. Though he couldn't be seen, anyone been present would see the footprints in the grass he made as he walked, as well as the body print he made when he tripped.

"Ouch!"

Grumbling, the Pawn Leo got up. Looking ahead, he saw his target; the house the Gundam Force hung around.

-z-

"Fenn! _Fenn!_"

Fenn, floating around the Ray family patio, looked up. He saw Zero standing on the house's chimney.

"Come here!" Zero offered, "This place is _really _comfortable!"

Growling happily, Fenn went up to join Zero.

In the backyard, Shute and Captain, in citizen mode, examined the Ship of the Golden Crest. Following his victory of Ashuramaru, Bakunetsumaru had invited the Dai-Shogun over, and the Musha Gundam lord had parked his vehicle next to the walkway to Shute's workshop. The sun glinted off of its golden pieces.

"Wow, this looks so cool!" Shute gushed, "I wonder what kind of mecha is in this thing!"

Captain scanned the vessel, but all he could see was a multi-colored glow coating it.

"The exterior is surrounded by an impermeable field," He reported, "Even _I _cannot scan through it."

Shute frowned. Walking around the Ship, he said, "I wish the Dai-Shogun would let us check it out."

"It contains unidentified matter," Captain cautioned, "Better not touch it."

"Oh, man…" Shute groaned, and looked to his workshop. It now had a sign with a Japanese character in front of the door. "Is he _ever_ gonna come out of there?" _That Bakunetsumaru is _so _unbelievable! Shutting himself in my workshop with the Dai-Shogun without even asking! I'm dying to know what's going in there…_

-z-

In the workshop, Bakunetsumaru stared up at the loft. The Dai-Shogun had been sitting there on his knees for quite some time, Ashuramaru's Gunsoul floating next to him. The Lord of Swords' eyes were shut.

Then they opened. "It's done."

"Recite it!" Bakunetsumaru pleaded, "Please!"

The Dai-Shogun looked down at the younger Musha Gundam. "Do you want to hear it, Bakunetsumaru?"

Bakunetsumaru bowed. "Please, Dai-Shogun."

"Then listen to it carefully," and the Dai-Shogun said,

"_It distant country_

_It doth make my stomach growl_

_Neotopia._"

Bakunetsumaru's eyes sparkled. "Oh, what a meaningful poem!" He cried, "I feel as if I am absorbing so much from you, Dai-Shogun!"

"_Simpleton!_" the Dai-Shogun said sharply. Bakunetsumaru cringed. "I don't seek compliments for such a simple _haiku. _I only give you food for thought."

Bakunetsumaru quickly bowed his head. "I'm sorry! Forgive me, Dai-Shogun!"

"I'm going to be silent now and meditate."

"Oh, yes sir!" Bakunetsumaru edged towards the door.

"There is _one _thing I would like to say to you, though."

Bakunetsumaru stopped. "Yes, sir?"

The Dai-Shogun smiled. "I like this place very much. It's quite comfortable."

Bakunetsumaru bowed grandly. "Yes, sir!"

-z-

Right outside the workshop, Shute had placed the wooden sign aside. Giving Captain a wink, he began to tiptoe towards the door.

"_Shhh,_" Shute whispered, "We've got to try not to make any-"

"It was not a mistake to invite him to this place after all!" Bakunetsumaru exclaimed happily, bursting from the workshop. As the force of his abrupt arrival sent Captain flying, he rubbed his chin in thought. "Wait a minute…I understand the _haiku_ now! 'My stomach growls' means, 'Dai-Shogun is hungry!"

With a triumphant laugh, Bakunetsumaru raced off in search of edibles. Once he was gone, the workshop's door slowly swung back into the doorway. A minute later, Shute slowly fell off of the door, his body stuck in an awkward pose as it hit the floor. As he got up, he heard Captain's boosters firing as the Gundam landed next to him.

"You okay?" Captain asked.

"Yeah," Shute rubbed his head and winced. "Big door." Looking at said door, Shute forgot about the pain. "Here's my chance!"

Cautiously, Shute tiptoed over to the workshop and reached out for the doorknob. Cracking the door open, he looked inside.

"Hello…?" He whispered. When he got no answer, he opened it a bit more. "Hello?"

"_What are you doing!_" Bakunetsumaru shouted.

Shute jumped and whirled around, shutting the door. "Whoa! I didn't expect you back so soon!"

"You cannot disturb the Dai-Shogun's concentration!" Bakunetsumaru said firmly, "If you have any desire to talk to him, ask me first!"

Shute shook his head. "He's acting like the manager of some big-time actor!"

Captain cocked his head. "So, the Dai-Shogun is an actor?"

Bakunetsumaru had the feeling that he was losing the moment, so he said, "Shute, I have to ask you to do something. I want you to prepare 200 rice balls for the Dai-Shogun immediately!"

"_What!_" Shute cried, "_Two hundred!_"

"You made one hundred of them last time, didn't you?" Bakunetsumaru asked.

"Well, that's right, but…" Shute scratched his head before saying, "We don't have a person who can help us."

Bakunetsumaru blanched. "Oh no!"

"Mom can't make that many all by herself, and dad has to watch Nana." Shute explained.

"_Oh no!_" Bakunetsumaru cried, and began to weep for his big plan.

"But you can help," Shute pointed out, "And Zero can lend a hand!" to Captain he asked, "Can you help too, Captain?"

"Zero is no use!" Bakunetsumaru sighed, "He's not good at making rice balls!" He gasped, "But _Captain _is!"

Captain's head and hands spun and his fingers flexed. "Two hundred, coming right up!"

Bakunetsumaru began to sweat. "Uh, nice…"

From his spot on the chimney, Zero watched the routine.

"Well, well, how…unsightly," The knight remarked to Fenn, "Right, Fenn?"

Fenn bobbed in the air, his way of nodding. Then, Zero turned suddenly. Fenn looked to where he was looking and the sight caused his eyes to spark.

A cute, young girl, with flowing blonde hair, big, blue eyes, and a parasol was walking up the road to Shute's house. It was Sayla Mass, Shute's friend and neighbor. She walked with the grace and beauty of even the finest aristocrats, but none of the confidence and pomp.

"Princess Sayla!" Zero cried, flying down to her as she entered the front yard. Holding out his hand, the Winged Knight summoned and violet rose.

"Even though it compares to your _magnificent _beauty," He said grandly, his eyes closed. "Here is a violet Princess Rose."

"Oh, how _cute!_"

Zero's eyes shot open and he saw that Sayla wasn't even paying attention to him, but to Fenn! She had ignored him entirely and was now cuddling the fluffy spirit, something the little guy seemed to enjoy. Zero froze from shock.

"Well, hello, Sayla." Keiko greeted, walking in on the scene.

"Hello!" Sayla chirped, still holding Fenn in her arms.

Keiko raised an eyebrow at this. "Oh, I see you've already met Fenn."

"Mm-hm," Sayla smiled, "Oh! He's so precious and cute!"

Fenn shivered with delight as Sayla pet him, wagging his tail. He liked this!

"He looks just as shute described him." Sayla giggled.

"Nice Fenn." Keiko said sweetly.

"Fenn…" Sayla sighed.

Fenn purred. He _really _liked this!

"How _cute!_" The two ladies gushed before walking around the house.

"Okay, let's get started!" Keiko said.

"Yes, let's!"

Once they were out of sight, Zero came to his senses, having just dealt with the previous trauma by blocking it from memory.

_Huh? What's going on?_ He thought, _I feel as if something terrible has happened…_

"I am envious." Captain stated.

"What _is _all this all of a sudden!" Zero cried, jumping. Where did Captain pop up from?

"You and Bakunetsumaru have many of facial expressions," Captain explained, "That makes me envious."

"Is that so…?" Zero asked awkwardly. Just then, Shute walked up.

"I wonder what Sayla came here for." He said.

Zero looked at him in trepidation. "But…she isn't here."

"What?" Shute asked, confused. "She was just here!"

"No…she wasn't!" Zero insisted, a very bad feeling bubbling up in the back of his mind.

Shute decided that some hard evidence was needed, and picked up Sayla's parasol. Zero stared at it, his body shaking, his eyes bulging.

"Remember now?" Shute asked, resting the parasol over his shoulder.

Zero, with the memory of the previous snubbing making a comeback, froze from shock once again.

"How expressive." Captain remarked.

Shute looked at Zero's form, the Knight's face warped from trauma in confusion. He wondered what had happened a few minutes ago to provoke such a reaction. And he wasn't the only one, as Bakunetsumaru popped out of nowhere and began to look Zero over from multiple angles.

"Is that some new magic!" He asked, curious.

Shute looked away from Zero towards his house, deciding that he didn't really want to know what was going on with the Winged Knight.

"I wonder what Sayla's talking about with my mom." Shute commented aloud.

An abrupt beeping pulled Shute away from his thoughts and he saw that Captain's v-fin was flashing.

"What is it," Bakunetsumaru cried, "An enemy!"

Luckily, the alert snapped Zero out of his catatonia. Shivering, he asked, "An enemy?"

"I know who it is," Shute declared, "The Dark Axis!"

The Gundam Force, Shute, Zero and Bakunetsumaru, Neotopia's first line of defense against hostile invasion, tensed themselves as they prepared to receive orders from their leader, the great Captain Gundam.

"Um, no," Captain replied, "It's not."

"_What?_" The three cried, almost falling over from shock.

Captain's V-fin stopped flashing and he said, "Looks like something that I ordered was just delivered. I'll be back in a while."

"Something that you ordered?" Zero and Bakunetsumaru asked.

"I ordered new equipment," Captain explained, walking off. "You will all be so surprised."

"Surprised?" Bakunetsumaru repeated, eying Captain's departing form with suspicion.

"Huh. He seems to be pretty confident about it." Zero remarked.

"Y'know what?" Shute asked, "It must be some cool new weapon." He nodded. "Yep, that's what I think!"

"Forget about weapons!" Bakunetsumaru burst out, "We have a dire need to produce _two hundred rice balls!_"

-z-

Pawn Leo, still invisible, shuffled around the walkway to Shute's workshop. Having just arrived, he had no idea why that loud Musha Gundam was yelling about balls, and quite frankly he didn't care.

He then saw the Ship of the Golden Crest, and became quite curious about it. _Is that…?_

Hopping down from the walkway, Pawn Leo inspected the Ship. Because he was behind it, he didn't see the eyes of the figurehead light up, but he _did _hear it growl. The Pawn Leo gave a start as the Ship rose and turned around, pointing one of its cannons at him.

_Not good! Not good, pawn! _Pawn Leo thought, bolting. _So far not having fun in this dimension, pawn!_

Once the Pawn Leo was far enough, the Ship calmed and lowered itself down. Now that the danger was past, the Pawn Leo saw Shute's workshop. Intrigued, he hopped up onto the walkway and slowly opened the door, making it seem like the wind did it.

_Looky, looky, pawn. _Pawn Leo thought, inspecting his new surroundings. Up on the loft he could see some armored guy with a fan over his face and a strange glowing ball next to him. That was interesting, but not what he was looking for. Absentmindedly closing the door behind him, the Pawn Leo looked around, seeing Shute's repairbot, some boxes of salvaged machinery, the drawings of Captain Gundam, his computer- and the chest for the Spirit Egg! Abandoning all caution, the Pawn Leo opened it up.

"_You!_" Dai-Shogun said suddenly, closing his fan at once.

Pawn Leo looked up from the empty box in shock. Before he could react, the Dai-Shogun's fan struck him in the head, knocking the invisible intruder over. Dai-Shogun caught his fan on the rebound, and glared at the little soldier. Taking the hint, the Pawn Leo scuttled out as fast as his legs could take him. Once he was gone, the Dai-Shogun resumed his meditation. Such a bother!

-z-

Everyone gazed in amazement at the magnificent structure that had been displayed on a cart in Shute's backyard, except for Fenn, who floated around the top. It seemed to go straight to the heavens. It was incredible. It was astonishing.

It was rice balls. Lots and lots of rice balls.

"_Wonderful…_" Bakunetsumaru breathed.

"Wow, it's a mountain!" Shute cried.

The masterminds behind this marvel, Keiko and Sayla, smiled at the Gundam Force's reactions.

"Tada!" Keiko beamed.

"Please take these rice balls with our compliments." Sayla giggled.

"Thanks!" Shute said, impressed.

"These are for Mr. Bakunetsumaru's mentor, aren't they?" Keiko asked.

"Huh?" Shute stared in confusion as Keiko and Sayla exchanged girlish giggles.

"A big-time samurai movie star!" They squealed.

Oh, that was right. When people saw Bakunetsumaru fighting once, the government of Neotopia had explained it by stating that the action was simply special effects for a movie he was starring in. So naturally, people _would _think that the Dai-Shogun was another movie-star, too…

"_Please_ ask Mr. Dai-Shogun to enjoy these rice balls!" Keiko said.

Bakunetsumaru looked at Keiko with eyes filled with tears. "Oh, I really appreciate this…"

Keiko smiled at Bakunetsumaru and turned to Shute. "Okay, Shute, now tell us!"

"Tell you what?" Shute asked, confused.

"Oh, don't pretend!" Keiko said, "They're making another great film there, aren't they?"

"Film!" Shute cried, hearing alarms g off in the back of his head.

"That actor in there is playing a leading role, right?" Keiko said, nodding towards the workshop. "Such magnificent costumes…what a handsome guy! Can you get me his autograph?"

"Oh, me too!" Sayla added, popping up.

"You want Dai-Shogun's _autograph?_" Shute asked, amazed.

"_Yes!_" The two ladies squealed.

Shute then found himself trying to explain that it wasn't his call to make, while at the same time trying to keep Keiko and Sayla out of his personal space as they asked, cajoled, and tried to sweet-talk for the desired autographs. Fenn, wondering what all of the hubbub was about, floated down over their shoulders and growled. When neither of the ladies acknowledged him, he made an even louder noise. This didn't get their attention either, and Fenn made an angry sound. No one was paying attention to him! Unable to take it, the fluffy little spirit floated over to Zero, crying.

"Fenn," Zero said sternly, "You must learn to share the spotlight."

Meanwhile, Shute managed to get the ladies to calm down.

"I, I had no idea you were so fond of movies, Sayla." He said.

Sayla blushed. "Mmm, to be honest, I am!"

"I'll see what I can do to get you that autograph…" Shute began to say until he was interrupted by Bakunetsumaru.

"_I'll _get you the Dai-Shogun's autograph, ladies!" He said proudly.

"Oh! Thank you, Mr. Bakunetsumaru!" Sayla gushed, "Thank you, you're my hero!"

Sayla was now inches away from Bakunetsumaru, and the Blazing Samurai was beginning to feel quite embarrassed at the close-contact.

"I am so touched by your generosity," He babbled, his face turning red. "The two of you- that is- well, I'll do anything to repay your kindness…"

"That _Bakunetsumaru!_" Zero fumed angrily. How _dare _he get so close to Princess Sayla like that!

Fenn, picking up on Zero's thoughts and glad that they corresponded with his own, floated over and gave the Blushing Samurai a good blast of fire-breath. Once he was done, Fenn gave the rice balls a good roasting as well.

"Oh no!" Shute cried, "The rice balls!"

Zero, with the awkward sense that he was responsible, shook his fist at the spirit.

"Um, Fenn!" He cried, "Please, stop that now!"

But Fenn ignored him. The angry puffball then turned his attention to Shute, seeing him as another obstacle for attention.

"_Whoa! Whoa!_" Shute cried, jumping around the yard, avoiding flames. "Hey! Don't take it out on us! It's not my fault!"

Keiko turned to the stack of burnt food with a disheartened look on her face. "Oh my…"

"They've all turned black…" Sayla said sadly. Behind her, Shute did a fantastic cartwheel away from another blast of fire.

-z-

In Blanc Base, Captain sat down in a chair in Kao Lyn's lab. His helmet had been removed, revealing his main processor. In front of him, Kao Lyn did his usual routine of martial arts and gymnastics.

"Captain! There-there! Blippity blue just a little bit more is perfect! Woo-hoo-hoo! Yabba-dow!" the scientist laughed, as he flipped and punched.

Captain, who had long since become used to these theatrics, said, "Yes. Yes, of course."

Once he was finished, Kao Lyn zipped behind Captain with a screw driver in one hand and a pair of pliers in the other. His yin-yang lens spun.

"Let's get to work!" The old timer declared, "They say the eyes are the windows of the Soul Drive!"

-z-

"_Someone do_ _something!_" Shute wailed as Fenn chased him around the yard, breathing fire.

"Fenn!" Zero yelled, "You must not behave that way! Stop!"

When Fenn did not show any signs of listening, Zero's eyes hardened.

"You leave me no choice!" The knight said firmly, and raised his hand. "_O Mana, come to me!_"

The air shimmered as a blue circle of runes appeared over Fenn. From the center of those runes came a square object.

Fenn paused, looking up.

It was a cardboard box, and the little spirit had no time to dwell on this as it fell over him and closed up, sealing him within. The box fell to the grass, rocking gently as Fenn tried to break free. Cautiously, in case more fire would come, Shute crept over to it.

"Stop struggling, you can't get out," Zero told the box, "Now sit in there and think about what you've done."

"You didn't have to go that far." Shute commented.

"No, this is a time-out for Fenn," Zero said sternly before turning to Keiko and Sayla. "Dear lady and Princess Sayla, I am _terribly_ sorry."

"Rice balls!" Bakunetsumaru wailed, unable to tear his eyes away from the burnt balls. "The rice balls!"

But Keiko and Sayla exchanged knowing smiles. They then unveiled their _second _culinary wonder- a seven-layer cake the size of a child!

"Whoa…" Shute gasped, staring at the massive confection. It was easily half a foot taller than he was!

"Please, take this." Keiko said.

"We made him a cake!" Sayla giggled.

"Ask him if he'd eat this instead." Keiko suggested.

"Yes, please!" Sayla added.

Bakunetsumaru began to cry manly tears. "Oh, thank you again for everything!"

Zero kneeled before Keiko and said, "I apologize for Fenn's behavior."

Keiko simply winked and flashed him a victory sign. No biggie.

The box, meanwhile, was beginning to bounce and rock fiercely as Fenn bang around inside. Judging from the growls, the spirit sounded frantic.

"Do you think his punishment is too harsh?" Shute asked, watching this.

"It may be a little much." Sayla commented.

"Can't we forgive him?" Shute asked Zero.

"No, Shute," Zero said, "We must not spoil him. Fenn is a very important being of Lacroa."

At was at this time that the Pawn Leo, still invisible, crept into the yard. The run-in with Dai-Shogun had made the soldier a bit more cautious, but that caution went out the window when he heard what Zero said.

_Very important being? Ooh! _Pawn Leo thought, and scuttled past Shute and Zero towards the box.

Shute looked around. He heard something…

Then, the box stopped rocking. To everyone's shock, the box then rose into the air and floated off away, bobbing slightly.

"Fenn?" Zero asked, confused. "Fenn! Where are you going?"

From inside the box the little spirit made noises of anger and confusion. Everyone watched in confusion as the box went out the fence and down the road.

"Something's not right!" Shute said, his eyes narrowing.

"_Fenn!_" Zero yelled, and flew after the box.

"Zero!" Shute cried.

Bakuentsumaru stepped up. "We should help!"

Shute nodded. "Let's go."

"Okay!"

-z-

Out on the country path, Zero watched the mobile box from above. Now that he got a good look at it…

_That motion! Aha!_ He realized, and raised his hand. "_Come to me, legendary, sacred, magic Vatras Sword!_"

Once he had his sword and shield, Zero sent a gust of wind at the box.

"_Appear before me!_" He commanded.

The sharp winds hit the Pawn Leo, causing his magic card to fall off as he stumbled. Shute and Bakunetsumaru saw all this from behind, running to catch up.

"That guy's from Lacroa!" Shute exclaimed, recognizing the soldier.

"You shall not escape!" Zero yelled, flying up towards the Pawn Leo.

"I-I can explain!" The Pawn Leo cried frantically, trying to avoid being hit by Zero's sword. He ran backwards as he ducked and dodged. The Winged Knight himself held back, trying not to hit the box and hurt Fenn inside. Fenn, for his part, was being knocked around by all this movement.

"_Enough!_" Zero shouted, getting angry.

"…Can't we talk about this?" Pawn Leo begged when he heard a loud thud from behind. Looking around, he gave a fearful cry as he saw Captain Gundam, in full defender mode in front of him!

"Thanks for waiting!" Captain stated.

Pawn Leo looked around as the Gundam Force surrounded him, panicking.

"Don't come any closer, pawn!" He squealed.

Shute then had an idea. "Oh yeah, Captain! Show us the new weaponry!"

"Weaponry?" Captain asked.

"Your new equipment!" Shute explained.

_Now_ Captain got it. "All right…" He said, and then…

"Ha!" His eyes became happy! (^^)

"Ooh!" Then they were wincing. ()

"Wha-wha!" Now dizzy. ()

"Grr!" And finally angry. (:)

Everyone went "_Huh!_"

"Brand-new facial expressions!" Captain announced proudly.

"So you didn't order weapons…" Shute remarked, "Huh…"

Captain's eyes switched to glum. "You don't like them."

"Oh, uh, they're great…" Shute lied, "I _guess…_"

Captain then looked happy. "I'm glad!"

Pawn Leo was beginning to get a little dizzy from all this. Were they going to fight or not? Zero, on the other hand, had had enough, and snapped his fingers, vanishing the box. Fenn landed in the Pawn Leo's hands, a bit disoriented.

"Huh? This isn't the Spirit Egg, pawn!" Pawn Leo cried, throwing Fenn up and running. "I can't believe it, they tricked me!"

Fenn, confused as to who that guy was, floated in the air.

"Fenn! Are you okay?" Zero cried, and Fenn flew up to the knight, nuzzling him. "Good boy…" Zero then shot the Pawn Leo a dirty look. "Fiend! How _dare _you scare my precious Fenn! Let's see how you like _this!_"

And with that, Zero sliced his sword across the air, shooting a crescent-shaped bolt of magical energy at the Pawn Leo. The Pawn Leo, having been struck so forcefully, turned back into the die it was before being enchanted.

"_Zero!_" Bakunetsumaru said angrily, "_I _wanted to do that!"

Zero ignored the whining samurai held the shivering spirit close to him. The poor little guy was sobbing over the whole ordeal, having been so terrified.

"Fenn, I'm glad you are safe, little one," the Knight sighed, and held the fluffy spirit away so as to look him in the eyes. "I want you to grow up into someone who's decent, Fenn. When I am hard on you, it means I care!"

The spirit, not really understanding but getting the point, nuzzled against Zero some more.

"Aww…" Shute sighed.

But then something odd happened. There was a sound like a rock sinking into water and Fenn seemed to double in size. Then triple.

"I-I have heard of this!" Zero cried, his eyes bulging as Fenn increased in size again. "There is a spirit that grows exponentially when it feels deep affection!"

By the time Zero finished saying this, Fenn had become so big, now the size of a truck, that the Winged Knight could no longer hold him up and was trapped under him, his feet sticking out like the Wicked Witch of the East.

"Well, I guess Fenn is that spirit!" Shute exclaimed, taking a step back from shock.

While Zero struggled underneath, Fenn let out a throaty "Fenn!" in contentment.

-z-

Dai-Shogun, in the Ship of the Golden Crest, watched Fenn's growth spurt and nodded.

"Good, good," He said, "Then I shall be leaving!"

The Ship of the Golden Crest, carrying Dai-Shogun and the Gunsoul, floated up into the heavens, carried by celestial light, and vanished in a golden flash.

-z-

Back on the ground, Entengo galloped up to the Gundam Force, some sort of small box in his mouth.

"What happened, Entengo?" Bakunetsumaru asked.

Entengo neighed somewhat, and motioned for Bakunetsmaru to take the box. It was a small object, smaller than the palm of his hand. Bakunetsumaru took it and examined it, noting the phoenix crest on the front.

"This is the emblem of the Dai-Shogun!" Bakunetsumaru cried, and Entengo whinnied. "What? The Dai-Shogun left this with you saying I must keep it safe?"

Entengo neighed, which was horse for "That's right!" As Bakunetsumaru mulled this new development over, he heard the Dai-Shogun's voice echo down through the sky.

"Bakunetsumaru!"

Bakunetsumaru looked up. "Dai-Shogun!"

"I am bequeathing this to you! Keep it with you always. Someday it would prove useful."

"Yes, master!" Bakunetsumaru said, bowing.

"I bid you farewell!"

Bakunetsumaru, forgetting protocol, began to wave. "Thank you very much! Please guide my friend's Gunsoul to Ark!"

As the sky shimmered slightly, Shute turned to Bakunetsumaru and asked, "So the Dai-Shogun just left us?"

"Yes, Shute, that is correct," Bakunetsumaru answered, "_No one _can detain the Dai-Shogun!"

Shute looked sadly to the sky, disappointed. "I wanted to ask him so many things…it's not fair."

There was a click, and Shute turned and saw that Bakunetsumaru had opened up Dai-Shogun's gift. Looking inside, Bakunetsumaru asked, "Is this…" He held it out. "…A _toothpick?_"

"_Toothpick?_" Shute repeated.

"It is a tool to pick the food out of your teeth…" Bakunetsumaru muttered, trying to figure it out. "But, why?" Of all things, why a toothpick?

But for Shute, the real question was, "A Musha Gundam has teeth!"

Meanwhile, underneath the several tons of fur that was Fenn, Zero struggled.

"Erm, Shute? Captain? _Hello?_" He cried, his voice muffled.

-z-

"Who wants tea?" Keiko asked as she and Sayla brought trays out, while Shute's father Mark played with his baby sister Nana.

Keiko then noticed that the spread was lacking something.

"Huh? What happened to the cake?" She asked, confused.

Sayla saw two pieces of paper on the table and upon further inspection, said, "We don't have any cake. But we _do _have autographs!"

Indeed, the papers had a small picture of Dai-Shogun tucked away in the bottom right corner, with the majority of space taken up by the Dai-Shogun's full title, Dai-Shogun Perfect Virtue, painted in Japanese characters.

"Oh, wow!" Sayla gushed as she and Keiko examined them, "They're signed by Mr. Dai-Shogun!"

"Oh, hey! Look at that!"

-z-

Lacroa.

Once a beautiful, thriving kingdom, now it was a wasteland, its plants and people turned to stone, its waters dirty.

Above the ruined Lacroa Castle, the _Magnamusai _hovered around the kingdom, with the Zakurello Gate towed in from behind.

In one room of the castle, the Commander's shadow appeared on a mirror. In front of the mirror stood a sinister-looking knight in dirty grey armor.

"Tallgeese!"

"Yes, Commander?" The knight replied in a bored manner.

"The time has come," The commander said, "Put the new plan into action immediately."

Tallgeese, Knight of the Tempest, chuckled evilly. "Yes, Commander, it will be my pleasure. They will gaze upon my magnificence and despair."

"Do _not _fail the Dark Axis again, Tallgeese!" The Commander warned before his image faded away from the mirror.

Tallgeese's eyes glinted. _This time I will be joined by two _new _minions of the Dark Axis! Behold! Mercurius and Vayeate!_

Out from the shadows stepped two mobile knights, one in red armor and the other in blue.

"Get ready to be defeated, Zero the Winged Knight!"

And the evil knight's terrible laughter echoed throughout the castle…


	15. Zako Zako Hour 11

Chapter 7.5: Zako Zako Hour!

"Hello, everyone," Red Mic declared as the iron curtain rose, "And welcome to the ZakoZako Hour!"

While he was talking, a Zako Soldier in a chef's hat with a whisk hopped onto the stage and knocked Yellow Mic off.

"Today's meeting is all about," Red Mic said, "_The Reappearance of Lord T!_"

Trumpets blared, fireworks went off, confetti rained, and the Zakos cheered, "Zako-Zako Ah-_woooo!_"

"Lord T means Lord Tallgeese!" Whisk Zako explained happily, "Zako!"

"Zako!" Blue Mic and Red Mic cheered.

As two microphone Zakos danced and sang, Whisk Zako began to babble at high speed.

"LordTallgeeseisthegreatestandsocool!" He screamed happily before fainting. The two hosts stopped their celebration to look at him.

"He lost consciousness from pure excitement, zako!" Red Mic realized.

"He was a big fan of Lord T, zako," Blue Mic explained, "Let him sleep. He needs it, zako."

"We'll go on with the show asking the question," Red Mic continued, "'What has Lord Tallgeese been doing until now?'"

"I know!" Blue Mic said, "Regarding that issue, I already collected the information. Take a look! Screen, please, zako!"

The screen then showed footage of the Gundam Force's final battle with Tallgeese in Lacroa.

"In the previous book," Blue Mic explained as the fourth wall broke, "After the battle in Lacroa, Lord Tallgeese was thrown into the Dark Hole by the Gundam Force, zako. He was severely damaged, zako. However, he somehow managed to get out of trouble!"

Red Mic looked confused. "In the Dark Hole, you can't use magic. How did he do it?"

"Uh, maybe Lord Tallgeese is so super-fantastic that he just got out of it with his charming personality?" Blue Mic suggested nervously.

"I seriously doubt that's the case, zako." Red Mic said.

Blue Mic rubbed his chin. "Welll, it's sort of true. His personality _did _have something to do with it!"

"Is that so, zako?" Red Mic asked.

Blue Mic nodded and went on. "Surprisingly, the power of magic cannot be used in the Dark Hole. However, the power of spirit _can _be used! Like the Spirit Griffin!"

The screen showed a profile of the golden beast Tallgeese had once conjured.

"The power of Griffin could be used in the Dark Hole," Blue Mic explained, "That's how Lord T got out!"

"Wow, zako!" Red Mic cried.

"With the power of Griffin," Blue Mic went on, "Lord Tallgeese and his two followers- who, by the way, were sealed off together- were saved, zako!"

"Who are the two followers?" Red Mic asked. Blue Mic pointed and he turned to the screen, seeing that an image of red and blue knight were on it. "Ohhhh, _those _two!"

"I've heard that they work quite well together, zako." Blue Mic added.

"Quite well, huh, zako?" Red Mic asked.

"Quite well." Blue Mic affirmed.

"Quite well!" Red Mic repeated, glad to have gotten it.

"In fact," Blue Mic said, "When Lord Tallgeese first attacked Lacroa, they fought together with him. And quite well, I might add, zako!"

"Quite well, huh?"

"But receiving a counterattack by the Knights of Lacroa, they were sealed within rocks, zako, and they quite trapped."

"Quite well, huh?"

"So they were imprisoned in the Dark Hole, zako."

"Quite well, huh, zako- I mean," Red Mic caught himself and asked, "What are their names?"

Blue Mic looked blankly at him. "Names?"

"Don't you know the names of Lord Tallgeese's followers?" Red Mic pressed.

Blue Mic scratched his head awkwardly. "Well, I, uh…"

"Behold, _Vayeate!_" The blue knight declared, giving Blue Mic a swift bonk on the head as he flew past the stage.

"And I am _Mercurius!_" The red knight added, hitting Red Mic as he flew after Vayeate."

The two hosts fell to the stage, knocked senseless. At this time, Whisk Zako had recovered.

"Lord Tallgeese is so cool, zako!" He declared when he noticed the out-cold hosts. "Huh? Uh, and that's our show!"

The iron curtain fell, and Whisk Zako's voice echoed throughout the theater.

"Anyway, everyone, for the future of the Dark Axis…"

"_Zako Soldiers fight! Yeah!_"


	16. Awakening! Feather Dragon

Chapter 8: Awakening! Feather Dragon!

In the forest besides a lake in Neotopia, Fenn the spirit happily plowed forward, baited and cheered on by his good friend, Zero. Or at least, he tried to. Because the spirit was now the size of a house, he found moving to be quite difficult as he still wasn't used to his increased body weight. Luckily, Shute, Captain (In citizen mode) and Bakunetsumaru were there to help him along.

Zero floated ahead and beckoned Fenn. "That's right, Fenn. Don't be afraid. Continue following me!"

Fenn let out a deep "Fnnn" and tried to move along. At his sides were Shute and Captain, while at the back was Bakunetsumaru, who was not too happy with this arrangement.

"When did I become a beast of burden?" He demanded, pushing and shoving the immense fur ball, "Why am _I _doing this?"

"_Obviously,_ Fenn has grown too large to remain at Shute's house and must be moved." Zero told him.

Bakunetsumaru poked his head out from behind Fenn and snapped, "I know! What I _meant _was why am _I _doing this and you're not, you lazy, good-for-nothing…!"

"Fenn is very fond of Zero and will follow him anywhere," Captain explained simply, "So it is only logical that Zero should lead."

Zero nodded, smiling. "Exactly. And it gives me such great pleasure to see you toil, Bakunetsumaru."

With a disgusted groan, Bakunetsumaru threw himself against Fenn. "Go ahead and smile, Zero! I'm back here because I'm stronger than you are!"

At the other side of Fenn, Shute spoke up to the giant spirit.

"Fenn," He said, "Don't you worry, we're going to find you a nice, new place to live, with plenty of room! And I'll come visit every day, how's that sound?"

Fenn made a happy noise, trembling with delight. His own place to live! What fun!

Zero watched the spirit and thought, _Such an innocent, gentle spirit. Is this really the savior of Lacroa? Hard to imagine. What will he do, sit on our enemies?_

Zero was then struck by a vision of Fenn playfully bounding after Zapper, Grappler, and Destroyer as they ran for safety on the _Magnamusai _deck, before squashing them under his weight. As he was chuckling at the thought, Zero neglected to keep moving and as such ended up under one of Fenn's paws.

"Ow! Fenn!" Zero cried, struggling.

Bakunetsumaru saw this and leapt at the opportunity to laugh. "Excellent, Zero! How does it feel to carry some of the burden for a change?"

Zero was about to retort when a strange sound caught his ear."What _is _that?"

Zero pulled himself out and the Gundam Force gathered, looking around. The air had become unnaturally still, save the sound of beating wings.

"What is it?" Shute asked, "Some kind of bird, or something?"

"It's coming closer, whatever it is." Zero said, tensing. There was something familiar about that noise…

That's when it appeared, a gigantic green robotic insect, bursting up from behind several trees. It glared down at the Gundam Force. Snapping its claws, the bionic bug swooped.

"_Get down!_" Captain yelled, pulling Shute away in a dive as the robot insect flew overhead.

"It's one of the Bagubagu!" Zero yelled, summoning his sword and shield. "_O Mana, come to me!_"

Their swords out, Zero and Bakunetsumaru glared about, trying to catch sight of the Bagubagu. After its dive it had vanished from sight.

"Where is that flying fiend?" Zero muttered, looking around.

Behind them, Fenn squirmed. Then, he began to wail as the sound of beating wings were heard. Looking around, everyone saw that the Bagubagu had picked Fenn up, and was now flying off!

"_No!_" Zero yelled.

"It's taking Fenn!" Bakunetsumaru shouted, "C'mon!"

The two Gundams took off in pursuit. Shute turned to Captain, said, "We've gotta stop it, Captain!" and ran after the departing Gundams.

Captain nodded and his V-fin began to flash. "Come in, SDG Base! This is Captain Gundam! Stand by to launch Re-equip Ring!"

-z-

Meanwhile, the Bagubagu carried Fenn over the trees, chased from below by Zero and Bakunetsumaru. The frightened spirit wailed from fear of heights and the grip of the Bagubagu.

"Release him!" Zero ordered, "_Now!_"

Zero shot an arc of magic energy at the Bagubagu, cleaving it in two. As the two halves fell on either side of him, Fenn landed on the ground with a painful thud. The giant puff ball's eyes were shut tight in pain as he made an upset "Fenn!" and hit the dirt. After a moment's hesitation, the large spirit opened his eyes to see if all was well again.

"Don't worry, Fenn!" Zero assured, flying up to it. "You're safe now!"

Shute and Bakunetsumaru soon arrived, and Captain landed next to them, now in defender mode. The boy leapt to the spirit, trying to give it a hug.

"Fenn, you're okay!" He cried, digging into the fur. "I thought we were going to lose you!"

While Shute was saying that, Zero was inspecting the Bagubagu's pieces with an uneasy expression.

"This giant Bagubagu has only been seen in Lacroa," He wondered aloud, "What was it doing…here?"

"Can't you guess?"

A yellow feather planted flew down and planted itself at Zero foot. Looking up, he and the rest of the Gundam Force saw a trio of floating knights in the air, each with a purple, flowing cape. The knight on the left was deck in blue armor, with an image of a wind gust painted on each shoulder pad. In his hand was a staff with crystal head. On his back were two shield-like fans. The knight on the right wore red armor, with lightning bolts on his shoulder pads. In his hand he held a shield that resembled a satellite dish, and on his back were an ark of drum-like objects, bringing up images of the mythical Japanese _oni_. And dead-center, just above the first two knights was grey knight, with a face-like a cruel mask.

_Tallgeese!_

"Forgotten me so soon?" Tallgeese asked sardonically, "I am deeply wounded!"

"What?" Zero cried, "_You _again?"

Tallgeese's eyes glinted. "Yes! It is I, Tallgeese, Knight of the Tempest! Fear is my pleasure! Hatred is my nourishment!"

"I am Mercurius, Knight of Thunder!" The red knight proclaimed.

"And behold, Vayeate," The blue declared, "Knight of Winds!"

Zero gasped when saw the two knights. "How can this be? You were supposed to be imprisoned forever!"

From behind Zero, Bakunetsumaru pointed at the knights, a quizzical expression on his face. "Who are those two?"

The two knights did an aerial facefault.

"Don't you recognize them?" Captain asked, and the flashlight on his helmet projected an image of two knights half-fused with stone amid an outline of spears. "They are the knights who were imbedded in rock at the bottom of the Dark Hole in Lacroa? Do you remember them _now, _Bakunetsumaru?"

Bakunetsumaru's eyes widened. Yes, he _did _remember. And if these two were _those, _that meant…

"O-oh, yes… Y-you mean, y-you mean… th- _Ghosts!_" Trembling, Bakunetsumaru curled up into a ball of phobic fright, trying to make himself appear much smaller than he was.

Tallgeese gave a short laugh. "Ha! You would be better off if they _were_ only ghosts!"

Hearing this, Bakunetsumaru looked up and slowly uncurled himself. So they _weren't _ghosts?

"Why did you release them from their prison?" Zero demanded.

"Strength in numbers, shall we say," Tallgeese declared, "The last time we met, you Gundams overpowered me, barely. Now, we are three!"

Captain and Bakunetsumaru joined Zero by his side, glaring up at their foes.

"Three or three hundred-" Captain said.

"The outcome shall be the same!" Bakunetsumaru finished, having gotten over his bout of fear.

"Always with the snappy comebacks and witty repartee!" Tallgeese chuckled darkly, "Oh, how I shall miss them- _When you are finished!_"

"And what makes you think that we're going anywhere!" Bakunetsumaru demanded hotly.

Perhaps in response, the ground underneath them began to light up and glow blood red. The Gundam Force, particularly Shute and Bakunetsumaru, danced on their feet as flashes of light flared. The light began to form into a gigantic red octagon, with runes scrawled inside.

_He is casting a spell!_ Zero realized, _It is a magic square!_

"_I summon thee, Mana of Darkness,_" Tallgeese chanted, "_From the furthest reaches, give me the power of evil!_"

As Tallgeese's voice echoed through the sky, Mercurius and Vayeate flew around like birds of prey.

"Tallgeese!" Zero cried, and looked around as columns of light began to pour from the larger runes. Everyone watched in terror as the columns reached towards the sky, and walls began to form around them.

"Zero!" Bakunetsumaru cried, "What madness is this!"

"It is a magic square of darkness!" Zero answered, and pointed his sword at one of the walls. "_Mana!_"

A beam of light shot from the Vatras Sword, but the ray simply vanished into the wall.

_Too late! _Zero cursed, _The square has closed!_

By now, there was no sign of the forest that they were in. All around them was a pitch-black darkness deeper than night, the only light coming from the red runes that were dotted all over the walls and floor. The Gundam Force huddled close, looking at their new surroundings with trepidation.

"What is this, Captain?" Shute asked, "Where _are _we?" It was almost like that arena the Dai-Shogun had taken them to, but instead of a spiritual calm, this setting invoked a sense of panicked fright.

"At this time, I am unable to formulate an accurate analysis," Captain replied, "We appear to be surrounded by some kind of energy-absorbing barrier!"

"Let me put it into words _you _can understand," Tallgeese cut in nastily, sword out. "_You're trapped like rats!_ Welcome to _our _world, Gundams!"

The Gundam Force glared up at their captors, unwilling to give them the satisfaction of seeing them scared.

But Tallgeese wasn't done yet. "_Come to me, Griffin,_" He chanted, "_Come to your master!_"

There was an ear-splitting screech, and the Griffin, one of the Sacred Beasts of Lacroa, appeared, flying through the air.

_Oh no!_ Shute thought, _Not _that _monster again!_

With a vicious growl, the Griffin dived at Tallgeese, who rose into the air towards it. When the two met, there was a flash of light. When the light had faded, Tallgeese was wearing extra armor and gauntlets that resembled the Griffin's body parts, a pair of wings on his back.

"Oh, yes!" The evil knight shouted, "This always gives me such a thrill!"

"He has merged with the Griffin!" Zero exclaimed.

Tallgeese floated towards the floor where Mercurius and Vayeate were and fixed the Gundam Force in his sight.

"The end is near!" He boasted, "It's a _cliché, _I know, but true! I will make it swift, and relatively painless, _if _you answer one question!"

"Question?" Captain repeated, "What question?"

"I want the Spirit Egg," Tallgeese said, pointing a Griffin-claw at them. "_Where is it?_"

AS one, the Gundam Force slowly turned their heads at Fenn, who blinked in confusion. Why was everyone looking at _him?_ What did_ he_ do?

"Use your eyes, you fool," Bakunetsumaru said, as they turned back to Tallgeese. "It's right in front of-"

"We know nothing about it!" Zero interrupted quickly.

"Correct, nothing!" Captain added.

"Huh?" Bakunetsumaru looked around in confusion. It wasn't until Shute put his fingers to his lips that he figured it out. Turning back to Tallgeese, he nodded vigorously.

"Nothing?" Tallgeese asked in disbelief, glaring at the Musha Gundam. "Are you sure of that, samurai?"

"Oh, absolutely!" Bakunetsumaru answered, smiling tightly. "Spirit Egg? What Spirit Egg? I don't know anything about a Spirit Egg! Never heard of it!"

"_Wrong answer!_" Tallgeese snarled, and shot forward.

CLANG!

Zero met him halfway between the two groups, blocking his claw with his shield. Zero tried to hit him with his sword, but the evil knight flew back in time to avoid the blow.

Zero glared up at him and said, "Let the battle begin! I will stop you and your evil ambitions once and for all, even if it should cost my life!"

"What an excellent attitude, Zero," Tallgeese remarked, "Especially that _last _part!"

With that, Tallgeese flew at Zero and struck with his claw. The Winged Knight blocked the blow with his shield, managed to redirect the claw to the side, and struck with his sword, only to be blocked by Tallgeese's other claw. Tallgeese then punched Zero, sending the Knight Gundam flying backwards. Catching himself, Zero flew back at Tallgeese and the two began to clash, sword and shield against claws. However, after a minute of this Tallgeese began to do a barrel roll, hitting Zero with his wings.

"Zero!" Shute cried.

"Stay back, Shute!" Captain ordered, running in front of the boy with Bakunetsumaru.

"Leave this to us!" Bakunetsumaru said.

"And _us!_" Mercurius said, floating above the three with Vayeate.

"That's right!" Vayeate added, "Don't think we've forgotten _you!_"

The fans on Vayeate's back flipped up and began to spin, creating two cyclones. The twin maelstroms wrapped around the Knight of Winds, transforming into a tornado with Vayeate at the center. The drums on Mercurius' back crackled with electricity, separating into an even longer arc that went from one end of his body to the other, transforming him into a ball of lightning.

"Ready, Captain?" Bakunetsumaru asked, bracing himself.

Captain brought his rifle up. "Ready!"

Mercurius entered Vayeate's tornado, and bolts of lightning shot out everywhere. Bakunetsumaru brought up his swords to try and block the bolts, but his body still sting from the electricity. Captain fired several beams at the combo, but the wind and lightning deflected his shots elsewhere. And what was worse was that the electrified tornado was coming closer…!

"_Watch out!_" Shute cried, but it was too late. Captain and Bakunetsumaru were soon pulled into the storm, spinning in the winds while being struck by lightning. Their cries of pain were just barely heard over the screaming winds and roaring thunder.

"Hang on, guys!" Shute cried desperately, "Don't worry, I'll think of something!" _I think…_

But what could he do? What could _anyone _do against these forces of nature? And while the power of the Soul Drive might be able to help, Captain wouldn't be able to hear Shute's voice through in the tornado…

-z-

"I have you now!" Zero cried stubbornly, slashing at Talgeese with his sword.

The Knight of the Tempest caught the blade easily. "There's a thin line between confidence and _stupidity!_"

Tallgeese's other claw glowed, and the evil knight punch Zero in the gut, sending him back down. The Winged Knight dropped his sword and shield as he fell, landing a ways behind them.

The clatter of metal alerted Shute to the Winged Knight's plight, and he and Fenn looked on in worry.

"_Zero!_" Shute cried as Fenn growled unhappily.

With a groan, Zero staggered to his feet. "Nuh…not to worry…" He groaned, and began to limp towards his Vatras Sword. "If I can just…get my sword…"

But then Tallgeese landed in front of him. With a wicked laugh, Tallgeese slapped the sword away, sending it flying into the wall of the magic square. As the Vatras Sword was a construct of magic, it was quickly absorbed into the 'energy-absorbing barrier' mentioned by Captain earlier.

"_No!_" Zero cried out, "My sword!"

"Knock-knock!"

That was all the warning Zero had before Tallgeese walloped him with an uppercut. The Winged Knight landed spread out on his back several meters away.

"Zero!" Shute cried, and ran to the Knight Gundam's aide.

Tallgeese raised an eyebrow. _That boy…_

Helping Zero up, Shute asked, "Hey, you all right?"

The Winged Knight nodded. "Still in one piece."

While Tallgeese would have enjoyed making Zero suffer a bit more, he knew that business came before pleasure. Stomping over to where the two were, he said, "If you won't tell me where the Spirit Egg is, then perhaps your little friend here will!"

Shute glared at Tallgeese. "Never you big- _Ugh!_" His words were cut off as the evil grabbed his shoulder and lifted him into the air.

"Leave him alone!" Zero snarled.

Tallgeese glared at him. "Start talking, Zero! Or I'll crush this little organic like a grape!"

"Put the boy down!" Zero shouted, "Where is your sense of honor?"

"Oh, that," Tallgeese shrugged," I gave it up when I joined the darkness. It's very liberating, you should try it. Now, for the last time," He tightened his grip on Shute. "_Where's the Spirit Egg?_"

Shute winced in pain as he felt his bones brake, but he kept his determination. Shooting a look at Zero, the boy said, "No way! Don't even _think _of telling him anything, Zero!"

Suddenly, a cry of pain reached their ears, and the three on the ground looked to the air, where Captain and Bakunetsumaru were still trapped in Mercurius and Vayeate's lightning-tornado combo.

"I'm _waiting…_" Tallgeese growled, tapping his foot impatiently.

Shute and Zero were forced to look back at him.

"You know, part of me hopes you _won't _tell me what I want to know," Tallgeese went on, "I love to see the look of terror in your eyes."

Tallgeese lift the claw on his other hand up to Shute's throat, glowing ominously. Shute, in spite of himself, gulped.

"Stop, Tallgeese!" Zero yelled.

"Ah, so you're ready to talk?" Tallgeese asked eagerly.

"No!" Shute yelled, "_Not in a million years!_" He shut his eyes and waited for the inevitable.

"So be it!" Tallgeese yelled, and pulled his claw back, preparing to make the strike.

"_No, don't!_" Zero screamed.

There was a deep cry of "Fnn!" and Fenn, with one tremendous push, shoved himself into Tallgeese, causing him to drop Shute.

"Fenn!" Zero exclaimed in surprise.

"You'll be sorry for that!" Tallgeese snarled from somewhere amidst Fenn's fur. In one sharp movement, the Knight of the Tempest speared his glowing claw into Fenn, extending it so its tips came out the other end. The Gundam Force watched in horror as the spirit was punctured, his cries of pain echoing throughout the room.

"Think you could interfere, you oversized _dust ball!_" Tallgeese screamed angrily.

"Oh, poor Fenn!" Shute cried, his blood going cold.

"_That fiend!_" Zero hissed.

Tallgeese laughed evilly. "I'm just giving him a little taste of what's in store for all of you!"

Tallgeese then paused. Fenn had stopped screaming, but now his entire body was surrounded by white-blue light.

"What?" Tallgeese muttered, before light exploded from Fenn, blasting him off his feet. Mercurius and Vayeate ceased their assault on Captain and Bakunetsumaru to stare, leaving the two Gundams to fall to the floor. Fenn, meanwhile, was floating off the ground, making a strange growling hiss. His feet and tail were curling back into his body.

"What's happening to Fenn!" Shute asked, watching in shock.

"I am as mystified as you are, Shute!" Zero replied, staring at the spirit.

Then, a pair of white, angelic wings sprang out from the sides of Fenn's glowing body, followed by three odd flaps protruding from behind. A pair of reptilian claws popped out from the bottom front, and the air seemed to grow warm.

"Such awesome power…" Tallgeese breathed as his followers helped him up, "It can only be the fifth Sacred Beast! _The Feather Dragon!_"

When the light had all but faded away, there was nothing left of the giant puff ball. In its place was a magnificent pure white dragon, with bright violet armor on its torso, with a bright green circle in the center, along with a red ruby underneath. On its forearms were special gauntlets with wing attachments, and on its head was a helmet. Its roar shook the magic square.

As he and Captain got up, Bakunetsumaru stared at the beast and asked, "Where did that _thing _come from, and what has it done to Fenn!"

"Fenn…" Zero could scarcely believe it himself, but could not deny what he was seeing. "…_Is _the Feather Dragon!"

Only now did it make sense. Why the Spirit Egg, upon hatching, had released such a small, silly creature. Fenn's puff ball form must have been the Feather Dragon's infant form, so that it could feed and build up energy before its metamorphosis. Tallgeese's blow must have supercharged the process, causing him to…_evolve_…so suddenly. Right now Fenn had stopped roaring and was gazing down at everyone beneath him.

"That explains it!" Zero exclaimed, "He _is _the savior of Lacroa after all!"

"Not if his power is merged with _mine!_" Tallgeese yelled, and flew up towards Fenn.

"Never, villain!" Zero retorted, and took to the air as well.

However, it looked as if Tallgeese would reach Fenn first, having both a head-start and the added power of the Griffin's wings.

"Come to me, Feather Dragon!" Tallgeese commanded as he neared Fenn, "_Serve me!_"

But Fenn roared at Tallgeese, shooting a beam of white energy out from his maw. With a pained cry, the Knight of the Tempest was pushed back down.

"Fenn!" Zero cried as he flew towards the dragon, "Is it really you!"

Fenn looked to Zero and roared, shooting light at the Winged Knight.

"Zero!" Shute cried, shocked.

But instead of knocking him down, the light passed through Zero…and it didn't hurt at all…

…In fact, it kinda good…

"What are you doing!" Tallgeese demanded, and saw the that the Feather Dragon was now slowly floating towards Zero. "Are you becoming _his _summoned beast?" _Oh, that's so unfair!_

"Fenn, what does this mean?" Zero asked, gazing up at his transformed friend.

Fenn said nothing. Instead, his entire body became light, light that flowed into Zero.

"What's going on?" Shute asked as he everyone stared.

The Winged Knight then became a sphere of light that shined throughout the room. When the light had faded, only a single being remained in the air; Zero. Zero now wore violet armor, like the kind Fenn had, over his own. From his back were two white feathery wings. He looked more like an angel than a knight.

He was the Knight of Silver Wings, Zero Custom.

"Oh, cool…" Shute whispered, entranced by Zero's appearance.

"My sensors show an exponential increase in Zero's energy levels." Captain reported.

"It seems he has merged with the sacred Feather Dragon," Bakunetsumaru said in awed voice, "They are _one!_"

Zero, for his part, was looking himself over, staring at his new appearance.

_Why have you chosen _me? He thought, _Why?_

"Oh, there's no accounting for taste!"

Zero looked back at Tallgeese, who had spoken.

"He has enslaved the beast," the evil knight told Mercurius and Vayeate, "But that doesn't mean he knows how to channel its powers yet! So attack, before he does!"

"Uh, right!" Mercurius replied awkwardly, and flew at Zero.

"Right!" Vayeate agreed, following Mercurius' lead.

Zero's eyes hardened. "It is not a slave, but an ally!"

Zero Custom held out his hands, and they began to glow. In each hand appeared an elegant silver blade, both a head taller than he was, with a wing on the handle. Meanwhile, Mercurius and Vayeate had transformed into their lightning tornado again and moved towards the Knight of Silver Wings. But Zero Custom shot forward, cutting the electrified whirlwind in two, sending the knights within it flying.

"Well done!" Bakunetsumaru applauded as Shute and Captain celebrated the Knight Gundam's victory.

But Tallgeese was not so convinced of Zero Custom's strength just yet.

"Ha!" He barked, "My Griffin Lance is more powerful than both of your swords put together!"

Tallgeese held out his hand, and a giant red lance appeared in it. "We shall see!" Zero retorted, and brought his swords together, pressing the flat side of both blades against one another. There was a flash of light, and the two had merged into one giant sword. From the ground, Shute noticed that this new sword looked like Fenn's tail feather.

With a vicious roar, Tallgeese shot towards Zero Custom, his lance pointed and coated with vile black power. Zero Custom charged for Tallgeese, the end of his sword glowing white. When the two knights clashed, the magic square shook as the backlash from the power collision rattled the chamber. It was too much to absorb. The room's floor dented and stretched, becoming slanted. The Gundam Force on the floor began to lose their footing.

"_Feather Dragon!_" Zero called, "_Lend me your power!_"

Zero Custom's sword shined, and he struck at Tallgeese, knocking him down towards the bottom of the room. Tallgeese hit the floor with a cry of pain. Mercurius and Vayeate landed next to him and help him up.

"Are you all right?" Vayeate asked, concerned.

"Whaddya think?" Tallgeese snarled, shrugging away their hands.

Suddenly, the floor began to shake…and then it shattered. A multicolored vortex formed underneath the square, and began to pull them in. Zero Custom watched in horrified fascination.

"Zero!"

Zero Custom looked up and saw that his friends were starting to lose their footing, being pulled dwon as well.

"Something's happening to this magic square of darkness!" The Blazing Samurai cried, trying to keep his balance.

-z-

Further down, Mercurius and Vayeate screamed in terror as they were sucked into the swirling hole beneath them. Tallgeese tried to fight the pull with the power of the Griffin, but found that he was merely prolonging the inevitable.

"_No! This can't be happening!_" He screamed, "Well, I suppose it can…but it _shouldn't _be happening! _Nooo!_"

With that one last cry, Tallgeese vanished into the void.

-z-

"There's a breach in the magic square," Zero realized, "Causing a vortex!"

Zero Custom looked to his friends, and saw that they weren't doing so well. Captain was using his boosters to fight the suction and push up Shute, while Bakunetsumaru had stabbed his swords down into the floor, trying to hang on.

"That's right, Shute!" Captain said reassuringly, "Hold on tightly to me, Shute!"

"You bet I will!"

"Hold on!"

But, bit by bit, they were sucked in. Zero Custom knew he had to act.

"Hang on, my friends!" Zero said, "I will try to close the breach!"

Zero Custom dived, flying down to the bottom of the square, to the point between the now broken barrier and the vortex.

"_Zero, come back!_" Shute cried.

At the bottom, Zero Custom positioned himself so that he would be lying flat on his back if the floor was still there. From behind him a giant rune circle appeared, filling the gap in the breach.

"_O Mana!_" Zero called, "_Protect the others though it may cost me my life!_"

A bright blue beam of energy shot from Zero Custom's chest stone, coating Shute, Captain and Bakunetsumaru in light. When the light had faded, they were floating away in a cloud of golden power.

"Zero!" Shute cried down.

"Come back, Zero!" BAkunetsumaru shouted.

But Zero knew that he had to stay down in order to send them up and out. "Fear not, my friends! We shall all meet once again," He assured, "If that is what destiny decrees!"

And with that, the barrier behind Zero Custom faded, and the Knight Gundam was slowly pulled into the vortex.

"_Noooo!_" Shute screamed, and he had to be held back by Captain, otherwise he would have dived after Zero Custom.

"_Zerooo!_" Bakunetsumaru screamed.

Suddenly, another, larger beam of light erupted from the vortex,

-z-

Zero the Winged Knight stood in a world of pure light. In front of him was Fenn, Feather Dragon of Lacroa.

"Thank you," Zero said to Fenn, "I owe the victory to you."

But Fenn remained silent. From his forehead came a beam of light.

"Fenn, what are you doing?" Zero asked, and then found himself being pushed up by the beam. "No! _Don't!_"

But there was no stopping it. Zero went up, up, and away…

And Fenn remained where he was.

-z-

In the golden cloud, Zero appeared next to Captain and Shute.

"Zero, you're back!" Shute cried happily, then frowned. "But where's Fenn?"

There was a roar, and the Gundam Force looked down to see Fenn being pulled into the vortex.

"_Fenn!_" Zero screamed.

Fenn roared and shot a beam of light from his mouth. This beam went right to the top of the magic square, causing it to dissolve. In the hole they could see a bright sun and drifting clouds.

"Look, the sky! We're saved!" Shute cheered.

"Not all of us!" Zero yelled, and looked down. Holding out his hand, he cried, "Fenn! _Nooo!_"

-z-

When the light had faded, the Gundam Force found themselves back at the area where the giant Bagubagu's halves were. It didn't take long for them to realize what had happened, and when it did, Bakunetsumaru was reduced to tears, loudly mourning for Fenn, who had sacrificed himself for their sake.

"Poor Fenn!" He sobbed, sitting in the ground.

Shute patted Bakunetsumaru on the shoulder. "Aw, don't worry Bakunetsumaru! We'll see him again, I'm sure of it!" Looking up, he asked, "Isn't that right, Captain?"

"If we ever manage to bridge the gap between dimensions," Captain replied, "Yes, it is highly probable indeed."

"Right!" Shute smiled and looked to Bakunetsumaru, "Once we get the Dimensional Transport Device up and running, we'll see him in no time!"

Zero turned away. He wanted to be alone at this moment. Just like that, the restoration of Lacroa was finished. He had been charged with protecting the Spirit of the Egg, and had lost it- him. Fenn was gone.

But before he could go, he saw something glittering in the air. As it came closer, he saw that it was a feather. Catching it, Zero realized at once where it came from!

"…_Fenn!_" He gasped.

The feather glowed, and became light, flowing into his chest stone. The Winged Knight then knew in his heart that Fenn was not gone, but merely separated. The path to Lacroa's salvation had simply lengthened, not ended.

_Fear not, my old friend. You and I will save Lacroa…_

…_Together, we cannot fail._

--End chapter—

A/N: Okay, something I should explain. In the actual TV series, Vayeate describes himself as the 'Knight of Storms' while I call him the Knight of Winds in this chapter.

WHY?

Because Tallgeese already called himself the Knight of the Tempest, which, as you know, is a type of storm. I felt that Vayeate's moniker was a bit redundant, so I chose to give Vayeate the title he received in the Japanese version of the episode, which I felt was more appropriate, given his powers.

Review, please!


	17. Zako Zako Hour 12

Chapter 8.5: Zako Zako Hour

The iron curtain rose, showing Red Mic, Blue Mic, and Whisk Zako.

"Welcome back, once again," Red Mic said, bowing with the others. "Today we are going to talk about-"

"_Whatever happened to our beloved Lord Tallgeese!_" Whisk Zako burst out, falling to his hands and knees, sobbing.

Red Mic nodded. "That's right!"

"No, zako, that's not it!" Blue Mic cut in, "We know what happened to him, we were there!"

The screen then showed a picture of the Gundam Force facing off against Tallgeese's group before the magic square appeared. Tucked away in the bushes were the three hosts and Whisk Zako.

"_Well, if you're so smart, then what happened to him!?_" Whisk Zako snapped before curling up into a sad little ball.

Red Mic glanced at him before turning to the audience. "Well, there was a magic square, see, and then it got cracked. And he fell through the crack."

"Where do you think that crack leads to?" Blue Mic asked.

When Red Mic gave no answer, Whisk Zako jumped and yelled, "See, you don't know!"

Before Red Mic could reply, there was a puff of smoke that made the Zakos jump. When it cleared, there was a fourth person on the stage.

"I am Pawn Leo from Lacroa!" The newcomer introduced, "Greetings, pawn!"

"Same to you, zako!" The Zakos replied, bowing.

"Can you tell us what exactly happened to Lord T?" Red Mic asked.

"I'd be happy to, pawn!" Pawn Leo answered, "Lord Tallgeese fell through a crack in the magic square!"

The Zakos stared at him in disbelief.

"We that much already, we know that much already!" Red Mic and Blue Mic yelled while Whisk Zako sulked.

"Lord Tallgeese, where are you!?" Whisk Zako called mournfully.

"Allow me to explain," Pawn Leo said, and pointed to the new image on the screen. "This creature is known as the sacred Feather Dragon!"

Reactions to this tidbit were not positive.

"Who _cares _about the stupid Feather Dragon!?" Red Mic screamed, over the other Zakos while _they _screamed.

Pawn Leo glared at them. "I _could _tell you what happened to Lord Tallgeese if you really want to know. Are you _sure _you want to _know?_"

Red Mic shook. "Yes, O wise one…_Of course we want to know! Why do you think we keep asking you!?_"

Pawn Leo nodded and pointed at the next screen-image. "Well, this creature is called the _Griffin!_"

That was the last straw. With a cry of "Zako Kick! Haiya!" the three Zakos booted Pawn Leo off the stage.

"Talk about useless!" Red Mic spat.

"Uh, were we?" Whisk Zako asked.

"No, we weren't!" Blue Mic yelled, "We were talking about what happened to Lord Tallgeese! Why does everybody keep changing the subject!"

"_A-hem._"

"What?" Red Mic asked, and jumped. Standing in the center of the stage was the green, ghoulish creature that served Tallgeese in Lacroa.

"Perhaps I can explain," The servant said, "The Five Great Sorcerers of Lacroa tell of a crack between dimensions. And island of nothingness around that flow the rivers of what is, and what is not…"

The servant floated away. Confused, Whisk Zako chased after him.

"Wait, there was one part of that I didn't get, yoo-hoo…!" He cried, running off.

"Hey, where does he think he's going, zako?" Red Mic asked.

Blue Mic shrugged. "Ah, let him go."

Then, another Zako Soldier hopped on-stage. Unlike the others, he was colored crimson, and had a command fin.

"Ah, so you've decided to come back!" Red Mic said, thinking that this was Yellow Mic.

"Don't you know we have a show to do?" Blue Mic asked, "What happened, are you blushing or did you paint yourself red?"

"Who told you you could change colors, zako-zako!" Red Mic yelled, "Change back or I'll paint you black and blue!"

Blue Mic then blanched. "Oopsy-daisy, wait a minute, I've just remembered! I've heard of a mysterius, top-secret officer known as Zako Red! He is very powerful, has a terrible temper and reports directly to the Commander himself!"

"The C-C-C_-Commander?_" Red Mic gulped and looked sheepishly at the new Zako. "Sorry about that, zako-zako…"

The two hosts flipped out and began to run around the stage babbling until Zako Red spoke.

"_Atten-shun, Zakos!_ The Dark Axis invasion of Neotopia is going to begin immediately!" He ordered, causing them snap to attention. "So listen up! Or I'll use you all as cannonballs!" He shot a dark look at the audience. "_Do I make myself clear?_"

"For the future of the Dark Axis…"

"_Zako Soldiers fight! Yeah!_"

"_Za-koooo!_" Cheered Yellow Mic from the back row of the audience.


	18. Attack of the BigZam

Chapter 9: Attack of the Big-Zam

On one of Neotopia Tower's outdoor grass platforms, maniacal laughter could be heard.

Keiko and Sayla, their lips twitching, gasped in fright. In Keiko's arms, Nana squirmed.

People ran away from Bakunetsumaru, who was now wearing a pair of purple sunglasses and had a pair of poles with banners strapped to his back, stomped around the, waving a pair of wooden swords. As he slashed, GM mobile citizens fell left and right.

"Who will be next to feel my blade?" Bakunetsumaru laughed, "_You!_"

Shrieking, all men and women ran around.

"I am Baku the Terrible!" Bakunetsumaru declared, "Lord of Doom, and destruction, and…devastation and evil and death and many other terrible things!"

Shute, who had fallen behind Bakunetsumaru, tried to crawl away as quietly as he could.

Bakuentsumaru continued to rant. "No one can oppose me! Not even…" He whirled at Shute. "_…you!_"

Bakunetsumaru slashed. Shute leapt up and groaned.

"The _hor-or!_" He cried, falling back down. Mobile Citizen Captain quickly leapt in to Shute's side.

"No! How-tragic!" He cried, wiping away a 'tear'. "Fear-not-Shute! I-will-avenge-you!"

"But who will avenge _you!_" Bakunetsumaru shouted, and slashed at the ladle Captain pulled out to fight with.

"Give-up-evil-doer!" Captain cried, "Surrender!"

"Never!" Bakunetsumaru retorted, and slashed at Captain with his other sword, gently brushing his waist. "Take that!"

"Ahh!" Captain cried, slowly spinning while his eyes flipping through various expressions. "I-am-defeated!"

Captain fell as Bakunetsumaru laughed fiendishly.

"Another insect falls before me!" He gloated, "None can oppose my blades of doom!"

"Hold there, evil one!" Zero cried, floating down behind Bakunetsumaru. "Your reign of terror is, about to, come to an end!"

He pointed his Vatras Sword at the 'evil one'.

"You puny worm!" Bakunetsumaru cried, and lunged. "Take that!"

But Zero dodged it, zipping over to where Baku had been. Nonplussed, he lunged again.

"Or that!"

Another dodge, another lunge.

"Or this!"

Dodge, lunge. Bakunetsumaru was now sounding tired.

"Or this…h-hold still…"

Zero chuckled gaily. "You forget, O wicked one! I am imbued, with the spirits of my departed friends," He said, his chest stone glowing, showing Fenn's feather. "They give me the strength to float, like a butterfly, and yet sting, like a bee!" Zero danced about in the air as he said this before diving at Baku. "Have at, thee, villain!"

Bakunetsumaru brought up his swords and lunged. "Come and get it, fool!"

"_Hold it! Cut!_"

Mayor Margaret Gathermoon's megaphone-enhanced voice grabbed the attention of the two Gundams, so they weren't looking where they were going and crashed into each other. Everyone looked from where they had been standing.

"Okay! Let's try that one more time, shall we?" Mayor Margaret asked.

Shute and Captain got up from where they were lying.

"_Again?_" Shute asked, brushing dirt from his elbows. "What was wrong?"

He looked over to the Mayor and her aides, human male Prio GM mobile citizen Leonardo were, standing while workmen and mobile workers operated boom mics, mirrors, cameras and other such equipment. The mobile workers were wearing baseball caps that said BLAZING SAMURAI in bright red letters. As mentioned earlier, Mayor Margaret had covered up the Gundam Force's activities by claiming they were working on a movie. In order to make this cover more plausible, the mayor, ever the patron to the arts, decided to actual shoot a scene for the alleged movie. This proved to be quite cumbersome, however…

"You can relax, everybody," Mayor Margaret said, "But please, don't move!"

"Yes, hold your positions while we set up for the next take!" Leonardo ordered.

Everyone scrambled to get back to where they had been standing at the beginning of the scene. After Shute got into his stance, he absentmindedly shifted.

"Excuse me," A mobile worker said to him, "You moved."

"The actors are not supposed to move," Another mobile worker said, "The shots won't match."

"Oh," Shute quickly adjusted himself. "Sorry about that."

Meanwhile, Zero pointed an accusing finger at Bakunetsumaru.

"It was _his _performance, wasn't it?" He accused, "He was overacting!"

"_Me!_" Bakunetsumaru snarled, getting into Zero's face. "What about _you! _I've never seen such a ham!"

"Aw, you wouldn't know good acting if it walked up and sat on you!"

"No, no," Mayor Margaret said appeasingly, "You were both fine! Really, very good!"

"Thank you!" Zero and Bakunetsumaru said simultaneously, and, looking and the mayor asked, "It was him, right!"

Mayor Margaret waved everyone over and walked to the large screen where Prio was.

"Play it back, would you?" She asked.

Prio nodded, and rewound the footage. Starting at where 'Baku the Terrible' struck down Shute, they watched his brief skirmish with Captain, freezing the screen right at the close-up of Captain's face during his defeat. His eyes were curved upwards.

"Um, you see Captain…" Mayor Margaret began.

"So it was _you!_" Zero and Baku yelled.

"See your expression there?" The mayor pointed out.

Shute squinted at the screen before coming to the conclusion, "It sorta looks like you're _smiling_, Captain."

"I see," Captain's eyes switched over to a more squinting look. "Would this be better?" Captain wasn't used to making facial expressions yet.

"Oh, much better, yes!" Mayor Margaret beamed, "Do it just like that!"

With that settled, everyone moved to get back into position.

"All right, people!" Leonardo called, "Ready to roll again?"

Captain bowed. "My apologies, everyone."

"Standing by!"

Zero floated by Captain and gave him a meaningful look, saying, "We're counting on you." before flying off.

"You'll get it right this time," Bakunetsumaru added, giving Captain a nudge. "_Won't you_, Captain?"

Captain nodded quickly. "You got it!" After Bakunetsumaru left, he squinted and muttered, "I will! I will! I _will _get it right!"

While Captain rehearsed facial expressions, Sayla commented to Keiko, "Oh my, acting in a movie's not as easy as it looks!"

Keiko nodded. Looking to Nana, she cooed, "Isn't this exciting? Too bad daddy couldn't be here to watch."

Shute's father, Mark was a songwriter, and like any artist spent time not used to goof off with the family locked up in his studio.

Captain, his face almost locked into a permanent squinted, was muttering, "I am defeated!" when Shute came up to him with some encouraging words.

"Don't worry, you'll be fine!" he said.

Captain resumed his normal expression and nodded. "Thank you."

"Here we go!" Mayor Margaret said through her megaphone, "Take 2!"

"Take 2!" Leonardo yelled.

Everyone got into their positions. Bakunetsumaru laughed fiendishly.

"Let's make this one _perfect!_" Leonardo embellished.

"Right." Captain said.

As they cameras rolled, Shute thought to himself, _It sure is fun goofing off like this… _He looked at the clouds, to where he was sure Blanc Base was. _But I can't help feeling we're playing hooky from what we _should _be doing…_

Shute couldn't help it. No matter how much the sun shone, or the birds sang, there was this undeniable sense of foreboding at the back of his mind…like the current peace was nothing more than the calm before the storm.

-z-

At the very top of Neotopia Tower, Zako Red glared down at the overacting beneath. He could see the group working on the platform below. And, much to his satisfaction, he could see those two meddling Gundams from the other dimension there as well. The only problem was that he couldn't find Captain Gundam among them…though that annoying bug that always hung around him _was…_Did he miss something?

But that wasn't important. There were other things to worry about. He looked up at the clouds- specifically, the hand-shaped cloud. According to Cobramaru, that was where the SDG's main base was.

Lifting the Zakurello Phone to his mouth piece, he said, "Begin Dark Axis operation," After a moment's pause, he added, "Zako."

-z-

Up in Blanc Base, Chief Haro and Kao Lyn watched the cinematic chaos on Neotopia Tower through the big screen. They shared a not-so-private laugh when Bakunetsumaru accidentally bumped into a boom mic.

"Ah, show business!" Kao Lyn chortled, "Isn't it thrilling, Chief Haro?"

"To be or not to be!" Haro sighed, "I only wish they had a part in it for me…"

Their fun was cut short, unfortunately, as klaxons sounded off around the base. Kao Lyn froze in mid-kata.

"What is it?" Haro wondered.

A smaller screen showing Juli appeared on the bottom left corner of the big screen.

"Chief!" She reported, "We have an energy surge alert from a Dark Axis dimensional gate!"

"What?" Haro cried as Kao Lyn fretted behind him.

-z-

Above Neotopia Tower, all of the action halted as high above them, the air crackled with electricity a purple and yellow gate swirled into existence. The people looked up at it, those who did not know

Its meaning in awe, those that did in trepidation.

"Ohhh no!" Leonardo exclaimed.

_I knew it. _Shute thought angrily. The Dark Axis _was _planning something.

-z-

Chief Haro and Kao Lyn dashed into the command center.

"What's coming through?" Haro asked Juli as Kao Lyn panted.

Juli bit her lip. "I don't know, sir, but that's the _biggest _gate we've ever seen!"

"_Look!_" Haro cried, "Here it comes!"

-z-

All of Neotopia, their eyes fixed on the giant, yellow jaws floating above Neotopia Tower, watched in sheer shock as a giant _thing _rocketed out of it.

It was big, easily the size of a house and then some. It resembled the horned head of a giant, green beast, with five eyes strategically placed around its body, on gun turrets and in the center. There was a line of spikes around its middle, starting from and ending at the large-center eye. In the front-center was an energy-cannon the size of a car tunnel. Underneath it were tank treads big as pickup trucks, lined by two folded up talons.

Tommy, a 2nd grade boy who spent his weekends playing catch with his best friend, a mobile citizen from the sports department, had just made a successful pitch when the massive machine's shadow covered him. Looking up, he cried, "Whoa! What in the world is _that!_"

On the shooting site, Sayla yelled over the roaring engines, "Wow! Do you think that's part of the movie?"

Shute eyes widened when he saw what was in the monstrosity's path.

"Look where it's headed!" He cried to the Gundams.

The great thing landed right on top of Blanc Base, shaking the entire structure and scattering the cloud cover. SDG workers all over stumbled as the base vibrated.

Gunbike quickly drove out to the main courtyard to investigate. "What's up!"

There, he saw that a giant machine had parked itself right on Blanc Base's finger-like launchers!

"Huh! Where did that contraption come from!" Gunbike cried.

-z-

"Behold, the _Big-Zam!_" Zapper cackled from inside the cockpit, "The largest and most powerful air-born super-tank ever devised! Graciously given to us by our noble Commander in order to blast you into scrap metal! Look on to your doom, Gundams, and despair! Hahaha- _Whoa_!"

Zapper's evil laugh was cut off when his seat flipped over to make room for Grappler. The _Big-Zam_ required at least three people to pilot, one for the main weapons and it weapons, and two for the supporting weapons. Added to this was the way the cockpit was designed, formed from a wheel so that when it spun, the positions of its pilots shifted.

"Quiet!" Grappler barked, "That's enough talk, let's blast them!"

"How dare you!" Zapper roared, spinning his seat back into the main. "Who put you in command, you idiot!"

Then Zapper's seat flipped again, this time putting _Destroyer _into the main slot.

"Dah, me wanna shoot big gun!" He guffawed, "Boom!"

"_Silence!_" Zapper snarled,"If anyone's gonna shoot it, it's-"

"_I'll _do it!" Grappler snapped.

"Nah, _me!_" Destroyer insisted.

-z-

On Neotopia Tower, the people looked in awe at the _Big-Zam_, as well as the place it had landed on. How long had that giant hand been there?

_Oh no! _Mayor Margaret thought, panicking. _What have they done!_

"This is bad!" Shute whispered to Captain, "They found the SDG Base!"

"I know!" Captain replied, "We've got to do something!"

"You're right!"

-z-

As the _Big-Zam _trundled up the base shaking it, Chief Haro yelled, "Battle stations! Stand by to deploy fighters!"

"Sir, they're positioned on top of our catapult!" Juli cried, "We can't deploy anything!"

"They what!" Haro cried.

The _Big-Zam_, meanwhile, stopped when it finally reached its goal: the pylon holding the SDG Base up.

"You have made fools of us for the last time, Gundams!" Zapper crowed, "I will send this base of yours plunging onto the city below, wreaking havoc on a scale unimaginable!"

"Zip it!" Grappler snapped, spinning into the main slot. "It's time to get this show on the road, lug nut!"

A targeting scope slid over Grappler's eyes, and he centered the crosshairs onto the pylon cable.

"Targeting…" He murmured.

"That's _my _job." Zapper muttered.

"Fire!" He and Zapper yelled at almost the same time.

The _Big-Zam_'s large fins flew out, connected into a single blade, and spun at the pylon like the boomerang of a giant.

"Perfect!" Zapper chortled, "Right on target!"

But instead of cutting the pylon, the blade's curved end caught onto it and swung back at the _Big-Zam!_ The re-directed blade hit, not cutting the warship, but knocking it so hard it tumbled back, causing its hapless pilots to spin around wildly.

"_Extend the landing gear!_" Zapper screamed, "_The landing gear!_"

Just as it reached the edge, the _Big-Zam_'s talons sprang to life, grabbing onto the end of a runway. It was still falling, so the main thrusters blasted to life, trying to push it back onto the base.

-z-

"Now's our chance!" Haro yelled, "Launch Guneagle!"

"Right!" Juli replied, typing. "Guneagle to the catapult deck!"

Guneagle was already there. "Ready!"

"You are clear to launch!"

"All systems go!" Guneagle reported, "I am good for launch! Guneagle away!"

And with that, he took off, did a U-turn in the air and began to fly around the _Big-Zam. _The super tank itself had just managed to stabilize itself and was now doing an awkward march towards the pylon.

Zapper saw Guneagle's approach on his console and snorted. "Oh, look. We're being attacked by a _mosquito!_"

Guneagle unleashed a slew of bullets onto the _Big-Zam_, but they proved to be ineffective. Flying away from some fire from one of its guns, he shot several beams from his rifle, but they didn't even scratch it.

"Oh, stop!" Zapper cackled, "Stop it, that tickles!"

Guneagle flew away from more return-fire and muttered, "Man! My beam rifle can't pierce that armor!"

"Let's see how he likes _these!_" Gunbike yelled, and fired several missiles at the _Big-Zam_. This did little, except make the battle machine glare at the motorcycle and fire at him. As Gunbike backed away, the plasma bolts shook the base.

-z-

"We're hit! We're under attack!" Kao Lyn jabbered as he tried to keep his balance.

"Stand by to deploy Re-equip Ring!" Chief Haro ordered, steadying himself.

Juli's eyes widened and she turned to the chief in shock. "Deploy the Ring!" Composing herself, she said, "Sir, may I point out that if we deploy it now, everyone in Neotopia will see it! They'll know about Captain!"

"We have no choice!" Haro replied, looking up at the _Big-Zam._ "There won't _be _a Neotopia if we don't! Deploy the Ring! _Now!_"

"Roger!" Juli turned back to her console and typed away. "Re-equip Ring to the catapult deck…Launching!"

-z-

The Ring shot forward on its launcher. However, the runway it used was one that the _Big-Zam _was standing on.

Seeing the incoming ring, Zapper yelled, "Move it, you idiots! We're under attack!"

Just in the nick of time, the _Big-Zam _lifted its leg, allowing the Re-equip Ring to fly out from the base.

-z-

"The Re-equip Ring…" Mayor Margaret whispered.

Keiko turned to Mayor Margaret and asked, "Mayor is this all part of the movie?"

The mayor of Neoptopia had an awkward look on her face when she said, "Well, in a way…"

Further back, Shute and Captain watched the Ring's flight.

"They launched the Ring!" Shute gasped.

"I guess that is my cue!" Captain said, throwing down his ladle.

Captain leapt up towards the Ring and rocketed away.

"_Wait!_" Shute yelled, "Are you sure about this, Captain!"

Captain flew at the Ring, and entered the magnetic field inside it. As the robotic arms replaced his civilian parts with his sturdier defender parts and gave him his weapons, he acknowledged that this was a turning point. Originally, the SDG's existence, as well as his own, was kept top-secret to avoid causing a civil disturbance. With all of Neotopia watching now, that secret would now be revealed. The peaceful days where he could pretend to be just another robot were over.

Now fully armed, Captain blasted off to the site of the battle, watched by all.

Keiko blinked at what she just saw. "Wasn't that…that was Captain, wasn't it?"

Sayla stared at the departing robot. Some time ago she had scene that robot before, fighting monsters…that was Captain?

"I…I think so…" She murmured, "How did he do that?"

From behind the bushes, Shute saw their astonishment.

"Oh no…" He gulped. Turning to Zero and Bakunetsumaru, he said, "Captain's secret identity has been revealed!"

Bakunetsumaru nodded. "Yes! And _ours _is about to be as well! We've got to help him, Shute!"

"You're right, let's go!" She replied, and grabbed his backpack. AS Zero and Baku' ran off, the boy stopped short.

_Wait, I really should tell mom…_ He thought, and ran back toward the bushes' edge. Looking at Keiko though, he began to have second thoughts. _And tell her what? _That he was taking part in a secret war against other-dimensional invaders? _Skip it._

Shute caught up with the Gundams, and with Zero's help, the three flew off.

-z-

"Bring main cannon to bear!" Zapper ordered, "Lock on target!"

From the _Big-Zam_'s front a large cannon barrel poked out.

As the targeting crosshairs focused on the pylon, Zapper thought, with a vindictive chuckle, _Humpty-Dumpty sat on a wall…and we all know how that story ended._

As Grappler and Destroyer fired at Guneagle and Gunbike with the supporting guns, the main cannon began to energize. Its center glowed as a purple ball of plasma grew.

"Fire up the main cannon!" Zapper ordered, "It's time to bring this baby _down_."

He was just about to press the 'fire' button when Captain Gundam landed right in his crosshairs. Zapper fell back in shock as Captain spoke.

"I have been granted special dispensation to use firearms in defense of Neotopia!" He stated, and fired his beam rifle.

The beam struck the _Big-Zam_, jarring it. As it fell back, pointing its cannon up, its unlucky pilots spun around in their cockpit, and accidentally brushed the trigger. The cannon fired, thankfully sending its blast harmlessly straight up and past the pylon.

-z-

The onlookers felt their eardrums rattle at the sound of the cannon fire.

"Oh my goodness…" Keiko said breathlessly, "All of this…it's all so realistic! Are you sure this is…_still _part of the movie?"

"It's called special effects…" Mayor Margaret answered helplessly.

-z-

"Transfer the base!" Chief Haro ordered, "We must get it away from the city!"

"Right away, sir!" Juli replied, and began to type. "Base to satellite, stand by to reposition the junction cable and transfer to new coordinates!"

Back at the pylon, Captain fired at the _Big-Zam_ again, but it swiftly recovered.

Zapper laughed horribly. "You really think you can hurt the _Big-Zam _with that pee shooter? You pathetic little-" The seat spun to Grappler. "_Whoa!_"

"You're outgunned this time, Captain!" Grappler sneered.

"Stop doing that!" Zapper yelled, shifting back into main.

"Well then, stay outta my way!" Grappler shot back, shifting back again.

-z-

At the end of one of the runways, Shute and Bakunetsumaru touched down, having been carried by Zero. There, they were met up Gunbike.

"Gunbike, are you all right?" Shute asked.

"Yup!" The motorcycle replied.

"What _is _that thing?" Zero asked, pointing at the _Big-Zam._

"It'll be the end of us if we don't find a way to bring it down!" Gunbike answered.

Zero looked at the way it shrugged off Captain and Guneagle's assaults. "It seems invulnerable to attack!"

"Perhaps if we attack from several angles at once!" Bakunetsumaru suggested, clenching his fist.

Shute nodded. "Right!"

-z-

Captain pulled the trigger of his rifle a few times but it did not fire. Checking the fuel gauge, he cried, "My weapon's energy is depleted!"

Hearing this, Zapper smirked. "What a shame," Taking aim with the main cannon, he cackled, "So long Captain Goody Gundam!"

A brown eye then filled the screen, and Zapper fell back in shock.

"_Coward!_" Bakunetsumaru yelled, standing right in front of the _Big-Zam_'s main eye. "Come out of that tin can and fight like a warrior!"

"_You're in my way!_" Zapper screamed.

"He won't be for long!" Grappler yelled, pushing buttons. "I'll shake him off!"

The _Big-Zam _began to tilt back and forth, causing Bakunetsumaru to fall off and onto one of the lower gun turrets. The mono-eye there swung to glare at him.

"Beat it, sword boy!" Zapper yelled.

The guns began to fire, and their vibrations caused Bakunetsumaru to dance wildly in a desperate bid to keep his balance. He was so preoccupied that he didn't notice a higher gun turret swung around to bear on him.

"I got him, I got him!" Destroyer crowed, "He gonna go boom!"

"Aren't you forgetting about me?" Captain asked, landing on top of that turret, igniting his beam saber.

"Ha! Got him now!" Grappler laughed, entering commands into his controls.

The turret Bakunetsumaru was on swung around to aim at Captain.

"Captain, jump!" Bakunetsumaru screamed.

"Right!" Captain nodded.

"_Fire!_" Grappler and Destroyer yelled as the two Gundams leapt.

BA-BA-BOOM!

"You morons are shooting at _each other!_" Zapper screamed angrily.

-z-

Meanwhile, Gunbike blasted into the main courtyard.

Shute rocked in his sidecar, but hung on. "Nice driving!"

-z-

By now, Captain and Bakunetsumaru were standing on opposite sides of the _Big-Zam_. Its main eye kept shifting from one to the other.

"Think you're pretty clever, huh? I'll get rid of you!" Zapper growled, and made the _Big-Zam _shake back and forth. "Grr, rock-a-bye Gundams, in the tree top, when the bow breaks, the Gundams will drop!"

On 'Drop' the _Big-Zam _raised and stomped its left leg, shaking the entire base.

"Whoa!" Chief Haro cried, as he and others were knocked off their feet.

Unaffected, Captain and Bakunetsumaru continued to slice their swords into the _Big-Zam_, trying to chop away the armor.

"These pests are giving me a headache!" Zapper growled.

"We need to use missiles!" Grappler decided, "_Fire!_"

The spikes all over the _Big-Zam_ rocketed off in every direction.

"_Legendary Vatras Sword!_" Zero called, and unleashed a blast of magic that destroyed several missiles.

"Intercepting!" Guneagle yelled, and fired his own missiles, destroying some of the _Big-Zam_'s that were bearing down on Blanc Base. Satisfied, Guneagle turned his head and saw where the rest of the missiles were headed.

"They're going for the Re-equip Ring!" He cried.

"Stop them, Guneagle!" Zero yelled.

Guneagle needed no coaxing. Rocketing off, he flew alongside the missiles, destroying them with his bullets. However, the second missile he blew up exploded too close to the Ring.

"One got through!" He exclaimed in alarm.

-z-

"The Re-equip Ring has been damaged!" Juli reported.

"I can see that!" Haro replied, watching. "It's falling into the sea!"

The chief watched as the Ring, leaving a trail of smoke in its wake, descend toward the water when Juli's voice alerted him to another crisis.

"Sir, more missiles are headed toward the Tower!"

-z-

As one more missile rocketed toward Neotopia Tower, Guneagle flew alongside it.

_It's too close to the Tower!_ Guneagle thought, _I can't risk firing my weapons! But maybe if I can alter its course…!_

With the kind of zeal that make professional skydivers, Guneagle slammed into the missile, pushing it hard enough it fly past the Tower…and exploded.

-z-

"_Guneagle!_" Juli cried. She and the rest of the SDG crews watched in silent horror as Guneagle's unmoving body fell to the ground.

That was when Chief Haro made his decision. "Prepare to abandon SDG Base."

Juli looked at him. "Sir?"

"We are going to disconnect the junction cable," Haro explained, "The satellite can't move fast enough to reposition the base away from the city in time. We'll use emergency booster rockets."

Juli glanced at the radar, and knew what Haro was saying was true. The base wasn't even halfway out of the city yet.

"Get everybody aboard the Gunperries and go," Chief Haro continued, "I will stay behind at the helm.

-z-

Meanwhile, the _Big-Zam _was trying to regain its balance.

"Can't anybody stabilize this thing?" Zapper groused, "I can't get a decent shot!"

"_You?_" Grappler demanded, "Why is it always _you_ who gets to shoot the cannon? Who made _you_ king of the universe!"

"My turn!" Destroyer insisted, "Want to make gun go _boom!_ Me! Me!"

"Will you two be _quiet!_" Zapper bellowed, then he saw on his monitors the Gunperries taking off. "Haha, the rats are abandoning the ship!"

-z-

As the Gunperries flew off, Juli poked her head out the door of hers, watching the base shrink with a sad expression.

"So long, chief! Good luck!" She called, "_We're all with you, sir!_"

-z-

Zapper gave the departing Gunperries a sarcastic salute. "Ta-ta, everyone! Toodle-oo! Don't forget to write!" His mouthpiece curled into a nasty grin as he set his sights on the pylon. "Now let's bring this baby _down!_"

The _Big-Zam_'s main cannon powered up.

"_Fire!_"

-z-

"Disconnect satellite junction cable…" Haro told Blanc Base's computers, "_Now!_"

-z-

The pylon detached from Blanc Base and retracted into the junction point precious seconds before the _Big-Zam_ fired. Because of that, it looked like the beam had vaporized the cable.

"Direct hit!" Zapper crowed, "Now there's nothing keeping it from…" That last word died in Zapper's mouth as realization kicked in, but he said it any way. "…_falling._"

Blanc Base, and everyone on it, including the _Big-Zam_, began to plummet. The pilots of the chicken-legged tank wailed in panic when the boosters underneath the base, positioned under each runway and under the main portion of the facility, activated, causing the base to rise. The sudden stop and subsequent ascent caused the _Big-Zam _to wobble precariously.

"Hey, what happened!" Grappler cried, "We're not falling anymore!"

The _Big-Zam_ fell, but it did not fall off the base. Instead it toppled forward, landing so its front was facing down. Captain and Bakunetsumaru landed painlessly in front of it, having jumped earlier. Meanwhile, the base began to fly- in a very rocky manner- away from Neotopia.

-z-

"Full power to booster rockets," Chief Haro said to the computer, "I must keep the base from falling on the city!"

While he spoke, he began diverting power from all the base's unused functions into the boosters. He had to maintain their altitude!

-z-

But Zapper wasn't going to be beaten just yet.

"Full forward thrust!" He ordered, "We'll drive this base into the ground!"

The _Big-Zam_'s rockets activated and began to push the base down. Because it was on one end of Blanc Base, this meant that its actions began to tilt the facility. Chief Haro tried desperately to keep his balance as he worked, while in the courtyard, Gunbike began to lose traction. As the base tilted even more, Gunbike hit the ceiling before falling into the center. As it banged around, Shute jumped from the sidecar and clung to a piece of the ceiling's support.

"Whoa!" He cried, "Gunbike! Are you okay!"

-z-

Chief Haro was also hanging on for dear life as he gripped the edge of the main terminal.

_It's not working! _He thought, _Their thrusters are too powerful!_

The base's emergency boosters weren't meant for this kind of strain. It would only be

-z-

"Full forward thrust!" Zapper cackled as the base underwent its forced descent.

"We must destroy those thrusters!" Captain yelled and ran up the _Big-Zam_'s side. Once he was up at the thrusters, he stabbed his beam saber into the rocket. Bakunetsumaru followed his lead and began to repeatedly hack his swords into another thruster.

Zero did one better. Yelling, "Victory in the name of Lacroa!" he flew above the main middle thruster and dived down, using a magic circle to try and block the rocket's flames.

Shute, meanwhile, managed to get up on the ceiling support and watched as his Gundam friends went at it.

"Wow…" He murmured.

"Ha ha, shove it down!" Destroyer laughed.

Captain felt the heat of the thruster's flames as he worked. "This is not as easy as I thought it would be!" He yelled while Bakunetsumaru and Zero continued to launch their own assaults.

"We're running out of time!" Shute yelled as he felt the base shudder. "C'mon, guys!"

Perhaps hearing Shute's voice, the Gundams doubled their efforts. Minutes later the _Big-Zam _released sounds of its own stress.

"That's it, guys!" Shute cheered, "Hang in there, you can do it!"

But Shute seemed to have spoken too soon. The power of the thrusters overwhelmed Zero, knocking him into a leg.

"Zero!" Shtue cried in alarm.

At his thruster, Bakunetsumaru fell to his knees in exhaustion. "We can't do it! Too powerful!"

"You've got no choice!" Shute insisted.

Captain, meanwhile, was straining against his thruster. "The odds of us succeeding are very little!"

"What else is new!" Shute demanded, feeling something inside of him burn.

"But I will never give up, never!" Captain shouted, pulling out his saber and scaling the thruster.

"You can do it, Captain!" Shute called out, "Zero…Bakunetsumaru…_you can do anything!_"

On that last word, the Gundams felt it. As Shute's voice seemed to echo not just through the air but in their souls, they felt their bodies tense, as if they had transformed.

_Shute!_ Captain thought in shock.

_That voice! _Zero thought in wonder.

_Wow! _Bakunetsumaru thought in awe, _Was that Shute!_

Captain felt his Soul Drive energize, and then realized the truth. The Soul Drive operated by synchronizing with a human's feelings. It responded to Shute's will and spirit. It transmuted Shute's own inner strength into Captain's physical power.

The Soul Drive was a mirror of Shute's soul!

"He's right!" Captain yelled, "We have no option but to succeed!"

Captain's fist glowed golden as he focused his power in that part. Raising his beam saber in the air, he yelled, "_Gundam Force Triple Attack!_"

"_O Mana, come to me!_" Zero called out, summoning the spirits of magic to his being.

Bakunetsumaru took his stance. "The heavens call out! Justice calls to me and I answer, Bakunetsumaru, the Blazing Samurai!"

Watching this, the pilots of the _Big-Zam_ were not amused.

"Oh, I'm so scared!" Zapper snarled sarcastically.

"We have a trick or two of our own!" Grappler yelled.

"Dah, yeah!" Destroyer whooped, happy that they were going to use _that._

The seats spin around as the invasion officers yelled, "_Launch the special ultra-jumbo missile!_"

With some effort, the _Big-Zam _straightened up so that it was sitting on the runways instead of lying. The entire top-half of the super-tank opened up, revealing a giant warhead with monstrous face painted on. Seeing this, shute gritted his teeth and wound his arm as if throw a punch, focusing all of his will into the Gundams.

"Yyyyeah!" He yelled.

"_Spirits in the realm of magic, in the name of righteousness, gather to my wings!_" Zero called, "_Super Magical Violet Tornado!_" with one swing of his sword, unleashed blast of petal-laced winds.

"_Secret Arts! Bakunetsu!_"Bakunetsumaru yelled, "_Tenko-Ken!_" and sliced a flaming X into the winds.

Captain said nothing, but jumped into the winds behind the flaming X, throwing a punch.

The _Big-Zam_'s ultra-jumbo missile launched, but didn't fly very far before the Triple Attack struck it.

BOOM!

The force of the explosion knocked the _Big-Zam _right off of the base. Luckily, they had managed to leave the city and were now over the adjacent desert.

"Way to go!" Shute cheered.

-z-

As the _Big-Zam _fell, helpless running in the air, Zapper desperately pounded at the controls.

"Open the escape hatch, you morons!" He yelled, "_Open the escape hatch!_" An image of a Zako head with an X for an eye appeared on one of his screens. "Huh? _It's locked!_"

"Well, where's the key!" Grappler demanded.

Zapper's mind raced. "On the kitchen counter…_where you left it!_" He screamed accusingly.

Grappler winced. "_Oops!_"

Destroyer, who still hadn't any real idea what was going on, yelled, "Big boom! Big boom!"

"_Oh, here we go again!_" Zapper screamed over the wails of his co-pilots as the _Big-Zam _plummeted. There was an earthshaking thud as it landed, kicking up tons of dirt.

"Urgh…no biggie." Zapper muttered.

"You said it," Grappler said, "We're not done yet!"

One of the _Big-Zam_'s alerts sounded, and all three pilots looked up. Something was coming at them. Something _big._

Zapper groaned. "Not good."

-z-

Chief Haro let out a harsh as he boarded his Gunperry with the Gundam Force. The Dark Axis might have brought Blanc Base down, but that didn't mean they would escape. Now that the SDG headquarters' boosters had burnt out, there was nothing to keep it in the air…_above _the _Big-Zam_.

-z-

Back at Neotopia Tower, Zako Red gave a satisfied nod at the large mushroom-shaped cloud that kicked up when Blanc Base hit the earth. Zapper, Grappler, and Destroyer had probably been crushed along with it, but the Dark Axis didn't need them. Not anymore.

Holding the Zakurello Phone to his mouth, Zako Red gave his report.

"SDG Base has fallen. Commence phase 2 of operation."

-z-

Back at the movie shooting, the people gazed at the spectacle in shock and awe.

"That was _all _special effects?" Keiko asked, amazed. "I can't believe it!"

"Well, let's ask Shute." Sayla suggested, recalling that Shute was always around when that…soldier Captain appeared.

Keiko's eyes widened when she realized that she hadn't heard a word from Shute when all of this had started. It was so unlike her son to just disappear…when she realized that Shute had been disappearing a lot lately, with his new friends from out of town, Zero and Bakunetsumaru.

"Where did he go?" Keiko asked, looking around. "Shute!" But she couldn't see any sign of him. "Where could that boy have gotten too?"

"Listen up, everyone!" Mayor Margaret said, calling the attention of all present. "In order to explain what you witnessed here today, I guess I'll have to explain a little bit about the SDG Base, and the Gundam Force," She sighed sadly. "I suppose it's high time you learned the truth."

-z-

The sun was setting as the SDG Gunperry fleet arrived at Blanc Base's crash zone. After evacuating from it before its fall, Chief Haro and the Gundam Force regrouped with the rest of the SDG. Now they were returning to the base.

Chief Haro stood on top of his white Gunperry while Zero flew around.

"There she is," Haro said, "What's left of her."

The Gunperry's doors opened, allowing Shute, Captain, Bakunetsumaru, and Gunbike to look out at the fallen base.

"We've got a job ahead of us, picking up the pieces from this ruckus," the Chief sighed, "and I don't just mean the SDG Base…"


	19. Fire up! Captain System

Chapter 10: Fire Up! Captain System

Night had fallen in Neotopia. Several hours had passed since the fall of Blanc Base. Zako Red held the Zakurello Phone to his mouth piece as he stood on Neotopia Tower.

"The first stage of the operation has been achieved. Zako," He said, "We are now moving on to the second stage. Zako."

Zako Red heard a crackle of electricity and looked up. Higher up, a Zakurello Gate had opened. Unlike the one the _Big-Zam _had used, this one was person-sized. From the portal a line of flying yellow robots emerged- these robots were sleeker, with their heads built like bomber planes. They were the Doga Bombers, a class of Dark Axis soldier superior to those idiotic Zakos. Leading these Bombers were four Dogas that each had different color-schemes-Grey, Blue, Green, Purple.

It took a while, but soon over fifty Doga Bombers had emerged from the Zakurello Gate. A larger portal would have brought the squad instantly, but they were trying not to draw attention to themselves- not yet, anyway. They looked down at the city.

-z-

As the rest of the SDG worked, Captain stared into the starry sky. Something was happening, he could feel it.

Not far from where Blanc Base had landed, the SDG had set up a campsite to act as an outpost, salvaging equipment from the main headquarters. Above them, a trio of Gunperries flew around, keeping watch.

"Wow," Dr. Bell Wood, head of the Dimensional Transport Device project murmured. "If I hadn't seen it I wouldn't have believed it!"

He was staring up at Blanc Base, which now looked like someone giving a karate chop to a chicken, based on how it landed on the _Big-Zam_. He had been called away from Lab C to help set up the emergency outpost's computers with Kao Lyn.

"Okay," Kao Lyn muttered, typing at one computer. "Let's just try to make a little adjustment here…"

Shute couldn't look away from the fallen base. It seemed so…_bizarre…_that something like this could have happened. When he had first seen Blanc Base, he thought that the super-cool headquarters of the SDG was indestructible. But now…now, he wasn't sure what to think.

_I wonder what's going to happen to all of us now…_ He thought. He turned his head when he heard Kao Lyn give a victorious shout.

"Now we can use the command sector's functions!" the scientist explained.

"What's the status of Neotopia?" Chief Haro asked, walking over.

Kao Lyn turned the computer on. At first it was just static, but then Mayor Margaret's voice could be heard.

"…Spond, SDG Base, please respond!" Her speech was slightly inhibited by the static.

"Mayor, this is SDG Base, we read you." Haro said.

"This is Neotopia Tower, come in SDG Base! Come in, please!"

The screen soon dissolved to show the mayor in her office.

"Oh, I finally got through!" She sighed, and said, "The city of Neotopia is in danger, please send help right now!"

Shute felt his heart race. "Wha- the _city?_"

-z-

In the skies above Neotopia, Doga Bombers flew around, spreading themselves all over the city. In their hands they held odd guns that looked like someone had attached a cone covered in spikes to the barrel of a pistol.

"All right, boys!" Doga Grey ordered, "Let's give these folks a few presents!"

The Dogas pulled the triggers, firing the cones forward. Spinning, the cones released their red spikes, causing them to rain all over the city. The people outside watched in confusion at the 'red rain' that came down, unable to make sense of it.

But the spikes were actually Control Horns, and their magnetic attachments allowed them to effortlessly home in on each mobile citizen, planting themselves firmly on their heads. Robotic eyes all over the city turned red as they fell under Dark Axis control.

Doga Grey looked viciously at the new puppets. "I swear you all in as soldiers of the Dark Axis!"

The mobile citizens, _en masse_, stopped whatever they were doing and began to march towards the center of the city. Humans on the sidelines stared at this uncommon behavior in worrying wonder. This wasn't right, they knew. The mobile citizens weren't supposed to act like this; they weren't supposed to be…robots.

"Hey, what's going on?" Tommy asked his mobile friend. When he got no answer, he saw that his friend was wearing a Horn as well!

"Hey, where ya goin'?" Tommy cried, grabbing his friend's arm.

"Not-now." The friend said sternly, shaking Tommy off. The little boy fell to his rear and looked on sadly as his friend vanished into the mass of departing robots.

-z-

"I recognize those Control Horns!" Mayor Margaret explained, filling the SDG in. "The Dark Axis is bringing its evil to Neotopia!"

"Their attack on our base was in preparation for this!" Chief Haro realized.

Kao Lyn was typing furiously on another keyboard. "Chief! I'm monitoring the situation of the out of control mobile citizens!"

"I'm showing it on this monitor." Bell Wood added, and a grid of the city appeared on the screen. The city was mostly shown as blue, with green dots representing the mobile citizens…except some of these dots had turned red. And other dots were turning red. And others. And others. And others…

"Oh my!" Kao Lyn cried, "At this speed, the entire mobile citizen population of Neotopia will be brainwashed by tomorrow morning!"

"What! That's no good!" Shute cried, "We've gotta stop it!"

"Shute?"

Shute whirled back at the first screen. Standing next to Mayor Margaret, holding Nana, was Keiko!

"Is that your voice, Shute?" She asked, worried.

"Mom!" He exclaimed, running in front of the screen so she could see him.

"Where are you, Shute?" Keiko asked, sounding more distraught by the word. "You shouldn't be so far away from home!"

"Mom, I'm okay!" Shute insisted.

"Keiko," Mayor Margaret said, "Shute is in a much safer place than we are, please don't worry!"

"But…"

"I'm sorry to make you worry," Shute began, "But I…" Then the screen went blank. Shute felt his pulse race. "Mom!"

"It's no use, Shute," Bell Wood said softly, "The communications facility is damaged."

"Mom…" Shute murmured. He felt a terror like no other. The Dark Axis was attacking. Blanc Base was down. What if he never saw her again…?

Captain, seeing the look of fear on Shute's face, came to his decision. Marching up to Chief Haro, he saluted and said, "Chief Haro, sir. I request immediate activation of the Captain System."

Haro turned to Captain quickly. "Yes, of course! The Captain System!"

"What!" Bell Wood cried, whirling around.

Shute looked to Captain. "Did you say…the Captain System?"

Kao Lyn scratched his head. "Um…that's not even…tested yet."

Captain looked to Kao Lyn and nodded. "Yes, I understand," Looking at the mobile citizen chart, which now was half-red, he said, "However, chief, it may be the only chance we have to deal with the out-of-control mobile citizens. _We have nothing to lose, _Kao Lyn."

"Roger! Understood!" Chief Haro said firmly, "For an occasion such as this, you are granted the name and function of Captain Gundam. I trust you, Captain, _completely._"

Captain nodded solemnly. "Thank you, Chief Haro."

Haro nodded back and gestured decisively with his arm. "Unlock the seal of the Captain System! Re-equip Ring, stand by!"

Kao Lyn had been working furiously at his computer when Chief Haro had begun to speak, and meekly looked over his shoulder at the SDG leader.

"Erm, that's no good." He said. Everyone looked at him.

"What happened?" Haro asked.

"Unfortunately," Kao Lyn went on, rather awkwardly. "The Ring is deep in the ocean, now, chief."

"_What!_" Haro cried, the ears on his green head flapping furiously. "_In the ocean!_"

-z-

Quickly, a strike team was assembled. Captain and Shute boarded Gunbike while Bakunetsumaru saddled up on Entengo. The rest of the SDG boarded the Gunperries and prepared for take-off.

"Mission accepted," Gunbike said, "You want me to take Captain to the Ring, right?"

"I don't get what that crazy Captain System is all about," Bakunetsumaru remarked, "But I know the duty we must perform!"

Zero nodded. "However, in order to do so, it is imperative that we break through enemy lines."

Shute quickly plotted a course on the sidecar's computer, a cold feeling in his stomach. It was a bad day when your own home was behind 'enemy lines.'

"It won't be easy." Zero concluded.

"Easy? _Easy!_ I didn't sign up for easy!" Gunbike barked, "This will be a very fierce battle!"

At the door of Chief Haro's Gunperry, Juli said, "Everyone…" She pumped her fist. "Let's do this!"

POOF!

"Do not tarnish your eyes with tears, milady." Zero said, holding out a just-summoned rose out to her.

"Uh, thank you." Juli replied.

Meanwhile, Bell Wood was glaring up at Bakunetsumaru.

"I'm counting on you, Bakunetsumaru!" He said.

Bakunetsumaru smirked. "Yeah, right. You'd never let me forget it if I failed this mission!"

He gave Bell Wood a fist bump. The two had spent many an hour arguing over the progress of the Dimensional Transport Device, and despite, or because of that, they had developed something like of a brotherly bond; The kind where you fight over the TV remote but gang up on the sister.

Off to the side, numerous SDG workers were busy helping Guneagle up. He had not been fully repaired from his battle with the _Big-Zam._

"Oh, man," he groaned, "If only I could move…"

On top of his Gunperry, Chief Haro called, "All crew members of the SDG and Gundam Force, scramble! May you come back safe and successful!"

With that said, the Gunperries rose into the air, and the Gundam Force, Captian and Shute riding Gunbike, Zero flying, and Bakunetsumaru on Entengo, took off.

"C'mon!" Bakunetsumaru yelled, taking the lead. "Let's get moving!"

-z-

In Neotopia, Prio and Leonardo placed themselves in front of a small army of brainwashed mobile citizens, who were showing no sign of ceasing their march.

"Stop right there!" Leonardo shouted, "Everyone, please go back to your own-" A Control Horn then fell on him. "-mission…"

Leonardo fell to the ground. Hearing the sound of his fall, Prio turned and saw Leonardo get up. Running over to him, he asked, "Leonardo, are you okay?"

His facial screen turning red, Leonardo gave Prio an uncaring smack in the jaw, sending the man flying. Without another word, the mustachio'd mobile citizen joined in the march.

"What's going on…?" Prio groaned, watching his friend depart.

All of this was witnessed by Zako Red, standing on the roof of a store called V Ball, and Doga Grey, hovering nearby.

Doga Grey chuckled evil. "Looks like the mobile citizens of Neotopia will be good soldiers," More serious, he said, "Preparations are under way to welcome the Commander. Should we begin the third stage of the operation?"

"Negative," Zako Red answered, "We have something to do _before _that. Zako."

Doga Grey looked confused. "Huh?"

"In battle, we should be two to three moves ahead of the opponent at all times," Zako Red explained. Looking to the side, he focused his vision on the Gunperries flying in. "Indicators show the enemy is near. Here come the Gundams!"

-z-

"We are approaching the city limit," Captain reported, "And will continue on to the ocean!"

"I just hope we get back to Neotopia in time to make sure everyone is safe!" Shute mentioned.

Even with the engine running, Captain heard the fearful tremble in Shute's voice.

"Don't worry, Shute," He told the boy, "Your family will be fine!"

Before Shute could reply to this, they heard the sound of several dozen jet engines. Looking up, they saw an entire squadron of Doga Bombers hovering in front of them.

"Here they are!" Bakunetsumaru cried out.

"Bakunetsumaru!" Zero yelled, "You and I are going to take care of them!"

Bakunetsumaru nodded. "Right. Captain, we'll clear a path for you and the others!"

"Good luck!" Captain called out.

Zero and Entengo quickly pulled themselves in front of Gunbike and shot forward.

"Here we go!" Zero yelled as Bakunetsumaru let out a battle cry.

The Doga Bombers opened fire, spewing dozens of bullets from the guns in their heads. Amid the gunfire Bakunetsumaru stood up on Entengo's saddle and unsheathed his swords.

He leapt into the air. "You Dark Axis spawn of evil! Prepare to taste my blades! _Secret Arts! Bakunetsu! Blazing blades of justice! Kenpu! Tenkyo-Ken!_"

The fiery X he sliced into the air blasted through a bunch of the Doga Bombers, sending them flying.

"I won't allow the tragedy of Lacroa to be repeated!" Zero yelled, and began his magic. "_Mana who lives in all the universe, by your contract with this Winged Knight, give me your power now!_" Magic began to flow into him. "_O Mana, come to me! Super Magical Violet Tornado!_"

The massive whirlwind Zero created sent the Dogas spinning around, causing them to crash into the ground, kicking up a huge amount of dust. Zero and Bakunetsumaru stood on either side of the dust cloud and beckoned to Gunbike.

"Go, Captain!" Zero yelled, "Go, Shute!"

Gunbike blew past them. Shute leaned his head out of his sidecar.

"Bakunetsumaru!" he called out, "Zero!"

"Never mind them!" Gunbike shouted, "Our mission is to _get on through!_"

"Exactly!" Captain said as Gunbike sped out of the cloud and down the road.

-z-

Zero and Bakunetsmaru entered fighting stances, glaring defiantly at the Dogas.

"Bring it on!" Bakunetsumaru challenged, "We'll take care of you guys!"

But the Dogas laughed meanly, hovering over the Gundams. Entengo, looking up and bucked suddenly, neighing.

"What?" Zero and Bakunetsumaru looked to where the horse was looking, and saw a missile and bolt of light shooting towards them. They leapt away just before the two assaults exploded on the ground they stood on. Landing on another part of the road, they looked up and saw Doga Blue and Doga Purple flying towards them. Blue had a special beam rifle in his hand, while Purple's wings were equipped with missile-launchers.

"So these dudes are Gundams, huh?" Blue asked, "Man, I'm totally disappointed! I mean, they look so _weak_, dude!"

"_What _did you say!" Bakunetsumaru demanded hotly.

"We are two of the Four Doga Commandos," Doga Purple introduced, "Here to escort you into the next life!"

-z-

In Mayor Margaret's office, Keiko, Sayla, the rest of the movie crew and the mayor watched footage of the mind-controlled mobile citizens' march.

"They control all of the mobile citizens by brainwashing them," Keiko said angrily, "It's unforgivable!"

"It's awful!" Sayla cried.

"It'll be all right," Mayor Margaret assured, "Things will return to the way they once were- because w_e _have the Gundam Force on our side!"

Shute wasn't sure how long it took for them to reach the Peace Park, but he could see the statue of Neotopia Tower in its center clearly. His on-board computer told him that their destination was at the end of the park, overlooking the sea.

"The Re-equip Ring is over there!" Shute yelled, pointing.

"I see it!" Captain shouted back.

Within minutes they were rocketing into the park, practically flying.

"Hold on, Shute!" Gunbike yelled as they landed, "All right, we're gonna do this in one big breath! _Inhale!_"

However, just before and above them was Doga Green, clutching two four-barreled guns that resembled the handle for a fencing foil. His wings had two missiles attached.

"Well, well, well, look what we have here," Doga Green said nastily, "What's the hurry, little Gundams!"

Green opened fire with his two guns. As the bullets rained down, Gunbike yelled, "Captain, _go!_" and turned into a screeching stop, using the momentum to catapult Captain, who had grabbed Shute away from the assault. The 'old-timer' jolted and groaned as the bullets hit him.

"_Gunbike!_" Captain exclaimed in alarm.

"Are you all right!" Shute yelled.

"You can't get away!" Doga Green shouted, turning to the two.

"Don't bet on it, varmint!" Gunbike yelled, and fired a barrage of missiles at Doga Green.

"Oh yeah!" Doga Green fired upon the missiles. On the ground ahead, Shute and Captain stared at the explosion in the air.

"Gunbike…" Captain murmured.

Shute gave a yell. Out from the smoke of the blast came Doga Green, a yellow beam sabers on his wrists ignited.

"Shute, go on ahead!" Captain ordered, pulling out his own beam saber.

Shute nodded and took off. Captain, meanwhile, activated his boosters and leapt up and began to clash with Doga Green. They both sliced their blades at each other furiously, spinning and flipping in the air as one tried to get an edge over the other. However, Doga Green had the advantage of having actual flight capabilities and managed to knock Captain back to the ground.

"Captain!" Shute cried, seeing this from having chanced and looked behind. He gave yell as Doga Green flew at him.

"I'd be scared too if I were you!" Doga Green shouted, his sabers raised.

Luckily, something pulled Shute away just in time, causing Green to stab the ground.

"Guneagle!" Shute cried, looking up at his savior from where he lay in his arms.

The just-repaired Guneagle nodded at Shute before saying to Captain, "Captain, I'll take care of Shute!"

"Thank you." Captain said before speeding off towards the water's edge.

"Where do you think _you're_ going!" Doga Green snarled, giving chase.

Captain ignored him and leapt off the edge of the park, diving into the water. Doga Green glared at the ocean's surface scornfully.

"I don't know what you're thinking," He growled, annoyed at having lost his prey. "But _you will not survive!_"

Doga Green fired his missiles, and they crashed into the water.

"_Captain! Oh no!_" Shute cried in alarm. If those missiles caught up to him, he wouldn't be able to get away!

"He's all right, Shute," Guneagle assured, "There are Gundam Force members even in the ocean!"

Shute's face broke out in a smile as he remembered. "Oh, that's right!" His smile dropped when Guneagle almost collapsed. "Are you okay!"

Guneagle groaned. Looks like his repairs weren't complete yet. Looking at Shute, he said, "I'm all right. I too am a member of the Gundam Force!"

Sliding his visor down, Guneagle whipped out his beam saber and jetted up at Doga Green.

-z-

Under the sea, Captain could only watch in silence as the two missiles flew at him. However, before they could even get close to him, an underwater tornado appeared and destroyed the projectiles.

The Gundivers ceased their activity and turn to salute to Captain.

"Captain!" 01 announced, "Death-charge obliteration complete!"

"_Complete!_" Gundivers 02-07 repeated.

"We have the Re-equip Ring secured!" 01 added. They had been deployed to the sea from another beach closer to where the base had fallen earlier.

"_Secured!_"

"Excellent," Captain said, "Thank you!"

He turned and marched to where the Ring was lying.

"Commence docking sequence now!" Captain ordered.

The Ring's robotic arms sprang to life, and once Captain had climbed in took hold of him, grabbing on to his arms and legs. However, instead of replacing his parts, they glowed, enacting an energy transfer. The Ring began to rise…before resting back down on the ocean floor.

_I…don't have enough energy…_ Captain thought worriedly. Now what was he going to do?

-z-

At Neotopia Tower, almost every mobile citizen was standing around the tower, their face-screens red from the Control Horn's influence. They had their legs spread out and their left arm raised in a type of salute. Looking down at them, Zako Red allowed himself a cruel smile.

"Control Horn mission complete!" He announced, "Now the Dark Axis controls _every robot in Neotopia!_" Even though it was beneath him, he laughed. Laughed long, loud, and evil.

The one mobile citizen who had not yet joined the crowd was Leonardo, and not for lack of trying. His march had been slowed by Prio, who was trying to push him back, only to be shoved forward as he pressed himself against the mustachio'd robot in vain.

"No, Leonardo!" Prio insisted, "What are you doing?"

As he struggled and strained, he soon realized that three other controlled-GMs were marching toward him, their arms outstretched. As he looked fearfully around him, Chief Haro and several SDG officers leapt down, blocking the robots with SDG-brand riot shields.

"Are you okay, Prio?" Haro asked.

"I think so." Prio replied, managing to hold Leonardo back.

Meanwhile, all over Neotopia, the SDG, armed with their own riot shields departed their Gunperries, ready for action.

-z-

Captain then noticed that the level for the energy gauge was rising.

_Energy…? _He thought, when he saw the cause. "Gundivers!"

The Gundivers, hand in hand, had set up an arc of sorts, as 01 and 07 put their hands against the Re-equip Ring, transferring their combined power into it.

As their eyes went blank, 01 said, "Take our energy so the others can…be…saved…"

"_Saved…._"

Their fuel cells almost dry, the Gundivers fell, their limp bodies making soft thuds against the ocean floor.

_Energy gauged checked…mobile power acquired! _Captain thought, seeing the gauge go complete green. As the Ring rose, he said, "Gundivers, thank you for everything! I'll be back to help you later! _I promise!_"

-z-

"Please, stop running!" a little girl begged, chasing after her toy into the Peace Park.

Ever since that strange red spike had fallen on its head, Iyaka's favorite mobile toy had gone haywire, running around, making odd growling noises as it spun its arms around.

"C'mon, let's go back home now!" She wailed, and began to cry. She was out late, far from home, and had no idea what was going on. She wanted mommy to come make things better!

"Don't cry, I'll get him!"

Shute grabbed the Control Horn on the toy and pulled. He ended up being dragged around by the toy.

"Stop!" He said through clenched teeth, "_Stop! _Stop it, stop it…!"

Iyaka watched helplessly as this bizarre routine went on.

"Don't worry!" Shute assured, "Don't you worry about a thing! As soon as your friend stops moving, I'm gonna return him to normal!"

Struggling and straining, Shute tried to wretch the Horn off, but to no avail. All he could do was get the toy on its side, where it went around in circles.

"It's bound to wear down eventually…" Shute groaned, panting. "Aaaaany minute now…"

As Iyaka began to cry again, a loud splash was heard.

"What's that?" Shute wondered, and looked up. "Whoa!"

The Re-equip Ring had risen out of the sea! Its power made it give off an almost ethereal glow against the dark night sky.

"Captain!" Shute yelled, "Please return the mobile citizens back to normal!"

-z-

The insides of the Ring glowed golden as Captain's Soul Drive compartment opened up. As the Soul Drive energized, the golden glow soon covered the robotic arms and Captain's entire body as well.

"_Captain System activated!_"

The Haro-head on the Ring became consumed by light before sending off a pillar of green and gold energy into the sky. The beam was captured by a satellite, whose center also resembled Haro's head, minus the cap. Once it had absorbed all of the energy, its circuits churned to life as its protocols activated. Once it was ready, its two solar panels crackled with power before sending down twin beams of energy. The beams collided with the twin points of Neotopia Tower, where they were redirected into the many solar panels floating around the Tower. The panels bounced the beams around until they formed a web of light that soon condensed into a bright ball that illuminated all of Neotopia.

-z-

"The Captain System is officially activated!" Kao Lyn announced, communicating from his Gunperry to the chief's. The screen then showed a red web over Neotopia's atlas, turning from red to blue. "The Brain World access rate is…!"

"100% confirmed!" Juli finished happily.

"We're counting on you, Captain!" Chief Haro called.

-z-

Though Captain's body was still in the Re-equip Ring, his perception, his mind, was now racing along a red line that was a part of a massive, tangled grid that branched out everywhere. This was cyberspace, a world of computer data. Each branch led to a box with a picture of a different mobile citizen on it. He entered the one with Leonardo's face. Inside, he found the butler trapped inside a Control Horn.

_I hate this place! _Leonardo said unhappily, _I want to go back to the mayor and Prio!_

Captain gave the Horn a solid punch. It shattered instantly.

_Oh, thank you, Captain!_ Leonardo cried happily.

_It's all right now, _Captain said, _You can go back to your beloved home!_

-z-

In the real world, the Control Horn fell off of Leonardo's head. The mobile citizen wobbled as his face screen turned back to green.

"Ahh, what was I doing?" He muttered , before seeing his friend. "Oh, Prio!"

"You're okay!" Prio cried happily, throwing his arms around Leonardo. As he hugged his friend, tears flowed from his eyes. "Leonardo…"

"I can't remember _anything…_" Leonardo said, and looked down at the Horn. "But, it feels good to be rid of that _terrible _thing!"

-z-

At their gunperry, Kao Lyn and Bell Wood observed Captain's progress, watching as he entered box's with other mobile citizens on.

"AIs of all mobile citizens are closed chain-type systems called Brain World," Kao Lyn explained, "However, Captain is capable of connecting _all _the systems with his unique interface! Captain himself repairs the hacked and cracked Brain World, and in some cases, he can send appropriate inspections to each individual AI!"

Meanwhile, Captain had entered a mobile toy's AI and shattered the Control Horn it was trapped in, freeing it.

"And _that,_" Kao Lyn finished, "Is the Captain System!"

"The Captain System…" Bell Wood pumped his fist. "That thing is perfect!"

-z-

All over the city, Control Horns fell from mobile citizens by the dozens.

"Systems operational again...someone has accessed my processor!" One mobile citizen cried.

"Captain!"

"That's right! He said he was Captain!"

As the mobile citizens chattered about their mysterious hero, Zako Red shook with fury.

"Are you _kidding me!_" He snarled, "The Control Horns have been rendered ineffective!" He looked to where he could just barely see the glowing Ring. _The Gundams in _this _dimension must be load with functions that are still unknown to the Dark Axis!_

-z-

As the sun, bringing dawn, Shute handed the restored toy back to Iyaka.

"Here, he's saved," He said, "Everyone is back to the way they were!"

The two children looked up at the floating Ring, or, to be specific, the figure inside of it.

"Hey, who is that?" Iyaka asked.

"That's my buddy, his name is Captain," Shute explained, "He's our greatest Gundam hero."

-z-

Had either child looked back, they would have seen Zako Red standing on the miniature Neotopia Tower with Doga Grey floating alongside him.

_Now I know what the obstacle is in carrying out our invasion plans. _Zako Red thought, glaring at the Re-equip Ring. Speaking aloud to Doga Grey, he said, "Since we failed _miserably _the second stage of the operation, we are immediately moving into the third stage," his eye glowed. "Zako!"

-z-

"Mr. Captain!" Iyaka shouted happily, "Thank you!"

"Everyone's back to normal!" Shute laughed, happy that it was over. At his feet, the toy made its own happy noises.

But something was wrong, Shute could feel it. Why didn't Captain exit the Re-equip Ring?

"Captain…?"


	20. Trouble! Stolen Soul Drive

Chapter 11: Trouble! Stolen Soul Drive

In cyberspace, Captain Gundam continued his patrol of the Brain World. Though he had successfully freed the mobile citizens from the control of the Dark Axis, he still had to do a full check of the system to make sure the Dark Axis did not leave any 'surprises' that would come back to bite them in the future. The attack on Neotopia following the fall of Blanc Base had suggested that the Dark Axis was now engaged in a multi-step plan, and there was no telling what they would try next. But so far, there seemed to be no sign of immediate trouble.

_Virtual Captain here,_ captain reported, surfing the data streams that connected the AIs of Neotopia's mobile citizens. _Restoration nearly complete. The Brain World has been restored to 99.99% of full capability._

As he moved on from one sector to another, he saw a link that was red, unlike the normal green links that was the norm of the Brain World.

_Hang on. What is that?_ Captain wondered. A small screen appeared next to him, showing Kao Lyn.

_What is it, Captain? What have you found? _Kao Lyn asked.

_There is a Brain Link here that does not originate from Neotopia, _Captain answered, _Investigating._

_Huh! An unknown Brain Link? _Kao Lyn gulped, and began to do some martial arts out of anxiety. _Ohhh dear! Be careful, Captain! Be very, very careful!_

_Affirmative, _Captain replied, and began to navigate towards the Link. _Am tracking the link to its source!_

The data streams between AIs was like a tangled web, a maze of zigzagging and intersecting branches that seemed to go on in circles if a wrong turn was taken. However, Captain was able to effectively maneuver himself closer towards the rogue link. Once he was on the red data stream, he soon saw what exactly it led to.

_I found it!_ Captain announced, and focused his vision on what lay ahead. It was a red box which had on all sides a picture of – _A Bagubagu! This definitely originates from the Dark Axis!_

_Ahh, that explains it! _Kao Lyn realized, _this must be the 'back-door' they use when they infiltrate the Brain World! Ooh, I have an idea! A door swings two ways, doesn't it? If they can use it to get into us, we can use it to get into them!_

_Sounds logical. _Captain acknowledged.

_Of course, that's it! _Kao Lyn began to do katas in excitement. _Follow that link and we can the secret of the Bagubagu and their petrification process!_

_Understood! _Captain replied, and sped towards the Brain Link.

_But be careful! _

Captain slammed into the Bagubagu's Brain Link, and after a minute or two of pushing, was able to force himself in, causing the space around it to ripple from his entrance. Not more than a minute later did a strange red, diamond-like object appear in the Brain World. It had Zako Red's face on it.

_Clever. Well, at least it means _he's _out of the way for a while._

-z-

At first, all Captain could see were red cubes in a tunnel before a flash of light occurred, and he was in a room with multiple sides, like the inside of a prism. And in the center of the room was a large creature.

_Another virtual Bagubagu! _Captain cried out.

_Hmm, probably some sort of firewall, or security barrier, _Kao Lyn mused, _But there must be an opening in it somewhere!_

_Roger, _Captain said, and slid his scope down. _Scanning!_

Captain gave the Bagubagu a once-over, and discovered that it was weakest in the center of its eye.

_Found it, _Captain announced, _Looks like I'll have to give this fellow a poke in the eye!_

The Bagubagu lunged, but Captain was too quick. Flying up, he wound a glowing fist and delivered a punch that created a clean hole where its eye was.

_That did it! _Captain flew through the hole, which was more than large enough to fit him. However, on the other side was a room just like the first, virtual Bagubagu included. _Here we go again!_

Captain gave the Bagubagu a punch, then flew into the hole. Once again, he found himself in room with a Bagubagu. Undettered, Captain punched his way through again. And again. And again.

-z-

While the virtual Captain was on his journey to the center of the Bagubagu, the physical Captain remained in the Re-equip Ring, his Soul Drive out and he himself inert.

This stillness worried Shute. _Gee, I hope Captain's all right. I wonder what's taking so long?_

Some angry groaning, like a growl that puttered out, reminded the boy that he was not alone. Besides Iyaka and her mobile pet, Gunbike was also nearby.

"How are you, Gunbike?" Shute asked.

"Considerin' I took a direct hit, could be worse," Gunbike grumbled, "But I can't move an inch. I'm like a wind-up toy with its spring broken. It's embarrassin'!"

Though he had been destroyed by Guneagle, Gunbike still couldn't stand the fact that Doga Green had so easily shot him the night before. But before more could be said on the subject, the computer in Gunbike's sidecar lit up, showing static.

"Hey, at least your communications still work!" Shute pointed out, leaning into the sidecar while Iyaka hung nearby.

"That's somethin', I guess." Gunbike muttered.

"..ute! Shute, my boy!" the screen's picture cleared to show Kao Lyn, hopping on his feet. "Ohh, is that you? Are you all right?"

Shute nodded. "Yeah, but I'm getting a little worried about Captain."

"Oh! Just because he's not with us _here,_ doesn't mean he's not hard at work! Right now he's investigating something he's found in the Brain World! Here, I'll show you!"

The screen then showed Captain punching out a virtual Bagubagu, before entering the hole in its eye.

"Whoa, what's that!" Shute asked.

-z-

In the Gunperry used by the SDG's two top scientists, Kao Lyn and Bell Wood, they and Kao Lyn's Ball watched Captain's progress on their own computer terminal's wide screen monitor, while Shute's screen had been positioned to the upper right.

"If he can follow that link to its source," Kao Lyn explained, doing punches and chops. "We might learn how to reverse the Bagubagu's petrification process! Oh golly, wouldn't that be wonderful!"

"Yeah!" Shute exclaimed, smiling widely, "I'll say it would!" Not only would they be able to unpetrify parts of Neotopia that had been attacked by Bagubagu earlier, but they would also be able to restore Zero's homeland Lacroa.

"Yo, go for it!" Bell Wood cheered, doing a little hustle. "You can do it! That's it, all the way! _Yeah!_"

-z-

At their position in the Peace Park on the Neotopia Tower statue, Zako Red stared at Captain's still form, or more specifically, his Soul Drive.

_Unless I'm mistaken, _that _is what holds all the robots together: That glowing sphere. _Zako Red thought, _With that in my hands, their hearts and souls will be mine. As for living things, I'll just petrify them._ He spoke into the Zakurello Phone. "Zakurello Gate, open!"

He looked back to the city and watched as a large gate opened up above Neotopia Tower.

-z-

In Neotopia, the SDG were busy with clean-up efforts, which meant collecting the discarded Control Horns.

"All right," Chief Haro was saying, "Gather up those Control Horns and let's get them into a secure place. But be careful, some of them might still be active."

As they scavenged, Juli pointed at Neotopia Tower.

"Chief! There's a gate appearing at ten o' clock!" She said.

Chief Haro looked to where she was pointing. _What now?_

He got his answer when he saw the nose of a battleship poke out of the jaw-like portal.

"Something's coming through!" Haro cried.

The Zakurello Gate dispersed after the _Magnamusai _entered Neotopia airspace. As the combat carrier hung in the air, a black mist began to pour out of the large ports on its sides. A buzzing sound filled the air.

"I wonder what the Dark Axis is up to now," Juli wondered, "What is that, some kind of smoke, some kind of gas?"

Haro's blood went cold. "Neither one! Those are Bagubagu!"

"Orders, chief?"

"Condition red!" Haro yelled, a trace of panic in his voice. "Clear the area! Evacuate everybody at once!"

-z-

Back in cyberspace, Captain once again entered a prism-like chamber with a Bagubagu…but this one was red. He quickly scanned it.

_That's odd. I detect no opening here. _Captain reported.

Before he could do any more, the Bagubagu began to hit him with its claws. Captain tried to block the blows, but was sent flying back.

_Interesting,_ Captain commented, straightening himself. _Perhaps this is not another door leading to the source…but the source itself!_

_Oh, I don't think so, Captain! _Kao Lyn remarked, _This is probably the last security barrier, more powerful than the others! You _must _find a way through it!_

-z-

In the real world, Shute and Iyaka watched Captain's struggle in cyberspace.

"Bash your way through, Captain!" Shute urged excitedly.

"Yeah, bash your way through!" Iyaka giggled before adding, "Whatever it is!"

"We're all counting on you, Captain!" Kao Lyn said over the communications, "Meanwhile, the rest of us will resist the enemy to the last man, woman, and machine!"

"Go on, I know you can do it, Captain!" Shute cheered.

"Yeah, you can do it, Captain!" Iyaka added.

"Just get me up and running again and I'll tear 'em to bits!" Gunbike yelled, trying to do a wheelie.

Shute shut his eyes and bent over before throwing his head back and yelling, "_Together, we can't fail!_"

He then heard a buzzing sound and opened his eyes. Right in front of his face a Bagubagu!

"Oh no!" He cried, waving his arms frantically. "A Bagubagu! Get away from me! Ahhh!"

A scream from Iyaka pulled him out of his hissy fit. The little girl was staring at the countryside leading to Neotopia, which was rapidly turning into stone as a grey mist passed over it. A buzzing sound told him that was a Bagubagu swarm on its way here. But where did they come from?

"Shute!" She screamed, "What's happening!"

Then he heard Juli's voice. "Shute! Are you there! Come in, Shute!"

Shute ran over to Gunbike's sidecar. Juli's face was on the computer's screen.

"We're under attack!" She said hurriedly, "An enemy ship has appeared, and it's dispersing Bagubagu!"

_Now _Shute knew why the swarm had appeared. Looking towards the center of Neotopia, his heart did a double-flip as he saw the _Magnamusai _hovering in plain sight over Neotopia Tower. He remembered seeing the ship in the other dimension while saving Captain and Zero from the Dark Axis, and thought it looked even more ominous in the peaceful city.

"We suggest you and any others with you take cover immediately!" Juli continued, "Repeat, _take cover!_"

"Yeah, that's a good idea!" Shute gulped. After Juli ended the communication, he looked around. "Iyaka!"

Shute grabbed the little girl and quickly put her in Gunbike's sidecar. Then, he sat the mobile pet on her lap. The sidecar had a glass windshield that would encapsulate it, protecting anyone inside.

"Don't worry," He told her, "You'll be safe in here!" Shute reached into the sidecar's special compartment, pulled out his modified skates and fastened them to his shoes.

"All right! Good to go!" He said, and turned back to Iyaka and pet. "Now you two just stay put! I'll see you later!"

"Wait!" Iyaka cried, grabbing his arm as he began to leave. He looked at her. "But- what about you?"

Shute gave Iyaka a reassuring smile. "Don't worry about me! I'm an old hand at this kinda thing!"

Though she didn't look happy about it, Iyaka let go of Shute's arm.

"I'll be fine, really. See you soon." He told her more gently, and activated the windshield. To Gunbike, he said, "You take care of her, Gunbike."

"Don't worry about it, kid!" Gunbike replied gruffly, "I may not be good for anythin' else right now, but that much I can do!"

"Okay!" Shute said, and skated off. Once he was a good distance away from Gunbike, he turned around and began to yell at the swarm. "Bagubagu! I'm over here, come and get me if you can!"

He knew that if that swarm really went at it, they would eventually break through the windshield and get Iyaka. Therefore, he had to lure them away by becoming live bait.

Turning around, he began to chant "Bagu" over and over again as he did a little dance. After a minute, he bent over and looked between his legs to see if they had heard him. Fortunately, they did. Unfortunately,they did it _quickly._

"Well, that worked!" Shute cried, taking off. "_Now what!_"

With a trail of Bagubagu following him, Shute quickly made for greener pastures.

_He is so cool! _Iyaka thought, watching him go.

Her pet thought so too.

-z-

Back in the city, the people of Neotopia were treating the swarms of Bagubagu in the manner typical for such an occasion: By running away, screaming.

As crowds of Neotopians fled, Leonardo and Prio stood on the sidelines, doing their best to direct the evacuation efforts.

"Everyone into the shelters!" Leonardo yelled, "That's right, this way! Everyone, please keep moving in an orderly fashion! This way- Huh?"

Leonardo heard a buzzing noise and saw mass of that grey mist fly right at them!

"Take cover!" He cried, and ducked down.

The mist washed over everything, but as soon as it came, it left. Cautiously, Leonardo got up.

"That was close…" He muttered before saying, "Okay, all clear!"

Then Leonardo noticed that there was an unnatural silence prevailing. Looking around, he saw that the street was filled with statues of people that looked like they in the middle of running before being frozen mid-step. But the worst sight was right before him.

"_Prio!_" The mobile butler cried in horror. His good friend and co-worker was now made of stone, pointing towards the shelter.

-z-

In another petrified part of the city, a group of confused humans stood within a magic force field as Bagubagu buzzed angrily around. Above them, Zero and Doga Purple clashed, the Winged Knight's Vatras Sword agains the Doga Commando's wrist-mounted beam saber.

"I won't be able to protect the citizens with my shield much longer!" Zero groaned.

Doga Purple gave him a mean look. "Forget them and worry about yourself! When I'm done you won't even be a blip in my memory banks!"

-z-

Elsewhere, Bakunetsumaru sat on Entengo, trying to fend off Doga Blue's gunfire with his swords.

"C'mon, dude! Keep up! Doga Blue taunted before getting a cruel idea. Flying over to where a group of petrified citizens were, he began to shoot at them. "Check this out! Watch while I turn these statues in gravel! C'mon, dance!"

"No, stop!" Two mobile police units quickly leapt in front of the statues, shielding them with their bodies.

"_You coward! Fiend! Villain!_" Bakunetsumaru screamed.

-z-

"The time has come!" Zako Red said into the Zakurello Phone, "Bring your forward cannons to bare and lock on target!"

The _Mangamusai, _hearing the orders, turned the direction of their main cannons in their pre-appointed direction. And in that direction was…_the Re-equip Ring._

"_Fire!_"

And soon, three twin beams of light energy were coursing towards the ring.

-z-

Shute, meanwhile, was still out-skating the Bagubagu.

"C'mon, you digitized fruit flies!" Shute taunted, "Just try and catch me!"

Shute soon regretted those words. Turning a corner around the statue of Neotopia Tower, he found _another _swarm of Bagubagu waiting for him! With a wild yell, he skidded to a stop. Panting, he looked back and forth.

_Surrounded! _He thought frantically, _This…doesn't look good!_

As the Bagubagu closed in, he shut his eyes and braced for the inevitable.

-z-

In cyberspace, the virtual Bagubagu lunged. But Captain wasn't done yet.

_All right, one more time…! _Winding up his fist, he delivered a glowing punch, right in the virtual entity's eye.

-z-

Shute noticed that the buzzing had stopped. Cautious, but curious, he took a chance and opened his eyes. The Bagubagu were sitting in the air. Their wings weren't flapping, either. It was as if time had stopped. Then gravity caught up with them and they began to fall.

_What happened? _Shute thought.

-z-

"The creatures…" Bakunetsumaru said slowly, staring at the falling Bagubagu. "They are falling from the sky! How can this be?"

"I don't know," Zero admitted, "But you won't hear me complaining!"

Dogas Purple and Blue looked around in confusion.

"Whoa! What's going on?" Dogu Blue cried.

They exchanged uneasy looks.

"This wasn't part of the plan, was it?" Doga Blue whispered to Purple.

"I don't think so…" Purple Doga muttered.

-z-

Shute stared at the fallen Bagubagu until a smile appeared on his face.

_This must be Captain's doing!_

-z-

Captain stared at the Bagubagu. It had not moved since that last blow, and its eye had vanished completely.

_I detect no energy output,_ Captain reported, _It would appear that I have deactivated it._

-z-

"I _knew _you could do it!" Shute yelled to the Re-equip Ring, "Way to go! _Yeah!_"

-z-

_Now's your chance to break through to the source! _Kao Lyn said excitedly.

_Right, will do. _Captain replied, and pulled himself back.

Winding up his fist, the virtual Gundam gave the Bagubagu a glowing punch right where the eye used to be, creating a hole in it.

_I'm going in!_ He cried, entering it.

-z-

Shute looked up at the Re-equip Ring with a contented feeling. Once again, Captain had saved the day. And not only that, but once he found secret of the petrification process, the SDG would be able to undo all of the damage the Bagubagu had done, not just in Neotopia, but also in Lacroa, too!

Then it all went wrong.

Three beams flew through the sky, hitting the Re-equip Ring!

Ba-Boom!

-z-

Captain felt his body go numb as painful sensations coursed throughout his being.

_Erg…what is happening! _He thought as he lost control of his body.

-z-

"_No, no, no, Captain!_" Kao Lyn screamed, watching the disaster. "_We're losing him!_"

-z-

As Captain's body and the Re-equip Ring fell, Doga Grey carried Zako Red towards it.

"Hurry, you fool!" Zako Red shouted, "Get me into position before he hits the water!"

'Into position' meant at about Captain's descending height. As they got close enough, Zako Red held out his hand, slowly reaching out.

"Steady…" He warned, more to himself than Grey. "_Zako…_"

Once they were closer, Zako Red grabbed hold of the Soul Drive. After a minutes of twisting and tugging, he managed to pull it free. Elated, he held it up like a trophy.

"The Soul Drive is mine!" He announced, laughing.

On the ground, Shute stared in both anger and fear as he watched this new development.

_He's taken the Soul Drive!_ He thought frantically.

-z-

In cyberspace, Captains screamed as his body spun uncontrollably through the virtual tunnel. Then, everything went blank.

-z-

_Now, every robot in Neotopia is mine,_ Zako Red thought smugly, _And every Gundam, too!_

With their prize won, Doga Grey carried Zako Red to the _Magnamusai_.

-z-

"_Captain!_" Shute screamed as Captain's body fell into the sea, followed by the Re-equip Ring. As he shield his eyes from the water kicked up by the Ring's splash, he thought, _Somebody's gotta do something! _A look of determination crossed his features. _…Might as well be me!_

Throwing off his skates, Shute ran to the water's edge and jumped, doing an_ impromptu _cannonball into the ocean. Underwater, he swam towards where Captain was sinking. Getting behind the Gundam, he took hold of his backpack and tried to pull him up, only to be dragged down with him. Getting underneath, Shute tried to push Captain up. However, his legs soon gave out, and he began to sink again. In desperation, Shute wrapped his legs around Captain's head and did a frog stroke, trying to pull him up. This was probably going to fail too, but before Shute could see that for himself…

THUD

…The Re-equip Ring fell on his head.

His eyes spinning and air leaving his mouth, Shute fell unconscious and began to sink with Captain. However, something odd began to happen. The Re-equip Ring crackled with energy, and swung itself around to catch Shute and Captain as they sank. First Captain fell into its hole, then Shute as it glowed with life. Neither one came out the other end. As the Ring sank, it did several marvelous flips underwater before something shot out from it and past the water's surface.

-z-

When Shute came to, he found that he was no longer underwater but in the air…_high _in the air!

With a yell, he looked around wildly and saw that, whatever he was lying on, it had a familiar V-fin sticking out at the top.

"Captain…" He asked before smiling. "Captain! We're saved!"

Shute took a moment to take in Captain's new form. his body seemed to be tucked away under a large shield, a bit bigger than he was, with two wheels at the bottom. On his sides were tank treads, with missile launchers attached to his shoulders. There was a larger rifle sticking out on his left side as well. The overall look brought a cross between a go-kart and an army tank to mind.

But Shute's curiosity over this configuration soon gave way to more pressing questions.

_Uh-oh, how did we get up here? _As gravity imposed its will, Shute then thought, _And how come we're going down all of a sudden!_

Shute gave a yell as they fell. However, just as they were halfway to the ground, Captain landed on something, causing Shute to bang his head against the shield.

"Ow…" Shute muttered, rubbing his nose.

"Sorry about the bumpy landing." A loud, electronic, but undecidedly feminine voice said. "But at least you're on dry land."

Shute looked up and saw a giant robotic face that looked exactly like the mayor's. It was the automated statue of Margaret Gathermoon that normally welcomed people to the Peace Park. He then realized that they were on the platform that acted as pallet for the statue.

"Mayor Margaret!" He cried.

"Recklessly jumping into the ocean is dangerous," The mayor's statue said, "But suddenly jumping out of it is even more so!"

Grinning, Shute hopped off of the Gundam and tapped his shoulder. "Captain? Captain, it's me, Shute! Are you there, Captain?" When Captain did not reply, or show any signs of life, Shute began to panic. "_C'mon, wake up! _We _need _you, please!"

The sound of rockets drew Shute's attention, and he saw that the _Magnamusai _was lowering itself onto Neotopia Tower.

-z-

The _Magnamusai_ softly landed on the spherical center of Neotopia Tower with a soft thud. Zako Red, standing nearby on that building, nodded with satisfaction.

"Attention! Forces of the Dark Axis!" Chief Haro's Gunperry was circling the _Magnamusai, _with the chief yelling into a megaphone. "Withdraw at once! You must realize by now that this is a battle you cannot hope to win! We will fight you on the beaches, in the streets, and in the fields! We will never surrender!"

Zako Red had heard enough. Pointing at the white Gunperry, he yelled, "_Someone shut him up, zako!_"

The _Magnamusai _fired its forward cannons at the white Gunperry, causing it to bob and wobble as it tried to evade the shots. However, one beam brushed its side, causing it to go into a tailspin.

"We will never surrender!" Chief Haro continued to yell, "_Never-!_"

Zako Red shot the hand holding the Soul Drive into the air. "Oh, that's a laugh! Bring forth the Horn of War!"

The _Magnamusai _began to glow red. The skies began to darken. Out from the battleship grew a massive, blood red spike that soon absorbed the ship. It rose into the air, topped off by the _Magnamusai_'s bridge head. As it went up, multiple spikes jutted out from its sides, piercing the twin pillars of Neotopia Tower. And from _those _spikes grew spikes, and so on, and so forth. At the very top, the main spike split open to become a monstrous platform with the _Magnamusai_'s bridge in the very center.

_Surrender or don't surrender, _Zako Red thought as Doga Grew flew him up to the top, _It doesn't matter- we've conquered you anyway! _"Behold, the Horn of War!"

-z-

Bakunetsumaru stared at the horrific Horn as it took over Neotopia tower.

"What is _this _madness…?" he muttered, shaken at the sight.

Zero stood next to him, his eyes locked onto the Horn with paralyzed fear.

"That monstrous tower… That evil cloud darkening the sky…" Zero gasped, "It is madness indeed, my good friend, and I have seen it all before. This is the nightmare that overwhelmed my beloved Lacroa, and now it has come here!"

Zero, in his wildest nightmares, had never believed that such a thing could happen. Neotopia, the symbol for peace and sanctuary for those the Dark Axis oppressed…taken.

-z-

As thunder and lightning shook the sky, Doga Bombers hovered around the top of the Horn. Zako Red proudly marched towards the bridge as Doga Grey landed besides him. Getting down on one knee, he glanced at Doga Grey. The Doga Commando was kneeling as well, but that wasn't the problem. He had to keep up appearances.

"At your service, Commander," Zako Red said, "All is ready."

The door to the bridge opened up, and there came a blinding light that looked so out of place in the dark gloom. From that light came a robot that made the Horn quake with every step. It was big, twice as big as Destroyer Dom, with massive, moth-like wings on its back with odd ports on the edges. It had gigantic shoulder pads. On its chest was an eagle-like emblem. The top of its head was built to resemble a crush cap, with a golden eagle added on the front. Its feet were more like talons, and though it had the Dark Axis mono-eye, the bottom half of its face resembled a jagged smile. On its chest was an emblem of a yellow bird.

Zako Red stepped forward and held out the Soul Drive. As his eyes and the Commander's met, the transfer began. Once it was finished, Zako Red's eye lost its light in his body slumped.

Now in his proper being, the Commander said, "At last, it is in my hands; the power to bring this irritatingly _stubborn _world to its knees. You have done well, zako."

The Commander bent down and took the Soul Drive from the red zako body. Holding it up, he gazed into the tiny flame that still burned. It seemed to flicker at his presence.

"_Out of my way!_" the Commander snarled, stepping forward and kicking the Zako Red. The crimson Zako went flying off of the Horn.

The bridge's entrance began to project the Commander's image into the sky from its horn, and he spoke in a voice that boomed over Neotopia.

"**Citizens of Neotopia- mechanical or otherwise- Hear me!**"

-z-

"_I _hear you, sir!" Doga Purple said, bowing in the air.

"Uh- oh!" Doga Blue, caught off-guard, bowed as well. "Loud and clear, sir!"

"**And **_**Gundam, **_**especially you!**"

Zero and Bakunetsumaru glared up at the Commander's image.

"**Hear me and obey, for I am Commander Sazabi, master of this world!**"

-z-

In the mayor's office, everyone there watched Sazabi's dark proclamation on a monitor, terrified.

"This is terrible! I can't believe it's really happening!" Keiko murmured, shaken. "And where on Earth could Shute be!"

Nana, who had been resting peacefully in Keiko's arms, opened her eyes. Upon seeing Sazabi's face on the screen, she burst into tears. This was too scary!

"Ohh, hush now," Keiko whispered, rocking her child. "It's all right, Nana…"

"**Your days of resistance are at an end,**" The Commander continued, "**You are defeated!**"

"We've beaten you before and we'll do it again!" Mayor Margaret declared defiantly.

"**Not **_**this **_**time!**" Sazabi sneered, and held out the glowing ball in his hands for all to see. "**Look!**"

"_It can't be!_" The mayor gasped, "He's got the Soul Drive!"

"**Yes, exactly! Very good! Your own device turned against you!**" Sazabi commented smugly.

-z-

At the white Gunperry, Juli looked up at the Commander worriedly, while Chief Haro stood behind her, his fist shaking.

"**So you see, **_**little ones,**_** you have no choice.**"

-z-

At their own Gunperry, Kao Lyn and Bell Wood stared at Sazabi.

"**Or I should say, you **_**do **_**have a choice!**"

-z-

Leonardo stood protectively next to Prio's petrified form as the Commander spoke.

"**You can submit, obey, and become slaves of the Dark Axis-**"

-z-

Iyaka clung to her mobile pet protectively.

"**Or, you can be destroyed!** **The choice is yours.**"

-z-

Sazabi then smirked. "Personally, I don't really care. Either way is fine with me."

-z-

As Commander Sazabi's evil laughter echoed throughout Neotopia, Shute tried to rock Captain, hoping to see any sign of life.

"C'mon Captain, wake up," He said, "C'mon, I know you're in there! C'mon, we've got work to do! We've gotta get your Soul Drive back and beat this guy! And we'll do it, too! Like I've always said, together, you and me, there's nothing we can't do!"

Shute looked towards Neotopia Tower, to Sazabi.


	21. Neotopia's Moment of Truth

Chapter 12: Neotopia's Moment of Truth

_What is this place?_

Captain stood in the center of nothing. The world around him was completely blank. He could not see anything, not even himself…

Did he even have a self?

_Captain! Captain! Captaaaain!_

What was that voice? Did it sound familiar?

Yes…yes, it did!

_Shute! _Captain yelled. Though he knew he had heard and was speaking, any noise he made vanished into the white void. It was if all sound went directly to his brain without bothering to use his ears. _I'm here!_

Captain looked around, trying to figure out where the voice was not-coming from.

_Shute!_

-z-

"Captain!" Shute yelled for what must have been the hundredth time. When there was no response, he said, "I guess he can't respond to my voice without his Soul Drive."

"He does not show any activity."

Shute looked up at the perpetually smiling face of Mayor Margaret's statue.

"I'm sorry, Shute," She said, "I'm afraid Captain has completely shut down."

Shute's face fell. "_No way!_"

"I understand!"

Shute and the statue looked to the voice. It was Gunbike!

"And anticipatin' such an event," Gunbike said, "I've gathered everyone together! See?"

There was a crowd of machines behind Gunbike, mobile citizens Shute recognized. Carrying Gunbike was the child-like digging robot, Grypo, followed by his father, the much, much, much larger Grypapa. Next to him was the Swan-ferry that normal did tours of the lake, and one of the crane robots from the harbor. Last but not least were the two trains that routinely ran the rails around Neotopia. Each one had been controlled by the Dark Axis through their Control Horns, only to be saved by the Gundam Force.

"_Wow!_" Shute exclaimed.

"Our business hours are over for the day, but…" the Swan-ferry began.

"When we heard that Captain was in trouble…" Continued Train #1.

"We could not keep idly running the rails, right bro'?" Finished Train #2.

"Right!"

"We were all saved by Captain once," Grypo explained, "So we owe him! Now it's our turn to save him!"

Shute's eyes rippled. He looked ready to cry. "Everyone…thank you."

The mayor's statue placed Captain on the ground. A lid on Gunbike's side opened up, and a robotic hand popped out and placed itself on the Gundam. Behind him, a line of the mobile citizens were set up, with each one touching. While the train brothers and cranebot had their own pop-out hands, Grypo and the mayor's statue had to use both of their hands to complete the chain.

"Everyone," Gunbike ordered, "Concentrate your energy on Captain!"

With cries of "Roger!" the robots did so, and began to glow as the power transfer began. As it went on, the golden light they created began to fade, while a glow from Captain appeared and intensified. Near the end, Iyaka's pet rolled up and gave some as well. Shute and Iyaka watched in fascination at this process until they heard a voice emanate from Captain.

"Energy-charge-complete…" He said in a voice that was all-too-distant.

Shute gave a happy gasp. Laughing breathlessly, he turned to the mobile citizens and cried, "He's okay! Captain- He's, he's speaking again!"

Shute's smile fell when he saw that the mobile citizens were starting to look a little lifeless, which was quite a feat from beings that were not built to express emotion.

"Everyone…" The swan-ferry said before drooping, "Today we are…"

The mayor's statue slumped as well. "Out of…energy…"

"Grypo…" Grypapa said, "I'll leave it to you."

Grypo nodded. "I understand, papa."

"Younger brother," Train #1 said, "We need…"

"A break as well, elder brother." #2 finished.

Shute stared. "How come everyone is…"

Iyaka's toy fell over, making a putt-putt sound that cut him off.

"We're all right," Gunbike assured, "We'll be back to normal once our energy recovers. But that aside… We've got to do somethin' about their commander."

Shute glanced at the image of Commander Sazabi in the sky before throwing the mobile citizens a confident smile.

"Hey, leave it to us!" He said, "Captain and I will beat him, right, Cap…"

Shute trailed off when he saw that Captain hadn't moved.

"Hey, c'mon, Captain!" He cried, "Let's go!"

No response.

"Captain…" Shute asked, worriedly.

"Oh, it's no use, Shute!"

Kao Lyn had once again contacted them through the sidecar's computer.

"Without his Soul Drive, Captain is out of control of his functions!" The old scientists wept, "Although he may move and speak, he's like a sleep-walker! He _can't wake up!_"

"After all that…" Shute said softly.

"Unfortunately, yes! We _must _get the Soul Drive back!"

Shute stared at Captain's unmoving form. He made his decision. "I'll get it!"

As Shute put his skates back on, Gunbike said, "Shute, it's too risky to go by yourself!"

"Don't worry about me," Shute replied, "You all showed up to save Captain because you feel you own him. Now it's _my _turn to pay him back. After all, Captain's saved me a bunch of times, too!"

The boy began to skate off, waving as he yelled, "So I'm going now! See ya, wish me luck, bye everybody!"

As Shute went off, Grypo rolled up alongside him.

"It's too dangerous to go above ground," The digger said, "So I'll guide you through the tunnel Grypapa and I made!"

"Great! C'mon, Grypo, let's get going!"

"Roger!"

As the two set off on their trek, Iyaka waved and yelled, "Shute, I know you can do it!"

"Be careful!" Gunbike urged.

"Don't worry, everybody!" Shute hollered back, "_Leave everything to me!_"

Not a single one of them noticed that Captain's V-fin was slowly flashing.

-z-

"Eat this, Bakunetsumaru!" Doga Blue taunted, firing several shots from his rifle.

Bakunetsumaru, riding Entengo, dodged the beams as they galloped towards the Commando. Once they were close enough, they leapt up at the Doga, but he just went higher to avoid their attack.

Doga Purple, meanwhile, fired his missiles. "How's this!"

"I am not impressed!" Zero retorted, and did a barrel roll as he flew forward. The seeker-missiles were thrown off-course by the bizarre movement and ended up colliding with each other.

"I have no time to waste playing with _you!_" Zero snapped, flying towards the Horn of War, with Bakunetsumaru and Entengo close behind.

"Entengo, let's ride!" The Musha Gundam urged.

-z-

Meanwhile, Grypo had led Shute down a nearly-complete underground tunnel. They stopped at one end, where a smaller doorway was, with the words 04 SHAFT painted above.

"This place is right beneath Neotopia Tower!" Grypo explained, gesturing to the door.

Shute nodded. "Thanks, Grypo, but from here on in I'll go by myself!"

It wasn't like Grypo could've fit through that door, anyway…

"Please by careful, Shute." Grypo said worriedly.

Shute nodded. "Thanks!"

Shute skated down the hall, which led to an elevator shaft. He gazed up, awed at the height. He couldn't even see the top. Not able to find a stairway, Shute elected to use the direct approach.

Taking out his PDA, he gave a voice-command. "Magna-roller on!"

With his wheels electro magnetized, Shute set them against the wall and began to skate up.

_Here I go! _Shute thought.

He went up, not sure what kind of progress he was making. He soon began to get an idea, however, when he saw the parts of the Horn of War that had punctured the Tower. Shute was forced to duck and dodge the Horn as ascended. Higher up, he saw a Zako Soldier look down from another Horn piece.

"Zako?" It asked.

"Watch out!" Shute cried.

Going "Zako!" frantically, the Zako Soldier was joined by a dozen more. Chattering wildly amongst each other, the Zakos then did something rather daring, as well as silly. They jumped!

"Aaah!" Shute cried, and began to weave around the falling Zakos. Out of the corner of his eye he saw a fenced off alcove and jumped for it. Panting, he took a moment to catch his breath. However, before he could get his bearings, a hail of gunfire from Zakos across the shaft forced him to retreat further in. And then one of them fired a missile…

BOOM!

The explosion didn't harm Shute outside of rattling his eardrums, but it did knock out a good piece of the wall. Skating through the smoke and coughing, Shute went through the hole for cover. Once he was past the smoke he stopped, bent over to cough a bit more- and looked down.

"I-it's s-so h-high, h-here…" He gulped, shivering. He was on one of the Horn's branches!

"_Hey!_"

Shute snapped out of his brief acrophobia and turned around. It was Doga Grey!

"What are _you _doing here!" Doga Grey snarled, and fired his missiles.

Panicking, Shute jumped from the Horn-branch to another beneath it, and ended up rolling around it with the magna-rollers. After a few spins he was able to slow himself down and stop while on top.

"How interesting…"

Shute looked up. Doga Grey was coming down at him, firing his guns!

"Dance some more for me!" Doga Grey cackled.

Shute quickly skated towards the end of the branch, jumping off and onto the one below it. As the bullets came down just behind him, Shute rolled around the spike going under and above as he went. He skidded to a stop when he reached the end. Looking down, he saw that there was nothing else below…except the pavement miles down.

_End of the road! _Shute thought desperately.

"Is that it?"

Shute turned around to see Doga Grey hovering down to his leve.

"What a boring show!" Doga Grey sneered, "Oh well, if that's all- _Good night, folks!_"

Doga Grey released six missiles that flew at Shute. The boy cried out in fear as the projectiles came in closer, frozen where he stood. If he didn't move, the missiles would kill him, but if he did, he would fall of the Horn of War, hit the pavement and then die.

Suddenly, a spew of bullets shot up from below and hits the missiles, causing them to explode before they hit Shute. The boy winced from the heat of the blast, but was relatively unharmed.

"_What!_" Doga Grey snarled, and darted away when a grapple shot up and connected to a higher branch of the Horn. Looking down, he saw something pull itself up. "What in the world is this?"

The ascending thing fired several more bullets and missiles, forcing Doga Grey to fly back until one actually hit him.

"Wow!" Shute exclaimed.

Suddenly, the thing popped up and landed on the spike he was on. Shute jumped when he realized what it was; It was Captain!

"Captain!" He cried, "You came here after all! Thank You!" A thought occurred to Shute. "But, but how…?"

Captain gave no answer, save a strained groan and the orange glow of his V-fin. Shute then wondered that, even without his Soul Drive, could Captain still respond to his voice? It was possible that somewhere deep inside that robotic body, Captain was trying to make himself heard. Shute then remembered that Captain once claimed he would do anything for his friend. Was he so committed that he would force his body to move autonomously, based on the surroundings and Shute's voice?

Shute smiled and looked to the top of the Horn. "Yeah. Let's go together. We'll get the Soul Drive together!"

Shute onto Captain, gripping his V-fin like they were the handlebars of a motorcycle. The Gundam shot another grapple onto a higher branch of the Horn, and began to pull the two up. They about halfway there when Doga Grey came back, firing every gun he had.

"It's payback time!" He yelled.

"_Incoming!_" Shute cried, "_Captain!_"

Captain began to fire his gun and release missiles. Shute winced from the noise, but held on tight.

-z-

"_Samurai spinning swords! Tenkyo-Ken!_"

Bakunetsumaru, slicing a flaming X into the air, leapt at Doga Blue, passing him in the air.

"Nice try-" Doga Blue began when he realized that a central component had been cut and burned.

BOOM!

"_Lacroa Crescent!_"

Zero released an arc of magical energy at Doga Purple. The Doga Commando could not move away in time to keep it from slicing through him.

"But…it's impossible for me to be defeated!" He cried before exploding.

Zero said nothing as Doga Purple joined the fates of Dogas Blue and Green.

"Let's hurry, Zero!" Bakunetsumaru yelled. Looking at Entengo, he said, "Entengo, you wait here."

The mecha horse neighed and whinnied. He didn't like it, but he knew that he had to obey this time.

Zero, however, was staring up at the Horn of War.

"_Shute!_" He cried out, "_Captain!_"

Bakunetsumaru looked to the Horn and saw them as well. "Hang in there, you guys!"

-z-

Commander Sazabi stared evilly at the glass ball in his hand.

_Now that I have the Soul Drive, I can do anything, _He thought greedily, _I control _everything! _Let's take it out for a test drive, shall we?_

Sazabi began to concentrate, and dark power from his own body began fill Soul Drive. All over Neotopia, mobile citizens began to wince and writhe in pain as this vile, alien will began to supplant their own.

-z-

"My head is aching!" Leonardo moaned, bending over.

-z-

On 60th, two of the SDG's mobile soldiers dropped their shields and groaned.

-z-

"Are you all right!" Tommy asked his friend.

"Ohhh man, that smarts…" The friend grunted, shaking all over.

-z-

At the bottom of the elevator shaft Shute used, the Zako Soldiers lay in a heap as they too were filled with pain. Unhappy cries of "Zako!" echoed around the shaft. This was not what they had in mind!

-z-

Sazabi felt their pain through the Soul Drive, and it brought him never ending pleasure.

Laughing cruelly, he said into the Soul Drive, "That's right, I, Commander Sazabi will rule this world! It will all be under the control of the Dark Axis!"

His wretched revelry was cut short by the sound of someone's cries of pain. But _these _cries weren't coming from the Soul Drive…

Looking away from the Soul Drive, Sazabi watched as the air at the edge of the platform exploded, and Doga Grey crashed landed onto the Horn.

"What's the matter?" Sazabi demanded.

He got his answer, as with a "_Wahoo!_" Shute-on-Captain launched into the air, using the wall of the Horn as a ramp.

"What!" Sazabi cried.

When the Gundam landed, coming to a screeching halt, Shute glared at Sazabi and yelled, "Commander Sazabi, give back Captain's Soul Drive! _Right now!_ And return those petrified people and plants to normal!"

-z-

All over Neotopia, people watched in shocked amazement as one boy stood up to the Commander.

In the mayor's office, Keiko's muscles tensed as she stared at the screen.

-z-

"How did Shute get into Neotopia Tower!" Bell Wood cried, his eyes wide.

_So, Gunvehicle mode Captain is with him as well? _Kao Lyn thought.

Gunvehicle mode was a special feature for 'Heavy Weapons' Captain Gundam, a new mode for Captain Gundam. Ever since the SDG had become aware of the Dark Axis Commander, they had commissioned new armaments be made for Captain. And thus, Heavy Weapons Captain Gundam had been made, including a larger shield that doubled as a missile launcher, tank treads that doubled as missile launchers, a special beam rifle that worked like a machine gun, and _more _missile launchers!

-z-

"C'mon!" Chief Haro whispered, staring up at the Horn with Juli and other SDG workers.

-z-

"_Now!_" Shute yelled, hopping off of Captain and glaring at Sazabi. "Give it back, _now!_"

"Or what?" Sazabi snapped his fingers, and couple dozen Doga Bombers flew into position above him. Shute balked at the sight of the squadron. However, they were both drawn to the sight of Doga Grey struggling to his feet.

"Uhh… I apologize, Commander," Doga Grey groaned, and took a fighting stance. It looked far less impressive than it would if he hadn't lost one wing. "Please forgive me. I will immediately defeat this…"

"How unsightly!"

That was all the warning Doga Grey thought before he was vaporized in a blast of light.

"What an idiot," Sazabi grumbled, closing up the three beam emitters on his chest and shoulders. "Why must I have to deal with insects such as this?"

"How could you do that!"

Sazabi glanced at Shute. "What?"

"He was your friend, wasn't he?" Shute asked, "You're cruel!"

"'Friend' you say?" Sazabi smirked. "Watch _this!_"

Sazabi threw his head back and began to fire beams from every port on his wings up into the sky. Half of the Doga Bombers were wiped out. Shute watched in horror as their screams echoed throughout the dark sky.

"Those who belong to the Dark Axis need no friends," Sazabi stated, "What we have is the one who rules, and those who are controlled. And _you _are those to be controlled. _I _am the one who shall rule you all!"

"No you won't! _Never!_" Shute yelled, "This world was created by all of us, together! A world where friends help each to build, not destroy! There's no way that we would ever be ruled by someone like you, someone who doesn't even have any friends!"

"But what about _this?_" Sazabi asked, holding out the Soul Drive. "Your friend Captain Gundam used it to put all the of other robots under _his _control! Now, _I _can control things with it as well!"

"_No!_" Shute yelled stubbornly, shaking his head. "The Soul Drive is used to help, not control!"

"_Wrong!_ He used it the same way I intend to, as a control device! And I plan on using to control everyone! There are only those who rule, and those who are ruled!" Sazabi shouted.

"Captain doesn't want to rule anyone!" Shute shot back, "We never rule or are ruled by anyone, not ever! We're all friends! Friends living together!"

"That's right, Shute!"

Shute's eyes widened. Turning around, he saw, on the top of Neotopia Tower's left tower, was Keiko running up to the Horn, carrying Nana, followed by Sayla and Mayor Margaret!

"Keiko, please come back!" Mayor Margaret cried desperately.

Keiko ignored the mayor, yelling, "Mr. Captain, Mr. Zero, and Mr. Bakunetsumaru are all our friends! Everyone of us is a part of Neotopia!"

"Mom, you gotta go back!" Shute cried in alarm, "It's dangerous!"

But Keiko didn't back off. She ran to the edge of the Tower, saying, "I cannot, and _will not _stand by and do nothing when my precious son is risking his life!" She looked down at Nana and sighed. "It's a little hard for me not to have dad around at a time like this…" She looked back up at the Horn with an angry glare. "You can tell that Sazabi guy this! Around here, we have no need for a _ruler!_"

"Wow, mom…" Shute whispered.

Mayor Margaret and Sayla were soon at Keiko's side.

"I won't forgive you for turning things to stone!" Sayla cried.

"We will never allow the Dark Axis to take over Neotopia, our home!" Mayor Margaret yelled defiantly.

By Sazabi had heard enough. "You worthless bugs! Don't let this patriotism go to your head!" He gestured to the Dogas. "_Destroy them!_"

"_Mom!_" Shute screamed.

The remaining Dogas swooped down at the ladies and opened fire. The girls screamed as the bullets came down, but three blurs quickly pulled them out of harm's way.

"Are you all right, mayor?" Guneagle asked.

"Yes, thank you!" Mayor Margaret gasped in Guneagle's arms.

"Have you been hurt, Princess Sayla?" Asked Zero.

"Mr. Zero…" Sayla whispered.

On another area of the tower, Keiko found herself being set down by a strange man.

"Are you all right?"

A bit disoriented, Keiko looked up to her savior. "Y-yes…

"Dah dah!" Nana squealed.

Keiko wondered if she had hit her head. The man before her looked like he had a tennis ball for a head.

"Who are you?" She asked.

He saluted. "I am SDG Chief Haro, ma'am, at your service."

"SDG Chief Haro?" Keiko asked, then focused on one of Haro's arms. Sticking out of the left sleeve of his uniform was some kind of knotted string around his wrist. Like the kind worn by…

"Would you excuse me for a moment, ma'am?" Chief Haro asked, and scooped her up in his arms.

"Oh!" Keiko cried.

"Please, hold on tight!" Haro told her, and rushed off as the Dogas fired at him. With bullets raining down just behind him, the Chief leapt off of the Tower, dropping out of sight. The Doga Bombes flew off. Minutes later, he rose, standing on the roof of the white Gunperry. The side of the Gunperry opened up, where Zero and Guneagle gently deposited Sayla and Mayor Margaret.

"Oh, thank you so much!" Sayla giggled.

As the Gunperry flew off to safety, Zero and Guneagle looked at the incoming Doga Bombers.

Zero looked at Guneagle and said, "Guneagle, I'll leave the rest to you! I know you can handle it!"

Guneagle nodded. "Roger!"

-z-

Back on the Horn of War, three Dogas that hadn't attacked the ladies were now on their way to gun Shute down. But before they could get a decent shot lined up, a red blur leapt out of nowhere and sliced through them! As they went flying off, Bakunetsumaru landed on the Horn next to Shute.

"Sorry about making you wait, Shute!" The Blazing Samurai said.

Zero touched down onto the Horn minutes later, on Shute's other side.

"I'm back," He said, "Is Captain all right?"

"Hey! Zero! Bakunetsumaru!" shute cried happily. With a determined grin, he pointed at Sazabi. "We have to work together to get back Captain's Soul Drive!"

"Got it!"

The Commander glared at the three and summoned hi fannels. As they buzzed around him, he said, "Gundams from different nations, how interesting. I accept you challenge!"

Bakunetsumaru charged at Sazabi. "_Kenpu! Tenkyo-Ken!_"

The fannels fired all at once, focusing their beams onto the very center of Bakunetsumaru's flaming X. for a brief moment the two forces hung in the air before they exploded, blasting Bakunetsumaru back. Sazabi laughed evilly.

"_Super Magical Violet Tornado!_"

Zero sent enormous blasts of wind at Sazabi, but the Commander easily flew against them, not slowed by the air pressure.

"Is _this _all you can do?" Sazabi asked nastily.

"_What!_" Zero cried, and darted away as Sazabi flew above him.

"How sad!" Sazabi taunted, "I'd thought you'd be stronger!"

Sazabi began to fire beams from his wings, forcing Zero and Bakunetsumaru on the offensive, the Musha Gundam trying to block the assault while Zero dodged in the air. But it wasn't enough. Once the smoke from the explosions cleared away, Sazabi landed back at the door to the bridge.

"What weaklings you are!" Sazabi laughed.

Then he saw a bunch of missiles flying his way. Taking to the air, he had his fannels destroy them. But from the smoke created by the blasts, something burst out, flying at Sazabi!

"_Yo!_" Shute yelled, and rammed Captain right into Sazabi's chest. As the Commander reeled from the force of the blow, he let go of the Soul Drive…

…which went flying into the air…

…where it was caught by Shute, who had leapt from Captain!

Sazabi quickly recovered, and knocked Captain away. Laughing evilly, he landed back at the bridge's entrance. His laughter stopped when he looked into his empty hand.

"Haha- Wha- _Oh no!_" Sazabi looked around frantically before focusing his eye on Shute, who was steadily getting to his feet, wincing from the pain of his forced landing.

Shute looked at the Soul Drive and thought, _We did it! _Turning, he began to skate towards the overturned Gunvehicle. "Captain!"

The fannels quickly hovered in his path and began to fire. Shute yelped and ducked. After the first beam passed harmlessly over his head, another came, which Shute leapt to side to avoid. More beams were fired, but Shute was able to dodge them all.

"Just give it to me!" Sazabi ordered, landing in front of him.

"Never!" Shute yelled, stopping. "_No way!_"

Before the Commander could make Shute eat those words, a massive beam of light shot down from the sky between the two of them. It was coming from all over Netopia, from each mobile citizen who Captain had contacted with the Captain system. As their energy poured down, it flowed into the Soul Drive, cleansing it of Sazabi's evil influence, filling it with pure golden light.

"Wow…" Shute murmured, "The Soul Drive, it's working!"

"_How dare you!_" Sazabi screamed, shielding his eyes from the light. Before he could _really _let Shute have it, Zero and Bakunetsumaru leapt out and rammed into him.

"Shute, give the Soul Drive back to Captain! _Huury!_" Zero yelled, before noticing that his chest stone was glowing. A pure white object floated out of it. _Huh? Fenn's feather!_

Something then popped out of Bakunetsumaru a compartment in his armor. The little box opened up to reveal a toothpick that released an energy that formed into the latter Japanese character for shogun.

_That emblem…_ The Musha Gundam thought, _Dai-Shogun's gift!_

Shute watched in amazement as the two glowing objects flowed into the Soul Drive. "Bakunetsumaru! Zero! Wow!"

"Go, Shute!" Bakunetsumaru yelled as he Zero tried to fight Sazabi. The Commander seemed able to fend them both of with one hand each.

"Bring the- Uh!- Soul Drive back to Captain!" Zero yelled between blows.

"_Hurry!_"

Shute nodded. "I'll take care of it!" Turning around, he took off for Captain.

Sazabi's eye flashed. "_I won't let you do it!_"

Firing off his beams, he blasted both Gundams away. Shute heard the explosion, he felt the heat on his neck, but did not look, and he did not stop. He just kept going, skating faster and faster as he homed in onto Captain. Behind him, Sazabi flew in.

"_Give it to me!_" He thundered.

Doing his best to ignore the Commander, Shute held out the Soul Drive, trying to get it as close as he could to Captain.

"_Captain!_"

-z-

Deep within the void, Captain heard that voice.

_Shute!_

-z-

Captain's flashed and began to change. The wheels under the shield flipped to his back along with the tank treads, and his legs and arms spun around into their rightful positions. His left hand to his gun. The right hand to the shield. The Soul Drive compartment opened.

Shute grew a wide smile. It was ready!

But he could practically feel Sazabi on his heels. Lurching forward, Shute pushed himself towards Captain, his outstretched arm so tense it was about to break off.

But just when it seemed like the Commander would catch him, Shute jumped forward and pressed the Soul Drive into the compartment! The light inside the glass ball seemed to explode as the unit reconnected with Captain, growing into a bright sphere that covered the entire horn.

_Wow… _Shute thought, his breath taken away as the light enveloped him.

"_Noooooo!_" Sazabi screamed, and found himself being blown away by the force of the light. He crashed into one of the spikes surrounding the Horn of War's top.

-z-

Deep in cyberspace, Captain awoke to find himself in a prism-like chamber. In the center of the room was a silver ball.

_Is that what I think it is?_ Captain looked inside the orb. Inside the sphere there was a looping video of a Bagubagu stinging a flower and turning it to stone. _Bagubagu!_

So this was the core of the Bagubagu. From here, all of the Dark Axis' robotic insects received their prime directive. If he could change that…

Captain reached out to the orb. _I must activate the Soul Drive!_

Before Captain could touch the sphere, a bright light came from his chest, and two glowing objects appeared. Fenn's feather and Dai-shogun's gift floated into the silver sphere. The ball shimmered, and the image inside had changed. The Bagubagu was no longer a dark green, but a pure white. Its wings were like a bird's, and on its forehead was the kanji. It stung the stone plant it was on, turning it back into a living thing.

Captain nodded at this. Looks like the Bagubagu were adjusting to their new programming quite well. The entire room was now turning white as well.

_I must get back to Shute! _He decided.

-z-

All over Neotopia, the Bagubagu had lain dormant since Captain had shut them down earlier. Now, they were re-energizing, and flying about again. But as they flew, they began to change, transforming into their new angelic forms in shimmers of light. Those who had not been petrified watched in awe at this.

"What is happening?" Leonardo asked aloud, watching the White Bagubagu flutter around.

The White Bagubagu began to initiate their new directive, turning people and plants back from statues. Humans who had been petrified mid-step found themselves almost falling over as they tried to adjust to what happened. Turning to stone and back again can be quite disorienting.

"Hey!"

"What's happening?"

"What's going on?"

Leonardo heard a faint groaning from behind, and turned to see Prio turning back from stone!

"_Prio!_" Leonardo cried happily.

Shaking his head, Prio muttered, "What…what happened?" Then he noticed the mobile butler before him. "Leonardo!"

Leonardo couldn't stop himself. He threw his arms around Prio and sobbed as only a robot could.

"Ohh, Prio! I'm so glad!" He cried, "You are back to your old self!"

-z-

At scientists Gunperry, Kao Lyn and Bell Wood were doing a little victory dance over this most miraculous event.

"Captain's back to normal," Bell Wood sang, "All systems functional! Oh yeah!"

"And he's reversed the petrification effect," Kao Lyn added, "Woo-hoo!"

-z-

From the top of the white Gunperry, Keiko, Nana, and Haro watched as every petrified part of Neotopia became alive again. Everywhere, the field where Zapper Zaku had first landed, the lake where Grappler Gouf attacked, they were all returning to their natural states.

"Wow!" Keiko exclaimed happily, "The green is returning!"

"Looks like they did it!"

Keiko looked at Chief Haro. "What?" There was something familiar about his tone…

"I'm so very proud of the mission they've accomplished." Chief Haro sighed.

…It was almost fatherly…

-z-

"Welcome back, Shute!" Iyaka cheered, "You too, Mr. Captain!"

-z-

"Thank you!" Prio and Leonardo yelled.

-z-

As the people of Neotopia voiced their praise for their saviors, Shute stared desperately at his friend. The Gundam still hadn't moved, even as the glow was fading.

"Captain," He said, "Captain, do you recognize me? It's me, Shute!"

A buzzing noise pulled Shute's attention from his friend to the Fannels pointing at him. As they powered up, Shute gave a yell- then Captain stepped in front of him. Every port on his shield, launchers, and tank treads opened up to release blitz of missiles that overwhelmed the Fannels.

BOOM! BOOM! BA-BOOM!

As Shute watched the fireworks in wonder, a long-lost voice reached his ears.

"I'm back!"

Shute looked towards the voice.

"I've returned, Shute," The speaker said, his eyes clear and focused. "It's Captain!"

"Captain…?" Shute ran up to the Gundam. "Hey, Captain! It's great to have you back!"

"Shute, are you all right?" Captain asked worriedly.

Shute nodded vigorously. He was better than ever, now that his best friend was safe. A fearsome roar grabbed their attention. Commander Sazabi had just burst free of the spike he had crashed into. The top of the spike fell onto the platform with a thunderous thud.

"_How dare you destroy my Horn of War!_" he bellowed.

-z-

"Are you okay?" Zero asked wearily as he and Bakunetsumaru struggled to their two Gundams had landed on one of Neotopia Tower's tops after Sazabi blasted them away.

"Yes- _Look!_" Bakunetsumaru forget about his aching body as he pointed at the top of the Horn. "_Captain!_"

-z-

The two heroes of Neotopia stared Commander Sazabi down as the evil invader landed back at the entrance of the bridge.

"I have been granted special dispensation to use firearms to protect Neotopia!" Captain stated, his eyes enflamed. "My name is Captain Gundam of Gundam Force!"

Shute stepped up. "And Special Member Shute! _Busted!_"

"Dark Axis forces," Captain continued, "You must retreat from Neotopia!"

They both pointed. "_Immediately!_"


	22. The Final Battle! Commander vs Captain

Chapter 12: The Final Battle! Commander vs Captain

The computer screen in their Gunperry showed Kao Lyn and Bell Wood an outline of Captain. In the center of it was a yellow circle that grew bigger and bigger with each passing second. It soon filled the entirety of Captain's torso, while read-outs and graphs popped up besides it.

"Hoo!" Kao Lyn cried, doing jumps and arm waves. "I'm never seen the Soul Drive push itself to this capacity!"

Bell Wood grinned. While he would never claim to understand the science behind the Soul Drive, he knew one thing; Captain had his game on!

Running out of the Gunperry, Bell Wood yelled up to the Horn of War, "Lookin' good, Captain! You da man!"

-z-

In the white Gunperry, Sayla looked anxiously down at the Horn of War. Her two friends seemed so small compared to Sazabi.

"Shute…" She whispered, when she felt a comforting hand on her shoulder. She looked up at Mayor Margaret.

"Don't worry." The mayor said.

"That's right," Chief Haro said from on top of the Gunperry with Keiko, "If anyone can get the job done, it's Captain Gundam!"

Keiko nodded. "You said it!"

-z-

Zero looked to the Horn of War, looked and frowned. This felt wrong. He took a step, ready to leap and join Captain and Shute, but found himself being held back Bakunetsumaru, of all people.

"Must we remain _here?_" He asked.

"Yes, Zero," Bakunetsumaru answered, "This is Captain's battle. It is…" What? His duty? No, that didn't sound right. What word could possibly define the meaning of this conflict? What could he say about the fact that this duel was the culmination of both the SDG and Dark Axis' forces?

In the end, there was only one word.

"…_his destiny._"

-z-

"Ready, Captain?" Shute asked.

Captain nodded, his eyes like twin bonfires. "Affirmative."

Sazabi didn't like the way Captain was staring at him. It was almost as if he thought he had a chance. But the Gundam was no threat. His only concern was that he no longer had the Soul Drive, and with it, control over all of Neotopia's robots. He would bet anything that Captain had severed the connection as well.

Still, he could derive some pleasure from beating the Gundam into scrap.

"_You _against _me?_" He asked, and laughed mockingly. Shaking his head, he said, "It would be tragic, if it weren't so _laughable!_"

Captain stepped in front of Shute and said, "This will not be pleasant, Shute! Get back!"

"Got it!" Shute replied, and skated off. He knew he had to give Captain room to operate.

Once he was certain Shute was far enough from the battlefield, Captain pointed his gun at Sazabi and said, "Now then, Commander, I order you to withdraw at once! _Or else!_"

Sazabi snorted. "Oh, _really?_ Well, we'll see. Let's test the reaction-time of a Gundam in _this _dimension!"

Sazabi opened fire with his wings, firing beams in countless patterns at Captain. The Gundam activated his foot-wheels and sped at the Commander, weaving in and out of the rays, seamlessly fitting himself into the gaps of the lasers.

As this light-show went on behind him, Shute skated for the edge of the Horn's top. Pulling out his PDA, he activated the jets on his skates, and rocketed up one of the spikes surrounding the Horn's edge. Using it as a ramp, he pushed himself high into the air, landing on the tower with Zero and Bakunetsumaru. Once he came to a screeching stop, Shute whirled around and yelled, "Give it to him! _Go for it!_"

-z-

Parts of the Horn-top's floor exploded as the lasers struck them. But Captain made sure he was not there when they did. He had to play this battle carefully. Any unnecessary moves would cost him. He had to keep his distance until a surefire opportunity presented itself.

"Well, I see that you are talented at running, at least," Sazabi taunted, before he yelled, "_But let's see you run from this!_"

He ceased firing his wing-beams. Panels on his shoulders and his bird-emblem opened up, revealing the three emitters that he used to destroy Doga Grey. They powered up, and released a pulsing ray comparable to the _Magnamusai_'s cannons. The ray was much faster than the previous beams, and Captain knew he wouldn't be able to dodge it effectively. With nothing else to do, he held up his shield and tried to defend against it. It was no good. He was able to stand firm for a minute before being blown into the air.

-z-

"_Captain!_" Shute cried in alarm.

-z-

Captain landed on his feet, relatively unharmed. While his shield was strong enough to block the ray itself, the force was too much for him to handle. He had to compensate somehow…

Laughing evilly, Sazabi powered up his emitters.

-z-

"Here it comes again!" Bakunetsumaru exclaimed.

"Watch out!" Zero yelled to Captain.

"Captain, get outta there!" Shute cried, hoping he would be able to dodge it this time.

-z-

But Captain did not move. He held out his shield defiantly.

-z-

"He's standing fast!" Zero cried.

"_Captain!_"

-z-

Sazabi didn't know or care why Captain wasn't trying to avoid the ray. In a few seconds, it wouldn't matter.

"Good bye, Gundam!" He yelled, and fired the ray.

"Not yet!" Captain shot back, and began to rotate his shield around. It went faster and faster, until it became a circular blur. He charged forward.

-z-

"Wow!" Shute exclaimed, "That move again!"

He remembered Captain doing a similar trick during his first battle against Zapper when the invader tried to blast him with _Magnamusai_'s cannons.

-z-

Captain's spinning shield and the ray met, and the two colliding forces pushed against each other, one trying to overcome the other.

"_Huh!_" Sazabi gasped, flummoxed. No one had ever stopped his ultimate beam before!

Captain didn't waste time. He pushed a button on the shield's handle, and a spike popped out at the bottom. He drove the shield into the ground and jumped into the air, gaining altitude with his boosters.

_What now!_ Sazabi thought.

His targeting scope down, Captain fired his gun, blowing out the emitters on Sazabi, shutting the ultimate ray off.

"How _dare _you!" Sazabi roared, furious at the destruction of his most powerful weapon.

Landing on the ground, Captain backed away on his foot-wheels, still firing. Sazabi's eye flashed, and the villain took to the air, flying at him with his wing-beams firing. But Captain was able to keep his distance from the beams, and fired a few more rounds that destroyed the beams on the Commander's left wing.

"Stop doing that!" Sazabi yelled angrily, firing with his remaining beams as he chased Captain.

Captain turned and sped away, trying to put some distance between himself and Sazabi. Minutes later, he whirled around and fired his gun again, this time blowing the rest of Sazabi's wing-beams. With a primal growl, the Commander halted in the air and landed. Captain stopped as well.

"Pity about your beam-weapons, Commander." Captain said. He held the smoking barrel of his gun to his faceplate and made a small puff noise, pretending to blow the smoke away like a cowboy, complete with the lowered eyelids eye screen.

-z-

"Did you see that!" Shute yelled, pointing excitedly. "Wasn't that cool!"

Zero and Bakunetsumaru nodded, impressed. "Cool!"

-z-

"You shall pay for this, Gundam!" Sazabi hissed, "_Oh, _how you shall pay!"

"Is that the best you can do, Commander? Are threats the only weapons you have left?" Captain challenged, "So, what's your plan, Commander? To stare at me until my energy cells run down?"

-z-

"Ohhhh, I love it, I love! Now he's trash-talking him!" Shute cackled, bouncing from one foot to the other. Cupping his over his mouth, he yelled, "Captain, you are one cool dude!"

-z-

Captain lowered his face, little pink circles appearing at the bottom corners of his eyes. "Aw, shucks."

-z-

"What!" Bakunetsumaru cried, his eys bugging out. "Did he just _blush!_"

Zero shook his head, sighing. "Blushing isn't good for your concentration."

-z-

Sazabi took off into flight again. "All right, no more Mr. Nice Villain!"

The Commander's eye flashed, his legs and wings shifted, and he entered into a specialized flight-mode, comparable to Guneagle. As he charged at Captain, a purple force field surrounded his body. He became a dark purple blur, barely giving Captain a chance to dodge as he swooped past him.

_He's fast! _Captain thought, and fired several rounds at the rocketing Commander with his gun. The shots were carelessly deflected by Sazabi's force field, and Captain could not move away in time. Sazabi rammed into him, causing him to let go of his gun as he went flying back.

-z-

"His weapon!" Bakunetsumaru cried.

"Oh man!" Shute cried.

-z-

Captain landed on his back, and watched as his gun exploded as it crashed into some debris. Getting back on his feet, he zoomed backwards away from Sazabi. While moving, Captain fired several missiles from his booster rockets, and all though they shook the Commander up, they did not slow him down much.

-z-

"It's not working!" Cried Shute.

"If only we could help him…" Zero said.

Bakunetsumaru's eyes hardened. "Not yet. He's planning something- I'm sure of it!"

-z-

Captain hadn't just been moving randomly around the battlefield as he retreated from Sazabi. He had been putting himself closer and closer to his shield. Grabbing it as he went past it, he rocketed into the air.

"Transform! Gunvehicle mode!" Captain yelled, changing back into the car form. He landed back on the ground and charged for Sazabi.

-z-

"I told you!" Bakunetsumaru crowed.

"You were right!" Zero agreed.

Shute punched a fist into the air. "Go for it!"

-z-

"Soul Drive at maximum output!" Captain yelled, his eyes enflamed. "_Lion Fang Manuever, activate!_"

A multicolored swirling field surrounded Captain, and the Gundam accelerated so quickly that he practically flew off of the ground. With an inhuman growl, Sazabi charged at Captain, and the two collided in the air. The impact from their collision created a fantastic explosion that lit up the entire sky, forcing those watching to shield their eyes from the light. When the light began to fade, Captain fell from the air, his missile-launchers and tank treads blown off. Captain groaned, and pulled himself up. But as he did so, he saw within the smoke of the blast that Sazabi had fared no better.

"_You dog!_" The Commander snarled, stepping forward. His wings had been knocked off, and he was covered in burns. "Look at what you have done to my armor! It has never been so damaged! To say nothing of filthy! You shall pay for this, Gundam!"

-z-

"Both of them have lost their special equipment!" Zero pointed out.

Shute nodded, a little uneasy. "Yeah…"

-z-

Captain stood up and pulled out his beam saber. "I am still able to fight!"

Sazabi had pulled out his own beam saber. "I am so glad to hear it!"

Sazabi lunged at Captain, chopping his beam saber down in hopes of cleaving Captain in two. But the Gundam kept moving around, kept trying to get behind Sazabi. After dodging the seventh chop, Captain leapt up and brought his saber down onto Sazabi, who blocked the attack with his own saber. But as the two struggled against each, Captain saw something pop out of Sazabi's other wrist. Activating his booster, he flipped back to avoid being cut in half by _another _beam saber!

"Two to one!" Sazabi cackled, holding up both sabers. "I _like _those odds!"

-z-

"_Two _swords!" Zero gasped.

"He stole that idea from _me, _the villain!" An irate Bakunetsumaru shouted.

-z-

Sazabi swing his sabers at Captain, who was forced into an impromptu shuffle as both swords came at him from all sides.

The Commander's eye flashed. "But two to _none _is even better!"

With one quick movement, Sazabi knocked Captain's beam saber out of his hand. As the saber went flying off, Sazabi continued his assault, trying to chop and slice his sabers into Captain, who kept ducking under and jumping over the attacks. As Captain spun away, Sazabi brought up both sabers.

"It's over, Captain!" He yelled, and swung them both down.

Captain's eyes enflamed again. "No, Commander, _not yet!_"

Both of Captain's hands glowed gold, and he caught the beam sabers as they came down with them! The beams began to crackle as they were repulsed by the energy in the hands.

"Huh! Are you out of your mind! Using your bare hands?" Sazabi cried, "_You can't do that!_"

"I'm afraid…" Captain grunted, trembling. "…_I must contradict you!_"

The handles for the sabers crackled. They couldn't take the pressure anymore. The beam saber's exploded, causing Sazabi to stumble back.

"_Impossible!_" He screamed, "My beam sabers destroyer? _Impossible!_"

-z-

"Extraordinary!" Zero gasped.

"Unbelievable!" Bakunetsumaru cried.

Shute grinned. "Not bad."

-z-

"I am warning you," Captain threatened, taking a fighting stance. "Do what you will, Commander, I will _not _be defeated!"

Sazabi shook with rage. "I'm _really _getting annoyed, now…"

-z-

"Now, Captain!" Shute urged, "C'mon!"

"We're with you!" Bakunetsumaru yelled.

"To the end!" Zero declared.

-z-

All over Neotopia, the people watched as Captain stood down against Sazabi, thanks to the _Magnamusai_'s projector.

"Can he defeat that thing?" Leonardo asked worriedly.

Prio nodded. "He can...and _he will!_"

-z-

In the Peace Park, the de-powered mobile citizens managed to summon enough strength to watch Captain's image as it was projected into the sky.

"Can he really do it?" Grypo asked, having rejoined the group.

"I think he can…" Iyaka bit her lip. "I _know _he can!"

-z-

Captain rocketed forward with his backpack's boosters, ducked under a punch from Sazabi, and delivered a jab of his own, punching off the Commander's right shoulder pad. Sazabi managed to deliver a blow to the shoulder of his own, but Captain shrugged it off and unleashed several strikes into Sazabi's face, knocking off the bird statue on his forehead. Sazabi gave him a mighty punch that sent Captain flying back, but the Gundam used his boosters to stabilize himself.

-z-

Guneagle watched the fight as he hovered in the air. Even though he had finished the remaining Doga Bombers, he refused to descend just yet. Not now.

"We're counting on you, Captain!" He hollered, thinking, _Hang in there…_

-z-

All over the Horn of War's top, bits and pieces of Captain and Sazabi's armor littered the battlefield as the two exchanged punches. While Sazabi was bigger than Captain, the Gundam was able to fend off Sazabi's blows while using the momentum to deliver his own.

-z-

In the white Gunperry, Sayla and Mayor Margaret watched the fight with eyes not filled with hope, but eyes filled with faith- faith that Captain would win.

-z-

Captain and Sazabi's fists collided, and the two shook as they tried to overpower each other. Sparks began to fly between them, and explosion occurred, blowing them away from each other.

-z-

"_Oh no!_" Shute cried.

-z-

Captain's arm went flying, landing several feet behind the Gundam. Captain winced, but re-took a fighting stance, now one-armed.

Sazabi was less comfortable with his injury. As his right arm hung limp and loose from his shoulder, he hissed, "What have you done to me!"

-z-

Keiko gasped at this while Chief Haro held her close.

-z-

Captain and Sazabi slammed their remaining fists into each other again. Like before, an explosion occurred from the force of the collision, but Captain backed away in time. Sazabi, however, was not so lucky, thrown back with both arms rendered useless. Captain held up his fist.

-z-

"Go for it!" Shute yelled.

-z-

"This isn't over!" Captain shouted, and wound up a punch as his fist glowed and spun. He charged forward and delivered a solid uppercut onto Sazabi, knocking him into the air.

-z-

"_Knock his block off!_" Shute cheered.

-z-

Captain leapt into the air after Sazabi, winding up his fist for another punch. He struck the center of Sazabi's chest, right above the wing emblem. That part of the armor exploded, and inside was something Captain never thought he'd see.

"What's that!" he cried.

It was glass, it was spherical, it had fire, and it looked very familiar.

-z-

"_No!_" Gasped Zero.

"It can't be!" Bakunetsumaru cried out.

Shute couldn't believe it. He squinted to get a better look.

_Huh! A _Soul Drive!

-z-

It _was _a Soul Drive. But unlike Captain's, the fire inside was black and blue, unlike the gold-white that filled Captain's. And unlike the smooth, stable energy of Captain's Soul Drive, this one's power looked static and erratic.

"You looked…_surprised,_ Captain…" Sazabi gasped smugly.

"_You _have a Soul Drive!" Captain asked, flabbergasted.

The Commander made a pained chuckle. "You see, Captain Gundam, you and I are not so different after all! We share a bond that goes beyond all physical dimensions! A bond that could become even stronger, if you just say the word!"

Captain looked into Sazabi's eye. "What are you talking about, Commander?"

"Come with us. Join the Dark Axis, and I will give you command over this world and more," The Commander's eye glowed as he spoke, "What do you say, Captain? You _know _you want to…"

Captain stared into Sazabi's eye for a good long moment, not saying a word. But then his eyes enflamed and he pulled back his fist.

"If you want a friend…" He said, "…_you'll have to do better than that!_"

Captain slammed his fist into the Soul Drive, shattering it. As its glass exploded outwards, the dark power within it seemed to convulse and implode before seeping into Sazabi's body.

The Commander was shaking, from both rage and shock. "_THIS…CAN'T…BE…HAPPENING!_" He screamed, "_I'VE LOST…NO! NOOOOAAAAAAUUUUOOOO!_"

Sazabi appeared to implode and shine, just before he exploded. The blast shook the entire Horn, and seconds later explosions began to occur all over it. The battle had already taxed the Horn's durability to its limits, and this final, climatic explosion was the final straw. Captain, for his part, was less worried about why the Horn was destroying itself and more about how he was going to avoid this fate. But as the entrance to the _Magnamusai_'s bridge erupted in flames, he could see no way out.

-z-

The explosions shook Neotopia Tower, but that wasn't what bothered Shute, Zero, and Bakunetsumaru.

"The Horn of War is collapsing!" Bakunetsumaru yelled over the booms, trying to keep himself steady.

"But Captain's still up there!" Shute cried.

Zero yelled, "Leave it to me!" and took off into the air.

Zero flew up to the Horn of War's top, weaved in and out of the pillars of fire that were appearing, and grabbed hold of Captain from behind. Not slowing down for even a second, the Winged Knight carried Captain high into the air, just as the Horn of War did one final, massive explosion that blew off its top half.

Bakunetsumaru cautiously opened his eyes, having shielded them from the light of the blast, and looked up. "They made it!"

"_Yahoo!_" Shute cheered, and let off a relieved laugh. "That was close!" To Captain, he yelled, "Are you all right?"

Captain nodded. "I'm fine, Shute!"

Zero set Captain down, and Shute skated up to him, Bakunetsumaru close behind. The boy threw his arms around Captain.

"Oh, Captain!" He said, "Oh, _man, _am I glad to see you!"

Captain patted Shute's shoulder, saying, "It' good to be back, my friend, and it's good to see you too…"

-z-

With the Horn's destruction, the dark clouds it created soon faded away afterwards.

In the Peace Park, Grypo pointed to the blue skies.

"Look, the sky is cleared!" He cheered, and waved his arms. "Hooray for Captain Gundam!"

Iyaka giggled. "See, I told you he would do it, didn't I?"

"Never doubted it!" Gunbike replied.

-z-

All over the city, the people of Neotopia celebrated.

"He did it!" Leonardo cheered, hopping up and down. Catching himself, he turned to Prio and added, "Of course, I _knew _he would…"

Prio grinned. "Goes without saying!"

"You said it!"

They heard the sound of helicopter blades, and saw the white Gunperry lower down. The wall opened down, showing Keiko holding Nana, Chief Haro, Sayla, and Mayor Margaret.

Mayor Margaret held a megaphone to her mouth and asked, "Is everyone okay?"

"Absolutely!" Leonardo exclaimed, "And then some!"

Besides the mayor, Sayla giggled, unable to really restrain her happiness.

"Thank goodness it's over," Keiko cooed to her baby, "Huh, Nana?"

Nana gurgled, waving to all the people down below.

The white Gunperry soon landed on an unused street. Keiko stepped off of the ramp, and as she did, a voice reached her ears.

"Mom!"

Keiko looked to the voice and inhaled happily. It was Shute!

"Over here!" Shute yelled as he skated towards Keiko's group, with the Gundams right behind him.

They had see where the white Gunperry had landed from Neotopia Tower, and after riding the emergency slides down (The elevators weren't working, for obvious reasons) had gone off in search of them.

Keiko, elated to see her son unharmed, rushed forward to him, followed by Sayla, Mayor Margaret and Juli, who had gotten out of the Gunperry's cockpit to join the reunion.

"Shute, are you all right?" She asked worriedly as the boy stopped in front of her.

"Yeah, mom, I'm fine!" Shute assured.

"Don't you go running off like that, we were worried about you," his mother admonished, "Weren't we, Nana?"

Nana's face scrunched up, possibly from joy at seeing her long-lost big brother, even though he was only lost for a few hours. She mumbled something.

Shute smiled and patted Nana on the head. "Na-na! Oh, you shouldn't have worried, we had everything under control."

The Gundams exchanged grins. "Right!"

There was a horse's neigh, and Entengo came galloping up to the party from another pathway.

"Entengo!" Bakunetsumaru cried. Entengo lowered his head and Bakunetsumaru obligingly patted his nose. "Good to see you, my old friend."

"Gundam Force is so cool!" Shute yelled. Everyone looked at him. "C'mon, let's hear it, everybody!"

Keiko, Juli Mayor Margaret and Nana (Who could only gurgle the gist of it) cheered, "Gundam Force is so cool!"

"So _cool!_" Sayla squealed.

There was a tense pause as everyone looked at the Gundams. They exchanged looks once again before caving in to peer pressure.

"_Gundam Force is so cool!_" They yelled.

Everyone laughed.

"Even if we do say so ourselves!" Shute said between chuckles.

There was a sound of wooden heels, and everyone turned to see Mark run up some stairs to the street.

"Dad!" Shute cried.

Mark panted, hands-on-knees. When he caught his breath, he said, "I've been looking _everywhere _for you! I heard there was some kind of invasion…?"

"Well, dad…" Shute began awkwardly. As usual, Mark didn't have a clue as to what was going on, being cooped up in his studio most of the time. But how do you explain something like the Dark Axis? Or Commander Sazabi? How do you define an experience like that to such a laid-back guy?

Luckily, Keiko was more experienced in dealing with Mark's lack of knowledge at hand, and took the reins on the discussion.

"The world almost ended, but we're fine, honey." She said simply. When dealing with the laid-back, the best idea was to keep all explanations simple.

That was good enough for Mark, apparently.

"Oh, well, that's all right, then." He laughed, scratching the back of his head. The sun glinted off the white string in the friendship bracelets he wore.

At the back of the pack, Juli heard a faint hum of rockets and looked up to see Guneagle hover down.

"Say, where's the chief?" He asked.

"Uh…" Juli looked around. She couldn't see him anywhere. "I'm not really sure, Guneagle, but he sure has his hands full."

"Doing what?"

Juli pointed towards the center of the city. "Well, for one thing, it's certainly going to be quite a job cleaning up all the debris, left by that Horn of War."

-z-

Bell Wood raised an eyebrow. Ever since Captain had destroyed Sazabi, Kao Lyn had been doing a bizarre pattern of punches, kicks, and stances, all while jabbering gibberish. He felt a tug on his bellbottoms and looked down at Kao Lyn's Ball.

"He is saying," the Ball said, "'I am very excited.'"

"Yo, I didn't know he had his own translator!" Bell Wood remarked.

"He doesn't," The Ball sighed, "But they promised me a line of dialogue, and that was it."

Bell Wood snorted. "More than _I _get, sometimes- huh?"

He stopped breaking the fourth wall and hopped out of the Gunperry. A little more than a few yards away was some kind of yellow object that looked vaguely familiar. Once he picked it up and gave it a more personal inspection, he decided that it looked like the Zakurello Gate, only hand-sized.

_Now what's this?_ He thought, _Looks like some kind of mini-dimensional transport device. I wonder…_

-z-

"Okay, let's get these machines up and running!"

"Roger! Commencing energy injection!"

Even though Captain had defeated Sazabi, there was still work to be done. All over Neotopia, the SDG and city workers were involved in the clean-up efforts. In the Peace Park, mobile soldiers for the SDG were refueling the mobile citizens who had donated their energy to Captain. The machines glowed yellow for a brief moment as their energy cells were replenished, and soon they were able to move again.

"It's okay," Grypapa said, "I'm fine now."

The cranebot did a happy spin. "Look at me! I work again!"

"Ahh, at last we're back on track!" Train #1 sighed.

"Yes indeed!" Train #2 added, "Now all we have to do is get back on schedule!"

Mayor Margaret's statue straightened up. "Thank goodness! I was getting a terrible crank in my lower back!"

The Swan-ferry flapped her wings and sighed, "I feel like a brand-new swan!"

Grypo smiled. "Looks like another beautiful day in Neotopia!"

Off to the side, Iyaka was being tended to by her parents. They had been called to the Peace Park by Gunbike, who, after nonstop searching in the city directory, was able to use his communicator to tell them where their daughter was.

"Of course I'm all right, I'm not a baby, you know," Iyaka said, "Did you bring my blanky?"

The mother smiled. "Yes, dear…"

-z-

Under the sea, a trio of marine-balls, accompanied by a pair of mobile soldiers each, moved towards where Captain said the Gundivers were. Sure enough, they saw the seven, all lying around where the Re-equip Ring had first sunk. Some looked up and waved.

"Gundivers located," the driver of the lead marine-ball reported, "Commencing rescue operations immendiately!"

-z-

In the cockpit of the _Big-Zam_, Zapper awoke. The impact from Blanc using the super-tank as a landing pad had knocked him out.

"Ohhh, my _head…_" He groaned, "How many days have we been unconscious?" Getting himself together, he looked to his partners and yelled, "Hey, wake up down there! We got work to do!"

Grappler Gouf rolled his eyes. He had been awake longer than Zapper had, and in that time came to grips with his place in the universe.

"Oh, stop," He said, "Can't you see we'll never get out of here? We're doomed!"

"_Peh!_" Zapper made a spitting noise. "What kind of defeatist talk is that? You'll never help the Commander conquer the universe with that kind of attitude!" He began to imitate Grappler. "'Oh, we're doomed…'"

"The Commander?" Grappler exploded, "He's the one who's left us here to _rust _like a bunch of _scrap metal!_"

"Oh, thanks a lot! Now you got _me _depressed…"

_Skrnch_

_\_"Huh?" Destroyer Dom looked up. "What was that?"

Zapper looked at Destroyer quickly. "What? What was _what?_" He and Grappler had been too busy bickering to hear anything other than themselves.

"Me hear something!"

Zapper was about tell Destroyer to shut up, the grown-ups are talking when heard a faint scratching sound. Almost like shovels…

"Hey, I think you're right!" Zapper cried.

Grappler looked around. "I don't hear anythi-"

"It's a team of my loyal Zako Soldiers come to rescue us!" Zapper crowed, cutting Grappler off. "We're saved!"

"You sure?" Grappler asked.

Destroyer waved his arms. "Yay! Saved!"

"Three cheers for the Zakos!"

Grappler, watching his partners whoop it up, shrugged, and began to celebrate as well.

"Let's get this party started!"

A metal fist punched into the cockpit. The three invaders looked. It did not look like a Zako's. The fist then tore out a large hole in the cockpit.

"Here they are!" Captain announced.

Zero floated down to his side. "All of them?"

Bakunetsumaru stepped up and looked in, chuckling. "Snug as bugs in a rug."

Upon seeing that their rescue party was made up from their enemies, the three Dark Axis officers did the only thing to do; they panicked.

"Th-th-the fundam gorse!" Zapper babbled.

"The _Gundam Force!_" Grappler shrieked.

Destroyer wailed.

The Gundams stepped out of the way to allow Chief Haro to poke his head in.

"Greetings," Said the chief, "Let's _talk._"

All three invaders gibbered uncontrollably. Upon being dragged out of their seats, the found that the area now had eight Gunperries circling above them.

-z-

"…The threat of invasion is over, and the Dark Axis, with its goal of inter-dimensional domination, has been defeated, all due to a previously secret force known as the SDG. Now life in Neotopia is finally, slowly, returning to normal."

As Shute watched the news broadcast on the TV set on the outdoor patio table behind his house, the screen showed the cranebot help break away bits and pieces of the Horn of War up while being directed by Grypo, while Kao Lyn did martial arts on his back. In front of them were Zako Soldiers, who had been set up as a fire brigade, passing buckets of debris along a line. After Shute had told the SDG about the Zakos at the bottom of the elevator shaft, they were quick to 'recruit' the little robots into the clean-up efforts.

Shute turned from the TV to Captain- who was not in citizen mode, but in his fully repaired defender mode. Now that the public was aware of the SDG and Gundam Force's activities, there was no point to using the citizen mode. The only sign of Captain being 'off the clock' was his faceplate, which was currently open, showing his mouth.

"There's still one thing I still can't figure out," Shute said, "About that Soul Drive of Commander Sazabi's…did you know he had one too?"

Captain shook his head. "No. It was a shock to _my _circuits as much as yours."

Before any more could be said on the subject, Captain's V-fin flashed. Captain activated the projector on his helmet's light, showing Bell Wood with the Dimensional Transport Device in the background.

"Hey, everybody!" Bell Wood greeted, "Good news! The Dimensional Transport Device is working!"

"That's great news!" Shute cried as Zero and Bakunetsumaru gathered around.

"I can return to Lacroa?" Zero asked excitedly. Now that a way to reverse petrification had been found, he was eager to go home.

"And I to Ark!" Bakunetsumaru added. Ever since his duel with Ashuramaru, he had been concerned for the state of his home.

Bell Wood shrugged. "Sure, without a doubt! Lacroa, Ark, middle of nowhere, you name it! Wherever you wanna go, just hop aboard!"

"You mean it?" Zero pressed, "No more malfunctions?"

"It will _really _work this time, Bell Wood?" Bakunetsumaru asked, "Are you certain of that?"

Bell Wood looked insulted. "Hey, when I say it's working, it's working! Come on down and see for yourself!"

"To once more my beloved homeland, say no more!" Bakunetsumaru yelled and took off for the driveway. Captain turned off his projector and he and Zero followed after him.

"Wait for me!" Zero yelled, flying.

"Yeah!" Shute cried, running after them. "Let's go!"

Laughing, Shute followed the Gundams out to the front yard. Entengo was right out there, apparently waiting for them.

"Shute?"

The Gundam Force stopped. Turning around, Shute looked to his family, standing at the door of his house. They all had worried expressions on their faces, even Nana, who was holding out a hand for her brother.

Shute looked down for a moment, sad. Looking back up, he said, "Mom, dad, I _have_ to go with them. You see, our world may be safe now, but theirs…" He gestured towards Zero and Bakunetsumaru. "theirs are still in terrible danger! Even while we're standing here in Neotopia, their homelands are under attack. I don't know what I can do to help them, but at least I've got to _try. _I owe 'em that much after what they've done for us!"

Nana looked to Mark. Mark looked to Keiko. Keiko looked down.

Sighing, she looked back up and gave a sad smile. "Good luck and come home safe."

Shute smiled. "I will!"

"Thank you, Shute!" Zero and Bakunetsumaru said, and exchanged proud grins. "A true Gundam!"

Shute joined the rest of the Gundam Force, and then turned around to his family.

Waving, he said, "Bye, mom and dad! Bye Nana! I'll be back, don't worry!"

Almost tearful as she waved, Keiko cried, "Don't forget to brush!"

"Look after yourself, son!" Mark yelled, while Nana giggled. Her big brother was so cool!

Captain closed his faceplate. "Right. Gundam Force, _let's go!_"

"Right!" Zero cried.

"Right!" Bakunetsumaru yelled.

Shute punched the air. "_Yeah!_"

The Gundam Force did not know what adventures they would find in the other dimension, but no matter what, they would find it together.

-z-

Three Zako Soldiers watched the Gundam Force run off into the sun from their hiding place in the bushes.

"What do we do now, zako?" One Zako asked. Holding up a red microphone, he suggested, "Perhaps we should take a brief review of our situation!"

The other two Zakos held up their own microphones, one blue and one yellow. "Good idea!"

Blue Mic said, "Our mighty leader has been defeated!"

Red Mic said, "Our armies have been demolished and we're all left on our own!"

"Zako!" Yellow Mic piped up, "I know what! Let's ask the Gundam Force if we can join _them, _zako-zako!"

Red Mic and Blue Mic thought about it. "…Hey! That's not bad, zako!"

Yellow Mic nodded. "Yeah, forget that stupid ol' Dark Axis. It's time to switch to the winning…"

Then, they felt…

…_IT…_

A presence so strong, so overpowering, that it completely drove all thoughts of rebellion from the Zako Soldiers' minds.

"_Zako!_"

"Is…is that what I think it is?" Blue Mic shivered, "_That _guy!"

The Zakos exchanged nervous looks. They then burst out of the bushes (Shocking the Mark family) and fled into the sun.

"The Dark Axis forever! And Ever! And ever and ever!"

-z-

Deep within the Dark Axis…

…A great evil…

…_**Stirred**_…

-Book 3 end-

AN: Well, that's it! Season 1 complete! WHEW! I gotta say, doing this was not easy. Especially with finals from the last semester getting in the way. But I did it!

I made a few changes to the dialogue, I will admit, but you can just watch the episodes to see what kind. C'mon! Watch that series, don't take my word for it.

But I digress.

This was without a doubt, the longest book in the series, and I don't believe any book I'll write later will top it. Trust me, this was a good 13 episodes. I toyed with the idea of splitting the entire book into smaller books, but decided that would make the story flow harder. And besides, I already chose to follow the Japanese website's method of dividing episodes up- a new arc for a new dimension.

In any case, I'll be taking a short break before getting into the season 2 episodes. I'll have a preview up sooner or later.

Read, review, and prosper!


	23. Coming Soon

A preview of the next _SD Gundam Force _book;

"Where are we?" Shute asked, staring at the nightmarish chamber outside of the ship. Getting up, he asked, "Is this supposed to be Lacroa?"

"Miss RAIMI- Status report!" Captain ordered.

"Confirming coordinates now. Our ship seems to be trapped in-between the Zakurello Tunnel and the Zakurello Gate. The cause is currently unidentified."

-z-

Outside on the space at the back of the ship under the bridge, the Zakos tried to untangle themselves from the pile they ended up in. One managed to pull himself out and look around.

"What's going on, zako?" He asked.

-z-

"This is not my beloved Lacroa!"

Shute turned around to Zero, who had spoken. He and Bakunetsumaru were peering out of the _Gundamusai_'s window-eyes in horrid fascination.

"And such a horrible place couldn't possibly be my homeland Ark…" Bakunetsumaru said, perplexed.

Before any of them could discuss their circumstances further, a deep voice pulled their attention.

"You, inside the ship! Show yourselves!"

The Gundam Force looked out to see two free-floating platforms hovering towards the ship- a box-shaped one carrying what was unmistakably a Musha Gundam- older and more heavily-armored than Bakunetsumaru- and one that looked like a poisoned blossom, carrying some kind of green ghoul. Upon seeing them, both Zero and Bakunetsumaru's eyes hardened.

"_Fiend!_" Bakunetsumaru snarled.

"What is _he _doing here?" Zero hissed venomously. Without another word, the Winged Knight flew to the elevator. "C'mon!"

"Prepare yourself!" Bakunetsumaru shouted, running in after Zero.

"Hey, wait!" Shute cried, but the elevator doors closed.

-z-

"You, traitor to Ark!" Bakunetsumaru shouted as he and Zero appeared on top of the bridge, "The one who sided with the Dark Axis- Kibaomaru!"

Kibaomaru looked away from Genkimaru (Who had tried to escape by biting his hand) to the speaking Musha Gundam.

"Blazing blades of justice! I am Baku! Netsu! Maru!" The samurai yelled, making the characters appear in the air. He leapt at Kibaomaru, landing on his platform as the warlord jumped back to avoid the blow. Bakunetsumaru continued to make jabs and slices at the Musha Gundam lord, who kept evading the swords.

"Ha! Very nice, samurai!" Kibaomaru applauded, and held up Genkimaru in front of him. "Be careful, you might hit my little _shield _by accident!"

Bakunetsumaru froze in mid-swing. Lowering his swords, he yelled, "How dare you! You're nothing but a coward!"

Meanwhile, Zero was facing off against Deathscythe, summoning his shield and sword.

"_Come to me,_" He chanted, unsheathing his claymore, "_Legendary, sacred Vatras Sword!_"

Deathscythe's eyes shimmered with twisted delight. "So, some of the Knight Gundams from Lacroa still survive!"

The air in front of Deathscythe shimmered, and a black-purple double-side scythe- with two blades on either side- appeared. The scythe began to spin, manipulated by invisible hands, and swung at Zero, who blocked and parried the blows.

"Deathscythe!" Zero yelled, "For harming Lacroa, you will now pay!"

Deathscythe snickered, which served to further enrage the normally cool-headed knight. His swings became harder and more predictable, allowing Deathscythe to easily parry the attacks, and even take his back once or twice. At one point, however, Zero was able to get a clean slice at the evil knight, only for it to pass right through his ghostly body!

"That tickles!" Deathscythe cackled.

"What!" Zero gaped, and in gaping was barely able bring up his shield in order defend against a blow from the scythe. He was knocked down, landing right on the edge of one of the melting pits.

"Why don't you just melt away like all the other Knight Gundams!" Deathscythe asked sadistically.

Coming Soon

**SD Gundam Force**

Book 4

_The Minov Boundary Sea_


End file.

SD Gundam, Adventure