Gundam Warblade

Disclaimer: This story is not for money (though that wouldn't be so bad),
it's not for recognition, (though I appreciate my readers' comments and
praise), nor do I claim any rights to any of the characters depicted here
(so don't sue me).

< >: Thoughts

Chapter 2
Duo Vs Ranma: Deathscythe Vs Warblade

Ranma was cautious as he entered the Oz factory where they were making the
latest models of Mobile Suits, the TAUROS. As this was only a scouting
mission, to check out the facilities and access their computers, Ranma had
left his Gundam hidden nearby. Using the stealth skills that he had been
ingrained into him from his previous life, though he had no memory of where
he learned them, the martial artist and Gundam pilot slipped past the
surveillance systems of the factory with ease. The sentries were also easy
to evade as he used the overhead pipes and other ceiling fixtures to make
his way toward the central database systems. Some of the sentries he took
out with sleeper points if there was no way around them.

A few minutes later, Ranma was hacking into the main computer and
downloading vital data onto a disk. With all the information in his
possession, including the schematics of the new Mobile Suits, plus the
locations of other manufacturing facilities, Ranma saw no need for this
factory to remain standing. He then backtracked his way out of the place to
begin the second phase of his mission: total destruction.

A few minutes later...

"Sir, something is approaching the facility at high speed at an altitude of
thirty-five hundred feet."

The commanding officer looked down at his subordinate and the console he
was manning.

"Have you identified the intruder?"

"I don't know." The soldier replied. "It's too small to be a shuttle or
troop transport. It looks like it's just one Mobile Suit, but it's moving
way too fast for an ARIES or even our new TAUROS..."

A moment later, a beam of chi energy shot out from the sky and struck the
command tower, obliterating it.

Alarms began sounding as LEO and ARIES suits were sent to defend the
factory against whoever or whatever was attacking it. When the smoke from
the initial explosion cleared, the pilots of the Oz got their first and
last glimpse of the Gundam Warblade as it streaked down to deliver its own
brand of destruction.

Meanwhile...

Heero Yuy nodded as he closed down his computer at the school. After using
his skills to bypass all the tuition fees and other expenses, he then set
about with the next phase of his mission. His Gundam was still lying on the
bottom of the ocean floor and it was his job to make sure no one was to
discover it. He had hacked into the inventory lists of a military supply
depot and was now ready to steal a trio of high-impact torpedoes. With that
in mind, he sneaked out of the school and using the stolen ambulance he had
acquired before, he raced off to perform his duty.

A while later, outside of his dormitory, Relena Darlian was getting
suspicious about Heero. After that encounter on the beach where she first
met him, and his vow to kill her, the young girl was both scared, yet
excited at the youth. She asked about him when another classmate showed
late for her birthday party. The boy said that he had seen Heero racing
down the highway toward the place where Relena had first found him.
Excusing herself from the festivities, Relena decided to go after him.

As this was occurring, the pilot of the Gundam Deathscythe, Duo Maxwell,
had received his next orders. He was to attack a fleet of Oz warships as
they were engaged in some kind of secret retrieval mission.

Ranma had just finished off the Oz factory and was now flying over the
ocean toward his home base, when his sensors picked up some unusual
activity going on beneath the waves. Because he wasn't expecting his next
orders until tomorrow, he decided to investigate and the Gundam Warblade
plunged into the waters.

Sometime later...

Zechs smiled as he saw the Wing Gundam lying on its belly on the floor of
the ocean. The submarine carrier's lights glinted off the Gundanium alloy
as PISCES and CANCER Mobile Suits circled around it.

"I can't believe that it's still intact." One of his subordinates remarked.

"Yes, quite a remarkable beast the colonies have sent us. In any case, we
have to keep that Admiral busy up there. Raise him on the communicator and
tell him..."

It was then that a huge explosion was heard overhead that rocked the waters
beneath, causing large clouds of sand to be kicked up. Zechs found himself
cut off from all communications with his troops. It was then that he got
the feeling that something else was down there.

Duo Maxwell smiled as he used his Beam Scythe and Buster Shield to cut the
PISCES Mobile Suits apart. After already destroying the fleet on the
surface, he was now dispatching the troops below the surface. He could just
imagine the looks on their faces as they saw how his heat-energy weapon
could operate underwater.

"Anyone who sees me is got a date with his maker." Duo said fondly as
another PISCES exploded.

After the last of the OZ mecha was destroyed, Duo decided to check out what
they were so interested in. However, before he could get within visual
range of the object, something slashed at him across the Deathscythe's
chest. The Gundanium alloy became scorched as Duo backed away to face off
against his new opponent. His eyes widened at what he saw at the monitor.

"W-What the...? A Mobile Suit? I-I-It looks like mine!"

Inside the Gundam Warblade, Ranma was also surprised to see a Gundam. Ranma
had arrived too late to see the Deathscythe destroy the OZ Mobile Suits, so
he naturally assumed that this was some new type of mecha from OZ. He also
noted the Wing Gundam lying on the floor of the ocean. He made the decision
that whatever these things were, in accordance to his orders from Sensei X,
he must destroy them as they had witnessed his Gundam. His other Chi Cannon
Blade flipped out and Ranma charged forward to deliver twin stabs to
Deathscythe's chest.

Duo reacted fast to avoid those strange, glowing blades as he had already
taken considerable damage from that first glancing slash. Bringing up his
scythe to parry, the weapons clashed together and the haft of Duo's weapon
began sparking as the pressure from Ranma's weapons began to intensify.
Then to Duo's surprise, the Warblade suddenly kicked out with one of its
legs and tripped up his Gundam, causing it to fall onto its back. With a
twisting motion of one of its blades, Ranma's Gundam wrenched the scythe
out of Deathscythe's hands and was preparing to stab into the Gundam's
midsection. 

Duo reacted fast and launched his Buster Shield at Ranma. The martial
artist just barely got an arm up to deflect the projectile. He was reacting
slower as he wasn't used to fighting underwater. Unfortunately, the energy
blades managed to cut into the elbow and a structural weak point in Ranma's
armor as it was a bit thinner than the other Gundams. Salt water began to
cause delicate circuits to short out and Ranma found that this left arm
becoming sluggish. Knowing that the salt water would eventually seep into
his more vital circuits and relays, Ranma did the only thing he could do.
He had to get out of the water and fast. However, as he was getting away,
Deathscythe tried to get up to attack again. Ranma focused his chi and
fired a beam at the Gundam's left leg, nearly shearing it off. Duo winced
as his Gundam fell onto its back again. With that parting blast, Ranma
engaged his thrusters, shot up toward the surface, and escaped.

"Aw man! Who the hell was that?" Duo wondered as he fought to regain
control of his mecha. After a few more minutes, he finally got his Gundam
back on its feet, though it had sustained considerable damage to its left
leg and chest. He limped toward Wing Gundam and was still puzzled when he
saw that Heero's machine also resembled his own. He noted that its
self-detonation device was active and used his Beam Scythe to disable it.

"No sense in letting a good Gundam go to waste." Duo remarked. "I'll just
use it for my back up suit."

Duo then set about the task of getting his suit and the discarded one back
up to the surface, little knowing that another Gundam pilot was about to
use a trio of torpedoes to blow it up.

To be continued

Author's notes

The changes done to this chapter were minor as I couldn't think of anything
else to do with it.


