Ch7
Death's hand

Disclaimer: Vandread nor Gundam belong to me.

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Heero was looking at Magano.
"So your friends have definitely come to kill you then." Said Magano.
Present in the briefing room was also the other Dread pilots, BC, and Parfet.
"Apparently." Replied Heero, "They are also very dangerous."
"I can see that." Spoke Magano, "But my question is, can we defeat them?"
"It may not be easy..." Said Heero, "The five of us were trained as elite soldiers. I doubt they could make any sort of mistakes that you may be used to."
"Hey, we can handle 'em!" Boasted Hibiki, "We just need ta combine and-"
"And get destroyed together?" Asked Heero and looked at Hibiki.
"You said only earlier you could estimate their combat strength." Said BC.
"They have modified their suits." Replied Heero, "Now I'm not certain what their combat possibilities are."
"Well," Said Magano, "At least you know who's piloting those suits. Meaning you could predict their moves?"
"I can try."
"Good. Work with Parfet to program them into the simulators."
Heero nodded and stood to walk out with Parfet.
Magano turned to Meia, "Meia, I want you and the dread pilots working in the simulators to train against this new foe."
"Yes ma'am." Saluted Meia and left the room with the other Dread pilots.

In the simulator program room Heero was busy with Parfet.
Parfet, bored with the silence, tried to start a conversation, "So Heero, what's Earth like?"
"Earth?" Asked Heero.
"That's where you come from right?"
"I suppose. I don't know where I was born." Replied Heero and went on, "As for Earth...it's Green...with big oceans of blue."
"Is it like Mejeiru?"
"Where?"
"My home planet...I guess you've never seen it." Replied Parfet.
"No." Answered Heero and started programming in the geometry of Sandrock, "But I wonder if it's the same."
"Well Taraaku, the men's planet, is all rusty and brown...It's heavily industrialized or so the Doc told me."
"Hn.." Answered Heero, "Earth isn't that bad yet. We stopped industrializing after we constructed space colonies."
"So," Asked Parfet, "Do you have...women back in your world?"
"Yes..." Said Heero after a moment, "Men and women co-exist in society, if that's what you mean."
"Yes..." Replied Parfet, "What's the word, marriage?"
"Yeah." Said Heero as he finished with Sandrock's geometry and colors, "I'm downloading Sandrock. That should be the last of them."
Parfet nodded, "Got it."
"Should I construct a Leo?"
"A what?"
"...Never mind." Said Heero and relaxed.
Parfet smiled as she continued typing and asked, "I don't suppose...do you have someone back where you live?"
"Have...someone?" Heero Repeated.
"I dunno...a spouse?" She asked.
Heero went very quiet for a moment.
"Something...oh..."
"Yes...I did." Replied Heero and looked at her, "But since I'm here with no chance of return I guess I'll never see her again."
"How sad..." She said as she turned around in her chair to face Heero, "I'm sorry to hear that."
"Well." Said Heero as he returned to typing, "I'm getting over it."
"You don't just get over a relationship..." Said Parfet.
"And you would know?" Asked Heero without looking at her.
Parfait's turn to be quiet was then before she spoke, "How do you mean getting over it?"
"I'm looking for someplace else to call home...I guess here. And I'm looking for someone else....to relate too...."
Parfet had a good Idea what Heero meant when he said 'relate too.'
"So you've got a crush on Meia huh?"
Heero stopped typing.
"Huh. Well that's odd." She said and turned around to resume typing, "Well I guess it's only one way, I mean how can a woman ever love a man?"
"Very, very easily." Replied Heero without pause.

Later Heero was in the simulators finishing another round of combat simulations.
The cockpit opened and Dureo was standing next to the opening hatch.
"Break time." He said.
Heero then left the simulator rooms and headed to the galley for some lunch.
Once there, he found a spot beside Meia, "May I-?"
She nodded as he took his seat and she asked, "So tell me about the other models of Gundams your friends are piloting."
"Each Gundam has it's own value of strength." Said Heero and went on, "Mine was an all-type use Mobile suit, hence the transformable one. The heavyarms is a long-range fire support Gundam with enhanced weaponry...namely in the area of it's gattling cannons. The Gundam Sandrock is very heavily armored and t's primary weapons are two large close-range blades. The last one, Gundam Deathscythe, can...."
Heero turned around and looked out the window, "What are you-?"
"I thought I saw something."
Then a large, black form appeared with two green eyes.
Heero's eyes widened, "EVERYBODY OUT!"

"Ah!" Cried Bart as he scuttled right.
The Nirvana suddenly jumped right as the Deathscythe cut through the space the Nirvana once was.
Heero grabbed Meia, "MOVE!"
Meia and Heero ran hard as they could.
"You can let go!" Meia called to Heero halfway and Heero released her and continued to run.
Heero landed in the Wing Gundam and powered it up as the door closed, "This is Wing Gundam, ready for launch."
"Roger that!" Cried a female voice as the doors started opening.
Heero checked the beam rifle and shield before jumping and spinning the Gundam. Rifle clamped to Shield and Shield connected to the back of the torso as the head rotated around and the feet folded.
Heero spread the wings and went full-throttle.
The Wing Gundam blasted forward out of the hanger doors-
-And through bullet fire.
Heero expected as much as he had a lock-on.
He rotated and transformed to witness a Shield arm fly past him and into deep space.
"Hiya buddy!"
A dark form rammed into the Wing Gundam and started beating it, "Been Long time no see!"
"Get off me you-"
Heero managed to free a leg and rammed it into the bottom of the Deathscythe's head.
It nearly came off and the Deathscythe was forced to let go.
Heero cleared and thrusted away.
The lock still remained and he had to dodge the shield as it flew around.
Heero eliminated the nuisance with a rapid succession of gattling fire.
But Duo wasn't done, "Well Heero-"
The Deathscythe's scythe top unfolded to flash out another red blade, "I'm not done. I've come to get yer soul!"
Then the Deathscythe rushed forward with unparalleled
Dread Jura flashed it and rammed the Deathscythe.
"Hey!" Cried Duo, "That was drama!"
Jura cried, "Ugh! It's black!"
The Deathscythe shoved itself off the Dread and tried to slice it in half, but a quick spin from the Dread sent the Gundam tumbling.
Four other Dreads locked on and fired the short pulse missiles, catching Duo in a crossfire. He curled up to reduce the damage, but as he uncurled himself a warning tone sounded.
"Damnit-"
He dodged out of the way of Heero's now-firing Particle cannon.
The Deathscythe hovered for a moment before Vandread Dita closed in.
"Hehe...you're toast now!" Exclaimed Hibiki as he swung one of the weapons pods-
"Wait-"
That Deathscythe disappeared.
"What the-"
"BEHIND!" Cried Heero.
The Gundam appeared and slashed the back of the Vandread, Explosions rippled along the back as the second strike hammered it.
"Hehe...not so high and mighty anymore aren't we?" Laughed Duo.
"Duo STOP!"
Wing Gundam, in fighter mode, rammed the Dark Gundam and Duo was once again tumbling.
"Shesh, an't fool you can I?" Asked Duo as he righted himself and disappeared.
"Huh? Where'd he go?" Asked Jura.
Heero ordered, "Everyone keep moving! If you standstill or stay on a same vector he'll be on you before you know it. Hibiki, Dita, what about you guys?"
"We need help!" Cried Dita, "Mr. Aliens asleep!"
Heero nodded and looked at the situation as he transformed his Gundam and hung in space, "All right Duo, where are you?"
"Hehe...I'll bet you'd like to know wouldn't you?"
The Deathscythe de-phased over Meia and tried to slash her.
Heero moved quickly, guns sparkling as he struck Deathscythe several times.
The Deathscythe vanished again, "Hey, is it me or is there something special about the Dragonfly? I wonder..."
"Don't touch her Duo."
"Possessive aren't we?"
Duo laughed and Heero ignored it as he glanced over at Vandread Dita.
The Vandread had deep scars along it's back, with one weapon pod still clamped to the right arm and the other one flickering on and off. The Vandread wasn't...
But....
"Hey Meia,"
"What?"
Heero started tapping his controls, "I have an idea. How do you make Vandreads?"
"usually by allowing the Van type to dock with one of the Dreads...are you suggesting we combine?"
"...Yeah."
"Heero, your Gundam bigger than Hibiki's Van."
"I'm still willing to give it a shot," Replied Heero as he closed in on Meia, "Ready?"
"Heero, what's going on out there? Heero?" BC was asking.
But then both combined.
Heero's Gundam slipped into the compartment for Hibiki's Van, a little big but working.
The Wings folded down and across, as the nose of the fighter collapsed forward and down parallel to the body.
The head and torso rotated up, and the head angled itself down to give the 'cap' move view towards the head. The two appendages that were usually the legs to Vandread Meia now became the arms.
As the mecha settled in it's new position, Heero discovered himself in Meia's lap.
There was a moment of silence.
"...Hello."
"We seem to be stuck in this interesting position..." Blinked Meia.
After a second both shrugged and clasped their arms about the controls.

"What's that!?" Asked Jura In amazement, "Come to think of it...it looks cool!"
Barnette asked, "A Gundam combining with a Dread!? Great, what will they think of next!?"
On the Nirvana, the crew also saw it.
"Well..." The Commander hummed, "It looks like that boy has more surprises then we initially thought."
"A...Gun-Dread?" Voiced BC, "It will be interesting to see how these two fight..."

Gundread Meia turned and started thrusting forward.
"We're not as near fast as the Vandread version," Voiced Meia as she tapped some controls, "But it looks like we have enough power...your Gundam's reactor seems to have a good enough output rating."
"Whatever." Said Heero and attuned the sensors, "We have to find Duo."
A lens in the cockpit moved over space before a pink outline of the Gundam was found headed for Vandread Dita.
Heero found some interesting controls and tapped them.
The arms of the Gundread rose and shot out on tethers.
They hit the Gundam and Duo De-phased.
"Hey, what the-?"
"I like this..." Muttered Heero.
He turned, swinging Deathscythe with it.
The Dreads took up formation and started opening fire.
Duo yelped in pain as his Gundam became the center of a turkey shoot, "Hey! You're Cheating!"
"No," Smiled Meia, "This is."
The missile payload bays on the Gundread opened to expose racks of Micro-missiles. In an explosive wave they all left and corkscrewed for the Gundam.
"He-NOOO!!!"
Explosions pushed Deathscythe out of the grip of Gundread Meia.
Duo twirled in space before hitting his engines and running.
"Hehe..." Laughed Heero, "Didn't think you could Duo."
Meia's hands came up his own and around his neck in a hug.
"?"
"Thanks for bailing me out."
"You're welcome..." He added a bit softer.
The Dreads formed up around the Gundread as it approached Vandread Dita.
"Aww man!" Cursed Hibiki, "I get KO'ed and HE gets all the fun!"
Dita snickered but then the Vandread shuttered.
"Hey! What's the big deal!?!?" Demanded Hibiki.
"Do you guys want to get back to the Nirvana or shall we leave you two alone?" Heero asked.
"Well I...uh....Hey SHUTUP!!!"
Heero laughed as he closed the transmission and thrusted the Gundread back to the hanger, with the damaged Vandread in tow.

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Well that's Duo. It seems that the pilots became insane one way or another as they traversed universes...

...Well, except Trowa.

An interesting thing to know is that on a normal Google search Gundread made the fourth selection. There are two other 'Gundread' fics out there somewhere...

Meh. But this is MY fic! Onto the next chapter!