GUNDREAD

Disclaimer: I don’t own Vandread or Gundam Wing.

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Ch4
Adapt

The door to the medical ward opened with a whoosh.
Seated on the examination table was Meia.
She looked at him as he entered.
“Why are you here?” He asked.
“Checkup.” She answered and nodded at him, “Your arm?”
“Yeah.” He said and walked closer to her to examine it, “It’s not serious, but
perhaps you people have something that can cure it.”
Meia examined the arm and nodded, “You’ll live.”
He looked up at her and noticed something, “What’s this?”
She shied away as his hand closed in on the black ornament around her head.
Heero blinked with his arm still outstretched, “Why do you wear this?”
This time she let him touch it and pulled it off her face.
He examined it, and then her face, “You look better with it off.”
She looked up at him, showing the first emotion he had seen on her- surprise.
He looked back down at it and flipped it around in his grasp.
“It was a present…” She said, “From my Oma.”
“Oma…Mother…” Said Heero, “In German.”
“No…my Mother and Oma were two different people…”
“Hn…I see.” Said Heero, “In a completely female society…strange.”
He sat on the table next to her and looked at the jewel, “Does this have any
meaning?”
“It’s a reminder.” She said and took it back.
Heero watched as she raised it to her head but hesitated and looked at him.
“Something the matter?”
Heero answered, “You look better without it. I don’t understand why you would
wear a distraction like that.”
“It’s more than an ornament.” Said Meia, trying to keep her temper, “My parents
are gone…this is the only thing I can remember them by.”
“I see.” Said Heero and looked at a spot in the floor, “I don’t even remember who
my parents are. Or my real name.”
“Your name isn’t Heero?”
Heero closed his eyes for a moment. “No,” He said and opened them, “It was a
name given to me to be used in Operation Meteor- the name of our mission to attack the
Earth in the name of the colonies. I have no real name, only the name my Friends have
given me.”
“Heero is a fine enough name.” She answered.
He looked at her, “So is yours.”
Meia had a slight smile on her face from that comment.
Then the doctor entered, “Am I interrupting anything?”
Meia hastily replaced her head ornament, “No…no you aren’t.”
Heero blinked as he continued to stare at Meia.

Heero was leaning on the wall of a walkway in wait.
A door opened next to him and out came the glasses-white Parfet.
“Excuse me.”
“Huh? Oh…” Smiled Parfet, “What can I do for you Heero?”
“May I ask, is Hibiki’s unit standard?”
“What? You mean his Vanguard? No…it’s not…” Hibiki adjusted her glasses,
“Why?”
“Did he do the modifications himself?”
“Well no…”
“Then how?” Asked Heero.
“Um…” Parfet hesitated, “Well, I have to show you something first.”

“This is the Praxis.” Said Parfet and indicated the huge globe.
Heero peered out the viewing window at the solid, glowing sphere, “What is it?”
“Our reactor.” She answered, “At least that’s what I think…this thing had some
sort of reaction and caused a lot of changes around here…namely it created the Nirvana
and modified the Dreads and Hibiki’s Van.”
“I see…”
“Will that be all?”
Heero paused for a moment as he looked at the Praxis then asked, “Is there any
way to cause another reaction?”
“What? You got to be kidding!” Yipped Parfet, “When that thing explodes it’s
dangerous!”
“…I just need it to modify my Wing Zero.”
“Aren’t you satisfied the way it is?”
Heero looked at Parfet, “If their units can be modified, perhaps mine can be as
well. I need to be prepared to fight any of the other Gundams if they arrive…and if they
do I want to have my unit ready in the highest possible condition.”
“Well I’ll see what I can do…” Said Parfet and adjusted her glasses before she
left the room.
Heero looked back and stared at the humming Praxis.

Almost an hour later Heero walked into the galley and spotted Dita and Hibiki at
their normal table.
He picked up what seemed to be an interesting dinner and approached them.
He stopped and looked over at Meia, eating by herself.
Heero decided to try something new and joined her for Dinner, “Is this seat
taken?”
“Huh, no.” She replied as Heero took a seat across from her. After a moment she
asked, “Why are you doing this?”
“Doing what?”
“Eating here. Why aren’t you with Hibiki?”
Heero didn’t have an immediate answer, but replied, “I thought you needed some
company.” He looked up at her, “Should I go?”
“No, stay…” She said and blinked, “You’re strange, Heero.”
Heero dipped his head in acknowledgement.
“Excuse me…” He said as he turned and stamped his hand on something.
Meia watched as he pulled out a small camera.
“Hn…”
“It looks like one of Paiway’s.”
“The nurse?” Heero asked as he jammed the camera in his pocket. He asked
himself why he did that, and his answer came in an amusing laugh from his mind.
“She likes to…gather information.”
“I see.” Said Heero, “I should give her a talk about manners.”
Meia smiled at this and asked, “Aren’t you eating?”
“As long as we aren’t being spied upon.” Replied Heero as he started to join Meia
in eating.
After a moment of silence Meia said, “You were very good out there earlier
today.”
“Practice.” Replied Heero.
“Tell me,” Said Meia, “How is it you can react so fast?”
Heero took a moment to digest a mouthful of food, “The Zero system.”
“The what?”
“My Gundam is equipped with an advanced computer system,” Said Heero, “It
can predict and analyze combat information and provide me with advanced results. In a
sense, it can predict the movements and actions of others even before they are
performed.”
“I see… But can this be dangerous? Especially with the mind/machine interface.”
“Only two men have been able to survive the system besides me. Anyone else has
died with sustained use…it can drive a person insane.” Heero said with all seriousness.
Meia didn’t answer.
Then a voice asked, “So, you must be the wonderful Heero Yuy.”
Heero looked up at Jura, with Barnette slightly behind her.
“I should-“ Started Meia.
“No.” commanded Heero as he looked at her with a hand outstretched on the
table. His head turned back to Jura, “What do you want?”
“Well I was wondering if you and I could sit together and talk.” Replied Jura in a
seductive voice.
“I have nothing to discuss with you.”
“Taking favorites I see.” Said Jura as she eyed Meia and then back to Heero,
“Well Mr. Yuy, I think you’ll be more receptive on the battlefield.”
She and her consort walked away.
“What was that all about?” Asked Heero.
Meia answered, “Jura’s intentions are always shady. You can never be certain
about what she does.”
Heero continued to glance back at Jura.

“Well, it’s the best I can do for you.” Said Parfait’s echoing voice in the hanger.
It was late at night in the hanger levels, and Wing Zero was connected to several
power cables that lead directly to the Praxis reactor.
Heero had backed up all the files in Wing Zero on several independent computer
systems and was now ready, “Let’s do it.”
Parfet hit a switch.
Power ran through the lines and contacted the Gundam.
Nothing.
Heero looked about the cockpit as Parfet looked around the systems.
“See I told you-“
But something did happen.
A blue aura started flowing from the cable connections and flowed over the
Gundam, ignoring Heero as it did so.
But then there was a loud thump on the hull.
“Someone’s outside…” Said Heero.
The comm. Sounded, “All pilots! All pilots! To your stations! This is not a Drill!”
Sirens rang and Heero climbed out of the cockpit to look at Parfet.

“What’s going on?” BC asked, just out of the hospital and back on deck.
Magano said in a deep voice, “Another Gundam. Different from the last one.”
The image showed a dark form standing on the back of the Nirvana, waiting.

Heero cleared the landing bay and came up and around to look at the Gundam.
He was a little surprised it didn’t open fire immediately, but recognized the vague
form.
The Gundam Heavyarms was standing on the back of the hanger and watching
him. Several modifications changed the overall design from when he last saw it- notably
where the Gattling pods had two barrels they now owned three. A large heat knife also
rested on the right wrist.
Heero settled the Wing Zero before the Heavyarms, “Trowa?”
“Heero. Wufei said you were here.”
“Wufei.” Said Heero and narrowed his eyes, “What’s going on? How did you get
here?”
“It’s a long story Heero. We followed you though months after you left. Heero,
I’ve come to warn you about the others.”
“Really.”
“They want to kill you.”
“Why?” Heero asked, a little stunned.
The other Dreads hovered behind Heero as Trowa said, “Wufei wants to destroy
you for resisting to join the Preventors. Duo wants to because he’s tired of your
dominance. Quarte wants to destroy you because you are a threat to his peace.”
“And you want to destroy me as well?”
“I came because I came to support my friends. But Heero, I came to warn you
because you are my friend.”
“What about Relena? Did she come too?”
“We thought we could all get back after destroying you. Until they accomplish
that Heero, there is no turning back for them. We’re trapped here until you’re dead.”
“Or I kill you.”
Trowa was silent for a moment.
“My reason for coming was to bring you back.”
“What?”
Trowa responded, “Relena wants to have you back Heero, she assigned me to
return you safely. The others decided to kill you off when we got here.”
Heero wasn’t surprised a bit.
But something inside him surprised him.
He didn’t want to leave.
He glanced out to his left at Meia’s hanging Dread.
Was it because of her?
He faced forward again, “I’m staying.”
“My orders,” Said Trowa as he unlocked his Gattling cannons and swung them
into place, “Was to bring you back. I hope you’re wearing a space suit.”
“I’m not leaving Trowa.”
Trowa was again silent for a moment.
“I’m sorry Heero.”
The Gattlings swung up and opened fire on Heero.
Heero leapt up and the Dreads Scattered.
Heero flew around and knew he had to get out of Trowa’s line of fire.
He spun and took another direction, flying beneath the Nirvana.
Trowa simply walked along the hull after him.

Dita wailed, “We need to help Mr. Gundam!”
Jura looked over at Barnette’s fighter and back at the Heavyarms.
She swung down and opened fire.
Trowa simply turned and fired up at them.
“AIE!!!” Screamed Jura as she was hit.
She and Barnette spiraled into space with damage.
Trowa turned his body and lined up his sights with Jura’s damaged fighter.
“NO!” Screamed Hibiki as his Van crashed into the Heavyarms.
Trowa stumbled for a moment and turned to watch the Van type slam a fist into
the Hevayarm’s head.
Trowa jetted back and opened up the chest to the Gundam and fired.
Hibiki shuddered and shielded the face and cockpit with the arms of the Dread as
he jetted away.
“Man, what’s with this guy?”
Heero peeked up from cover and fired with his chest gattling cannons.
But a second later he ran out of ammo.
“Huh?”
He noticed that the ammo amount was slowly decreasing.
What was going on!?
He thrusted back and away from his cover to find a new one.
Then the left thrusters spontaneously gave out, came on again, and gave out.
Heero looked over his Gundam.
Something was wrong…
The Wing Zero was slowly altering itself…
Heero flew into an alcove beneath the front shield of the Nirvana and watched as
his Gundam continued to change.

A Dread pilot screamed as she was hit.
Trowa turned away from firing at the circling Dreads and continued to march
forward like a cold, ruthless machine.
Meia came around and strafed the Heavyarms from behind, but as soon as she
came over a targeting warning sprang up.
“What?”
The gattling opened fire.
She screamed as her engine was hit and the fighter started in an uncontrollable
roll.
As she tried to regain control she noticed a bright light in the underside of the
Nirvana’s top hull.
It shifted and spotted her.
“Wha?”
The thing shifted and blasted out from it’s hiding spot and charged in on the
Heavyarms.
Trowa looked up and spotted the Gundam a second before it rammed him off the
Nirvana.
The machine shifted geometry.
The new mecha gave a passing resemblance to the Wing Zero, only it was
different in several areas.
One difference was that it’s wings had changed from organic, graceful white
wings to long panel-like wings that looked like a collection of mix-matched tiles.
The new Wing Zero also had claws on the forearms, and clamed to the left arm
was a sheild, the right a new beam rifle.
“So Heero, a new suit?”
There was no answer as the new Wing Gundam lined it’s beam cannon up.
Trowa opened fire and his rounds seemed to have little effect on the Gundam as a
trio of energy discs appeared and sheltered the Gundam from harm.
Trowa jumped and found now to be a good time to leave.
Trowa jetted up and away from the Nirvana, leaving the alien vessel and his once
friend behind.
Heero watched the Gundam retreat from the new eyes of the Wing Gundam
before igniting his engines and thrusting up to Meia’s Dread.
“Meia, are you all right?” Heero asked as the Wing Gundam drifted up to the
disabled Dread.
Meia sighed a yes in her cockpit.
“Good.” Said Heero as he transformed the mecha. The shield turned and became
the top front part of the mecha while the arms swung underneath and became claws. The
beam rifle locked into the front part of the shield too, and the legs moved to become a set
of engines.
The Wing Gundam grasped the disabled fighter and swung into the Nirvana’s
hanger.

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Trowa Barton. Cold, unwavering, and a pillar of cold strength.
Now possibly Heero’s biggest adversary, and once friend.

Just so you know, the Gundam re-do can be seen on Mecha and Anime HQ; a site with a
large archive of Mecha and Mobile suits (Unfortunately not Vandread yet) and it also
contains the image which the ‘New Wing Gundam’ Heero uses. It is a re-design of the
original Gundam from the TV series, done by Hajime Katoki labled XXXG-01W Early
type. It is transformable, though now with the Praxis modifications there may be more to
it than meets the eye…