The G-Effect
A Gundam Wing Alterverse
By Daemonchan
A lot of this I have taken from the G Gundam series, of which I have only seen episodes 1-8. Still, it made for an interesting story. I am going to say that G Gundam happened about AC 60, since it had been 60 years since humankind took to space. That makes the G technology over 130 years old.
This is an alternate story line to the actual series. The idea is that there are two Gundam piloting programs, G and Zero. The scientists decide to try G first, but the technology is so out of date, they are pretty much guessing as how to use it. However, they fear what the Zero system is capable of so they believe it to be a safe alternative.
I know very little of the technology involving the G Gundams. They were piloted very differently from what the boys use in Gundam Wing. I have taken many liberties in describing the system. I have no idea if anything I have described would have ever happened with the G Gundams. There's a good chance it wouldn't have.
However, that's what fiction is for.
*~*~*~*~
They were losing. Miserably.
The green mobile suits swarmed the three Gundams with the ferocity of ants whose hill had just been attacked, a combination of live soldiers and the newest development of the Romafeller Foundation. Mobile dolls. Inhuman machines that were tough enough to take down a Gundam, overwhelming the incredible mecha by sheer numbers alone, but they were untested in battle. They would begin mass production if the new machine proved victorious over the three Gundams now facing them.
Trowa struggled to keep his attackers at bay, firing with careful precision into the mass of Leos and Tauruses. He found himself using his saber more and more in order to preserve what little ammunition he had.
Wufei was in a better position, trying to free his friend from the morass. One good hit took three soldiers out in a ball of red orange flame, pattering Nataku's gundanium hide with twisted shrapnel. But OZ's soldiers had found the weakest link in this chain; it was only a matter of time before Heavy Arms ran out of ammunition and was forced to fight by hand.
Wing was hard pressed as well. Heero had proven over and over that he was the most dangerous of the five Gundam pilots; OZ was trying to take him as quickly as possible. He danced through the sea of green Leos and black Tauruses, his thermal sword leaving a wake of smoking and twisted metal. Most of the soldiers never even knew that they had been hit when the neon blade sliced through the earth metal of their suits, giving them only a moment to pray to whatever God they believed in before they were incinerated.
Wufei was thrown against the harness as Shenlong took a hit. Turning Nataku, his Dragon Fist made short work of the suit that had snuck up behind him. His eyes burned from the sheer number of enemy marks on his heads up. The endless wave pressed in on them, threatening to crush the last resistance to OZ rule. He knew they were losing. His pride burned, knowing that they would have to get out of here, and soon, before the Gundams ended up like the rest of the scattered hulks on the battlefield. They were only a distraction anyway. Duo and Quatre were busily trying to infiltrate the nearby base and destroy the mobile doll factory there. Wufei checked his chronometer. In fact, they should be done in five, four, three, two...
Wufei smiled as a great cloud of black smoke rose behind the Leos and Tauruses. The concussive roar followed soon after, catching those suits still close to the base. Huge chunks of concrete and slagged steel rained from the sky, taking out even more of the OZ force. Leos ducked for cover until the deadly storm had passed. This was the trio's cue to retreat.
"Wufei..."
Heero's image imposed itself over his tacticals. The Wing pilot was bleeding freely from a small cut above his eyebrow. If he was in pain, he was denying it, preparing to retreat from the battlefield.
"You and Trowa need to retreat. I'll cover you."
Baka. Wufei was still fresh, he had barely joined the battle. He told Heero so.
"Iie.."
"Listen. There is no shame in a retreat. It is a shame to waste your life when someone else is better suited to fight."
There was a quick flash of concern in Heero's dark eyes, but it disappeared before Wufei was sure he had even seen it.
"Ryoukai."
The Leos turned when the base was blown sky high, the distraction allowing the Gundam pilots a chance to even the odds. With the humans distracted only the small contingent of mobile dolls fought on. Wufei moved Nataku in front of Trowa, his beam trident slicing through the doll that had gotten close enough to actually grab onto Trowa's suit. Trowa's image appeared briefly, flashing a grateful smile.
"Have you heard from Duo or Quatre?"
Wufei shook his head. There was no time for such worries. The dolls had sensed their retreat and were planning to overwhelm the three metal giants with sheer numbers. Wing made his way over to where they were standing, joining Wufei in the struggle to keep the enemy at bay.
"Now, Yuy."
Heero jumped his suit into the air. Wing began its transformation sequence, jets kicking in to keep it in flight. Heavy Arms made one last leap and grabbed on the landing legs. Most of the soldiers were now focused on Wufei and Nataku, who was taking them down left and right with terrible sweeps of his trident. They were late in turning to fire at the airborne pair. Soon Heero and Trowa were out of range, well on their way to the rendezvous with the other two pilots.
Wufei had cleared his own retreat, and took off across the ruins of the base, smiling with smug satisfaction at the remains of smokestacks and steel framed factories. Justice had been served.
------
Duo fell heavily against Quatre, shaking his head to clear it.
"Just a little further, Duo. The others will be there."
Quatre's voice sounded faint and distant. Duo knew he was close to passing out. You could only lose so much blood before you began to feel it. At least the wound in his leg didn't hurt so much anymore...in fact, his entire body was beginning to become pleasantly numb...
Quatre held Shinigami tightly, unwilling to let the American boy fall. Duo was wounded badly; they hadn't been quick enough in their escape from the base. Duo had seen the guard taking aim at the Arabian's unprotected back and pushed him out of the way. Now Quatre was unsure if his friend would make until they found the others.
The American stumbled again, nearly dragging the both of them to the ground. "Itai!"
He was a walking zombie. What ever energy Duo was using to keep himself upright was rapidly fading. This was it. They would have to stop here.
Quatre pulled them further into the trees, finding the deepest shadows that still allowed him view of the road. Duo collapsed gratefully against a huge oak, his skin flushed and fevered within the cooling shade. He fought to keep his eyes open, some inner sense warning him that if he fell asleep, chances were that he wouldn't wake back up.
The blonde pilot tended to his companion, checking the wound. Fortunately, the bullet had gone all the way through, leaving nothing that might endanger Duo further. Still, the bleeding had to be stopped.
Quatre stripped away his vest, tying it just above the wound on Duo's leg. The tourniquet held; the bleeding stopped within minutes. His next problem was to find away to lead the other pilots to them without also attracting OZ's attention.
The braided American bit his lip to keep from crying out as Quatre secured the tourniquet. He began to wish for his aibou, his Deathscythe. Duo did not want to die in the middle of the woods, bleeding onto the ground. Where was his glory? Where was his chance to take out as many OZ bastards as possible with his act of self destruction?
Aww, fuck, Maxwell. You're starting to sound like Heero.
Duo was drawn from his thoughts as Quatre stiffened beside him, gun drawn and ready. Duo struggled to see what it was that had spooked the blonde. A faint buzz came to his ears, but he thought that it was just part of the blood loss.
No, it was a motorcycle. Heading their way. Quatre snuck closer to the road, lying concealed in the lush undergrowth. The bike and rider whizzed past, giving them only a momentary glimpse of a white clad figure. Quatre leapt from his hiding place, waving frantically.
"Wufei! We're here!"
Wufei turned the bike quickly, kicking up a cloud of dust. He stopped next to Quatre, trying to make sense of the Arabian's rushed words.
"Duo's hurt real bad, Wufei. He's lost a lot of blood.We need to get him out of here."
Wufei nodded once, putting the kickstand down and letting the bike idle. "Show me."
Duo blinked hazedly as he saw Wufei approach through the trees, white against the black trunks. He looks like some kind of Chinese spirit...
"Daijobu, Maxwell?"
"As well as can be expected, Wu-man. Let's blow this pop stand."
It was an effort to to fit three of them. It was hard enough to get Duo on the bike and hold him there. Quatre wound his arms around Wufei's chest, holding Duo tight to the Chinese boy's back. Duo had lapsed into unconsciousness the minute his legs were over the seat of the bike. Their time was running short.
Wufei checked his passengers once, then opened the throttle of the motorcycle. They sped off down the road, away from OZ and hopefully towards a chance for Duo.
------
Duo began the long climb back to consciousness in the midst of what sounded like a heated argument. One voice he recognized immediately, the quiet but forceful baritone of Heero, but the other voice took a moment to place.
"Heero, please, the Gundams..." It was Dr. J, Heero's trainer. His speech was broken by the intermittent clicking of his false hand; the appendage had always given Duo the creeps.
"The Gundams are not enough. We are losing to OZ and their new mobile dolls. We almost lost a pilot today."
"Didn't know you cared, Heero," came Duo's strained whisper. He could see that he was in a clean room, not their current safehouse but also not a hospital. There was one window, wide and bright. Heero sat at one of two pieces of furniture, glaring at his laptop screen. Wufei sat in the other, a rickety chair that was literally on it's last legs. His face was calm and composed; Duo figured he was probably meditating.
Duo tried to move a hand. IV's were running into his right arm, as well as a bag of dark red blood. Ooh, I hope someone medically qualified did this and not Heero. I saw him set his own leg...
Quatre was at his side in an instant, holding a cup of water to his dry lips. Wufei sat up in the chair where he had been dozing slightly while waiting for his companion to regain his senses. Trowa leaned against the gray doorframe, a relieved smile crossing his features. Heero merely stopped scowling for a moment before returning to his fight with Dr. J.
"Is there nothing more we can do?"
The figure on the screen was silent, the only sound in the room was that of the static in the connection. When he started to talk again, the scientist was resigned. "There is a way."
Suddenly all eyes were on the disfigured man, five boys whose lives depended on his next words.
"We developed two contingent programs that would improve pilot performance. The Gundams are perfect. It is the pilots who are lacking."
Duo let out an outraged squawk. J only smiled, raising his mechanical arm. "The one program is based on a very, very old program used from when the colonies were first formed and Earth was nothing but a polluted wasteland."
Trowa interuppted. "How old is it, Dr. J?"
The mad scientist was silent for a moment."Over 130 years. It dates back to the time of the Gundam Fight. Before the colonies banded together and Earth was repaired. It is called the G system. It is direct pilot/Gundam interaction.
"Most of what we know is based on descriptions of the program; we have actual blueprints and such but it is still in the testing phase."
Heero was thoughtful. "This could improve pilot performance?"
J nodded eagerly. "Much. Whatever move the pilot makes, the Gundam mirrors. It is two made one."
Wufei spoke up from his vigil in the corner. "What is the other program?"
"You are too smart for your own good, Chang Wufei. I cannot tell you. Suffice to say that it is our last resort."
Duo laughed, sinking back into the pillows as exhaustion threatened to overwhelm him. "So this is the next to last resort, ne?"
Duo gulped as the inhuman eyes focused on him. "Ahh, the self-proclaimed Shinigami. It is good to see you back in spirits. We will see you within a week, provided your strength has returned fully."
"Me! Why me??"
J smiled again. "We ran tests on the G program. If successful, it will adapt to all the individual psyche of the pilots but right now...
"Your's is the perfect match and will give the fewest problems."
Duo was livid, spluttering expletives in several languages. Wufei hid a smile and Quatre looked pained for his friend. Trowa and Heero shared an enigmatic look. Shinigami would be the newest guinea pig for the mad 5.
The American surprised them all by calming down quickly, idily playing with the end of his golden braid. "All right, but you tell Pestilence that I WILL NOT cut my hair for this!"
-----------------
That's it for part one! Finally! Part two will be up soon as I have no life right now...
Duo: Get a job.
Daemonchan: Get a haircut.
Duo: Point taken.
Daemonchan: Hn. Baka.
Heero: Omae o korosu...