Travels-Beginning
Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam. The rights to that belong to others. Original characters are mine.
UC 0096
A bright light.
Pain, Fear, Anger, Loss, Regret.
These were the things floating through Leonhardt Duran's head as his Geara Zulu was pierced by the opposing Jegan's beam saber.
He lasted the longest out of his former squad mates. He lasted longer than his wife, whose mobile suit blew up seconds before the Miracle of Axis occurred. Now, it was his turn to join the ghosts of his friends and family.
"Heh heh heh… hah hah hah… Is this it? Am I going to go see Gwen? No, not yet, there's still so much to do."
Meanwhile, in the Jegan, Riku Adachi has only one thing on his mind, acceptance.
"This is it for me. Claudia, I'll see you soon." Riku spoke quietly to the photo he carried.
Though he got the Geara Zulu with his beam saber, the Geara Zulu got him earlier with a grenade. The Jegan's hatch wasn't working and his cockpit was flashing warning lights.
"I had a good run, haven't I? I've lived a full long life. I wish I could have lived it longer with you."
Riku looked up at the Geara Zulu. "Sorry, but it looks like I'm taking you with me."
Leonhardt jerked up at that. "What, what was that? Who, who are you?"
"You can hear me?"1
"The enemy pilot?"
Before anything else could be said, their mobile suits began to fade. In a second they were gone.
Unknown Location
The two wake up in a grey area of space. Nothing is around them, as far as they can tell. Both of them have lost their combat suits and are dressed in their original uniforms from the One Year War. Each of them see a young man. Leonhardt sees a reasonably tall young man, who appears to be just turning 20. Riku sees a young man who is taller than him, if only by a few inches.
Leon is the first to react.
"Who are you?!" He reaches to his side to get his gun, only to grasp at air. "My gun, shit, where is it?!"
"I'm afraid it's gone, Mr Duran."
Both Leonhardt and Riku turned toward the voice. What they saw was surprising. Instead of finding some random person in a military uniform or a mythical outfit, all there that was there was a random person in a grey cloak, eating a turkey and cheddar cheese sandwich.
Riku muttered under his breath. "This has got to be the strangest thing that has happened since Axis."
"It, much like everything else you two had, are gone. Instead, I replaced that with your clothes and bodies from, let's say, seventeen years ago."
"Seventeen years! That's bullshit!"
"Just look at yourselves."
As Leonhardt turns his head to look at himself, the cloaked man threw a bottle of mayonnaise at him. Without looking, Leonhardt easily dodges the bottle and throws it back. All the cloaked had to do though, was duck. The bottle nearly smashes into Riku's face before his hand catches it.
"Well it looks like I was right."
"What was right?" Riku questions.
"Well I had grabbed both of your existences partially randomly and I had assumed that you two became Newtypes. Looks like I was right. Nineteen owes me a lot of sandwiches."
"Wait, go back, about us being Newtypes."
"I mean, you both communicated with each other telepathically before you died, and right now you two dodged and caught a bottle of mayonnaise without looking. So telepathic abilities and enhanced spatial awareness. Seem to be weak Newtype to me, but Newtype never the less.
At this RIku seemed to nod. It does appear to sound like some abilities Newtypes possessed.
"At any rate, let me tell you two why you're here. Please, take a seat." As he said this wooden stools appeared before them. Before they could say anything else the stools moved under them.
"So, what's your opinion on universe hopping?"
"What?" Both of them deadpanned at that statement.
"I'm sorry, let me phrase that another way. I'm going to send you two to alternate dimensions, or timelines, whichever you prefer."
"Why" "For what reason?"
"Various, one being that I made a bet that I could grab two people's existences randomly and they would be Newtypes. I did it, but now I need something to do with you two.
At this Lionhardt spoke up. "No way am I being some guy's plaything."
"What about a girl?"
Before they could blink, the cloaked man was replaced by a cloaked woman.
Before Riku can even contemplate what just happened Leonhardt shouts out, "That has nothing to do with the issue!"
"Strange, people usually focus more on the fact that I just switched genders."
"You mean you've done this to more people?!"
"Can we get back on track you two?"
"Ah, right, right, thank you Riku. Also, as for why you should listen to me, I might send you back to a replica of your dimension."
With those words Leonhardt froze.
I would be able to see them all again. I would be able to talk with them and tell them not to waste their lives. I would be about to save her Gwen. If I could just save Gwen, could I work with this Federation dog?
Meanwhile, Riku contemplated this information, conflict growing in his previously calm heart.
Could I really be able to see them all again. But, would it be right, they all lived their lives the way they wanted, should I really try to change that? Claudia, I do regret your death, but is it really right to change what has happened? What should I do?
"If you brought us here, could you also…"
"I don't know where your wives existences went."
"Why though are sending us to these alternate dimensions in the first place?"
"Ok, look, officially I can't interfere with dimensions that don't know of other dimensions. But that rule doesn't prevent me from sending people, or from taking existences, souls, whatever-you-want-to-name-it of people that no longer have a purpose there. You two were about to die, so I took your lives, and will be using them for my, and other worlds, benefit."
"What will we be doing in those worlds?"
"I would say listen to your conscience but I think Leonhardt's conscience would punch you in the face for being a Freddie and his lifelong enemy."
"Can I punch him?"
"Yeah sure, punch him once, afterwards though I expect you two to work together."
…
"Can we refuse?"
"No."
"Then I'll take that punch."
"Wait, what."
At that RIku was thrown five feet back.
"Oh, knockout!"
"Ugh, not… quite." At this, Riku slowly stood up. Leonhardt took a step back and got in a ready stance.
"Ok then, stop that you two." At that Riku and Leonhardt froze still.
"Ok then, I told you what's going to happen any questions?"
…
"Oh right, you two are frozen, let me just undo that."
With a snap of her finders Riku and Leonhardt fell to the ground.
"Deep breaths, in and out, look at you two, breathing in synch.
Leonhardt pointed his finger at her. "It's… your… fault… for… freezing… us…"
"Can… we… bring… mobile… suits?"
"Sure, sure, depending on the dimension you go to will change which mobile suits will be available to you. Also, if I decide you need more support I might send some 'puppets' and some other support to assist."
Riku's breathing stabilized. "So, what if there is a world that doesn't have the same rules as ours?
"If I need to, I'll make some 'adjustments'. So… you two can call me Seventeen and for future reference, you can call this place the Para Dimensional Intervention Zone, or the PDIZ."
Leonhardt recoiled, having not had good experiences with Cyber-Newtypes "Seventeen, how many of you guys are there?! Also, what types of adjustments?!"
"Oh, various. You guys will have a large arsenal of mobile suits available later. So… See you guys later!"
"Wait, we're not done talking to you yet!"
With Seventeen laughing at them the two pilots faded away and disappeared.
"Now, where should those two go first?"
A/N
[1] Newtypes have many unique abilities and ability enhancements. In order to make my characters not too overpowered, but still eligible for Newtype MS, they have very limited Newtype abilities at the start. For now that includes telepathy and enhanced spatial awareness
Side Note: I wanted to make Leonhardt a temperamental guy. In his old age he lost most of his fire and instead gained regret and pain. When he became young again, he got most of his fire back, but still maintained his past experience. With Riku, I wanted a calm, methodical soldier. In his old age he has seen many conflicts and was at peace with dying. Becoming young again has somewhat unnerved him and he feels old regrets and pains resurface, I'm sorry If that wasn't clear in the story, this is my first actual attempt at a fanfiction story (even though it's just an introduction).
This is just an introduction fanfic. There is only this one chapter. Other stories will appear for different universes. If I have them in the UC universe again, it will be under Gundam UC. Also they will be appearing in things other than Gundam. If you readers have a suggestion on where they should go, I'll take that into consideration. Ultimately though, it will be my decision.