This story is not completely by me. It was originally a chainfic created on the Noir Base fanforum, so most of it is by me and some other authors. I'll give the full credit and disclaimers at the bottom.
The Minov Checkpoint
The Minov Checkpoint is a rest-stop floating the deep teal Sea. A joint-project between Neotopia, Lacroa and Ark, it provides food, fuel and a place to relay stories and rumors for any travellers who may have fallen between universes.
But right now, it's just opened. Everyone present was running around, making sure things are in place and working right. A few whose jobs are complete -- or just slacking -- were out on the deck, watching the sea, either looking for anyone who might happen by, or just getting away from the chaos inside.
Gundam Force Special Member Shute whooped and raced to the main room's lightswitches. "And we're--" almost there -- "OPEN!" He flipped them all on!
Or, at least, he thought they were. The bulbs quaked for a split second, but didn't come on.
"Uh..." Shute leaned his head over his shoulder. "Hey, guys!"
A voice came from the other end of the darkened building. "MY SAVE GAME!"
Shute gulped. "Guys?!"
"Chief Haro!" screamed a Captain Gundam somewhere in the kitchen. "There is a 64.7 chance that the power has gone out!"
Shute slapped his head. "Great..."
Stumbling, Shute felt his way around the blackened area, trying to find a flashlight, or the breaker switch...or both!
BONK!
However, Shute's little quest was cut short when something -- A very big something -- knocked him to the floor.
"Hmm? Who's there?" The voice belonging to that big something said. Shute instantly recognized the voice belonging to… Tallgeese. The boy shined his light in the long thought dead Lacroix knight.
He screamed, "Zombie!!!!!!!!!!!"
"I'm not a zombie!" Tallgeese shouted, "I'm a ghost!"
"Shute!' Captain's head light danced around the cornor, "Shute are you o..." Captan trailed when he saw who was standing next to the Tallgeese ghost.
It was... Freddy Krueger?
"Freddy Krueger" and Talgeese made weak, non-threatening growls at the two Neotopians before dissolving into fits of laughter.
Shute growled, getting up and standing next to Captain. Captain patted his friend's back. "Guneagle, Gundiver... whichever number, cut it out."
"Okay, okay..." Guneagle flipped off his mask. "Come on, you too Gundiver."
Talgeese looked at Guneagle. "What's a 'Gundiver'?"
It was quiet for a moment.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"
Shute, Captain, and Guneagle ran like a bat out of heck into the break room. They slammed the door out of breath.
Zero looked up, "What in Mana's name is wrong with you lot?"
Shute gasped, "Tallgeese...ghost...outside...zombie!"
Baku was wearing a look of fear, "A gh-gh-ghost!?"
Guneagle nodded, "He's going to eat our CPUs!"
Something pounded on the door, 'Hey! Open it up! It's me, Princess Rele! What's going on?!"
"Princess?!" Zero flung the door open. Princess Rele was there.
"Thank you," her majesty sighed, "Now what is going- Oh!"
She was cut off as Zero grabbed her arm and pulled her in. Once inside, he shut and locked the door.
"What are you doing!?" She demanded, giving each of them 'the look'.
"I apologize for my roughness, Princess," Zero said, "But it was for your safety!"
"What?" Rele asked, a bizarre mix of confusion and anger on her face.
"It's true!" Shute said frantically, "Talgeese almost got you!"
"Who?"
"His ghost," Captian answered, "It materialized during the power outage."
"Where?"
"Outside!" GunEagle explained, "Didn't ya see him?!"
"All I saw," Rele began, her eyes closed with annoyance, "Was that dark-skinned, tall-haired scientist of yours, wearing armor, laughing up a storm. When I asked what was so funny, he pointed in this direction."
There was silence. For a minute, anyway.
"Dark skinned?" Captain inquired.
"Tall haired?" Shute asked.
Again, silence.
"Bell Wood!" The boys yelled, angry. Upset, they went out to exact vengence on the laid-back one. Well, the Gundams did, Rele held Shute back.
"Shute, can I talk to you?" Rele asked, "Alone?"
"Uh..." Shute cupped his hand to his mouth and waved Rele close. "This isn't about you being madly in love with me, is it? 'Cause if it is, I-"
"What? No!" Rele blushed. "No! Of course not!"
Shute thought to himself, I just saved this fic from going in a really obvious direction.
"What I wanted to tell you was-"
Bakunetsumaru's voice exploded from the opposite side of the door. "SHUTE, GET OUT HERE NOW!"
Shute raced out the door leaving Rele to groan in frustration.
Shute shouted, "What's wrong!?"
He entered the dim hallway lit purely by Captain's headlight and Shute's flashlight. Bakunetsuamru was plastered to the wall, possibly recovering from of having a gundam heart attack. Zero held up his shield shaking like a leaf. Bell Wood in the Tallgeese armor crouched behind Captain cowering and praying for his mommy. Captain wore a look of shock.
"What happen to you guys?" Shute asked.
Rele entered the hallway and looks to the right, "Shute. Who is that?"
'That' happened to be a large, vaguely humanoid creature, covered head to foot in brown messy hair, looking more akin to a sasquatch than anything. In its ape-like hands it clutched a broom.
Shute jumped at first, but calmed down when he got a good look at the creature. "Hi, Mr. Saru," He said calmly, "What's up?" The creature grunted in response.
"Shute, you know this creature?" Captain asked, being the only one capaple of making coherent sentences at this point.
"Sure!" Shute replied, "He's the janitor at my school."
"Zako?" Asked a Zako Soldier.
Guneagle peeked from the adjacent hallway, "The...j-janitor...at your sc-school?"
"Relax he's harmless," Shute answered.
"Zako?" the sole Zako present gave the hairy organic a strange look, "Humans are weird zako." He scuttles off.
Mr. Saru snorted in reply and continued to pass the frightened gundams. Zero landed in front of Rele, "Are you alright Princess?"
Baku groaned, "How much longer will this go on?"
Captain answered, "After all these events I suggest we find the power grid and discover what has caused this black out."
A small kid peered around the corner, "Come we don't have much time." His ride stealthily moved down the parallel hallway.
Zakozakozakozako
Meanwhile, elsewhere, something...evil...was afoot.
In a dimly lit area, a strange, hunchback creature, with what looked like rusty clamps for hands turned on a monitor, which was showing something that vaguely looked like a brain with eyeballs.
"Fritz...Something is wrong." The brain hissed over a speaker. "Fetch blueprint #666, Fritz."
The hunchback made confused noises.
"The one in the trunk."
Nodding, Fritz opened up and began digging through said trunk, tossing out an occasional knick-knack.
"Once I have solved this minor annoyance," The brain went on, "No one will be able to stop me- Watch it, you fool!"
The trunk tipped over, spilling out Fritz, the blueprints, and a variety of odds and ends.
The brain sighed. "I'm going to need a proper pair of hands for this one," it said, as Fritz started cleaning up. "Someone who's, eh, good at tinkering." While he was talking, another screen lit up, showing Shute walking down a corridor. "I have already sent for his arrival. Fritz!"
On command, Fritz leapt up and saluted, clutching a Gundam model in his right clamp.
"Feed our unwitting helper into a false sense of security. As for the others," the screen showing Shute shifted its view to show Captain, "You know what to do.
Fritz looked on uncomprehending, but then noticed the Gundam model in his clamp. Using both clamps and some effort, the hunchback snapped its arms off.
Zakozakozakozako
While the brain plotted, the Gundam Force was being led down a hall by the kid. None of them seemed aware that they were being watched.
Suddenly, the transparent form of Lalah Sune appeared directly behind Bakunetsumaru. He didn't notice.
But the others did.
"Do you see that?" asked Bell Wood, having taken off the Talgeese armor.
"If I say 'no', will it go away?" replied Zero, staring bug-eyed at the ghostly woman.
The girl stared with empty eyes at them, lightsaber still lodged through her forehead.
"Ittai," She murmured quietly.
"U-Um," Shute stuttered, going a little pale staring at her wound too long. "W-What hurts?"
"What are you guys talking about," Bakunetsumaru frowned turning his head this way and that to find whatever it Zero had mentioned.
"You don't see her," Zero asked, eyes wide and holding up his shield before his princess, waiting for whatever worst this could bring.
"No!" Bakunetsumaru growled turned around and looked up and down and everywhere, still not seeing Lalah. "What are you guys talking about?!" Suddenly she moved in front of him and touched his shoulder, staring at him.
"Ittai," She murmured again, her eyes squinting a little. Bakunetsumaru stared back at the space she occupied, as if he did see her, but didn't react. The rest of the Gundam Force watched, not sure of what to do, as a silent eerie moment passed.
And then he fell over backwards, unconscious.
While the gang surrounded Bakunetsumaru, no one noticed Fritz entered the room.
"Is he all right?" asked Rele, concerned. Lalah shrugged. There was a groan as Baku' slowly opened his eyes.
"Hey," GunEagle said, holding up two fingers, "How many fingers do ya see?"
"Umm," Baku began, pausing. "Five?"
Everyone exchanged looks.
"Technically, he is right." Captain commented.
Meanwhile, no one noticed Fritz inching his way towards Bell Wood. He was just about there...
WHAM!
...When a door slammed opened, squashing the hapless hunchback against the wall.
"WHERE'S THAT BREAKER SWITCH!?" Bellowed Zapper Zaku.
Lalah turned to him creepily, eyes wide and dark.
"Ittai." Zapper flinched visibly and took a step back but stumbled, falling over. He sat up and rubbed his head, glaring at the object that had tripped him.
It was the breaker switch, obviously torn out of the wall.
He picked it up and stared at it more thoroughly, moving his glare to the Gundam Force. "WHAT IDIOT DID THIS?!"
Captain looks down at the torn switch, "Good question."
"Ittai," Lalah spoke again.
Shute sighs and scratched his head, "Now what do we do?"
Guneagle speaks up, "Let's see, one ghost, three humans, five mechas...I've got nothing." They heard Fritz groan from where Zapper had slammed him. Zapper pulled out his broom, "Who the heck are you!?"
Fritz dizzly got to his feet. He then realized that the majority of the group was staring at him. Without warning, he whipped out a tommy gun and took aim.
Zero had seen plenty of gangster movies during his two-year exile in Neotopia, and he knew exactly what was coming. "Super Magical I-Field!"
Fritz began firing the gun, unleashing a slew of hot lead. Luckily, the force field Zero had the foresight to summon blocked all the bullets, safely protecting the gang. After about five minutes of this, Fritz's gun stopped shooting bullets and instead made clicking noises. Looking at the empty gun and then group, he grinned sheepishly. In response, the gang glared, Zapper especially. Throwing the gun into the air, Fritz tore off down the hall.
"GunEagle, go after him," Captain ordered. GunEagle complied, but couldn't move at his top speed due to the size of the hallway and risk of crashing.
"Who is he?" Asked Princess Rele.
"What is he?" Asked Zero.
Bakunetsumaru, still somewhat groggy from his fainting fit, looked around. "Where's Shute?"
No one knew. He was gone, along with the small child that led them down the hall in the first place.
"Ittai." Was all Lalah said.
Zakozakozakozako
"Okay, why did you bring me here?" Shute finally asked the kid.
"Come on you don't recognize me?" the kid asked.
Shute raised and eyebrow, "Should I?"
His mount spoke with a hiss, "You should."
The kid threw off his cape. Shute yelped in surprise as the kid laughs. Shute then angerly snapps at him, "What are you doing here Genkimaru!?"
Genkimaru out his tongue before answering, "Simple. Cobramaru and I have been tracking something."
"Something like what?" Shute inquired somewhat annoyed.
Cobramaru answered, "Whatever it is that caused this blackout. He stole something very valuable and important from Ark."
Shute cocked his head, "What is it?"
Before he got an answer, several voices echoed down the halls, "Shute! Where are you!?!"
"I'm over here, guys!" Shute called back. He then turned Genkimaru. "What was stolen?" He asked again.
"A helmet belonging to a powerful Musha Gundam of legend," Cobramaru answered, looking tense for some reason. "Tengumaru."
"Who's Tengumaru?" Shute asked.
Before he could get a answer, Shute felt something tap his head and then everything went black.
When Shute awoke, he was slowly being dragged by the feet down a dark hall, too dark to see in. He blinked blearily and squeezed his eyes shut, the back of his head in pain.
"Ow," He groaned and looked up at the figure shuffling with him. He tried to grab onto the ground, but it didn't work too well. It still got the person's attention as they turned back and looked down at him. "Hey," Shute frowned. "What are you doing? Where am I?"
The hunchback Fritz looked down on him, obviously not pleased the boy woke up. Still, he had him bound by the feet and shrugged his heavy shoulders and continued walking.
"Heeeyyyyy," Shute whined but suddenly hit something that was on the ground, not knocking him out this time but giving him something different to whine about for the moment- in this case his pounding head. Again.
Zakozakozakozako
The ever-increasing gang of gundams walked along, or in Bakunetsumaru's case was dragged along by Zero since he was still too disoriented, until they did happen to find Genkimaru and Cobramaru, standing there looking quite confused. Captain stepped out in front.
"Genkimaru, Cobramaru? What are you two doing here?"
"Uh," Genkimaru folded his arms and furrowed his brows. "We came here to look for something stolen from Ark but Shute..."
"Where is Shute?"
"Yeah, he was just with us," Cobramaru continued to looked around in the shadows, suspicious. "But he just disappeared." There was a pause.
"What?" Captain frowned at them, obviously not pleased. "He can't just disappear."
"But he did!" Genkimaru pouted. "It's true!"
"I didn't see any ninja either." Princess Rele put her fingers on her lips and looked away in thought.
"Sounds like witchcraft." Zero sighed.
"Alright, we need to find Shute first now, it looks like trouble is afoot in here."
Zakozakozakozako
Guneagle shone his projector through the hallway as a flashlight and held his rifle firm, looking for that strange hunchback who had attacked them before.
"Come out come out, wherever you are!"
"Ittai." Gunagle flinched and stumbled back from the air onto his feet as the floating ghost girl Lalah poked her face in front of his.
"Ah! You scared me, don't do that!" He paused to stare at her for a moment, starting to wonder exactly why there was a ghost like this in the brand new Minov Checkpoint and why did it seem to have such a gruesome death?
"Ittai," She murmured again and Guneagle sweatdropped.
"I can see that," He motioned to the red lightsaber protruding from both sides of her head. "But how? Why?"
"They killed me," She finally said with a sigh, moving both hands over her eyes as if to hide tears. "Oh, dear Gundam..." And with the last very sad and mysterious words, Lalah disappeared right before Guneagle's eyes. He stared at the space for a moment before getting back up flying.
"Well... that was quite strange... " He continued looking for Fritz for a few more minutes down the hall, finally coming upon a door. He opened it and found A great many things that, now released from the closet, collapsed on GunEagle in an avalanche of bric-a-brac, covering him completely. A moment later, GunEagle poked his head out of the pile and Lalah the ghost appeared before him.
"I tried to warn you," She sighed.
"No, you didn't!"
Zakozakozakozako
Back with the gang, Bell Wood decided to part from them.
"I'm gonna go tell Cheif Haro about that weirdo," He explained.
"Good idea," Captain agreed. After Bell Wood left, Captain turned his attention to Cobramaru. "What was stolen from Ark?"
While Cobramaru began his talk, Genkimaru heard a familiar noise. Without saying anything or looking back, he ran off to investigate.
"What!?" Bakunetsumaru cried, leaping to his feet. "Tengumaru's Hemlet was stolen!?"
"Who is Tengumaru?" Zero asked, privately glad he didn't have to carry Baku'.
"A Musha Gundam of Legend," Bakunetsumaru explained, "He was a warrior who, thanks to the powers of his mystical helmet, could know what his opponent was going to do before they did it."
"Eventually, his defeated enemies banded together and sealed the Helmet in a shrine near Mt. Anaheim," Cobramaru added, "Until it was stolen."
"And the theif's trail led you here?" Captain asked. Cobramaru nodded.
"Hey," Zapper cut in, his eye shifting around, "Where's Genkimaru?"
They looked around. They just noticed he was gone.
Zakozakozakozako
Genkimaru quickly scurried down the hall leaving behind the very annoyed gundams. He peeked into a door and tried to look through the darkness, "What made that sound?" He slipped into the room allowing the door to silently close behind him. He soon realized his mistake, being that he could no longer see. "That was smart," the kid musha thought aloud. He reached for a door handle but finds none. He whimpered, "please tell me they know what a door handle is." He frantically felt around before his hand finds a box next to the door. Since he was vertically challenged Genkimaru felt around and pushed any random button he came across.
Zakozakozakozako
"Genkimaru!" Cobramaru shouted, "Where are you!?"
"Genkimaru!" Baku called out.
Captain scanned around, "How strange. Both Shute and Genkimaru are still here that I'm sure of, but I cannot detect either one of them."
"Wouldn't they have to be-" Zero was cut off by Rele.
"Do not say what I think you're going to say next," Rele ordered.
Captain was getting nervous, "Shute! Where are you?"
Zakozakozakozako
Shute was being forcibly deposited and locked into a strange room by Fritz.
"Lemme outta here!" Shute yelled, pounding on the door. When there was no response, Shute elected to explore his new surroundings. The room was moderately sized, kept lightened by several lanterns. In one corner was trunk, but in the back of the room, Shute saw, was a large computer with several monitors and keyboard with more than enough buttons. This computer seemed very old, as it was colored(as far as Shute could tell) a rusty brown color.
Curiousity overcoming his fear of the unknown, Shute walked over and examined the computer. opening a hatch on the side up, Shute peered at the inner workings of the machine.
"Wow..." Shute breathed, "What a piece of junk!"
The components that made up the computer looked decades old, and probably were, judging. But before Shute could look into any more, he heard a shifting noise. Whirling around, Shute saw one of the walls spin, revealing Genkimaru, fiddling(as best he could) with a weird console!
"Genkimaru!" Shute cried.
"Huh?" Genki stopped what he was doing and saw Shute. "Shute!" he yelled, running over to him, neglecting to realize that the wall and console had completed its spin, no longer in reach(but so very close)!
"What are-"
"Been looking for-"
"That weirdo-"
"This noise-"
Eventually, the two got through with their explanations.
"Okay, Shute," Genki' said, preparing to make a portal, but Shute stopped him.
"Hold on, Genkimaru," Shute said, "I wanna get this thing up and running."
Genkimaru frowned. "Why?"
"I think this thing caused the blackout," Shute explained, going back to the computer, "Whoever put this here tried to make its old-tech work with the Checkpoint's new tech, and shorted the system out. But if I get it working, I bet..."
Shute trailed off as he worked. A few minutes later, he yelled triumphantly, "Got it!" and the electric lights went back on.
And they weren't the only ones. the computers monitors clicked on as well, showing...The brain.
"What is that?!" Genkimaru cried, holding his knife out in defense.
"Dr. Nerosis..." The brain introduced, hissing, "Dr. Imper Nerosis!"
Zakozakozakozako
Cheerful shouts rang about the checkpoint. The power had finally returned.
"How did that happen?" Guneagle asked.
Baku looked around, "I don't know. But I'm not complaining. At least the ghost is gone."
Captain groaned, "There must be something jamming Shute and Genkimaru's signal. I am unable to detect them."
"Let's keep looking," said Cobramaru, "They'll show up."
Zakozakozakozako
Back in the room Shute and Genkimaru stared shocked at Dr. Imper Nerosis. The brain chuckled, "Ah, just who I've been looking for. Fritz!" The hunch back lumbered into view.
"I will get them at once doctor!" Fritz lunged at the youths. Shute and Genkimaru dived out of the way. With out missing a beat, Shute fired his glue gun at the hunch back. Fritz smirked, "you honestly think that will stop me-ah whoa!" Both of his feet got caught.
Shute laughed and pumped his fist triumphantly, "Never underestimate my Shutto Bond. Genkimaru, let's get out of here!"
"Right," Genkimaru begins to create a portal.
Dr. Nerosis roared, "Stop them you fool!" Fritz reached for the kids but can't reach.
"Later!" Genkimaru and Shute disappear into the portal.
Dr. Nerosis growled, "Must I do everything myself!?" A physic pulse reverberated from the brain.
Zakozakozakozako
All throughout the Checkpoint, things were going haywire. Klaxons were blaring, lights were flashing, and it rocked somewhat.
"What the heck is this!?" Grappler Gouf groaned, trying to keep his balance. "Lights go off, lights go on, now this!"
Destroyer Dom seemed unaffected by the tilting. "Mebbe someone will tell us?"
"Right," Grappler said sarcastically, "Someone's going to pop out of the air and inform us of everything that's happened-"
As if right on cue, a portal opened up above Grappler and Shute and Genkimaru fell through it, landing on the robot.
"Augh!" Grappler cried as the kids fell on him.
"Ah!" Shute said, "now we gotta find the others and tell them about that brain guy!" he looked around. "Where are we?"
"I..dunno." Genkimaru admitted, "I wasn't thinking of anywhere specific when I made that last portal." He paused. "Does the floor feel uneven to you?"
"Get offa me!" Grappler yelled, knocking the kids off as he stood up. "And what's this about a brain?!"
In an instant, Gouf regretted asking as both boys launched into a high-speed recap.
After a few mintues, Shute and Genkimaru stood exhausted. Destroyer's eye was spinning in confusion and Grappler stood trying to absorb the info. "Okay some crazy brain thing took this sacred helmet from Ark that had unknown powers and plans to do something with it?" Grappler asked.
"Exactly," Genkimaru answered.
Shute looked around, "Where do you suppose everyone else is?"
Grappler shrugs, "Your asking the wrong mecha. I haven't seen any one except Dom."
Genkimaru , "Guess we should start looking. Right after..." He trailed off and fell asleep.
Shute, Grappler, and D. Dom sweatdropped.
Shute commented, "He can fall asleep at the drop of a hat."
Grappler picked up the kid musha, "Come on let's go." They exit the room and start down a separate hall.
It was like walking on the deck of a ship at sea during a storm. The floor tilted and see-sawed, making walking very difficult.
"Hey, I've got an idea," Shute said quickly, pulling out his cell phone. Grappler and Destroyer looked at him.
"I'm gonna call Captain and have him meet us somewhere," Shute explained, "Captain! Captain, do you read me?!"
Zakozakozakozako
Captain received a garbled transmission, "Cap...aed me...ain!"
"Shute!" Captain tries to contact his friend, "Shute! You're breaking up."
Shute received only static, "Oh, man. I can't get a decent signal."
Grappler groaned, "Let's keep going."
Captain gave up, "No good. Something is interfering with his signal."
"What the heck is causing all of this?" Guneagle asked.
"The sooner we find out the better," said Zero.
Baku nodded, "Agreed." They continue on, trying to remain balanced.
Zapper commented, "This sounds like an old plan we had once?"
Cobramaru faced the Dark Axis mecha, "Plan?"
"It seemed like a good idea," Zapper explained, his eye shifting uneasily. "Jam the enemies' communications to hinder their movements."
"That is a good plan," Captain admitted.
"Yeah, but the jamming knocked out our communications as well!" Zapper snapped.
GunEagle winced. "Ouch."
"It was awful," Zapper groaned, as if in pain from the memory, "We couldn't even call the Zakrello Gate to retreat..."
Back with Shute and company, Grappler was telling the same story.
"So how'd you fix it?" Shute asked.
"We didn't," Grappler said, "Zapper lost his temper and threw the stupid jammer off a cliff."
Zakozakozakozako
"A cliff?" Captain asked
Zapper growled, "Well yeah. That thing miffed me off!"
Back to Shute and co. "Do you think someone found it?" Shute asked Grappler.
"How should I know?" Grappler answered, "I'm just glad we got rid of it. It was a stupid plan."
Dr. Imper Nerosis chuckled back in his own lair, "Oh, yes. Thanks for tossing the device over a cliff and right into my grasp. Now that it is merged with by being, just try and stop me."
Back over to Captain. "Hmmm..." Captain thought, "It is quite possable for whatever is causing this to have found the device."
Zapper scoffed, "His problem now."
"And also our problem," GunEagle pointed out.
Zakozakozakozako
Back with Shute's group, Grappler Gouf had a brainstorm.
"Why are we wandering around? Why don't we just pop back to that brain guy's room with Genkimaru's powers?" He demanded.
In response, Shute pointed at Genkimaru, being held Destroyer's arms. the Musha Gundam child snored.
"That's why." Shute replied. "Wonder what he's dreaming about?"
Genkimaru opened his eyes. For some reason, he was now in a kitchen. Several of the blank-faced nobusshi Shute called 'GMs' were walking around wearing chef hats.
'When did I get here?' the Musha kid thought. He then realized that the bed he was in was actually a pie tin. For some reason he was lying in it covered in various foodstuffs. Every now and then a chef would come by and sprinkle something over him.
'"Hey! Quit it!" Genkimaru sneezed. No one seemed to hear him.
"When do you suppose that pie crust we ordered will get here?" one chef asked another.
"In a few minutes," the other answered. "Then we'll stick him in the oven. This'll be our best dessert ever!"
'Dessert? Me?!' Genkimaru thought panicking. "Noo! Don't eat me!"
"We're not gonna eat you."
Genkimaru's eyes shot wide open. Instantly, he jumped from Destroyer's arms to his head, clutching his command fin in fear.
"Finally! You're up!" Grappler sighed.
Genkimaru, after looking around, calmed down. 'It was only a dream...'
Shute sniffed. "Hey, what's that? It smells like paprika or something..."
"Paprika?" Grappler asked. Indeed there was, an open can of the spice sat in a ventilation shaft.
Shute cocked his head, "How did that get up there? Probably a joke gone wrong."
Grappler pointed the Genkimaru, "You, get us into the brain room."
"Why?" the kid musha asked.
D. Dom answered, "Make brain go boom!"
Genkimaru shrugs, "Okay." He created a portal and jumps in followed by Shute, Grappler, and Destroyer.
Zakozakozakozako
Back with Captain and co. Captain's head hung sadly. He whispered, "Shute."
"He will be fine," Rele chirped.
Zero looked at his princess then at Captain, "She's right. Shute can handle himself."
"Then why does my Soul Drive burn with guilt?" Captain asked, "I feel as though he is in great danger."
Baku attempted to comfort his distraught friend, "This is Shute we're talking about. I'm positive he's safe."
Captain sighs again, "I wish I could believe you, Bakunetsumaru." GunEagle looked at his commanding officer concerned. He had never seen him this miserable.
The Checkpoint shook wildly tossing everyone, save Cobranmaru to the ground. "Jumping gyros!" Zapper shouted, "What the heck caused that!?"
Zakozakozakozako
"Aw hahahahaha!" Dr. Nerosis cackled, "Phase one is complete! I now have total control of this facility! No one can stop me now!"
"Oh yeah!?"
The brain shifted his focus from gloating to the portal that had just appeared. Out of it jumped Shute, Genkimaru, Grappler Gouf, and Destroyer Dom. Destroyer's landing caused a bit of a 'thud'.
"We're back!" Declared Shute, "With reinforcements!"
"Oh please," Dr. Nerosis became a blur and replicated himself.
"Ah, crap!" Grappler grumbled holding his sword.
"Me make you go boom!" D. Dom fired his canon hit a clone causing it to dissipate, "Huh? Hey! What happened?"
Dr. Nerosis chuckled, "You didn't think it would be that easy did you?" He and the clones sent out a psychic pulse, causing the group the crash into each other.
Shute rubbed his head, "Why do I have to be an organic among gundams?"
Dr. Nerosis gave an evil laugh, "With the helmet of Tengumaru combined with this Dark Axis signal jammer, nothing can stop me!" His clones materialized back into the main brain. A musha gundam helmet appeared and hovers just above his head, before becoming his crown
Genkimaru gasped as the brain glowed brightly and changed.
Now Dr. Nerosis looked like a much bigger brain with eyes...painted in all the colors of the rainbow. The Tengumaru Helmtet seemed to be fused to him.
"What do you think?" Dr. Nerosis preened vainly(as much as a brain with eyes could, anyway.)
A numbing silence followed, broken only be Genkimaru's proclamation.
"Boy, you look stupid!"
"Shaddup!" Snapped the brain, using its increased mental power to slam all four of them against the wall.
Not too far away, Captain Gundam's audio sensors heard a distinctive 'thump'...along with several cries of "Ow!"
Back in the brain room, Nerosis glared at his foursome. "You fools have no idea of the scope of my plans!"
Shute looked at him for a moment. "You wanna use the Checkpoint to take over the universe, right?"
"How did you know!?" Nerosis cried, flabbergasted.
"You're an evil, disembodied brain with a magic helmet," Shute pointed out. "What else are you gonna do?"
Nerosis stuttered, "Well I..uh...," he grumbles indistinctly, "Shut up!" A second blast pushed them into the wall. "I' teach you who to fear!" He powered up for his ultimate attack.
The wall Shute, Genkimaru, Grappler, and Destroyer crumbled from a forceful multi attack, interrupting the brain.
"Captain!" Shute jumps up and hugs him, "I can't believe you found us! And just in time."
"What the heck is that?!" Zapper shouted, pointing at the brain.
"The cause for all of this," Grappler answered.
Bakunetsumaru scoffed, "He doesn't look that tough."
"Hey baka," said Cobramaru, "he has Tengumaru's helmet."
"We can still take him," Zero stated confidently.
Cobramaru groaned, "How stupid can one gundam be?"
Nerosis growled, "Enough! I finish this once and for all!" He powered up again and locked onto the group.
An invisible force washed over the group, like a powerful sound wave...only quieter.
"I, I can't move!" Zero cried, trying to struggle, as did the others.
"And it gets better!" Nerosis declared, applying more power. Suddenly everyone felt a strange pressure, like being crushed from every angle, left, right, up and down.
"Augh!" Princess Rele cried in pain.
"With the energies of Tengumaru's Hemlet enhancing my own formidable mental prowess," Explained Dr. Nerosis, "It should be child's play to destroy you all by mere willpower. Then, once I have eliminated every other being on this station, I shall reconvert it into manufacturing plant and create armies that will conquer every dimension in the multiverse!" Nerosis laughed manically, "Time won't matter, because there is no time this null-space! Hahahaha!"
Despite the great pain he was feeling, Shute couldn't help but notice a big red button on the computer. Just barely, he could make out the words, SELF DESTRUCT BUTTON: NEVER USE UNLESS YOU REALLY, REALLY, REALLY MEAN IT
'Gotta get to that button,' Shute thought, and put all his will power into moving his legs.
Much to focused on the others, Nerosis didn't notice the human lad slowly struggle closer to the button, "Almost there." Shute tries to move his arm, every little muscle movement took more then its share of strength, "just a little more." Shute groaned in pain catching the brains attention
"Oh, no you don't!" Nerosis flung Shute into Captain knocking out what little wind he left.
"Darn it!" Shute shouted
"Ahhh!" Genkimaru cried out.
A separate mustached figure sneaked in the back. Cobramaru instantly noticed him and whispered, "What the heck is he doing here."
The lighting decorated musha moved silently behind the Dr. Nerosis ever closer to the self destruct button as the brain laughed in victory.
Baku spied the gundam and thought to himself, 'Huh? What is Kibaomaru doing here?'
Both Bakunetsumaru and Cobramaru watched as Kibaomaru inched himself closer to the big red button. This, of course, led to the others looking to see what they were looking at. With all eyes pointed in a single direction, Nerosis glanced that way to see what was so intriging- and saw Kibaomaru about to bring his fist down on the button!
"Oh, no you don't!" Nerosis applied some mental power, halting Kibaomaru just as his hand was a half-inch away from contact!
"I don't know where you came from," Nerosis growled, "But this changes nothing!"
"That's where you're wrong," Kibaomaru countered, "You can't do any more to me without loosening your hold on the others. If I don't push this button, one of them will!"
The brain sneered, "As if destroying this computer will halt my plans. I've already infected this station's systems! This machine is merely a means of communicating with them. You'll never find out my secret hideaway!"
Kibao' was silent before answering, "You mean it isn't behind that curtain over there?"
Everyone looked to where Kibaomaru was looking. What looked like another wall was actually a curtain colored the same as the rest of the room!
Nerosis sputtered indignantly, "It doesn't matter anyway! With the Helmet of Tengumaru and the Dark Axis Jammer boosting my brainpower, I can squash all of you by sheer willpow-!"
That was as far as he got, as at that moment, Lalah's ghost appeared before him.
"Ittai." Was all she said.
Nerosis turned several shades paler(which was no easy trick for a brain), and then...
"EEEEEYAAAAAAAHH!!!" He screeched in horror, losing control and flinging Kibaomaru away.
Kibaomaru crashed into the curtain, causing to fall on top of him. The terrified brain releases his hold on the others as he quickly planted himself against the opposite wall.
GunEagle scrambled to his feet and slamed one fist down on the button, denting the machine in the process, "How do you like me know!?" the youth boasted
"Computer main frame will self-destruct in 10...9..."
Kiba untangled him self from the curtain quickly glancing over the secret hideout, "What the devil?"
"...7...6...5...
"Let's get out of here!" The DA trio ran back through the earlier made hole followed by Zero, who was dragging a passed out Baku, Princess Rele and Shute on the Mana circle, then Cobramaru, Genkimaru, Kibomaru, and finally Captain, and GunEagle.
"Thank you Lalah!" Cpatain called before following his comrades
"Ittai," was the ghost response.
"3...2...1"
"Super Magical I-Field!"
While hiding in Zero's forcefield, everyone ducked down and covered their ears. But instead of the expected 'boom' all they heard something that sounded like a stack of empty cans falling down. Shute poked his head in the room and saw a pile of broken parts that used to be a computer.
Shute sweatdropped. "Some self-destruct."
With the danger past, everyone piled back into the room. Captain walked through the curtain and came back with a Dr. Nerosis' brain jar. The brain in question glared, but was silent. Without a speaker like the one on the computer, it was incapaple of talking. Captain unscrewed the jar's lid and tossed it aside. A stomach churning 'POP!' followed as Captain pulled the Helmet of Tengumaru off the brain.
Captain handed it to Shute. "Mission accomplished."
Shute face scrunched with disgust at holding the dripping wet helmet. After drying it off with Zero's cape("Hey!" Zero cried), he asked, "I wonder how this works," and with that, he put the helmet on. Almost immediately he heard Genkimaru's voice.
No fair, I wanted to try it!
Shute looked at Genkimaru. "You can have it next, Genki," He said.
Genki stared at him, eyebrowed raised. "I didn't say nothin'." the little Musha Gundam replied, still staring at the Helmet.
Shute once again heard Genki's voice(He's not a Musha Gundam, he shouldn't be able to wear it...) but the Musha kid's lips weren't moving! Shute's eyes widened as it hit him. "Cooool, this thing reads minds!"
"What?" the mushas asked in unison
"Let me see!" Rele snatches from Shute's head and put's it on over her crown
I know she's a princess and all but where does she get off?
Rele looked at Shute.
"What do mean where do I get off?" Rele asked.
Shute gulped, "Oh...uh...nothing!" Phew that was close!
I want to wear it!
Rele took it off and tossed it to Genkiamru, "Here have it. It's messing up by hair anway."
Genkiamru laughed and put it on. No fair! Why should that brat get to wear it next!
Genkimaru kicked Baku, "Because she said I could!" He stuck his tongue out at Baku.
"Give me that!" Kibaomaru snatched the helmet from his son.
"Hey give it back!" Genkiamru tried to kick Kiba but he was caught by his foot.
"You'll have to do better then that," Kiba removes his helmet and places on Tengumaru's helmet
No fair! I wasn't done yet!
Kiba brandished a fan on his son. Genkimaru whimpered and scurried behind Cobramaru.
Meanwhile, Captain, Zero, and GunEagle explored the secret hide out.
"Ittai," Lahah murmered.
"Well?" Kibaomaru asked, handing Cobramaru the Helmet.
"Nothing I didn't find the first time," Captain called back, "Just a terminal for the brain's link-up and this mannequin,"
No one noticed Nerosis' eyebrow raising.
"Maniquinn?" Asked Princess Rele, as Bakunetsumaru tried to get the Helmet from Cobramaru.
"This one," Captain answered, as Zero and GunEagle carried a maniquinn into the room. It looked like a normal dummy wearing a tuxedo, except for two things. first, it's head was gone. second, it's hands seemed bigger than most.
"Weird," Shute said, looking at it. Meanwhile, Bakunetsumaru had just replaced his own helmet with Tengumaru. He also noticed how intently Dr. Nerosis was staring at the suit.
"What's HE thinking about?" Baku wondered, and then his eyes widened. "Watch out!"
Too late, as the suit suddenly lunged and grabbed the brain's jar. Then, it screwed the jar on where the head should be.
"Ha ha ha!" Cackled Nerosis, through a speaker under the bow tie, "I'm not licked yet! Prepare to be stupefied by my combat abilities!"
Winding up, Nerosis threw a powerful punch at Kibaomaru...
FWIZSH!
Only to have an arm sliced off by Kibao's sword. Everyone else sweatdropped.
"Pretty stupid alright." Grappler commented.
Not beaten yet, Nerosis threw another blow, this time at Destoyer Dom. The fist clanged harmlessly off the robot's head. Dom, in turn, tore THAT arm off.
"Now what?"" Destroyer asked stupidly.
Dr. Nerosis sweatdropped, "Uh...bye!" He ran out of the room leaving a trail of dust.
"After him!" Baku shouted, "He's heading up top."
The group chased the literally unarmed mannequin through the Checkpoints various hallways making their way top side.
Reaching an exit, Nerosis laughed, "So long suckers!" He raced out the door. Running over and tripping on someone in the process, 'Ow!"
"Oof!" Fritz the hunchback groaned and shoved the body off before realizing who it was.
"Fritz, you idiot!" Nerosis snapped, "You disappear to get a drink- and now you show up?!"
It was at that moment the gang caught up. Terrified of their numbers, Fritz grabbed his master and tore off- tearing the mannequin's torso off the rest of the body.
"Fritz, you imbecile!"
Fritz tore off carrying his master, his pursuers hot on his heels.
Captain suddenly slammed on his brakes and held out his arms, catching everyone else.
Bakunestumaru shouted "Captain!"
"They're getting away!" Zapper snapped.
"If we go any further we too will fall off," Captain calmly replied.
Fritz stopped running, "'Fall off'?" The hunchback looked down, noticing he was standing on thin air, "Uh-oh."
"Fritz you idoit!" Dr. Nerosis's yell echoed up as the duo plummeted towards the ground.
The gundam gang watched them, soon unable to hear their screams.
"How far down is it?" Shute asked.
"The fall is not survivable." Captain answered.
A few minutes later, the gang heard a soft 'thud' echo up from the bottom of the pit. The all winced.
"Umm, should we, uh, check?" Asked Shute, looking a little squeamish.
"There's an elevator over there," Captain said, pointing.
The elevator could only contain two people, so it was decided that Captain and Zapper should go check. After a loooong ride down in a crowded shaft, the mismatch(Gundam and Zaku? what next?!) arrived at the bottom of the pit.
"What's this pit for, anyway?" Zapper asked on the way down.
"It was supposed to be a swimming pool." Captain had answered.
At the bottom, both found Fritz lying on top of what was left of Neosis' robot body.
'He must have tried to soften the fall with that,' Captain thought. Both jumped back when Fritz groaned!
"He's alive!" Zapper yelled in amazement.
Moaning, Fritz turned over, his eyes replaced with spirals. Nerosis glared at him and then the robots, but did not say anything. His speaker had been damaged and his brain jar had been cracked in several places.
Zakozakozakozako
Later, after putting Nerosis and Fritz in custody and effectively booting them off the Checkpoint, the gang decided to relax in the cantina. It was a nice place with a ZakoZako Hour stage, and gang was sitting close together at several tables. The kids were sitting at the same table having milkshakes. Genkimaru had finished his and kept trying to stick his straw in Shute's, who kept fending off the Musha kid's attempts.
"Man," Shute said, taking a sip, "ghosts, evil brains, hunchbacks... Today was like something out of a horror movie!"
"Are horror movies always this stupid?" Cobramaru asked, nursing his cup of sake'.
"Only the cheap ones," Shute replied, shielding his cup from Genkimaru.
"Hey, pipe down, it's starting," Grappler pointed at the stage.
"Zako..."
"Zako..."
"Zako..."
"ZakoZako Hour!"
The iron curtain rose, showing the three ZZH hosts.
"Hello, everybody," said Red Mic, "And welcome to the ZakoZako Hour! Today's meeting is all about..."
All three chimed in, "All these crazy happenings at the Minvois Checkpoint Zako!!"
The crowd whistled and clapped.
Red Mic nodded, "Zako Zako!"
Blue Mic started, "I can't believe all these weird things that happened today zako."
Yellow Mic agreed, "Uh...tell me about it zako."
"Okay," Red mic pointed at the screen, "Well things started off with a blackout to the checkpoint zako. GunEagle decided to take to opprtunity to frighten Captain and Shute. The Bell Wood manages to scare everyone save Princess Rele."
Blue Mic commented, "Neotopians have a weird sense of humor, zako."
Yellow Mic continued, "Any way things quickly went from bad to worse when, led by the disguised Lord Genkimaru and Cobramaru, the Gundam Force found the broken breaker switch along with Lord Zapper Zaku and Fritz the hunchback zako."
"Shortly after, Lalah the ghost appeared and accompaines the gundams zako," said Red Mic pointing to the screen.
Baku screamed and clamored under the table, causing the mushas to sweatdrop
Blue and Yellow Mic scratched her heads, "Where did this ghost come from zako?"
Red miM replied, "I was going to ask you that zako."
Yellow Mic stammered, "What do you mean you don't know!"
Blue Mic shouted, "Don't bring it up if you don't know zako!" He and Yellow Mic swiftly punch Red Mic.
Yellow Mic continued, "Getting back on topic zako, soon after Lalah appeared, Lord Genkimaru and Cobramaru revealed themselves to Shute. They then explained about the Helmet of Tengumaru, which grants the wearer the abilty to read minds. Shortly afterward, Shute and Genkiamru got separated from the group, found an old computer along with Fritz and Dr. Nerosis."
"After bringing the power back, Shute and Genkimaru escaped the hunchback and found Lord Grappler Gouf and Lord Destroyer Dom," said Red miM, "Afterwards, Nerosis caused the base to go haywire. Shute and Genkiamru managed to lead Lord Grappler and Lord Destroyer to Dr. Nerosis, zako."
Yellow mic picked up, "After finding the disembodied brain, Lord Genkiamaru's group were trapped by his combined powers of the Helmet of Tengumaru and the Dark Axis jammer, which Lord Zapper Zaku tossed off a cliff, but Captain Gundam came to the rescue, zako."
Blue Mic tries to imatate Captain, "Captain Punch!" He succeeded in flying off the stage.
"Idiot," Yellow Mic commented, "However, Dr Nerosis soon trapped everyone protecting a poorly placed self destruct button."
Red Mic flailed his arms, "Wait wait wait! How did Lord Kibaomaru get here if Genkimaru was already here?"
Blue and Yellow spiraled into a pit of despair, "We have no idea!"
"I've been here the whole time!" Kiba shouted from the audience.
Blue Mic looked at his fellow zakos, "Works for me. Dr, Nerosis stopped Kibaomaru, but was then scared silly by the reappearance of Lalah, causing the release of the gundams allowing GunEagle to activate a none-to-impressive self destruct zako."
"Captain then retrieved the Helmet of Tengumaru from the brain," Yellow Mic picked up, "In a last ditch attempt, Dr. Nerosis used a mannequin to attack the gundmas but quickly found himself literally unarmed." The screen showed the mannequin being broken.
"HAHAHAHA! What a loser zako!" they shouted in unison.
Red Mic cleared his throat, "Anyway, Nerosis then made a run for it, found Fritz again, and they ran off a cliff and into a very deep pit, zako. A few minutes later, Captain and Lord Zapper Zaku retrieved the beaten duo, who are then given a one way ticket off the Checkpoint." The metal curtain clanged shut, "And that's all the time we have! Anyway for the future of chain fics..."
All three zakos shout, "Zako soilders fight! Yeah!"
Zakozakozakozako
Gundam and all related characters are property of Bandai.
The Original Characters of Mr. Saru, Dr. Imper Nerosis, and Fritz are property of Cybertoy00.
the plot is the propert of Talec, Charon the Sabercat, May Veggie-Girl1, FennFeatherDragon, and Cybertoy00.