Gundam is owned by Sunrise. G Gundam was directed by Yasuhiro Imagawa.

Mobile Fighter LG Gundam

Round 1

Showdown at High Noon! The Gundam with no Name

I have been fortunate enough to witness a great many things in my lifetime. I've seen great mysteries and have been lucky enough to try and unravel them. What I am about to tell you is just one such story, but I am not going to start at the beginning of this tale, for to do that would be to retell human history. To sum it all up ever since the first man declared war on another, and if you're reading this, I think you get the gist of all that already. So allow me to begin at the tail end.

Tucson was a small town in the southwest United States with not much except for a few zoos and alot of heat, but that was before mankind left for the colonies. With most of the remaining people on Earth moving towards larger population centers, Tucson is little more than a ghost town. This makes it the ideal location for our story, which is fortunate, as it is the only location where tonight two celestial objects will crash to the Earth.

The sun sets over Tucson, and normally the heat would be unbearable if not for the strong wind that would persist throughout the night. A woman spots a strange round object falling from the sky, and continues watching as it makes a large impact in the distance. Another object follows suit, landing in one of the many deserted plots of land within the woman's view.

Her skirt, knee length and the color of the midday sky, moves with the breeze. The light from the impact explosion illuminates the woman's face, devoid of makeup, as she mutters to herself, "I've got a bad feeling about this." The wind blows her long blond hair in her face, and she reaches into her brown leather jacket to pull out a pink hair tie. After pulling up her hair, she checks one last thing, her gun; the safety is on, the clip is full, and everything else seems fine.

Across town, two men are seated at the local bar, one of the few remaining tourist attractions. One man looks nothing special considering the area, an Asian man with neatly cut black hair under a battered brown cowboy hat with a telescope crown, his poncho draped lazily over his shirt, partially covering his black slacks. His friend however was dressed far flashier. This fellow appears Mexican, with his dark red skin, phoenix eyebrows, and an impressive mustache. He is wearing what appears to be formal suit crossed with a typical western shirt, all black with white patterns sown into it and sports a white ten gallon hat with fancy gold embroidering.

"Don't be fooled by my appearance, Kato, it's places like these that I live for," the fancily dressed man says, a smug look on his face, "Away from civilization, away from the money and corruptions of the big cities. Sometimes though, they need a hand, and I intend to give them one. Neo Mexico is full of these run down places. We've never won a Gundam fight, but that will change this year. I, Ramirez Wallach, will win the Gundam Fight."

His companion merely leans back in his chair and grins. "Betting on the American fighter? I remember a time when any man with the right talent could be taken straight off the streets and into the Gundam fight program. That's the American dream right? But that's not how things work anymore. Now they get their attack dogs at the bureau to do the hard work. Surprised that an outsider would know such things? Information is my specialty. However, this bothers me, I know very little about the American pilot, his name..."

"Do you even know if this agent is a man?" the Asian interrupts, "Could it be a woman?"

Ramirez sits there dumbfounded, "Well, I suppose you're right. That was horribly sexist of me. Say friend, you got a name?"

Before his new friend can speak up, the door opens rather forcefully, banging against the wall. A woman walks in, holding out a badge, apparently working for the Federal Bureau of Investigation. She focuses on Ramirez, and walks over towards him and says, "I'm Eloise Fletcher, and I challenge you to a Gundam Fight."

He grimaces for a split second, before smirking. "You see that Kato?" speaking as he points, "An attack dog poised to strike." The agent rolls her eyes. "Fine, I shall accept your challenge. We'll meet where your Gundam has landed." She nods, and slowly backs up until exiting the bar, saying "Well, shall we get going?"

The sun had not yet set as Ramirez and his friend walk along the dirt road towards the Gundams. "Jim," the one with the poncho says.

"Jim eh?" Ramirez replies, "Good to know. Knowledge gives you an edge in life. I may not know even know her Gundam's name, but I do know something she doesn't. Something that will give me an edge in this fight," he says seemingly very convinced that he was quite the genius. Placing his hand over his eyes, he gestures towards the sky, "Would you look at that, the moon is out and it's not even dusk yet."

Jim looks up. Sure enough, the moon is very easy to see past the clouds, even if it is only half a moon so far. Jim glares, "Y'know, you talk too much," he says.

Ramirez lets out a hearty laugh, "And you talk too little my friend."

Soon enough, they reach an empty plain where two large Mobile Suits stand. The ground is so dry that it is cracked, and not even tumbleweed manages to grow anywhere near. The sky is dark red, but more impressive than the arena are the mobile fighters themselves; giant humanoid robots made out of Gundanium alloy. Unlike other more common mobile units, these are not mass produced; they are built individually with the highest quality. They look quite sophisticated, with their armor made to look like plate armor with greaves, pauldrons, tassets, and even a helmet covering the head section.

Each one is magnificent in its own right, but each country strives to make theirs unique and better than the rest. While the Neo America Gundam looks glorious in its red, white, and blue, the Neo Mexico Gundam is far more special. A white base with green detailing, a red cowboy hat in place of a helmet, and its chest plating is made to look as if it is wearing a deep red vest, and the ensemble is completed by the inclusion of red cowboy boots. A rifle rests on its back, and what appears to be a sword hangs on its right side. It is called the Ugly Gundam, an ironic name to be sure.

I'm sorry, I've been getting ahead of myself. I would like to if I may, provide for all of you a brief explanation regarding the origin and purpose of this Gundam fight. It all began over eighty years ago.

People left an intolerable Earth to live inside colonies out in space. To avoid war among the colony nations a competition is held, every four years one representative from each nation pilots a Gundam and takes part in a match. It's called the Gundam Fight, and the pilots fight, and they fight, and they continue fighting, until the nation represented by the last standing Gundam earns the right to rule all the colony nations.

These space governments have come up with a war based on the principles of great sportsmanship. However, one problem still remains; this competition takes place on Earth. That's right, this grimy planet on which we live, but this time around, there seems to be something a bit different about the tournament. The catalyst, a picture. How might such a charming little photo have any effect on today's fight?

"Before the fight," Ramirez calls out once suited up and inside his Gundam, "I'd like to ask you a question?" Time passes quickly as the American fighter says nothing. Ramirez puts a photo on to the viewing monitor, on it is a very evil looking man with dark skin, sharp features, and piercing eyes. He too sports a mustache and a hat. "Have you seen this man?" he asks. More time passes, before he speaks again, "You're very rude, you know that right? I tire of this," he complains. He suddenly yells, "Gundam Fight all set, ready, GO!"

Without warning, four generic mobile suits descend from the nearby hills on all sides, they ready large flamethrowers and attack the American Gundam before its fighter can react. The Ugly Gundam steps forward and grabs the sword at its side. Ramirez swings the sword forward and runs towards his enemy and instead of the traditional laser sword extending from the hilt, a pillar of flame fires outward and strikes the American Gundam. The heat is immense and the fight seems over when suddenly the American Gundam seems to just... pop. It blinks into nonexistence and just as suddenly a shower of water blankets the battlefield.

Later, Ramirez regroups with his men at the same bar as before. "I doubt that's the last of it, a Gundam doesn't just get obliterated like that." Ramirez looks over at Jim, "You sure look stoic. I want you to know that I feel no guilt for the tactics I used today. The Americans, they hide information on their Gundams well. Sneaky bastards too, I needed an edge. As a man who went from rags to riches, I owe it to my people to win by any means." Jim looks unimpressed. "Heh, I used to be nothing more than a petty bandit," He goes on simply rambling, "Stealing just to be able to eat. I got lucky when one day, up to no good, I stumbled across an undiscovered mineral in an abandoned lab. I sold my find for quite a chunk of money. The scientists say they can make Gundanium alloy with the ability to change properties due to my discovery, but I'll leave that to the scientists."

"Who's in the photograph?" Jim asks to the surprise of his new friends.

Ramirez pulls out the picture, laughing, "Hah, so he speaks, well…" Ramirez takes a long look at the picture, his face growing serious for the first time all day. "This is a man I must kill." He stuffs the picture back into his breast pocket. "What I don't get is, well, where is the American Gundam pilot then?"

Jim tips his hat, "I know where the American Gundam pilot is," he says, standing up.

Ramirez smiles, "Oh, Kato, I knew recruiting you was a good idea. So..."

"The American Gundam pilot is right in front of you," Jim proclaims throwing a right uppercut into Ramirez's face, knocking him out of his chair. Two henchman close in on Jim from both sides, as the one to his left throws a punch, Jim grabs his arm and throws the man over his side, colliding with the attacker to his right. The momentum throws them both into a nearby table, shattering it. The third henchman pulls out a 9mm, but Jim quickly grabs his arm with his left hand and slams his right elbow into the thugs' windpipe. He takes the gun and quickly takes it apart, dropping it onto the floor in three pieces.

Ramirez rubs his chin while getting to his feet with his hand on his gun. "I wouldn't do that if I were you," Jim said, already casually seated back in his chair, six-shooter drawn and pointing at his enemy. Ramirez looks towards his last gang member in the corner of the room behind his betrayer, and smirks as he puts the gun on the floor.

Jim pulls out a badge, "I'm James Eastwood Jr., FBI." The henchwoman walks over behind Jim, gun drawn. "You've already met my partner," Jim says as the henchwoman reaches under her chin and pulls off a rather complex mask and wig, revealing the blond agent from earlier. Ramirez gets a sinking feeling, putting his hand over his stomach. Jim can see the sweat on his forehead. "I challenge you to a Gundam Fight, a fair fight this time. Article five of the International Gundam Fight Regulations, a match shall only be held on a one-on-one basis."

Ramirez lowers his head, knowing that he has been beat. He mumbles, "But how, I trusted you Kato, how...?"

"You expected to out investigate the Federal Bureau of Investigation?" Eloise remarks, "You've got quite the cajones."

Jim looks his opponent in the eyes, "Tomorrow, same place, high noon" he says. The two agents get up to leave, as Ramirez makes a fist and slams it into his chair.

Sure enough, the next day both men meet in the same dry, cracked arena. The Ugly Gundam is there, but Neo America's Gundam is different; it appears to have a poncho draping over its left shoulder. While it is fairly common to shape a Gundam's armor to look like a cape, this was different. It was a free flowing alloy, and although less obvious the whole Gundam seemed to be constructed of it. This Gundam also has a hat with a telescope crown; it is also armed with two revolvers, one on each hip. The colors are the same as before, but this Gundam is much more impressive. In fact, one might say that in comparison the Ugly Gundam looks, well, ugly.

From the ground, both pilots enter their core landers, detachable hover vehicles that also house the Gundam's cockpits. When attaching with their Gundams, a form fitting suit is encasing them forcefully. This fighting suit monitors the pilot's motions and physical condition while relaying this data to the Gundam's computer, which then mirrors the pilot's movements. The surrounding environment is projected onto the walls of a virtual cockpit and external conditions like physical obstructions and battle damage are transmitted back to the pilot via the fighting suit. The result is that the pilot operates the mobile fighter exactly as if it were his or her own body.

"I have one question before we begin," Ramirez states. "What is the name of your Gundam?"

Jim answers truthfully, "It doesn't have one."

Ramirez just stands there without comment. "Wait," he asks, "What do you mean it doesn't have one?"

"It means just what I said," Jim says, "Mine is the Gundam with no name."

"I should have known better than to get a straight answer from your type," Ramirez scoffs, "Well, let's just get this over with."

Both pilots call out, "Gundam Fight all set, ready, GO!" Ramirez immediately pulls his rifle off his back and aims at Jim. He fires his beam but misses as Jim's Gundam shuffles to the side and pulls out both revolvers. He begins firing, but not using normal ammunition. He's firing metal slugs that appear to evaporate upon impact, but leaves a large impact. Jim doesn't miss, causing Ramirez to panic.

Ramirez realizes that continuing a long range assault isn't going to work. He still has his ace in the hole, but how well will it work on an opponent that has already seen it? No, at least he has another weapon, Jim has no weapons other than his revolvers, however powerful they may be. Ramirez grabs his flamethrower and runs forward towards Jim. He throws the column of flames forward, enveloping the opposing Gundam completely.

Ramirez turns the flames off, with a direct hit he has won once again. There is a cloud of steam where the enemy Gundam had once stood. Ramirez smirks, and wipes the sweat from his forehead.

"Gundanium Variable Alloy" Jim calls out, striking fear into his enemy. "I suppose it's poetic, you discovered it after all." Ramirez looks into the cloud as it dissipates. Jim's Gundam is there, seemingly in one piece, but the light is having an odd effect on it. Almost as if it was... "Water beats fire, Ramirez, you're done." As the cloud disappears entirely, Jim's Gundam is once again back in one piece, completely unscathed.

Ramirez takes a step back. Once again, he knows that he has lost. A picture is put onto the monitor, but this time not by Ramirez. It is a picture of a cute Japanese girl; early twenties maybe, shoulder length brown hair. "Tell me," Jim demands, "Have you seen this woman?"

Ramirez's fear gradually changes into his natural curiosity for information. He has seen a woman like this before but, "There was a mechanic, a partner to Neo Japan's Gundam Fighter, the one who won the 13th Gundam Fight," he said, "But that was over two decades ago, I've never met her myself."

Jim is disappointed, it almost seemed as if this fighter had known something, but obviously he didn't. "This hand of mine," he growled, "ebbs and flows with an awesome power, its mission is to defeat you!" The Gundam's right fist turns completely into a liquid, and Jim thrusts it over the Ugly Gundam's head section, enveloping it.

"Article one of the Gundam Fight International Regulations," Eloise remarks from the ground, "A unit whose head section has been destroyed is disqualified."

"You value information highly," Jim remarks, "But your inattention to history will be your downfall. There is something I remember that you don't, and that's why I won today."

Ramirez must know he must find out so that next time, if there is a next time, he might have the upper hand. He must have knowledge, he must have information, and he must have an edge, "Tell me!" he screams, "Tell me!"

Jim smiles, "Remember the Alamo! Hydro Finger!" All over Jim's liquefied fist, small whirlpools seems to form. Rather than growing into the water mass however, they stretch outward and spin violently. They gradually go from being liquid to solid, and drill into the Ugly Gundam's head from all angles. It is ripped to pieces in a matter of seconds.

The fight was over. Neo America had triumphed. Ramirez staggers past Jim and Eloise, and spits at their feet. "This isn't over," he yells, "Not by a long shot, it doesn't matter that I'm out of the Gundam Fight, you'll get yours."

"Are you threatening a federal agent?" Eloise asks calmly, smirking.

Ramirez glares violently before running off. In the distance he can be heard screaming, "You'll get yours!"

Eloise smiles and turns to Jim, "You were very good, everything they said about your ability was true," she compliments. "It kind of makes me feel unqualified to be your partner in this."

"Doesn't it?" Jim says coldly.

Sensing a bit of hostility, Eloise backs off. She stares off into the sky, and despite it being quite bright, she can see the moon in the sky. "Look," she says while pointing, "The moon is out."

Jim looks up and glares. "C'mon, we should follow our next lead. We can look at the god damn moon some other time."

The god damn moon.

END