Gundam Generations: Megas XLR
Chapter Three: The King of Hearts
Kiva and Jamie worked with Heero and Duo, learning how to pilot their chosen mobile suits, Kiva learning from Heero, while Duo taught Jamie, though it may seem that Kiva is learning at a much faster pace than Jamie. Regardless, the two learned well from the Gundam veterans, even Jamie was doing his best to learn.
The lessons continued on, Jamie was in the cockpit of the Mercurius, as Duo was showing him what each button and switch does.
"…And that button there is the self-destruct button." He point at a big red button on the side of the cockpit. "Do NOT push that button, unless all else fails."
"Okay." Jamie nodded. "You have a lot of experience in this, don't ya?"
"Yeah, I've always had a thing for tinkering." Duo smirked. "Ever since I was a kid, at least."
"Ever since Coop was a kid," Jamie spoke up with a chuckle. "He always had a thing for video games."
"And what about you?" Duo asked.
"What about me?" Jamie asked back. "I'm nothing special. Just someone who's too afraid to fight his own battles. Kiva and Coop are the real fighters here, while I just hide behind them."
"Well, it's not too late to build your courage up, right?" Duo asked. "Besides, surely you have some talent. I mean, look at this." He gestured to the cockpit. "You're doing well so far. Almost as if you have some talent already!"
"That was just the one time." Jamie countered, pouting. "And that was when I was pretending to be Coop for some hot, robot piloting babes! Man, Coop never did let me hear the end of it."
"Doesn't mean you don't have talent." Duo stated. "With a little practice, you can maybe be a better pilot than Coop!"
"Maybe." Jamie mused, before shaking his head. "Look, can we just change the subject?"
"Sure, why not?" Duo shrugged. "Got anyone special waiting back home?"
"Well," Jamie started, before averting his eyes towards Kiva, then smiled. "I guess I have the hots for someone." He quickly turned back to Duo. "But I won't tell her that just yet."
Duo looked at him, a bit confuse, before looking towards Kiva, then back to Jamie with a smirk on his face.
"Oh I get it."
"Don't you dare!" Jamie growled.
"Relax, I won't tell." Duo chuckled.
"Well, what about you?" Jamie inquired. "Any babe waiting for you back home?"
"Got a wife, who's pregnant." Duo nodded. "Fun fact, we were actually on opposite sides in the past."
"Sounds like one heck of a catch!" Jamie smirked.
"Guess I'm lucky, I suppose." Duo shrugged. "Now, where were we?"
As those two continued with their lessons, Heero was simply showing Kiva the basic controls, while Kiva easily kept up.
"As you may know, these control the suits movements." Heero instructed. "These are the keys differences between life and death."
"I understand." Kiva nodded. "You know quite a lot about piloting giant machines."
"I've learned from a young age." Heero said plainly.
"By who?" Kiva pressed.
"A Doctor who worked on the Gundams." Heero said.
"Sounds like more than a regular doctor." Kiva remarked.
"He is." Heero nodded. "After my parents died, he trained me to become the perfect soldier."
"So all you knew was being a soldier?" Kiva asked.
"Essentially, yes." Heero nodded. "Until I met Relena Peacecraft."
"From your tone, she must mean a lot to you." Kiva remarked.
"She is." Heero nodded, smiling a bit. "It was thanks to her that I felt more human. We ended up marrying and talking about having kids."
"Wow, you must have a heart after all." Kiva said jokingly.
Heero frowned, before turning back to the controls.
"Let's get back to the lessons." He simply said.
'Last time I ever try to start a conversation with him.' Kiva thought to herself.
As the lessons went on, the two noticed that Coop and Amuro returned, with a new friend in tow, as the trio landed their mobile suits and exited onto the platforms.
"Yo, Amuro!" Duo yelled. "Welcome back! Who's the new friend of yours?!"
"An old friend from the One Year Was with Zeon." Amuro declared, turning to the Ares War Gundam, as Ares stepped out.
"No way!" Duo gasped. "You mean the God of War of Zeon?!"
"That's quite the title, don't ya think?" Ares chuckled.
"Doesn't mean you didn't earn that title." Heero declared, turning to Coop and his friends. "Ares was an ace pilot fighting for Zeon, one of their best pilots, when he later defected to the Earth Federation."
"That's true." Amuro chuckled. "After his defection, Ares and I became good friends after the war."
"Things changed, after some time." Ares nodded. "I didn't always agree with Zeon's ideology."
"Anyways, with that out of the way, we have news," Amuro said, turning to the others. "When Coop and I found him, he was fighting what looked like black mobile suits."
"Did you see who were piloting them or who sent them?" Heero asked.
"Not a clue." Ares shrugged. "They just popped in from outta nowhere and attacked me."
"Whoever they were, they could be trouble." Amuro declared. "We'll need to be careful from here on out."
"Anyways, how 'bout some food?" Coop declared, turning to Ares with a grin. "You're probably starving!"
"You bet I am!" Ares smiled, following Amuro and Coop to the cafeteria.
"Well, now that that's out of the way," Duo said, turning to Heero. "What's next?"
"Next, we take these two to see if they learned anything." Heero declared bluntly. "To see if they know how to pilot a mobile suit."
"Alright then, let's go, kids!" Duo declared, a big grin on his face. "Let's put what you learned to the test!"
Getting in their respective mobile suits, the four ventured out into the void of space and into an asteroid field.
"Alright, let's put what you two've learned to the test!" Duo declared. "Start by targeting these asteroids!"
"Imagine the asteroids as enemies trying to shoot you down." Heero advised. "Destroy them without hesitation."
Breathing in, Kiva went first, aiming the Vayeate's beam cannon at one of the asteroids, pulling the trigger, the blue machine fired its cannon, obliterating its target and several others in a single blast.
"Wow!" Kiva gasped, amazed by the power from the cannon. "That's incredible how much firepower this mobile suit has!"
"That's our scientists for ya!" Duo declared, almost chuckling. "They know how to make some badass machines!" He turned his mobile suits head camera towards Jamie. "Alright, Beanie Head, you're up! While the Mercurius doesn't have any major offensive weaponry, aside from its beam saber and gun, but it has a powerful electromagnetic forcefield to block enemy fire."
"So, we're going to make sure you know what to do in certain situations." Heero deadpanned. "That is the point of this exercise, after all."
As the Wing Gundam readied its beam rifles, Jamie gulped nervously.
"Don't sweat it, newbie." Duo tried to reassure him. "Just remember which buttons activates the forcefield and you'll be fine."
It wasn't much, though Jamie nodded and breathed a bit to calm down.
Before they could continue, however, their screens turned to a blurry image.
"Hello?" The person called. "Hello? Is anyone out there?!"
"Wait, I recognize that voice…" Heero said, before bring up the visual to his own screen. "Domon Kasshu? Is that you?"
"Heero?" The image cleared up, revealing a man in his early twenties with unkempt black hair, a red headband and a scar on the right side of his cheek. "My friend and rival! It is good to hear your voice again!"
"What's happening?" Heero asked. "It sounded like you were in trouble."
"That's because we are!" Domon said loudly. "We were training when a swarm of black mobile suits jumped out of nowhere and attacked us! We need help!"
"We're on the way." Heero nodded, hitting several switches to disable the beam rifle. "Change of plans, everyone; this is a rescue mission. We have a Gundam Fighter who is in need of help."
"Alright, let's go!" Duo whooped. "Experience first-hand is a better teacher, after all!"
Jamie almost groaned, but complied, as the four flew off through space to their new destination. After what felt like thirty minutes, they arrived at a field of battle, seeing three mobile suits fighting against a large swarm of black mobile suits.
One of them looked like a boxing type of mobile suit, the second had characteristics of a Chinese dragon, and the third was none other than the God Gundam itself, fighting with its hands.
"Alright, guys, this is it!" Duo declared with excitement in his voice. "Time to see what everyone is made of! Remember; these guys don't deserve any mercy!"
Heero and Duo blast off into action, Kiva was about to follow suit, but she noticed that Jamie's Mercurius wasn't moving; she figured something was wrong with Jamie.
"Jamie, is everything alright?" She asked.
"I don't know if I can do this, Kiva." Jamie said, terror in his voice. "I don't think I'll be able to do well like you and Coop can. I'm not a pro like you guys are."
"Jamie, you don't have to worry about that." Kiva assured. "As long as you stick close to me, we can handle any opposition. As long as you stand by me, I'll stand by you."
Jamie still had some doubt, but he believed Kiva's words.
"Now, come on." Kiva urged. "You can do this!"
The two zoomed off into the fray, Jamie having renewed courage, the two facing off with several of the black mobile suits, Kiva using the Vayeate's beam cannon to destroy several.
Jamie, thankfully, wasn't having too much trouble, as he sliced through two of the black mobile suits with the Mercurius' beam saber.
"Hey, I think I'm getting the hang of-"
Suddenly, he was tackled by one of the black mobile suits, causing Jamie to panic, as the mobile suit looked into the main camera, its face resembling that of a skull, as though it was the face of death itself. Screaming frantically, Jamie jerked the controls back and forth, trying to shake the opponent off to no avail, then the skull-faced mobile suit reared its fist back, about to strike down at him, only for it to be sliced in half by the beam saber of Heero's Wing Zero.
"What are you doing, Jamie?" Heero scolded. "Stop messing around and focus!"
He flew off back into the fray, leaving Jamie to grumble at being yelled at.
The fighting went on, though in the end, some of the black mobile suits managed to escape, flying back into the darkness of space, leaving their comrades to be destroyed by the Gundam pilots.
"Looks like that's all of them!" Duo declared. "Now, let's see to our new friends!"
"We're fine, thanks." The pilot of the boxing looking Gundam spoke, his face appearing on the screen. "Nice to have a little help!"
The boxing Gundam's pilot had dark green eyes, blue hair with a streak of pink and wore a blue skintight jumpsuit with a white stripe and a yellow star on the front, with light blue pads around the ankles and wrists and on his shoulders with small yellow rods attached.
The pilot of the Dragon Gundam was short, looked about sixteen, had red eyes and black hair tied back in a thin ponytail, and wore a similar suit to the other pilot, only it was yellow with two black lines across the chest, and the pads were green and the rods were red.
"Glad to see that you are unharmed." Heero remarked.
"Heero, you know these guys?" Kiva asked.
"Of course!" Domon boasted proudly. "Heero and I are proud rivals!"
"Names Chibodee Crocket." The pilot of the boxing Gundam introduced politely. "Nice to meet you. I'm the pilot of the Gundam Maxter and boxer from Neo America and the Queen of Spades."
"And I'm Sai Saici!" The pilot of the Dragon Gundam declared. "I'm the pilot of the Dragon Gundam and the champion of Neo China and the Ace of Clubs!"
"We were out here training when those black mobile suits appeared." Domon explained. "Master Asia was with us too, but it seems that they may have dragged him off."
"But wasn't your master supposed to be a master martial artist or something?" Duo asked, a bit confused. "How'd they manage to overpower him while fighting you?"
"There were a lot more of them at the time." Chibodee explained. "Some of them seem more advanced than the others, and they overpowered him and dragged him off, the grunts kept us at bay."
"Man, those guys must be skilled pilots to overpower your teacher." Kiva said.
"Yeah, we've never seen anything like them before." Sai said. "They weren't Gundam Fighters, that much is certain."
"Perhaps it would be best if you and your crew come with us back to base." Heero stated. "We can compare notes and discuss the situation there."
"Sounds perfect!" Domon declared. "Maybe we can also spar, for old times' sake!"
Their plan set, the four and their new allies flew off, heading back to base.
Inside a dark, shadowy fortress in dark space, Master Asia was being dragged by two elite looking guards, both wearing black armor with silver lining along the armor.
Master Asia looked worse for wear; his clothes looked torn, he had several cuts and bruises on his body, and he had a scar running vertically down his left eye.
The guards continued to drag him by the arms, his knees scrapping along the silver, metal floor, before arriving at a wide open throne room. The room was lined with similar guards, standing at attention at several columns that lined the room and a large, decorated, black and silver throne with spikes sticking out of the sides at the end of the room.
Standing next to the throne was a large, tall, muscular man with a bald head, dark blue eyes and wore a dark robe with silver linings.
The one sitting on the throne wore black and silver armor with a helmet that had a white mask covering his face, as he sat on the throne, gazing at the defeated Master Asia, his expression hidden under the mask.
"My King Orpheus," The large man declared. "Our elite guards bring Master Asia, the former undefeated of the east."
"Yes, I see that." The king hummed, his gaze set on the former master. "So, this is the Master Asia I've heard about."
Master Asia stirred, lifting his head to stare back at the dark king.
"And who are you to dare cross me?" He seethed. "Do you have any idea who I am?!"
"I know exactly who you are." The king stated darkly. "The former King of Hearts, formerly known as Shuuji Kurosu, and pilot of the Master Gundam."
Asia's eyes widened with shock, that a complete stranger like this would know who he is.
"Who are you?!" He demanded. "And how do you know who I am?!"
"I've seen a great many talented pilots throughout the years." The kings declared, intertwining his fingers together and crossing one leg over the other. "You're not the first mobile suit pilot to enter my fortress, and you won't be the last."
Master Asia looked at the king with a deadly scowl, feeling insulted and surprised at the same time. Surprised at how this king knows so much, and insulted that he was dragged before this character.
"I don't know who you are," He growled. "But I am Master Asia! And I refuse to be humiliated by someone like YOU!"
With the last bit of energy he has, he struck the guard to his left in the gut with an elbow strike, then pushed him away with a kick, then struck the other guard with a chop to the throat, the hit him with a roundhouse kick, knocking him down.
The guards at the columns readied their spears, but the king waved them off.
"I may be old, but I still have some fight left in me!" Master Asia declared, readying a fighting stance.
The king simply gazed at the old fighter for a moment, then rose from his throne, nodding to the large man, who removed the black and red cape, then the king stepped down the steps.
"So, you wish to make one last act of deviance?" The king remarked, before preparing a stance of his own. "Very well."
Master Asia simply rushed at him, throwing a punch to his face, only for his opponent to catch it, not even flinching from the force. Releasing it, he allowed Asia to step back, surprised by the strength the king has. Regaining his confidence, Asia relaunched his assault, throwing punches and kicks that he learned throughout his years, though they seem to fail to connect, the king either simply blocking them, or parrying them and following up with his own devastating attacks.
Near the end, Master Asia was breathing heavy, dripping with sweat, while the king seemed unhinged; not a single attack could phase him.
"Is this all the King of Hearts has to offer?" The king taunted, sounding rather bored.
With one last burst of energy, Asia tried for one last attack, only for the king to dodge, then struck him in the gut with an armored fist, causing him to double over in pain. Orpheus then struck him in the back, then grabbed his braided ponytail and pulled him back, delivering a vicious knee to the back, the wrapped his metal fingers around his throat, lifted him up, then slammed him into the metal floor, knocking the wind out of the fighter and creating a large indent in the floor.
As the king stood up, he simply glared at the old fighter, before shaking his head.
"How disappointing." He said, making his way back to his throne, before looking towards the large man. "Dunstan; see to it that the old man is taken to the Black Gallows."
Nodding, Dunstan gestured to some of the guards, who picking up the former master, dragging him away.
From the shadows, a young woman with golden blonde hair watched the whole scene, her blue eyes full of fear and sorrow.
And there's the new chapter! Finally, we see the threat behind the mess, who easily took down the former King of Hearts. Again, sorry for taking so long with these chapters, things have been going on in my personal life and I needed to take some time away to sort things out. Regardless, hope you guys enjoy the new chapter, and be sure to review!