Gundam Build Fighter N

by Nemesis Astraea

Corbin Reese had a dream of making it big in Gunpla battles but made a mistake a day before the nationals. But his mistake may take him on a different path that will show him another side of Gunpla he hadn't seen or heard of before. It's going to be a very different summer break then what he's used to.

4. Reaper of the Underground

Gundam Build Fighter N

I do not own Gundam or any other anime/cartoon/comic/manga/game characters that appear in this fan fiction. Enjoy.

Chapter 04: Reaper of the Underground

Zane Morgan stood silently outside his hotel. He had parted ways with his new friends a few hours ago to get a shower and a change of clothes. Currently his shirt showed the war torn Wing Gundam in a kneeling position, saber draw with its wings splayed out behind it with the title of the anime written out in Japanese with a large GW at the end. After a change and a bit of 'okay' hotel food, he had stripped his Zero Knight down to the frame. Even with the low setting in the battle, the amount of power he had pulled out when activating his Trans-AM and NT-D mode had cracked the lens of his phyco-frame. He would either have to use a different material for the build or dial back the power on either mode or both. A lot of trial and error to go through that's for sure. For the time though he carried his backup Unicorn Gundam in case he was to get into another battle. It wouldn't be as powerful as his Zero Knight, but the Unicorn wasn't something to scoff at. His was equipped the same load out as the Unit Two Banshee instead of the basic armament of the Unit One. At least it would give him the chance to change the color of his Zero Knight. He wondered how it would look in a silver color instead of white.

His musings were interrupted at the sound of a rumbling engine, turning in time to see Writ and company roll up in front of him. The engines low roar and continuous growl was felt through the ground and to his feet, digging up that primal feeling most men tended to have at a muscle car, and he couldn't help but give his mental approval. Writ was out first, a nod directed towards him as he pulled the driver's seat forward. Inside Zane could see Corbin in the back, Lala in the front. "Climb in," Writ said. "We've got a twenty minute drive ahead of us."

"You going to tell us about this 'Underground' you were talking about?" Zane asked as he shuffled in, taking the seat behind the driver's seat.

Writ climbed in, adjusting the seat so it wouldn't be a problem for Zane. "Certainly," Writ answered. Vehicle in gear, Writ pulled away from the hotel and on towards their destination, taking the next exit out of the city. He looked briefly in the rear view mirror to see Zane greet Corbin. "It was probably a year or two before Gunpla Battles were introduced into the world. The mayor at that time had this idea to try and build a subway system in Atlanta. Of course it would have been a good idea some time back but Atlanta had grown much since before it was even possible. And before he even got a vote on it, he began construction starting on a station that was just outside the city. His idea was to build outside, in. But there were too many risks, budgets were cut, the list just went on. Worse decision of his career and in the end, the idea was scrapped and the guy got voted out of his office."

"That sucks for that guy," Zane commented.

"Good idea, very bad timing," Writ added, shifting lanes over towards the next exit. "But he had finished a sizable station that already had a reinforced tunnel system that actually stopped just into the city. Power, plumbing, everything was there. Fast forward some years later, before the Sixth World Championship, a man had this brilliant idea of making the station into… well. Its kinda hard to really explain. Its a mix of things. But its something I'm sure you've never seen before."

Lala gave a smile to the two younger boys in the back. "Aye, it'll be fun. Trus' me'."

"Just one rule, and its for the both of ya," Writ warned, his voice taking a serious tone. "The battles that take place there are for keeps. Battle damage is always set to A level and the guys who fight there go by different rules. If you do plan to fight," his eyes looked to Corbin, the boy noticing his intense glare. "Be sure you're ready for it."

Corbin wasn't quite sure but he felt like the warning was directed at him. And he couldn't blame him. Zane seemed comfortable in such battles. Probably had taken part in some high stakes battles before. But the low level sparring he's had with Writ and Lala, not to mention the three on three battle he had earlier in the day was the most intense battles he's had. He looked to his carrying case, wondering what would happen if he did though. He did fare pretty well in the battle, though Writ still helped him. He shook the thought away from his head. He couldn't risk it to try and prove something. Not to himself. At least not yet.

NNN

It was near twenty minutes like Writ had said it would be before they found themselves parked outside a single station. It looked like the typical entrance to a subway station, except one never had so many cars parked out front. Climbing out they could see a few good large groups of people going in. Locking up, they soon followed the crowd in, the top entrance of the station looking like a lounge area with two bars on either side. Before they got further in though, two men dressed in black stopped them. To ensure there was no underage drinking, a bracelet was given to identify who was of what age. Of course both Corbin and Zane were restricted. Writ and Lala weren't. Entering they walked past those lounging on the top floor, going down a set of stairs where the music grew louder, the lights grew darker.

Entering into the Underground, Corbin found his jaw drop as he looked at the mob before him, a floor dedicated to the denizens who wished to dance to 'Kill Shit' by Krizz Kaliko. The air was thick with various scents along with the distinct smell of plastic and particles. Various colors beamed down from above, creating a rainbow spectacle of sorts. Several battle systems were set up just on the outskirts of the dance floor, a few more running into the tunnel systems. Outside them were dozens of monitors, some showing several of the biggest battles in any and all Gundam series and those of gunpla battles.

"You two stick together and explore," Writ said, holding his arm out for Lala. The semi-punk/goth girl was quick to put her arm around his, her other hand brushing back some strands of her gray wig aside. "Just remember what I said about the battles."

Corbin couldn't help but growl in irritation as he watched his boss disappear towards the dance floor, Lala laughing at something Writ said but with the music so loud and the cheer of the crowd as the song changed just as the DJ stepped up, you couldn't hear whatever it was. "So what do you want to do?" Corbin asked, turning in time to see Zane zeroing in on a battle taking place. It was a gruesome free-for-all between four battlers, each just rushing in to pummel one another. No grace or tact, just pure melee. "Your kind of fight?" Corbin asked.

Zane shook his head. "Hardly. I was looking at the builds. They were good. Such a waste for them to be used in such a manner." He nodded his head in the direction of the tunnels. "Lets get a look further in, huh?"

Corbin nodded in agreement, and the two battlers stepped down into the crowds, making their way down the tunnel to the right of the main dance floor. As they moved, neither noticed that they were being watched. Brown pigtails bounced slightly in amusement as the girl watched like a predator hunting their prey, green eyes glistening from a shadowy corner. And to this particular girl it was just that. Mostly because she had seen who the two boys she was currently following had entered the Underground with. She wasn't interested in the woman that was occupying Writ Butler's attention on the dance floor. No. The two boys that had drifted off to do their own thing was what she was after. And one of them was fresh. The thought made her grin evilly with a little bit of a fang poking out. It was how the plane looking one was moving and how he examined some of the fights that gave him away as a rookie. And oh how she loved to torture fresh meat.

NNN

Corbin had a sinking feeling he was being watched. But with so many people around it was hard to tell. He did notice a few looking his way. Maybe sizing him up, perhaps? Could they tell he was fresh to gunpla battles? At least professional ones. Looking to Zane, he saw the other young man simply move through the crowd as if it was second nature; like he had done this before. "So, Zane. You've fought in tournaments before, right?"

Zane glanced back, one catching the light more than the other, giving it a soft glow. "Yea. Been in a few. Why?"

"Does it get overwhelming?" Corbin asked as he made his way around a group hovering over a pedestal with a highly detailed Sazabi, its armor flared and open to reveal the custom interior work. "You know, the big fights and all?"

Zane gave a shrug and turned back ahead, his eyes landing a few well built gunplas that were obviously made for display purposes only. "Sometimes. But when the fight starts you tend to forget the crowd around you and focus on the fight."

Corbin looked to a battle just as it was ending. When the particle field disappeared, he could see the remains of a G-Savior, the poor gunpla completely trashed by a custom built Nu-Gundam. The winner looked too pleased with his win, his gunpla looking to not have a single scratch on it. The other fighter though looked completely wrecked, cradling the pieces of his gunpla as he turned and walked away, though not before handing over a small stack of bills to the winner. Looking over, he saw Zane frowning at the display, and shook his head as he moved on. "Not your style either?"

"I don't mind betting. Its to be expected in some battles. Can't say I haven't placed a bet or two myself, but to be a dick like that guy was for a win?" He shot a glare at the winner again before they moved on to the next display. "He probably tricked the guy into a fight knowing it would be an easy win."

Little did Zane know, a young girl, perhaps no older than eleven or twelve walked up to the winner, innocently rocking on her heels as she asked him something, which the fighter laughed. Laughing stopped when the girl seemingly insulted the man, who shook his head before turning to the battle system, the girl going to the opposite side. Her evil grin could be seen just before the particle veil wrapped around her station.

Of course neither Zane or Corbin saw this, and were currently staring at a screen that depicted something that was perhaps rare and nearly unheard of in the Gundam world. There had been a rumor going around that a new Gundam series was being produced in secret. One that would be influenced, and a bit of a fusion, of another long time fan favorite. It came as a surprise when the title 'Pretty Mobile Suit: Gundam Moon' was displayed in pink and yellow gundam style font. Watching the subtitles, they caught on that the series was about Usagi, a girl who's real name was Serena and was secretly the heir to the Moon Kingdom. The earth and the moon were ruled by Queen Byrel and her dark army and legion of mobile suits. Watching on it nearly followed a mix of both Sailor Moon and Gundam series. Only instead of magical powers she used a mobile suit that resembled a Nobel Gundam but with similar hair style. Most enemies had similar style mobile suits, rehashed from other series anywhere from the original gundam series to anything within any of the meta series. One would say it would be like an unofficial sequel to Turn-A.

"It seems… cool?" Corbin asked,.. well more stated when looking to Zane.

"Goes to show they may be running out of ideas, but I think it has promise," Zane said with a nod. "Plus everyone can get Sailor Moon style Nobel Gundams without having to resort to kit-bashing or scratch building."

There goes your little side project, Writ, Corbin thought as he turned from the screen to march over to a display case. Standing proudly was another Zeta, this one being a Perfect Grade, and it matched the name. The detail, the coloring, everything looked perfect. There were no flaws he could see, though he was sure Zane could spot something considering he was the better of the two in building. "Looks so cool," Corbin nearly whispered, taking in every inch of the machine. "I wonder if having this, I'd be a better fighter."

"Its not the build, but the skill of the battler," Zane said as he stood next to Corbin, eying the PG Zeta. "I've seen guys with straight builds fight better than most with perfectly built gunplas like this." He looked to Corbin, seeing his fellow battler stare at the Zeta. "You really like that machine."

"My first Zeta my uncle bought for me. He's a huge fan of Gundam. Has a ton of models from back in the day before Plavsky Particles."

"He ever battle?"

"If he does, he's never told me," Corbin admitted, leaning back from the display. "But he perfected his skills in building. They could probably match this Perfect Grade here." He glanced to Zane when he gave a whistle of approval. "Never told him I lost my Zeta in a fight though. Bet he'd be pretty mad."

"You sure?" Zane asked, arms crossing as he looked back to the Zeta. "I doubt he'd be mad."

"If you say so." Corbin looked on, seeing another two displays before the cavernous hall ended at a dead end with a large 1/1 scale Zaku head staring back at them. He looked up to the higher platform of the tunnel, seeing a few booths placed into the wall. Everyone was occupied with a few patrons having a couple of drinks or having a bite to eat. Corbin was a little surprised there was a waiting staff, and watched as one ducked out into back door into another room he hadn't even noticed till then. "This place has a mix of everything."

Zane nodded his head. "Come on, let's check the other side. See where it leads."

Corbin followed, taking one last glance at the PG Zeta before continuing on behind Zane. He paused however when he felt like he was being watched. Shaking the feeling off he continued on after Zane. Approaching the main hall, the music had changed to something a little more dance party worthy, the floor nearly filled to the brim with dancers. If Writ and Lala were still in the mob of dancers, neither of the younger battlers could tell. Up at the DJ booth was a sight to behold. The one working the turn-table was a woman, but she wore an all encasing helmet of a Guncannon with digital anime style eyes blinking in the visor. Corbin felt his cheeks warm slightly when he noticed she only had on a black skirt that stopped at mid thigh and a red bikini top. Her hands were covered with fingerless gloves with an assortment of bracelets on each arm.

"Thought I'd seen it all," Corbin commented.

"I've seen stranger!" Zane shouted as the moved, the music and the cries of the crowd becoming near deafening.

NNN

Writ gave a laugh as he and Lala tumbled slightly off the dance floor, Lala hanging onto his arm. He wouldn't lie and say he was a proficient dancer. He was more like a wet cat with paper bags tied to his feet with a piece of tape on his back. But he did what he could do to keep up with Lala, who showed she was just as skilled on a real dance floor than one she danced her gunpla on. She gave him a soft nudged to take a break before disappearing back into the crowd to dance. Dancing was a hell of a workout on its own and she'd get her fill. Writ on the other hand would take a breather. He thought he saw Zane and Corbin on the other side of the crowd, but shrugged as he made his way to an open booth. Dropping down, he leaned back and rested a bit. He gave a long sigh, the days events washing down on him. A long drive, plus his battles, now a quick dance with Lala? He may have pushed himself a bit before getting a proper rest.

A slow turn of his head to get his neck to pop, he noticed a sulking figure limp away. In his hands he carried what looked to be the remains of a Nu-Gundam. He'd seen that image of a loss one too many times. And the look of utter shock on his face? Writ surmised the guy fought someone who he thought he'd win against. And that thought made him frown as he glanced over the sea of people. There was a shark in the waters. Wouldn't be the first time he had seen someone prey on other battlers. A majority of them just took delight in the fight, trashing people's machines for the fun of it instead of honoring the sport.

A killing intent swept over him, and Writ quickly looked in the direction he felt it originate from. Sadly the crowd was too thick. He couldn't find the source. If the intent was aimed at him, it could be for a number of reasons. He wouldn't lie about it. Writ had made some enemies in the past due to his old habits of how he looked at battles before the Sixth Gunpla World Tournament. Eager, young, and arrogant as hell. Took much to knock him off his pedestal. Even a hefty beating from Mr. Ral himself in order to get his head on straight.

But who could it be?

Writ didn't like being someone's prey. If anything he was the hunter, not the hunted.

He stood from his seat, fatigue completely forgotten as he scanned over the crowd. The minute he stepped down though, he felt that intent disappear. Either he had called some bluff, or they found better prey. Either way he felt a challenge was made and he was going to meet it.

NNN

She would get to Writ another time. The second she cast her stare onto him, he had noticed. Not surprising. She was however surprised that he had recognized her killing intent. It had been years since they last saw each other. But she was happy she had left an impression. But she had weaker prey she wanted to play with before focusing on a real challenge. The two boys she followed were currently moving onto the next area, pausing to look at the battles that were taking place. She ignored those amateurs though. Seeing their sloppy fighting styles told her they wouldn't last a minute. Hell, a second with her and her build. No she wanted that little boy who was connected to Writ. Were they related somehow? Like the one she had cut down in the Region's finals those years so long ago. She was so young then. Still new to the game, but already reveling in the thrill of a brutal win; tearing her opponents apart.

She spotted an open battle system, the two combatants having finished their match and moving on. Good. She was tired of hiding in the shadows to make her move. Now was as good a time as any.

NNN

Corbin stumbled slightly as a smaller body crashed into him. Hearing a very girly, petite cry he turned to see a girl sitting on the floor. Her clothes screamed typical school girl uniform, maybe of catholic school in origin. As far as he knew that was the only style around the parts he was in, unless there was a school modeling their uniforms after such. She had brown hair tied into twin pig-tails that bounced as she whined slightly from the collision. Soft green eyes looked up at him. "Hey!" she pouted suddenly as she staggered to her feet in small heeled shoes. "What kind of guy pushes a little girl?" It was hard for someone to take her serious with such a cute voice as hers.

But Corbin frowned, crossing his arms. "Push? I didn't push you. You ran into me."

She pointed a finger at him. "Don't deny it!"

"Who's denying anything?" Corbin shot back, never noticing he was beginning to draw a crowd.

Zane noticed the stares though and nudged Corbin. "Hey, relax. You're starting to draw a crowd."

Corbin looked around, his arms slowly falling to his sides. Zane wasn't lying, and a lot of eyes were turning to Corbin. "I demand a battle!" the girl shouted, drawing his attention back to her as she pointed to the system, her little hand shaking. Perhaps from all the attention that was drawn her way now. "One on one."

Corbin pushed on by the heat of this argument, stopped himself. He thought on what Writ had said about the battle systems always set to A Damage Level. He wasn't one of the best fighters, but seeing this girl trembling and struggle to produce her gunpla's carrying pouch, he had to ask himself should he really fight her? She was just a kid. And how would that look if he completely destroyed the girl's gunpla? For all he knew it was a gift from an uncle or older brother she held close to heart.

Corbin shook his head and looked to be turning away. "Sorry, but I'll pass."

"What? Are you scared?"

Corbin's eye twitched at the remark, and he looked back to the girl. "Are you serious?"

"Just admit you're scared and I might forgive you," she said, head turning away as she crossed her arms. She even lifted her nose slightly.

Now the people around them were beginning to whisper. And that began to set a fire under Corbin. "Fine," he relented, spotting a free battle system just waiting to be used. "You want to battle, then lets battle." He missed the smirk on the girls face as he turned to the system, but paused when Zane grabbed his arm. "Hey..."

"Look, I know you're not as new to the game anymore, but this doesn't feel right," Zane said, looking to the girl as she puffed her cheeks in annoyance at his intervening.

"I'll just disarm her machine and scratch it up a bit," Corbin whispered as he pulled his arm free.

Zane watched Corbin move to the system. He turned back to the girl. Seeing her brought an itch to the back of his head. There was something very familiar about her. Something that made his hair stand on end. So he stood to the side and watched as the system booted up, particle veils forming over the battlers. Again that itch formed in his head as he say the girl give a smile that didn't set well with him. But as any battler, he would stand back and see the fight unfold. He looked to a neighboring monitor, seeing the field unfold as a ruined city scape. Near identical to the one he fought in as a team with Corbin and Writ. There was no rain, but the sky was cloudy and pitch black, shrouding the city in darkness.

The Gray Zeta flew from the launch bay in wave rider mode, coasting gently over the ruined buildings as he searched for his opponent's gunpla. She didn't seem like the type to have a flyer. He imagined she was using some custom Nobel Gundam. Circling the city once over and not finding a single sign of her machine, Corbin flew in low, transforming into MS mode. He skirted the street in his landing, stopping at a T-intersection. Unknown to him, Zane was already shaking his head at his choice of landing on the ground.

A crack of lightening brightened the area enough to give Corbin a look of the desolation around him, but it only lasted a few seconds before again he was bathed in darkness. Slowly moving down the street, shield held at the ready, he couldn't help but feel a chill run up his spine. The wait wasn't something he was used to. By now someone would have launched an attack. Maybe she was using a sniper!? Looking up at the buildings, he noticed several clear vantage points she could tag him if she so chose to. Ducking behind a corner he thought would provide some cover, he continued to wait. It was already two minutes in and she still hadn't made her appearance.

Brief movement from his left screen drew his attention, and Corbin brought his rifle to bare only to aim at nothing. Again something small flew past his screen at an alarming speed and he turned, firing a single pink beam that lit the area for only a second. It bored into the side of a building, lighting it on fire. Cursing himself, Corbin moved further back into the shadows. If she was using them, so could he. But the whine of what sounded like a horse drew his attention. Its whine echoed in the barren city, along with the sound of hooves clacking in an all out run. Corbin's blood began to pump as he looked from screen to screen, the sounds drawing closer and louder.

And just as suddenly as they came, they stopped. Corbin turned his Gray Zeta, looking down the streets for the source but found nothing. "Where the hell are you?"

Outside the veil though, Zane's jaw dropped. Now he knew where the itch was coming from. He knew this girl and how she battled. Even the crowd who were watching continued to go on and on about how she had suckered in another victim, and Zane bit his lip. He personally had never faced the girl who was facing Corbin, but he had heard the rumors. He held his hand over his gunpla, debating if he should interfere. Looking around though, the crowd looked to be watching with intrigue, and there was no telling what would happen if he decided to jump in. But… "Corbin, behind you!"

Corbin heard Zane's cry from the other side of the veil, and did as ordered. He jumped from the building he stood against and turned, shield at the ready when he froze. There standing on top of the building was a horse. A black colored Fuunsaiki. A horse Mobile Armor from Mobile Fighter G Gundam. Buster shields gripped to its legs, perhaps for added defense with what looked to be a short range blaster added to the under side just between the front legs. The head was a custom sculpt, taking more of a horse's skull in its design than an actual horse. But it wasn't what bothered Corbin. No the rider was what gave him the chills. Upon its back sat a tattered cloaked figured, its head hidden beneath a cowl with only its red optics burning in his direction. In its hand it held a long staff with a beam emitter at the end, which sparked to life to form a blood red saber blade in the shape of a scythe.

Why hadn't his radar picked it up!? Corbin looked down and could see nothing on his console, and when he looked up, the Fuunsaiki and its rider were gone. "Shit!"

The Gray Zeta boosted into the air, getting as far off the ground as Corbin could get before he as quickly assaulted by beam fire that seemed to come from all directions within the darkness that blanketed the city. He fired into the direction the beams came from, but he couldn't see a direct hit. Another two fired and from different positions on the field. Were there others out there he hadn't seen? Had someone jumped into the fight? He looked to his radar again and still couldn't find the source of the beam fire. Something was messing with his machine, but there were no particles floating through the air, so it wasn't a GN based machine from Double-O. He growled in frustration as he dodged another beam from above, only to block as another two came from his right.

Briefly, he saw something zip pass his screen and he fired, his beam missing the target but light its backside up enough for him to take in the design of a Bit; a small remote controlled beam weapon that was widely used in the UC time line with variations appearing in other Gundam meta series over the decades gundam has existed. No wonder he was having difficulty trying to hit his targets. They were just too small and with everything being so dark, it was hard to strike them down. But he continued to attempt to strike the Bits down, dodging what blasts he could till one finally struck Zeta's left leg. He tilted slightly, just enough for another shot to strike one of his back wings.

Corbin watched the simulated world spiral as his machine plummeted out of the air and towards the city below. Before he could hit the ground he transformed into Wave Rider mode, the belly of his machine scratching the ground as he tried to pull up with beam fire trailing behind him. He pulled sharp down a left turn in order to lose the Bits but they didn't slow the least bit and continued to give chase. It was this moment that an odd laugh came over his opponent's channel. "Chechecheche! Run, run, run little Zeta boy!"

Corbin couldn't help but slightly pale at the girls voice. "What the hell!?" A beam tore through a building at his side, debris bouncing on his machine as he continued to evade the continuous beam assault.

"What's wrong? Can't handle a widdle girl!?" she cackled just as her machine on horseback leaped over a building, beam-scythe held high in one hand. She brought down her blade, the red energy cutting a deep gash into the side of his Zeta. Her machine turned, bits zipped around her and on towards the Gray Zeta as it dragged against a few buildings before pulling up into the air with a trail of smoke. "I won't let you get away, Zeta boy! My Reaper Gundam is coming for you!" she cackled.

The screen to his left flashed at what damage he had taken, and it wasn't looking good. Already he had taken a few hits from her bits and with the damage from her scythe, he wouldn't be able to remain in the air for much longer. Looking at a rear view monitor he could see the bits closing in, sporadic beam fire forcing him to tilt and weave in the air with some landing a few grazing blows that scratched and scorched his machine. "You little bitch!" Corbin cursed, surprising himself. "You… I was going to go easy on you!"

"Your mistake," she said simply, her machine having moved to another vantage point. The black cloak fluttered in the air, optics burning in the shadow of its cowl as she watched in bliss as her Bits little by little picked at his machine. "To be honest I expected more from someone running around with Writ Butler," her tone laced with disappointment.

Corbin blinked, his eyes glancing to the image of the Reaper Gundam. He shivered as it seemed to look right back at him. "You know Writ?" He rolled out of the way of another beam aimed for his left vernier.

The girl licked her lips, her tongue stopping at the right corner of her mouth before she answered. "Quite well. He ran away before we got to fight at the tournament. He probably would have been a better fight than this though." Her fingers danced on the dials of her haptic controls, the Bits following her commands as she pushed them to continue their pursuit.

Corbin growled, his machine rolling back down towards the city to try and move himself out of her visual range. He wove through the streets once more, hoping to loose the Bits and their master. He thought carefully on what she said and answered back, "Bull shit! Writ isn't the type to run away from a fight."

"Oh, he had to have ran after what I did to his friend's gunpla," the girl said, her machines galloping down the street to keep up with his Zeta. "That poor, poor, White Frame Astray. A good build, but in the end I ripped it apart. Just like I'm going to do to yours!" she cried out, her beam-scythe cutting through the edge of a building as Corbin's Zeta flew past, the edge just nicking the end of his left wing. She turned just as the Zeta transformed, hitting the ground in a roll before rising up onto a knee, rifle at the ready and firing off three shots. She spun the beam-scythe, blocking the shots. Her Bits flew in, disappearing beneath the cloak of her machine before it leaped into the air with its scythe held high. When she came down, the beam weapon cut clean through his rifle. Corbin tossed it aside as it exploded, standing with a saber drawn and quickly rushing in. The Reaper side stepped, the opposite end of the scythe tripping the Zeta. She cackled again as the Gray Zeta struck the ground, rolling over with the beam saber held in defense.

Hearing about an Astray, Corbin thought back to the glass case display back at Writ's shop. He remembered the two Astrays he had there and when he thought hard enough about it, there was space for a third gunpla. Maybe it was the White Frame she spoke about? He shook his head, glaring at the gunpla before him. "Now is not the time to be thinking about that," he said to himself. He had to keep his head clear.

The Reaper fired its head vulcans, trail of yellow stretching the distance. Corbin raised his shield, the small arms fire bouncing off harmlessly but still doing enough damage to ding it up. But this was just enough of a distraction for the Reaper to move in, its battler cackling loudly as she swung the scythe around. He pulled back, the red blade passing where he once stood. He returned fire with his own vulcans and two grenades from his wrist mounted launchers. The Reaper jumped back in time, the projectiles going off in a huge explosion that lit up the darkened streets in a blaze of fire.

Corbin used this time to duck behind a few buildings a block away, keeping low and remaining still. Looking over his system readout, he paled when he saw his ammunition was nearly depleted. His vulcans were down to less than half and he only had two grenades left. He cursed, his fist hitting the screen to his side. He was getting sloppy. His heart was racing and his hands shook. This seemed worse than when he lost to Writ in their first meeting. Another Zeta to be torn down by a more experienced gunpla battler.

"~A Minotaur's my butler, a Cyclops my valet~"

Corbin tensed as the girl began to sing. He looked to his radar, seeing it was still being jammed by her machine.

"~A Centaur draws my chariot that takes me down the way~"

He turned again, looking down the darkened road to see nothing, then above. Nothing.

"~Through a river made of fire, to a street that's paved with bones~"

He glowered, his hands clenching the control haptics to the point they may actually break. She was toying with him now. Down right playing mind games. And it was working.

"~I've got a dozen zombie skeletons to walk me to my throne~"

"Stop messing with me and fight!" Corbin cried, his nerves rattled. He boosted back around the corner, shield in front. The Reaper was missing, no longer in the street he had left it.

"~In the land of the dead, heck boy ain't it grand!~

He turned sharp, shield again at his front. But it served him little defense as the red beam cleaved through it like butter. He ejected the shield, the remaining grenades ready to fire as the Reaper swept the end of its scythe up, knocking the arm aside. The grenades fired into the building across from them, the explosion close enough to push both machines back. At an impressive display of control and experience the battler of the The Reaper boosted before hitting the ground, skirting the machine back and up onto its feet while Corbin's machine collapsed into another building at his side. Fire and smoke blanketed the area as the buildings were catching fire.

"~I'm the Overlord of the Underworld cause I hold horror's hand~"

The Grey Zeta stood, turning to face the Reaper as its blade came down. The beam cut clean and true through the left shoulder joint, the limb falling to the ground while the Zeta backed away, saber again drawn and at the front. The girl cackled once more, the Reaper standing idle while looking at Corbin's machine. It sparked once before a flame came from the damage, smoke lifting into the air. The blue particle veil Corbin stood in was being bathed in pulsing red light as the system warned him of the damage to his machine.

"Man, I love that song," she said, the scythe resting on the right shoulder of her machine as it idled in the street. "Tickles me so. But you seemed to have forgotten something."

Corbin blinked in confusion, and was about to ask what she was talking about before his machine jolted violently. He looked to the damage readout, which all but screamed he had been stabbed from behind. He adjusted his controls to look down and saw the very horn from her steed's head, piercing through the chest of his machine. The 'Death Steed' as she had called it had stabbed him in the back while he was focused on her!

She titled her head to the side innocently, fingers again dancing on her controls to move her steed. "You forgot the horse."

The horse backed away, the horn tearing from the Zeta and furthering the damage to its left side. Corbin turned his machine, its reaction a bit sluggish as it took a swipe at the horse, only for it to jump back and his saber sailing past. His back turned though, the Reaper moved, the blade brought up and under, cleaving the right arm in half at the elbow. Corbin could do nothing as he watched the limp sail away. The Reaper again swung its blade and took the right leg at the knee. The Zeta crumbled to the ground, and before Corbin could attempt to move, the foot of the Reaper firmly came down on the chest of his machine, pinning it so it couldn't go anywhere.

"Well, it looks like you lost, Zeta boy," she taunted, the edge of her beam coming down slowly till it touched the armor platting. Slowly she dragged it down, cutting a gash into the 'metal'. "Honestly I was hardly trying."

"You won! Fine!"

"Buuuut I'm not done yet, chechecheche." Her grin nearly reached to her ears. "Gonna carve you up first!"

Corbin watched as the red blade of her beam scythe lift up to bring down the final blow. Again Corbin had lost to an actual battler. Even worse it wasn't with his own build, but Writ's. He was sure his boss wasn't going to be too thrilled about the damage he had received to his Zeta. Wouldn't blame him if he got chewed out for it. He watched as the blade reached its peak before coming down, just for a similar weapon but with a purple beam to hook itself under the Reaper's weapon, effectively stopped the weapon all together.

The Reaper's battler blinked in mild surprise, the Cheshire grin slowly shrinking till she looked at the feminine machine that held a scythe similar to her own, which stood over the downed form of the Gray Zeta.

Zane blinked, haven't even noticed someone else had entered the fight with a customized Nobel Gundam. Looking the screen which displayed the battle for all to see, he saw the identification pop up to the side. "Dullahan?" he whispered. He had seen variations of such a mythological being in games but never once had he seen one in gunpla battle. He looked about as he took in some of the surprised spectators who had been watching the one sided fight from the start. Those who had been placing some bets looked a little angry at the interruption, considering they looked to be winning their bet when the Zeta fell. But with a third unknown entering the fight it looked like no one was going to win or loose. However some others found it to be fairly entertaining. Then you had the… weird ones who making odd comments about the feminine quality of the machine and its build. He made sure to keep his distance from them.

Back on the simulated battlefield, the Dullahan forced the red scythe of the Reaper away, causing the machine to step back. The Reaper's battler growled, annoyed as the Dullahan turned, one hand resting on its hip while the other balanced its weapon on its shoulder, the cable threads which made up its silver hair flowing in the wind. "You won lassy," Lala said.

Corbin's Zeta turned, twitching slightly from the damage. "Lala!?"

The girl licked her lips, her machine standing a bit straighter, a light cackle escaping her. "Not done quite yet. Need to make a point with Zeta boy there."

The Dullahan's shoulder shifted in an imitation of a shrug. "Don' care." The tip of its toe lightly tapped the side of the damaged machine's head. "'e's wit' me and his boss, who by the by 'as been watchin' the whole fight."

Back with Zane, the teen blinked as he noticed a presence standing beside him and nearly jumped when he saw Writ standing beside him, arms folded over his chest a stern look on his face. "What the hell happened to my Zeta?"

The Reaper looked down at the Zeta, the girl laughing. "So Mr. B is your boss?" She laughed a little harder. "No wonder you're such a terrible fighter. Should have taught you to run away too like he did."

"Shut it!" Corbin snapped, again surprising himself.

"I've go' to agree wit' the lad," Lala said, her machine stepping towards the Reaper. "Bes' watch yer tongue."

The Reaper pointed it's favored weapon at the Dullahan. "I'm just going to have to tear your machine apart too." She grinned, fingers again playing with the dials as her Death Steed looked ready to charge, hoof digging into the ground as the battle system announced a weather change for the battle, with the first signs of snow flurries dropping from the sky. "Which will be fun. There can only be one Reaper in these parts."

The horse gave a silent charge, horn lowered to impale the feminine gundam till the purple blade of the Dullahan swung back, cleaving right through its neck. The head sailed high before landing a street away, the body taking a dive into the ground in mid gallop, sliding across the ground only to stop some meters from its owner. The Reaper charged forward, red scythe held up high as the Dullahan turned, purple scythe arching low. The blades collided in a shower of spark and electricity. The flash between the two forced them to jump back, and up into the air, clashing blades far faster than what Corbin had been doing with the Zeta.

The Dullahan came down to a kneel on the roof, only to push off with the Reaper coming in hard, the blade of its scythe cutting deep into the building. From beneath the cloak came the bits, each little beam weapon rushing out to attack, but the Dullahan's 'mouth' opened. With a sweep the beam it fired tore through the line of bits, going on to cut a swathe of destruction in the city. Rock, smoke and snow kicked up in all directions with a backdrop of fire. The bits that weren't destroyed began to open fire, though Lala's machine again showed its grace with well timed vernier boosts which allowed it to pivot when needed to avoid a direct hit. She came within reach of one, her blade arching fast and cutting the weapon in two, leaving a small explosion as she moved on to the next. The bits scattered as the Reaper pushed up and again clashed with the Dullahan, the more feminine machine lurching back to avoid a surprise beam fire from either side. The beams passed harmlessly in front of the Reaper before it again charged only to duck as a low charged shot from the Dullahan's mouth cannon fired, intending to bore a hole through the cockpit.

Corbin watched from his position on the ground as the two clashed. He'd seen Lala fight before, but this was different. Was it because of the damage setting? With the threat of permanent damage to her machine, she's fighting on a different level? Was that his mistake, treating the fight like a normal battle? Or was it just skill alone? He wouldn't lie about it, she was better. What would he get out of it if he didn't acknowledge it. But for the life of him he couldn't understand why he hadn't improved. Hardly fought on par with that guy earlier, and now he was completely outclassed by a girl way younger than himself. Even after all the hard work Writ had put into helping him improve, it still wasn't enough, and now what was left of his borrowed machine could do nothing but watch as Lala fought the fight for him.

The Dullahan and Reaper again touched down in the street below, a staring contest lasting only but a few seconds before they again charged at one another. Before they came within meters of one another, the timer for the battle went off, and since Lala had come in late into the fight, the match was still considered in the unknown girls favor. A bit of a round of applause for the fight went off when the veils dropped and the system cooled down. In the center of the battle system lye the Gray Zeta, the ruined gunpla still lying on its back with its limbs missing. Other parts lay scattered about the field. Off to the side were the Dullahan and Reaper frozen in mid strike. Lala claimed her machine, never giving the girl a glance as she moved over to Corbin's side, the young man just standing with his arms at his sides and eyes focused on the Zeta. The girl in the school uniform growled, glaring daggers at Lala as she reached over and took her Reaper, the remaining bits that hadn't been destroyed and the remains of her Death Steed. Neither noticed the black haired girl with a red hoodie swooning over the scythe battle, thinking it was the coolest thing ever. She held a business card in her hand belonging to Writ, given to her earlier when the fight was midway through. She was already formulating ideas for her own scythe wielding gunpla, but was knocked out of daydreaming when a slightly older blonde came over and dragged her away by the back of her hoodie. The girl in said hoodie frowned as she wanted to ask about Lala's fighting style.

Back with the main group, Corbin stood with a ruined Zeta in hand, Writ just in front of him with his arms crossed. No word was said. Lala looked between the two, ready to get in Writ's way if it looked like he was going to be too harsh with him. Zane just watched, knowing this was something he didn't need to jump into.

"Well?" Writ asked, a hand moving to push his glasses up slightly.

Corbin shrugged. "What do you want me to say? I lost."

"I saw that. You fought better in the team battle we had earlier. What happened?"

"I… I don't know, okay!" His shoulders sagged, eyes cast to the floor. "I don't know."

"He has you for a trainer, probably!" The group turned and locked eyes onto the girl that had beaten who stood with her feet shoulder length apart and fists planted on her hips as she grinned evilly at them. "Not surprising really. With your teachings he was going to loose anyway."

Lala was about to give the girl a few choice words but Writ rested a hand on her shoulder, keeping her back as he approached the younger girl. He crossed his arms, staring down at her as she glared back. Silence fell between them with a bit of tension growing in the atmosphere.

"Who are you?"

Those close by and paying attention all but face planted into the floor at Writ's question. Even the girl herself, though she quickly got back to her feet, tiny finger wagging at Writ. "You know damn well who I am!?" She got a small judo chop to the top of her head. "Owowowow!"

"Language," Writ reprimanded as he crossed his arms.

Corbin looked between the two before looking to Zane. "Please tell me you know what's going on."

Zane gave a sheepish grin. "Sorry. It wasn't till I saw her machine that I recognized who she was." He straightened a bit, a serious look on his face. "Her name is Kayley Desmond. She's been in a few local tournaments under the moniker of Kill-ley. She's also famous for qualifying for the Nationals some time back at the age of nine. Youngest there is so far. That and her tendencies to be absolutely vicious in her fights. They never end with a quick win."

Corbin frowned. "So I've noticed."

"She lost to Greco Logan before the World Tournament, and because of how she likes to fight, didn't get a lot of sponsors to help support her for another shot." He gave a shrug. "Not a lot of people want someone representing their country by brutally tearing another persons gunpla apart."

Kayley rubbed the sore spot, fuming and glaring at Writ who just stared down at her. "You act big, but I know you're a poor excuse of a fighter."

"Where's the proof kid?"

"Don't call me kid!" she pointed a finger at him. "And the proof is from the where we met! After I defeated your friend, you and the other two ran off, scared to face me in the match to come." She grinned, fists on her hips. She held her head a bit higher too.

Writ shrugged his shoulders. "Doesn't ring a bell."

"I carved up his White Assassin Frame."

Writ looked to be in thought, then a smile came to him as he gave nod. "Oh yea. I remember that build. I did most of the work myself but he did the programming on the GP Base."

"So you admit you all ran!"

Writ blinked. "What? Oh, no we didn't run from anything. Before the next match we got a call about my mother being in a bad car accident. We left so fast we forgot our clothes at the hotel we were staying at."

"I call bull shit!" Another chop to the top of her head had her hunched down. "Owowowowow! Stop that!"

"You're too young to be using that kind of language. Anyway, you've had your fun so you can go and do… whatever it is you do in this place besides destroy peoples gunpla." Writ turned to Corbin, the boy freezing when he saw the focus was back on him. "You and I are going to have a chat about that fight."

"Um… and your Zeta?"

Writ just stared at him with a blank look. "Did you forget I own a model store? I have stacks of Zetas. You wrecking one in a match was bound to happen."

Corbin just sulked, head dipping lower than before. "I forgot."

Zane however… "How do you forget something like that!?"

Writ took a step forward, but Kayley rushed in front, blocking his path. "No! I want a match! With you!" She shoved a finger in his direction, her other fist firmly on her hip. "No running this time. Just you and me."

Lala folded her arms under her breasts, ignoring the guys around her who began to stare as she gave a sigh over the situation. "Migh' as well ge' it over wit', Writ," she said, blowing a strand of silver hair from her face. "The lass doesn' look like she'll leave ya be."

"Ugh, fine," Writ relented, head dipping. Kayley jumped into the air. "Ten minutes. Get your gunpla ready in ten minutes. I don't want to hear anything about me cheating if your gunpla isn't in top form."

NNN

Josh entered the little hole-in-the-wall bar called 'O'Murphy's'. He had closed Writ's shop early with a note that the weekend's festivities were canceled with the owner out of town. Some early showers were disappointed but were cool enough to spread the word so no one would waste their time showing up. It was when he was going to his car he got a call from an old friend he hadn't spoken to in some time and asked to meet at their old drinking grounds. None of the guys he ran with were into loud noises and flashy colors, so a small pub that had a quiet jukebox in the corner met their needs well enough. Though at times he still stopped by to have a drink or two, and no more.

Seeing it was the usual crowd, which consisted of about ten people all together and not including the bar tender or the girl busting tables, Josh spotted the man he had come to meet. Sandy blonde hair combed to a point in the front turned his way, goofy grin spreading on his face as he saw his buddy, and stood up from the booth. He wore the same torn and bleached denim pants with an old denim jacket, just as he remembered him from the last they spoke. Josh gave his own lopsided grin and approached, hand at the ready for a bro shake. "Brian, how's it going man?" he asked, the two locking hands and moving for a bro hug. One pat on either backs and they separated.

Brian at first, sliding into the booth with Josh climbing in on the other side. "Not much man, not much. Just living day to day with the family."

Josh noticed he had a beer already. Flagging the girl over, he asked for a lager and turned to his friend as she left. "I feel ya man. I'm the same way." He rested his hands on the table, locking fingers together while Brian took a swig of his beer. "So, what's the deal? Haven't heard from ya in forever and I get a call to come and meet you here?"

Brian looked out at the crowd, like he was watching out for someone, but looked back to Josh with a slightly worried look on his face. "You didn't tell Writ, did you?"

The waitress returned, Josh's beer at the ready. He took it and gave her the cash. He wasn't planning to have more than maybe two. But the question did bug Josh a bit, but not that he could blame Brian for it. He understood if he wanted this meeting to be secret from the guy. "He's out of town. I'm watching the store for him while he's gone. Everything okay?"

Brian leaned back in his seat, finger tapping on the table's surface as Josh took a sip. "I got a call from Adam."

Fresh cold lager spewed from Josh's mouth like a squeezed can, Brian barely missing the mist. Josh fell into a coughing fit while Brian tried to clean up the mess with a napkin. "cough-Adam?" Another cough or two. "Our Adam? Adam Winslow?"

"Who else would I be talking about?" Brian asked, tossing a napkin to the side.

"When? Where? Is he in town? For god sakes man answer me..."

"Relax okay, I'm getting to that." Brian shook his head, never once having seen Josh get this excited. "He's been in town for some time, from what he told me. Just been laying low, keeping to himself. Got a loft over by the river, big place."

Josh sighed. "Not surprised. He always talked about getting one. But he's been gone for two years. Where's he been?"

"Everywhere from what he told me." Brian again looked around, like he was trying to find the proper words to say. "But that's not what he called me about."

"Then what was it?"

"He wanted to show me something. Something big; something… out of this world."

NNN

Writ groaned as he watched the school girl in pigtails bounce on the balls of her feet, her Reaper Gundam mounted on its Death Steed firmly held between her hands as she grinned evilly at him. He rolled his eyes, tucking his left hand into his pocket while the other rested on his GP Base. "You ready?"

"Ready to cut you up!"

The system powered on, the veils dropped in a dance of blue particles and the synthetic voice of the machine's OS announced the start of the match. Corbin, Zane, and Lala were to the side, watching one of the main monitors pop up with the fight, the scene showing a mountainous snow area. Harsh winds whipped in each direction kicking snow everywhere.

Kayley's gunpla touched down, Death Steed kicking up puffs of snow as it trotted around before stopping. The Reaper sat straight, scythe activated and held to the side. She waited as a dark spot in the distance quickly approached in a trail of red/orange particles. She watched the black Astraea touch down in the snow some meters away from her. She saw no long range rifle of any kind but that didn't mean it wasn't armed. The shield was gone as well. The only visible weapon she saw on the machine was the large sword it carried. It wasn't a standard weapon for a GN based machine either, nor like the one carried by the GNW-002 Gundam Throne Zwei or the Tactical Arms unit carried by the MBF-P03SecondL Gundam Astray Blue Frame Second L. It was as long as the gundam was tall, and half as thick with a double edge. The tip however was flat. If anything it looked like a slab of meal on a stick with a sharp edge to it. The Nemesis Astraea held it in a reverse grip in the right hand, the blade sinking into the snow. "So whatcha gonna do with that?" Kayley asked.

"You'll see," Writ said. The Nemesis Astraea hunkered low, left hand reaching for the grip, facing opposite of the right.

The Reaper tensed, scythe held a little higher. "That slab of metal got a name?"

Writ shrugged. "Don't really have a name for it. I just call it the Dragon Slayer."

"Its name won't mean anything in a minute!"

The Death Steed reared back, front legs kicking in the air. The second it came down, the horse and rider charged, beam scythe held out to the side. Bits quickly flew from under the cloak, charging ahead towards the Nemesis Astraea. The sword wielding gunpla turned hard, the sword dragged fiercely through the snow and into the air, kicking it up to blind Kayley's view. Her bits fired, punching through the cloud of snow but the Astraea was gone, having already skirted the outer edge and charging the Reaper from the side with the Dragon Slayer gripped in both hands in a proper fashion. Kayley turned her machines around, the underbelly beam cannon of her steed firing a single charged blast. Writ spun on a dime, the beam passing harmlessly. With the momentum of the spin, he brought the sword around, its reach giving him the stretch he needed. Kayley's machine just barely jumped out of the way, the sword coming within inches of her horse. With momentum and the weight of the sword pulling the Astraea around, Writ pushed forward, shoulder rushing the gunpla.

Kayley grinned, her Reaper leaping off the Death Steed with the scythe held over head to bring down on the Nemesis Astraea. But the GN based machine stepped back as it came down, the heat of the scythe instantly melting the snow. Steam poured out in the area only to part as a swarm of bits came chasing the Astraea. The large sword acted as a makeshift shield as the bits fired. Writ raised its free arm, firing from the wrist its GN vulcan in short bursts. Two bits were hit but the rest scattered.

The Death Steed charged as the Nemesis Astraea stopped, the gundam avoiding the horse's horn with snow kicking up from their feet. It was given a boot by the Nemesis, sending the horse over and onto its side. The Reaper again came down on high, but the scythe was blocked by the Dragon Slayer. With impressive strength the Nemesis pushed the Reaper back before it could even touch the ground, though the gundam had to skirt away with a burst of vulcan fire as the bits came at it once more. Another bit was destroyed but the rest managed to avoid the barrage.

Writ had to admit she was good for her age. Most would have a difficult time controlling two machines, let alone two machines and a murder of bits. Would that be an apt description of a grouping of bits? He thought, bringing the Dragon Slayer around to block another barrage of beam spamming from the bits. He kicked up a wall of fresh powder with his sword, the snow managing to bury one but the rest managed to punch through after another volley of beam spam.

NNN

Corbin's jaw dropped a little, watching Writ move the Nemesis Astraea about the snow. He watched each movement the machine made, and just couldn't think of how he was doing it. He was on par with Kayley's Reaper Gundam, managing to not only face off against the shrouded gunpla but also deal with the horse and bits with nothing but the arm mounted GN vulcans and the oversized sword he was using. He'd fought Writ and had been trained by him, but had yet to see him pushed. Even when he and Lala were working out the bugs in his build when he was rebuilding it from his fight with that stranger, they didn't look to be going at it like this.

"Wow, they're really going at it," Zane said, getting Corbin's attention. Zane's jaw had dropped a little, eyes following the flow of both machines as they battled it out in the frozen tundra. More bits were destroyed or buried in the snow, the Death Steed trying to jump in and impale the Nemesis Astraea but the black machine kept up its pace, shifting between it and its rider the Reaper. The large sword smacked the horse away before turning to its owner. He watched the scythe again be deflected by the large sword before Writ turned to deal with the horse once more. "The sword must have an anti-beam coating to it. That would explain how he can touch the thermal blade and it not cut through."

"Can you tell who's winning?" Corbin asked, turning back to the fight. The battle had shifted down hill, the two machines dueling it out with the Nemesis on the retreat and the Reaper and its Death Steed in chase. The Nemesis turned, sword held in defense like a shield as the steed charged. The last second the sword dipped, ramping the horse up and with a push from the black gundam, tossed the horse into the air, the animal machine whining as it flipped end over. His eyes widen when he saw the Reaper close in, scythe swinging horizontally to cleave the Nemesis in half as the sword was still held in high over head from the earlier toss. A boost from the Nemesis pushed forward into the Reaper, the pole half of the weapon striking just the shoulder. The weapon however was lost as the two tumbled in the snow.

"Really hard to tell," Zane admitted.

NNN

Nemesis Astraea stood, hand gripping the tattered cloak of the Reaper and pulled as it boosted back. The cloth was torn away, the machine beneath revealed as a modified XXX-01D2 Death Scythe Hell. The face of the machine wore a mask of a skull, the chest etched with a demonic face on it. Without the cloak it was fully revealed it wore two buster shields on its arms. The pincers of the shield opened, red beam blades igniting with the sound of breaking glass. The Nemesis released the torn cloak, letting it flutter away in the wind while it reached back, taking a GN saber in a reverse grip. It leveled the grip in front, red blade activating a second later with a low hum. Neither moved. The winds kicked up fiercely, the sun dipping in the horizon. The glow of the gunpla's optics and active beam weapons were the only lights to be seen in the frozen tundra.

"Chechecheche, this fight was better than I expected, but you're still going to get cut up," taunted Kayley, grin splitting from ear to ear. "This kind of fight are the ones I enjoy the most! Thinking you're on even ground, already planning your victory till I snatch it out from under you! Chechecheche!"

Writ gave no reply, simply focusing on the fight. The dying light only heightened the glow of their weapons, but the machines were slowly slipping into the encroaching darkness. Though he could see the blade, it was the movements on the machine which aided him in predicting the movements of his enemy. Most likely she was the same.

The tension broke when the Death Steed emerged from beneath the snow, most likely getting buried in the cold powder when it came back down from Writ's earlier tossing. He spun the Nemesis around, the saber's blade sinking deep into the neck of the machine. Kayley aimed her shields forward, the left launching off in a spiral from its vernier jets, shortly followed by the right. Seeing the two corkscrewing blades hurdling his way, Writ moved the horse in their path, kicking it's remains forward. Both struck, blades burrowing into its hide till the machine exploded, casting the growing darkness aside with the light of fire. The shields, tethered to lines running to the Reaper's arms, were pulled back and mounted, blades again ignited. With a battle cry, Kayley rushed forward with the blade ready to stab at the Nemesis. Writ blocked the left one with his own saber, but had to grapple hand to hand with the other to stop it from stabbing his machine. Having the momentum on it's side, Kayley managed to push the Nemesis back and fall towards the ground, but the boost of the Double-O series machine's GN Drive kept it from crashing into the snow. The knee came up into the stomach of the Reaper, a quick boost flipping the two over with the Nemesis launching the Reaper away.

Kayley growled, seeing the world tun over from her machine's view, but launched her shields again. "I'm not going to loose to you!"

She received no reply. Writ rolled his machine onto its feet in time to dodge one but the second came close. The pincer clipping the left arm, small shards of armor torn from the glancing blow. The Nemesis reached out, gripping the wire cable that linked it to the Reaper. Writ yanked hard, dragging the Reaper out of the air and down, plummeting into the tundra with a white cloud bellowing upward. When the Reaper was back on its feet, it was clutching the earlier discarded beam scythe. Kayley pulled on the line, but Writ held it firm. She recalled the remaining one back, cutting free the line Writ held. Tension lost, the Nemesis stumbled back, nearly loosing its footing. Just enough of a distraction for Kayley as her Reaper dashed forward, scythe held out for a cleaving strike. Writ barely had time to draw the second GN saber, both blades used to block the scythe, the blade coming dangerously close to its mid section. It was now a test of strength between the two, the Reaper pushing hard against the twin sabers of the Nemesis, red sparks of electricity dancing between the colliding blades.

Kayley cackled again, her blood pumping. She was thoroughly enjoying the fight. Her last fight left her a bit unfulfilled; like a bad aftertaste. The Dullahan woman was fun, but this was what she wanted. Corbin's little beating, though greatly satisfying, just wasn't enough. It would have been better had he used the Silver Frame Astray of his like he had back at the tournament, but beating a superior machine like the Astraea would be all the more sweeter.

Writ sighed, eyes closed for a second before saying, "Well, I'm done."

Kayley blinked. "What? Giving up? Throwing in the towel already?"

Writ shook his head. "Nah. 'Never give up on a good fight." He gave a small smile. "And this is a good one. It's just I came here to relax, have a few drinks and dance a little." His left hand turned the control orb to display sub commands. He looked over for a second, his fingers cycling through the options till he found the one he wanted and activated it. "So I'm gonna go ahead and end this quick."

Kayley was about to question him, but the Nemesis began to glow with its GN Drive putting out more and more particles, condensers growing brighter in color. Though it had a tint of red, due to its black paint job, the Nemesis Astraea began to change into a purple color. "No!" she shouted, knowing full well what was coming. In all the excitement she had forgotten that his machine may have been capable of Trans-AM. "You cheater! I won't let you win!" She pulled back from the Nemesis, bracing as the glowing gunpla stumbled forward. With a roar she pushed her machine to swing with everything it had only for the red blade to cut through a cloud of particles, a wall of white powder kicked up in the wake of the dodging Nemesis Astraea.

The glowing gunpla dashed through the snow, towering wall of powder trailing behind it. The Reaper's surviving bits chased after the machine, just barley keeping up with it. Writ fired back with the arm vulcans, procession shots blowing away the remaining bits before he turned back to his intended target. The Dragon Slayer was still embedded in the snow, handle aimed at the heavens. The minute he took hold, he snatched it out of the ground and turned back towards the Reaper. Its head vulcans fired, streaming around the swift movements of the Nemesis. Kayley gave another war cry, the verniers of her Reaper pushing her machine in a mad dash to meet the Nemesis Astraea halfway. She swung down at an angle, the blade coming down on the Astraea from the right. The gunpla slowed, dodging to its left with a spin as the scythe came inches away from it. It spun around the Reaper. Kayley watched her screens as her machine looked over the shoulder to see the Nemesis as it stopped, red optics brightening in anticipation for what was to come. The Dragon Slayer was already halfway through an overhead strike that would cleave any gunpla in half…

NNN

Josh sat his third beer down, a bowl of half eaten nachos to his left. He let everything Brian told him sink in. Coming from a second party, the details were still very clear. Adam had done something… extraordinary. But his companion didn't seem to believe it. He could see Brian waiting for a reply. Anything most likely at this point. "Do you believe it?" he asked, taking another nacho up.

Brian shook his head, leaning back in the booth. "No… at least I don't want to."

"Why?"

"Why would I want not to believe? Its crazy!" he nearly shouted but caught himself at the last second. "Jumping worlds? Interfering with the time line and lives of another universe?"

"Maybe it was more like TRON, and just ended up in a program or something."

"Are you taking any of this seriously?"

Josh huffed, hands resting on the surface of the table. "What do you want me to say? Yes its crazy." He drummed his fingers on the table. "But this is Adam. You really think after being gone for two years he'd pitch a bad fan-fiction like that to us? You said he originally intended it to be some new gunpla gimmick." He drummed his fingers again. "If I could talk with him..."

Brian shook his head. "No. He didn't want anyone knowing he was here. Not yet anyway. I promised to keep quiet so as not to spook him into running." He watched Josh nod, and let out a sigh. "He said he only needed a few days to get his 'ducks in a row' sort of speak. Probably wants to announce this whole world hopping thing to everyone."

"Or just to talk," Josh added, taking another bite of his nachos.

Brian nodded. "Or just to talk. You know that will involve Writ, right?"

Josh gave a groan, leaning back in his seat in the booth. "Yea. That's going to be an awkward atmosphere."

"How is Writ?"

Josh shrugged. "Still a bit cocky, but not as much as he used to be. Mellowed out some. Still parties nearly every weekend."

"He get himself a girlfriend that lasted more than a day?"

"Not yet but there is this girl, Lala, who hangs out with him all the time."

"How serious?"

Josh shrugged. "She's been hanging around with us for a year now. They seem close but I think Writ's a little dense on how she may feel."

Brian shook his head. "Figures. The one possible girl that may be more than a one night stand and he doesn't see it. Adam would have pointed it out by now."

Josh gave another shrug before finishing off his beer, sliding the empty bottle aside to the other two. "Figured I'd let him figure it out on his own. He'd be an idiot if he didn't notice it."

NNN

Corbin's eye twitched as he eyed Kayley at the opposite side of the table. The girl was sitting there with a milk shake, glaring at him from time to time while shooting a glare at Writ who sat casually next to her. Lala was just opposite, sipping on some colorful looking drink. You wouldn't peg her for something so… girly looking considering how she looked. Zane was off somewhere, some girl catching his eye after the battle and following her off the display area where they could chat in private. Writ had won the fight, his Dragon Slayer having cut Kayley's machine completely in half. Corbin thought it was the end of it, but she threw a fit and accused him of cheating, which Writ brushed off. To compensate he promised to send her a new gunpla in the mail, and would by her a milk shake. She demanded two; he agreed.

"Why are you staring at me?" Corbin asked, taking a sip of his coke.

Kayley continued to glare, sipping slowly on her straw. "You're training under him," she threw a thumb at Writ, who was watching the dance floor, "and you still suck?"

Corbin's eye twitched again. "Why are you still here? Don't you have a kitten to drown somewhere?"

Lala suppressed a laugh, taking a small sip of her drink. "Eh got ya there, lass."

"Think you should stick with just building, cause you suck."

Corbin growled. "This coming from the girl who got what was coming to her." His anger grew when she just shrugged.

"Win some, loose few."

Corbin said nothing and just sipped from his drink. Lala gave a soft smile. She moved over to his side of the booth, giving him a nudge with her shoulder. "Hey, ya did goo' fer a solo fight. Lasted longer than I though' ya would."

Corbin felt a little warmth come to his cheeks. "Thanks Lala. Still got Writ's Zeta wrecked though."

"That wasn't even your gunpla!?" Kayley shouted, standing up in her seat, hands firmly on the surface of the table. "You used someone else gunpla and still lost? How bad off are you?" She waved him off before he could reply, returning to her milk shake. "Whatever, probably suck at building too."

"Hey!" Corbin looked to Writ. "You're just going to sit there?"

Writ turned back to him, noticing all eyes except Kayley's were on him. "What? You letting her words get the better of you?" Writ waved it off, turning to look back at the crowd. "You shouldn't care what others say about your builds or your style. Its yours. You fought, you lost, move on." He looked back to his employee. "Its not the end of the world. You learn from it, build up from it, and get better."

Corbin opened his mouth to respond but nothing came. His mouth closed, eyes focused on the table as he let those words sink in while his hand unconsciously rested on his gunpla's carrying pouch. Doing so, he could almost feel the remains of the Zeta, the memory of his defeat coming back to him in every detail. Then his memory went to Lala and Writ's fight. He saw the large gap in experience between them and himself. Even Kayley, who was younger than himself had more skill. A prodigy in of herself but still, she knew how to use her machine's abilities and how to push her opponent. His shoulder sagged. There was still a lot he needed to learn.

The night ended some hours later after a bit of dancing and a few non-alcoholic drinks. Writ didn't trust anyone driving his car so elected not to have another beer and settled on water and coke. Lala though became blitzed by the time ten o'clock rolled around and had begun to unceremoniously flirt with Corbin and Writ, while trying to pick a fight a few girls in the crowd. Though Writ couldn't understand why she had an issue with them. They just wanted to dance, right? Kayley had long since disappeared when her older brother came and got her. She vowed to get even with Writ, the man in question still off dancing somewhere.

When all was said and don Zane was taken back to his hotel, scoring a girls phone number from the Underground. Writ carried Lala back to her room, tucking her in her bed and returned to his and Corbin's shared room, the boy staring at the remains of the Zeta in deep thought. Writ said nothing, leaving the boy to his thoughts as he went to bathroom. When the door was shut, he removed his shirt, grimacing slightly as he did. Being lack, his arm hid the slight red stain of blood on his left arm, so no one was wise about the wound. With the shirt off he could see it clearly now. A light cut, nothing to worry about. No stitches required. But still… "It happened again," he said, sighing as he took a wash cloth and placed it in the sink's running water. During the fight he felt that… connection happen again. Kayley was better than he had anticipated and in pushing his machine, he unintentionally made that link with his gunpla. "Assimilation," he whispered as his discussion with Ral came back to him. He couldn't deny the boost in his gunpla's abilities. Even with Trans-AM. But rotating his arm slightly, he wondered if it was worth the risk. What would have happened if he had lost? He grimaced at the thought of a real killing blow. Bu the scrape was light. Almost like a paper cut, but long enough for a good deal of blood to leak and stain his sleeve.

Washing the wound, he saw no other issue except a slight bruising around it. He left the bathroom, making sure Corbin didn't see the wound, and slipped on a clean shirt to sleep in. He told the young battler he was calling it a night and slipped into his bed, Corbin giving a quiet 'goodnight' while still examining his gunpla.

Corbin listened as Writ fell asleep, the man giving a light snore in a matter of minutes. Looking back at the hotel dresser, he saw the remains of the Zeta, and next to it stood the Bawoo Gundam. He stared at it for the longest before taking it up and his GP Base. The hotel had a battle system down in the lobby. He was going to need the practice if he was going to use the machine…

NNN

The Shining Gundam Goku Custom hit the canyon floor, rock breaking loose and collapsing down on the shattered gunpla. Though not totally burying the gunpla, Goku had a hard time climbing out of the rubble. His power pole was lost long ago in the fight, along with his gunpla's left arm. It moved to stand, only to fall to a knee as an actuator gave out, sparks and smoke coming from the wounded joint. He looked up, half the face of his machine damaged and an eye lens shattered. at the top of the canyon, seeing his opponents looking down on him. Their gunplas stood in the path of the sun, giving nothing but a shadowed silhouette. He had completely underestimated their fighting abilities, and it had cost him. That and being overly confident that he himself could win. He could help but smile though. It was a good fight. Better than most he had recently, even at Writ's shop.

One to the left was obviously a Nobel Gundam build, the shoulder rose to a point on either side. At it side it carried a single katana, the left hand resting on the end of the handle.

On the far right was XVB-XD Farsia. Oddly enough in its hands it carried a parasol, though on its rear weapon mount it carried one half of the gunpla style scissor sword.

Though those two had been on even ground with his custom Shining Gundam, Goku had the most difficulty fighting the one standing in the center. It hovered down between the two, legs folding out from beneath the long skirt armor. At its full height, it stood over the other two, hand resting on its hip and heels together; a OZ-15AGX Hydra Gundam. A bit of a rainbow glow came from its nearly swallowing the light of the sun behind it.

Goku grinned, his gunpla's remaining hand curling into a fist. He wasn't done quite yet. The remaining plate on his gunpla's face opened, the one good optic glowing brightly as his machine began to turn gold for the second time in this fight. With a roar, he boosted towards the group of three, his gunpla's fist writhing in green fire…

To Be Continued…

Wow. Took too long to get this out, but its done. Would like to thank Z-King for the use of their character, Kayley Desmond and her custom Reaper Gundam and also StoryLover213's Zane Morgan. These two will be featured later on when I get to the Destiny portion of my little series I've got going on. And with this out of the way I can focus on the next chapter of Eyes in Seed. If you haven't read it, its the main focus to this side story, featuring my other character Adam Winslow and where Brian made his first appearance. Its a Seed/GBF crossover if you haven't read it yet, though from the reviews and faves I'd say a good number of people have.

At the end of that chapter, I will be asking to see if anyone else would like their OC to make an appearance in my series of fics. I will be accepting only one, but do not start submitting character sheets till the fic is done. Please. I'll be looking for a male char to be added since I have a female with Kayley Desmond. Rules will be added as well so we don't have an overly powerful Mary/Gary Sue on our hands with an OP gunpla.

And though I'm commenting on it on this fic, I will be making comments on some of my reviewers to their remarks to my fellow fanfic writers. No one will be named, but I bet some of you can guess who it is I'm speaking to and or about.

I'm not the best writer out there. I've made mistakes in many areas. I was highly surprised my fic was accepted with high praise, and that it has inspired many others to do their own works. But I ask that you all please not beat down on my fellow writers. I've seen their works. Some I like, other not so much. Some of their own ideas give me ideas as well and they are brave enough to post their ideas with the risk of harsh criticism. My hat is off to you who are willing to take the punches. I've been asked for my own opinion about their works and I have given an honest answer, not in anyway to be harsh or biased but truthful. And I won't say I'm better than the others. I'm not. I will ask you all to be honest but not cruel. If you have a review to make to one's work, do not beat them down. Its their style and method of writing, let them do it. We writers aren't getting paid for this, we aren't winning grand prizes, we're all doing this for fun and to inspire and/or share ideas for/with others.

I'm not saying don't be honest with your reviews, just don't be doing it to be cruel and to hurt someone because you don't agree with what they write. That is all I ask.

Keep writing, and have fun. Share your ideas; share the worlds you create. Till next chapter…