Author's Note: Props to ShadowMajin, the guy I go to whenever fighting scenes come up. The guy's a genius when it comes to fight scenes, honestly. Without him, I wouldn't have been able to improve on this fight or any of the fights you've seen in The Maxwell Project. Read his stuff and you'll know what I mean. Enjoy.
Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing.
Nataku vs. Nightshade
The familiar sight of space meant nothing to the Chinese warrior as he piloted his pilfered shuttle through the endless black void, the stars his only companion.
Wufei ignored the encompassing sight, bad memories being the only thing that inhabited this expanse. It didn't help matters that he had witnessed his home Colony, L5, self-destruct before his very eyes while he fought in space nor was it a comfort to know that his young fiancé, Meiran, had also died in it.
Space held nothing but death for him. It was something he tried to avoid whenever possible but being a Preventer, it was practically required that he return to it. So he had to develop a more pragmatic view of it. It was out of necessity that he do so else he would be like those ruined by this void.
The moon though…despite not having too many fond memories of it, it was more of a comforting sight than anything. It was large, stoic, like he was, just traveling in an orbit for all time, never straying from its predetermined path. It was solid, a place for peace that he could look at and feel calm.
Strangely enough, during the past couple years, the moon had gained its own orbiting companion, a small meteorite to be precise. The small chunk of space rock was barely visible to the naked eye compared to the moon itself and Wufei couldn't help but see it as an omen. Was there someone out there, destined to become his own companion?
There it was.
It was by chance that light reflected off a metal surface but that was all Wufei needed to know where he was. He was approaching the debris field, the rendezvous point for his meeting with Quentin.
Taking complete control of the shuttle, he began to guide it into the field, careful not to get into close contact with any of the metallic debris. It was like threading the needle, there was so much of the floating metal. Just another aftereffect of war.
His onyx eyes scanned the field for any sign of Quentin. He would most likely be in his own shuttle, he supposed. It made the most sense of anything. But where was the man hiding? Was he really that afraid of being followed?
Wait…what was that? Focusing, he managed to spy out a white shape and it didn't take long for the pilot to figure out that it was his contact. Now to open up communication with him.
A-agent Chang? a voice asked on his com link. Wufei recognized it as Quentin.
"Yes it is, Quentin," he responded, maneuvering his shuttle so that he began to make his way towards the other.
Thank God! Hurry, I don't know if I was—
An explosion suddenly shook the other shuttle and Wufei could only watch in horror as his contact was blown up, Quentin's scream emitting from his com link.
What had just happened?
His eyes caught some movement from the debris. Someone or something else was here. There was no time to sit here and figure out what it was. Moving quickly out of his seat, he ran to the loading dock of his shuttle, racing to get into his Gundam's cockpit before it was too late. It was a close one as he had just shut the cockpit when he was shaken violently. He supposed that his transport had been destroyed but he needed to activate Nataku immediately and prepare for battle.
---
Serbiak couldn't help but crow in triumph as the second shuttle, which more than likely held the Gundam pilot he was suppose to kill, was destroyed.
He had done it; he had succeeded where so many had failed before. He had just killed a Gundam pilot! A Gundam pilot! Oh happy day!
Wait, what was that? Serbiak's celebratory mood fell into ash as the shape of…something began to emerge from the wreckage of the destroyed shuttle.
No way…that was impossible! Was that…a Gundam?! Serbiak's shock soon dissolved into anticipation. Perhaps this wouldn't be such a boring task after all. If this was truly a Gundam pilot like he had been told, then this was his chance to prove his skills and prowess against one of the greatest Mobile Suit pilots to have ever lived. This was too good to be true. Now which one was it? If his memory served him correctly, that was 05, pilot of the Shenlong Gundam or was it the Altron Gundam? Regardless, he'd take it out nonetheless.
As the flames cleared and enabled Wufei to see better, he searched for any trace of his enemy. He was out there, somewhere, just waiting to strike. He gripped onto the controls tightly as he put his radar up to maximum detection.
Turning on his com link, he shouted, "That was a disgraceful attack! Show yourself coward!"
No sooner had he done that when he caught movement again. The enemy was firing at him. Old instincts returned and he managed to get his precious Nataku out of the way before he could be hit, turning on his thrusters to max power. But his reaction time wasn't as fast as it was at the end of the wars. Bullets rang up alongside Nataku's side but not able to penetrate through the tough gundanium exterior but it did tell Wufei something. He was rusty, damn it!
And then his enemy made his appearance. Could that thing even be called a Mobile Suit? Was that the rouge Gundam? Yeah, that had to be it. The Suit's face was distinctive, just like the Gundams and the Epyon.
This was his enemy.
Serbiak crowed as he fired again at the Gundam. Adrenaline rushed through his body as he followed after the fleeing Gundam. This was just too easy! The other guy wasn't giving him a good fight at all! How pathetic.
"A coward am I? Well, I got you now, you piece of shit," he murmured, launching a homing missile at the Altron.
"Damn it!" Wufei swore as he was hit, Nataku shaking from the impact. In retaliation, he shot his Nataku's specialized fire at the enemy, the flames engulfing it.
"Nice move," Serbiak commented as Nightshade emerged from the flames unhindered, the man not flinching away from the inferno, "but not good enough you little worm. Lets see you try this!"
From the sides of the Nightshade's head, two thin red lasers shot out. Wufei quickly raised Nataku's visible shield to block only to find to his horror that the laser pierced right through it. The resulting explosion from the left arm did not help matters whatsoever.
"Got ya!" Serbiak cheered over Wufei's shout of surprise. "Man you are making this too easy! You don't even deserve to pilot that magnificent machine! Now die you pathetic maggot! DIE!"
The gun turret began to fire and once again Wufei began to dodge, using the surrounding debris as temporary shields against the barrage. He jerked to the left behind a floating sheet of metal and then shot straight up towards the remains of a Mobile Suit torso. As the Nightshade's fire drew hear, the Altron escaped from its cover and shot a blast of fire at the enemy suit only for it to be dodged and a volley of missiles fired in return. But soon his movements began to get more fluid, more graceful as he dodged and evaded the detonated explosions from the missiles, coming out unscathed from the attack and beginning to hone in on the Nightshade's position. It was like riding a bike all over again. The enemy's movements seemed to become slower if anything and the Chinese pilot could see every motion that the rouge Gundam made.
It was so obvious now.
He wasn't caught off guard as another barrage of missiles was launched and he dodged these all without a hitch, his movements like art in its purest form.
It really was all coming back to him now.
Taking out Nataku's staff, he activated the green glowing trident that was entirely made of energy and began a rush at the enemy. Nightshade was changing its aim but its fire was unable to skim the more agile Gundam piloted by a more experienced pilot. Wufei focused everything, his attention, his mind, his focus, with one goal in hand: get face to face with this Gundam.
Serbiak's frustration was beginning to mount as he continued to miss. He was doing so well beforehand and now he couldn't land a hit! Sure, it was a bit welcomed in the beginning since he was in the mood for a challenge but this was becoming ridiculous!
Wufei could only smirk to himself. The pilot, whoever he was, was depending too much on his long range attacks. He dodged the Gundanium piercing lasers and was now face to face with the enemy. Focusing his Gundam's power into a single attack, he slashed, cutting the gun turret in half, stopping the gunfire.
Serbiak grimaced. "Not bad," he began but was cut off as the Altron struck again, the unlit end of his staff slamming into the Nightshade's face. "You bastard!" he snarled as he swung the jagged end of what was left of his gun turret at the Altron.
Wufei dodged it easily, speaking only a single word. "Pathetic."
Serbiak growled. "I'll show you, you little shit!" He pulled out Nightshade's saber and blasted the thrusters to rush the other Gundam.
Wufei would have been impressed by such a move except for one thing. It was so sloppy. It was so utterly predictable that he didn't even have to brace himself as he intercepted the strike, his trident easily blocking the saber.
"Is that it?" Wufei taunted as he pushed the Nightshade back but didn't attack.
"You think you're so great don't you?" Serbiak snarled. "I'll show you I'M a better pilot than you or your friends are or ever will be so DIE!"
Once again, Wufei blocked the attack but he noticed the small glow from the Nightshades's head. Eyes narrowing, he struck first before he found out the hard way what the glow was. Swinging his damaged shield arm, the shield slammed into the right side of the enemy's head, causing the head to tilt enough so that when the laser shot out it missed him completely. A small explosion burst from the right side of the head though, Serbiak crying out as he was shook inside the cockpit.
Not willing to give up so soon, he began swinging his saber, consistently attacking the Altron but each attack was blocked or parried much to the mercenary's aggravation. Wufei could read Serbiak's every move by now and this fight was beginning to become a futile exercise.
With a twist of his staff, he knocked the saber out of Nightshade's hand and plunged the staff straight into the right arm. Serbiak cried out with the resulting explosion from his right side. Taking advantage of this, Wufei kicked Nataku's leg out, forcing Nightshade away into some debris.
It was over. Wufei knew it in his gut, even as he begun to ready another blast of fire. This was much easier than he thought it would be.
But then there was a flash of light and an explosion erupting right next to him. Caught completely off guard, Wufei had to move back and take whatever cover was available to him, cutting off his fire attack preemptively. Meanwhile, Serbiak was debating what to do. He wanted so very much to attack the Altron, despite the shape that the Nightshade was in. He wanted so badly to take the Altron down, doing whatever it took, even if he had to self-destruct to do so.
He was brought out of his thoughts by a youthful voice that snarled at him, "Get your ass back to the ship Serbiak!"
Snapping back completely to reality, he looked for where the voice came from before finding the com link. "I can take him!" he snapped into the link. "Let me do this my way, boy. Don't think I won't use Nightshade on your ass!"
"Xavien left instructions that if you got out of control, you were to be killed," the voice countered. "Get back to the ship. I don't want to have to explain why I had to destroy the Nightshade so do it!"
Snarling, he glanced around once, searching for the hiding Gundam before flicking on the thrusters and retreating.
---
It was quiet now yet Wufei still remained where he was, searching for his unexpected attacker and waiting for the rouge Gundam to strike. But neither came. Were they gone?
Finally, willing himself to move, he checked for the presence of anything that might be out there only to find nothing. So it was over but who was it that attacked? There was something else going on, he was sure of it. Why would that rouge Gundam be involved if he was just meeting someone who could have given him information on the whereabouts of Relena Peacecraft? This was no mere coincidence, of that he was certain.
Now, though, he had to return. He shuddered at the thought. Une was not going to be pleased with him. Maybe he should have let himself be destroyed by his attackers. Death seemed to be a better fate than what was waiting for him back at the office.