Chapter 3: How Many Miles to the Battlefield? (Part 2)
Do you know how much work actually goes into transcribing episode dialogue and actions into text that's decently readable? It's quite a bit. It's a good thing that I have a real passion for Gundam, otherwise this would be unbearable. So really, it kinda balances out evenly. Anyways, enough of me talking to the void, let's get back to reading!
XXX
INTERMISSION CARD
"I wonder why those cards are there?" Jaune observed.
Ren hummed in thought a little. "That's probably where ad breaks would go."
"Oh right. Yeah, that makes sense." agreed Jaune.
"What's wrong, son?" Al's dad asks. "You're so quiet today… Is your mother well?"
Al is playing with his hat, while he sits at a cafeteria table with his father. "So-so…" he distantly replies.
"So-so?" Al's dad presses.
"Okay, I guess. The same as usual…" says Al.
"I see," Al's dad replies. "So, how're your tests? You had your Achievements on the 3rd, right?"
"So-so," blandly replies Al, still playing with his hat.
"What's the overall average?" his dad asks.
"C-"
"How about Math and science?"
"A- and B+…"
"That's right, you're pretty sharp at science. Oh yes, will you give this to your mother for me?" Al's dad then asks, sliding a letter envelope over to Al. "That's an important letter, son. Make sure you don't lose it."
Both Winter and Weiss shifted uncomfortably at the awkward family situation on screen. Even if Al's father wasn't as bad as their father, their family situation still left them with a fair bit of emotional scarring towards family issues.
"What's the matter, Specialist?" Ironwood asked, looking at Winter out of the corner of his eye.
"N-nothing. It just reminds me of something…" was Winter's vague reply.
On the other end of the row of audience seating, Roman was reminded of something else as well. "Yeah, those're probably divorce papers or something."
"Personal experience, right?" Yang jabbed at the thief.
"His divorces are as fast as the women he dates!" Neo's speech app said for her.
Roman threw his hands up in the air in exasperation. "What, is it the 'Shit on Roman Hour' now or something?"
His only response to that was snickering from Neo, Yang, and Blake.
Al nods and takes the letter. "Um, Daddy, maybe do me a favor?" he then inquires.
The scene transitions to Al getting off the city bus. As he walks back home, he buys a drink. After sipping it down, he crushes the cup in his hand.
Later still, he's walking down the sidewalk on his street, towards his house. There are dark clouds overhead, but Al pays them no mind. In fact, his vision is stuck to the ground. He doesn't notice the girl carrying a bunch of boxes until he's already bumped into her. He tumbles down to the ground with a few boxes.
"Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't see you. Are you alright? You're not hurt, are you?" the redheaded woman asks. Oh no, the end of your nose is turning all red. Hm? Al? Al, it is you! It's me, Christina Mackenzie, remember? You know, Chris!"
Al stares blankly at Chris.
Ruby squinted as she looked at Chris. "Huh, she reminds me of Pyrrha."
"Yeah, I can totally see that!" agreed Nora.
Now all eyes in the theater were focused on the gladiator celebrity. On her part, Pyrrha looked taken aback by the sudden attention placed on her.
"D-don't you think it's early to judge?" asked Pyrrha.
"I dunno, I can see it too." Jaune explained. "She's got your hair color and has the same nice voice."
Jaune blushed as the last part of that sentence left his mouth, and Pyrrha blushed at the implications of what her team leader said. Roman couldn't help himself and began to make mocking kissing noises at Jaune and Pyrrha.
"Shut up!" Jaune and Pyrrha both yelled at Roman.
"You don't remember me?" Chris says.
"No, I remember! It's Chris! You went to Earth! When did you get back, I haven't seen you in a long time!" exclaims Al, his memory returning to him.
"This afternoon. I was just carrying my stuff back into my room… Huh?" Chris' explanation is cut off by rain starting to sprinkle. "Oh no, everything's getting wet!"
Getting to his feet, Al springs to action. "I'll help you!"
"The stuff in the car? Get the bag on the side and the papers too!"
"Okay!" Al replies, before running over to the car. Grabbing the items, he meets up with Chris.
"C'mon!" urges Chris, leading the both of them inside from the rain.
Later, inside the house, Chris helps dry Al off with a towel. Soft classical music is playing in the background.
"Wait, they're on a space station colony. How is it raining?" Yang asked.
"Probably giant sprinklers or something." Jaune answered.
"A government job?" Al parrots (for the audience's sake).
"I got sent here on very short notice. It's been really crazy. Mom had to take care of the red tape. Thank God!" Chris explains. Before she can talk more, she's cut off by Al sneezing. "Just a sec." she says, walking over to the other room.
On her bed is her suitcase. Opening it up, she rummages through it. She takes out her neatly-folded Federation uniform, and pulls out a shirt for Al to borrow while his shirt dries.
"Ah, she's a soldier too," Ironwood noticed. "Hopefully she's much better trained than her colleagues."
"Mom's not here and I don't know where dad's clothes are. This'll just have to do!" Chris says, walking back over to Al. Handing him the shirt, she then walks towards the kitchen. "Al, do you like milk in your tea?" she asks.
"Yeah, that sounds great! Thanks!" Al answers, now wearing the pink shirt.
Chris comes back with the tea set. She pours a small amount of milk into Al's teacup. "Here you go!" she chirps. "You just tell me if it needs more sugar, okay?"
The pair picks up their teacups and takes a sip.
Al comments, "It's perfect!"
Chris simply smiles as she takes another sip of her tea.
Later, back at Al's house, he is sitting at the dinner table in his kitchen.
"Al, if you're going to be late, you should always tell me!" Al's mother chides. "I was worried you might have gotten into an accident or something."
Al doesn't pay attention to that comment. Instead, he looks at the casserole his mother has placed in front of him. "Okay, down the hatch." he comments, digging into the food with a spoon.
"So, you saw your father today?" Al's mother asks. Al simply nods in response. "I see."
At that prompting, Al remembers something. "Oh yeah, he gave me that envelope. He said to give it to you. It's a letter, I guess…"
Al's mom takes the letter and looks at the front of it. She looks briefly worried before putting it down and looking out the window. She and Al sit there in silence, with Al still eating his casserole.
"I'm calling it, divorce papers!" Roman smugly asserted.
"Nobody cares, Roman," was Blake's curt response.
"I'm finished, mom." Al announces after a minute or so.
"You hardly ate anything!" his mom protests.
"I ate with Dad at the space port, so that's why I'm not hungry now." Replies Al, getting out of his chair and waking away from the table.
"If you get hungry later on, don't complain about it." his mother says after him.
Al has now retreated to his room to play some video games. Turning on the monitor on his wall, he turns down the volume so his mother won't hear him. Once the game starts up, he aims a Super Scope knock-off at the screen, and starts blowing away giant monsters in a level based on a town. Before a knock comes at the door, Al destroys a hospital in the video game by accident.
"I'm sure that isn't foreshadowing in any way." Blake sarcastically remarked.
"What kind of game is that, anyway?" Ruby asked, completely ignoring what Blake said. "It doesn't use holographic Scroll controls or anything! It's a game for babies!"
"Nah, it's probably just retro." said Jaune. "You just can't beat retro gaming's lasting power."
"Al?" Al's mother asks from the other side of his door.
"What?" Al asks back, clearly annoyed. "Just a sec, I'll unlock it." Making sure to turn off the screen, Al gets up from his desk chair and opens the door for his waiting mom.
"Now, let's see. You have Phys-Ed tomorrow, right? Put that in your bag tonight before you forget it, okay?" she says, handing Al a gym shirt.
"Yes, mom." Al tiredly consents.
"And go straight to bed when you finish your homework." Al's mom adds.
"Yes, mom." Al flatly says again.
"And don't 'Yes, mom' me like that!" his mom says, peeved at him. Luckily for Al, she decides to leave and close the door behind her.
Al looks visibly depressed, still standing near the door. "Yes, mom," he repeats, still in the same tone of voice. Al tosses his gym shirt to the floor.
"Yes, mom…" Al says again, sounding more sarcastic. He turns the screen back on and resumes his game.
"Yes, mom… Yes, mom… Yes, mom…" he keeps on repeating, shooting all the buildings on the screen. He isn't even aiming for the giant monsters anymore. He keeps on repeating that phrase to himself, even after the game over screen is up. Al has destroyed every building in the game's fake town.
"You should really value your mom while you can, Al…" Ruby said somberly.
"Kid's got a school shooter in him yet!" Roman cackled. Once again, that got him a collection of bad looks from everyone but Neo.
The next morning, Al is woken up by his beeping alarm clock. Turning it off, he crawls out from under the bed sheets. Al walks over to the window facing Chris' house and opens it, looking outside. Then, reaching over to his desk, he grabs his camera and starts filming Chris, who is also looking out her window.
Chris then notices Al filming her and smiles. She makes a finger gun at him. "Bang! Hey there, Mr. Candid Cameraman! How're you feeling this morning!" she calls out to Al.
Al sets down his camera and leans against his windowsill. "Pretty good!" he replies.
Soon enough, the pair of Christina and Alfred are walking down the sidewalk, chatting.
"Is school really that boring?" asks Chris.
"It sucks!" Al emphatically exclaims. "My homeroom teacher's the worst! She gives us boring homework, and makes me stand in the corner in front of everybody!"
"I know, right?!" Nora exclaimed. Ren let out a weathered sigh at her outburst.
"So do you have to do that a lot?" goes Chris, playing along.
"Only once in a while. The food stinks, and so does cleaning the toilets! And there's this girl I really can't stand, and now I have to go there for a while other year!" bemoans Al more.
"There's always junior high and high school," offers Chris.
"Yeah, and who knows how that's gonna be like!" Al moans. After walking a bit more with Chris, Al starts running off, not wanting to be late to school. "See ya, Chris!"
Making his way towards his school, Al meets up with Chay and Telcott. Now hanging out in front of the school, Al begins to tell his friends how his attempt to get a picture of a mobile suit went.
"I asked my dad, and he let me in no problem. But yesterday they weren't any Fed ships, just a bunch of commercial ships." Al reports.
"Yeah, all you got were shots of this dumb container." Chay says, looking at Al's camera. "Looks like I get to keep my rank badge."
Al is handed back his camera as he gloomily sighs "Oh well…"
"You really want a badge that bad?"
Al looks up to see Dorothy standing near him, holding several different Federation rank badges. "Corporal, Rear Admiral, Fleet Admiral, Petty Officer, Department Head. The toy store is selling them for one dollar each." Dorothy says holding a string of badges. "You guys really are stupid. I told you it was a bunch of junk!"
"I get the feeling 'Department Head' isn't an actual military rank," Blake commented.
"As far as I'm aware, it isn't," agreed Winter.
General Ironwood made a mental note to not mention all the people with the Department Head rank currently working on Atlas' secret black projects. Not only would it be spilling national secrets, but even he agreed that it didn't sound like an actual rank.
"Shut up!" Chay yells, standing up.
"Why should I?" Dorothy retorts.
Before the schoolyard fight can escalate any further, an explosion thunders in the distance. A fight of a different kind is starting. The students all gasp in shock and horror as a large cloud of smoke rises not too far from the school.
Al stares alongside his classmates. Then, he notices something over to his side. "Over there! A Federation mobile suit!"
His friends and Dorothy look in the direction Al is pointing in. A GM mobile suit is walking past a few buildings, before aiming its rifle at something behind the group.
"It's Zeon!" Dorothy exclaims.
At that moment, a Zeon Zaku II comes down from the sky firing its gun at the GM. The shots land, and the GM collapses on top of a building with a loud crushing noise. In the city proper some distance away, fires rage as Zeon and Federation forces face each other in open combat.
Ironwood shook his head. "It must be a surprise attack. It's shameful how they're fighting in the middle of fleeing civilians."
"If they're in a space colony, I have no idea where they would even flee to. It's a closed ecosphere." Winter added.
"Zeon must be playing dirty…" Blake said with a measure of distaste.
Pyrrha agreed. "It's despicable."
"I hope they get out safe…" Ruby whispered, concerned.
A Zaku fires at a GM while moving backwards down a street, crushing several cars in its footsteps. The Zaku's partner, a Rick Dom mobile suit, launches a rocket at the GM, but misses. The GM comes out of cover from behind a building, but is then shot by the Zaku. The downed GM falls to the street, crushing people underneath it.
Meanwhile, another Zaku II is making its way down the city's canal. Once reaching a corner next a refinery, it comes under fire from another GM unit. Although the fire forces the Zaku to back off, a stray shot hits a fuel tank. Both of the mobile suits get caught in the explosion.
By now, Al and his friends have made their way to the top of the school to catch a view of the battle. They arrived in time to see the explosion caused by the gas tanks.
"Way cool!" Chay exclaims.
"This is better than fireworks!" adds Telcott.
"Run, you idiots!" cried a frustrated Weiss, waving her arm at the screen.
"Let it happen, Schnee. It's just natural selection at work!" Roman said with a grin.
"Ugh, is there anything not awful that comes out of your mouth?" complained Blake.
Roman got an even smugger expression on his face. "Come closer if you want to find out, kitty cat."
"Fighting will not be tolerated here," came the voice out of nowhere. "Unless you wish to face the consequences."
Roman shrugged. "Fine, fine. She's not worth it, anyway."
"Go die in a fire, Roman..." Blake hissed.
Looking off to the side, Chay notices another Zaku II. "Another one's coming down," he notes. Al makes sure to aim his camera at the Zaku and start filming.
"A Zaku! It's hit!" Al exclaims, looking through his viewfinder.
"It's coming towards us!" Telcott yells.
Fortunately for the group, the Zaku manages to make a clear landing on its feet, touching the schoolyard right in front of the boys. Then, activating its thrusters, the Zaku propels itself over the school, giving Al a great, (if somewhat too close) look at the Zaku. Naturally, he's amazed at the sight of it all.
"It's going down!" observes Chay.
Indeed, the Zaku has disengaged its main thrusters, and now is firing them in short bursts. It starts to make a slow arc towards the ground.
"Hey guys, I think it's heading west!" Telcott notes.
"Looks like it's heading straight for the forest park…" Chay mutters. All of the sudden, Al starts running towards the roof's exit. Chay barely manages to whip his head around in time. "Hey Al, what gives?"
"Are you cutting class?" Telcott asks after him.
"Idiot. This is an idiot child." Weiss grumbled.
"I mean, I kinda get it," Ruby said. "I wouldn't be able to help myself either if I got to see one of those up close!"
Weiss let out a sigh. "Of course…"
Al doesn't reply to his friends. Instead, he runs down the stairwell, still clutching his camera in his hands. Once Al gets outside again, he runs after the Zaku, still descending from the height it reached. Al doesn't pay attention to the rubble he runs past, instead focusing his full attention on the damaged Zaku II.
Eventually, Al makes it to the forest outside of the town where the Zaku crashed. It doesn't take him long to find the Zaku among the trees. It crashed near the side of the road, down a steep sloping hill.
Al makes his way down the hill (tripping and sliding part of the way down it). He finds himself at the foot of the unmoving Zaku. As he stares at one of its feet, he can't help but reach out and touch it. He reels away his hand in pain from the heat. "It's still hot…" Al mentions to himself.
"I wonder what's powering those things…" Ironwood thought out loud. "Maybe something similar to our Colossus series? Minus the Dust, of course."
"Whatever it is, it probably isn't ablating heat well." Winter observed.
"Bah, I wish I had a notebook right now! I need to write all this down!" Ruby cried loudly in annoyance.
"Well, maybe if you remember this weird dream, you can write it down when you wake up?" Yang then suggested.
Ruby nodded enthusiastically. "Ohh, good idea!"
Smiling, Al looks through the viewfinder of his camera and starts recording. As he walks around the Zaku, he gets in-between the legs to get a clear view of the cockpit area on the Zaku's chest. As he pans across the Zaku, he notices that the cockpit hatch is open.
Al keeps on filming as he pans to the Zaku's other leg. Then, he notices somebody standing on the fallen Zaku's knee.
It's a young, blonde man wearing a Zeon pilot uniform. And, as Al zooms in on him, he notices that the pilot is pointing his pistol at him.
The pilot and Al stare at each other with tension filling the air, until the shot fades to black, leaving the episode on a cliffhanger as the credits start to roll.
The ceiling lights brightened back up, allowing everyone to see each other better again. Everyone took that as a sign to turn and face one another.
"You know, that was a pretty solid episode," said Jaune. "I mean, sure it's a lot to take in, but I'm interested by it all. Even if we have giant robots in the army, we don't really get to see any of them fight like that."
"I'm not sold," Weiss said, folding her arms across her chest. "That main character kid is a moron. He's completely going against common sense!"
"He's just a kid, he doesn't know any better." Pyrrha offered in Al's defense.
"I can't say I'm buying this yet either," Winter agreed with Weiss. "That child is simply too reckless. It's going to get him killed."
Ruby looked rather concerned at Winter saying that. "B-but we wouldn't be taken here just to see some child death thing, right? Right?"
"Bah, I'm sure he'll be fine!" Nora exclaimed, beaming. "I've done worse, and I'm still fine!"
"I'm afraid all those times taught you the wrong lessons…" Ren said under his breath. Then, speaking up, he added, "In any case, I hope Alfred learns to be more careful. This is only the first episode, so I'm sure there will be some character development along the way."
Blake nodded. "Yeah, that's a fair point."
"I'm down to see some child murder." Neo's scroll said.
Everyone gave the short girl disgusted and disturbed looks. Even Roman gave Neo an eyebrow at that statement. "Yeah, I'm not even touching that one."
"You have no room to talk, Roman!" Ruby snarled.
Roman frowned. "Hey, there's a difference between smacking around a bunch of brats with guns and just killing a kid because someone feels like it. I do a lot of stuff for my job, but I don't get off on it… too much."
"I'd hardly call stealing government property a job." Ironwood sneered at the thief.
"You're right, I guess you can say that it's more like my calling." Roman said in return.
As soon as Roman said that, the voice popped up once more. "Again, I should remind you all that fighting is not permitted here. Watch where your conversation is going."
Roman completely brushed off the voice's warnings. "Yeah, whatever. Hey, mysterious voice, how long are we going to be here, anyway? I'd rather not spend the entire night watching a whole season of something."
"This series is six episodes long." replied the voice.
"Oh, well that isn't too bad…" Pyrrha said.
"And if none of you mind, we will be airing the next episode shortly."
"The sooner we finish watching these, the better." Winter grumbled. "Just keep them rolling back to back."
"That was the plan regardless."
At those words, the lights dimmed again, as the screen lit up to start the next episode.
XXX
And there you have it, the first episode of Gundam 0080 is done! I hope you're liking the commentary the characters are doing so far. It's a good thing I'm working with a good-sized audience here. Still, you know how writers are, they're never fully satisfied. So, if you want to say something about this story, just drop a review and I'll be sure to at least read it.
This has been The Draigg, and I'm signing off for now!
