A/N: Hey there! Been a bit since I've updated, but what can you do? Wait… don't answer that. Anyways, Here's another chapter! By the way, this is going to be a rather dark chapter. If that upsets anyone (which I doubt it will), then bug off.

            Sora: Glad you liked the last chapter. I also fixed the problem with Block paragraphing- I'm such a dope. I think you'll like this one, especially seeing as how you're my only reviewer. That seems to happen a lot to my stories. Ah, well, what good is it to mope? Next Chapter!

Disclaimer: See last chapter.

            Alex looked around the dark little Russian café, sipping a mug of coffee. He and the Neo Japan team had parted: they had left to fight Neo China's Sai Saici, another Alliance member, while he had taken off to Neo Russia. The Bolt Gundam, piloted by former space pirate Argo Gulskii, was supposed to be a relatively tough opponent. In terms of sheer strength, it surpassed all others: the only one that beat it was the former Neo Canada representative, Andrew Graham and his Lumber Gundam. However, he had been put out of the Gundam fights by Allenby Beardsley, the young woman he was beginning to take interest in. That was during the 13th Gundam Fight, in which Prime Minister Wong had taken over the Devil Gundam and used it for his own ambitions. Alex sighed. He just hoped that what was going on with his country wouldn't end up like that…

            Setting down his cup, he left some cash on the table for the waitress to pick up. Walking out the door, the young man pulled his coat around him. Winters here weren't very pleasant. Especially since they lasted for… how many months?

            He set off, anxious. As much as he would enjoy taking on the fighter of Neo Russia, he had a mission, and he had to accomplish it. Quickly.

            Moving off into the forest near the small town he was in, he walked towards a hidden area. In it, the Wolverine Gundam kneeled, ready to defeat anything. The claws on its arm gleamed in the moonlight, and the axe that was held on it's back shone a brilliant silver. Climbing into the cockpit, he activated the mobile trace suit, and prepared to go head on with the Bolt Gundam…

            "Take this, Neo Russia!"

            Neo Poland's Warsaw Gundam lunged at the heavyset Bolt Gundam. Swinging his fist, pilot Jacek Wo'jcicki prepared to slam his heavy shield into the shorter Gundam's face. But at the last minute, the Graviton Hammer came flying up into his stomach. With little more than an "oof", the Warsaw Gundam went flying backwards into some trees. Jacek groaned as he got to his feet. Glaring at the heavy-set Gundam in front of him, he leapt up into the air and threw his beam javelin at the Russian, while firing his vulcans at the same time. The Graviton Hammer knocked the javelin out of the way, but it couldn't deflect the Vulcan fire. Dropping to the ground again, Jacek reached behind his back and pulled out the compact beam rifle stored there. Whipping it up, he took aim, only to have himself thrown back again as the ground around him rose up in huge spikes, impaling the dark blue armor of his Gundam. Jumping clear, he looked up…

            Only to have the head of his Gundam connect with the Graviton hammer. Smashing one side of the face inward, it knocked the Polish fighter back onto the spikes of ground. The shield and rifle went flying in two different directions, as the Warsaw Gundam lay there. Battered and bruised inside the cockpit, Jacek grinned slightly. At least his Gundam's head wasn't off… That was one good thing. Without any other thoughts, he promptly blacked out.

            Argo Gulskii looked down at the wrecked Gundam in front of him. His first match had gone exactly as planned. A small screen appeared in his cockpit, revealing a woman with piercing eyes and green hair. She smiled at the huge man, and began to speak.

            "Good job, Argo. Maybe this year, Neo Russia will be able to take the name of Gundam of Gundams. But don't get out of your suit, it seems that another Gundam is headed this way. ETA is ten minutes, enough for you to rest."

            Argo gave one of his rare smiles. His wife, Nastashia, was the one who was in command, 24/7. Always straight to the point, she had been Argo's caretaker during the last tournament. With a bomb strapped to his chest, Argo could only do what she said. But as the tournament moved on, she had become more and more lenient, until she finally took off the cuffs on his hand permanently. She had also removed the bomb on his chest, allowing him to fight the Devil Colony on his own. Soon after, he had proposed to her, and she accepted.

            Still, he was cautious to listen to her, as she still carried her old crop around- and still using it sometimes on disobedient members of the Neo Russia crew. Argo closed his eyes, and sat down. Something was happening this time, below the surface of this tournament. He was sure of it. And it would affect all of them, just like before…

            Alex activated the Wolverine Gundam's boosters, and with a burst of speed, took off into the air. He was about halfway there, when suddenly, he began to get a strange feeling. It was like being pressed down, pushed lower, onto the trees. He landed with a crash, and fell to his knees, breathing heavily. He couldn't understand what was going on. Suddenly, the ground began to shake. Gasping for air, Alex grabbed at his Mobile Trace Suit. It was getting tighter, constricting him, cutting off the oxygen. He looked up, to find a crack had opened in the ground. Out of it rose a nightmare. "No…."

            The monsterous Gundam was enourmous. It's hands alone were the size of the Wolverine's forearms, tipped with deadly claws. Weapons, from machine guns, to missile launchers, to spears and other weapons of various sizes protruded from all over it's body. Dragon-like wings were curling around it's back, and the face had  two horn-like protrusions coming from it's cheeks. The entire thing was a deep red, the color of blood. Looking down at it's helpless victim, it raised a hand and prepared to strike at the Wolverine Gundam. Alex looked up. He had begun to black out from the amount of oxygen that was being cut off from his head, but saw the huge arm raise up. A low, guttural voice came over his communicater. "It all ends here, my friend. You will never be able to stop me."

            Bowing his head, Alex prepared to die. The arm swung forward-

            Only to be stopped by the chain of the Bolt Gundam's Graviton Hammer. The Russian Gundam fell to the earth with a thud, and punched it's fist into the ground. Like before, the Sakaretsu Gaia Crusher launched multiple spikes of ground at the hellish form. As Alex was about to pass out, he saw the mystery Gundam take off, and disappear into the night sky. Then the blackness overtook him….