Disclaimer: I do not own Love Hina. Tokyo Pop and Ken Akamatsu do. I also do not own Gundam, Bandai does.
WARNING: Bloody violence and some choice words inside. Reader discretion is advised.
GUNDAM HINA
Chapter 2- 1st Blood
Su leans over and begins to flip some switches in the control panel. The sounds of some large spot lights can be heard turning on behind them. They all turn around and see something that takes all, but Su's, breath away.
What they see is a grayish white monstrosity with a dark blue torso with a red stripe going down each side, and a golden horn like feature in its head. The bottoms of its feet are red and its right forearm is also a dark blue and is slightly larger than its left forearm. Both its hands are standard metallic gray. But there also appears to be other places on the body that is showing its innards.
"Su….is…is…is that……a mobile suit!" asks Kietaro with amazement in his voice. "Yes. This is the RX-78-H-(dash)2 Gundam. Or for short the 'Hinata Gundam.' This is what the Earth Federation had me working on." answers Su.
"You built this thing all by yourself?" asks Naru. "No I had a staff of about 50 other people helping me build this. All of them are from my home country. This was one of our days off and they had left to go celebrate one of the staff member's birthdays at the tea house, but I haven't heard a word from any of them. I wonder what's keeping them?" asks Su.
"You mean you don't know?" asks Kietaro. "Know what?" asks Su. Kietaro looks at Naru for a second and then back to Su with a heavy head. "They were all killed……the Tea house was totally destroyed." answers Kietaro. Su looks at him with shock.
"…..no………NO!" she shouts. Su begins to cry a little. "Damnit! You mean every last one of them were killed!" asks Su between her tears. "Yes. I'm afraid so." answers Kietaro. Su lowers her head and lets a few tears fall from her face. "No……those were some of my best friends from Mol Mol." she says as she places her hands over her face. Kietaro comes over and places his hand on her head.
Suddenly a beeping noise from one of the monitors gets their attention. Su shoots her head back up and pushes a few buttons on the keyboard. "Su what is that beeping?" asks Shinobu. "It's my bio tracker! Someone else is still alive in Hinata Sou!" answers Su. She pushes a few more buttons and the monitor zooms in on Hinata Sou. But when it zooms in again everyone gasps in horror.
There on the monitor they see someone lying on the ground next to Hinata Sou whose body has been burned beyond recognition. "Who is that Su?" asks Kietaro. He doesn't get a response. He looks over to Su who once again has her head down. "Su?" he asks again.
"It's….Motoko." Su says softly and sadly. "What! We have to go help her then!" shouts Kietaro as he turns around to run to the exit. Su reaches over and grabs his shirt sleeve. "I'm sorry Kietaro. It's already too late. We can't do anything to help her." says Su. "What do you mean it's already too late!" protests Kietaro.
"According to the bio tracker she has 3rd degree burns over 90 percent of her body, she has over 25 broken bones from where she was blasted off the roof, she has massive internal injuries, and her heart is already giving out. Even if we got her inside, she's going to die anyway." answers Su almost at the point of braking down. Everyone gasps in surprise. They stand there looking at the monitor that shows a badly burned Motoko lying on the ground gasping for air.
Within a minute they all watch Motoko gasp a couple of more breaths before her heart gives out and she passes away. Shinobu unable to bear watching another one of her friends die turns around and throws up into a waste basket beside the desk. There isn't a dry eye in the room after Motoko's death.
5 minutes go by when another monitor starts to beep, but it's a different sounding beep. Su rolls her chair over to the monitor and presses a few buttons. Suddenly the face of a bearded man in a FEDDY uniform appears on the screen. "GASP! General Armstrong!" shouts Su in surprise.
"Lieutenant Su. We have just received reports that ZEON forces have invaded Japan. What's the situation where you are?" asks Gen. Armstrong urgently. "ZEON mobile suits have landed in Hinata Town. I don't know how many, but they are tearing the whole town apart!" answers Su.
"How's the project?" asks Gen. Armstrong urgently again. "It's still intact sir." answers Su. "Then your top priority is to get one of the test pilots to fly it out of there on the double!" orders Gen. Armstrong. Su lowers her head. "I'm sorry sir, but my entire staff and the 3 test pilots are all dead." answers Su.
"WHAT?" shouts Gen Armstrong. "This was one of our bi-monthly days off. They had all gone to the tea house to celebrate one of the staff member's birthdays; but during the initial invasion the tea house was totally destroyed. No one survived." answers Su. "Are you sure?" asks Gen. Armstrong forcefully.
"Sir! I'm afraid no one could have survived. I saw the tea house destroyed myself." interrupts Kietaro. "And who are you?" asks Gen Armstrong with some frustration. "Sir! Corporal Kietaro Urishima of the Earth Federation army ground forces." says Kietaro at attention saluting. "And why are you in civilian cloths Corporal." asks Gen. Armstrong.
"Sir! I was on leave and had come back to visit family and friends who I had not seen since March." answers Kietaro still at attention. The General crosses his arms as if to say he understands. Then he notices Naru standing just behind Kietaro also at attention and saluting. "And who is that young lady just behind you?" asks Gen. Armstrong.
"Sir! Private 1st class Naru Narusagawa. Japan Nation Guard." answers Naru. Gen. Armstrong nods his head and both Kietaro and Naru stand "at ease." Gen. Armstrong looks over and sees Shinobu sitting by the waste basket looking a bit sick.
"And who is the other young lady over there? Is she also in the military?" asks Gen. Armstrong. "Sir! Her name is Shinobu Meahara. She is a fellow resident of Hinata Sou; she is not part of any military service." answers Su. "Lieutenant, why is a civilian with you!" asks Gen. Armstrong a bit angry.
"Sir. Hinata Sou was also attacked and nearly destroyed. We are the only survivors. We came down here to seek cover." answers Su. Gen. Armstrong has a troubled look on his face. "I'm sorry to hear that Lieutenant. You have my condolences. But your order still stands. Find away to get the Hinata Gundam here as fast as you can." orders Gen. Armstrong.
"But sir! We don't have a pilot for the Gundam!" protests Su. "Lieutenant you designed and built the Hinata Gundam, I'm sure you are capable of piloting it yourself aren't you?" asks Gen. Armstrong. "I would sir, but during the attack on Hinata Sou I was gravely injured. I….I'm now paralyzed from the waste down. I would be useless in the pilot seat." fires back Su. Gen. Armstrong is a bit surprised to hear this but knowing his duty, he has to order Su to do all things possible to save the Gundam.
"Then I suggest you find one. And quickly! Other wise you are ordered to self destruct the Gundam and the bunker with you in it! Either way we CAN NOT allow the ZEON forces to find the Gundam or any of its secrets you hear me Lieutenant!" orders Gen Armstrong forcefully. "…..Yes sir." answers Su reluctantly.
"Good. Good Luck Lieutenant." says Gen. Armstrong as he salutes just before he closes communications. After his image leaves the screen Su slams her fist onto the console. "Damnit!" she says to herself. "There's only one way out of this now." she adds.
Su turns her chair around to face Shinobu. "Shinobu…..You're going to have to pilot the Gundam." says Su reluctantly. "WHAT! ME!" shouts Shinobu in utter shock. "I CAN'T PILOT SOMETHING LIKE THAT!" she adds as she points behind herself to the Gundam.
"Shinobu you're the only one with any mobile suit experience! I'd do it myself but I can't!" answers Su. "But I've only piloted construction suits! I don't know the 1st thing about piloting a combat mobile suit!" fires back Shinobu in protest.
"Shinobu combat mobile suits and construction suits have the same basic control system. But instead of using tools you'll be using weapons. Please Shinobu!" pleads Su. "I….I can't. I'll be killed!" says Shinobu backing a couple of steps away while shaking in fear. "Shinobu if you don't we're all going be killed! You are our only chance to escape!" argues Su some more. Shinobu takes another couple of steps back shaking her head no.
Kietaro puts his head down for a moment and then brings it back up. "Su's right Shinobu. You are our only hope to escape." says Kietaro. Shinobu stops and looks at him with shock as he begins to walk over.
"I hate it as much as you do, but there is no other way Shinobu." he says as he walks up to her and places his right hand on her cheek. Shinobu blushes a little. "I know…you're not in the military, but nether I or Naru have any mobile suit or combat experience. Su would fight, but she is too gravely injured: so you are our only chance." explains Kietaro as he lets a small tear fall. It's breaking his heart that he has to send one of his friends into battle and almost certain death.
Shinobu can feel him as he rubs his thumb across her cheek. She looks over at Su and Naru looking right at her also with upset looks. She looks back into Kietaro's eyes and then closes her eyes and rubs her cheek in his hand. She looks back up to him. "…….Ok….I'll fight." says Shinobu softly as she lets a small tear run down her face too. Kietaro smiles and takes his thumb and wipes it away.
"Ok now that that's settled, we have to prep the shuttle for launch!" orders Su. "Shuttle!" says Naru in amazement. "Yeah. There's a transport shuttle in a launch bay next to the bunker that my staff had also been building to transport the Gundam. It's not quite finished but it is capable of flying." explains Su.
"Shinobu. We need you to destroy or at least distract as many of those mobile suits as possible so we can make our getaway. We don't want to be shot down by one of them. After we launch you can use the veneers (rockets) on the Gundam to fly onto the platform on the shuttle." adds Su.
"Um…. I'm still not sure about this. I mean, I don't even know how to shoot a gun much less used weapons with a mobile suit." says Shinobu nervously. "Don't worry Shinobu I'll explain everything to you when you are in the cockpit. Kietaro please take Shinobu over to the elevator platform over there. It will take you guys up to the cockpit." orders Su as she points over to the elevator platform in front of the Gundam. "Right." answers Kietaro.
"Ok after you get Shinobu in the cockpit and after I explain how to use the weapons to her, I want you Kietaro to take over communications since you are a Communications officer in the 1st place. Naru I want you to take control of Tactical and report on how Shinobu and the Gundam are fairing in battle. Meanwhile I will be prepping the shuttle for launch as soon as it's clear or when we have the best chance to launch. Ok guys! Let's go!" adds Su as she gives more orders.
Kietaro grabs Shinobu's hand and starts running to the elevator platform. "Naru. Before you do anything else I need you to go over to that door over there and open it. Behind it should be some wheelchairs and other medical supplies." orders Su. Naru goes over, opens the door, and pulls out a wheelchair.
Why do you have wheelchairs down here anyway?" asks Naru. "It's standard practice for every Federation bunker or shelter to have a small supply of wheelchairs in case of emergencies." replies Su. Naru brings it over to Su, picks her up and set her gently into the wheelchair. Then she goes over to the tactical station close to the Gundam's platform and takes her seat.
Meanwhile Kietaro and Shinobu reach the elevator platform and Kietaro pushes the button for it to go up. As the elevator slowly makes its way up to the Gundam's cockpit, Kietaro looks over to Shinobu who looks very nervous. "Relax Shinobu. The last thing we need is for you to faint before the battle even starts." encourages Kietaro. Shinobu looks at him. "I'll try." she answers.
The elevator reaches the cockpit. Kietaro reaches over and pushes a few buttons beside the cockpit doors and the cockpit doors open up. A light inside of the cockpit turns on over the pilot's seat. Kietaro helps Shinobu into the cockpit. When Shinobu sits down Kietaro helps her strap herself into the pilot's seat with his 1 good arm.
"Shinobu….. I won't lie to you, but what you are about to do is extremely dangerous and there is a strong possibility that you could be killed. However, I believe in you. I know you can do this. So please… do your best." says Kietaro encouragingly. Shinobu looks up at him. "I will." she responds still sounding just a little bit nervous.
After Kietaro gets through helping Shinobu strap in he starts to step out. Just before he does he, turns back around and gets close to Shinobu's face. He comes over and gives her a kiss on the cheek. Shinobu blushes a deep red as he pulls away. "A good luck kiss." comments Kietaro. "Don't worry I'll be with you through the communication channel." he adds. He smiles and leaves the cockpit and the cockpit doors close.
Shinobu is still blushing brightly as the little comm. screen pops on showing Su. "Shinobu there are a couple of things I wanted to tell you before you went into battle that I think you should know about, but I didn't want Kietaro or Naru to know because it would make them worry even more." says Su.
"You should know that Hinata Gundam is not finished." says Su. "WHAT? What do you mean 'not finished!'" shouts Shinobu. "Shhh! Keep it down! What I mean is there are a few things that we hadn't completed on it yet. Don't worry the Gundam is fully operational but is lacking only a few things." says Su quietly. "Such as?" asks Shinobu.
"We were only able to cover about 85 percent of the Gundam with armor. All vital systems are protected, but…..the cockpit area is one of the places that is lacking armor protection, so please be careful about that." says Su. Shinobu lowers her head and groans.
"2ndly we didn't receive all the Gundam's weapons. All we have is the shield, its Vulcan Gatling guns in its head, only 1 beam saber, and a Gun Cannon's beam riffle. However there is one weapon we were able to install that was meant for the Hinata Gundam. The 'Heat Reaper.'" says Su. "Heat Reaper?" asks Shinobu.
"Yes. I'm sure you have noticed the larger right forearm right?" asks Su. "Yeah." answers Shinobu. "Well in the blue part of the forearm are 2 reaper shaped weapons that will fling forward when you want to use them. They work just like the Zaku's 'Heat Hawk;' meaning they use heat from the Gundam's nuclear reactor to become incredibly hot. So hot they can go through even the hardest of Titanium if enough force is used." explains Su. (If you need a reference just think of "The Predator's" metal claw weapon it has on its arm)
Shinobu's eyes get big after hearing that. Su goes on to explain how to activate it. "By the way Shinobu, one of the weapons we had not received yet was the Gundam's advanced beam riffle. So for tests we had been using a Gun Cannon's beam riffle." explains Su. Shinobu looks at Su with a bit of confusion.
"Oh. a Gun Cannon is another mobile suit recently built by the federation. Its beam riffle is a little less powerful and has less energy to use for "ammo" than the Gundam's beam riffle. But it's the only gun we have that we have available that we can give you for now, so be careful." explains Su. Su goes on to explain how to use the beam riffle and the other weapons.
"Also Shinobu if you look over to your left you should see a helmet hanging next to you. You'll need to put it on because it's going to get a little bit rough out there. The last thing we need is for you to be knocked unconscious in the middle of a fight." explains Su. Shinobu looks over and sees the helmet. She grabs it and puts it on.
After Su gets though explaining the basic firing controls and the helmet she lets Kietaro get on. "I'm going to go to the controls to launch the Gundam. Good luck Shinobu." says Su. Shinobu only lowers her head a bit, now even more nervous than before. Kietaro notices this.
"You ok Shinobu?" he asks. Shinobu lefts her head up and nods a little with an obvious scared look on her face. "Don't worry Shinobu. Just calm down. You won't be able to fight at all if you're shaking like a leaf. Just take a deep breath and relax a little." encourages Kietaro. Kietaro's soothing voice helps to relax Shinobu a bit.
Shinobu reaches above her and pushes a few buttons. After a few seconds the controls and screens in the cockpit turn on. Also after a moan of energy surging through the Gundam, it also turns on as the eyes flash signifying the Gundam is fully activated.
Su types on the controls for a few seconds before the walls besides the Gundam open up. Out from the walls come a beam riffle and a rectangular shaped shield. The shield is red with a golden pointed cross on the front. Automatically the Gundam reaches out and grabs them both; the beam riffle with the right hand and the shield with the left.
Su continues to type on the controls and with in a few more seconds the giant elevator platform beneath the Gundam activates and slowly starts to go up. Inside the Gundam, Shinobu watches through the main viewing screen as the Gundam begins to rise. As it does Shinobu says a small prayer and she reaches over and takes a hold of the 2 joysticks beside her with her hands shaking a little.
Outside of Hinata Sou, a giant part of the hill to the left of Hinata Sou pushes up and then slides back. When it stops the Gundam slowly lifts out of the hole. As it stops Shinobu looks out through the viewing screens at all of Hinata Town and all the Zeon Mobile suits still attacking.
What was left of the Japan Defenses forces after the initial attacks are firing back at them in a losing battle. The ZEON Mobile suits are tearing them to shreds. She looks out and sees almost all the town completely destroyed.
"THAT ONE!" shouts Kietaro over the comm. snapping Shinobu out of her stare. "Huh?" asks Shinobu in confusion. "That Zaku 1 right there!" he says as he highlights it on the screen in front of him. It highlights on the viewing screen in front of Shinobu. "That's the bastard that blew up Hinata Sou and killed our friends Shinobu." he says angrily. "Get that one 1st!" he orders.
"How do you know that's the one?" asks Shinobu. "Because it's the only Zaku 1 with a Zaku Bazooka. And it was a Zaku 1 with a Zaku Bazooka that fired on us! Shinobu even if you die during this at least we will have avenged our friends if you destroy that one 1st." orders Kietaro some more. Shinobu nods her head as if to say she understands.
Shinobu presses a few buttons and moves the joysticks and foot petals around a bit. The Gundam slowly kneels onto one knee and brings the beam riffle up to its head. An aiming rudical appears in the center of the main screen in front of Shinobu. She zooms in as far as it will go. It's going to be a tough shot because the Zaku 1 is all the way across on the other side of town.
But Shinobu is still scared and her hands are shaking causing the joysticks she has a tight grip on to also shake. Consequently this causes the Gundam's hands to also shake making the aiming rudical to also shake on her view screen.
Kietaro sees this. "Shinobu. Calm down! You won't be able to shoot anything if you keep shaking like that." says Kietaro. "I…I….I….I c-c-can't. I j-j-just can't pull the trigger!" answers Shinobu with a lot of trembling in her voice. "Shinobu come on!" shouts Kietaro. Shinobu just lowers her head and begins to tremble with a lot of fear.
Suddenly a small alarm gets her attention. She looks up and sees that the Zaku 1 has spotted her and is already beginning to aim the Zaku Bazooka at her. "No!...I knew it! I am going to die!" Shinobu shouts in her mind as she curls up as best she can in a ball with her hands still on the controls. "Shinobu shoot!" shouts Kietaro.
Suddenly the alarm turns into a loud tone indicating that the Zaku 1 has a lock on her. "SHINOBU PULL THE FUCKING TRIGGER OR WE'RE ALL DEAD!" shouts Kietaro over the comm. Shinobu pops her head up and freezes in shock at hearing Kietaro shout like that. Almost immediately the aiming rudical stops shaking and locks onto the Zaku 1 causing another loud tone to go off.
Shinobu instinctively pulls the trigger on the right joystick a split second later. The Gundam's finger pulls the trigger on the beam riffle. BBTVVVWWWIIIIIINNGG! screams the beam riffle as a pink blast of light shoots out from the barrel.
The beam goes screaming across town and nails the Zaku 1 just below the neck line. The Zaku 1 gets blasted backwards and it falls on the ground hard dropping the Bazooka. Shinobu just looks on stunned. "I got it. I GOT IT!" she shouts.
"Good work Shinobu! …….Shinobu what's wrong?" asks Kietaro as he sees Shinobu with a very blue look of fear on her face. Not getting a response Kietaro switches over to the Gundam's video feed. He also gets a bit scared as he sees all the other mobile suits looking right at the Gundam.
"Shinobu! Move it before you get fired upon!" shouts Kietaro urgently. But it's no good, Shinobu is frozen with fear. Then suddenly another alarm goes off to Shinobu's left. Shinobu turns her eyes to her left and sees a Zaku 2 charging her with its 'Heat Hawk' raised above its head ready to come down with a mighty blow.
"Shinobu! MOVE!" shouts Kietaro over the comm. again. But it's still no use; Shinobu is scared stiff. Suddenly the Zaku 2 leaps into the air at the base of the hill with its rockets and flies up the hill, over the Gundam and starts to come down with a chopping motion.
"SHINOBU!" shouts Kietaro. "YYYYEEEAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" screams Shinobu in fright as she ducks her head. But almost instinctively Shinobu presses a little red button in the right joystick and pulls the joystick toward herself.
Almost immediately the Gundam drops the beam riffle and its blue right forearm opens up and out flings the "Heat Reaper." The Gundam's right arm begins to swing as the Heat Reaper becomes white hot in a split second. The Heat Reaper comes around and stabs strait into the cockpit of the Zaku 2 just as it is about to hit the Gundam with its Heat Hawk.
Everything goes silent after the collision between the Zaku 2 and the Gundam's Heat Reaper as the Heat Reaper "turns off." Shinobu, still feeling herself still alive, slowly opens her eyes. She looks up and is shocked to see the Heat Reaper in the Zaku 2.
The Zaku 2 drops its Heat Hawk and it lands on the ground behind the Gundam. Shinobu looks on in shock as something red begins to run down the blades. "Of my God! What have I done! I've spilled someone else's BLOOD!" she shouts in her head.
To be continued in Chapter 3- Another friend gone….
Author Note: Wow. This went way longer than I though it would. 9 pages total! Be sure to cheek out http/ www. mahq. net/mecha/gundam/index .htm to look up any answers to any Gundam related questions you may have, just be sure to close in the spaces. I will be starting the 1st Chapter to "The Hinata Maiden" soon. I hope you all enjoy it when I load it!
Story Hint: I will be describing some of the weapons used and mentioned in this chapter for those not familiar with Gundam. The weapons are not listed in the website above.
Heat Hawk- An axe weapon that the Zakus use for close quarters combat. The edge of it gets incredibly hot so it can cut through tough armor.
Advanced Beam Riffle- All Gundams come standard with this, but they do come in different sizes and models. It's a riffle like weapon that shoots a powerful beam blast.
Zaku Bazooka- a huge powerful Bazooka weapon used by both Zaku 1s and Zaku 2s.
Beam saber- a beam sword weapon used for close quarters combat, kind of like a Light Saber from Star Wars. Was used 1st used by the Federation and then was implemented into some ZEON mobile suits later in the war in a different form.
Vulcan Gatling Cannons- 2 20mm Gatling guns or cannons located in the head of the Gundam. Mostly used for anti aircraft repulsion and close quarters combat, but can also be used for ground strafing.
Zaku Machine gun- A giant 120mm Machine gun that looks like a gangster gun used during the 1930's with a circler ammo drum on top. It was the most produced and common weapon used by the Zakus. Depending on the version the gun can hold between 75 and 150 120mm shells.