Disclaimer: Mobile Fighter G Gundam is owned by Bandai and Sunrise. I just write about it in my spare time.
Author's Note: Nothing too new here. I just fixed up a lot of the last chapter and split it in two. Many thanks to ALittleSalty1 for all the help!
On the Dark Side
Chapter 8: Conversations at Midnight! Domon vs. the Stranger!
After her conversation with the Dark Gundam, Rain contacted Dr. Kasshu. She told him all about what had happened that night (with a few interjections from Domon), and where they were currently staying. As expected, he was horrified when he heard the news. He told her that he would immediately contact the military personnel at the base he was working at, and let them know what was going on. He said that someone would be sent out to pick up the DG Cells as soon as possible. They would identify themselves upon arrival so as not to arouse suspicion.
Sure enough, about an hour later, someone came knocking.
"Domon? Rain? Are you in there?" asked a voice that sounded a lot like Dr. Kasshu himself. "It's me, and I've brought a few friends. May we come in?"
Domon took a quick look out the peephole just to be sure. Satisfied by what he saw, he opened the door. Sure enough, Dr. Kasshu was standing out in the hallway, his hair tousled and his clothes slightly crooked. He was escorted by a few military police officers as well as an unfamiliar young man with wet hair.
"I wish we didn't have to keep meeting like this," the doctor apologized as the group stepped inside the room. "Are you two alright? Did anything happen after we talked?"
"We're fine, Dad, we're fine," Domon reassured him. "Nothing happened. I haven't seen that guy since I chased him off." He changed the subject. "So they sent you, huh?"
"Yes," Dr. Kasshu sighed. "Since I'm currently the only one with extensive knowledge of DG Cells, it's my responsibility to collect them." He gestured to the young man with him. "By the way, this is my assistant, Ken."
"Uh...hi!" Ken said cheerfully. "Wow, you're the Domon Kasshu, huh? You were awesome at the Gundam Fight!"
Domon smirked. "Heh, thanks," he replied smoothly. "What about you? You look like you just got out of the shower!"
"Oh...yeah. I was washing my hair when I got called in to contain the DG Cells," Ken blushed. "But hey, it's worth it if I get to meet you guys!"
"Okay, that's enough, Ken," Dr. Kasshu chuckled wearily. "Let's get down to business, shall we?"
"Right," Rain said, opening up the nightstand drawer. "Since they stopped replicating, I just kept them in here."
She pulled out the bag containing the plate. Despite the fact that the cells were no longer spreading, Ken still wore gloves while handling the bag, and sealed it in an orange biohazard container. After a quick wave goodbye, he left the room followed by one of the military policemen.
"Now then," Dr. Kasshu continued, "my contacts at the base told me that they're going to conduct a search of the area for the infectee. They're going to search your town, the surrounding suburbs, and even go into Kyoto if they have to. In the meantime, you two should contact the local police and let them know that you were being followed."
"Don't worry about us, Dad," Domon said. "I fought a lot of people infected with DG Cells during the Gundam Fight. I know how to handle them by now."
"I'm serious about this, Domon," the doctor replied sternly. "This isn't the Gundam Fight - you shouldn't try to be a hero. What if that person infected you?"
Domon blinked, briefly taken aback by the question. "Th-that's not gonna happen!" he blurted out. He closed his eyes for a moment and took a deep breath before continuing. "But...if it'll make you feel better, I'll do it."
"Very good," Dr. Kasshu nodded. "I wish I could stay and chat, but we've got to get these cells back to base."
"Right. We should get together sometime later on," Rain suggested, trying to lighten the mood. "And maybe discuss something other than the Dark Gundam."
"I'd love to do that, but I probably wouldn't be able to for a long time," the doctor said with a sad smile. "They keep me pretty busy at the base. For now, if anything happens or if you find any more cells, let me know immediately. Alright?"
The young couple agreed. After they said their goodbyes, Dr. Kasshu left the hotel along with his escorts. Domon watched them leave the parking lot from the window.
"You're...probably not gonna call the police, are you?" Rain asked him.
"Nope," he replied. "I'm pretty sure the cops wouldn't be much help. Whoever this guy is, he's smart; he knows how to keep quiet and stay hidden. He's not some brainless zombie. If he's anything like Schwartz, they wouldn't stand a chance!" He turned away from the window to face her. "Besides, if we really are gonna confront the Dark Gundam, we can't have someone breathing down our necks."
Rain's eyes went wide. "Wait...you are going to help me communicate with it?" she asked.
"Well, I would like to know what it thinks it's doing, sending a guy to follow me!" he answered. "But I'm still not sure about it. Like, how would we even get into the base? I don't even know where it is, and even if I did, I wouldn't wanna get Dad or you arrested."
"Actually, we wouldn't have to go to the base," Rain replied. She showed Domon the message on her phone with the highlighted area. "All we have to do is get within its network range."
Domon took the phone and studied the map for few minutes. "Seems a little too easy," he remarked, handing her back the phone. "I still need some time to think about it. If we do this, we really need to make sure the Dark Gundam can't to any brainwashing."
"Take your time," Rain said with a nod. "I'm not in a big hurry to see that thing again. Besides, it's not like it's going anywhere."
...I hope, she thought.
This a huge mistake, but here goes nothing. That was Rain's thoughts as she pulled the car over to the side of a quiet two-way street in the middle of a lightly forested area.
Over the past couple of days, Domon finally relented and agreed to confront the Dark Gundam with her. Since then, they had been coming up with various ways to counter the machine's potential brainwashing. Rain recalled that when it had successfully hypnotized her, she felt herself become extremely tired and eventually fell asleep. She woke up when a tree fell in down in front of her. Therefore, they decided to bring some coffee to keep her awake, as well as some water to splash in her face. If that failed and she went under anyway, Domon would use loud noises to snap her out of it - maybe honk the car's horn, or even yell in her ear. Rain suggested cutting down another tree, but Domon said that was out of the question; he didn't want the tree to accidentally land on her. If everything else failed, Rain gave Domon permission to hold her down so that she wouldn't try to drive or wander over to the Dark Gundam's hangar. He would then drive her outside the network's range to break the connection. Rain was also sure to put the new syringe of anti-nanomachines in her pocket, just in case the unthinkable should happen. If anything, she was just taking it for good luck.
Earlier that night, they made their preparations, packed everything they needed into the car, and drove off to this location. They picked this particular road because it was right on the edge of the range. If tonight's mission went completely wrong, they wouldn't have to go very far in order to escape. It also looked like it was the most secluded; someone coming by and disturbing them was the last thing they wanted. Especially if that someone was Domon's stalker.
Rain parked the car and cut the engine. The place looked a little eerie, to say the least. The sun had gone down, leaving a full moon to try and supply them with light. They could see the dark shadows of trees on three sides, and the pale green of a grassy field on their left. A single lamp post was several yards in front of them, and another was several yards in back. Their harsh white lights did not illuminate much besides the tree branches surrounding them. The sounds of crickets and other nocturnal insects filled the humid air.
Domon poked his head out of the window and immediately started scanning the area, checking to see if the coast was clear. She took out her phone, and brought up the conversation with the Dark Gundam. She stared at the screen for a few seconds, hesitant to start typing. Her thumbs started to tremble.
"You sure you still wanna do this Rain?" Domon asked, trying to reassure her. "We can always go back."
"N-no, I'm fine," Rain replied. "Just a little nervous is all."
After a deep breath, she managed to type out and send the message "I'm here. What do I do now?"
JDG-00X: This next step may be difficult, as your organic brain lacks network detection programs.
JDG-00X: Do you recall how you were able to probe my CPU with your mind and shut off my abilities during our "Gundam Fight"? Repeat what you did, and I will try to locate you.
It took Rain a minute to remember, but then she began to feel around the back of her mind. A minute passed, but nothing happened. She paused for a second to send a confirmation text to the Gundam, just in case it was waiting for her signal. She went back to focusing, but nothing happened after a few more minutes? Was she doing something wrong? Maybe those anti-nanomachine injections she was taking really did eradicate all of the DG Cells in her system, including the ones hidden away in her brain and spine. If that was the case, this would actually be good news. Now the Dark Gundam couldn't remotely hypnotize her anymore! Then again, the machine could just be having difficulty locating her. She decided to give the Gundam a few more minutes before telling it she was going to give up.
A second later, a powerful chill told her that it finally found her and that she was now reconnected. She gritted her teeth and shivered. Domon took one of her hands in his.
"Rain? What's wrong?" he asked. "Are you all right?"
"I'm...I'm okay," she replied, squeezing his hand. "It's just that I'm-"
She stopped when she suddenly heard the sound of distant surf. She looked up to see her already dark surroundings slowly going pitch black as the silver tide rolled in. She couldn't even see the steering wheel in front of her. She also couldn't see Domon, even though she could still feel his hand.
"The Dark Gundam's here!" she said, giving him another nervous squeeze.
"Remember Rain, if it tries anything, just let me know," Domon reassured her.
Rain didn't respond; she just stared anxiously at the chrome liquid as it crawled toward her from the darkness. It stopped right about where the car's bumper would be. She fully expected it to try and intimidate her by making all of its minions rise from the slime at once and surround her, but it didn't. In fact, it didn't even use its true form for its avatar; instead, a human-sized bulge rose up from the liquid, and her metal doppelganger from her dream formed from it.
It stepped toward her, stopping right where her windshield would be. She realized it was a lot creepier up close. Its overly smooth metal skin and stiff, awkward movements were something straight out of a very early CGI cartoon. Its eyes were supposed to resemble a Gundam's optics, but they looked like solid green voids instead.
Good evening, Rain Mikamura. It is a pleasure to see you again, the fiend said, still using her voice.
"Yeah, the pleasure's all yours," Rain sneered at it. "Look, I'm only gonna talk to you on two conditions!"
Alright, what are they?
"First, no tricks! No trying to hypnotize me again, or I'll give you another whupping! And just in case that doesn't work-"
"Listen, Dark Gundam!" Domon's voice suddenly echoed in the black void. "If you can hear me, then you better know that if you hurt Rain in any way, shape, or form, I'm gonna hunt you down and rip you apart with my bare hands - cell by cell! I don't care how many military guards I gotta fight to get to you!"
"Yeah, Domon's with me," Rain replied. "And he's serious about what he just said, so don't try anything!"
I see you you followed my advice and brought a guest, the Gundam commented. I am surprised he has not ruptured your eardrums. Nevertheless, the both of you have nothing to fear from me. As I have said before, I would not try to send subconscious orders after my last attempt failed so spectacularly. Besides, breaking me out of my prison would prove very difficult at the moment.
In an instant, the blackness surrounding Rain disappeared, and she found herself floating in the middle of an enormous, mostly empty space surrounded on all sides by metal walls and beams. Embedded in the wall directly in front of her was a row of plate glass windows. Everything had an orange tint to it. She realized she was inside a mobile suit hangar - or at least, looking at the projection of one, anyway. The Dark Gundam was showing her what it saw through its optics.
As you can see, I am surrounded by energy barriers on all sides, the machine explained. They are powered by a system that I cannot seem to access. My three abilities have been shut down, and the system keeping them offline I also cannot access. Even if I did, it would not matter much, as I cannot get far without a core life unit. Furthermore, I am aware that there is only one hallway that leads to this hangar, and there are many guards stationed throughout it at all hours. If I were to take over your mind to help me escape, there would be a 97.9% chance that you would be captured and arrested. Therefore, commanding you to free me would be a very poor choice indeed.
The hangar faded away, and Rain was plunged into darkness again, with her metal copy standing in front of her.
What is your other condition?
"We disconnect right after the conversation is over," she told it. "And I'd also like you to stop texting me, too."
The former can be done, the Dark Gundam replied, but are you sure about the second? Am I to assume that emergencies would be an exception to that rule?
"I fail to see any emergency that you would need to contact me over," Rain snorted. "Anyway, enough small talk. Why are you sending your minions out to stalk Domon?"
The truth is, I did not send anyone to follow Domon Kasshu, it answered matter-of-factly.
"Don't give me that!" she snapped. "I told you over the phone that we found DG Cells!"
A simple diagram appeared in the darkness above the avatar's head. It consisted of a large circle connected to a smaller one by a single line. The larger circle was labeled with the Dark Gundam's serial number, and the smaller one was labeled with Rain's name.
This is a map of my network connections, it explained. As you can see, you are the only one currently on it. Whoever this person is, they are acting autonomously.
"So...you don't know who this person is?" she asked. She thought she heard Domon groan beside her.
Negative. When someone who possesses my cells enters my range, my network will automatically detect them. However, in the last few weeks, you have been the only one I have ever been able to detect, even when my range was at its widest. This person is either using some sort of program to hide from my network, or their cells are malfunctioning.
"You're...you're not lying, are you?"
The avatar shook its head. As I have mentioned before, my skills at falsifying data is very poor. Therefore, I do not bother to do so. In addition, you already distrust me due to my past actions. Lying to you would be unwise.
"I...see. Okay, then," Rain grumbled. A dead end. Then it dawned on her. "Wait, if people infected with DG Cells appear on your network, does that mean I'm...?"
Yes. We could not communicate if you did not have DG Cells within you, it answered bluntly.
"I see," she sighed. "I...guess I should have known."
Their self-replication function is not operational, however, her doppelganger continued. It is possible that your cells were damaged during the colony battle. Currently, they can only be used for communication. You are not in danger of the cells consuming your brain.
"That's better, but not much," she muttered. She would rather not have any DG Cells in her body, not even broken ones.
If you are finished with your questions, the Dark Gundam said, would you like to hear my proposal?
Ah, that's right. In all of the chaos over Domon's stalker, Rain had almost forgotten that the machine originally wanted to tell her something.
"All right," she replied. "What is it that was so important that you had to tell me to my face?"
The silver twin smirked. I don't just want you as a core life unit, Rain Mikamura. I want you to be my pilot...my partner.
Rain blinked in confusion. "...What?"
When I tried to regain control of you over the past month, you managed to resist me several times, it explained. When I finally established control, you still managed to break free. Then you outwitted me twice in the same twenty-four hour period. I do believe your ability to self-evolve is greater than my own. Therefore, I want to work with you rather than control you. I want you to make me stronger.
"Make you...make you stronger?!" Rain barked. "To do what, kill more people?! Absolutely not! And besides, I can't anyway! You just got through showing me that you were locked up!"
There is a good chance that I will not be imprisoned forever. I have been processing possible escape routes ever since I was captured. Even if I do nothing, there are always humans who covet my power. It seems safe to assume that the person or persons controlling those drones were attempting to steal me, or at least parts of me. I have calculated with 93.1% certainty that they will try again. When I am freed, I would like you to be the one in my cockpit, not anyone else.
Rain felt a chill down her spine for a completely different reason. It actually had a point there. Even if that mysterious hijacker didn't try to steal the Dark Gundam again, someone else might. Nevertheless, she couldn't let herself be intimidated.
"I said no!" she snarled. "After all the horrible things you did to me, after everyone I've lost because of you...you think I'll just jump in and help you kill more people?!"
Her metal doppelganger gave her a blank, slightly confused stare. Yes, it replied blandly.
"Oh forget it!" Rain let go of Domon's hand so she toss hers up in disgust. "Why am I even bothering?! You don't get it! You just don't get it at all, you...you devil!"
She felt around in the dark for the steering wheel so she could lean her forehead against it while burying her face in her palms. Dr. Kasshu was right...in the end, the Dark Gundam was just a machine. Yes, it probably had the most advanced AI on the planet - possibly even the solar system. But as smart as it was, it didn't understand the difference between right and wrong. It saw absolutely no problem with terrorizing her and taking all those lives during the Gundam Fight and after.
You seem to place a very high value on other humans' lives, the avatar continued, more so than the humans that I used to work with.
"That's because you were working with some very evil or very disturbed humans," Rain said, taking her hands away from her face.
It seems we have reached an impasse. Killing humans upsets you, and you will refuse to become my pilot if I do it. However, I cannot fulfill my primary function if I do not eradicate humanity first. And unlike humans, who can change occupations, I cannot change my primary function.
"Why? Why do you think you need to wipe out humanity in order to save Earth? I know you were damaged when you first came up with the idea, but haven't you ever questioned it since? And what about me, huh? I'm human too, you know! Are you eventually going to kill me, too?!"
My calculations have shown that humans will continue to damage the planet faster than I can restore it. If I do not eradicate humans from Earth, all of my efforts will be futile. You will be the exception, of course. I may also spare other humans that I find respectable, so long as they do not interfere.
"You created entire armies back in the Guyana Highlands, yet you mean to tell me that you can't work faster than humans?! When did you make those calculations?"
When I first landed on Earth with Kyoji Kasshu.
"That was over a year ago, and again, you were damaged at the time! You never thought to recalculate?"
I did not see a need to.
"...Well, don't you think you should?" Rain said through her teeth.
Another blank stare from the silver twin. Finally it said, I suppose I should update them.
"...And not a moment too soon," Rain grumbled sarcastically, leaning back in her seat and rubbing her forehead. She was starting to get an all-too-familiar headache. This thing was almost as frustrating as Domon was when he was in a bad mood (but to Domon's credit, at least he wasn't a giant killer robot).
And speaking of Domon, Rain thought she heard the passenger-side door open and close. Did he just leave the car...?
But before she got a chance to check, the Dark Gundam began speaking again. In the meantime, how about a compromise? If you agree to become my pilot, I will not harm another human being. Exceptions will be self-defense and defending you.
The proposal caught her off guard. "Wait, what? Are you serious?" she cried.
As I have mentioned minutes ago, my ability to-
"Yes, yes, I know. You don't lie," Rain wasn't sure what to do. If she agreed, she could protect all of mankind from the Dark Gundam's wrath. This would be a perfect way to compensate for her father's betrayal, which caused the machine to become a monster in the first place. On the other hand, if it ever escaped again and found her, she would then be obligated to "pilot" it. Goodness only knows what it would make her do, or what loopholes it was planning to exploit. It may not be good at lying, but she knew from their dream fight that it was good at cheating!
Her train of thought was interrupted when she heard Domon shouting. However, it sounded like he was some distance away outside.
"Domon?" Rain reached over to see if he was still in his seat, but her hand grabbed air. So he did leave the car a few minutes ago. But why? A pit formed in her stomach. Despite the Gundam's multiple reassurances that it would not brainwash her nor lie to her, she still didn't want to be left alone with it.
It sounds as if your romantic partner is in distress, the doppelganger commented. Shall we see what he is doing?
Instantly, the darkness cleared, and Rain was able to see her surroundings again. However, the Dark Gundam's avatar was still in front of her, standing through the hood of her car. She looked over at the passenger seat, and sure enough, Domon wasn't there. Glancing around, it seemed he wasn't right outside the car, either.
She looked out her window, following the sound of his yells. She spotted him out in the grassy field with another dark figure - a dark figure that Domon was furiously throwing punches and kicks at.
Rain undid her belt and jumped out of the car. She already knew what was going on - their stalker had found them.
Domon had diligently watched over Rain as she "spoke" with the Dark Gundam. He saw her shivering and felt her body temperature drop as she somehow connected with the accursed machine. He watched as she stared and shouted at something he couldn't see. He decided to throw in his own two cents, though he didn't know if the Gundam heard him or not. He carefully looked for any strange behavior or signs that Rain might be being brainwashed, ready to snap her out of it the second he did. Fortunately, Rain held her own, telling off the invisible enemy at every turn.
He really didn't like this whole situation at all. At any point, it could take over her mind again, and snatch her away a third time. His fears, however, made him feel like a hypocrite. Over the past year, he was the one coming up with stupid, reckless plans, and she was the one trying to talk sense into him - sometimes even rescuing him from the consequences. He dragged her into danger on a regular basis with her protesting all the way. So when she came up with her own incredibly dangerous plan, he felt like he owed her one. It sure felt weird to have the shoe on the other foot.
Domon tensed when Rain suddenly let go of his hand. He watched as she buried her face in her hands and leaned against the steering wheel. He was about to shake her shoulders to see if she was okay, but she went right back to arguing with the Dark Gundam. Apparently, she was just aggravated with it.
He took the opportunity to take a quick glance outside each of the car's windows. No one was outside. He sincerely hoped it stayed that way. But just as he was about to turn his attention back to Rain, he heard something rustling around in the bushes. He sat straight up and started looking around again, his muscles tense. He saw nothing but foliage.
I really hope that was just a fox or a deer, he thought.
No sooner did that thought cross his mind than a person wearing an overcoat and hat crossed the road in front of them and disappeared into the darkness on the other side. Domon jumped right out of his skin. It was him! Even though he never got a good look at the guy, he instinctively knew it was that DG Cell-infested bastard who kept spying on him.
Domon looked at Rain. She was currently demanding to know why the Dark Gundam needed to kill humans in the first place. On one hand, he didn't want to leave her alone. Who knows what mischief that demonic machine would get up to if it knew he had left. But on the other hand, he needed to confront that creep and chase him off. Maybe if he stayed right outside the car, it would be okay. That way, he wouldn't have to completely leave her.
He undid his seat belt and slipped out of the car as quietly as he could. The door still made a noise when he closed it, however, and he really hoped the Dark Gundam didn't hear it. He ran around to the other side of the car and scouted around the area. Unfortunately, he couldn't see much of anything in the gloom.
He looked at Rain through the driver's side window. She had gone oddly quiet. It looked like she was thinking something over. He then turned his attention to the grassy field. Maybe if he ran over there real fast and immediately came back, everything would be okay. He'd only be gone for a few seconds.
With that, Domon dashed out into the empty field. He stopped to look around, but didn't see anyone. As he looked to his left, a metal fist collided with the right side of his head, knocking him on his back. He barely had enough time to get his head out of the way as a boot tried to stomp his face in. The boot missed his ear by a fraction of an inch and made a deep hole in the ground.
Domon leaped to his feet and prepared to defend himself. His assailant was none other than that stranger in the overcoat.
"Just who are you, and what do you want?!" he yelled at the man. "Why have you been following me around all week?!"
The stranger just stood there in silence, which enraged Domon even more. Even more infuriating was the fact that Domon couldn't see what he looked like; what wasn't covered up was too dark to see.
"I know you're infected with DG Cells!" the Gundam Fighter shouted. "Did the Dark Gundam send you?!"
Still no response. The stranger seemed unfazed at Domon knowing about his infection.
"Oh, you're not gonna talk, huh?!" he barked. "Well how about I make you talk?!"
Quick as lightning, Domon lunged at the man. He wanted to grab that hat off his head to see what his face looked like. However, the stranger waited until the very last minute to sidestep out of the way. As Domon sailed past him, the man elbowed him right in the back. Domon was able to break his fall with his hands, and remembering what happened last time, immediately rolled to the side. Sure enough, the stranger sent his fist deep into the ground right where Domon's head had been. The force of the punch left the man's forearm halfway buried in the soil.
Domon tried to take advantage of the guy's predicament by trying to punch him back. The cloaked man somehow managed to not only get his hand out of the ground, but block Domon's fist, too. Damn, he was fast!
Furious, the King of Hearts bombarded the stranger with a flurry of rapid-fire punches. The mystery man dodged almost every one, and blocked what he couldn't dodge. Domon stepped things up a bit by alternating his punches with kicks. No good; the person was still able to block or evade him.
He was now right up on top of the man, but it was too dark to make out his face. One thing was certain though - this guy definitely wasn't one of those mindless reanimated corpses. He was too fast and too smart. This guy had the agility of Schwartz, and the cold, dead fists of Chapman.
Domon was also certain that the man was predicting all of his attacks. It really looked like this guy was already putting his arms up or jumping out of the way before he had a chance to do anything! Was he psychic, or something? He decided to test the man's precognitive abilities by making his punches and kicks more random. The stranger was still able to block him, but his reaction time was getting slower. Domon almost landed a blow a few times.
He then decided to step things up a bit by pretending to punch his opponent but then kicking him right in the stomach. With a loud clang, Domon's foot connected to the man's stomach, knocking him back a few feet.
That was it! Faking this guy out was the key!
"Domon!"
Rain watched from the sidelines as Domon struggled with his opponent. She tried to see who the strange man was, but he had covered his body from head to toe.
Is that the person who has been following Domon Kasshu?
Rain jumped at the sudden telepathic message. She turned to see her steel twin standing next to her, pretending to lean against her car. On the other side of her body double, Rain could see the illusory silver sea lapping up against the car's tires.
"Maybe?" Rain answered it. "Domon never got a good look at him, but...I don't know who else would follow us all the way out here!"
My network is not detecting them, so I cannot confirm if they possess DG Cells, the Dark Gundam explained. Also, I cannot use any identification programs on them unless I am physically here.
Speechless, Rain looked back at Domon, who was faring better against his mysterious enemy. Earlier, he couldn't even land a hit. Now he was constantly throwing fake punches and kicks, tripping the guy up. It sounded crazy, but she swore the stranger sometimes moved out of the way or put his hands up before Domon even started to attack him. Was he...?
...It seems as though Domon Kasshu's opponent is anticipating all of his moves, the machine finished for her.
"I...yes! That's what it looks like!" Rain answered, startled. "How did you...?"
I am examining the duel frame by frame, it explained as it watched the fight. I am noticing that the intruder is making their defensive moves before Domon Kasshu begins to attack. It turned back to her. If the intruder is indeed a cyborg as you suggest, perhaps they somehow found and downloaded the ZERO System.
Rain blinked in confusion. "...The what?"
My creator uses a separate laptop for when he needs to access the military's network. He does not seem to realize that I can access this laptop as long as he leaves it on and does not turn off its WiFi. It is in this way that I may access government and military databases. One of these databases contained discontinued mobile suit projects, one of which was called the "Zoning and Emotional Range Omitted System," or ZERO System. It would increase the pilot's response time and allow them to calculate their opponent's next moves.
"That sounds too good to be true. How come it was discontinued?"
As you just said, it was "too good to be true." The vast majority of human brains cannot calculate that much data at once. As a result, almost all of the test subjects suffered severe mental breakdown. Hypothetically speaking, however, if someone with cybernetic brain implants or even a CPU were to use it...
"...They might be able to use it without going crazy!" Rain cried. "Well, whether they're using it or just really good at guessing, I've gotta help Domon!"
Rain grabbed the keys out of her car and opened the trunk. Due to the circumstances, she didn't bring any weapons. But if she could just find the tire iron, that would be good enough.
She suddenly felt a sharp, icy sting on her shoulder. Startled, she jumped back. The Dark Gundam's avatar was standing next to her with its hand on her shoulder. Much like her earlier hallucinations, its hand was going through her shoulder in places, but the chill was real.
You should not interfere in Domon Kasshu's fight, Rain Mikamura.
"Look, I know you don't like Domon, and you'd probably love to see him get beaten to a bloody pulp," Rain snapped, "but I'm not gonna let that happen! I'm gonna save him and teach that guy a lesson!"
I may not care for your romantic partner, but my concern is your safety, her twin explained. If the intruder is truly using the ZERO System, then they may already know that you will interfere. They may then take you hostage.
Rain paused. She didn't want to admit it, but it did have a point there. But what was she going to do? She couldn't just let Domon get beaten up by that cheating stranger...
Out in the field, Domon pretended to throw another punch at the stranger's face, but then retracted his fist and suddenly jumped to the side. With his enemy confused, Domon was able to successfully strike him across the face. Unfortunately, the guy's hat didn't come off when he did that.
Domon finally felt like he was making some headway against his opponent. Faking him out and trying to be as random as possible seemed to be working pretty good so far. There was still a long way to go, however. The mysterious stranger was extremely persistent. No matter what Domon hit him with, he always seemed to come back for more. And his metal body was also pretty durable. Domon didn't think he even so much as dented the guy yet. He was going to have to find a chink in the mystery man's armor before he wore himself out.
He decided to use a sweeping kick to the knees to knock his enemy down. He launched a few more fake punches the throw the guy off before jumping down all fours and attempting to kick the man's legs out from under him. Unfortunately, his opponent grabbed Domon by the kicking leg with both hands. He then swung the young King of Hearts like a baseball bat right into a nearby tree. The trunk slammed into Domon's stomach, knocking the wind out of him before he fell to the ground.
He coughed and sputtered as he tried to get back on his feet. He was okay, he took harder hits than this; compared to getting punched in the gut by Chibodee, this was nothing! But before Domon could even stand up, the stranger had both of his hands around his throat. The enemy lifted him high above his head and began to squeeze, trying to either strangle Domon to death or break his neck...whichever came first.
Domon tried to pry the man's hands off him, but they refused to budge. He tried to kick the stranger in the chest, but he never so much as flinched. Domon's vision started to get blurry. He felt the man's metal claws digging into his skin. He couldn't get air...he couldn't get air, he couldn't get air!
In his haze, he heard Rain's voice calling him from far away. He saw his enemy turn to look at her. Using the last of his strength, Domon swung both his feet up and kicked the distracted stranger right in the face. The man was knocked backward and was forced to let him go. Domon fell to the ground, coughing and gasping for air.
He immediately sprang to his feet and leaned on the tree for support. He looked over at Rain. She was now outside the car. No doubt she had heard him fighting, and came out to see what was going on. Since she wasn't aimlessly wandering around, it was safe to say the Dark Gundam hadn't hypnotized her. He turned back to his opponent, who was regaining his balance. What was he going to do about him? This guy was out to kill him, and his normal attacks didn't even put a scratch on him!
Well, he could always try to do the Sekiha Tenkyoken. The problem was he had never done it outside the Burning Gundam before. He had no idea if he could generate enough force like his late master did. There was also the fact that he had to stand still and recite the mantra - something he doubted his opponent would let him do.
Speaking of which, the stranger was on the move again. But this time, he wasn't charging right at him, he was running off back toward the road. Was he retreating? To his horror, Domon realized a second later that this guy wasn't running away.
"RAIN, RUN!" he roared. Thankfully, Rain was already fleeing before he started shouting. However, he knew the stranger could easily catch up with her. He knew what he had to do.
Domon put his palm out in front of him. He tried to focus his ki as fast as he possibly could.
"School of the Undefeated of the East!"
The stranger managed to catch up with Rain. She tried to defend herself with what looked like a tire iron.
"The Winds of the King!"
Unfortunately for her, the man grabbed the tire iron out of her hands and tossed it into the grass. He then began to advance on her.
"Full power!"
The strange man suddenly froze in place, as if some invisible force was trying to hold him back.
"Sekiha Tenkyo..."
The stranger got a hold of himself and was able to move again. He suddenly realized what Domon was doing and started to run off in the other direction. But Domon was able to hold back his ki long enough to move his palm. And just to be on the safe side, he pointed his arm right in the man's path rather than directly at him.
"...KEN!"
A ghostly image of Domon's King of Hearts crest on a giant palm burst forth from his hand and flew across the clearing. It carved a deep ditch into the ground as it went. The stranger ran right into the massive ki blast and was sent flying. The attack slammed into the trees, felling all but the largest ones. The man crashed into the trunk of a pine that managed to survive the onslaught and fell to the ground on his rear, seemingly unconscious. His hat fell off his head...and his left leg disconnected from his hip! Electricity crackled and sparks shot out of the exposed socket.
Breathing heavily, Domon stared in disbelief at his handiwork. "I...I did it...!" he mumbled as he lowered his arm. He had actually managed to use the Sekiha Tenkyoken without the Burning Gundam! There was a lot less fire without it, but since he was in the middle of a forest, that wasn't a bad thing.
But there were more important things to think about. "Rain! Are you okay?!" he shouted, turning back to the road.
"I'm fine!" Rain shouted back as she picked up the tire iron. "A better question is, are you okay? That guy had you by the neck!"
"I'll be okay, I've been through worse," Domon reassured her. He then turned to the fallen machine man, who was still unmoving. "Now let's see who this guy really is!"
He marched right up to the mystery man to determine just who he was and what he was. Once he got a glimpse of the guy's face, he took a step back in surprise. Was that...who he thought it was? No, it couldn't be...that guy was dead! It had to be a trick of the bad lighting out here. He was going to have to take off this guy's overcoat to get a better look at him.
But before Domon could bend down to remove the coat, the stranger's eyes began to glow red. Thin green cables shot out of his hip socket and reattached his severed leg. He grabbed his hat as he began to stand back up. Domon jumped back and took a defensive stance, fully expecting this guy to start fighting again. Fortunately, he didn't. Instead, the man jumped high into the air and disappeared.
You were correct, Rain Mikamura. That person was actually an android made out of DG Cells, the Dark Gundam told Rain.
"Is that why you were able to stop him for a second?"
When Rain had been cornered by the stranger, the Dark Gundam's avatar had materialized directly behind him. It shoved its holographic hands into his back, and his entire body locked up for a few seconds. However, he had managed to regain control and attempted to run away, only to be hit by Domon's attack anyway.
Correct. Their cells were damaged, and I could not take complete control of them. The errors I received when I tried to connect with them were the same ones as the damaged DG Cells on the drones we fought. It is more than likely that this person was connected to the drone attack, if not the one who hijacked those mobile suits.
Which, in turn, meant this guy was probably responsible for the Dark Gundam capturing her a second time. Rain shivered as she looked out into the grassy field. A second ago, the stranger had suddenly got back on his feet after seemingly being knocked out. Instead of continuing the fight, however, he escaped by leaping into the air and jumping over the tops of trees. Domon immediately chased after him into the forest. He still wasn't back yet.
"So when he attacked that cargo ship, he was trying to free you?" she asked her silver twin.
It is very likely, it replied. It is also likely that they wanted to repair themselves with newer, functional DG Cells. I do not have enough information to be certain about their motives.
Rain sighed as she turned her attention back to the field. Still no sign of Domon. She thought how the stalker fled by high-jumping away. His agility and his cloaked, DG Cell infested body really reminded her of Schwartz. It started to make her a little worried about the strange man's true identity. But no, that would be impossible; Schwartz was definitely dead. But Kyoji on the other hand...
"About Kyoji...what is he?" Rain asked. "And did you do anything to him?"
The entity referring to itself as Kyoji Kasshu is an interesting case, the Dark Gundam began. It is actually a-
"He got away!"
Rain looked up to see Domon trudging through the grass back to her. He was trying to brush leaves and twigs out of his hair and clothes.
"I didn't even get to see where he went," he continued. "He was way too fast!"
"Well, whatever the case, let's get outta here before he shows back up," Rain replied. "I know you don't like me saying this, but you're in no shape to keep fighting - not after he nearly snapped your neck!
"Oh please, Rain!" Domon scoffed. "I know you're a doctor, but I can handle myself! I wasn't in any-!"
Rain reached up and very gently touched Domon's neck. He hissed in pain, and let out a, "What was that for?!" Rain felt a slight wave of amusement coming from her mental connection to the Dark Gundam at the sight of his agony. She tried to ignore it.
"You've already got a nasty bruise there," she explained. "And just to be on the safe side, we should get some x-rays of your neck later to make sure he didn't crack any vertebrae."
"Oh, fine! Let's go," Domon sighed in frustration. "I just wish I could have finished him off when I had the chance. I know he'll be back, and who knows what he'll try next time!"
"Let's worry about that later," she said. "Anyway, let me do one more thing before we leave."
As Domon walked back to the car while trying to hide a limp, Rain turned to her metal copy.
"We're leaving now, so we need to disconnect," she told it sternly.
Before you go, have you given any thought as to my offer? it asked.
"I was a little too busy dealing with our stalker just now!" Rain groaned while rubbing her face. "Look, it's a big decision, and I can't think clearly after what just happened!"
I see. You need some more time to think it over, the avatar nodded. In that case, I will leave the offer open to you. You know how to reconnect now, so you may tell me your decision when you are ready. Or if something unforeseen were to happen.
"Like...?"
I agree with Domon Kasshu for once. I calculate an 87.7% chance that tonight's assailant will make another attempt on his life. And if that person is successful next time, what would happen to you?
"What?!" Rain's eyes widened and her jaw went slack. "N-no! Domon wouldn't lose to someone like him...!"
Honestly, Rain had gotten so used to Domon having close calls and getting out of tight scrapes that she no longer entertained the idea of him getting seriously hurt, let alone killed. She knew he wasn't invincible, but the thought of him dying almost seemed absurd. Yet only a few minutes ago, somebody nearly strangled him to death. What would she have done if the stranger succeeded?
Perhaps the Dark Gundam could sense her doubt, because its avatar smirked at her and nodded. In case you ever need me for something, you may contact me at any time. For now, good night. The doppelganger bowed before disappearing. Rain felt her body become warm again.
She ran to the car as she tried to get the unpleasant image out of her head. As she got to the door, she noticed that the silver sea illusion had disappeared along with the Dark Gundam's avatar. Domon was already in the passenger's seat, waiting for her and continuing to pretend he wasn't actually in pain. Rain jumped in the driver's seat, started the engine, and drove in the opposite direction that the stranger went. Looks like they were going to have to stay at a hotel again tonight.
They rode around in silence for a little while before Domon finally asked, "So, did the Dark Gundam know that guy?"
"No, it didn't," Rain answered. "He's a rogue android. So why he has a problem with us is anyone's guess."
"You actually believe what it said?"
"Kind of. The Dark Gundam showed me its network, and I was the only one on it. It also tried to take control of the man when he attacked me. He froze up for second before he broke free."
Domon shifted uncomfortably. She couldn't tell if it because of pain, or something else.
"It said that his DG Cells were damaged, and it couldn't connect," Rain continued, "and that it was the same error it got from the DG Cells on those stolen Busshi. So whoever this guy is, he's probably connected to the attack on the Dark Gundam's cargo ship. He might even be the one who orchestrated the whole thing!"
"Maybe. The guy is definitely smarter than a regular DG Cell zombie." Domon's voice seemed to trail off.
"Yes, and he downloaded something to make himself smarter," Rain said. "The Dark Gundam said that with the way he was predicting your attacks, he might have been using a program called the 'ZERO System.'"
"The ZERO System?" Domon sat up. "I think I've heard of that!"
"You have?"
"Yeah...I think my father said something about it before a long time ago. It was supposed to make mobile suit pilots and Gundam Fighters practically psychic! But then he never mentioned it again, and I pretty much forgot about it. That thing was real?"
"I guess so. The Dark Gundam said it made its test pilots go insane, so they scrapped it. The human brain couldn't handle it. But now that DG Cells exist, and can replace a person's brain tissue with nanotech..."
"...It could actually work this time!" Domon buried his face in his palm and grumbled angrily about fighting psychic cyborgs and what could possibly be next.
Rain decided to change the subject. "Speaking of that strange man, did you ever get to see what he looked like?"
Domon shifted again. "No, not really," he said. "It was too dark to get a good look at him. And he never said anything, so I never got to hear his voice."
"Oh, that's a shame," Rain said. "Well, whoever he was, I hope his DG Cells are damaged enough so that he stops functioning, and we never have to deal with him again!"
"Yeah, I wish," Domon said glumly. "I wouldn't bet on it, though."
As they stopped at a traffic light, it was his turn to change the subject. "Did the Dark Gundam say anything else?"
"Well, yes...it did," Rain sighed glumly. "It told me it wants me to be its pilot."
"We already know that," Domon snorted. "It's used you as its life unit twice already!"
"No, it's a bit different than last time," Rain replied. "I think it wants me to directly control it during battles, or something. It said it wanted me to make it stronger."
"Make it stronger...that's the last thing we need," the young King of Hearts rolled his eyes. "But what does that mean? Does it want you to become its Gundam Fighter, or something?"
"I don't know. I have no idea what's going on in that processor of its," Rain muttered.
"Not like it matters, anyway. It's stuck inside a military base," Domon shrugged. "Hopefully they'll get rid of it, and we'll never have to worry about it again."
"Yeah, I hope so." Rain decided leave out the part about the Dark Gundam's "compromise" proposal. There was really no point in getting Domon upset about something that would probably never happen. Besides, she wasn't sure what to think of it herself.
Once they found themselves a new hotel to stay at, Rain immediately tended to Domon's wounds. The stranger had left two large hand-shaped bruises around the Gundam Fighter's throat as well as deep gashes from where his metal nails dug into his skin. Rain also found a few tiny red spots in Domon's eyes.
She sat him down in a chair and order him to keep his head as still as possible. She then took out her syringe of anti-nanomachine resin from her pocket and mixed small amounts of it with saline from her first aid kit. She applied some of the mixture to the gashes on Domon's neck. It itched, but he was told not to scratch. After that, Rain took out a clean syringe and injected some of the mixture into his arm. This was just in case any of the stranger's DG Cells made their way into his blood stream. Afterward, she placed some cold packs on his bruises. She told him that if he felt sick, or had any difficulty swallowing or breathing, he needed to let her know immediately. He was glad she didn't have a neck brace handy; otherwise he'd be in one!
Rain also told him that they would have to contact his father again, and let him know about their latest encounter with the rogue infectee. She was also seriously thinking about contacting the local police, now that they knew their stalker was hostile and violent. Domon felt incredibly embarrassed. Yes, his opponent had multiple unfair advantages including being a machine and having a program installed that let him predict the immediate future. Yes, Domon learned to use his greatest technique outside of his Gundam and ultimately won the fight. It didn't matter; he still felt ashamed that the stranger was able to get a few nasty cheapshots in. Then again, he always felt that way when an opponent roughed him up. As the King of Hearts, he felt like he should be nigh invincible, like his late master was. That was impossible of course, but his pride refused to let him feel differently. He still allowed Rain to continue poking and prodding at him, however. He was just glad she was alright; the mystery man didn't lay a finger on her, and she hadn't been hypnotized by the Dark Gundam.
He felt a little nauseous when he thought about the latter. If he understood Rain's story correctly, the Dark Gundam was the reason the stranger froze in his tracks. Not only did it end up stopping him from attacking Rain, it also bought Domon enough time to finish his mantra. The thought of being indebted to the Dark Gundam of all things sickened him. He reassured himself that it only defended Rain because it wanted her in its cockpit, and stalling the mysterious stalker long enough was just a coincidence. Nothing more, nothing less.
And as for that stranger, well...Domon really hoped it wasn't who he thought it was. Granted, it was pretty dark, and he could have easily been mistaken. But if he was right, that meant one of his worst enemies just came back from the dead.
He decided not to tell Rain about it for now. No need to get her upset when he didn't even know the man's identity for certain. Still, he was going to have to watch his back from now on.
Elsewhere, the stranger slowly staggered into the large cavern where he was hiding his pilfered mobile suits. He leaned up against the leg of a random Busshi as he fought off the errors that were bombarding his CPU. With unsteady hands, he slowly scaled the giant mech, digging his claws into its armor to keep from falling to the floor. After several minutes, he made it into the Busshi's cockpit. Here, he unplugged some wires from the console and shoved them into his body. The power surge aided his broken cells in repairing the damage done by tonight's battle.
He stared into space, frustrated. He almost had the Gundam Fighter right where he wanted him. He was about to take his girlfriend hostage when a certain invisible presence stopped him. A presence he knew all too well. The Dark Gundam tried to establish a connection directly to his mind again. It didn't make a lasting connection, but he could still hear it ordering him not to harm Rain. How did it even know he was there? Was it the girl? Did it still have a connection to her? Whatever the case was, it delayed him long enough to cost him the fight. There was a lot of irony in the Dark Gundam accidentally helping Domon Kasshu, but he was too aggravated to think about it now.
He mused over what to do next. Obviously, he wasn't in good enough shape to challenge Domon directly, even with the ZERO System to guide him. He considered finding out where the Gundam Fighter lived and having a drone blow up the building. Then again, where would he have the drone lie in wait without being noticed? And then there was the fact that if Domon survived and escaped, he'd have that infernal Burning Gundam breathing down his neck. Even with their ZERO System upgrade, he didn't think his squadron would stand a chance against it.
Well, maybe it was possible to take on the Burning Gundam and win. He just needed the right strategy...and a much better mobile suit!
