Gundam AGE: Memoria of Eden
Chapter two: Gundam and Vox
Cover Image: Zeheart piloting the Zedas R as he faces of Asemu in the Gundam AGE-1 and Madoka in the Vox Aura.
Madoka entered the school building, remembering that she had forgotten to pick up some forms and there, she saw Laffinty looking at the Jersey Club's form on the bulletin board.
"So you want to join?" Madoka approached Laffinty with a smile on her face, thinking that the silvery blue haired girl would join her club.
"Yes." Laffinty replied calmly, having been interested in the Jersey Club for a while.
"I knew it!" Madoka grabbed both of Laffinty's hands, excited that the Jersey Club had a new member. "Let's do this! I knew at a glance that we'd get along great!" The hyperactive brunette smiled at the silvery blue haired girl. "You're so kind! You even tracked me down just to return my uniform! And that swimsuit of yours means you're ready to rescue people anytime!"
"This is my uniform." Laffinty corrected Madoka's earlier statement about the clothes she was wearing.
"Your uniform?" Madoka found it hard to believe that Laffinty's clothing was her uniform, still thinking it was a swim suit of sorts.
"It's my duty to wear it at all times when I'm on a mission." Laffinty explained her attire to Madoka in a calm and business-like manner.
"Wow, you sound smart!" Madoka was dumbfounded by Laffinty's choice of words, likening them to a secret agent's introduction. "I thought you were a comrade, but maybe you're already a higher rank than me."
"What's a comrade?" Laffinty was curious about Madoka's definition of an ally, seeing how emotionally charged Madoka was only interested her more.
"Two friends who tread forth with a singular determination!" Madoka explained her idea of what a comrade was to Laffinty, and that led her mind to thoughts of her childhood friend. "Asemu and I are comrades, but… I really wish he would see us as something more…" The hyperactive brunette blushed slightly as she played with her fingers.
"Like lovers?" Laffinty recognized Madoka's body language as a sign that she was in love with Asemu.
"F-Forget what you just heard!" Madoka's blush intensified as she waved her hands frantically, realizing what she had just said. "Become my comrade! If you run into any kind of trouble, I'll help you out one hundred percent!"
"Very well." Laffinty pounded her fist to her hand before holding it out to Madoka. "We're comrades then. I'm Fin E Ld Si Laffinty." The silvery blue haired girl introduced herself to the hyperactive brunette.
"Oh, is that your name?" Madoka found the silvery blue haired girl's name somewhat odd, so she immediately assumed that she was a foreigner. "You're not from around here, are you?"
"Call me Lan." Laffinty smiled at Madoka, knowing how confusing her full name was, she gave the hyperactive brunette her nickname.
"I'm Madoka Kyouno." The hyperactive brunette introduced herself to Laffinty, excited that she had just gained a club member and comrade. "Pleased to meet you! All right! Now there's three of us!"
"I have a question, Comrade." Laffinty kept in mind that Madoka promised to help her comrades with anything at all. "There is one thing I've been having trouble with."
"What is it? C'mon, let me help you out!" Madoka offered her assistance excitedly.
"Can you pilot a robot?" Laffinty asked calmly, despite her favour being a huge and dangerous one.
"Eh?" Madoka didn't know what to say, she knew that she agreed to help her comrades with anything, but Laffinty's favour made no sense to her.
Asemu made it to the Mini MS Parts Shop, hoping to find the component for their mobile suit, only to find out that it was no longer available.
"No way! You sold it?!" The blonde student was surprised, thinking that he could purchase the part.
"Yeah, just now actually." The shopkeep, a lazy looking man with messy brown hair and a stubble wearing a green apron told Asemu what happened. The man then picked up the tablet on the desk.
"I didn't think anyone else would be enough of a geek to buy that." Asemu placed his hand behind his head, wearing a confused expression. The blonde student thought that Mini MS battling was an obscure hobby and that the part would be readily available as a result.
"It was a guy about your age with long silver hair wearing a red coat." The lazy looking man told Asemu about Zeheart's earlier visit. "I've never seen him around before, though."
"Long silver hair and red coat?" Asemu thought for a bit before remembering that he passed by Zeheart on the way to the shop and how he fit that unusual description. "Him?"
After he was sure that Zeheart got the signal, Daz commanded his team of two Dorados to head for Kamogawa to begin the diversionary attack operation in order to ascertain the strength of city's fighting forces.
Asemu walked away from the Mini MS Shop with his head down, disappointed that the part he needed was sold.
"Well, that's that. We'll make do with what we have for the competition." Asemu then, he heard siren like noise. "That's the emergency evacuation alarm."
"Look! Over there!" A female civilian pointed towards the sky as she saw two objects flying at a high speed, leaving a gust of wind in their wake.
Asemu covered his face to protect himself from the wind and when it was over; he looked up and noticed that the flying objects were two Dorados that were heading towards the suburbs.
"That's… the Vagan!" Asemu was shocked to see enemy mobile suits on Kamogawa.
The female civilian heard what Asemu had said. "But how? Kamogawa is protected by Pharos, so they said that the Vagan would never attack us!" She panicked as she saw the Dorados.
"Was that a lie?!" One of the onlookers shouted, consumed by doubt and fear of the impending attack, he then noticed where the Dorados were headed. "They're headed for the residential area!"
Asemu felt that he had to do something and that he couldn't just stand there and let the Vagan hurt the citizens of Planeptune, the blonde student then thought of what Flit had told him the previous night.
"Listen, Asemu." Flit's words echoed in Asemu's mind. "If anything happens, you need to protect everyone from the Vagans." His Father's words gave the blonde student the resolve and told him exactly what had to be done and with that, he got on his motorcycle and rode to the residential area.
Laffinty and Madoka were taken to Pharos, a large base that stood in the middle of the ocean. When the two arrived, the energetic brunette awestruck, seeing a structure like this so near Kamogawa was too much for her to take in.
"This was just sitting here offshore?" Madoka was shocked, never had she seen a structure of such magnitude in her life.
"No, it had to sail here." In contrast to Madoka's shock Laffinty spoke about the Pharos like it was nothing surprising.
"Sail? It's a ship?!" Madoka's was even more shocked, finding out that Pharos was actually a ship. The energetic brunette had read about the Federation's Diva Class ships, but even those paled in comparison to the sheer size of the "island."
"This way." Laffinty kept her nonchalant attitude as she led Madoka to a silver coloured fighter jet with a curved design and violet glass on the wings.
"That's the robot?" Madoka eyed the fighter jet, whenever she heard the word "robot" she associated it with mobile suits, mainly her personal favourite, the G-Bouncer.
"Yes." Laffinty answered Madoka's question calmly as they stood before the fighter jet.
"I was expecting it to be… you know… on two legs and stuff." Madoka's expectation for a mobile suit persisted, but as soon as she took a closer look at the fighter jet, the energetic brunette was impressed by its appearance. "It's pretty though." The Jersey Club President then noticed something strange about the machine. "Huh?" She approached the robot and took an even closer look. "This looks familiar."
Laffinty just stood there, as if she was waiting for something special to happen.
Madoka felt the sudden urge to touch the fighter jet and when she placed her hand over it, a green light flashed in her mind as memories of her childhood self, drowning and seeing the very same robot in the ocean, only the machine was green instead of silver.
"What was that?" Madoka stepped back and was brought to her knees by the shock. At that moment; she felt the fighter jet link with her memories.
Laffinty and Madoka then heard the Pharos' alarm, signifying the Vagan attack on Kamogawa led by Zeheart.
"Vagan…" Laffinty knew exactly who was responsible for the recent attack, knowing that it was only a matter of time before they attacked Kamogawa.
"Vagan!?" Madoka was shocked and horrified to hear that Earth's most bitter enemy had landed on the peaceful city of Kamogawa.
"Long ago, you made a promise with the Vox Aura." Laffinty spoke as if destiny itself was dependent on Madoka's actions and her choice regarding the machine. "That someday, if necessary, you would unite your hearts as one. As comrades."
"Comrades…" Madoka looked back at the Vox Aura, but then, a thought crossed her mind, the Jersey Club president thought about how people were fighting to protect Kamogawa as they spoke.
"The enemy believes that this robot holds immense power." Laffinty quickly ascertained the reason behind the Vagan attack and why they chose Kamogawa.
"Lan… Who are you?" Madoka was now curious about Laffinty's true identity, seeing that no normal girl would know so much about robots and the Vagan attack.
"Le Garite has sent me to protect you and that robot." Laffinty spoke of her supposedly urgent mission with an extreme sense of calmness to her tone. "Sent me… From space."
"From space?! You mean you're-" Madoka looked like she was seriously shocked, but then the comical side of her personality resurfaced. "Take-me-to-your-leader!" The Jersey Club President mimicked a classical alien's voice.
"Yes." Laffinty pointed at Madoka as if her ridiculous accusation held merit.
"You said that I would become this robot's comrade when the time came, right?" Madoka approached the Vox Aura and she placed her hand over it, when suddenly, an important memory came to her mind in the form of Yoko's words.
"Asemu is an Asuno, one day he will join the Federation like his father, Flit Asuno." Yoko looked at Madoka, knowing that her attachment to her childhood friend could lead her to more sadness. "Because we're at war with the Vagans, there's a chance that you'll never see him again."
"I'll do it!" Madoka spoke with a newfound resolve, she knew her childhood friend's fate and she was determined to preserve the life they shared together. "Asemu will fight and I'll fight by his side! I'm not the girl that just followed him around anymore." The Jersey Club president remembered how she had always depended on the Asuno heir for support. "I will protect him and everyone else!"
Madoka entered the Vox Aura and she struggled to grasp the controls, but she didn't give up, not when the lives of everyone she loved was at stake, learing along the way, she flew to the coordinates that were detected by the Pharos database.
The two Dorados made their way to the residential area and laid waste to many of the houses, most of the structures having been burned or reduced to rubble, just then, a team of two Shalldolls, green and white mobile suits with blue visors armed with a shield and rifle led by a single Genoace II, fired at the Vagan mobile suits.
Asemu was driving his motorcycle to the residential area and he used his headset to try to contact people from the combat zone but to no avail.
"It's no use, I can't get through." The blonde student stopped his contacting attempts and rode through the flames to reach his destination.
The Genoace and hits team of two Shalldolls bravely fought to defend what was left of the residential area, firing at the incoming Dorados.
One of the Dorados charged at a Shalldoll and activated its beam saber and once it was close enough, the Vagan mobile suit cut down its opponent.
The second Dorado activated both its beam sabers and leapt into the air, landing right in front of the other Shalldoll and decapitating it.
Asemu made it to the Asuno Family estate and luckily, the house remained unscathed and there was no sign of the Dorados yet.
"Asemu!" Vargas stepped out of the storehouse, relieved that his great-grandson was safe.
"Vargas!" Asemu answered his great-grandfather, glad to see that he was safe as well. "Where's Unoa and Mom?" The blonde student asked the old man about his sister and mother.
"Don't worry! They took shelter under the house." Vargas confirmed Unoa and Emily's safety. "Asemu, if you're here, then…"
"Yes, I'll pilot the Gundam!" Asemu gave Vargas a determined look, knowing what he had to do, knowing that he had to save the people of Kamogawa and that fighting the Vagan was the best way, as he resolved to risk everything for the sake of his beloved city, he saw his life flash before his eyes, but the most vivid images were those of the times he spent with his childhood friend and the loving smile she always gave him. "I… I have to protect Madoka!"
Asemu walked into the storehouse and he climbed into the Gundam AGE-1's cockpit and Vargas typed in the command for the roof of the storehouse to open up.
"I've already begun the activation process. There's no problem with the system or the drive." The old man spoke to Asemu about the Gundam AGE-1. "The Gundam's performance is much higher than when Flit used it."
"Got it." Asemu nodded in response, understanding what Vargas had said, the blonde student was ready to pilot the Gundam AGE-1.
"I'm removing the lock parts." Vargas typed in the command to remove the components that bound the Gundam AGE-1.
"Dad isn't here right now. I have to protect everybody. Destroy the Vagans, and protect everyone!" While inside the cockpit, Asemu took the AGE device out of his pocket, the blonde student turned pilot placed the gadget onto the activation slot and the controls of the Gundam AGE-1 started to glow. "Now stand, Gundam!" The pilot made the mobile suit stand up and the machine's eyes glowed.
"Be careful, Asemu!." Vargas appeared on the Gundam AGE-1's screen, warning his great-grandson
"I know!" Asemu answered Vargas, feeling ready to protect the city and defeat the Vagans. "Let's go!" The blonde pilot activated the mobile suit's boosters and headed towards the battlefield.
The Genoace II managed to lead the Dorado's away from the residential area and onto a field, but the first Vagan mobile suit fired at the enemy with its beam Vulcans and the second one attacked from behind and cut the Federation mobile suit's head in half.
Another Genoace II, piloted by a middle-aged man, was ready to face both Dorados, despite the odds being stacked against him.
The Gundam AGE-1 entered the battlefield and saw the two Dorados about to attack the Genoace II.
Zeheart, who was hiding in the nearby forest in his Zedas R, a black and red bat-like mobile suit with wings, dark yellow claws and a sword tail, saw the Gundam AGE-1.
"So that's the Gundam?" Zeheart zoomed into get a better look at the mobile suit's features. "I did not expect to see it here." Zeheart contacted his ally about the change in plans. "Daz. The Gundam has appeared. We'll regroup and attack him."
"Yes, sir." Daz nodded in acknowledgment, the scarred man was ready to carry out the white haired pilot's orders.
"Why is the Gundam here?" The Genoace II pilot was shocked at seeing Asemu on the battlefield.
"I'm Asemu Asuno, the son of Flit Asuno, the commander of Big Ring! I'll support you!" The Gundam Pilot appeared on the Genoace II's screen, the blonde student offered backup to the middle-aged man.
"Asemu Asuno?" Zeheart overheard the conversation he picked up the radio signal; the white haired pilot didn't recognize that name, even after studying the Federation's registry list extensively.
"I'll help you take them out!" Asemu noticed that the Dorados were getting ready for their next attack; the blonde student thought that if they worked together, they could finish quickly.
"What are you talking about?" The Genoace II pilot didn't want to involve Asemu with a military matter, feeling that he was endangering an innocent life. "Civilians must evacuate, now!"
The Genoace II pilot took out his beam saber and tried to attack one of the Dorados, but the Vagan mobile suit cut the enemy's arm off and grabbed the Federarion mobile suit before tossing it aside.
Asemu was shocked to see a Federation soldier defeated so easily, no doubting his chances at winning.
"I have to do this! I have to protect everyone!" Asemu resolve strengthened when he thought about his family and his childhood friend, Madoka, he then charged at the two Dorados, determined to defeat them or die trying. "I can do it too!" The blonde pilot took out the Gundam AGE-1's beam saber and slashed at the Vagan mobile suits, but his clumsy attacks failed to hit.
"Damn it! I'll beat them no matter what!" Asemu took out a second beam saber and crossed both swords.
Vargas, who drove up on a hill in his truck, saw Asemu's unique new fighting style.
"Oh, he's dual wielding?" The old man was impressed by his great-grandson's fighting style.
Asemu made another unsuccessful slash at one of the Dorados and the other Vagan mobile suit tackled the Gundam AGE-1 to the ground and activated its beam saber, determined to take the enemy down.
Asemu yelled out and hit the Dorado with the back of the Gundam AGE-1's head. Getting back on his feet and taking his two beam sabers out once more.
"Calm down, Asemu!" Vargas appeared onscreen to warn the blonde pilot of his errors.
"That's right. Calm down. Calm down, Asemu!" The blonde student spoke to himself as he thought of Vargas's words.
The first Dorado charged at Asemu with its beam saber activated, but now that the blonde student was calm, the attack was blocked easily.
"Go!" Asemu used his second beam saber to attack the Dorado, the blonde pilot slashed at the Vagan mobile suit.
The Dorado parried the beam saber with its forearm mounted Electromagnetic shield, but the force knocked the Vagan mobile suit down.
Asemu was about to finish the first Dorado off, when the second one pushed the Gundam AGE-1 away in order to save its ally.
"Damn you!" Asemu struggled to get up so that he could defeat the Dorados, the blonde student cursed as he activated his mobile suit's boosters, getting up and the force covered the area in a cloud of dust. The Vagan mobile suit couldn't see a thing and the Gundam AGE-1 ambushed the enemy and cut its arm off before stabbing it on the face, causing his opponent to explode with its arm and beam saber sticking out of the ground.
The second Dorado waited for Asemu outside the dust cloud, and was noticed by the blonde student.
"One more!" the Gundam Pilot took the dismembered arm of the other Vagan mobile suit and slashed his opponent in two, resulting in an explosion. Now exhausted, Asemu took deep breaths. "It's over. Did I win?"
Asemu did it!" Vargas cheered, happy that his great-grandson had prevailed, the old man smiled and sat back, feeling that he could relax.
Asemu noticed the yellow beam, but before it could hit him, he crossed his two beam sabers and blocked the attack, but getting knocked back by the blast.
"He blocked it?!" Daz deactivated the stealth field of his Dorado that he had kept hidden during the battle, holding his tail rifle over his shoulder, shocked that his attack didn't work.
"You!" Asemu spotted the Dorado, frustrated that there were more enemies, the blonde student activated his beam saber, prepared to fight Daz.
Daz activated his own beam saber, prepared to fight Asemu as well and to avenge his two fallen comrades, the scarred man made the first move, slashing at the Gundam AGE-1.
Asemu ducked to avoid the blade and he lunged forward to stab Daz, only for the scarred man to dodge the attack easily.
Daz prepared to strike Asemu again, but his beam saber was blocked by the Gundam AGE-1's. The scarred man disengaged and struck again, only for the blades to clash once more.
Daz outmanoeuvred Asemu and grabbed the Gundam AGE-1's face before pushing it away and knocking the beam saber out of the enemy mobile suit's hand.
Asemu was on the ground, with his beam saber knocked away, but still activated, the blonde student tried to recover when he saw that Daz was above him, preparing for the final strike. "This is it, Gundam!" The scarred man yelled out, ready to finish off his opponent.
"Not yet!" Asemu picked up his beam saber in a reverse grip and sliced the hand of Daz's Dorado off, destroying the power distribution wires, the resulting overload causing the hand to explode mid-air.
Daz lept backwards to avoid the explosion, seeing the onscreen warning that the Dorado's right arm was overloading, he ejected the arm and tossed it aside, setting off the explosion. "Damn, I let my guard down!"
"I'll finish this now!" Asemu knew that he had the upper hand; he was now determined to put an end to the Vagan attack, but before he could attack Daz, Zeheart slashed him from behind in his Zedas R, effectively disarming him. "Another one?"
After seeing that his attack had little effect, Zeheart was visibly frustrated. "Damn. Too shallow." The white haired pilot knew that if he had focused, the Gundam AGE-1 could have been defeated.
"Master Zeheart!" Daz called out as he activated the beam saber on his Dorado's left arm and charged at the Gundam AGE-1. "I've got you!"
Asemu tried to activate the Gundam AGE-1's boosters, but the damage done by Zeheart's attack caused the propulsion to overheat, knocking the mobile suit down, but luckily it was because of that, the Daz failed to finish him.
"What?!" Daz was sure that he would finish off the Gundam for good, but the lucky malfunction in Asemu's boosters gave the blonde pilot a lucky dodge.
"Go!" Asemu got back on his feet and he picked up his beam saber, the blonde student quickly stabbed the neck of Daz's Dorado, he then deactivated his weapon and stepped back from the damaged mobile suit.
The Dorado fell to the ground, but luckily, Daz managed to open the hatch and run to safety before the mobile suit exploded.
Asemu's breathing got heavy, now even more exhausted from the battle, but before he could do anything, Zeheart knocked the Gundam AGE-1 to the ground.
"I won't kill you, but you need to stay put!" The white haired pilot said, not wanting to kill a civilian, he activated his beam saber to a dagger's length, so that he could disable the mobile suit without harming the blonde student.
Just as Zeheart was about to finish off the Gundam AGE-1, the Vox Aura crashed into the Zedas R, knocking it back several meters.
"I won't let you hurt anyone on Kamogawa! You hear me, Vagan!" Madoka yelled out as she transformed Vox Aura into its humanoid form midair.
"What the!?" Zeheart was shocked, he did not expect the Vox Aura to make an appearance, but before he could process the new event, Asemu got up and picked up his beam sabers.
"I'm not done yet!" Asemu charged at the Zedas R with his beam sabers, determined to end the battle once and for all.
"I'm gonna kick your butt!" Madoka entered a fighting stance, ready to take on the Zedas R.
After recovering, Zeheart activated both the Zedas R's beam sabers, intent on fighting both the Gundam AGE-1 and the Vox Aura, but before any of them could make a move, Three Genoaces were seen entering the battlefield.
"Federation Forces mobile suits! Damn, did we take too much time?" Zeheart kicked the Vox Aura to the Gundam AGE-1 before retreating and transforming the Zedas R into a fighter-like flight mode, flying away from the combat zone.
Asemu and Madoka recovered and saw the Zedas R fly away, both thinking that the battle was over.
"H-He's running away." Asemu let out a tired sigh, now exhausted from having to fight four Vagan mobile suits.
"We did it!" Madoka cheered, though her first fight in the Vox Aura was short, she managed to save the Gundam and force the enemy to retreat. "Success!" The Jersey Club president moved her machine's finger in a circular motion.
"M-Madoka?!" Asemu was completely shocked, he recognized that success sign as his childhood friend's habit and was unable to believe that she had become a pilot.
"Asemu, Head for the Federation's base!" Vargas appeared onscreen and commanded his great-grandson to retreat to a safer location.
"R-Right!" Asemu exited the battlefield, still in shock about Madoka's presence and that fact that he had to fight the Vagan.
"H-Hey! Don't just ditch me like that!" Madoka yelled before pouting, finding the Gundam Pilot very rude for leaving unannounced.
A few hours later, Zeheart and Daz made it back to their makeshift headquarters after their run in with Asemu in the Gundam AGE-1 and Madoka in the Vox Aura. The white haired pilot was reporting his progress to his superiors on his laptop and Daz was awaiting the verdict.
"Roger." Zeheart replied to the superior before exiting the video messenger and reviewing Asemu's file, having had an exhausting day, the white haired pilot sat back and relaxed.
"I apologize, Master Zeheart." Daz, who was standing next to the white haired pilot, felt bad that he had lost two soldiers to the Gundam, thinking that if he had been more careful, the operation wouldn't have failed.
"It's wasn't your fault. It just means that we can't underestimate the power of the Gundam and the appearance of the Vox was unexpected…" Zeheart read the files on his laptop as he answered Daz.
"What does Downes HQ have to say?" Daz asked about the reply to Zeheart's report to their superiors, waiting for his next orders.
"At present, due to the many concurrent operations, they apparently don't have any backup forces to send us." Zeheart faced his laptop once more, further reviewing the data he had found, the white haired pilot then stood from his seat and walked towards the window. "The plan to capture the technology on Pharos is on hold. Until arrangements to extract us are in place, we are to collect information on the Earth forces."
"Intelligence gathering?" Daz was confused; he did not know that the priority of their mission could shift into something so different from their initial goal.
"It's just a fancy way of telling us to stand by. And we no longer know the location of the Gundam." Zeheart looked out the window and sighed, the white haired pilot closed his eyes, thinking about how close they were to defeating the Gundam AGE-1.
"What should we do about Asemu Asuno?" Daz thought about the Gundam's pilot and the losses they suffered thanks to him.
"Leave him be. Though he's the son of Flit Asuno, he's just a student. I doubt he has access to classified military information." Zeheart turned around to answer Daz's question, not wanting to involve innocent civilians in their operation. "By the way… you made sure that the civilians were evacuated before the attack, right?"
"Understood." Daz replied, understanding Zeheart's orders and their new objective. "I checked the casualties, and all of them were soldiers, no civilian was harmed."
"I must assume the identity of a student as well." Zeheart closed his eyes once more, steeling himself for his latest assignment. "As much as I hate to do it."
The next day at the Suzie Muscovy school, class was starting and the teacher, a middle-aged woman with short blonde hair and red lipstick, dressed in a dark pink blazer, had a very important announcement to make, standing beside her, was Zeheart, who was now dressed in a school uniform.
"Everyone, be quiet." The Teacher silenced her students so that she could introduce the newcomer, the girls in the class were blushing, clearly attracted to the Vagan spy and Asemu noticed something familiar. "He'll be joining your class as of today. This is Zeheart Galette. Be nice to him."
"Nice to meet you." Zeheart looked at his new classmates before greeting them politely, unsure of how to deal with them in the future.
"Huh? It's that guy…" Asemu remembered Zeheart from the time they passed each other by near the Mini MS Parts Shop, the blonde student did not expect to meet the white haired pilot in school.
In between classes, Zeheart was walking in the halls of the school, trying to familiarize himself with the institution.
"Hey!" Asemu noticed Zeheart and called out to him, the blonde student succeeded in getting the Vagan spy's attention. "You bought a mobile suit part at the parts store in town yesterday, right?" The Gundam Pilot remembered their first meeting and the shopkeep's description.
"No." Zeheart narrowed his eyes at Asemu, unsure of his intentions; the Vagan spy didn't know why the blonde student would strike a conversation out of the blue with a complete stranger.
"Oh, come on." Asemu placed his hand on his hip and smirked at Zeheart, thinking that the white haired pilot was hiding something, clearly remembering the Vagan spy. "If you bought a part like that, you must like mobile suits, right? If you like why don't you join the Mobile Suit Clu-"
"I have no idea what you're talking about." Zeheart cut Asemu off before he could finish, feeling that his time was being wasted with idle chatter. "Perhaps you mistook me for someone else.
Zeheart walked away, leaving the confused Asemu behind, the Gundam pilot didn't know why the Vagan spy would deny buying a mobile suit part.
Zeheart was sitting in class during break with his eyes closed, thinking of his mission and what he had to do for its success, and around him, his female classmates were blushing as they stared and whispered about him.
"My mission is to collect intelligence as a spy. I must stand out as little as possible." Zeheart was feeling very uncomfortable with all the stares and whispers directed at him. "Even so… why are they all watching me?!"
"Jeez, that transfer student looks out of place." Shawee Belton, a student with short brown hair and blue eyes smiled nervously as he saw just how awkward Zeheart looked in the crowd of girls.
"Is he standing out because he's not trying to stand out?" Macil Boyd, a short student with spikey green hair and red glasses had the same look on his face, feeling bad for Zeheart.
"Do you know him?" Madoka noticed that Asemu was staring at Zeheart, thinking that he may have been familiar with the Vagan spy.
"I don't really know him. I happened to see him in town." Asemu replied to Madoka's question, remembering his run in with Zeheart. "I think he bought mobile suit parts."
"Oh, really?" Shawee smiled excitedly, thinking that Zeheart would be a good addition to the Mobile Suit Club.
"He totally denied it, though." Asemu smiled nervously as he answered Shawee, finding it weird that Zeheart pretended not to know.
Madoka thought for a moment before an idea popped into her head, she had a gut feeling that Zeheart would be a perfect fit for the Mobile Suit Club.
After classes had ended, Madoka dragged Zeheart around the school, giving him a tour as part of her plan to have him join the Mobile Suit Club.
"That's the gym building, and this passage leads to the technical studies building, and around the corner over there is the general purpose building." Madoka pointed at the different buildings as she walked Zeheart around the school grounds. "The first floor has things like the cafeteria and the registrar's office."
"Why are you showing me around like this?" Zeheart asked Madoka, feeling that being approached by two strangers in one day made hi slightly uncomfortable.
"It's what I do as a member of the Jersey Club, you know, helping people around and stuff." Madoka smiled excitedly at Zeheart as she declared her club's purpose.
"Is that so?" Zeheart wasn't sure whether he could believe Madoka, seeing her club description as a little shady. "Sorry, this is the first time I've ever transferred."
"I see. Well, clubs here on Kamogawa are different." Madoka turned around to face Zeheart, still wearing her cheerful expression. "We're more than just people that like the same things, we're comrades!"
"Comrades?" Zeheart was surprised at how seriously Madoka took club activities.
"Yeah, Asemu's my only club member, but he's also part of the Mobile Suit Club!" Madoka gestured at Asemu, Shawee and Macil.
Zeheart and Madoka walked to the courtyard, where he spotted the Mobile Suit Club's garage and in front of it, he noticed Asemu, who was on top of mini mobile suit, Shawee and Macil fixing their machine.
"Hey guys!" Madoka called out to Asemu, Shawee and Macil, intent on having Zeheart join the Mobile Suit Club.
"Madoka!" Macil smiled, happy to see the Vox Aura Pilot.
"And the transfer student?" Shawee noticed Zeheart and he wasn't sure why he was following Madoka around.
"I thought I'd bring him to see the club while I was showing him around campus." Madoka smiled at her childhood friend, happy to see that he was having fun. "Why are you guys outside today?"
"We fiddled with some settings so I want to see how our mobile suit performs." Asemu smiled, glad that Zeheart decided to check out the Mobile Suit Club after all, the Gundam Pilot then showed the Vagan spy the mini mobile suit's joints.
"Hey, you wanna join the Mobile Suit Club?" Shawee spoke proudly of their previous accomplishments. "We may not look like much, but we won the Kamogawa Tournament last year!"
"We'd love to have you!" Macil thought that with Zeheart's good looks, he can attract female potential female members for their club.
"I'm not interested." Zeheart was unsure of joining, mainly because he lacked the social experience to deal with people his own age and the fact that it was irrelevant to his mission.
"But they're really cool! Just look at them!" Madoka urged Zeheart to reconsider his stance.
Zeheart observed Asemu, Shawee and Macil carefully, taking a genuine interest in the Mobile Suit club, but still very reluctant to committing himself to a group.
"You guys ready? Here we go!" Asemu smiled at Zeheart, Shawee and Macil as he typed in the commands to move the mini mobile suit. The Gundam Pilot tested the joints of his machine.
"How about it? Pretty cool, huh?" Shawee looked over to Zeheart, eager to hear his opinion.
Zeheart observed the mini mobile suit and noticed an electrical surge on the machine's right leg.
"Shut it off, now!" The Vagan spy knew that the machine would malfunction if moved.
Asemu was confused by Zeheart's warning at first, but then a surge of electricity ran through the mini mobile suit and the Gundam Pilot lost control as the machine started to move on its own, running amok with Madoka standing in its way.
Shawee and Macil fled to safety, afraid of the rampaging mini mobile suit.
"Asemu!" Madoka yelled out, concerned that her childhood friend might get into an accident.
"Run, Madoka!" Asemu tried to control the mini mobile suit, but it was still headed for the Vox Aura Pilot. The Gundam Pilot tried in vain to steer the rampaging machine away.
Madoka was like a deer in the headlights, unable to move her body, but just in the nick of time; Zeheart jumped and pushed The Vox Aura Pilot out of the way.
"Are you alright?" Zeheart made sure that Madoka was safe from the mini mobile suit before speaking to her. The Vagan spy was concerned about the Vox Aura Pilot
"Y-Yes…" Madoka thanked Zeheart for saving her, still shocked by the events.
The mini mobile suit continued its rampage with Asemu unable to assume control again.
"Shut it off, Asemu!" Zeheart shouted out as he stood up in front of Madoka, determined to help Asemu regain control.
"I'm doing it!" Asemu struggled with the rampaging mini mobile suit. The Gundam Pilot tried several commands, but to no avail.
"There's a malfunction in the module that governs the right leg joint!" Zeheart pointed out the exact point of damage on the mini mobile suit.
Asemu heard what Zeheart had said and tried saw the error in the mini mobile suit's system. "So that's it, that's what's messing up the control signals!"
"Cut all signals to the right leg!" Zeheart instructed Asemu on what to do to shut down the haywire mini mobile suit.
"I'm already doing it!" Asemu frantically typed in the commands to shut down the right leg.
"And shift all the weight to the left leg!" Zeheart continued to instruct Asemu, telling him how to stabilize the mini mobile suit.
"Then I just have to put it in a stable position and cut the power, right?" Asemu lifted his hand and pressed the buttons on the control panel with all his might, finally shutting down the haywire mini mobile suit.
"Man, that was scary." Macil was still rattled from the rampage and the near destruction of the mini mobile suit and the potential accidents and injuries.
Asemu jumped down from the mini mobile suit and rushed over to the Vox Aura Pilot. "Madoka, are you hurt?"
"No, I'm fine." Madoka was helped up by Zeheart, she then gave Asemu a reassuring smile. The Vox Aura Pilot then smiled at the Vagan spy. "Thanks to Zeheart."
"I see. I'm really sorry." Asemu apologized to Madoka for putting her in danger, regretting his actions deeply.
"It's okay, really. Don't worry about it." Madoka waved her hand and smiled at Asemu. "The Vox Aura Pilot assured her childhood friend. "Nice save, Zeheart!"
Asemu turned his attention to the Vagan spy. "Thank you, Zeheart." The Gundam Pilot expressed his gratitude towards the white haired pilot.
"It was nothing." Zeheart downplayed his achievement out of modesty, not feeling comfortable being praised by people he had just met.
Shawee and Macil inspected the mini mobile suit's right leg and noticed several scorch marks and broken wires.
"Jeez, it's completely burnt out." Macil was saddened by the bad condition the mini mobile suit's leg was in.
"The control module was too old." Shawee studied the power distribution component in the mini mobile suit's cockpit and noticed that the part was worn out and rusty.
"I really want to thank you. Thanks to you, Madoka is fine, and our mobile suit didn't get totalled." Asemu approached Zeheart and held his hand out for a handshake as a symbol of gratitude. Shawee and Macil gathered behind the Gundam Pilot to see what was going on. "I knew you knew a thing or two about mobile suits. How about you help us out?"
Madoka smiled at Asemu and Zeheart, the Vox Aura Pilot then noticed that the Vagan spy was reluctantly moving his hand, wanting Asemu, her childhood friend and Zeheart, her new friend to get along; the Jersey Club President then took both their hands and made the two pilots shake hands.
As they shook hands, Asemu smiled and Zeheart was a little confused and happy at the same time, feeling that he had just made a friend.
"There's something I forgot to tell you." Madoka grinned at Zeheart, now feeling confident enough to reveal her plan. "You're officially part of the Jersey Club, too!"
"What…?" Zeheart was confused by Madoka's sudden declaration, not knowing whether to protest or accept.
"Madoka…" Asemu sighed, knowing that once his childhood friend had something in mind, there was no stopping her and at the same time, he felt sorry for Zeheart.
Zeheart returned to the makeshift headquarters where Daz, now wearing an apron welcomed him back and heard what the Vagan spy had to say about his day.
"A club?" Daz was surprised to hear about the Moble Suit Club and Zeheart's membership.
"Yeah." Zeheart set up the laptop on the table as he crossed his arms, wearing a confused expression. "Somehow I ended up joining." The Vagan spy still didn't know why he was in a group now.
"That sounds fine." Daz poured a cup of coffee for Zeheart and paced it on the table as he chuckled. "In order to avoid suspicion, you should try to fit in as much as you can."
"You're right. At least it will keep me from getting bored." Zeheart closed his eyes and nodded, knowing that he had some downtime, the Vagan spy saw no harm in his newfound activities.
The next day, Zeheart had decided to visit the beach he had grown so fond of ever since he had arrived on Kamogawa. The cool ocean breeze, the sun that reflected beautifully on the water all painted a picture of what Second Moon lacked and what the Vagan people wished for.
"This is our Eden… this is why I fight." Zeheart etched the beautiful scenery onto his mind, as a reminder of his absolute loyalty to the Vagan cause.
"Zeheart?" Laffinty recognized the man who saved her life the other day, waiting for a chance to thank him properly for his actions.
"Laffinty?" Zeheart was a little surprised; he did not expect to see the silvery blue haired girl again and so close to the spot where they first met.
"I-I just wanted to thank you for saving me the other day…" Laffinty blushed as she played with her fingers nervously as she stared at Zeheart, her gaze unable to remain on the Vagan spy for too long.
"It was nothing…" Zeheart answered Laffinty's thanks modestly, not wanting to overplay what he saw as simply the right thing to do.
"This beach is pretty, isn't it?" Laffinty stood beside Zeheart, desperate to continue her conversation with the Vagan spy despite not knowing much about him.
"The best thing I've seen in my whole life…" Zeheart let his emotions out as he spoke of the scenery. A human raised on Earth would normally dismiss such a simple sight, but for the Vagan spy, it represented all that his people didn't have.
"S-So… are you new to Kamogawa?" Laffinty was taken aback by how sincere Zeheart sounded as he praised the simple beach, the Vagan spy was an enigma to her, he was cold, but his eyes showed kindness, he hardly smiled, but his words held sincerity, this seemed to captivate the silvery blue haired girl.
"Yes, I come from Colony Tordia in space." Zeheart gave part of his scripted background to Laffinty in order to answer her question, knowing that in order to find the Voxes; he had to achieve some level of closeness to her.
"So am I. I'm from space, too." Laffinty smiled at Zeheart, after what seemed like an awkward eternity, the silvery blue haired girl found one thing in common with the person who seemed to be the new object of her affection.
Zeheart and Laffinty glanced at each other in silence, no sound but the wind and the waves crashing against the shore. The moment he saw her smile, Zeheart felt hesitation, his mission demanded that he use the Princess of Le Garite for information, but part of him wished that they had met under different circumstances.
Flit had arranged for the Gundam AGE-1 to be moved Pharos, thinking that the Vagan would not suspect a non-Federation affiliated zone to house the Asuno Family's prized mobile suit. The Asuno Family head knew that the enemy had spies within their organization, so moving the Gundam away from the facility was an extra precaution.
"The Vagan would never think to search Pharos for the Gundam." Vargas spoke confidently about the safety of the Asuno Family's mobile suit. "The facility was good, but he wanted to be extra careful."
"Right…" Asemu was still in shock, he always piloted mobile suits for sport, but he did not expect to be piloting Flit's Gundam before he had gotten out of school. "Huh?" The Gundam pilot noticed the Vox Aura standing beside the AGE-1; he remembered that it was the machine that saved him in his battle with Zeheart the other day, but he did not recognize it as a Federation or Vagan mobile suit, so he was confused by its presence. "It's that weird mobile suit!"
"Who would have known piloting a robot had so much reading involved..." Madoka stepped into the hangar, tired after being forced to read the whole control manual for the whole night "I didn't think piloting this thing would be this hard." The Jersey Club president smiled at the Vox Aura.
"M-Madoka!?" Asemu was shocked to see his childhood friend and more shocked at the implication that she was the pilot of that strange mobile suit he had just seen.
"E-Eh!?" Madoka made one of her surprised faces when she saw Asemu on Pharos and seeing him so close to the AGE-1 and its open cockpit was even more of a surprise for her. "Asemu!?"
An awkward silence filled the hangar as Asemu and Madoka stared each other down, both unable to believe that they had both fought alongside each other against Zeheart and his subordinates. The two childhood friends may not have been prepared for their latest revelation, but one thing was for sure, Asemu Asuno and Madoka Kyouno, would stop at nothing to protect one another.
Author's notes: After a long, long wait, the second chapter is done and far longer and more action-packed than the first one! Zeheart and Asemu have the first of many of their fights and Asemu and Madoka resolve to protect each other. Lan's crush will blossom into love as the story progresses and Asemu and Madoka will realize just how much they mean to each other. Kirius, Array and Izo will appear soon and if you read Flowers of Rivalry, the fight will play out like that only better. Zeheart will see the Eden he truly wishes for once the group is complete and Muginami joins their circle of friends. Pharos will sport their own custom mobile suits and Zeheart and Asemu's friendship will play a big role in the next chapter. When the story reaches the Third Generation, characters from the recent anime, Galilei Donna will appear and Kio will be childhood friends with the Ferrari sisters and the love interest of Hozuki Ferrari, my friend introduced me to Galilei Donna last year and it fit perfectly for this story!
Now to answer my reviewer
Nivek Bledo
Thanks for the praise. I wrote them the way I felt that they would interact and I tried my best to make them feel real, flawed and as emotional as I could.
Thanks again, the relationship between the two plays a big role in their motivation and Asemu and Madoka realize that they always depended on each other.
Zeheart, having grown up in an environment devoid of beauty and nature, sees Earth as something to be cherished and the true dream of the Vagan people despite all the politics. The Vagan plan is to ascertain the nature of Pharos' lost technology and the Voxes.
Thank you more will come and Memory of Eden's sad and heart-warming charm will persist through this story.