GUNDREAD

Disclaimer: Vandread nor Gundam Wing belong to me.
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Ch7
And now I'm alone...

Heero slumped in the chair as he poured over the computer data from Wing Zero's computer systems.
The scanner data was in front of him now and waving past his eyes as he scrolled down.
The door opened to admit a woman, "You called?"
Heero turned, "Yes...Parfet."
Parfet walked over and looked at the computer screen in Heero's room, "This is all the combat data?"
"Yeah. I thought I'd look over it and try to analyze a weakness. I was hoping to have a second opinion."
"Well let me see." She responded and pulled up a chair to examine the specifications of the Heavyarms.
The two sat idle for a moment looking over the sensor data from the battle.
...And Parfet wanted to start a conversation, "Heero?"
"Hn?"
"I want to thank you for giving me advice earlier..."
Heero tapped on some keys, "Did it help?"
"Well I...had lunch with the Doc..."
"I thought I saw you two together," Said Heero and then observed, "Heavyarms has no ammo...."
"Yes well..." She said and blushed, "I just can't believe...I can't..."
"It's normal to be nervous on a first date." Said Heero, "All girls are."
"No..." She said, "I can't believe...I'm in love with him...a man at that!" She turned away in her chair, "I thought it was impossible..."
Heero made a confused face when she wasn't looking, "And that's abnormal to you? On second thought, don't answer that."
She sighed as Heero continued looking over the data.
He finished Sandrock, "Well I don't think there appear to be any sort of weaknesses on these Mobile suits. They've been all worked out. It's lucky we managed to stop them at all."
"Well," Asked Parfet, "Maybe we should upgrade some of our systems."
"We've already upgraded all the Dreads and Hibiki's Van type." Said Heero as he turned around in his chair, "I'm not sure if we can upgrade them any further than they already are."
"What about taking some of these weapons systems, like that active cloak?"
"We don't have the schematics. Only ideas." Replied Heero, "No... Wait," He raised his head, "Doesn't the Nirvana have any weaponry?"
"Not that we've been able to access." Said Parfet, "And we couldn't find any backup systems. I think there are what appear to be weapons aboard though..."
"Let's start looking." Said Heero as he left his seat.

Hours later Heero climbed down from a maintenance shaft.
"Well?" She asked.
"I could find what looks like a back-junction to a particle cannon. I think they're mounted in the arms." Heero finished as he came to the ground.
Parfet answered, "We did have weapons in there at one time...but we can't use them anymore...or we haven't found the controls-"
"They're stunned." Said Heero, "And they can probably be accessed through the commander's station on the bridge. Or Auxiliary control-"
Then Hibiki ran up, huffing and puffing.
"Hibiki, what's-"
"Heero!" Replied the pilot, "Damnit get down to the launch bay!"
"Why?"
"Two of your friends have shown up!"
Heero wasted no time in dropping everything and taking off.

When he entered the launch bay he came to a stop.
Sanding over a damaged Wing Zero were two mobile suits, one Red, one blue.
"Mercurious and Vayate."
The two Mobile suits looked down at Heero with their faceplates open.
"Well well," Said a sinister voice, "He finally showed up."
"Dorothy."
"Nice Timing Heero."
"Sally...you too?" Heero asked.
The Two Advanced Mobile suits didn't answer right away. In Mercurious's hand, clutched and fainted like a rag doll was Dita. In the other was Meia."
"Release them now." Heero commanded.
"Why?" Asked Sally, "Them?"
She released both.
"Damnit!"
Heero rushed for Dita's falling form.
How am I going to save them? Heero thought aloud.
But Wing moved for him.
One hand around the Mercuirous's leg, the other up to catch Meia in mid-air.
Heero landed as he caught Dita and collapsed to the ground.
"What?" Asked Sally and then lifted the Vayate's foot.
The Wing Gundam shifted, Brining it's mass around to use a foot and slam into the Vayate.
Sally toppled backwards and Wing landed the raised foot meters before Heero's fallen form.
Mercurious struggled to get it's leg free but the Wing Gundam stood up and tripped the Red MS.
"But...how?" Asked Sally.
Heero was a little confused for himself.
But he had no time.
He set Dita down and ran for the Wing Gundam.
The hand landed on the ground and Heero ran up the Wing Gundam's arm and leapt into the cockpit.
Machine guns installed on the new Vayate opened fire to try to stop him but were too late.
The Wing Gundam now reacted and flipped up the Gattling guns.
Both MS walked backwards in the bay before flipping down the faceplates to their cameras.
"I'll show you firepower!" Cried Sally as the Vayate moved a massive beam cannon around and locked it into the grasp of the Vayate with an audible slam.
Heero braced himself for the inevitable but gunfire rattled from his right.
He turned the Gundam's head to see Hibiki's Van type in motion.
Heero, Grateful for the distraction, raised Meia up to the cockpit and opened it to admit the unconscious girl inside.
After she was secure comfortably on Heero's lap, the door closed and the Wing Gundam was in motion.
Mercurious then swung in the discs from it's back to form a barrier.
Wing simply lifted the Variable speed beam cannon.
"Ha."
The beam fired and punctured the barrier and whipped past the Mercurious into the door.
Heero Realized his mistake and dropped his shield down as the doors once again blew open into space.
The shield was in the right spot to catch Dita.
Both enemy MS were shot into space.
"Hibiki," Commanded Heero, "Take care of her!"
"What?" She's not-"
"I said TAKE HER!"
Hibiki was hesitant for a second, grumbled and swiped up Dita from her dying position on Heero's shield and moved to one of the Van closets.
After it closed and pressurized, Heero's Mobile suit flipped in the bay and blasted out after the enemy suits in fighter mode.
No second Heero cleared the launch ramp he was under fire from the two suits.
He rolled, transformed, and lifted the rifle to target Vayate, the weaker of the two in defensive power.
"Na-ah."
The discs flew itno place to deflect the beam rifle shot.
"Damnit..." Heero cursed and flew towards the mothership with both enemies behind him.
He tapped some comm. Keys in the cockpit and spoke, "Magano, I'm under attack."
"We see that." Answered the older woman, "Anyone injured?"
"Hibiki's in the hanger with Dita. She needs attention. I need support."
"We're rushing out the Dreads. You'll need to get Meia back here if you want her outside."
"...I can manage. Just get those beam cannons working."
"The what? Heero?"
Heero cut off Magano before she could answer.
BC asked her, "What about these Beam cannons?"
"I don't know...but I think Parfet does."

Heero rolled and fired back, only to have the raw energy wash against the screens of the Mercurious.
Since the Red unit continually changed it's frequency of the shield, it was impossible to match and nullify the screen.
Heero slowed and decided to whip out the beam saber.
Mercurious took up the challenge and ignited it's own to rush at Heero.
The duelists blocked each other as Vayate rushed into position.
Then the Dreads showed up.
Dread Jura and Dread Barnette were forming up with several others as they rushed in and started harassing the Vayate.
"Oh Heero," Said Jura, "I'm waiting..."
"Shove it." Said Heero, "I'm sure Meia in my cockpit won't be too happy."
Jura went quiet.
Heero was busy avoiding getting chopped into pieces as Dorothy persisted in her strikes.
"Damnit!" Cried Heero as he was blocked, "Dorothy, what the hell do you think you're doing?"
"Why...killing you of course." She said and lashed out again.
Heero rolled and parried the clash in space, with Mercurious and Wing upside-down to one another.
Heero wisely activated the machine guns and pumped the head full of lead.
"Ah~" Wailed Dorothy as her vision was lost.
Then Heero returned upright and slashed across the Mercuious's cockpit.
The Mobil suit frizzled for a moment then exploded.
Heero winced.
"....I killed her...."
Vayate came in with a vengeance and opened fire.
Heero weathered a blast then turned and as if on instinct, aimed and fired.
The blast punctured the center of the cockpit.
Sally was dead instantly as the Vayate exploded seconds later.
"Nice going Heero." Laughed Jura.
Heero was wide-eyed.
He had killed Dorothy and Sally.
Two people who had been good friends until just recently.
What had he become?
Just then Meia stirred in his arms.

After that incident Heero left the hanger deck immediately despite efforts by Meia to ask him what happened.
"I just.....alone..." His response was and walked out.
Meia turned to Parfet for answers then.
Now Heero was in one of the more remote parts of the Nirvana.
With such a big ship there were parts abandoned by the crew, left dark or untreated by the feminine crew.
And none of the three males explored up this far either.
Heero had found solitude in one of the cargo-hold rooms much similar to Hibiki's quarters.
He was slumped up against the wall, with a laptop on his lap with a flickering screen.
A word document was open with a letter of apology.
Heero had a faraway look in his eyes, trying to reason out what words he could say to any of his friends that could rectify this mistake.
But there were no words.
For the second time in his life he experienced...regret. He didn't feel this way ever since he accidentally killed that little girl and her dog.
"How many times must I kill that little girl and her dog?"
Those words from long ago rang like a bell. He had said them just after the Eve wars...just before plunging into the water near Brussels, during the Mariemea incident.
"How many more lives must I take?" He said to himself, "Before all this is over..."
He didn't count on this. This emotion.
His intentions to enforce peace with his Gundam were not without flaws. This was one of them.
Could he have handled taking on a Preventor or even one of his friends had they tried to stand in his way?
Obviously not.
At least, without killing them.
Heero's thoughts were disturbed by a shadow walking into the darkened room.
He looked up to see Meia standing there.
The two looked at each other in minutes of prolonged silence.
"Is there something the matter?" She spoke in a crisp voice as she sat next to him.
"Yes..." he said, "I killed two of my friends today. I've never killed any of my friends before."
"...I can understand what you're going through." Said Meia, "But you did it to protect someone. Heero, were they your friends?"
"What...do you...mean?"
Meia went on, "Magano taught me the value of friendship. I never accepted it...I just disregarded it as the ramblings of an old woman. But...now perhaps they are starting to make sense."
Heero blinked and continued to look at her as she continued, "Heero...do friends try to kill one another?"
"...I don't think so..." Said Heero as he looked back to another corner of the room, "At least...not in my experience."
"In your view then," She said, "Anyone targeting you for destruction...are they enemies?"
"Yes." Heero answered reflexively.
"Then..." Meia said, "If someone you thought was your friend wanted to destroy you...would you consider that person a friend anymore?"
"...no..." Heero answered, "I don't think so..."
"Then," Meia said, "Do you still think of those people as the same ones your friends are?"
"...No..." Said Heero and reasoned, "I guess...they aren't the same people I remember. Perhaps they aren't the same friends I made years ago..."
Meia moved closer to him, "Maybe you should put this aside Heero..."
She closed the laptop.
"Come with me down to the galley...I'm sure you're hungry."
Heero stood with her and then asked, "Meia...how did you know I was up here?"
Meia smiled, "Magano told me."
Heero was starting to wonder how she knew when he observed the surveillance camera in the corner of the room.
"...Hn..."

In the galley Heero took another spoonful of Rice into his mouth.
Then he looked up and around.
He spotted Parfet and the Doctor talking in the corner of the galley, seated next to each other and laughing at a joke.
Heero smiled. Coupling...
He seemed relaxed now...not tense as he was during the Eve wars.
He had come a long way since then...
...Especially in coming out here.
Meia took her seat next to Heero, "Are you enjoying your lunch Heero?"
"Yes...thank you..." He answered and spooned another load of rice into his
mouth.
Meia smiled, "It seems that Parfet has become quite affectionate with our doctor."
"I know." Answered Heero as he took another bite of rice.
"You arranged it?"
"...sorta. I gave Parfet some counseling."
"I envy you."
Heero looked at Meia, who was playing with her spoon in her hand, "You come from a world so different from ours...and you can understand the strange things men and women can do together when they interact..."
"...I think Dita would be more jealous."
"You're right." Laughed Meia with Heero for a moment and then relaxed, "Heero...Can you...tell me...how men and women of your world react?"
Heero put down his spoon, "Well... in the society I know...men and Women...well...they each have a partner."
"Different partners?"
"Each other." Said Heero as he explained the prospect of marriage, "These two, a man and a woman, can join together in holy matrimony and become husband and wife..."
"What are you saying?" She asked, confused.
"I'm saying that...well...a man and a woman, once joined by a ceremony...live together."
"For how long?"
"...For the rest of their lives mostly. And the two of them can mate and have children."
"Is that possible?" She asked.
"...That's the normal way I understand it." Said Heero.
"So you mean," She asked, "They arrange to have their eggs fused?"
Heero almost face vaulted, "Um...men don't have eggs."
"Well then what do you have?"
Heero looked around at the table to see no one...not even Paiway or her listening devices, were present.
"We have...um...another type of reproductive...uh...cell...yeah, that joins with a woman's egg and fertilizes it so that it becomes a fetus and grows within the mother."
"You mean like Ezra?"
"...Yes," Said Heero, remembering what the Doc had told her and what Ezra told him herself, "the result is...Ezra. She is pregnant with child. That's the normal way our society reproduces."
"Must be a nuisance. Why do you do it?" She asked.
Heero tried to avoid blushing but couldn't help it, "It's the...ritual that's performed. It's highly...um...enjoyable. But normally people do not...perform his...ritual...until they're much older."
"How older?"
"Well...at least when they can sustain the child's needs. Preferably when the man of the house has a job." Said Heero.
"Ah..." She nodded, "But what about...man and man couples or woman and woman couples?"
"Such things cannot happen." Said Heero, ". That is immoral and it's very rare when I come from. A child cannot be formed with parents of the same sex, People of the same sex are generally forbidden in modern-day society."
"So you would never-"
"No. I would rather die."
"I see..." Said Meia and asked, "But what about...with me..."
"Huh?"
"Would you...join with me?" She asked.
If Heero wasn't blushing he was now.
"Would you undergo this ritual with me.?"
Heero was uncomfortable.
Fortunately an alert went off.
"I think we should get ready."

But it seemed like the attack had come.
The launch bay doors were still gone, so Heero and Hibiki had to launch from auxiliary hangers while the Dreads launched from the normal launch bay.
They were coming.
"I count thirteen units." Said Ezra, "Seven Mobile suit variants, five Maganak drones, and a spacecraft."
"So they're here." Said Magano, "Well, prepare the defenses and raise the shields."
The invisible energy grid hummed into place and the Dreads, van, and Gundam took point.
Heero was at the front of the group, and on his flank was Meia.
Approaching them were the enemies.
Four of them were the familiars- Altron, Deathsythe, Heavyarms, and Sandrock.
Clustered around Sandrock were five Maganaks. In the distance and rapidly approaching was the Preventor's cruiser, with half it's missiles spent.
Beside the Preventor cruiser were two mobile suits...A Leo and a Talgeese I model.
"Hn...I wonder who's in those suits..." Heero said aloud.
He ran through a number of people in his mind. Zechs, Catherine, Noin, Silvia noventa...and Relena...
Two of them were-
But he was forgetting one unit.
Like a bane to light, the figure at the center of the formation was a dark lavender, with glowing red eyes and a beam saber ignited at full, glowing green.
This was the Gundam Epyon. Transformed and now dangerous as two gattling
cannons sat on each shoulder, and missile packages were seen in the shield guarding the long heat whip.
There were only two people that could pilot that suit, himself included.
"That has to be Zechs."
The communications line opened, "Heero Yuy."
"Zechs." Said Heero and raised the beam rifle, "Stay away. Return to whatever place you came from. You're not wanted or needed here."
"That's too bad." Seethed the voice, "Because we have to make sure you're dead before we can give up and go home."
Heero spoke again, "This is my Home now Zechs. If you do so much as scrathc it you will suffer."
"And what do you think you can do? You and your friends are no match for us.
Why do you even try?"
Heero's heart raced for this one, "Because this is my new home...and nothing can separate me from the people or the place. No, I will die before I can let you harm them."
"Suit yourself." Said the Epyon and halted, "This is your last chance Heero. Give up, or die."
Heero had one response.
"Go to hell."

The battle commenced.
The dreads and Heero flew apart as mass firepower converged.
Heero's beam cannon went off and annihilated Quarte's dolls as they tried to converge.
Then he turned and parried a block from Quarte.
Behind him were Deathsythe and Nataku as they rushed up from Behind.
Heero turned and fired the beam rifle in their direction before flipping up the Gattlings to fire at Trowa.
Dread Jura whipped past, cannons going off as it shot past Quarte.
Dita and Hibiki combined and chose Nataku as a target and clamped both hand weapons into place.
Heero flung out his wings, flew backwards, and transformed to avoid shellfire from the Heavyarms.
He rolled, unleashing cannon fire from the nose of the new fighter.
The shield opened up portions of itself and let fly hundreds of 6mm long missiles.
The clouds homed through space and detonated around Deathsythe.
Following Heero was Meia, as she chose the Deathsythe as her target and fired.
Duo bore several hits before cloaking and getting out of there.
Quarte turned his shield to block a shot from Vandread Dita, but another blast forced him to discard the blown out remains and move.
Nataku's arms flung out at Dread Barnette, but the woman rolled out of the way.
Then she screamed as Nataku's Hydra-like tails opened fire.
Jura then appeared out of nowhere and opened fire on the tails, severing one.
Wufei turned one dragon arm and flung it out at Jura, blowing off half her fighter.
She screamed and tumbled out of the battle.

More and more Dreads were calling out in anguish as their fighters were being defeated by the vastly superior Gundams.
Magano shouted, "Parfet! Do we have those beam weapons ready yet?"
In a service tube, Parfet was crawling through the cramped spaces within and shouting, "I'm doing the best I can!"

Heero rolled again as missiles streamed past him. He transformed and turned the beam cannon at Trowa as missiles arched over his left shoulder.
Meia did a side-slip and fired into a turning Heavyarms to support Heero.
Trowa ignored several shots as they slipped past and fired the six gattling barrels.
Heero and Meia separated to dodge the shot and rolled around to fire into the Nataku.
Wufei stumbled for a moment as several shots came in from various directions.
Then he spotted Heero.
"You! You killed Sally!"
The Nataku, oblivious to all fire, opened up his beam Nagenta, "I'll make you PAY!"
Heero turned around and answered, "It was her and your fault for attempting to attack me. She paid for it, so will you."
Heero dodged one shot and then rammed his shield into the Nataku's shoulder armor as He tried to come around.
Wufei cried out in anguish at the jammed arm and then let the other one form into a dragon fang and whip at Heero.
Quick shots from Meia detonated and severed the flying fang.
Wufei moved then, swinging out the open arm to hit Heero.
He missed thrice before several shots from a trio of Dreads melted the Nataku in several places, also taking off the arm Heero had jammed.
The Nataku, or what was left, floated backward.
Heero looked at the remains before turning and blocking Duo.
Wufei floated for a moment before saying on the Comm. "You've won Yuy. I must die."
Wufei paused for a moment, moving in his cockpit, "Nataku, I will see you soon..."
Then the Altron III shined and flashed all over it's body before exploding in self-destruction.
Heero hardly noticed as he shoved Duo off and kicked him away.
The Deathscythe drifted backwards and then thrusted forward, "Hello BUDDY!"
Heero rounhoused the Gundam and kicked Duo sideways into a hail of energy bullets.
The Dreads, rallying behind one of the fighters, had formed a wolf pack and were concentrating their fire.
Duo was subject to this rain of energy as he turned up one of his arm shields and launched it.
Like a flock of birds, the Dreads separated and flew apart to avoid destruction as the shield flew into space and exploded.
A Screaming Barnette flew in and fired into Deathsythe's head.
Duo raised an arm and blocked the shots to sacrifice the arm.
Then he slashed across Barnette's fighter.
The woman screamed as he fighter leaked fire.
"Barnette!" Cried BC, "Get back in here!"
But no answer came from Barnette as she drifted.
"Hibiki!"
"I'm on it!" Cried Hibiki as he disengadged and flew after Barnette.
This left Meia and Heero in the fighting, along with the other Dreads.
Duo turned and rushed at Heero, "Time to die buddy!"
"Not today." Replied Heero as he leveled his beam cannon.
He hesitated.
Duo rushed in closer and closer.
"I...once called you friend Duo." Said Heero, "This friendship ends now..."
Duo was quiet as he rushed in, then said, "Yeah..."
Heero fired.
The Deathsythe tumbled and flopped in the beam before emerging as nothing
more than a mangled torso.
"Well...I guess that's a rap." Said Duo's voice from the cockpit.
Heero's cool eyes looked at the remains of the Deathsythe.
"Well...it's been fun Heero." Said Duo and then said, "Take care friend..."
The Deathsythe self-destructed.
Heero was silent for a moment.
"I called him friend..." He said.
But the screams from the Dreads recalled his spirit into battle.
"Hn-umpf!"
The Wing Gundam reached up and pulled a beam saber from it's shoulder.
Heero whisked the saber up to his face in respect.
"Time...to die."
The Wing then erupted into battle with rifle, shield and saber in hand.

Heero rushed into the infighting, his target was the Sandrock.
He spun, flew up and fired into the Sandrock with the beam rifle.
Quarte noticed it and jetted aside.
Heero charged in and down at Quarte with the Beam saber.
Quarte turned and accepted the challenge with his heat glaves, crossing them and then parting them to charge at Heero.
He swung one at Heero and then swung the other, to clash against the shield and send sparks flying.
Unfortunately the same arm that held the saber.
"Haha...you won't survive!" Laughed Quarte, "Dorothy will be avenged!"
"Listen to yourself, you're crazy!" Replied Heero, "Stop this insanity!"
"Not until YOUR DEAD!!" Screamed Quarte as he shoved off Heero and rushed at him.
Heero swung the beam rifle into place and fired.
Quarte screamed in agony as he was incinerated alive under beam rifle fire.
The Sandrock looked up at the Wing Gundam before it too glowed and self-annihilated itself.
"And all the Maganaks..." Said Heero, "Never came with Quarte."
He turned to look at Trowa, but the Heavyarms was nowhere to be found.
"So," Said the smooth voice, "Looks like you wanted a challenge. I'll give one."
Heero turned and blocked the huge beam saber with his own as the New Gundam Epyon glared at him.
The Gundam flew back and shot out it's heat rod.
Heero moved the beam rifle out of the way, knowing from experience how Zechs used that weapon on him before.
Gattling fire flew at Heero but he blocked it with the raped shield.
Then flying up and over was the Talgeese.
Heero blew up and away and targeted the Talgeese.
"Whoever's in the Talgeese is going to die."
"Heero?"
Heero's eyes exploded wide as he realized the voice, "....Relena?"
Relena peacecraft's face, in full uniform, appeared.
Heero was wide-eyed.
"Heero....what have you done."
Heero was starting to choke, "Rel-...but how!?"
"I came with my brother. I was hoping you could surrender, but I assume even I have to fight in one of these weapons to promote peace."
"Relena you....I..."
"Heero?" Asked Meia as she took point beside her lover, as well as the remaining dreads...minus several that were recovering Jura.
Meia's screen appeared, concern on her face.
"Meia...Relena...I...I...."
Heero's mind was going wild. His home...
His home.
It was taking point beside him.
"Heero...I..." Meia was saying, "Don't...I don't...."
"Meia...." Said Heero and looked at her tenderly.
"Heero..." Said Relena, "Heero Surrender at once."
"Over my dead body."
"What?"
Heero turned back to Relena, a death glare on his face, "I vowed to kill you, and I will fulfill that vow."
"What?" Asked an appalled Relena.
Heero raised his weapon at her, "I see that my feelings didn't matter. They didn't matter at that party, and they never meant anything after the Eve wars. You abandoned me. You never searched, you never came, you never called. You threw me away."
"Heero....I..." Then she turned business, "I won't tell you again, surrender and lower your weapon."
Heero answered in so little words, "No Madam president."
Relena gasped.
This was the first time he had called her by title.
The beam weapon went off.
Relena's lower torso disappeared and her Talgeese drifted.
"FIRE!" Cried one of the girls, possibly Meia.
The Dreads unleashed a rain of destructive power on the Talgeese.
It shuddered and squirmed under the fire before suffering explosions.
"Heero-"
The Talgeese blew itself up, taking Relena with it.
Now the only enemies were the ship....and Epyon.
"You killed Relena." Said Zechs as he brought up his beam saber, "Now I have no choice but to kill you or die."
"So be it." Said Heero.
He rushed forward, as did the Epyon.
They clashed sabers, passing each other in the process.
But Zechs had another target as the heat whip lashed out and struck Meia.
She screamed as Gattling fire came down on her.
Heero came in between her and the Epyon as he shielded her from harm.
"My, how virtuous." Said Zechs as he rushed at Heero once more.
Heero released the rifle and changed hands with the beam saber to rush in on the new Epyon.

Meia was tumbling through space, helpless as she watched her Heero fighting the lavender monster.
But then Vandread Dita showed up.
"Hibiki...?"
"Let's get you back to the hanger."
The Vandread carried the damaged Dread back to the hanger bay.

After Heero clashed sabers again with Zechs he jetted up and away to exchanged machine gun fire.
Then he changed directions and turned around as Zechs flew up in front of him and flipped around.
The Epyon twirled around to go to armor mode and the twin heads of the Epyon opened to a pair of beam cannons that fired at Heero.
Heero blocked with the shield, which shattered under a barrage.
Now armed with only a beam saber and his wits, he dodged and weaved from the incoming fire.
"Heero!" Cried Hibiki, "Get back to the hanger!"
Heero, after a second said, "I'm in the middle of something-"
"I don't care! Just get to the hanger as soon as possible!"
Heero was just about ready to accept death by beam cannon as the blasts inched closer when gattling fire sprang from his right.
He turned and saw Gundam Heavyarms opening fire.
"Trowa..."
The Epyon transformed and turned as Heavyarms rammed the evil Gundam.
"Trowa..."
"Go to your friends Heero, I'll take care of this." Said Trowa as he continued to pin the Epyon.
Heero nodded and flew off towards the hanger.

As he glided in Hibiki was talking to him, "Okay, line up in the center."
"Wh-" Heero was starting to say when he noticed Hibiki had de-combined from
Dita, "But..."
Then he, Dita, Jura, and Meia were ejected back into space with a smaller item.
"Pyroro?"
All thee Dreads unfolded and changed, some parts splitting off and others shifting around.
Pyoro flew into the mix and was lost in a new robot.
All five combined up to form what Hibiki could have in the same combination...
...Only with this Gundam at the center, it became the largest Gundread ever to be seen...

"Traitor." Said Milliardo, "Once I finish Heero I will enjoy killing you."
"I don't care." Said Trowa as he opened fire, "My life has no meaning. Only Heero's."
"How can you say that?" Asked Milliardo, "He's as worthless as any of us!"
"...No." Said Trowa, "Heero has more value, because out of all of us he has learned the most. He is...the best of us. He will surpass and exceed us...even you Milliardo."
"What? Impossible!" Cried Zechs as he charged, "I AM SUPERIOR!!"
The Heavyarms tried to block but lost three Gattling barrels and then an arm as the beam saber flashed out with fury.
Not even Catherine in her Leo could do anything as she had to watch powerlessly.
But there was a suit that could do more.
The Superior Gundread came down like an avenging angel down on the Epyon and rammed the smaller suit.
Epyon tumbled for a moment and regained itself to see a pair of wire-guided arms dislodge themselves from the Gundread and fly out towards Zechs.
He tried to catch one in the wire but beam fire from the other Dreads forced him to back up as the arms slammed into the leg and thigh of the Epyon.
Zechs was rattled around and cursed, "Impossible!!"
"No." Said Heero, "Unbelievable."
On his left was a smirking Jura, on his right was a caring Meia, and below him was a curious and furious Dita in the joined cockpit. Pyoro was guiding the wire-guided arms while the women controlled the weapons of the massive fortress in space that their Dreads had become. Heero was at the command and navigation.
The battle fortress closed in on the out-powered Epyon and Jura and Meia's guns lowered down on the Gundam and fired.
The Epyon snapped up an energy sheild to deflect the blasts and sent a communication to Noin in the freighter.
The Freighter turned and dumped the cargo boxes. They opened up to reveal missiles ready to fire.
But the Nirvana had other ideas.
From the two outstreatched arms, Beam cannons of emense calibur opened fire.
The boxes were incinerated in the first berrage before the missiles could launch.
The next blast reomoved the center section of the Freigher and sent a fireball through both remaining halves of the ship, incinerating noin and the Preventor team manning the craft as it exploded.
Zechs was furious.
"You...you will DIE!!!"
"I've heard this all before somewhere." Said Heero as the Dreads formed up all around him, and behind him was the Nirvana....his home.
"I live here now Zechs," Said Heero, "And you should have never come to find me."
The shoulder cannons on the Superior Gundread glowed and flashed into two large columns of light.
The smaller Epyon was consumed in the flashlight-like beam and incinerated.
The beams remained on for a moment before slowly fading away, leaving the small armada in space.
There was a moment of pause.
"We did it!" Cheered Dita, "YAY!!!"
Jura was also jubulious, as cheers wrose up from the crew of the Nirvana.
Heero looked up at Meia and the two exchnaged smiles. His arm reached out to her leg, and she took his arm in both hands.
They were free...and at last without worry from Heero's homeland.


"Well I suppose this is goodbye." Said Heero as he shook Trowa's hand.
In the repaired...again...bay of the Nirvana, Sally and Trowa were standing before the ready Mobile suit Heavyarms. It still had an arm missing, but it was enough to get the Mobile suit through the formed portal back to Heero's home universe....or whatever universe the team to destroy Heero came through.
"Yes..." Said Trowa, "And I don't suppose you're coming to visit."
"No." Smiled Heero, "I don't think so." He looked up at Meia, who smiled back.
"Well," Spoke Trowa, parting hands, "Take care of yourself Heero...and good luck."
"Thanks." Said Heero, "You too, where you're heading back to."
"Yes. It will be a nightmare explaining all this to the Earthsphere..." Said Trowa and saluted to Heero, "Farewell."
With this, both Blooms entered the Heavyarms and walked to the door while everyone left to the observation deck.
There, all the crew that could be spared left their posts and watched as the Heavyarms thrusted towards the spinning blue portal that remained a gateway to Heero's home.
The heavyarms dissapeared into it and the portal closed, no longer sustained by the Praxis reactor.
"Well," Mumbled Magano, "Now that that's over, we still have some pirating buisness to attend to. Let's go BC."
"Yes commander." Said BC, eager to get away from Bart's wandering eyes.
Heero was the last to be in the room...well, third-to-last behind the Doctor and Parfet.
The second person in the room was Meia.
"It's over." Said Heero, "I'm...alone."
"I don't think so." Smiled Meia, "Let's go. I'll get you some lunch."
"...I like that..." Replied Heero and walked arm-in-arm with Meia.

"Oh it's so CUTE!!" Cried Jura.
Standing beside her was Barnette and looking up at the contraption, "Uh...Jura..."
"I'm gonna paint it into pretty colors! And I'll fly it around every day!" Yipped Jura.
They were looking at the blue Leo that Catherine had left behind.
"Are you sure you can trust a man's machine Jura?"
"It's so lovely!"

In the medical room Parfet walked in.
Paiway quickly hid her camera and asked, "Uh...can I help you?"
"Is the Doc....um, Dureo in?"
"Did someone call my name?" Asked Dureo as he walked in.
"Oh hi..." Blushed Parfet, "I was wondering if you're off duty..."
"Well since nobody In here is sick or injured...well, except Paiway, no."
Paiway wanted to burst but she was ignored as Parfet spoke, "Uh...I was thinking about you and I going up to the observation deck...I was told we're going to be passing through a lovely nebulae and since I had nothing to do..."
Dureo set down the lab report, "Okay."
"Whoa! Really??" Asked an excited Parfet as she mimicked what the Earth video Heero had leant her and hugged a confused Dureo's arm.
Paiway watched the couple leave with interest.
"Weird...." She said and looked down at her camera, "Now only if my Camera was working!"
Pyoro scratched it's head, "Hn...that camera's never worked ever since you tried in on Heero..."
"Quiet you!"'

"AH! You gotta hide me somewhere!"
Hibiki was on the bridge.
BC, Magano, and Ezra were looking at him.
"Uh...where?"
"I don't care- Ah! She's here!"
Dita fluttered in like a butterfly and spotted Hibiki, "Oh there he is!"
"AAHHHHHHHHH-"
The scream cut off as Hibiki's face was nestled in between Dita's breasts and muted. "Oh you're so huggable!" She piped
"Should we help him?" Asked BC as she and Magano watched the spectacle.
"No." Said Magano, "It's for his own good."
Hibiki somehow managed to escape and his feet formed a fury of boots as he rushed out of the room.
-Into a closed door.
Dita stood up and kissed her finger and formed it into a gun.
"AHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!"
Hibiki ran as Dita fired the little heart.
Magano and BC watched in silent amusement as Hibiki tried to flee from a flying, homing, and floating heart.
Then Gasconge entered with Bart.
Bart promptly saw Hibiki running around the bridge like a gazelle and gave him something else to look at besides BC.
"Where have you been all this time?" Asked Magano after a moment, realizing that she was gone the entire episode of Heero's appearance.
"Asleep. So, what did I miss?"

Heero entered his quarters and closed the door.
He haddn't seen Meia anywhere, which was odd, but she wasn't in her room either-
"Heero?"
Heero's head turned to look at Meia, who had his covers up to her neck. She was smiling.
"Uh...may I ask what you are doing in my bed?"
"I was wondering about that mating ritual you were telling me about." She said, "You know...the one that can produce children?"
Heero's mind stopped for a moment.
"............What about it?"
"I was hoping you could give me a demonstration." She said innocently, "The bed was the most comfortable spot, unless you're supposed to do it somewhere else."
Heero was very quiet.
"...Did I say something wrong? I mean, it's not like we couldn't support a child...couldn't we?"
Heero closed and locked the door to his room.

THE END.

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By far the longest chapter of Gundread, ten pages you just finished...and the whole thing was 47 pages long, with 1,183 paragraphs in it, 207 lines, 18,188 words, 84,716 characters, and 101,765 characters with spaces.

This fiction was created Aug 12, and ended Aug 21, 12:46:20 AM.

Well, thank you all for showing interest and reading this fiction. Many of the mecha (Except Gundreads themselves) Can be seen on Mecha and Anime HQ, under Mecha, under Gundam, and under Gundam Wing. Heero's new Wing Gundam can be seen in the Hajime Katoki re-designs (Or accessible through the Wing Gundam's entry.)

Once again thank you and have a safe trip returning to the home page

Norsehound

P.S. A re-write is currently in production


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