Author’s note: This is my first foray into the world of the Gundam, so please forgive if my continuity isn’t perfect. My OC comes with a bit of a background, if you’d like to know more about her click on my profile and head to my home page! This story takes place around the middle of the Gundam Fight Tournament. To the true otakus out there, sorry, Domon’s piloting the Burning Gundam, and the Alliance is hunting down the Dark Gundam. Muahaha!

 

The Wildcard

Part One: Strange Creature With no Nation

Written by Zelda

 

                Chibodee Crocket couldn’t stifle a yawn as he leaned back in his chair, folding his arms behind his head. The sun of Neo-Hong Kong penetrated into this slit of a street, and warmed him nicely as he sat at a table in an outdoor café.

                “Sleepy already, are we?” a teasing voice sneered from across the table.

                Chibodee opened one eye in annoyance, to stare the source of the voice down. “Give it a rest, Sai.” he growled. “And finish eating already.” He opened the other eye and sat up a little. “What are you doing reading a paper?” he asked curiously.

                The young fighter from Neo-China shrugged and flipped a page. “Wanna check up on the matches, they just announced the ones for next week, you know.”

                “Really?” Chibodee sat up. “Anything interesting?”

                “Well they got your matchup here.” Sai nodded. “That should be good enough. Who’s this?” he scratched his head. “You’re fighting against Roaring Gundam?”

                Chibodee screwed up a eye. “Roaring Gundam? I’ve never heard of that one before. Have you?”

                “I wouldn’t be askin’ you if I had.” Sai looked up from the paper. “Doesn’t list the Gundam’s nation here either. Isn’t that weird?”

                “A fighter with no nation? That’s impossible.” Chibodee shook his head. “Maybe the paper just misprinted it or something.”

                “Maybe, but I still think it’s kinda strange…” Sai Saici scratched his head before he took a wolfing bite out of his last egg roll. “But hey, maybe you can check up on this mystery fighter, it’s in a match later today!”

                Chibodee nodded distantly. “That’s good, who’s it facing?”

                “Zebra Gundam.” Sai Saici answered. “Sounds like a good match to me.”

                “Neo-Kenya versus Neo-Blank.” Chibodee joked. “I suppose it’s worth checking out…” He stood, leaning over to leave a few coins on the table. “I’ve gotta get back to the embassy. Catch ya later kid.” He waved to Sai, who waved back, still finishing his lunch. Crocket turned and headed away from the café, running his hand through his blue and pink hair, and enjoying the sunshine. Neo-Hong Kong could be a pretty nice place, when it wasn’t being torn apart by some rampant Mobile Suit. The Neo-American was almost caught off guard as he heard a familiar whistle from nearby.

                “Head in the stars again, Chibodee?”

                The fighter turned and smiled to see one of his crew approaching him from the opposite direction.

                “Bunny! Didn’t expect to see you out here, I was just on my way back the embassy.” Chibodee nodded as the pair met up.

                “You don’t have time to go back.” she started. “That’s why I came to find you! Here, this letter came for you just a little while ago, I think it must be urgent.”

                Chibodee took the letter from Bunny’s hand, opened it, and read aloud. “Dear Mr. Crocket. I request your presence today in the office of Prime Minister Wong. We have a meeting with him and the pilot of the Roaring Gundam. The meeting will begin at three o’clock in the afternoon. Signed, the President.”

                “Wow…” Bunny started. “What do you think that could be about? And who’s this Roaring Gundam? I don’t think I’ve heard of that one before…”

                “Well I guess I’m gonna find out.” Chibodee shrugged. “But if Wong’s involved… I don’t know if I like this.” he checked his watch, seeing that it was already two thirty. “I’d better get going though. Thanks for finding me Bunny.”

                “No problem!” she waved. “I’ll see you back at the embassy tonight!” She turned to go, walking back down the sidewalk as she had come.

                Chibodee crossed the street and walked, thinking. Wong’s office wasn’t far, he’d reach it in time on foot. But why would he be called into a meeting with another Gundam fighter? He supposed that he’d just have to wait for an answer, and the Neo-American didn’t like waiting.

 

                The room was dark as he entered, and the fighter couldn’t help but frown inwardly. It was lit and everything, just the carpet, the walls, they were all dark. Wong sat at his desk, backed by large glass windows. He spotted Chibodee and quirked his lips. The Neo-American couldn’t help but stiffen a little. Something about that man just set him off.

                “Welcome, Mr. Crocket.” Wong waved to him. “So glad that you could make it on time. Please, do come in, I believe your consulate is already assembled.”

                Wong gestured over to another table further down the room, where the President and two of his staff members were seated. Chibodee headed over and stood before them. “Mr. President, sir, I’m here as you requested.” he started, trying to put on an air of manners.

                “Good that you made it on time.” the man in the center chair smiled. “Please, have a seat over here Chibodee. We’ve got some important matters to discuss.”

                “Yeah, I wanted to ask you about this fighter…” Chibodee started, sitting and looking over at him.

                “Well, might as well as the fighter herself.” The President pointed across the table, and across to the other side of the room. Someone… or rather something was standing there. It was an animal! A little purple lizard with scales, no higher than his knees. It had a stocky build, a short neck, and a thick tail. Chibodee frowned in confusion as he realized that this lizard also had wings. Did that make it… a dragon? The creature locked onto him with piercing blue eyes.

                “Chibodee Crocket, I’d like you to meet Zelda. She is the pilot of the Roaring Gundam.” Prime Minister Wong spoke.

                Chibodee merely nodded in greeting, his mind whirling. He’d heard of dragons before, seen their pictures when he was just a boy and still living on Earth. They lived with other strange animals, out in the woods somewhere in the countryside… but what was one doing here? And how could it pilot a Gundam?

                “Now Zelda, I’m aware that you have a match at hand in just two hours, so let’s get down to business.” Wong continued.

                “Thank you, Prime Minister.” The creature nodded to him, before turning to the table of Neo-Americans. “Mr. President. I have come before you to ask for a deal, concerning the upcoming Gundam match with your fighter.”

                “A deal?” The President repeated. “What kind of deal would you be looking for?”

                “I will tell you the truth, sir. I entered the Gundam fight with only one purpose in my mind, and that is not to win the tournament. It is to win sovereignty for my kind, and our land.”

                The President nodded slowly. “This issue has been brought up before, you know.”

                “I am well aware.” the dragon replied lowly. “I have led campaigns for years in your formal houses of government to have our lands preserved, to no avail.”

                “So you want to settle this in a Gundam fight match.” The President nodded.

                “That’s what it’s come to, sir.” the dragon bowed. “This is the deal that I propose. If I defeat Gundam Maxter, your country gives us free reign over our land.”

                “My, what an intriguing proposition!” Wong smiled quietly from his end of the office.

                The dragon shot him a glance, but quickly returned her gaze to the Neo-Americans. Chibodee couldn’t help but notice her visibly stiffen. Something, some color, began to appear on her right hand. The dragon quickly balled the claws shut and reared onto her hind legs, concealing the fist in the crook of her other elbow as she folded her arms.

                The President rubbed his chin. “This is indeed an interesting deal, dragon.” he muttered. “I will speak truly to you as well. The House and Senate both consider your lands to be a valuable resource to the Neo-United States, growing more important as time goes on. I would be very unwilling to go out on that kind of a limb, and hand the land over for winning a single match.”

                The creature frowned deeply, her lips curling back into the beginnings of a snarl.

                “However.” The President continued. “I have a great deal of faith in Neo-America’s champion, Mr. Crocket. I don’t believe that you could defeat the Gundam Maxter in a match. I suppose you could say I’m willing to stake your land on that faith. I accept your deal, provided that my fighter is also willing to agree to the terms.”

                Chibodee suddenly felt very nervous as all the eyes of the room shifted to him. “Um, well, I don’t know why my opinion should matter…” he started. “This is a decision for the government, not for me. I’d go along either way. A match is a match.”

                “You know.” The President added with a nod. “This is all provided that you’re even able to make it into a match against Mr. Crocket in the first place.”

                “I will not be defeated by today’s opponent.” the dragon replied simply.

                “Very good!” Wong smiled. “I’m glad that you two were able to work something out. I believe this shall make next week’s fight all the more interesting for all of us.”

                “Yes.” Zelda nodded. “I thank you Neo-Americans for catering to my deal. For now, I have a match of my own to see to. Until next week, Mr. Crocket.” With that, she turned, purple wings swishing against her sides. Slinking back to all fours again, she headed for an open window behind Wong’s desk. With a wave of her thick tail to all in the room, she was gone, soaring off over Neo-Hong Kong’s skyline.

                Chibodee frowned slightly, choosing not to listen to the idle chit-chat of the others as they stood and prepared to leave as well. He couldn’t help but wonder what on earth he’d just gotten himself into.

 

                The sun was just starting to sink beneath the skyline of the bay as he watched. It was a beautiful evening, so much so that the clamor around him seemed very much out of place. The cheers of the people were loud enough to give him a headache.

                “Didn’t expect to see you here, Sir Knight.” a voice broke his thoughts.

                George de Sand turned to see an old fishing boat pulling up beside his, a man in a red cloak leaning against the rail. “Domon Kasshu, I suppose it is odd that we’d meet here.”

                “Couldn’t help it, I guess.” The Neo-Japanese fighter pulled his cloak from around his neck, and looked out onto the empty tournament platform. “I wanted to see what this Roaring Gundam is all about.”

                “You too Bro?”

                Both Neo-France’s and Neo-Japan’s fighters looked up to the top of the boat’s mast, where the voice had come from. There, Sai Saici held a one-handed handstand perfectly, balancing on the very top of the square post, grinning wickedly.

                “Shoulda known you’d be here Sai.” Domon couldn’t help but smile. “Do you ever miss a fight?”

                “Not by a longshot, Bro!” Sai jumped down, landing impishly on the shoulder of the cloaked fighter. “Where’s Sis?”

                “Rain went to do some repair work on Burning Gundam.” Domon shrugged. “I guess it took more damage in my last battle than I had thought.”

                “Hey!” A voice called from the distance. “So the gang’s all here?” The three fighters looked down to see Chibodee waving to them from a small motorboat. “Mind if I join you?”

                “Not at all, Chibodee.” Domon threw a rope ladder down to him. “I suppose you came to look in on your next opponent, hm?”

                “A wise strategy indeed.” A deep voice sounded from the other side of the boat. Looking over, Domon saw Argo in a small boat as well, with Nastasha standing behind him.

                “Heh, you startled me for a moment there Argo.” Domon chided softly, seeing the stoic Russian let a small smile return to him.

                “So I guess the gang really is all here.” Chibodee grinned, swinging himself onto the deck of the fishing boat. “I tell you, this Roaring Gundam is too weird! It’s piloted by some animal! Does anyone know what’s up with that?”

                “Actually, I have heard of the Roaring Gundam before.” George started. “I’d be happy to fill you in. It’s pilot is a dragon, I don’t know if you men know about them, but they’re part of a clan of creatures, they look like animals but they really are just as intelligent as people. Roaring Gundam is piloted by one of the four leaders of this clan, and it’s been defeating other Gundams from around South America and Europe. It obviously got a good enough record to make it into the tournament.”

                “That’s so weird though!” Sai spoke up. “I mean, does it have a nation or anything?”

                “No.” George shook his long forelock of orange-red hair. “And that is what makes it unique. I’ve heard that this clan of animals hails from somewhere in America, but the Gundam itself has no official affiliation.”

                “I agree with Sai.” Domon nodded. “That is odd. If it’s not fighting for any nation, then why is it in the Gundam Fight?”

                “I think I know.” Chibodee leaned against the boat’s railing. “I went to a meeting with Mr. Wong and the pilot just a few hours ago. She wants to win against me in order to claim her land as a separate nation.”

                “She?” Sai frowned. “The pilot’s a girl?”

                “Yeah, and she doesn’t get any weirder, lemme tell you.” Chibodee shuddered involuntarily. “Something about that whole meeting just gave me the creeps.”

                “Hmph.” Argo’s voice sounded from his small motorboat. “A curious situation indeed. But I think our questions are about to be answered…” His voice was blotted out by the deafening roar of the surrounding crowd, as Neo-Kenya’s Zebra Gundam jetted down into the ring.

                “Alright everybody!” The voice of the fight’s announcer came in, tinny over the loudspeakers. “We’re just waiting for the arrival of the Roaring Gundam, and this fight will be underway shortly!”

                Several of the observing fans turned as something bubbled out of the water behind their boats. In a violent splash, a Mobile Suit leapt from the water, and landed on the platform. It shook itself and sent shimmering droplets all over the nearby boats.

                “Is that the Roaring Gundam?” George asked.

                “It’s gotta be!” Sai Saici answered.

                The Roaring Gundam was indeed a unique sight. Unlike all of the other Gundams, even the Cobra Gundam of Neo-India, it didn’t appear to have a human-based form. It looked just like a dragon, with blood red scales and golden claws. It bore a set of gilded antlers on its head, much like those of a small deer, and long, bladelike golden spines down its serpentine back. The tail terminated flame-shaped blades, that stuck from the top and bottom as if it were an axe, and curved like a pitchfork. The four-legged Gundam twisted its neck, let its eyes blaze blue, and roared at its opponent. It spread a pair of bat-shaped golden wings, and waited for the fight to begin.

                “Wow…” Domon muttered. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything like it.”

                “But it’s so small…” Argo noted. On all fours, the Gundam stood at only half the height of Neo-Kenya’s fighter. “I don’t see how it has much of a chance.”

                “That’s it everyone, it’s match time!” The announcer called, bringing up another cheer from the crowds. “Gundam Fight all set, ready, GO!”

 

To be continued…