SD Gundam Fan Fiction ❯ Yakunan Rijun ❯ Into the Lava ( Chapter 17 )

Holy crap how long has it been since I've worked on this thing! So, so sorry for the long overdue chapter.

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They started a long walk through a high stone and steel tunnel calling out fro their lost comrade and praying for his safety. It was quiet in the darkness, not even the battle raging outside could be heard from within. There had to be some end to this walkway, it could not go on forever, could it? Surely they could find someway back to the main floor once more.

 

“Ah-choo!”

 

“Bless you, Natsumi.”

 

“Thank you, Fleur.”

 

Bakunetsumaru nervously looked around, splashing footsteps and flight boasters echoing off the walls, “Are we even in the fortress still? This looks more like the caves on Lacroa.”

 

“We're still inside the fortress;” Madnug reassured the frustrated musha, “Just under ground is all.”

 

 

“I just hope Shute is alright, I can sense he is alive, but I'm not sure that he is well….” Captain gave a heavy sighed looking at the high ceiling, “… Shute….”

 

“He's fine,” Zero spoke reassuringly, “Shute knows how to protect himself.”

 

Commander Bakunetsumaru turned to face Captain, “Zero is right, though young, Shute knows to stay out of battles he cannot win alone.”

 

Captain looked at the floor, “I know… I will feel better for his safety, once I see him safe once more… just hang on Shute, we're coming.”

 

Clack! Clack! Clatter! Clack!

 

“Huh!” Everyone froze up and drew their weapons, something was coming.

 

Clatter! Clack! C-clack!

 

Splash!

 

“It's…” Daichimaru sweat dropped, “A rock….” A collective sweat dropped went throughout the group.

 

“We're to on edge,” Fleur concluded.

 

Celestin shook his head, “No such thing in here, princess.” The young knight looked up the vertical passage above them the rock had fell from. It was a long way, all their light disappeared before reaching the top.

 

“Hmm, there's our way out,” Commander commented.

 

“But something could be waiting on us,” Baku added.

 

His older self nodded in agreement, “Madnug! Celestin! Fly up; determine how far up this passage goes, where it leads to, and if anyone is waiting at the mouth.”

 

“Roger!” Celestin darted up the passage having the flap his wings on occasion with Madnug following him close behind. Their light stayed on the wall as to not alert anyone waiting at the top.

 

Celestin reached the rim first and sunk his claws into the ground, peeking his eyes just above it not wanting to be seen, “I don't see anyone… yet.”

 

“Yet is the keyword,” Madnug spoke, “I estimate a 93.57% that an enemy is waiting close by.”

 

The duo landed on the rim of the tunnel, no one to there left or to there right. Madnug held his hand over his communicator, “All clear for now.”

 

They slowly walked forward allowing enough room for the fliers to carry everyone else up and place them in the hallway.

 

Captain slowly scanned as the regrouped keeping their backs together, “We seem to be back at the main level of the fortress. Where exactly is the Death Angle located?”

 

“If he's in the same spot as last time,” Commander Baku spoke, “Then we have a long way yet to travel. He must get to the most guarded room in the highest part of this fortress.”

 

“But I'll make sure you never reach that far.”

 

A single glowing energy bolt appeared from seemingly no where causing the group to scatter and hug the walls, “Where did that come from!” Captain shouted.

 

“Here it comes again!” Bakunetsumaru shouted as he and Natsumi dived away from each other.

 

Commander Baku caught his younger self, “Are you alright, daughter!?”

 

“Yeah I'm-”

 

“Move!” Daichimaru pulled his sister away then ducked as another bolt came for them.

 

“Look out!” Zero shot a mana beam at the bolt, the two forces canceling each other out.

 

“Zero! Behind you!” Madnug called out just as Celestin formed a shield behind the Winged Knight.

 

“They're becoming more frequent!” Celestin noted.

 

Fleur waved a hand, “Well let's get out of-ahh!” She jumped as one grazed near her foot.

 

“Run!” Captain ordered leading the way through the narrow corridor as the Gundam Force of old and new dodged left and right feeling the heat from the energy.

 

Madnug's memory of where to go returned, “This way! We can get into a more open area!” He pushed his thrusters harder passing Captain as he turned a tight corner.

 

The duo knights from Lacroa kept up a shield around those from Ark and Skylark, seeing as how the Neotopians had out ran them, “Captain! Madnug!” Commander called out, “Wait up-gahh!!” His right leg gave out from under him leaving the wounded samurai out of the shied and in the firing range of the mysterious energy bolts.

 

“Father!”

 

Baku and Zero retreated to get their fallen comrade, “We got him! Just keep up with Captain! We'll catch up!”

 

Zero erected another shield around them, and none to soon, the attacks seemed to know someone had fallen and were zooming in on him. “Can you stand up?” Bakunetsumaru asked knelling and slowly lifting his older self.

 

“Of all the times for my wounds to act up!” Commander complained trying to regain his footing, “I'll be limping and just slow us down. The younger ones know where to go.”

 

“We aren't leaving you!” Zero firmly spoke.

 

Baku lifted the commander onto his back, “We need your help as well! Now hang on! Try to keep up winged nut!”

 

“If we weren't in the midst of fire I teach you a lesson!” Zero snapped back

 

Commander shook his head and thought to himself, `Were we really like this?”

 

Flash after flash of the energy attack rained on them deflected only by the mana shields but draining the users of their energy with each hit. The narrow hallway seemed to go forever until the came upon an opened, empty room with many door. The barrage stopped as suddenly as it began and the two knights collapsed from exhaustion.

 

“Is everyone here?” Captain didn't bother with asking about alright.

 

Madnug nodded, “Everyone is here and accounted for, sir.”

 

Captain nodded, “Good. Zero. Celestin. Get your energy back as quickly as possible. We need to locate Shute and discover where the Angle of Death is hiding.”

 

“I can tell you where he is,” Daichi spoke up, “I was a spy for the rebellion. Remember?”

 

“Alright then,” he turned to the young archer and gestured to the doors, “Which door do we go through?”

 

Daichimaru froze up at Captain's question, he had never been in this room of the fortress; or had he? Many rooms looked like this one. And a wrong turn would lead to disaster, “Um…. Let's see…. We came down hallway… wait… no corridor…. We're on floor….” He hung his head, “I have no idea….”

 

Natsumi and Fleur face palmed at him, “Joy… do we just pick a door at random then?” the princess suggested walking towards one to her front.

 

“I wouldn't advise it,” Commander spoke leaning on his younger self, “The wrong doors are traps or dead ends. Its quite possible they're all wrong doors.”

 

“I don't think they are all wrong,” Fleur reached out towards a door cautiously with her left hand, “One is a way out and should take us to the rest of the fortress.”

 

Celestin looked up, “How can you be sure of that?”

 

“I'm not,” the purple female replied bluntly grabbing the handle and began to push to door open, “. . . Luck smiles on me. No trap, just a-”

 

“Raaahhh!!” a green round lizard jumped out of from behind to open door and latched its jaws onto Fleur's wrist whilst growling.

 

“Ahh! Get off of me!” She dug her claws into the creature wrench it off and tossing it across the room.

 

The green creature rebounded much like a bouncy ball and hopped back towards them. Daichimaru pulled shot an arrow nailing the creature and pinning it against a wall. Still the lizard snarled and tried to pull itself free. Natsumi plunged one hand into her waist side pouch pulling out a small bomb, and tossed it at the lizard, causing a soft explosion and giving the wall a coat of rubbery reptile. The incident was over in less then a minute.

 

“Princess Fleur!” Zero was instantly by his fiancée's side, “Are you alright?”

 

She nodded, “I'm fine. Thank you Daichimaru and Natsumi.”

 

The Winged Knight sighed in reilef then crossed his arms, “Ready to listen to their advice now?”

 

He received a glare but she remained silent for now ignoring the small dents that strange rubber lizard left on her armor. Both the Bakunetsumaru's gave her a short laugh that was instantly silenced by a stern look from Fleur.

 

“How unorganized….” The voice came again, everyone tensed up expecting a barrage from the energy bolts again, “And here I thought I was going against the best of the best. Oh well.”

 

“Show yourself coward!” Baku shouted.

 

“If it will help you think straight…” A door from the far side opened reviling a green reptile like female with a large black tattoo that covered her back that was slightly shorter then the gundams present.

 

Captain stepped forward and ordered, “Who are you!?”

 

“Melissa?!” Daichimaru tilted his head, “It is! Melissa! What are you doing?”

 

“Have we met?” the lizard inquired puffing up at her opposition.

 

The archer nodded, “Its Ninko! Remember me? Come on. You wouldn't hurt a friend would you?”

 

“Ninko!” Melissa snarled stepping back, “I don't wish to hurt friends, but… you betrayed the Angel of Death. I'm sorry. But I must do this!” The tattoo along her back took on a bright blue glow as she conjured an energy bolt to her palms, “You picked the wrong side to be on.”

 

“Look out!” The gundams scattered as the blots flew towards them quickly followed by many more. Her attacks were fast, furious, and relentless. Zero and Celestin threw up there shields again as Captain, Madnug, and Daichimaru returned long range fire.

 

The countless explosions soon lit up the room brighter then the sun could ever manage the steel and stone reflecting a bright blinding white light that suffocated any other color that even dared to enter the room.

 

The Lacroain knight strained, “Her attacks are too powerful! We haven't been able to recover fully from her last onslaught!”

 

“Keep it up as long as you can!” Bakunetsu barked at Zero, “We have to get pass her in order to find Shute!”

 

Celestin groaned and was forced to his knees, “Easier said then done,” his limbs were quivering, “I can't keep this up much longer.”

 

“You have to!” Captain ordered, “Find what ever strength you can but we have to get closer to her.”

 

“You can't even see her!” Fleur pointed out.

 

“Not a problem!” Captain launched out from behind the shield and rocketed towards Melissa using his heat scanner to find her outline, “Time to end this!”

 

“I don't think so!” with a flick of her wrist and going by the sound of thrusters, she launched and energy bolt at Captain hitting one of his thrusters and short circuiting it.

 

“No!” Captain wavered in mid air looking at his thruster as it began to die, “Have to keep going! I have to rescue Shute!”

 

“What the?” Melissa turned to see Captain aiming at her with one fist raised, “No!”

 

“Keeee-YA!”

 

“Gaaahhh!”

 

Captain went flying across the room, his right arm, thruster, and half of his back now adored in quills. A crested porcupine standing just short of six feet tall stood at a diagonal to Melissa, the blinding white light and multitude of explosions subsiding momentary.

 

“Captain!” Madnug shouted, “Are you alright?”

 

“Yeah….,” Captain replied in pain, “What hit me?

 

“That would be me!” The porcupine put on a short display of martial arts, “Dawei Jin Bao! Now is time for you to leave!”

 

“Fool!” Bakunetsumaru had raced forward using the momentary distraction.

 

“Younger me! No!” Commander called out but it was too late.

 

Dawei turned to face Baku and quickly back flipped from his blades, “Speed up snail pace samurai.”

 

“What did you c-” the blazing samurai was cut off as he took and energy bolt into the chest and was tossed backwards.

 

“Bakunetsumaru be careful!” Zero snapped.

 

Daichi and Natsumi nodded, “If you die, we won't exist!”

 

Captain regained himself and faced the organics, “This is your last chance, get out of our way or be destroyed. I would rather we do the first option!”

 

“Us, be destroyed?” Melissa asked, “I do believe it is us who have the upper hand!” Another flick of the wrist and the fast paced onslaught returned. Captain took the defensive and jumped back from her attacks retreating to his team, but with the porcupine following him.

 

“Clumsy chuck of metal return to the fight!” Dawei was on them in an instant swinging at Captain but connected with Madnug's palm.

 

“Get lost!” Madnug clentches his fist around hers, swung his opposite hand, and slugged Dawei across the room and into a far wall.

 

“You will pay,” She gasped and jumped from the string of bombs Natsumi had begun to launch using Celestin's fire to ignite the fuses along with Daichimaru's bomb arrows.

 

“Keep it up we have her on the run!” Commander Bakunetsumaru shouted.

 

Melissa huffed at that, “Not for very long gundams!” She raised both her arms to form a much larger ball of energy and fired it at the gundams.

 

“Run!” They scattered from the blast as the bolt erupted onto the wall causing many much smaller bolts to fly around the room aiming at random targets. Dawei took to running on the walls knowing how to avoid the attack and aimed Fleur, “Come play feather pansy!”

 

Fleur halted in her tracks and flared out her wings at Dawei, “What did you just call me!” without waiting for an answer, she took off towards her, “Bring it on overgrown hedgehog!”

 

“Not a hedgehog!” Dawei jumped from the wall and landed, watching as Fleur drove her claws into the wall then curse as she tried to get free. Her quills shook mimicking a maraca then launched at the princess one fist forward.

 

“Mom!” Celestin shot up to her and pulled Fleur free from the wall just in time to take Dawei's fist straight in the jaw, his head leaving a dent in the wall and knocking the teenager out.

 

“Celestin!” Fleur shouted in horror. Her attention snapped to an energy bolt and she darted away, wings pumping.

 

“One down!” the lizard laughed continuing her onslaught of energy bolts.

 

The room was soon filled in chaos, bolts and quills flying around amongst mana, steel, arrows, bombs and bullets. There was no time to think but only time to act. This unfortunately meant no one was being alerted to the weakening stricture of the room, it couldn't handle many more brute attacks, and many of the supports were giving away as chucks of the wall started to fall in on themselves. Both Bakus of past and present rasied their blades high and brought their attack down on Dawei only managing to take off a few quills and bits of cloth. Their attacks hit the ground hard and the supports would have no more. The floor gave away under them.

 

“Shimatta!” The cry faded as down they went

 

Captain heard their scream, “Bakunetsumaru!” He then looked down as many cracks formed in the floor racing to walls and soon even they began to topple.

 

The fighting stopped and time seemed to hold still as they listened to the cracking and groaning of the room followed by a series of loud snaps! The walls would take no more and tumbled down onto the battlefield as the floor feel away, even the ceiling came raining down.

 

“Every man for himself!”

 

The fight was called off and everyone raced for an exit trying to avoid begin squashed. Melissa and Dawei turned tail and escaped the cave in via an adjacent hallway. Captain ordered everyone to follow them.

 

“But what about the Bakunetsumarus!” Zero inquired clearly panicked as he lifted the still KO'd Celestin onto his back.

 

Madnug shouted, “We can work our way back down and get them! The fact Daichimaru and Natsumi are still alive means they are alright!”

 

“Hurry!” Fleur ordered as she and Natsumi lead the escape into the open hallway as the caving room became closed off. Apparently some of the supports also held up the hallway seeing as how it to collapsed blocking the way forward.

 

Dawei and Melissa turned around hearing the crashing coming to an end, the lizard clearly out of breath, “That… was close…. I hope we didn't kill any of the past gundams by accident. The Death Angle will have our heads if we did.”

 

“Let us report our success. Victory is ours.” The porcupine nodded and turned to head up towards the Angel of Death's chambers, “You coming?”

 

Melissa looked back at the caved in hallway for a little longer then nodded, “Yes, I'm coming.” She then spoke softly, “I'm sorry Ninko. But I had to do what I am ordered to do. I wish we could have been friends.”

 

Trapped in between the two cave-ins, a small light was lit from Fleur's single golden feather, “That was close….” The Skylarakain looked around the triangle shaped claustrophobic quarters, “Everyone one else okay?”

 

Natsumi was the only other voice she heard, “Yes, I'm alright. If not a little shaken.” She looked up noting it was only her and Fleur in the tiny room. They locked eyes in horror then looked behind them, then to the front, “Oh crap!”

 

Completely caved in, the room was a mere pile of rubble now with a concave bow off to one side. The last few pebbles trickled down giving off a quick `tink' as they went. Captain, Madnug, Zero, Celestin, and Daichimaru groaned as they lay in a pile, they all sported a few quills along with scuffs and dented armor.

 

“Are you guys alright?” Bakunetsumaru stood above them.

 

“Not hurt too badly are you?” asked Commander Baku.

 

Daichi popped his shoulders, “Mostly our pride….” They detangled themselves and looked at their new surroundings and at their now sealed entrance.

 

“We'll have to find another way back up,” Captain concluded then began a quick head count, “Is everyone here.”

 

Zero looked around, “Fleur? Sweetie are you alright?”

 

No reply.

 

“Fleur? Princess Fleur!” Zero spun around frantic as to the where abouts of his bride-to-be, “Fleur! No!”

 

“Natsumi!” Commander shouted, “Natsumi! Where are you!?”

 

“Surly they weren't crushed!” Zero yelled in fear.

 

“Fleur at least wasn't,” Baku spoke, “Celestin is still here. But as for Natsumi….”

 

“She'll be fine.” Commander spoke, “She's smart. Maybe they are together.”

 

Captain nodded in agreement, “They can keep each other safe until we find them. Or they find us.” Letting out a soft hum, Captain walked towards what looked like an opening, but his scanner told him other wise, “A barrier?” He reached out towards the invisible barrier and was rewarded with a short shock to his hand, “This is bad. We appear to be in some type of prison cell.”

 

“Oh perfect!” Bakunetsumaru groaned throwing his hands into the air, “How are we supposed to get out!"

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This is quite a pickle. Shute's missing, Fleur and Natsumi got separated, and the others are in prison. Well they be able to regroup in time to stop the Angle of Death or will the future remain unchanged?