Part 15: Journey to the Far East

Chapter 14: Journey to the Far East

Last time, Fritz left our party and went running home to his mommy. About now he's probably realizing that he's an orphan and his mommy's dead or, even better, didn't want him around.


: I figure we won't be coming back here for a while. Any unfinished business you'd like to wrap up first?
: I'm ready, let's go to Tohai!


: Huh? We're one runt short!
: Fritz, uh... had other matters to tend to.
: Did he, now? Well, I bet he'll be back soon enough! Now then, Cheeto! You ready? Let's get outta here! We'll be heading east. Our destination: Tohai!


Just a repeat of the liftoff cutscene from before.


Wheeeeeee!


: Hmph! I'm fine!
: Yeah? Then why are your knees shaking so much?
: It's n-not what you're thinking! Just a b-bad habit of mine!
: Gotcha! I can't even SEE your knees from here!
Oh Vargas, you card.
: Cut it out!
: Hey! No need to scream!


: Huh? Is that supposed to be a farewell?
: Well, this is where we part ways, isn't it?
: What are you talking about!? I'm in this till the end!
: Really? You'd do that for us?
: Of course! We're all in this together, now! Tohai is to the northeast. We'll take our Mobile Suits from here!


Don't know why he couldn't have just dropped us off right outside the city, but whatever.


: Hm? That delicate fragrance... Must be some local beauties nearby! Listen, I'll scout ahead to make sure we're all clear!
: "Fragrance"? What's he talking about!?
: Now, now. No reason to get upset. That is... unless it's a hint of jealousy I'm seeing there?
: What!? No way! Just my luck... Surrounded by a bunch of idiots...
: Ah... My apologies.
: Can we just drop this, please? We have work to do! We're here to find the arms dealer Mr. K!
The Vargas-Tremmie thing pretty much disappears after this point. Bandai spends all of five minutes working up this romantic subplot and then says "Screw it! More giant robots!" I agree with this decision.


While Vargas is off looking for someone to love him long time, Cheeto grills the local folk for dirt on this Mr. K guy.


Not gonna get anything offa this guy.


Oh, we've run into Aeon again.
: I've been thinking. About what happened back at the G System. He knew me. He knew my name. Cheeto, I might be your enemy...
: Don't say that! You don't know for sure!


: He warned me when there were powerful enemies nearby. He warned me of reinforcements coming our way. Whoever he is, he's been watching me all along... I never realized. I thought it was simply my subconscious talking to me.
: It doesn't matter, Aeon. I still believe in you. No matter what your lost memories may tell you... You're one of us, and that's what counts! Though I may not be able to bring back your memory... We can always make up for what you've lost!
: Even if I'm your enemy?
: I don't care! I'll always be here for you, Aeon. Always!
: You really don't mind...?
: Of course not! So cheer up, okay?
: I will!
So Aeon doesn't actually have a Spider-Sense after all. It was the guy in the Master Gundam all along. Go figure. I'm still dreading the inevitable sequence where Aeon remembers her past and goes apeshit on all of us, though.


Also of note in Tohai: shopping! We stop by the ranged store and the melee store to pick up some new goodies.


And Toyota continues Dorpo's legacy of being a mechanical abomination.


Further exploration of the city shows...


Vargas getting a little too personal with the local ladies.
: Pervert!
: Look. Can't we just forget about the whole thing?
: Vargas! What's going on!?
: You came in the nick of time, buddy!
: What happened?
: Ah, well, it's a big misunderstanding.


Huh... Bandai's character designers take another step towards depraved...
: Peeping!? Really!?
: No! I told you, it's a misunderstanding! I was just climbing those stairs!
: Then why were you crouching down halfway up the stairs!?
: Crouching? Heh heh, I, uh, suddenly had a cramp...
: Liar! I'll teach out a lesson... With my fists!
: Whoa! Wait! Is violence really necessary?


Kung Fu Lady opens up with a flying kick...




But unfortunately, Vargas has been brushing up on his QTE events.


Kung Fu Lady responds with an arm claw attack!


But...


Vargas is just way too fast. This scene is why I like Vargas so much.


: How can this be? You evaded my fist twice! You are no mere Peeping Tom. Very well... I'll let you off with just a warning this time. Now begone! And don't ever show your face before Li Fang again!


: Vargas! What were you thinking!
Now, I've transcribed every line of this game so far. I'm pretty impressed when the only glaring grammatical error is a missing question mark.
: Don't be mad. I wasn't just playing around! See that building behind me? Twenty guesses what that is. That, my friend, is K's manor! I believe that pleasant lady we just met is one of his bodyguards.
: Huh!? So you mean that whole peeping thing...? Guess I assumed too much. Sorry.
: No worries! Still, let's just keep this whole incident between you and me, hm?
"Not everyone is as blindly naive as you are."
: Okay! I won't tell a soul!


: Don't tell me we're barging right in!?
: No, we aren't going to "barge" in on anyone. We're going to have a little business discussion with him. I'll ask him to put some of his items up for sale on my Black Market!
: Okay, but why...?
: Because any legitimate merchant would turn me down. See? But if he accepts my proposition...
: Oh, I see! Gotcha!
: Good! Now then, shall we?


B: You do realize this is Mr. K's property?
: Wait! We don't want any trouble! I have a juicy proposition for your boss! Tell him that the Sky Pirate Vargas is here to see him!
B: Vargas? Vargas from the Black Market?
: The one and only!
A: Wait right there. I'll check with Mr. K.
(quick black screen)
A: You're in luck. He says he'll meet you.
B: Whatever you do... Don't offend him!


: Let's save the formalities! I'm here to offer a partnership!
: A partnership?
: I'd like you to put your items up for sale on my Black Market! I have too many customers, and too little to offer them! Tell you what, I'll pay a 20% premium for quality stuff!
: I believe you have been misinformed. I have no intentions of doing business on the Black Market.


: All right, 30%! But I won't go any higher!
: It's not a matter of money, I'm afraid. I simply don't do business with criminals! You may show yourselves out, now!
: I came here with a good offer, and this is the thanks I get? Heh! Your loss! Come on, Cheeto!


: Nope.
: So that means he isn't involved with the Dark Alliance?
: Not necessarily. If he really was legit, he wouldn't have even met with us! He wanted to see what we were up to! Pretty slick, you gotta give him that!
Brilliant. "He proved me wrong, which means I'm right!" Don't quit the day job, Vargas.
: So what do we do now?
: We catch him in the act! If he's working with the Alliance, he's got to have a hideout somewhere! The folks in town might know something. Let's see what we can find out about what ol' Mr. K is up to!


: Ah, on second thought, I'd better not. If anyone were to overhear...
Getting warmer...


: Huh? Oh, right. No, nothing so far...
: Is something bothering you, Tremmie? You don't seem yourself.
: Um, well... It's nothing, really. I was just thinking about something that happened a long time ago. It just pops back into my mind, from time to time. As if I wanted to remember!
: Sounds like a bad memory.
: You bet. I wish I'd forget it for good.


: And I guess I shouldn't. Did I ever tell you? I used to have a big brother.
"Tremmie, you didn't tell me anything. You came right the hell out of nowhere, attacked me, then told us to join you all within the span of five minutes. The only things I know about you are you hate the Dark Alliance and need a gift card to Old Navy or something."
: A really good one. But he sacrificed himself to save me and our family... He gave everything to protect us. He was so strong... So kind... It hurts every time I think of him. But they never let you forget, do they? Someone is using my dead brother's name to do all sorts of terrible things!


: I'll never forgive him for shaming my brother's name!
: That's terrible! Who would do such a thing?
: I don't know, but I'm not stopping until I find him... And make him pay! The imposter is a member of the Dark Alliance. Let's find that arms dealer, fast!
I know the long lost brother thing is the oldest cliché ever, but I still find Tremmie's story a little


In other news, jackpot.
: Oh, sure, everyone says that they're just missing. But I know the truth.
People "disappearing"? That's pretty dark. Of course, this is the same game that killed 90% of Earth's population before I even picked up the controller.


: No, I'm traveling the world, fighting the bad guys!
: Are you a friend of Mr. K's?
: No, I came to fight Mr. K!
: Really!? Can I ask you a favor, then?
: Sure.
: Could you please stop Mr. K? He's a very bad man!
: Why do you say that?
: My dad was an explorer, but was killed on one of his expeditions. Before he died, he said he saw Mr. K in some ruins in the mountains. That's the reason Dad was killed.
: Ruins in the mountains? Can you tell me where they are? I'll go check them out!
: They're far to the west of town... in a place called "Wyvern Ravine". Here, let me mark it on your map!



: Leave the rest to me! I'll make sure your father's death is avenged!
: Thank you!
And before you ask, no. There's not a big prison of captured villagers at the end of the next dungeon. They're 100% dead. Mr. K doesn't screw around.


: It seems he's in league with the Dark Alliance after all!
: See? It's like I told you! But isn't it too early to act? We don't have any concrete evidence yet.
: We'll get all the proof we need when we get to his hideout!
: What will we do if you don't find any evidence?
: Simple. We just trash the hideout!
No comment...
: Yeah! Sounds like a plan!
: You call that a plan...?
: Well, it's better than just sitting around doing nothing!
: That I can agree with.


: We're heading west to Mr. K's hideout in the Wyvern Ravine!


We have a bit of a trek ahead of us. The Wyvern Ravine is the red dot above that crater to the left. It's about now I decide to do a bit of grinding. You're not missing too much.


Just a lot of this...


this...


this...


and this.


Oh, and Aeon can use Bits now. Little flying beam guns that, in the anime series, are controlled by a Newtype's mind. In this game they're just another technique. Yaaaaaay!


Next time: Hiking in the mountains!


BONUS CONTENT!
Li Fang vs. Vargas - Vargas wins.


MSopedia


OZ-06MS Leo
New Mobile Report Gundam Wing - OZ Forces
The Leo is one of the many Mobile Suits used by OZ in Gundam Wing, and also the very definition of "cannon fodder." These things drop like flies at an almost comical rate, making the Gundams look not just powerful, but retardedly powerful. Also, as a bit of a fun fact: its model number is similar to the MS-06 Zaku II. It's not anywhere near as endearing as the Zaku, though.