[Episode 3: Home BattleNet System]
**[SCENE: System Setup!]**
**INT. DUNCAN'S APARTMENT – NIGHT**
The door creaks open as Duncan steps into *his* apartment, dimly lit and cluttered with wires, stacked model kits, and a few ramen cups. He shuts the door with his foot and drops his backpack with a *thud*.
He stands still for a moment, the adrenaline of his victory still fizzing through his veins. A slow, satisfied grin crawls across his face.
Then.. action. He marches over to the coffee table and pulls his beat-up laptop out from under a pile of old boxes. The casing is scratched, the screen dull and dusty. Stickers decorate the lid: **WING GUNDAM**, **00 QAN[T]**, and a curled one reading **LOADING GUNDAM.EXE** with the acronym spelled out..
*General-purpose Utility Non-Discontinuity Augmentation Maneuvering.*
**DUNCAN**
"Alright, girl. Let's do this."
He opens it, plugs it in, and powers it on. The fans wheeze like they're waking from a coma.
He unzips his backpack and pulls out:
- Two old gaming magazines
- A half-empty water bottle
- His assembled Gunpla
- And the standard **Home Battle System gear**: gloves, shoe straps, and visor.. designed to be one-size-fits-all.
He then grabs the **Gunpla Builder Scanner Dock** and connects it to his laptop. Next, he plugs in the **wireless receiver** for the HBS gear; everything snaps into place with a soft chime.
> **Device detected: GBD Scanner Dock v3.1**
> **Installing driver software…**
>
> **Complete. Ready for use.**
**DUNCAN**
"Good... good..."
He runs the installer for the core system:
> **Installing: HBS_BattleNet.EXE...**
>
> **Installation Complete.**
The **Gunpla Breakers: BattleNet** app boots up.
> **Welcome to Gunpla Breakers: BattleNet**
>
> [ ] Standard System Setup
>
> **Step 1: Place your Gunpla on the Scanner Dock, and insert your GP Base to the mount on the HBS.**
Duncan sets his Gunpla down carefully on the scanner platform. A soft blue glow washes over the model as the laser grid kicks in. Then he slides the **GP Base** into the mount slot on the side of the wireless receiver module.
> **Model Detected: GM-Wing Custom**
> **Loading Build Profile... Scan Complete.**
>
> **Step 2: Equip Gloves and Shoe Straps.**
He slides the gloves on, then clicks the shoe straps in place over his socks. Lights blink green.
> **HBS Connected. Full sync confirmed.**
>
> **Step 3: Choose a Mission.**
A mission menu expands across the screen. The top option pulses softly.
> **[Tutorial Mission: Virtual Skirmish]**
> "Practice movement, weapons, and core systems."
Duncan selects it.
> **Final Step: Sit somewhere comfortable and lower your visor.**
He crashes into the couch, heart pounding. After a second's breath, he pulls the visor down.
Darkness.
Then; *light.*
A **hard-light VR cockpit** materializes around him in sleek lines and glowing circuits. HUD data pings to life. Two glowing orbs hover where the real-world controls would be.
*He reaches forward and Grabs them.*
**SYSTEM:**
> **Connection confirmed.
> GM-Wing Custom ready for deployment.**
**DUNCAN (focused):**
"…Let's dance."
> **Training Simulation Available: Basic Combat Trials – Map 01: Quarry Zone**
Without a second's hesitation, Duncan confirms. The room around him dissolves in a wave of shimmering particles as the **Plavsky Particle System** activates.
Inside the cockpit, the controls flicker to life. He grips them—familiar in shape, but... heavier. Slightly laggier than the sleek, high-end setup back at that rich kid's house. This system's rougher. Not broken—just unrefined. It takes a moment for his movements to sync.
**The terrain finishes loading.**
A vast quarry stretches before him—cracked dirt and scattered stone, surrounded by jagged cliffs and rusted scaffolding. Half-finished support beams loom overhead, while chunks of metal and worn-out crates lie abandoned in the dust.
Dummy units begin to spawn. Some stand still. Others patrol. A few sprint in with a blast of fire, then vanish behind cover again. A rhythm of war drums, pre-programmed but relentless.
Duncan's first few steps are shaky. The *GM Winged Phantom* stumbles at its landing. Servo feedback hums too loud. When he dashes, it skids longer than he expects. He tries a shot; but misses.
**Frustration.**
He exhales sharply, tightens his grip, then flips the thrusters on.
The Gunpla lifts, just a few inches, but suddenly the world feels *right.* Hovering feels more natural to Duncan than walking ever could.
He glides forward, low to the ground, weaving between beams, dashing from one piece of cover to the next. Boost to strafe.
He'd Drift, Circle wide, Pop out, fire back, and retreat behind the crates.
A drone locks on. He spins wide, draws his blaster, and clips it in mid-charge. Another rushes in swinging a beam saber, but he intercepts, deflects, and counters in one clean motion. Sparks fly. The dummy unit drops.
Time blurs.
Wave after wave crashes into him, but He adjusts, adapts, and overcomes.
Every dodge he makes refines his reflexes. Every counter sharpens his edge. His rhythm tightens. His aim steadies. The Gunpla becomes an extension of his will.
Enemies escalate. Dumb drones give way to mid-range AI. Some now flank properly. Some hold back and suppress. Others charge with aggressive accuracy. **GM variants** start showing up with full weapons loadouts.
Hours pass. Duncan doesn't notice. His eyes are dry. His back aches. But he's locked in.
At some point, he yawns. His body slumps into the couch.
**DUNCAN**
"One more round… and then I'll log off."
But his body disagrees.
Slouched in the VR seat, visor still on, Duncan slips into unconsciousness.
**An hour later—**
A *screaming alarm* jolts Duncan awake.
The HUD flashes red. Missile warnings blare. His Gunpla shudders under fire—miniature explosions lighting up the terrain around him. Three lock-on sources. No mercy.
**DUNCAN (snapping upright, half-asleep):**
"Sonofa' b**ch—I'll get you for that!"
He jets backward instinctively, dips low behind a collapsed beam, strafes left hard. The blaster flashes up in his hand—*fire*. One drone erupts midair.
Through the smoke, he dashes forward, looping behind a second target—*GM-1 variant*—and drives his saber through its core with a clean strike.
The last unit is trickier. Smarter. Its AI reacts fast, weaving in and out of cover like it knows what he'll do.
But Duncan's faster now.
He matches pace, reads its rhythm. The duel is tense, messy. Sparks fly, steel clashes. Finally—an opening. One lucky parry.
**He strikes.**
The blade drives straight through the GM's chest.
> **MISSION COMPLETE**
The HUD dims. The simulation dissolves around him in waves of soft blue light.
Duncan exhales hard, his heartbeat finally slowing.
He leans back, lifting the visor with a quiet *click*. The hum of the HBS rig fades. One by one, he powers it all down, disconnects the Scanner Dock, unmounts the GP Base, and sets it aside with care.
Then, within seconds, he's out cold.**
> **[END OF EPISODE 3]**