Simon walked the streets of Kamina City as he usually did these days. His bro, Kamina, had given them all the power to defeat the Spiral King and then the extra-dimensional beings, the Anti-Spirals. It had been nearly a decade since Simon and team Dai-Gurren defeated the Spiral Nemesis, and Simon was happy to live a simple life while the younger generation ran the city.
Simon walked into his small home and his phone rang almost immediately. He keyed the console and a familiar face popped up.
"Viral, been a long time."
"It has, Simon. You're looking... older."
Simon grunted softly under his breath, "Well you know us humans, we age."
"That you do," Viral said. "I'm sorry but this isn't a call to catch up on old times."
"I assumed as much. What's wrong?"
"Nothing 'wrong' per se. We've found something on our galactic scanners. Leeron can't quite figure out what it is, so Gimmy requested we contact you."
Simon folded his arms and sighed. "I guess I don't have anything else going on."
An hour later Simon arrived at the Capitol Building. Viral, Leeron, Dari, and Gimmy were waiting for him in the sensor room. Gimmy, who had recently been elected the new Prime Minister of Kamina City, approached Simon and they grasped hands.
"Thank you for coming, Simon."
"Yeah, I was really busy, but when the new Prime Minister summons you, you'd better drop what you're doing," Simon jested.
Leeron stood up from his seat at the sensor station. "Simon, come look at this!"
Simon walked over to the console and observed the screens. The rest of the room gathered around.
"You see this?" Leeron pointed at an anomaly on the screen. "It's like a fissure out in space. It has similar readings to the portals the Anti-Spirals used to come into our dimension."
Simon cracked his knuckles. "More Anti-Spirals, ehh. Well, we did it once..."
Leeron interrupted, "Not exactly. The readings aren't quite the same. We don't know where it came from, but I don't believe it's the Anti-Spirals again. But it is worrisome."
Simon smiled and thumbed his nose. "Guess I'd better go check it out."
Gimmy grinned and patted Simon on the shoulder. "I thought you'd say that. We have Gurren Lagann all polished up and ready to go. I'll be your co-pilot."
"I'm sorry Gimmy, but I'd better do this by myself. We can't have the new Prime Minister being sucked into a strange portal never to be seen again."
Gimmy didn't hide his disappointment. "I guess you're right."
"Besides," Simon grinned back at him, "I think I have enough fighting spirit left for old Gurren Lagann. So, let's get this show on the road!"
Everyone made their way to the Gunman hangar. Simon hadn't actually seen Gurren Lagann in a long time. Not since the Spiral Nemesis. They approached Gurren Lagann and Simon took it in. The sight comforted him, and yet a strong memory of Kamina brought a tear to his eye. Leeron held out Simon's spiral key and placed it in his hand. After hugging everyone goodbye, he climbed into Gurren and powered him up.
Leeron came up on the communicator almost immediately. "Just performing a comm check, sweetie."
"Don't call me that," Simon mumbled.
"What was that? Oh well. The coordinates to the anomaly are in your system. You're ready to go. We should be able to maintain communication even when you're in deep space!" Leeron said with his usual flair.
"Thanks as always," Simon said as he cranked the drill key all the way in and Gurren Lagann filled with spiral energy. Everyone on the ground cheered as he pushed the control levers forward and Gurren Lagann launched out of the hangar and into the night sky.
Simon waved as he soared past the Arc-Gurren, which was floating in orbit over the Earth. He could see members of the crew jumping and cheering through the windows before they shrank out of sight. "Alright, let's check out this fissure in space!" Simon said aloud to himself.
"Get to it Simon!" Leeron said over comms.
"What?"
"I told you that we'd have comms. Tsk, still the same old Simon."
"I guess I am," Simon lamented.
With a roar of spiral energy Gurren Lagann launched with impossible speed to the fissure. It only seemed like moments before he arrived. The fissure looked like a giant, jagged crack floating in space. Through the narrow opening there was a rainbow of color and light. Simon explained to Leeron what he was looking at.
Leeron's face popped up on the display. "I think I know what you're thinking, but I wouldn't go in there. It could be a trap."
Another display popped open with Gimmy's face. "Does it look like the Anti-Spirals could come through it?"
"No. It doesn't look anything like the Anti-Spirals power. Though... I swear I keep seeing something moving inside."
"What is it!?" Gimmy shouted.
The fissure seemed to pulse, and the opening became wider. A moment later there was another pulse, and it opened even more.
"I think it's opening!" Simon moved into a defensive stance.
"Get out of there!" Leeron said frantically.
"Wait! What? I can't move!" Simon struggled with his controls, Gurren Lagann twitched and strained but couldn't move away. The fissure pulsed again and opened wide enough to consume him. "I'm getting pulled in!"
"No! Simon!" Leeron's voice began to crackle over the comm.
"Well if it's going to happen..." Simon gritted his teeth.
"No!"
Gimmy's voice could be heard through the comm. "I knew I should have piloted Gurren Lagann with him..."
"I'm going in!" Simon said.
"It's too dangerous!" Leeron said, the comms crackling worse than ever.
Simon laughed under his breath. "Just who the hell do you think I am?"
He lurched the control handles forward and Gurren Lagann met no resistance rocketing through the fissure. Inside was a writhing tunnel of color and light. He couldn't tell if he was standing still or racing through it.
"Where the hell are we?" said a familiar voice.
"Kamina!"
"Hey, Simon. How've you been?"
"Bro! How'd you get here?"
"I don't know, Simon. I was just relaxing, watching you floating outside some portal and the next thing I know, I'm sitting here in my Gurren." Kamina popped up on the video feed.
"You haven't aged a day."
"Well, I've been dead I guess. So I'm the same age. I don't even know if I'm alive now, but I'm here it seems. Looks like you haven't aged either."
Simon looked down at his hands. They were small and soft again. He frantically patted his body and head. Everything was back to how it was the day he lost Kamina. Suddenly, there was a shuffling inside his jacket. A little pigmole popped out.
"Poi, poi."
"Buta!" Simon grabbed Buta and squeezed him. "I thought I left you at home?"
Buta grunted, "Poi."
"Hey Buta," Kamina chimed in. "You know, being dead has made me pretty hungry."
"POI!" Buta's hackles rose and he sprinted in circles around the Lagann's cockpit.
"We must be in some extra-dimensional time anomaly," Simon said, looking out the pulsating colors and light. "But, it's different from the Anti-Spiral dimension. "Kamina, look!" There was what looked like another fissure opening up ahead.
"Well Simon. It looks like we know where to go."
The fissure was growing bigger. A vertical slit in space-time like the one Simon had entered into. "Kamina, I don't think we have a choice! We're moving toward it fast, and I'm not doing anything."
"Well, since when have we let fate decide anything for us? Full speed ahead!" Kamina thrusted the controls forward.
"You got it, bro!" Simon shoved the controls forward and Gurren Lagann rocketed towards the opening. In the bright, colorful void, it was difficult to tell if the opening was growing fast, or if they were moving toward it. That question had barely time to form in Simon's head before Gurren Lagann burst through the fissure and out into the dark, rainy ocean, right off the coast of a brightly lit city.
"What the...?" Kamina began to say to himself.
"Kamina look!" Simon pointed ahead through the rain. Kamina followed Gurren Lagann's finger to the blurred image. It looked like a huge Gunman fighting an equally huge monster. They could hear the faint impacts of the battle ahead through the rain.
"Well, I guess we'd better go over there," Simon said. Just then the monster took the Gunman off its feet and threw it into the shallow ocean between itself and Gurren Lagann. Gurren Lagann launched into a sprint. They met the giant Gunman just before it landed and braced to catch it. It was twice their size but they managed break its fall.
More quickly than it seemed like it should be able to move, the giant Gunman was on its feet again and moving towards the giant beast. Simon and Kamina watched as the giant beast rushed at the Gunman and they clashed with a boom, continuously trading blows, and neither one was slowing down.
"Hey Simon, what are we just watching for? You got any of that fighting spirit left in your old age?" Kamina jabbed.
Simon laughed softly, "Yeah, more than anyone else in the universe."
"I'll take that challenge, let's take out that big beastman. I have a feeling that Gunman is friendly."
"Wait," Simon said. "I'll scan the radio channels, maybe they have communication devices."
"Simon, that cool head of yours..."
A voice crackled in and came over the comm, "-ju. I repeat. To the small Jaeger: the kaiju is a Class Six. To not engage the kaiju. I repeat..."
"This is Simon, one of the pilots of Gurren Lagann, we're going to assist that giant mecha."
Kamina came on the comms. "Listen here buddy, Gurren Lagann may be small to you, but we pack a punch that pierced the heavens! The drill that saved all the spiral races of the universe..."
It was just then that the giant gunman collided with them. They were nearly flattened by it, but its momentum from being thrown again, carried it even further away.
"That's it!" Kamina gripped his controls tightly. "You asked for it you spiky-faced bastard!"
"Let's do it, bro!" Simon shouted as they ran towards the hulking monster, which was easily twice their size. It roared loudly, fruitlessly shaking the still falling rain off its body. Sharp spikes of bone protruded from its face, shoulders, elbows, and spine. It ran at them and swung a fist the size of Lagann at them. They braced and caught it, twisted around, and tried to throw the beast. It was too heavy, and it just sort of twisted and flopped onto its back.
"C'mon, Simon. We can't half-ass this," Kamina said as the giant Gunman leaped over their heads and brought both fists down on the beast's head.
"Silly me," Simon said. "Guess I'm a bit rusty."
The beast flailed beneath the giant Gunman. It grabbed the Gunman by the arm and pulled itself to its feet. Loudly roaring and grabbing the Gunman's arm with its other hand before tearing it off the Gunman. The giant Gunman staggered back and the beast punched it in the chest, sending it toppling backward into the water.
"Okay, Simon. Let's do the thing!"
"You got it, bro!"
They focused all their fighting spirit and rammed their controls forward. The giant beast was standing full height in front of them, getting ready to attack.
"Giga..." Kamina and Simon said in unison.
The beast threw the Gunman's arm on the ground and roared loudly, shaking everything except for Simon and Kamina's fighting spirit. Drills sprouted out of Gurren Lagann's arm
"Drill..." they said, raising their voices.
The beast launched at them. Gurren Lagann's Drill became massive.
"BREAK!" Simon and Kamina roared together. Gurren Lagann flew at the beast, it's Giga Drill spinning full force. It busted through the beast like it was cutting air. The beast exploded into pieces. Its entrails raining down from the sky.
"Hey, you still got it, Simon."
Simon laughed, "Just who the hell do you think I am?"
The giant Gunman walked up to them, towering over them. Their radio cackled.
"This is Raleigh Becket, one of the pilots of Gypsy Danger. Those were some crazy moves out there. Who are you? Where did you come from?"
Gurren Lagann struck a heroic pose. "Okay big guy. Who are we, you ask?" Kamina began, "We are Team Gurren. Defenders of the human race! I'm Kamina, and this is my bro, Simon. He saved the universe from the oppressive Anti-Spirals! They were no match for Team Gurren's fighting spirit!"
"We just came through some sort of tear in space-time and popped out just over there in the water," Simon said.
There was a brief, yet notable pause.
"Ehh, okay. Well, I'm Raleigh and this is my partner Mako, we're Gypsy Danger's pilots. Would you all like to come back to the Shatterdome with us?"
Helicopters swarmed overhead. Simon could see them working to carry away Gypsy Danger's arm, and a dozen more helicopters attaching large cables to Gypsy Danger itself.
"Well, you're the boss now, Simon, what do you think?" Kamina said coolly.
"Yeah, let's go. Maybe they have some food."
Raleigh came back on the radio. "It's not the best, but definitely have food. We'll get some helicopters to hook you and take you with us."
"Hah, no need for that." Kamina patted the console in front of him, completely unseen by everyone else. "Gurren Lagann can fly." With that, Gurren Lagann sprouted wings and took to the air, following Gypsy Danger back to the Shatterdome.
The Shatterdome was huge, a hangar you could fit a skyscraper in. Or a number of skyscraper-sized Gunmen. Simon and Kamina separated Gurren and Lagann and got out of their gunman. They looked at each other and briefly embraced.
"I really missed ya', bro." Simon wiped his eye before a tear could escape.
"I'm really sorry I left ya' behind. I guess you did get that Dai Gunzan."
Raleigh and Mako walked up to Kamina and Simon, followed by a crowd of cheering people. They all quieted when they stopped walking.
Raleigh reached out his hand to Kamina and the clasped forearms, then did the same with Simon. "I'm Raleigh, and this is Mako."
"Woah, a babe and a badass," Kamina said while looking Mako up and down.
"Kamina." Simon dry-washed his face with his hands.
Mako only smirked and nodded to Kamina. Raleigh walked around them to look at Gurren and Lagann, standing side by side. He placed his hand on Lagann and turned to Kamina and Simon.
"We call those beasts Kaiju. They came through a portal, too. They've been sending them through to try and wipe us out and take our planet. We built these Jaegers to fight back. It's been working, but barely. We closed the portal once. We thought that we had finished it. Detonated a bomb on the other side of their portal. We must've hurt 'em bad, but not bad enough. A year later they started coming again. Bigger this time. Out of habit we rebuilt our Jaegers. Bigger and stronger, to take anything else that came. Now we're still struggling to fight back. Gypsy there is mine and Mako's. Last week we lost one, and two in the month before that. We're working on building more, but it takes time.
"But, this little thing, how is it in two pieces now? And how does it pack such a big punch?" Raleigh looked to Kamina and Simon, his eyes were almost pleading.
"They run on fighting spirit!" Kamina said proudly.
"It's Spiral Energy. The force that drives all spiral beings," Simon added.
"We can do anything with Spiral Energy! Not even the heavens themselves are the limit!" Kamina grandiosely pointed to the high ceiling.
"We've never seen anything like that here. And especially not with such a young pilot," Raleigh added.
Simon rubbed his chin for a moment. "Well, I'm actually in my fifties; and, Kamina died when I was, well, the age I look now. Something happened in that tear in space-time we came through. Kamina was suddenly back with me, and I was young again."
Mako folded her arms across her chest. "If we hadn't seen that impossible spike come out of your Jaeger, we'd throw you in the brig on account of you two being crazy."
"It is crazy," Simon said. "But here we are, nearly as confused as you."
"So is it this Spiral Energy that makes your Jaegers combine, and then look completely different?" Mako asked.
"Yes. There is a limit to a person's Spiral Energy, but no limit to its power," Simon said.
Raleigh and Mako seemed to be confused. Simon knew he didn't explain it well.
"Look," Kamina said. "Spiral Power just means that we can do anything if we believe in ourselves, got it?"
Raleigh shifted his weight from one leg to the other. "Well, if you say so. I know what I saw, so it must be true. Gypsy Danger is Nuclear."
Now Kamina and Simon looked confused.
"Well, how about we eat something. Being dead for decades has made me hungry."
Simon laughed, "Sounds good, bro." He turned to Raleigh and Mako. "Where's dinner?"
Raleigh and Mako led them to the cafeteria where they ate and explained in greater detail how they build their Jaegers and fight the kaiju, and Kamina and Simon attempted to better explain Spiral Energy. After they all felt like they had a better understanding of each other Kamina and Simon were shown quarters where they could stay.
Simon turned to Mako before he shut the door to their quarters. "You can have your mechanics check out Gurren and Lagann. Maybe they can figure out how to use the Gunman technology for your Jaegers."
Mako nodded her head and smiled. "I'll do that." Then she walked down the hall as Simon shut the door.
"You always did have a way with the ladies," Kamina said, picking at something in between his teeth.
"If you say so, bro," Simon said. He never realized how exhausted he was until he was lying down. He guessed that was an old perk of a young body.
Simon woke up suddenly to a loud siren. He jumped out of bed and put his boots on. Kamina was up, too, doing the same. They left the room together to see dozens of people running past. They glanced at each other and ran down the hall with the crowd. As they followed, the people began separating. Some running into the Jaeger hangar, some dashing into side rooms; but they stopped at what looked like a command center. It was a room with several people standing and talking, and half a dozen others sitting at terminals, frantically reading information as it poured onto their monitors. The back wall of the room was glass that overlooked the hangar.
Simon spotted Raleigh and Mako talking with some other people and walked up to them.
"What's going on? I was having a nice dream you know," Kamina said with feigned impatience.
"A new Fissure opened. A hundred miles down the coast from here," Raleigh told them. "Nothing's come out of it yet."
"Do you think it's like the one we came out of? You said the kaiju come out of the sea, right?" Simon asked.
A bespectacled man sitting at a console next to them butted in, "It reads like a kaiju portal, but ... Raleigh! It's pulsing, it's growing bigger!"
"Everybody get ready!" Raleigh commanded. "Prep Gypsy, Mako we need to get suited up." He then turned to Kamina and Simon. "This isn't your fight. No one will think less of you if you sit it out."
Kamina laughed and pointed his finger at Raleigh. "Team Gurren never runs from a fight! Just who the hell do you think we are?"
"C'mon, Kamina, we need to get down to Gurren and Lagann."
Kamina and Simon were led down to the floor level of the hangar to where Gurren and Lagann were standing while Raleigh and Mako had gone off in another direction. Kamina and Simon climbed into their Gunmen and powered them up. Their insides lit up brightly, full to the brim with Spiral Energy.
They waited while everyone scrambled around. Then they looked up to see a giant head flying down on a track from high above Gypsy Danger's body. The head slowed right before impact, then rotated into place before locking down.
"Hey, that was pretty badass," Kamina said, still watching Gypsy Danger as the roof opened above it and helicopters began to hook up their cables for transport.
"Alright, Kamina, let's do it." Simon ran Lagann around Gurren and faced him. He then leaped into the air at Gurren, flipping over and aiming his mounting drill at him. Gurren easily snatched him out of the air and jammed him on top of his head. The consoles came afire with light as they morphed into Gurren Lagann's controls. In moments the transformation was complete. Gurren Lagann sprouted its wings and they took off after Gypsy Danger through the open roof.
Shortly thereafter, they all arrived at the rift. The glowing portal was floating just above the surface on the shallow ocean water off the beach. Gypsy Danger and Gurren Lagann stood side by side, lit by the glow of the city on the shore and the spotlights of the dozen helicopters overhead.
The tear floating over the surface of the water looked similar to the one that Simon and Kamina came through, except for that this one glowed a dull golden color. The rift pulsated, and grew larger and larger. Within a minute it was large enough to swallow Gypsy Danger. Three kaiju came out, the first had a hulking, hairless gorilla look to it, but with four beefy arms. It was at least the same size as the one they had fought when they first arrived. The second came out, very lean and long. It had a bug- eyed head, and massive pincers for hands, and a long tail that looked to be covered in razor spikes. The third slithered out. It was like a long, massive grub. It had a hole full of layers of sharp teeth for a face, and appeared to have six wings folded along its back.
Gypsy Danger and Gurren Lagann both struck fighting poses.
"I hope you guys are ready for this," Raleigh said over the radio.
"I've been in worse fights," Kamina said shrewdly.
Just then the rift pulsated again and grew even larger. A massive, almost manlike kaiju climbed out of it. It was half again the size of Gypsy. Spikes covered his calves, forearms, and shoulders. There were more spikes coming out of his head, in a ring formation, like he was the King.
Simon recognized the man's voice from the Shatterdome who had been sitting at the console. He spoke to all of them over the radio. "We have 3 class sevens … and a class ten. The big four armed kaiju is War. The big worm is Famine. The mantis-looking kaiju is Pestilence. … and the giant is Death," his voice shook.
The rain started coming down and was steadily increasing in intensity. The three smaller kaiju stayed in a line before Death. Death looked at Gurren Lagann and Gypsy Danger a few moments before releasing a monstrous roar. Pestilence, War, and Famine came rushing at them.
Gurren Lagann and Gypsy Danger moved to meet the kaiju. War came at Simon and Kamina with speed that betrayed its size. It was almost galloping, using all six of its limbs, and had closed the distance with its fist, bringing heavily down on Gurren Lagann. Deftly, Gurren Lagann caught War's fist, but, before they could counter attack, another fist swung low, belting them in the side and sending them skipping across the surface of the water.
Gurren Lagann maneuvered back to its feet before they had lost their momentum. They knelt in the water, watching War bear down on them again.
"Well, I'm a little rusty I guess," Kamina said coolly.
"We both are. It's been a long time; and I don't think this thing is going to give us a warm up match." Simon sighed.
"Well then, let's go!" Kamina cranked his controls forward and Simon followed suit. Gurren Lagann sprinted at the rushing kaiju. Gurren Lagann landed a leaping uppercut. War roared in anger and wrapped his lower set of arms around them in a bear hug. It then started pounding on them with its upper set of arms.
"We can't take much of this," Kamina shouted.
"You're starting to sound like I used to," Simon shouted back. "I have an idea."
"Lead the way, bro."
Simon aggressively shifted his control levers and Gurren Lagann sprouted long drills from its entire body. War growled in pain and attempted to throw Gurren Lagann away, but the drills pierced clean through War's body. It thrashed violently, trying to break free.
Gurren Lagann then retracted the spikes and flew free from War, landing deftly a short distance away. War seemed to not feel any lasting pain as it was already coming back at them, angrier than ever.
"Let's do this!"
"You got it, bro!"
War was coming at them with its upper arms raised above its head, its hammer fists ready to crush Gurren Lagann. Simon and Kamina lowered their stance and sprouted massive drills from Gurren Lagann's arms. As War's fists came down, Gurren Lagann brought both drills up into War's elbows. Simon and Kamina let loose battle cries as they flew up, severing War's arms at the elbow. War flailed and lashed out, swinging wildly before falling to its side in the water.
A frantic voice came over the radio. "Simon, Kamina; Gypsy needs your help!"
"We're on it!" Kamina replied, and Gurren Lagann sprouted its wings and launched back towards Gypsy Danger.
Gypsy was taking on Pestilence and Famine simultaneously. As Kamina and Simon rushed in, they could see that Gypsy Danger had already taken some damage. Raleigh and Mako weren't so much fighting them as they were holding them at bay. Famine's many wings were beating furiously against its weight as it lurched through the air at Gypsy. Gypsy quickly squatted and jumped into the air, rocket boosters firing brightly from its back and elbows, carrying it just a bit higher than Famine. Gypsy came down with a crushing blow into Famine's non-existent head. Famine screeched and twisted as it fell out of the air, crashing into the ocean, completely submerged.
Gypsy landed hard on its feet, turning only just in time to catch Pestilence's massive pincer in one hand and its neck in the other, Pestilence's mandibles snapping just feet from Gypsy's head. With its free claw, Pestilence rapidly tore at Gypsy's leg, sending sparks and chunks of metal hurling away.
"We're coming for ya'," Simon shouted into the comms. Gurren Lagann slammed into Pestilence and tore it away from Gypsy Danger. Gypsy flinched backward to avoid getting tangled in the collision. Pestilence thrashed as it tumbled through the water. Its razor spike-covered tail whipped out and caught Gurren Lagann across the back, sending them, too, tumbling into the ocean.
"Kamina! Simon!" Raleigh and Mako shouted over the comms. Gypsy rushed towards them on its damaged leg. Before Gypsy could get to them, Famine burst out of the water, hitting Gypsy in the chest with its fang-filled face.
Gurren Lagann recovered from its tumble and sprinted towards Gypsy, who was now on its back underwater, being torn at by Famine. Kamina and Simon shouted, "Take this you bastard!" as they jumped through the air, sprouting long, needle-like drills from their back, turning to hit Famine back-first.
The needle-drills pierced Famine's fat, grub body. It writhed and screeched as Gurren Lagann continued to roll with Famine now stuck to their back, and flung it off of them, far into the distance. It flailed and squirmed, but couldn't correct itself, crashing into the water with the full force of its own weight.
Pestilence rushed up behind Gurren Lagann as its needle-drills retracted, grabbing it with its pincers and pulling at its arms as if trying to tear them off.
Gypsy Danger recovered and was back on its feet. Its hand mechanically transformed into its plasma cannon and it began unloading shots on Pestilence as it limped closer. Pestilence roared with displeasure and swung Gurren Lagann around, throwing it into Gypsy. The collision should have sent both of them tumbling, but they instead were stopped by War. War wrapped its whole arms around them both and attempted to beat them down with its nub arms. Pestilence came at them, its pincers snapping at the air in preparation.
Gypsy activated its second plasma cannon and shoved both of them in War's face. Emptying the clips with wild abandon, War's face was reduced to a pulpy soup and his grip on Gypsy and Gurren Lagann loosened; but before they could move, Pestilence was upon them. It reached right past the small Gurren Lagann as it fell to the ocean and grabbed Gypsy's right arm with both pincers, planted its legs on Gypsy's torso and tore the arm from Gypsy's body. Raleigh and Mako cried out over the comms.
Kamina and Simon had Gurren Lagann back on its feet just in time to be struck by Gypsy's disembodied arm, which Pestilence had swung like a golf club. As Gurren Lagann tumbled through the air, Famine burst out of the water, blood spurting from the holes that Simon's drills had made. Its fang-filled orifice had grown several times its original size, ready to swallow Gurren Lagann whole.
Kamina and Simon quickly corrected its tumble.
"Let's give him what he wants, Kamina."
"You got it, Simon!" Kamina grinned at his controls, "Lead the way."
Simon's spiral energy panel rapidly grew brighter. "Giga..." Gurren Lagann's hand transformed into a drill.
Kamina Shoved his controls forward. "Drill..." As the flew towards Famine, the drill grew larger than Gurren Lagann itself.
"BREAK!" They shouted in unison, "EAT THIS YOU BASTARD!"
Gurren Lagann flew into Famine's open mouth Giga Drill first. Famine exploded along its length as Gurren Lagann traveled through it, coming out the other end in a shower of glowing blue blood and guts.
They quickly turned back towards Gypsy Danger. Pestilence was back on Gypsy, slamming its pincers into the core on its chest. "We're coming for ya' Gypsy!" Kamina called into the comm.
Gurren Lagann grabbed Pestilence and tore it off of Gypsy Danger. Kamina and Simon both shouted as if the effort of throwing it was their own. Pestilence tumbled through the air, crashing into the ocean a quarter mile away.
Gypsy's bad leg seemed to have given out. It knelt, slumped over, one arm completely missing, it's nuclear core flickering.
"Power output is at ten percent," Mako said over the comms.
"We're out of this fight. If you can get us close to the remaining kaiju's, we can detonate our core and take them out," Raleigh said, panting.
A voice from the Shatterdome came over the comms. "You're too close to the coast, the city will be severely damaged, not to mention the fallout."
"If we don't do it, it'll wipe out humanity. This is our only option."
"Just who the hell to do you we are?" Simon said, "No one is going to die except for those ugly bastards. Let's do it Kamina."
"I like your style, Simon. I couldn't be any prouder of my bro," Kamina said passively. "Now, Raleigh, Mako- let me see you grit those TEETH!"
Gurren Lagann wound back its fist and it changed into a drill. With massive force, they punched the drill right into Gypsy Danger's chest.
"What are you doing!?" The voice from the Shatterdome cried out.
"This is the third option," Simon said.
"The ultimate combination of fighting souls. This is the power of spiral energy!" Kamina shouted.
They both began to glow, and then fuse into one monstrous Jaeger. It stood proudly with its head reminiscent of Gypsy's head wearing Gurren Lagann's helmet. Its red and gray body wore Gurren Lagann's huge shades on it's chest, dual core's glowing behind them like the eyes of the possessed. Rocket boosters jutted from its back, elbows, and ankles.
Raleigh and Mako looked around themselves in astonishment. They were still hooked into the Jaeger the same way, but the deck had changed. Their console had changed into glowing spirals. Simon and Kamina now sat at two consoles that had emerged behind them at their head level. They all looked into the distance. They were now easily equal in size to the Death kaiju.
Everyone on the deck flinched. Simon and Kamina had entered the drift, sharing their thoughts and memories with that of Raleigh and Mako. After a moment, they all understood each other completely.
"What happened?" Mako said in amazement.
"Like I said, this is the power of spiral energy," Kamina said with a wave of his hand.
"We're now, Team Danger Gurren," Simon said.
"And this is the Arc Danger Gurren," Raleigh said, "I like it."
"I can feel the Jaeger like never before," Mako said.
"It's now powered with spiral energy. All we need is your bottomless fighting spirit, and we won't lose," Kamina said triumphantly.
Danger Gurren pounded its fist into its other palm. All four pilots acted as one. The Arc Danger Gurren took off running towards Death. Pestilence sprang out of the ocean, its pincers snapping threateningly. The Arc Danger Gurren sprouted swords from its forearms, and with two simultaneous strokes, cut Pestilence into three pieces.
The air then filled with a monstrous roar. Death flexed in anger and began to walk in their direction. Its walk sped into a run. Arc Danger Gurren ran at Death. They met with such force that tidal waves emanated from them as if they were ripples in a pond.
They began trading massive blows. Each impact could be heard in the city on the coast. Death wrapped its massive arms around the Arc Danger Gurren. It roared and squeezed, attempting to crush the Arc Danger Gurren. Inside the deck the four pilots could hear the creaking from the stress on the hull. They only spoke aloud by habit.
"Get off of us," Mako said.
"Rear boosters!" Raleigh cried out.
Kamina and Simon cranked their controls forward. The boosters ignited. Slowly moving them at first, and finally lifting themselves and Death off the ocean floor, pushing Death backwards, skimming the surface of the water. Arc Danger Gurren then tilted forward and rammed Death into the ocean floor, now grinding it against the reef as the rocketed on.
Death, flailing wildly, managed to get its foot up, and kicked Arc Danger Gurren hard in the chest. The Arc Danger Gurren flipped over, and momentarily spun out of control, barely correcting itself before it landing back in the water. Death climbed back to its feet, angrier than ever.
Arc Danger Gurren flicked it right arm and a giant blade sprung from it once again. It rushed at Death, its arm locked back, and the point of the blade aimed at Death's neck. Team Danger Gurren drove the blade forward, only to be parried by Death. Death tightly gripped the bladed bearing arm with both fists and swung the Arc Danger Gurren around in the air. Death twisted and jerked the arm, breaking it free of the rest of the Jaeger. The one-armed Arc Danger Gurren soared nearly a half mile before it landed roughly in the ocean.
"That bastard," Raleigh said through gritted teeth as the Arc Danger Gurren climbed back to its feet.
"Ugh, I've been through worse." Said Kamina.
"What, we can do that?" Mako said suddenly.
"Yeah, Simon, I like your style." Kamina looked over at Simon, grinning.
"We'll just need to crank up our fighting spirit!" Raleigh said.
"Let's do it then. Let's end it," Simon said.
Death was already coming at them. The Arc Danger Gurren charged at Death. A soft, blue glow began to surround them. The four pilots belted battle cries for all the humans on Earth. A beam of blue light emanated from Arc Danger Gurren's empty arm socket. Within a moment a new arm sprang out of the socket. The distance between death and Arc Danger Gurren was closing rapidly.
"NUCLEAR..." Mako shouted.
The Arc Danger Gurren sprouted a massive drill from its new arm.
"DANGER..." Raleigh continued.
The drill grew twice its original size, and then double its size again.
"GIGA..." Simon shouted, cranking his controls forward.
It was spinning so furiously that the rain falling near them was getting sucked into the vortex. The distance between them and Death had been closed. Death roared with such ferocity that it would sap the spirit of the strongest of men.
"DRILL!" Kamina's battle cry lit the entire deck blue with glowing spiral energy.
The Drill lit up with orange and blue light. The Arc Danger Gurren lunged at Death. Kamina, Simon, Raleigh, and Mako all looked through their screen and stared Death straight in its eyes.
They cried out in unison, "BREAK! JUST WHO THE HELL DO YOU THINK WE ARE!?"
The Arc Danger Gurren plunged the Nuclear Danger Giga Drill deep into the raging, thrashing Death. The impact lit up the sky, until all they could see was pure white. Death disintegrated into nothingness. The white light faded, and the rain stopped falling. Gurren Lagann and Gypsy Danger were now side-by-side. Gypsy kneeling, its damage returned, and Gurren Lagann, battered, but whole. A glowing, multi-colored tear was floating just over the ocean where their final attack had erupted.
Raleigh's voice came over the comm, "Our console didn't change back!?"
"Looks like you run on spiral energy now. Be sure to make the best of it," Simon said.
"I don't know how we could ever thank you," Mako said with tears of relief, joy, and thankfulness in her eyes.
Kamina spoke into the comms with his endearingly triumphant voice. "Don't worry about thanking us. Just do us one favor. Never give up. Not even the heavens themselves are the limit!"
Raleigh and Mako laughed. "You got it," They said.
"Looks like this is our ride," Simon said, Gurren Lagann gestured towards the glowing fissure. "Until next time. It's been fun, Raleigh, Mako."
Simon and Kamina stepped into the portal. They were back in the void of rainbow light.
"Listen, Simon..."
"Bro?"
"I told you never to forget, and you never did. Believe in yourself. Not in the you who believes in me. Not in the me who believes in you. Continue to believe in the you who believes in yourself..."
With that, Simon was alone again. He looked at his hands as the tears flowed down his cheeks. He was old again. He wiped the tears from his face with his forearm. "Thanks Kamina. I won't forget." Simon gently pushed his controls forward and moved towards the other end of the portal.