"Man I miss the beach already" Edward said
"Well, you had to come back some time" Mami said as she was cleaning Downshift
"Still can't believe you have something to do with NEST" Edward said
"And why is that?" Mami asked
"Oh you know, didn't expect you too" Edward said looking over the engineer's section of the base, there he saw a girl with bright blonde hair. He had grown curious upon seeing her and left the area he was in and walked over to the engineering bay
"Where is he going?" Mami asked.
"That was hard" the girl said unzipping her overalls and rolling up the top half revealing a black tube top she used as a bra. She grabbed a towel and wiped away the sweat. it was at this point she was being watched by Ed, who was entrapped by the girl's graceful beauty
"Winry?" Ed asked making the girl freeze
"Edward, is that you?" Winry asked as Edward stepped forward "Oh my, EDWARD!" she cried and tackled Edward
"Winry, it is you, I thought" Edward said hugging her
"Me too, I thought that as well" Winry said
"How are you here?" Edward asked shocked
"Me, what are you doing here?" Winry asked
"I live on the base you?" Edward asked
"I'm an engineer-mechanic-medic" Winry said
"That sounds like a lot" Edward said
"I know, but my goodness Edward it is so good to see you again" Winry said clutching Ed in a hard grip
"Same here Winry, same here" Edward said hugging her back while holding back tears, which could not be said for Winry, since she was already crying.
"Am I interrupting something here?" Maes asked showing up
"COLONEL!" the two teens sprung apart. the colonel just chuckled
"My, my Edward; is it just me or could this be love at first sight. Ah young lover, there is no such sweeter things" Maes miled
"Colonel, what are you yammering about?" Edward asked
"Yeah, we're childhood friends" Winry said
"And you know what they say about childhood friends and romance" Maes giggled
"That was way too much like a schoolgirl's giggle" Edward snarked
"Anyway what is it with you guys and reuniting with your old childhood friends and then become lovers? I mean seriously this is the second time you done that" Maes said
"We don't know, and like you said, its only happened twice" Edward said
"Okay, whatever you say" Maes said walking off
"Jackass" Edward growled
"Okay, so tell me again, how does one lose an entire city and half a nation?" Gray asked
"we don't know" Itami said
"Have you thought about sending out Section 9?" Gray asked
"They are considering it" Masane said
"But?" Rin asked
"We don't know if it is worth the time" Itami said
"So a nation is cut in half and you aren't going to send the elites out to investigate?" Gray asked
"It's complicated" Masane said
"I see" Rin said
"Look Maes and Kusanagi are talking about the plan with Vermillion okay?" Masane said
"Yeah, sure" Gray said walking off
"Add another then onto my damn plate" Masane said kicking back
"Which is?" Itami asked
"With The Decepticons in general, the school attack, being a parent to a bunch of adopted teenagers, the Vermillion situation of one of the things I need the least" Masane sighed "Life is easy they said never had to live in my shoes for a damn day" she sighed
"I see" Itami said
"I need a drink" Masane said
"Sake or?" Itami asked
"Whiskey, on the rocks" Masane said
"This sucks" Qwenthur said
"We can't do anything about it though" Henry said
"This whole Vermillion thing" Qwenthur said
"Shouldn't we focus on homework first?" Tatsumi asked as he was working on his science homework
"Guys, what if this is connected to the Decepticon mining operation the Autobots ended?" Nagisa asked working on english
"Where are you going with this?" Mina asked as she was helping Henry with his maths
"What if they were mining energon under Vermillion? And what if that energon awoke something big" Nagisa said
"How big?" Minako asked as the attention of his siblings
"I'm not sure, but I have a feeling, its linked to this bracer I found at the beach, the Ark and now Vermillion. Guys I think" Nagisa started
"NO!" they shouted
"There is not a big damn conspiracy" Tatsumi said
"You always to go overboard with those kinds of things man" Henry sighed
"I'm just saying" Nagisa said
"Have you guys seen Rin lately?" Tatsumi asked
"Alright Section 9 fall in" Maes said as Section 9 walked over "Sound off"
"Sakura Haruno reporting" the team medic said saluting
"Kallen Kozuki reporting" she said
"Laxus Dreyar reporting" he said
"Eren Yaeger reporting" the team's swordsman said
"Askua Hanzo reporting" the team's kunoichi said
"Alibaba Saluja reporting" the team's field commander said
"Cecily Campbell reporting" Cecily said
"Rokuro Okajima reporting" the team's negotiator said
"Saito reporting" Section 9's sniper saluted
"Goo we're all here" Maes said "Expect for the Major and her"
"Good thing you didn't say her name" Laxus said
'Her?" Asuka asked
"Someone who left the team" Kusanagi said
"Anyway, you know doubt have heard about Vermillion disappearing correct?" Maes asked
"Yes sir" Section 9 said
"I know we should send you guys in, but the French NEST base is sending in section 4" Maes said
"The Investigation team?" Cecily asked
"Yeah, they suspect foul play, so they are sending them in first to decide if or when you guys will be sent in" Kusanagi said
"And in the meantime?" Sakura asked
"There is a different problem we will be asked to look into" Kusanagi said
"You guys ready yet?" Itami asked walking up to them
"We're still debriefing them" Maes said
"Whoops my bad" Itami said
"What's going on?" Kallen asked
"You guys wouldn't even believe it" Itami said.
"Wow, you look chipper Ed" Souma said
"I just bumped into an old friend is all" Edward said
"Who was it?" Souma grinned
"Her name is Winry okay?" Edward asked "She was an old friend before the Ravaging"
"So, you kissed her yet?" Souma asked
"What?" Edward asked
"What's up?" Zen asked as he and Tatsumi walked into the kitchen
"Ed's got a girlfriend, Ed's got a girlfriend, Ed's got a girlfriend, Ed's got a girlfriend" Souma teased
"HEY SHUT UP!" Edward barked
"You know what?" Souma asked
"What?" Edward glared
"I got to wonder how much taller she is then you" Souma said "pipsqueak"
"Oh crap" Zen and Tatsumi said as Henry wandered in
"What's going on?" he asked
"WHO ARE YOU CALLING A PIPSQUEAK!" Edward shouted ready to rush his brother
"WHOA!" the other three shouted catching Edward before he could punch Souma
"Calm down Ed" Tatsumi said
"Souma why did you have to make fun of his height?" Zen asked
"Why not?" Souma asked
"Its a cheap shot" Edward said
"Yeah, yeah, yeah" Souma said
"So I won't see you for awhile huh?" Rin asked
"That's what I hate about these extended missions" Alibaba said
"So hurry back as soon as you finish okay?" Rin asked
"You know it" Alibaba said kissing her gently
"Come on Casanova" Eren said as he grabbed his teammate
"Quit pulling me!" Alibaba said
"Relax Rin, we'll bring him back" Sakura said comforting the oldest Amaha sibling
"Or you know die trying" Rock laughed making Rin tense up
"Relax, we're not going to Roanapur" Kallen said
"We have no idea where we're going" Laxus said
"Have a good trip and a safe mission" Rin said as they walked out
"Don't worry, they'll keep each other safe okay?" Masane said walking up to her eldest daughter, "Come on"
"Okay" Rin said
"Seriously where is it?" Nagisa asked
"Where what is?" Optimus asked
"Ironhide's got the kid convinced that the gauntlet is linked to Teletraan-1" Cliffjumper said
"Why wouldn't it be?" Bumblebee asked
"Sadly Teletraan-1 was on the Ark which is lost to us" Ratchet said
"And that is what he is looking for" Cliffjumper said
"I see" Optimus said "It is as the humans say the thought that counts"
"Hello?" a voice asked
"Whoa" Nagisa jumped
"Who was that?" Bumblebee asked
"Who is that, where are you?" the voice asked
"Calm down, I am Optimus Prime, leader of the Autobots"
"I've heard of you" the voice said
"Sounds like a femme" Ratchet said
"You must be grumpy old Ratchet" the voice giggled
"Who are you?" Nagisa asked
"Where are you?" Cliffjumper asked
"I don't know, all I can see is blue" the voice said
"Blue, water maybe" Nagisa said
"Can we see what you see?" Optimus asked
"I'll put it up on your main monitor" the voice said as the image appeared, showing nothing but blue until the horizon
"She's underwater!" Nagisa said
"Interesting" Optimus said
"So what does mean?" Ironhide asked
"If this girl is indeed connected to the Ark and Teletraan-1 that means it will be harder to find them" Optimu said
"Not necessarily" Nagisa said
"How so?" Cliffjumper said
"Instead of looking over the whole world, that single picture narrowed it down to four locations" Nagisa said
"Where?" Optimus asked
"the four oceans of the world, those are the only places in the world where you can get that kind of view" Nagisa said
"Impressive" Ironhide said "What do you think Prime?"
"I think we should start combing the oceans of Earth" Optimus said
"Hey girls" Minako said as she walking into Ruby and Yang's room where Blake, Rinka, Weiss and Kurumu were
"What's up?" Yang asked
"I think mum's a bit stressed out" Minako asked
"No kidding, taking care of twenty kids, being in charge of an army base can't be easy" Blake said
"So what should we do?" Rinka asked
"I'm working on something"
"What is it?" Weiss asked
"A girl's weekend away at a top spa resort" Minako said
"How did you get those?" Kurumu asked
"I talked to Batou and Kusanagi about it" Minako shrugged
"And that's all?" Ruby asked
"Yep" Minako said
"So we get a weekend away in luxury and the guys have to stay here, right?" Yang asked
"You know it" Minako said happily
"Okay we're scanning the oceans now, it should take about two or three days" Ratchet said
"Good, meanwhile I'll have Seaspray check out all of the areas he can reach" Optimus said, Nagisa was still using the gauntlet to try and access the mysterious voice
"Would it help if I upload myself to this system?" the voice asked
"You can do that?" Cliffjumper asked
"Yes I can" the voice said "Uploading now"
"Wait what?" Ratchet asked as a blue light shone through created a holographic mannequin, a kin to a protoform
"Hello" she said
"Hello" Nagisa said "Who are you?"
"I am the Tactical Artificial Intelligence" the voice said "Or TAI for short"
"By the Vector" Cliffjumper said "It is Teletraan-1, or at least a part of it"
"Well that's a mouthful" Nagisa said "And judging by the female look of your base model, Tai doesn't feel right"
"Then what would you suggest?" 'TAI' asked
"What about the Human-Autbot Networking Analogue?" Nagisa asked "I could be shortened to Hana"
"Hana, and what does mean?" Hana asked
"Its Japanese for flower" Nagisa said
"It's beautiful" Hana said before she shone brightly, and when that died down she now had a more human look to her, she had long hair that went from navy blue at the top down into a light shade of violet near the bottom, her eyes were a classic Autobot blue, she 'wore' a short shoulder-less purple kimono styled dress, two long white stocking and a pair of tan combat boots with red laces
"She's a cutie" Cliffjumper said
"She's also based off of an anime character" Nagisa sighed
"Yes, one that you and your brothers enjoy" Hana said
"Seriously, she's base her look off an anime character?" Ironhide asked
"Yes I am, I used the gauntlet Nagisa wore to find a new look and this form was the most charming" Hana said happily
"So can we get back to what is most important here?" Ratchet asked
"Okay, okay grumpy" Hana snapped. "So what is next?" Hana asked
"We're still scanning for the arc, so take time to intrigrate your system with the our computer systems here" Optimus said
"Yes sir" Hana said before disappearing
"That should make things easier" Cliffjumper said
"I agree" Optimus said
"So what's next?" Gray asked as he kicked back with Edward, Tastumi, Setsuna and Shiro.
"I've got history" Shiro groaned
"What part of history?" Setsuna asked
"King Arthur" Shiro said "Apparently, I've dug something up that no one thought of" Shiro said
"And what's that?" Tatsumi asked
"Apparently, he not only had Merlin he also had a woman called Aria who could control the very wind" Shiro said "And they got his background wrong"
"What do you mean?" Gray asked
"Arthur was not born in England, he was English first and only Scottish King" Shiro said
"Why don't I like that fact that this sounds like one of Nagisa's conspiracy"
"Guys check out the sword" Setsuna said
"What do you mean?" Gray asked
"Doesn't that look like?" Setsuna said
"Cybertronian?" Shiro said
"Okay, so King Arthur is linked to the Transformers, what next there's a group of ancient transformers buried under the pyramid of Giza?" Gray laughed
"Crazier things have happened" Shiro said
"Come on, come on where are you located?" Hana asked before she sensed something was off, so she switched to the security cameras, she then saw a blur on the screen "And intruder?" she asked before she pulled up a new screen and started to have typed in some coding. "Not on my watch bucko" she said
"What's going on?" Ratchet said
"An intruder has tripped an alarm and I picked it up, NEST is now deploying its security teams to find out who it was"
"Not bad" Ratchet said
G'day guys Grizz here and wow was that a lot of basic setup for future events- the Ark's discovery, a plan for a sequel, another cool down chapter, the next chapter, a chapter about Section 9 etc. Also the character of Tai/Hana was a late addition, basically she is T-Ai from the Robots in Disguise anime from the early 2000's which I enjoyed and I gave her an update. He current design is based on a character called Yaya from Unbreakable Machine-Doll which is a steampunk AU London which is pretty fun so go watch that
So until next time I'll catch you on the flipside