Hello again. It's been some time since the last chapter, and I am grateful for the reviews and favorites I've received so far, and I promise more will be coming soon. This chapter is going to introduce a few important and major characters from Evangelion, and will have some more Autobots be introduced here. Enjoy, review, and favorite this story if you like what you see. So now, let's begin.
Transformers Evangelion
Chapter 2: Forging Alliances
Disclaimer: I do not own Transformers or Neon Genesis Evangelion.
Ree…ree…ree…ree…
The sound of the cicadas' shrill song was the first noise to fill the Autobots' audio receptors as soon as they stepped out of the Ark, once they landed their massive ship. The area they managed to land the Ark in was a large forest on the outskirts of Tokyo-3, the city they were told was the main base for NERV. Landing the Ark was a difficult task, but with navigation provided by Blaster, and the Aerialbots helping steer the Ark, the Autobots were able to land the Ark safely, and just in time as the engines burst into flames again, much to the annoyance of Red Alert.
"Of all the circuit glitched, diode blown dimwittery!" the Autobot engineer and security officer yelled angrily as he watched Inferno and Hot Spot douse the flames once again with their hoses. "Now the Ark won't be able to fly anywhere! I knew we shouldn't have gotten those cores from Oderaan!"
"There's not much point in being upset about it Red," Inferno told his partner as he finished extinguishing the fire. "We knew those cores would only last us until we managed to reach this solar system. In all honesty, I'm surprised they managed to last this long."
"But now we're on a planet where we can't get any more cores for the Ark's engines," Red Alert noted. "And when we leave, we should have the Ark with us. I can't imagine who would be able to get in here. The security systems aren't what they used to be!"
"Okay, I think you just need to take it easy now," Hot Spot said as he walked over. Red Alert was always more uptight with security than Prowl was, which was definitely saying something. "Nobody's going to break into the Ark. The Decepticons aren't here on this planet, and if any humans were able to get in here, then they wouldn't be able to steal much."
"Gruggh…" Red Alert groaned, placing his head into his hands. It honestly surprised him that Inferno and most of the Autobots could be so lax with security around here, especially a ship as important as the Ark. "Honest to Primus, I swear there need to be some new protocols in place. I'll have to talk to Optimus when he gets back…" Red Alert left the engine room as he continued talking, but mostly to himself. Inferno and Hot Spot watched him depart before sighing.
"Sometimes I keep wondering if he will ever loosen up," said Hot Spot. "Honestly, it's like he's expecting an attack at any moment."
"That's how he's always been Hot Spot," Inferno said with another sigh. "There's just no changing him. Trust me, I've been around him for a long time."
"I'm honestly surprised you haven't gone senile yet from being around him," Hot Spot said as he left the engine room with Inferno.
"Me too," Inferno chuckled. Deep down he did consider Red Alert a good friend, but his paranoia could definitely be irritating at times, such as when he thought an empty container of Energon Goodies was rigged into a bomb by the Decepticons. "So, what's the plan now that we've landed?"
"That'll be up for Optimus to decide," answered Hot Spot. "He's going to see the NERV headquarters with a group so they can know more about the organization in question, as well as these 'Evangelions'."
Deep in the forest, Optimus navigated his way through the trees with a team comprised of Elita, Ultra Magnus, Wheeljack, Jazz, one of his lieutenants, Bumblebee, a former scout who was now a warrior, Kup, one of the oldest Autobots, Hot Rod, a young rookie, Ratchet, and Ironhide.
"Now this planet can definitely be my scene here!" Jazz exclaimed excitedly as he looked around the forest. "Beautiful scenery, clear skies, and some new terrain to test my speakers on!"
"Oh, I hear you on that one Jazz!" Hot Rod replied. The young Autobot was always looking for excitement, and every planet he had been to was able to offer it whenever there wasn't a battle to be fought. Earth would definitely be no different. "There's going to be a lot of fun to be had here."
"Focus on the fun later lad, we've got work to do," came the reply from Kup. The veteran Autobot was at the back, taking it slower than the others due to his age. "So try not to make an embarrassment of yourself."
"Come on Kup!" Hot Rod looked over his shoulder. "Since when I have embarrassed myself?"
"You're really asking that?" Kup asked with a blank look on his face. There was no denying that Hot Rod was a talented soldier with much potential, potential that led to Kup taking him in as a mentor, but his hotheadedness which could put even the most stubborn Autobots like Sideswipe and Grimlock to shame, as well as his tendency to goof off whenever work was to be done, often led to a few embarrassing situations.
"Hey Kup, maybe you should take it easy on Hot Rod," Bumblebee spoke up from the front of the group. "I was a reckless young Autobot myself once, and look how I turned out!"
"Yeah, but what if I don't want to be like you Bee?" asked Hot Rod.
"Oh, take it easy kid, that's not what Bee said at all," said Ironhide. "You just need to have your head screwed on a little tighter and think, that's all,"
"Yeah, yeah…" Hot Rod muttered with a wave of his hand. "How much longer are we going to walk through here, anyway? This seems like a strange place to have a headquarters."
"Yeah, because the Decepticons haven't had strange places for their headquarters over the years on different planets," Kup sarcastically replied before looking at the around him. "This reminds me of several planets I've been on before in my time." The old Autobot remembered fondly to the Golden Age of Cybertron, back when he was a navigator and adventurer, traveling to new planets and discovering many different and unique areas and beings. Earth was definitely no different for Kup, as he was interested in seeing what this world had to offer.
"We should be exiting the forest soon," Wheeljack then spoke up, walking up front with Elita and Optimus. Sure enough, the group of Autobots could see sunlight peeking out from the trees in front of them. Moments later, the Autobots found themselves standing on a hill, where they could see a city in the far distance in front of them. The city was massive, big enough to fit in at least one quarter of the Cybertronian capital Iacon. Buildings stood tall, varying in height and appearance, and all looking very closely packed.
"So this is it…Tokyo-3…" Jazz said, observing the city with a low whistle. "Now that's one damn fine-looking city."
"Yes, it does seem…impressive," Ratchet said.
"It looks beautiful," Elita added, taking in the sight of the city before her. It amazed her how the humans were able to build a city this fast in the last fifteen years.
"And yet it also feels kind of…strange," Wheeljack stated with his own observation. "It almost looks like it's an artificial city; that it doesn't look real in some places. Especially the skyscrapers in general. I'd definitely like to see it up close and personal."
"And we will," Optimus replied, walking down the hill with the other Autobots following close behind. They stopped when they saw a road in front of them.
"Hmm, it looks like this road should take us into Tokyo-3," said Hot Rod. "Now we just need to figure out which one of those buildings is NERV headquarters."
"It's none of them," said Wheeljack. "Apparently, NERV headquarters is underground in something called a 'geofront.'"
"So how do we get there?" Ironhide asked. Before any of the Autobots could give out a suggestion, the sound of an engine roaring caught all of their attention. Looking to the left, they saw the source of the noise came from a blue car driving down the road at breakneck speed, all while swerving on both sides of the road.
"What in the…" Ironhide asked in disbelief as he looked at the way the car was driving. It was honestly a good thing that it was the only car on the road, as any other vehicles on the road would be in a likely horrific accident. And judging from the various dents and scratches on the car's body, it looked like it saw its fair share of accidents.
"Um…do all humans drive like that on this world?" Bumblebee asked in a slightly nervous tone. "Because if they do, then maybe I'll just take a jetpack."
"I'm pretty sure it's just that one," Jazz answered as the car suddenly came to a screeching halt, stopping near the Autobots and leaving skid marks on the road. The front door on the right opened up and a door opened up, revealing the likely driver of the vehicle. It was a human female wearing a red jacket over a black dress. Her hair was a light shade of purple, and on her neck was a pendant in the form of a cross. Grunting as she stretched, the woman looked up and saw the alien robots staring back at her.
"Hey! Are you the Autobots?!" she called out. "Which one of you is Optimus Prime?"
"I am Optimus Prime," the Autobot leader stepped forward and kneeled down in front of the woman. "May I ask who you are?"
"I think a more important question would be is how you know us," Ultra Magnus continued as he stepped forward himself. It had only been a few hours since the Autobots had arrived on this planet, and so far as he knew, the only humans that knew of them were the ones they met at the United Nations. The fact that this human was able to easily identify them easily made her seem suspicious. Though he supposed himself and the other Autobots were likely to blame as well for being found, since they had not had a chance to transform into their vehicle modes before this woman came careening down the road in her car.
"Captain Misato Katsuragi," the woman said with a finger salute. "I'm with NERV. Commander Ikari and Doctor Akagi contacted me about their meeting with you and informed me that you would be arriving here soon. I'm to escort you to NERV headquarters, since I'm sure you will want to see our handiwork."
"That would be most appreciated," said Optimus. "Thank you, Captain Katsuragi."
"If you're going to escort us, then would it kill you to stay on the right side of the road?" asked Ironhide. "I saw the way you were coming towards us!"
"Hey! Don't cramp my driving style!" Misato yelled, offended by Ironhide's remark, before she went back to her car. "So, Ritsuko said that you guys could transform into vehicles. I'd like to see this for myself."
"Then prepare to be amazed!" Jazz said with a huge grin on his face.
"Autobots, transform and roll out!" Optimus gave the command, and in an instant, the Autobots present had transformed into their vehicle modes. As Optimus, Elita, and Magnus became their respective modes of a truck, a sports car and a car carrier, Wheeljack became a white race car with red and green highlights, and Jazz transformed into a white and blue sports car, while Hot Rod became a flaming red, orange, and yellow car and Kup transformed into a pickup truck. Ratchet and Ironhide respectively transformed into an ambulance and red van, while Bumblebee became a Volkswagen beetle. Upon seeing the transformations before her, Misato's eyes widened in surprise and her jaw dropped slightly, but she soon regained her composure with an impressed smirk adorning her face.
"Now that looks awesome." Climbing into her car, Misato began driving down the road again, though she chose to stay on one side of it so the Autobots could better stay on track with her. "Follow me!" The Autobots drove onto the road behind the blue car, with Optimus in the lead, followed by Magnus, Ratchet, Ironhide, Elita, Wheeljack, Jazz, Hot Rod, Kup, and Bumblebee. Going down the road, there was nothing but silence for a while until Optimus chose to contact Misato for a conversation.
"Captain Katsuragi, if I may speak, you do not seem to be surprised or afraid of us much despite this being our first meeting."
"Well, like I said, Ritsuko and the Commander told me about you," Misato explained. "Ritsuko sent me a video of you guys appearing before the United Nations and transforming like that. I have to admit, I was completely blown out of my mind seeing that video, but seeing you in person was definitely something else. Plus, the organization I work with builds giant robots, so it's nothing all that special really. But transforming robots…I wonder if it could be possible for the Evas to do that…"
"So, how were you able to find us so easily?" Ratchet chose to ask. "It seems like a bit of a coincidence that you showed up on the outskirts of the forest we landed our ship in."
"Well, Ritsuko and the Commander said you'd likely land there given how huge that ship of yours looked," Misato replied. "They just didn't say where exactly you would land or come out of the forest, so I was just driving around for a couple of hours looking for giant robots."
"I'd hate to see the kind of damage you left in your wake…" Kup muttered as he thought about the way Misato was driving earlier. Not even the Stunticons were that crazy with their driving…most of the time.
"Cut her some slack," Hot Rod chose to defend Misato's driving. "I like her style. Fast and dangerous is the way to live for a driver."
"Amen to that!" Misato stuck her hand out the window to give the young Autobot a thumbs-up.
'Dear Primus, don't tell me that I have to deal with two of them,' Kup thought in dread as the Autobots continued following their escort. After several minutes of driving, Misato stopped at a train terminal, the Autobots coming to a halt behind her.
"What is this, the entrance to NERV?" asked Ironhide.
"Sort of," Misato answered. "This is a car train terminal. It will take us to where we need to go. However…" sticking her head out of the window, she looked over all of the vehicles before her eyes settled on Ultra Magnus. "I don't know if you'll be able to fit on board. Optimus Prime looks like he can fit, though it will likely be tight. Unless you're able to detach that trailer."
"That may not be possible," said Ultra Magnus. "My trailer also serves as the armor which is a natural part of my body."
"So…you can't detach it because it may hurt when you transform without it?" Misato asked, slightly confused by the Autobot lieutenant's answer.
"Essentially, yes," said Magnus. "Optimus, I think I should return to the Ark in this case. Please, inform me of your meeting with NERV's staff."
"Hold on, we have a special elevator for trucks with trailers," Misato called out. "If you go further straight down then take two rights, you'll find the elevator you're looking for."
"Well, that makes things a little easier," Magnus pulled out from his place in the line before going off himself. "My thanks, Captain Katsuragi."
"Please, call me Misato!" the violet-haired woman answered. "Captain makes me feel old."
"Misato, then," Optimus spoke. "You say that this train car terminal will take us to NERV headquarters, and you gave Ultra Magnus instructions to take an elevator. I was informed that NERV's headquarters is underground. Is it very deep underground?"
"Well, where else are you going to have a place that houses giant robots?" asked Misato. "Trust me, you're going to have your minds blown when you see the place yourself." The sound of a train approaching suddenly caught her ears. "Ah, here comes the train!" The car train came out of a tunnel on the right side, slowing down before coming to a stop in front of Misato's car. "All right Autobots, load up!" Misato drove her car into the designated spot on the car, followed by Optimus, Bumblebee, Jazz, Wheeljack, Elita, Ratchet, Ironhide and Hot Rod. Once Kup was on board next to Hot Rod, the train started moving again through the tunnel.
As the train headed for their destination, Optimus chose to talk with Misato, having several questions on his mind. "Misato, what exactly is your position in NERV?"
"I work as the Director of Operations," she answered casually to the Autobot leader. "My job requires me to handle any field missions the Evangelion pilots will find themselves on against the Angels; basically issuing orders and giving out battle strategies. Also, I have to do paperwork." She grimaced at the last mentioned part of her job. "Lots. And LOTS. Of paperwork."
"Sounds like fun," Ironhide said dryly. "How long exactly have you been working with NERV?"
"For several years now," Misato replied. "I started working at NERV a few months after I graduated from college. I assisted in genetic engineering at first until Commander Ikari promoted me three years ago. He said that he wanted someone with a strong sense of duty to NERV in charge of missions. Since most of my life since college mostly revolved around NERV, he deemed me the best choice."
"I hope he didn't make the wrong choice in that," Elita muttered, remembering her less-than-pleasant meeting with NERV's head leader at the United Nations. From what she could tell so far with Misato, the Earth woman definitely seemed more friendly and welcoming towards the Autobots, so maybe she wasn't like Ikari. She then raised her voice up so she could talk to Misato. "So does this mean you are aware of the truth regarding Second Impact?" There was no reply from Misato for a few moments. However, the Autobots could hear a sharp breath being drawn in by Misato. When she finally answered, her voice sounded unnaturally even and low, a sharp contrast from her previously friendly personality.
"Yeah. I know about Second Impact, and rest of the NERV staff know as well." Unseen by the Autobots, Misato's grip on her steering wheel tightened to the point that if it was made of glass, it would have likely shattered. She trembled slightly with a dark glare on her face as she remembered that dark day, a day she would never forget. The screaming and panicking, the explosions sounding, the tall white being, and all the blood that was spilled around her. She would also not forget her father's final actions, moving one hand up to her cross pendant around her neck and clutching it tightly.
"Misato? Are you okay?" she heard Hot Rod ask through her radio. Letting out the deep breath she took in moments ago, Misato regained her composure before answering.
"Yeah. I'm fine." Before anyone else could talk, Misato saw a fast approaching light on her left side. "Ah, here we come!"
"So, we're finally reaching the end of the tunnel?" Wheeljack asked, noticing the light himself. "Well, this will definitely be interesting to see what the headquarters is…like…"
Whatever else Wheeljack was going to say stopped in his throat as he, and the rest of the Autobots, saw the sight before their eyes. The tracks had taken them into a cavern so vast, it could easily be big enough to fit Tokyo-3. Far below them was what appeared to be a pyramid, with a tall, thin building near it. The cavern was also brightly lit up, like the afternoon sky above the city the Ark landed next to.
"By the Matrix…" Optimus said in awe.
"This place…it's…it's breathtaking!" Elita gasped, her awe matching Optimus', as well as the other Autoobts'.
"Now this is really one damn fine scene," Jazz said with a whistle. "Maybe even better than the city above."
"Does this remind you of anything, Kup?" Hot Rod asked the elderly Autobot.
"Quite a bit," Kup answered. "I've seen my own fair share of underground lairs in my day, but this…this is something else."
"This is a Geofront," Misato explained proudly to the Autobots. "It's a subterranean cavity that was found in the aftermath of Second Impact. NERV headquarters was built here with trees and an artificial lake to simulate above-ground conditions for the staff. That building," she pointed towards the pyramid and building, "is the main headquarters."
"Well, I have to admit, this is quite well-made for a human structure," Ratchet said with an impressed tone in his voice. "How exactly are you able to have light down here?"
"We have mirrors on the surface," Misato explained, gesturing up to the top of the cavern. A closer look showed large panels of glass attached there. "The windows filter the sunlight down here into the cavern."
"Well, this is definitely something," said Bumblebee. "So, will the inside of the building be enough to compensate the bigger of the Autobots?"
"Most likely," Misato shrugged as the train finally reached the bottom of the geofront. "The Evangelion units are far bigger than you guys, so you shouldn't have too much trouble navigating through most of the areas." Driving off the train, Misato led the Autobots towards the pyramid. As they reached their destination, they came upon a familiar car carrier.
"Yo, Magnus!" Jazz called out to his commanding officer, pulling up next to him. "What do you think of this Geofront here? Quite amazing, isn't it?"
"Yes, I will admit, this is quite an amazing fortress," Magnus admitted, falling into the line of vehicles as they entered a loading dock. Once they all stopped, Misato stepped out of her car and the Autobots transformed into their natural robot modes.
"Okay, those lifts over there will take you down to the lower levels," Misato pointed to a series of turbolifts on the right side of the dock. Walking over to an elevator, she pressed a button, and after several second of waiting, walked into it once the doors opened. "I'll see you down there." Once the doors closed, the Autobots walked over to the lifts, seeing four in all.
"So, who gets what lift?" asked Hot Rod. After a few seconds of deciding, Optimus took the lift at the far end with Jazz, and Ratchet. The second one was occupied by Magnus and Ironhide, while Elita took the third one with Wheeljack and Bumblebee, and Kup and Hot Rod took the fourth one.
"Optimus, what do you think of Captain Katsuragi?" Elita asked her leader, who took a moment to think before answering.
"From what I have seen so far, Misato Katsuragi, despite her relaxed demeanor, appears to be dedicated to her work for this organization. If she was made the operations director, then she must have some potential as a leader."
"Maybe, but given that Commander Ikari was apparently the one that put her in charge, I'm not entirely sure yet," Elita said with a side glance.
"I understand that you do not trust Gendo Ikari Elita, but we should not let our impressions of him affect the way we think about the other staff of NERV," Magnus spoke up.
"I wonder if there's a reason for why she chose to work here," said Hot Rod. "Maybe it has something to do with Second Impact."
"What makes you say that, lad?" Kup asked his young protégé.
"When we met her earlier, she seemed friendly to us," the Autobot rookie answered. "But when Elita asked her about Second Impact, she sounded upset when talking about it."
"She may have lost some people that she cared about back then," Bumblebee said, a look of sympathy on his face. "Given how Second Impact wiped out half the people of Earth, it will have no doubt led to many friends being lost." The other Autobots were silent after that, understanding of Misato's likely problems. They too had lost many Autobots to the war against the Decepticons, Autobots that were all considered friends and brothers.
"If that is true, then Misato likely chose to become an officer of NERV to fight the Angels in memory of those she lost," Ratchet surmised. "I suppose we can all relate to that."
"Indeed Ratchet," Optimus nodded. "Which is why we must continue this fight. To ensure that the Autobots we have lost, and the humans lost to Second Impact and the Impact War, will not have died in vain."
Misato Katsuragi leaned back in the elevator as she made her descent down to the level where she would meet the Autobots. Her mind was currently a flurry of emotions, some of the most dominant being fear, awe and excitement. Seeing these giant robots before her that came from another planet and were capable of transforming into vehicles had left her in complete awe, as while she had been around Eva units her entire NERV career, which were much more imposing and big than the Autobots, they were just robots that couldn't be moved unless piloted. The Autobots however, were sentient beings that could talk, think, and clearly feel like any other human. It also made her feel a slight fear, given her history with alien beings was…not pleasant at all. But yet, she could see that while the Autobots were alien like the Angels, they did not seem to be monstrous beings that wanted to protect this planet and stop the Angels. Which gave way to her excitement at working with the Autobots, who looked impressive and powerful.
However, it also gave way to fear again as she remembered what Ritsuko and Commander Ikari told her about the other threat that was coming besides the Angels. The Decepticons, a race of beings that came from the same planet as the Autobots, were just as villainous and destructive as the Angels. However, in another instant, her emotions changed again swiftly, this time to a combination of anger and determination. Ever since Second Impact, she held strong contempt towards the Angels for what they did and what they will do, and even if she had only heard of the Decepticons a few hours ago – she didn't even know what they looked like, probably different from the Autobots – the fact that they would cause just as much death as the Angels made her angry. But the anger also made her all the more determined in her mission.
'The Angels…and these Decepticons…I will destroy them all if it's the final thing I do!' she thought with a dark glare as the elevator doors finally opened, allowing her to step out into a room tall enough for the Autobots to walk around in. Looking around, Misato saw several NERV agents working about until she noticed an elderly man with gray hair and a brown uniform walk up to here. Upon seeing him, Misato immediately stood at attention, recognizing him immediately as NERV's Sub-Commander, Kozo Fuyutsuki.
"Sub-Commander," she said with a small salute. "I've brought our new guests, they should be arriving momentarily on the turbolifts."
"Good work Captain," Fuyutsuki spoke to her, walking to where the Autobots were expected to appear. "How many are here with you?"
"Ten sir," Misato replied. "Though given what we saw with the video and the pictures Dr. Akagi and Commander Ikari sent us, there's likely more of them. That jet and bird-shuttle weren't with them. Speaking of the Commander and Dr. Akagi, when will we be expecting them back?"
"They should be arriving back momentarily," Fuyutsuki spoke, holding up his arm to check his watch. "They took the fastest jet they could from New York. It shouldn't be surprising really, since this new development will need immediate adjusting."
'And this will likely mean Keel and the old men will have something to say about this,' he thought to himself with dread. The SEELE Council always left him intimidated and unsettled whenever he was around them, or even thinking about them.
"Here they come." Misato's words brought Fuyutsuki out of his thoughts. Looking up his eyes widened as he finally met the Autobots in person, who stepped off the turbolifts. Though none of them were as tall as the Evangelion units they were still tall enough to be imposing.
"Optimus Prime, Autobots," Misato greeted the group before her. "I'd like you to meet Kozo Fuyutsuki, the Sub-Commander of NERV. Sub-Commander…the Autobots."
"Welcome, all of you," Fuyutsuki said to the Autobots once he regained his composure. "It is a pleasure to have you here at NERV, and I'm sure your help here will be much appreciated." He turned his gaze up to Optimus. "You are the leader, correct?"
"That would be correct, Sub-Commander Fuyutsuki," Optimus kneeled down in front of the old man. "My name is Optimus Prime. The Autobots with me are my lieutenants Elita-One, Jazz, and Ultra Magnus, some of my warriors – Ironhide, Bumblebee, Hot Rod and Kup, my chief scientist Wheeljack, and one of my medical officers, Ratchet."
"A pleasure Sub-Commander," Magnus acknowledged the man with a nod. "We are aware of the weapons that your organization has been building for the event of the Angels, and we wish to see them as soon as possible."
"You cut right to the chase I see," Fuyutsuki noticed with a small grin. "Very well, if you could follow me and Captain Katsuragi." The NERV employees led the group of Autobots down a long hallway that was big enough for the Autobots to walk through. After a short time, they stopped in front of a set of large doors bigger than any of the Autobots present.
"Excuse us for a moment," Fuyutsuki said before walking through a smaller door with Misato. Several more minutes passed until the massive doors slid open slowly, eventually revealing a dark room. The darkness only lasted for a few brief moments until the lights flared up. The first thing that greeted the Autobots' eyes was what appeared to be a giant purple and green leg. Looking up, all of them, including Optimus and Ultra Magnus stared wide-eyed at the sight of the being before them. It was tall and lanky, much like the orange Eva Unit-00 Dr. Akagi showed them an image of back in New York. The robot's armor was purple and green all over, and the head design looked different, boring a helmet with a horn sticking out of the center.
"By Primus…" Kup whispered, taking in the height of the robot. At its full height, it was taller than any of the Autobots. They were practically human sized compared to this behemoth.
"Geez…and I thought Combiners were tall…" Ironhide gaped. "This thing has got to be double the size of one!"
"Is it just me, or do the colors remind you of Devastator?" Jazz asked Ratchet.
"Yes, but if I may say…" Ratchet looked up at the face of the robot, which looked intimidating. "This thing looks even more imposing than Devastator, if that's even possible."
"This definitely isn't Unit-00," Elita said. "Is this one of the five remaining Evangelion units?"
"You would be correct," said Fuyutsuki, who walked forward with Misato. "This is Evangelion Unit-01, the first test type Eva unit. Unit-00 was the initial Evangelion unit to be built, a prototype the following units were based off from."
"Is it possible if we could get a closer look?" Wheeljack asked. "I'd like to see this close and personal."
"Of course," Fuyutsuki nodded. Walking forward, Wheeljack noticed that up close he came up to Eva-01's ankles at full height.
"How tall is this unit exactly? It looks like it has to be 70 meters."
"Each Eva unit is approximately 80 meters tall," Fuyutsuki explained as Ratchet, Hot Rod, Jazz, and Bumblebee went to look at Unit-01 themselves. "It's the much-believed height of the Angel that initially caused Second Impact, and the Angels that will soon come."
"That could be an advantage against the Angels, but not so much against the Decepticons," Wheeljack noted as he began climbing up Unit-01's leg. Jazz threw his grappling hook onto Unit-01's back and began climbing up himself. Bumblebee took to climbing up Unit-01's leg opposite of Wheeljack, while Hot Rod and Ratchet remained on the ground.
"Are the Decepticons the same height as you?" Misato asked.
"Yes, and they can be quite an organized unit," Ultra Magnus answered. "Both of our factions have Combiners, teams that are capable of forming a much bigger Cybertronian. At full height, they would come up to…" he gave a quick look to Unit-01 to determine the height difference before continuing. "…at least to Unit-01's waist."
"The Decepticons have numbers on their side, and experience," Elita continued. "If an Eva Unit fought the Decepticons, it could conceivably hold its own for some time until the numbers catch up to it."
"Though maybe it would depend on who's piloting this thing," Jazz said from his place on Unit-01's back. "Come to think of it, how do you pilot this thing?"
"A more important question would be who pilots these Evas," Ratchet turned his gaze away from Unit-01 to Fuyutsuki and Misato. "You do have pilots, yes?"
"Sort of," Misato said with a shrug. "The pilot for Unit-00 is here in Japan, and Unit-02, along with its pilot, are currently based in Germany. And we'll be bringing in Unit-01's pilot soon."
"What about the remaining three Eva units?" asked Kup. "Do they have pilots? And where are they located?"
"Units 03, 04, and 05 are currently based in America," Fuyutsuki answered. "They do not have pilots yet."
"I see," Ratchet muttered.
"Hey, what's this plug thing here?" Jazz asked, having noticed three black holes on Unit-01's back that looked similar to an outlet. Bumblebee, having reached Jazz's position, noticed it as well.
"That's for the power cable," Fuyutsuki replied, walking closer to Unit-01 with Misato and the remaining Autobots. "Because of their vast size, the Eva units are only capable of moving for five minutes if activated. We have power cables that provide them with unlimited energy. The cables are also of considerable length."
"But that could lead to risk of entanglement or being cut," Wheeljack said, having reached Eva-01's hip. "You know, as the Autobots' chief scientist, I have made some weapons and devices that have been able to help our cause."
"Those that don't blow up in your face that is," Ironhide muttered. Wheelack simply nodded, knowing not all his inventions were successes.
"If you want, I could work on a battery pack that can substitute for the cables."
"Sounds interesting," a new female voice sounded from the entrance. "But if you want to do any improvements on the Evangelion units, then you should take it up with me first. I have responsibility for them." Fuyutsuki, Misato, and the Autobots looked over to see Ritsuko Akagi walk into the chamber with Commander Ikari close by.
"Ritsuko," Misato greeted the doctor before standing at attention for her superior. "Commander." Gendo Ikari merely looked at Misato in acknowledgement before walking over to Fuyutsuki and the Autobot leader.
"Optimus Prime. We meet again."
"Commander Ikari," Optimus nodded. "I see you have returned already."
"Yes, the Commander felt it best that we return to Japan to accommodate for your arrival," Ritsuko said, looking up to see Jazz standing on Unit-01's right shoulder, and Bumblebee near the head while Wheeljack continued scaling up Unit-01's side.
"Is there a reason why your Autobots are climbing up Unit-01 like a jungle gym?" Gendo asked, his voice carrying a small hint of annoyance.
"They're just getting a closer look at it," Elita said, who looked annoyed herself with Gendo's attitude. "What, are they not allowed to do that?"
"If they wish to have a closer look, then they should follow NERV protocols and use the lifts," Gendo replied before looking up at the Autobots on the Evangelion unit. "I must ask you to remove yourselves from Unit-01 at once."
"Aw man, you're no fun!" Jazz groaned, using his grappling hook to lower himself and Bumblebee, Wheeljack choosing to slide down Unit-01's leg like it was a firepole.
"So, you're the one in charge of the Evangelion units?" Wheeljack asked the blond-haired woman.
"Doctor Ritsuko Akagi," she introduced herself with a nod. "So, you're a scientist yourself?"
"Well, one of several," Wheeljack corrected. "I'd certainly like to know more about these Evangelion units myself, and perhaps see more of the base myself."
"Doctor Akagi and Captain Katsuragi will show you what you need to see," Gendo said before turning to Fuyutsuki. "Sub-Commander, come with me. We have…business to discuss."
"Of course," Fuyutsuki said, immediately knowing what Gendo was implying. "If you could excuse us." The two men exited the chamber, leaving Misato and Ritsuko alone with the Autobots.
"Geez, what is with that guy?" Hot Rod asked as he shot a glare at Gendo's retreating back. "Not even Gears was this grumpy."
"Don't let it get to you, he's been like this for as long as I've known him," Ritsuko sighed. The Autobots hadn't been here for a full day, and already she could tell things were likely not going to get better as they went. "Anyway, if you could follow me and Misato, we'll show you Unit-00 in person, as well as other parts of the facility." Taking one last look at Unit-01, the Autobots followed Ritsuko and Misato out of the chamber. As Bumblebee took a final glance at Eva-01, he briefly locked eyes with the head part of Unit-01 high above. Feeling like it was staring back right at him, the former scout let out a small shudder before walking out.
Unknown to him, Unit-01's eyes flashed white for a brief moment, as if taking a quick glance at the Autobots before going dark again.
"So," Fuyutsuki asked Gendo once they were on an elevator to the latter's office. "Have you thought of a plan regarding the Autobots?"
"Unfortunately not," Gendo replied, slightly annoyed. "They haven't been here long enough for us to have any information that we can use to our advantage."
Fuyutsuki raised an eyebrow upon hearing the answer. He knew it was like Gendo to have a plan for everything regarding the scenario. "So you think you may have one eventually?"
"I know that I will," Gendo answered without looking at the Sub-Commander. "The scrolls may not have said anything regarding this, but I will find a way to fit the Autobots and the Decepticons into our plans."
"Don't be so sure yet," Fuyutsuki said. "In the short time they've been here, I can tell that they will not be subservient to you like Rei is…" he looked away slightly before continuing. "…or like Shinji will be. And if Optimus Prime has the same level of authority as you, he could easily order a look into us if he sees something he doesn't like."
"You think so?" Gendo asked. "The Autobots claim that they're here to help defend this planet from the Angels, but their enemies the Decepticons will clearly be the bigger objective for them to focus on. With their focus on them, we can continue unopposed. And Doctor Akagi has already scrubbed all…unnecessary files from the MAGI if the Autobots choose to look into that."
"This is a dangerous game you're playing here Gendo," Fuyutsuki warned as he walked out of the elevator with his superior and into his office, a massive room of blackness with only a desk near the windows at the far end. "Though I will say this was dangerous from the beginning, I can't help but feel that the danger factor has increased with these unexpected arrivals."
"That's fine with me," Gendo replied. "However, what the Autobots and SEELE do not know is I have some extra cards in my hand."
"You know that the old men consider you replacable," Fuyutsuki warned again. "So you should be careful."
"And I shall win," said Gendo. "Nothing will keep me from her." A red light suddenly began blinking on Gendo's desk, catching the attention of both men. "That will be them." Going over to his desk, Gendo pressed a button near the light. A door hidden in the wall opened up, allowing Gendo to step in. Fuyutsuki watched as the door closed behind Gendo, and then shook his head in sadness.
'We may have already lost Gendo, and you just can't see it yet,' he thought to himself. 'Perhaps it may be for the best. Only time will tell.' Choosing to leave the office, Fuyutsuki's mind wandered to the endgame Gendo had in mind and the endgame SEELE had in mind, as well as his own involvement. He always knew what was happening was wrong, but he had quickly been entangled too deep to do anything about it, and merely chose to accept it, but not without denying his humanity. 'I can only hope the Autobots succeed where I failed.'
Opening the office door to exit, Fuyutsuki found his path blocked by a young girl. He immediately recognized the girl from her school uniform, red eyes, blue hair, and familiar heart-shaped face.
"Ah Rei," he greeted the girl. "Is there something you wished to discuss with the Commander?"
"The Commander invited me to have dinner with him tonight," Rei answered, her voice quiet and carrying little to no emotion. "Is he in his office?"
"He's currently meeting with the Committee," Fuyutsuki stepped aside to let Rei into the office. "Will you be fine waiting here?"
"Yes, I will be," Rei answered.
"Have you met the new arrivals to NERV yet?"
"You are referring to the Autobots," Rei said. "I saw them upon entering headquarters, but I did not meet them."
"You should meet them if you are able to," Fuyutsuki suggested, an idea suddenly forming in his head. "Since we'll likely be working with them against the Angels, it would be best to get to know them." Rei merely looked at Fuyutsuki for several moments before answering.
"If Commander Ikari deems it essential, then I shall interact with them," she answered.
"Very well," Fuyutsuki nodded before closing the office door behind him and walking down the hallway. Making his way through headquarters, his thoughts wandered to Rei. Despite her…upbringing, she was still essentially human, with emotions that were buried very deep beneath. Emotions that perhaps could be brought out from the Autobots.
'It's interesting,' he thought with a wry smile. 'It hasn't even been a full day yet, and already change is being felt from the Autobots.'
"The Scenario is doomed! These aliens will ruin everything with their war!"
"You give up too easily. They will obviously be too focused on destroying each other to do anything about this."
"But the Dead Sea Scrolls did not say anything about this at all! No descriptions of giant alien robots, no mention of an intergalactic war, nothing! How can we plan for this?"
"All plans can easily be remedied and improved upon for unexpected circumstances. These overgrown children's toys may not have a place in the scenario, but perhaps they can be fit in somehow."
As the four holographic men sitting at the sides of the table were arguing and debating about the arrival of the Autobots, Gendo, who sat at the far end of the table, and Chairman Keel Lorenz, who was also attending the meeting via hologram and sitting at the other end, had not said anything yet. Gendo had been prepared for the old men being angry about this, and though he did not show it, the sight of the SEELE members panicking and being unable to decide what to do brought him a sense of satisfaction. However, the fact that Keel had been silent ever since the meeting started apart from greeting him, was a bad sign.
"Improved or not, these Autobots…!"
"Enough," Keel finally spoke. He did not raise his voice over the yelling, but it carried enough force to silence all of the inner circle members. "Ikari, are we to understand that the Autobot leader has been granted the same level of authority as you in regard to NERV's dealings?"
"Yes," Gendo answered. "Unfortunately I had no say in this matter. The United Nations delegates voted on the matter, and the majority approved of their presence. I thought we had agents in the UN."
"We do, but clearly these failures did not voice their objections enough to prevent this," SEELE-03 grumbled, his face glowing green from the panel displaying his hologram.
"Have the Autobots suspected anything yet regarding the scenario?" asked SEELE-02, his panel glowing yellow.
"No," Gendo answered. "All files on Instrumentality have been erased from the MAGI computer system, and they will only be shown the essential parts of headquarters. They will know nothing about Lilith."
"But the JSSDF are still a factor," SEELE-05 responded from his red panel. "Have you been able to force them out of Tokyo-3 yet?"
"They still insist on staying here, though they have nothing effective against the Angels," Gendo answered. "But they are still working on the Trident project, and there is also the matter of Jet Alone."
"The Trident project is irrelevant," SEELE-04 said, his panel glowing blue. "They have funding from their local government, but Jet Alone could prove a competition for the United Nations' budget."
"Leave Jet Alone to me," Gendo said. "I already have a plan in mind. Trident will be more difficult, especially since the Autobots will likely seek out a partnership with the Self-Defense Forces."
"Ikari," Keel spoke sharply. "Do not let the Autobots or the Self-Defense Forces find out about this. We shall have an eye on you for now. The matter of the budget shall be for you to handle. Do not screw this up."
"What about Adam?" asked SEELE-03. "Should we still entrust him to Ikari?"
"If Ikari is able to keep Adam hidden, then we shall," Keel answered, turning his gaze to Gendo. At least Gendo thought he was looking at him. It was difficult to tell with that visor Keel always wore. "If you will be working with the Autobots Ikari, then you must handle this. Do not fail us, especially with Adam."
"I understand," Gendo simply said with a nod.
"Chairman Keel, this is unwise!" SEELE-03, who was the most nervous about the matter of the Autobots, voiced out. "We should just wipe out these tinker toys and be done with it!"
"No," Keel answered shortly. "We know nothing about the Autobots, the technology they possess, or the strength that they have. At best right now, we should observe and measure their power, and prevent them from learning about things they shouldn't know. As long as their focus is on the Decepticons, we shall be able to operate freely, and soon everything will be right in this world." And with that, Keel's hologram faded away with the other inner circle members, leaving Gendo alone.
'You played into my hands perfectly Keel,' Gendo thought as he stood up to leave the room. 'By entrusting me with Adam, you have ensured that my plan succeeds.' Exiting the room, his face softened slightly as he saw the girl standing in the center of his office. "Rei. I apologize if I kept you waiting."
"I did not mind waiting Commander," Rei said to her guardian. "Is it time to eat now?"
"Yes," Gendo nodded as he walked over to the girl. "Come. Let's eat." As he led Rei out of his office, Gendo felt a new confidence now that he had been ensured the key to his success.
'Once Adam arrives, all I will need afterwards is the Lance. And then we can be together again, Yui. And nobody will stand between us…not even Optimus Prime.'
"So these MAGI are supercomputers that help you run NERV?" Wheeljack asked Ritsuko as he looked over three computer terminals formed like a triangle on the floor of the command center. After being shown Unit-00 by Ritsuko and Misato, the Autobots were shown the weapons being built for the units, in addition to the launch bay that would bring the Evas up to the surface in case of an Angel attack. Currently, they were being shown the command center, with the two women and ten Autobots being the only occupants.
"Yes," Ritsuko answered as she placed a hand on the side of one of the terminals. "The MAGI were built by my mother. She worked in bio-computers, and she based them off different aspects of her personality. Of course, that means they usually can't decide at once when it comes to forming a solution."
"I didn't know that," Misato said with mild surprise. "I mean, I know your mom made the MAGI, but I didn't know she was able to do that."
"So, the MAGI are technically an artificial intelligence like Teletraan-1," Wheeljack mused. "Fascinating."
"Doctor Akagi, your mother works with NERV as well?" asked Elita.
"She did," Ritsuko said with a slight frown. "My mother, Naoko Akagi, was one of the original members of Gehirn alongside Commander Ikari and Sub-Commander Fuyutsuki. She not only made the MAGI, but was one of the scientists that helped create the Evangelion units. However, shortly before Gehirn became NERV…she died in an accident." Misato looked over to her friend with a sympathetic look, and the Autobots shared the same expression as well. "I had just started working with NERV when this happened, and shortly after her funeral, I took her place as NERV's head scientist. Most of what I know, I learned from her, and some of it I've learned since working here. I'm one of the only two people that know how the Eva units operate."
"One of two?" asked Bumblebee. "Who's the other one?"
"Another founding member of Gehirn and the only original founding member that knows more about the Evas than myself," Ritsuko answered. "My mother wasn't the first to die in this work. Before her, two other scientists that worked on the Eva units died."
"I see," Kup said sadly. "We've lost our own share of Autobots over the years as well."
"What happened to the other scientist?" Ultra Magnus asked the blond scientist.
"She went to our branch in the United Kingdom for a time before going to America," said Ritsuko. "But we haven't had much contact with her since then. There's…been some bad blood between her and the Commander."
"Can only wonder why," Hot Rod muttered.
"Perhaps we should make contact with her then," Ultra Magnus suggested. "With the Angels and Decepticons nearing arrival, we need to form a united front, which means getting all of our resources together."
"That means we'll need the other Eva units as well," Elita added. "The ones in America, and the one in Germany."
"We'll have to take it up with Commander Ikari," said Misato. "Hopefully we can convince him to bring the Eva units here."
"Indeed Misato," Optimus said with a nod. "In order to do this, we shall need to split off into teams. Ultra Magnus, I want you to take a team to America, and meet the creator of Units 03, 04, and 05. We shall need her input on this matter as well."
"I'm not sure if that's a good idea," Ritsuko said, wincing as she remembered that particular woman in the process. "Like I said, she and the Commander haven't gotten along well in the last few years, so it will be a surprise if she decided to cooperate."
"Perhaps Dr. Akagi, but whatever issues there are between this woman and Commander Ikari must be put aside for the time being," Optimus said. "We cannot afford to let petty grudges and past issues affect our alliance. A united front will be necessary if we are to save this planet from our enemies."
"What about Unit-02 in Germany, and its pilot?" asked Ironhide. "Who are you going to send there?"
"I'll go," Elita volunteered.
"Then assemble your teams once we return to the Ark," Optimus turned to Elita and Magnus. "And depart once you have. We shall need to move as soon as possible."
"Understood," Elita and Magnus nodded.
"If you're going to Germany, then I suggest you be really careful," Misato warned Elita. "I spent some time in Germany after the Commander promoted me, so I got to know the pilot of Unit-02, Asuka Langley Soryu. I'll tell you this right now about her: She can be an extreme handful, and has quite a temper."
"Eh, wouldn't be the first time we've dealt with someone like that," Jazz shrugged. "We've had Autobots with short fuses before, and we still do today. Just wait until you meet Grimlock and the Dinobots."
"If that is all we have to discuss for today, then we shall take our leave," said Optimus. "We'll need to form our away teams and check what equipment we have in the Ark."
"I should be getting home as well," Misato said as she looked at her watch. "Ritsuko, you coming? I'm making curry tonight."
"Uh…I'll have to take a pass on that," Ritsuko said with a slightly uneasy look on her face. "I've got plans."
"Oh well," Misato sighed as she began walking off until Optimus spoke up to her.
"Misato. I think it would be best if one of my Autobots escorted you home and acted as your bodyguard for protection outside of NERV headquarters."
"I don't need a babysitter!" Misato said indignantly. "I can take care of myself."
"I am not doubting that Misato, but giving that you are a high-ranking member of NERV, the Decepticons could deem you a threat and try to attack you," Optimus voiced.
"And it could probably keep you out of even more trouble," Ritsuko added. "Being a victim of your driving myself, and the fact that the Commander has had to pull a lot of strings to keep you from getting charged for DUI, you wouldn't have to worry about driving much."
"Grmphhh…" Misato grumbled at her friend's comment. She would admit her driving bordered on reckless, but the fact that Ritsuko just revealed that the Commander had to keep her from being arrested for it really annoyed her. She seemed tempted to argue with Optimus over this, but considering that the red and blue Autobot had the same level of authority as Commander Ikari, it was best to accept it. Optimus definitely seemed more friendly and reasonable than Ikari himself, but at the same time was also a leader to not argue with. "Okay, I'll take an Autobot."
"Very good," Optimus nodded before turning to his small group. "Bumblebee…"
"Hold on!" Hot Rod stepped forward. "Why has it got to be Bumblebee? I can take Misato home myself. Come on Misato!" The young Autobot transformed into his vehicle mode and drove over to Misato, his top opening up to show the seats inside. "If you're gonna ride, then you should ride in style!"
"Hey!" Bumblebee said with a slightly offended look. "Old looks can still be stylish! Come on Misato!"
"Sorry Bumblebee!" Misato said as she climbed into Hot Rod's vehicle mode with a big grin on her face. "But this is my type of car!" With that, Hot Rod drove out of the command center with Misato letting out a loud "WOOO!"
"Oh boy," Ritsuko sighed as she rubbed the bridge of her nose. "I can tell those two are going to get along fast. I've known Misato ever since college. She's all serious and focused when on the clock, but off-duty…that's another person entirely."
"In that case, then maybe I should go with them to make sure they don't cause much trouble," Kup said, looking at Optimus. "If that's all right with you."
"Of course," Optimus nodded, allowing Kup to transform and drive after the young Autobot and his passenger.
"Here," Wheeljack bent down and handed a small data pad to Ritsuko. "I have a few ideas on here for improvements on the Evangelion units. Let me know what can work."
"All right then," Ritsuko nodded, taking the data pad and walking away to look at its contents.
"Autobots, roll out and return to base," Optimus ordered and transformed into his vehicle mode, followed by the rest of the Autobots before driving out of the command center to exit the Geofront.
"Hmm…Energon axe, thermal sword, cryo-knuckles, giant hammer, machine guns, photon cannons, battery packs…" Ritsuko muttered as she looked over the weapons and devices on the data pad Wheeljack gave her. Already she was fascinated by what she was seeing. NERV's technology was more advanced than anything else currently on Earth, but what she had seen so far made everything NERV had look like children's toys. The battery pack alone would be able to do wonders for the Eva units energy dependency. Though from what she read so far about Energon, which served as the fuel for the Cybertronians, there could be some complications regarding that and the LCL in the Eva units. However, it was too early for that yet, and they would cross that bridge once they reached it.
Looking up from the data pad, Ritsuko was surprised to see that she was near the dining area of headquarters, which was a considerable distance from the command center and the MAGI.
"Have I really walked this far?" she asked herself, taking another glance at the data pad. She couldn't help but chuckle to herself. "I guess I was too deep into the…data…" she trailed off when her gaze locked on a sight in the dining area: Gendo Ikari and Rei Ayanami sitting together at a table, being the only occupants in the area, the former eating a steak, and the latter drinking from a pouch with various pills on the plate in front of her. Seeing this sight caused Ritsuko's face to drop into a sharp glare. It frustrated her to no end how Gendo was eating with Rei when it should be her. It was times like this that made her really dislike Rei. Choosing to walk away, unable to take the sight before her, Ritsuko's mind drifted to Optimus' words from earlier.
"We cannot afford to let petty grudges and past issues affect our alliance." Though Ritsuko had a feeling that Optimus was referring to the problems between Gendo and Unit 03, 04, and 05's creator, something else also told her that Autobot leader was referring to everybody in NERV.
'All right Optimus, if you say we should put aside our issues, then I can do that,' she thought. 'Not for Rei or Gendo, but because you say we have to.'
"Home sweet home!" Misato exclaimed happily once she stepped out of Hot Rod, the young Autobot parking in front of an apartment building on the outskirts of Tokyo-3. Kup had parked next to Hot Rod, though the rookie seemed annoyed that Kup had insisted on accompanying him. "So, what do you guys think?"
"I can't say much, since it looks like most of the apartment buildings I've seen in this city so far," said Hot Rod.
"So, which one do you live in?" asked Kup.
"The eighth floor," Misato pointed upwards to the building. "I'd invite you in, but, well…you're too big. Anyway, make yourselves comfortable, and I'll see you in the morning! Now, if you'll excuse me, there's some Yebisu calling for me!" Misato walked into the entrance to the building, leaving the two Autobots by themselves.
"So, how do you feel, Hot Rod?" Kup asked once Misato was gone. "You said you wanted to have some fun, and you actually volunteered to be a bodyguard for a woman. Having fun yet?"
"Real funny, old-timer," Hot Rod shot back. "This may look boring at first, but I can tell Misato looks like the fun type of person when she's not working. I just wish we were human sized so we could see her place. It's probably a blast!"
"AAAIIIEEE-OOOOO!" Misato screeched happily after downing an entire can of Yebisu beer in several gulps. "Man, beer is always good after a long day of work and meeting new people, right Pen-Pen?!"
"Wark!" came the squawking reply from a penguin that was sitting on the other side of the table Misato was seated at in her apartment. Upon returning to her place, Misato stripped off her uniform and showered before putting on more comfortable clothing and making dinner with the instant meals in her refrigerator.
"You got that right!" Misato laughed, tossing away the empty can and popping open another one. Sticking a straw into the can, she slid it over to Pen-Pen, who was somehow able to grab the can with his wings and take a sip with his beak.
"Yep, this is the life!" Downing another beer, Misato relaxed knowing she had nothing to worry about for the time being. The Angels and the Decepticons no doubt loomed over the heads of everybody, and the presence of the Autobots meant even more work at NERV, but for now Misato and Pen-Pen had no problems to worry about while drinking the night away. This was how a woman and her penguin lived life, and it was one worth living.
In the docking bays of the Ark were several shuttles capable of holding crews of nearly a dozen Autobots each. Currently two of the shuttles were being boarded and prepared for departure. Next to one of the shuttles was a massive spacecraft. Unlike the shuttles, the spacecraft did not require any crew to pilot it, as the ship was an Autobot himself. Standing outside of the shuttles were Silverbolt and his teammates in the Aerialbots, Slingshot, Air Raid, Skydive, and Fireflight. Also with them were Jetfire, Windblade, Blades of the Protectobots, Swoop of the Dinobots, and Springer.
"Have the launch preparations been completed?" Optimus asked from the bridge.
"Shuttles are fully fueled, the crews have been assembled, and the flying Autobots are standing by," Ratchet reported from his seat before contacting the spacecraft. "Omega, are you ready for launch as well?"
"Omega Supreme: Always ready," the spacecraft voiced.
"Good luck to you on your missions," Optimus said to Elita and Ultra Magnus, their faces appearing on the screen from their respective shuttles.
"Thanks Optimus," Elita responded with a small smile.
"Once we have reached our destinations and made contact with the NERV staff, we shall contact you," Ultra Magnus said.
"And we shall inform you of any updates here in Japan," Optimus said before turning to Trailbreaker and Jazz nearby. "Trailbreaker, open the bay doors!"
"Roger that!" Trailbreaker pushed several commands into his keyboard, allowing the docking bay's massive doors to open for the shuttles.
"Jazz, commence countdown!"
"T-minus ten seconds to launch!" Jazz exclaimed. "Five…four…three…two…one…and we have liftoff!"
The engines of the shittles and Omega Supreme's roared to life as they slowly lifted off the floor of the bay. The Autobots that were in the docking bay quickly moved out of the way so as not to get caught in the blast of the engines. Optimus, Star Saber, Jazz, Ironhide, Trailbreaker, Ratchet, and Bumblebee watched from the bridge as the three ships flew out of the docking bay and into the night sky. Elita's shuttle turned left for their destination in Germany as Ultra Magnus' shuttle turned right for America with Omega Supreme close by. Once the shuttles were out of the docking bay, Jetfire, the Aerialbots, Blades, Swoop, Springer, and Windblade followed close by in their vehicle modes, or in Swoop's case, pterodactyl mode. Once they reached the sky, the group split off with Jetfire and the Aerialbots following Elita's shuttle, and Swoop, Springer, Blades and Windblade following after Ultra Magnus' shuttle and Omega Supreme.
"What a relief," Trailbreaker sighed. "The launch went off without a hitch. Now we just don't have to worry about Decepticons attacking."
"Watch it Trailbreaker," Ironhide warned. "It's best not to tempt fate."
"So what do we do now, Optimus?" asked Bumblebee.
"For now, we wait for Elita and Magnus to contact us," Star Saber answered for the Autobot leader.
"While also becoming more acquainted with the NERV staff, as well as this country's military," added Optimus. "For there is much to be done in such a small amount of time."
A nighttime fell upon Japan, the sun was beginning to rise in America. In the state of Massachusetts, a young girl with brunette hair tied in twin-tails and glasses over her teal-colored eyes looked out at the scenery from her house. The sight of the city of Boston was always an amazing sight to behold, even for someone who had lived there for years. Perhaps it was due to being one of the few cities untouched much during Second Impact and did not require much reconstruction, or many buildings had been around for nearly two centuries due to Boston being one of the oldest cities in America, but there was always something special about waking up in the morning and taking in the peaceful view.
Peaceful for now, as the girl knew. Because of the work her mother had been doing ever since before she was born, the girl knew the peace wouldn't last for long. Before long, humanity would be fighting for their life against a powerful enemy, an enemy that her mother and her co-workers and superiors had been preparing for all their lives. And an enemy that she herself had been preparing for as well. Her mother always insisted that she not take part in this, and she understood that she was looking out for her, but with everything her mother had been doing for years, she felt that she owed it to her and the other people she had come to befriend at NERV. It was only a matter of time before the call came for her, and she would answer it proudly and eagerly.
"Mari, breakfast is almost ready!"
"Coming, Mom!" Running back into her bedroom, she quickly changed out of her pajamas and into her school uniform. Turning for her bedroom door, she took a sight of the pictures on the wall nearby. One was of her most recent birthday with her mother, who looked like an older version of her, another was of her with several NERV scientists that her mother worked with closely, and the third one was of herself as a toddler with two other infants: a girl with red hair and a blue dress, and a young boy with short brown hair and wearing a yellow shirt and blue shorts. In the background was her mother, a woman with short brown hair like the boy's and a heart-shaped face, and a woman with long blond hair and a kindly face. Giving the pictures a quick smile, Mari Makinami Illustrious walked out of her bedroom for breakfast, ready for another boring day at school, and another exciting day at NERV.
"Elita-One taking over for preview. Ultra Magnus will be touching down in America soon with his team, and it looks like things will be good for him. Although I'm not sure if the same can be said for my unit in Germany. See what I mean next time!"
Next time: Uber Meetings
And done.
Now I know I said in the notes for the last chapter that we would have Ultra Magnus and his team going to America, but by the time I got around to the scene of the departure, a lot had been written down, and I didn't want to go too long. But I give you my word, next chapter Magnus' team will be meeting the NERV team in America. At least I managed to give Mari a cameo in the end of the chapter, and as I'm sure as you may have noticed from the ending segment, this story's version of Mari is going to be QUITE different from the Rebuild version. You'll find out more in the next chapter, and as the story progresses.
And of course, we got a brief glimpse of Shinji and Asuka in the photos. Shinji will be arriving soon, but Asuka will be making her debut in the next chapter. And expect her to be clashing quite a bit with some of the Autobots on Elita's team. And as I'm sure you've guessed, Kaji will be in the next chapter as well, since he is still Asuka's guardian at this point.
As for this chapter, we've been introduced to Fuyutsuki and Misato, Unit-01, Rei, and let's not forget...PEN-PEN! For those of you wondering about the part where Misato talked about how she worked in genetic engineering when she started in NERV, that is not something I made up. She actually did work in this field briefly in the manga. In fact, that's actually how she became Pen-Pen's owner.
In addition to the introductions, some of the traits of them have also been looked into. Fuyutsuki in canon was pulled into NERV due to knowing much about Second Impact from investigations, and as much as he wanted to stop SEELE's plans he was ultimately resigned to them, feeling powerless to do anything about it. But seeing the Autobots has given him some hope that SEELE may fail. Misato's grudge against the Angels is also set up, and already she doesn't like the Decepticons, as what she's heard about them have made her dislike them. There is also Ritsuko's jealousy over Rei and her thing for Gendo, which she will put aside due to Optimus' words of putting aside grudges, since teamwork is essential. Since Ritsuko and Wheeljack are the chief scientists of their respective groups, they will be working together, and Wheeljack already has a few ideas for the Evangelion units.
A few spoilers ahead concerning the upgrades: The Eva units will be equipped with flight tech similar to the wings Eva-02 had in Rebuild. In fact, one of the original plans for the fight with Arael (the angel that mind-raped Asuka in canon) was for the Evas to be outfitted with flight packs for an aerial battle. They will also have battery packs for longer runtime, but don't expect them to show up for a while, since something like that is going to take some time to build.
Also, Hot Rod has been appointed Misato's bodyguard, with Kup being around to keep an eye on them. As I'm sure you may be guessing right now, this means Hot Rod will also become a bodyguard for Shinji and Asuka once they come to live with Misato.
And yes, Rei is going to have a couple of Autobots for bodyguards as well. Who are they? You'll see eventually and you're welcome to guess, and the Autobots are going to have quite the influence on Rei in this story.
Till next time!
