Welcome back. It's been a while since the last chapter, and I've been able to finish this one a while ago. The story will be updated once I've finished the latest chapter. It takes a few days, so it should be enough time for you to read and review. Thanks for the reviews and likes for the last chapter. With that said, let's get started with Chapter 3, where we meet some very important characters on the Evangelion side of things.


Transformers Evangelion

Chapter 3: Uber Meetings

Disclaimer: I do not own Transformers or Neon Genesis Evangelion


As morning came upon America and evening fell upon Japan, Germany was currently in between times of day, the afternoon sun shining brightly over its capital city of Berlin. Despite dealing with rising tides like most nations and minor earthquakes that led to reconstruction, as well as the building of a NERV headquarters, Germany had come out of Second Impact with minor scratches compared to the other countries around the world that had been, and are still going, through hell. Life still went on normally for the people of Germany, but unknown to many of them, life wouldn't be normal for much longer.

In the skies above, Elita-One's shuttle flew almost silently through the clouds, with the Aerialbots and Jetfire flanking the sides. The radar on the shuttle showed their current location above Germany, indicating they were near what they were looking for.

"Elita ma'am," Prowl reported on the bridge of the shuttle. "We have just entered Berlin's airspace. We should be nearing the NERV headquarters soon."

"Good," Elita said. "Keep going our present course, and do not deviate."

"So, is anyone else wondering what Germany's NERV place looks like once we get there?" Brawn asked as he leaned back in his chair. "Who's betting that it will be an underground city like that Geofront?"

"What if Berlin is like Tokyo-3, and the base was built under it?" Seaspray wondered aloud.

"Doubt it," said Hoist. "Tokyo-3 was built with Tokyo-2 after a nuclear explosion wiped out the original Tokyo, meaning the Geofront was built the same time as Tokyo-3. Germany, and in turn Berlin, suffered little to no damage from Second Impact, making it one of the most powerful nations of this planet."

"According to the reports Misato gave us regarding Germany's NERV branch, the base is located on the outskirts of the city," Nightbeat said from the front of the shuttle. "While I doubt it will be the same size as the Geofront, it should be spacious enough, since it does have an Evangelion unit there."

"A bigger concern should be the security levels of the base," voiced Red Alert. "Are they good enough to protect this Unit-02 from attacks? And will they attack us if they see the shuttle?"

"Geez Red, do you ever talk about anything besides security or being attacked?" Hound groaned. "I'm sure the NERV staff in Japan called ahead to let them know about us."

"Eh, it wouldn't be Red if he didn't," Mirage said with a shrug, Warpath and Inferno nearby agreeing with him.

"Must you always make light of such situations?" Red Alert groaned as he placed his head on the console he was working on. "Speaking of situations Elita, are you sure it was good idea to bring two Dinobots with us?"

"Optimus and Star Saber felt we could use a little extra strength in case we did run into the Decepticons," Elita answered. "And I asked Grimlock before we departed, and he said it was all right as long as Slug and Sludge got to stretch their legs."

"Hopefully NERV has a room big enough for those two to spar," said Hoist. "And one tough enough to take damage from them."

"I'm sure they do," Prowl answered. "Doctor Akagi said that the pilot for Eva Unit-02 has been stationed here for the last ten years, so it's highly possible that they would want her to train with Unit-02 whenever possible."

"And giving the size of those things, they probably got a big enough room for training exercises," said Brawn. "Enough space to run around and fight in; that's definitely my type of room."

"I hear you, Brawn!" Warpath said excitedly. "I'd like to see this Unit-02 for myself, maybe even spar with it myself!"

"Take it easy, Warpath!" Elita called out. "Let's focus on landing first and meeting the staff before we start blowing things up." A blue light suddenly began flashing on the shuttle's dashboard, indicating an incoming communication signal.

"This must be them," Prowl mused.

"We got this one," Silverbolt said from outside. "Hello there. Is this the NERV branch of Germany we are speaking to?"

"Yes, it is," answered a male voice. "We picked up your signals on our radar less than a minute ago. Who are you?"

"My name is Silverbolt. I am the leader of the Aerialbots, a sub-faction of the Autobot army, the newest allies in NERV's war against the Angels."

"Ah, so you're the ones we heard about from the delegates and our Japanese branch," said the voice. "We were told to expect a group of your soldiers eventually."

"Well, we are here now, and with your permission, we would like to land our shuttle in your headquarters," Silverbolt voiced.

"Permission granted," replied the man. "The lift should be visible in your location momentarily." The call was disconnected a second later, leaving the Autobots to continue flying, while searching for the lift that was mentioned.

"Okay…if I was a lift for a huge shuttle, where would I be?" Air Raid asked, dipping down slightly for a closer look.

"It shouldn't be that hard to find," said Slingshot. "I mean, the Units are bigger than Omega Supreme, so the lift they mentioned must be used for those things."

"Keep your optics peeled," said Jetfire. "They said it should be visible soon."

"I found it!" Fireflight exclaimed, seeing a massive octangular-shaped platform three miles from the Autobots' current location, red lights flashing around it.

"Prowl, Mirage, bring us down slowly," Elita ordered. "Jetfire and Aerialbots, come back in here. The lift may not have enough room for you and the shuttle."

"We're on our way," Silverbolt replied, flying to the rear entrance of the shuttle with Jetfire and the other Aerialbots. Once they neared the entrance, all six of them transformed into their robot mode and landed in the shuttle with little problem, Skydive closing the door once he entered last.

"And touchdown will commence in three…two…one!" Mirage counted down the landing sequence as the shuttle touched down on the lift. Once safely landed, the Autobots cut the engines to the shuttle. As soon as the engines finished powering down, the lift began going underground, the only light the Autobots could see now was a series of small lights lining the hole they were descending from. All was quiet in the shuttle as it continued its descent. Soon, the lift came down into a loading bay that was big enough for the Autobots to walk around in, with several vehicles scattered around. A small group of humans stood together near the lift, waiting for it to finished coming down.

"Okay," Elita said, rising out of her seat. "Prowl, Jetfire, and Hoist. You're with me."

"What about me and Sludge?" Slug asked, walking onto the bridge of the shuttle with his fellow Dinobot. The two of them were bigger than the rest of the Autobots with them, so much that they nearly touched the ceiling. "This shuttle is getting more cramped the longer we're staying on here."

"You can come out soon Slug," Elita answered. "I want this first meeting with the NERV staff here to go off without a hitch, and you especially may unnerve them."

"Oh, me?!" Slug glared.

"Easy Slug," Sludge put a hand on his friend's shoulder. "Elita, you know as well as I do that Slug is more liable to than Brawn and Warpath to start breaking something in frustration if he stays on this shuttle any longer. Don't worry, if you take us with you, I'll make sure he doesn't do anything rash."

"…All right then, you two can come as well," Elita sighed. While the Dinobots were one of the Autobots top squadrons for years, they weren't well liked much due to their destructive impulses, rebellious behavior, and short temper. However, Sludge and Swoop were the most calm of the Dinobots and rarely lost their temper, so it often fell on them to rein in Grimlock, Slug, and Snarl if they ever got out of hand.

"Let us do the talking, you two," Prowl said to the two Dinobots as the exit to the shuttle opened, allowing the ramp to extend down.

"Whatever," Slug grunted while Sludge gave a nod of acknowledgement. Elita led the group of Autobots down the ramp. The humans standing in wait took several steps back as the Autobots approached them, but did not make any moves to run away.

"Hello there," Elita greeted. "You are the senior staff of NERV's Germany branch, am I correct? Which one of you is the head?"

"Well, that would be me," the man said with a nervous chuckle. "But honestly, I sometimes wonder if I'm even in charge, giving how Asuka is."

"You mean the pilot of Unit-02?" asked Prowl. "What exactly do you mean by that?"

"Mein Gott, I guess nobody has told you yet," the commander sighed. "Asuka Langley Soryu is an absolute nightmare for anybody unfortunate enough to meet her."

"Um, if you could explain her in five words, what would they be?" asked Hoist.

"Only five, huh?" the commander said with a laugh. "Well, the five off the top of my head right now: Reckless, immature, disobedient, egotistical, and arrogant."

"Yeesh, that bad?" Sludge asked with a slight wince.

"It doesn't sound that bad if you ask me," said Jetfire. "We've had Autobots over the years that are all of those and more, but we've been able to handle them with no problem at all."

"Or a few problems," Prowl muttered, shooting a glance over to Slug.

"You really think you can handle her?" the commander asked skeptically. "I've been here as long as Asuka has been, and I haven't been able to get much control over her. Honestly, if it wasn't for the fact that she's the only one that can pilot Unit-02, then she would have been replaced long ago."

"What do you mean, she's the only one?" Hoist inquired, the commander's words catching his attention, as well as the other Autobots' attention.

"Apparently, research reports written by some of the original founders of NERV say that only certain people can be able to pilot the Evangelion units," the commander explained. "Asuka was the first, and best candidate to pilot Eva-02. Talented as she is, it's her personality that's another story."

"Don't worry sir," Elita reassured the commander. "This won't be the first time I've dealt with a reckless soldier, and it won't be the last. Whatever problem Asuka is for you, she won't be one for me."

"You sound very determined," a male voice off to the side said. "I like that in a woman. In fact, you actually remind me of my ex a little." The Autobots and humans turned to see the source of the new voice, revealed to be a man with long brown hair tied back in a ponytail and strands of facial hair. He wore black pants and blue shirt with the collar slightly open, and a red necktie loosened around his neck. A smile adorned his face as he walked over to the crowd before him.

"Mister Kaji, I must insist that you wear your uniform whenever you are in this base!" the commander admonished the man.

"Sorry chief, I just arrived," the man, identified as Kaji, said with a small shrug. "Didn't have much time to change." Stopping in front of the commander, Kaji looked up at the Autobots with the grin still adorning his face. "Well, hi there. You must be the alien robots that shook up the United Nations. Autbotots, right?"

"And you are?" asked Jetfire.

"This is Ryoji Kaji," the commander introduced the man. "He is a special inspector for NERV, and the guardian of Asuka."

"A guardian?" asked Prowl. "Why would an Evangelion pilot need a guardian? Wouldn't she be able to take care of herself just fine?"

"Oh, she can at times," Kaji said with a raised eyebrow. "But I have a feeling you weren't told everything about the pilots yet, weren't you?"

"Well, not exactly," said Jetfire. "We haven't seen any images of her yet."

"Well, I think it's time you met her," said Kaji. "Commander, where is Asuka?"

"Where do you think?" asked the commanding officer. "She's training as usual."

"All right, if you Autobots could follow me," Kaji offered to the group. "I can take you to the training room, you look like you'll be able to fit in just fine."

"Now wait just a minute, Mister Kaji!" said the commander. "This base is under my jurisdiction, so I should introduce the Autobots to our pilot."

"You know Asuka barely tolerates you," said Kaji. "I think it would be best if someone she was comfortable around handled introductions." The commander could only sigh in frustration, realizing that Kaji had made very true statement. Despite the authority he had over NERV's German branch, he could barely get a control over Asuka. The only two people she had ever been able to listen to were Kaji, and Captain Katsuragi during the latter's time in Germany.

"Very well," he relented. "You know the way." The commander then walked away with the group of men that accompanied them, more important business now on his mind.

"Right this way," Kaji gestured to a nearby lift. "And…ladies first." He looked up to Elita with a glint in his eyes, the grin never leaving his face.

'Oh brother,' Elita groaned inwardly. 'Don't tell me this guy is a flirt with women!' She took the lead, stepping onto the lift first, followed shortly by Kaji, Prowl, Hoist, Jetfire, Slug and Sludge, the two Dinobots' combined weight causing the metal of the lift to groan slightly.

"Heavy guys for robots, aren't you?" Kaji casually asked, pushing a button that started the lift's descent. "But I don't think that will be a problem. Eva-02 is heavier than all of you together."

"Mister Kaji, what kind of person is Asuka exactly?" Elita asked the man. "From what we've heard, she seems like a very difficult individual to control."

"You're about to find out yourself," Kaji answered as the lift came to a stop. "The training area is right down this hall." The hallway was big enough for Elita, Prowl and Hoist to fit through easily, though Jetfire, Slug, and Sludge, the biggest of the group, had to kneel to down to avoid hitting their heads and damaging the ceiling. As they walked down the hall, the sounds of crashing, heavy thuds, and explosions could be heard as they walked closer to a large set of doors.

"So this is it?" asked Jetfire.

"Yep," Kaji pressed a command on the keypad in front of him. "Prepare for quite a show." The doors opened slowly, and the Autobots stepped through, entering a massive room that stretched across a considerable distance. From the height of it, Elita could tell that it was big enough for an Evangelion unit to move around.

Sure enough, before the eyes of Kaji and the Autobots, nearby was a robot that stood at eighty meters tall like Unit-00 and Unit-01, but with a different design. Though it had the long lanky limbs like the units they saw before, Unit-02 was completely painted red, with a different head design, showing four blue eyes and a white faceplate. A long black cable stuck out of the back and led down to the floor, and into a wall. Surrounding the unit was six robots the same size as Unit-02. However, nothing seemed important or special about them, as all of them looked like skeletal robots, or, in the mind of the Autobots, giant protoforms.

"Come on, you dummies! Let's have at it again!" a female voice sounded from Unit-02. The moment they heard the voice, the Autobots immediately realized that it had to be Asuka in there. But they still wanted to be sure.

"Is that…?"

"Yep, that's Asuka," Kaji answered instantly, knowing what Elita was going to ask. "And those," he gestured to the silver robots, "are drones used for practice. Take a look."

The drone on the farthest left acted first, pulling out an assault rifle and firing at Unit-02. The red mech lunged to the right and rolled out of the path of the bullets with agility unbecoming of its height. Rolling on the ground, Unit-02 immediately shot up and charged for the drone. Grabbing the gun out of the drone's hand before it could fire again, Unit-02 fired its newly acquired weapon at the defenseless drone, knocking it to the ground. Two more drones charged forward, but as they drew closer to Unit-02, the piloted robot swung around and bashed its gun against the second one's face, knocking it into the third one. Running forward, Unit-02 swung its left leg up and smashed its foot into the third drone's chest. Grabbing the dazed drone by the shoulders, Unit-02 lifted it up into the air before slamming it back first on its knee. Dropping the disabled drone, Unit-02 dodged a punch from the second drone. Catching the arm, Unit-02 twisted the limb around the drone's back before tearing it off in a shower of metal and sparks. Using the severed arm as an improvised weapon, Unit-02 bashed it against the head of the second drone, knocking it off its body and sending it flying. The severed head bounced twice before rolling to a stop in front of the Autobots.

"By Primus…" Hoist whispered. If he had a mouth, he would be gaping in awe at the fight in front of him.

"Quite a sight, huh?" Kaji asked, leaning back against the wall, a cigarette sticking out of his mouth. "She's a real beast in that Eva."

"Come on!" Asuka yelled from inside Eva-02, her sights on the three remaining drones. The drone in the center stood back while the ones on the left and right charged forward. Running forward and ducking, Unit-02 somersaulted under the attacking drones' punches and lunged for the center drone, pulling out two knives from its shoulder armor. Swinging the knives upward, Unit-02 sliced off the drone's arms, before bending down and cutting off the knees. Asuka didn't pay the fallen drone another glance before turning to the remaining drones and charging forward, her knives held outward.

"TAKE THIS!" The knives found their targets, the left one going straight through the left drone's head, and the right drone being stabbed in the chest by the right knife. Both drones dropped to the ground, sparks flying from their limp bodies. Its fight complete, Unit-02's cable detached from its back and landed on the ground, before being pulled into the wall. Once it was in the wall, a panel slid closed over it.

"Okay Asuka, that's all for today," a technician said from a chamber above the testing room. "Hop out and we'll take Unit-02 back to its cage."

"Yeah, all right," Asuka replied, maneuvering Unit-02 so it dropped to its knees.

"So, first time seeing an Eva in action, what do you think?" Kaji asked the Autobots.

"Eh," Slug said with a shrug. "I've seen messier sparring matches."

"Quite a powerful display," Prowl observed, walking closer to Eva-02 with the rest of the group. As they approached the unit, a compartment near the back of the unit's neck lifted open, allowing a long white pod to slide out.

"What is that?" Hoist pointed up to the object.

"That's the entry plug," Kaji answered. "It's what the pilot sits in whenever they pilot the Eva units."

"So that's what they use to pilot," Jetfire said, looking intrigued. "I'd like a closer look at it myself."

"I have to admit, Unit-02 appears to be a formidable fighting machine, and the pilot does seem exceptionally talented," said Elita.

"It's also really red," said Sludge. "Redder than any of our Autobots with red paint."

"It's not just the coloring that makes it different." The Autobots and Kaji looked up at hearing Asuka's voice, and saw her standing on Unit-02's left knee, looking down at the group before her. The Autobots finally got their first look at Asuka Langley Soryu and saw that she was wearing a suit that covered her entire body up to her neck, and two red objects sat in her hair, which was a fierce red-orange color. They also noticed that she looked very young, younger than Kaji or any of the humans they have met so far.

"Unit-00 is just a prototype, while Eva-01 was only a test type," Asuka continued. "But my Unit-02 is much different. It was designed specifically for combat, making it the world's first true Evangelion! The official type!"

"Seeing your training moments ago myself, I don't think I should doubt that statement," Prowl said, looking down at Kaji. "So, this is her?" he asked for a final confirmation.

"Yep," Kaji said as Asuka jumped off Unit-02's knee and slid down on its foot before jumping to the floor, walking over to the group before her. "Autobots, this is the pilot of Eva Unit-02 and the Second Child, Asuka Langley Soryu."

'Child?!' Elita thought, surprised at what she just heard. 'She's only a human child, and they're letting her pilot an Evangelion to fight the Angels?! And what did he mean by Second Child? Does that mean the other Eva units' pilots are children?!'

"Kaji!" Asuka exclaimed in happiness upon seeing her guardian. "Were you watching me train?"

"I came in for the last round," Kaji replied, dropping his spent cigarette and crushing it under his shoe. "You were really good out there Asuka, well done."

"Thank you!" Asuka beamed. It always satisfied her whenever someone praised her and gave her attention, especially if it was coming from Kaji. Her eyes then drifted over to the six robots nearby, and her smile dropped as she looked at them with narrowed eyes. "So, are these the robots we're working with?"

"Asuka, these are the Autobots," Kaji gestured to them with his hand. "Well, some of them anyway."

"Well, the full term is 'autonomous robotic organism,'" said Elita. "It's a pleasure to meet you Asuka. My name is Elita-One, and I am one of the Autobot lieutenants. The ones with me right now are Prowl, Jetfire, Hoist, Slug, and Sludge."

"Hello there," Hoist waved with his left hand. "So, are you really the pilot of Eva Unit-02?"

"Did you not hear Kaji just now?" Asuka asked with a glare. "And did you not just see me in Unit-02 and exit it? And do you not see the plugsuit I'm wearing right now? Do you need any more prove that I'm the pilot? What are you, stupid?!"

"I apologize," Hoist said, raising his arms in the air. "I'm just surprised someone of your age is piloting this machine."

"What do you mean, my age?" Asuka asked, her eyes narrowing more.

"Well, when we heard about the pilot of Evangelion Unit-02, we assumed that the pilot would be a trained military official," Prowl answered. "We had no idea that you would be a human child."

"A…child?!" Asuka growled, glaring darkly at the security officer.

"Now you've done it," Kaji muttered, realizing what was about to happen.

"I am NOT a child!" Asuka snapped at the Autobots. "I have been training for the last ten years to pilot Unit-02, my synchronization rate is the highest of the pilots, and I graduated last year from university with a degree! And I can also drink coffee! So don't call me a child!"

'Geez, and they say I have a temper,' Slug thought as he looked at Asuka, taken aback slightly by the girl's outburst.

"So, you're here to help us fight the Angels?" Asuka asked as she looked over all the Autobots, as if she was analyzing them. After several moments, she stepped away from them and scoffed. "Good luck keeping up with me. I have been piloting Eva for years to be the best, and I intend to stay the best. So don't think you overgrown jalopies are going to upstage me!"

"I bet you're full of beryllium baloney," Slug muttered.

Asuka's eyes widened upon hearing the Dinobot's words. "Excuse me?!"

"You say you're the best, but what I've seen so far, you've only been fighting drones that were built for you to fight. You are clearly someone who hasn't seen any combat yet, so until you get into a real fight, don't bother backing up what you say in training exercises," Slug looked down at Asuka, making a clear point.

Asuka was completely speechless. Nobody ever got away with talking like that to her, she could only tolerate Kaji's criticism to a degree! But this….mini-Eva strolled into her base, insulted her skills and her Eva, and didn't look like he cared that much about it. Quickly regaining herself, she glared up at Slug with as much anger she had in her.

"Listen to me, you fat lug! For ten years, I have been working my ass off to prove my worth. And I am not going to let you or the rest of your robot buddies get in my way!"

"Well, you'll have to get used to us 'getting in your way', because we're going to be working together!" Slug snapped, his anger slowly growing from the girl's attitude.

"Oh yeah?! And who decided that?!" asked Asuka.

"That would be the United Nations," Kaji answered. "The Autobots offered their services to us against the Angels, and the Decepticons, a faction of robots like the Autobots, but on the evil side. The UN voted, and the Autobots are officially going to be working together with NERV."

"So if you have any problems with us, you can take it up with me," said Elita. "I am one of the lieutenants of the Autobots. Or, if you want, you can take it up with Optimus Prime. He's the Autobot leader, and has been given equal authority with Gendo Ikari, the commander of NERV."

"Really?" Kaji asked with a raised eyebrow before thinking to himself. 'Now this should be an interesting development.'

"S-seriosuly?!" Asuka stuttered, her anger quickly deflating. She had never met Gendo Ikari personally, but the stories she had been told about him made it clear that he was a man that should never be crossed. If this Optimus Prime had equal rank, then it was clear he was not be crossed either.

"Okay, I think we've gotten off on a rocky start," Kaji walked over to Asuka and the Autobots. "Asuka, how about you get changed out of your plugsuit and head on home? I'll meet you there once I take care of some business."

"All right," Asuka huffed, turning around and walking out of the training area. As she walked, she couldn't help but fume in anger. These Autobots had just seen her in action while training, and none of them were bothering to acknowledge her skills as the best! At least Elita-One and Prowl seemed to recognize her talent, but they didn't seem to be treating it like it was a big deal. So what if they were giant robots themselves, she had been around them all her life. They weren't special, Asuka was! Her Unit-02 was! And she was bound and determined to prove it.

"Excuse me, Miss Soryu." Asuka, having walked out of the training area, looked over to see a female NERV employee walk up to her with a phone in hand.

"What do you want?!"

"W-well, your father called while you were training," the woman said, holding out the phone, which Asuka realized was hers. The red-haired girl glowered at the phone before looking up at the woman. The last thing she needed to deal with right now in her current mood was that man calling himself her father.

"I told you to take that cheating bastard off of my contact list!"

"We did, but he still has you in his contact list."

"Then get rid of this phone, and buy a new one with a number he doesn't have! I made it clear a thousand times that I don't want anything to do with him or that whore he calls a wife!"

"Yes, ma'am!" the woman yelped in fright before running off. Once she was gone, Asuka stomped away to the locker room to shower and change. The LCL on her face was dry, meaning it would be hell getting it out of her hair.

Back in the training area, Kaji and the Autobots had heard everything moments ago, and their reactions were mixed from surprise to shock, and in Kaji's case, sympathy.

"Geez, what is with that girl?" asked Slug. "She's rude to even her parents?"

"It's not an unwarranted reaction," Kaji said with another cigarette in his mouth. "Asuka had a nasty falling-out with her father years ago."

"Kaji, what happened?" asked Elita. Kaji stayed quiet as he contemplated his answer, knowing well what the problem was.

"I won't go into the full details, since it's Asuka's story and not mine, and I don't want to betray her trust that much by telling you everything yet. As far as Asuka's concerned, you're just strangers."

"Can you at least give us a quick version?" asked Jetfire. "Since we'll be working together, it's best we know more about who we're working with."

"If you want a quick version, then all right," Kaji sighed with a shrug. "When Asuka was young, her father cheated on her mother, and shortly after her mother died, her father married the woman he was having an affair with."

"What?!" Sludge exclaimed in shock and anger. The rest of the Autobots were in complete surprise at this revelation, Elita having a look of sympathy on her face as she looked into the direction she saw Asuka walk off to.

"There's a lot more to it, but I don't want to go into that," said Kaji. "That's for Asuka to share, so we should leave it at that."

"If you insist," Elita said, taking another glimpse at the hallway.

"Mr. Kaji, earlier you called Asuka the 'Second Child'," said Prowl. "What did you mean by that?"

"She was the second child chosen to become an Evangelion pilot," Kaji explained. "As I'm sure you may have figured out by now…"

"That means the pilots for the other Evangelion units are children," Elita said, a slight edge to her voice. The other Autobots were equally shocked by this thought. "Why are children piloting the Eva units?"

"That's something I'm not entirely sure of myself," Kaji answered. "Apparently, only children born after Second Impact are capable of piloting Evangelions, at least that's what I've been told."

"What you've been told?" asked Prowl, eyes narrowing. "What do you mean by that?" Kaji looked off to the side before walking closer to the Autobots.

"Just know that there's more going on here than they'd like you to know," he whispered. Turning around, Kaji made his way out of the training room. "Anyway, make yourselves comfortable, and if you want to check out Unit-02, ask Asuka first, since she's the pilot." As he left, Kaji felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. Having a feeling of who was calling, he picked up his pace so the Autobots wouldn't overhear the upcoming conversation.

"Well, that sounded off," Hoist remarked.

"What do you suppose he meant by that?" asked Sludge.

"It can only mean one thing," Elita said with a look of suspicion on her face. "There's more to NERV than the public is aware of. Prowl."

"Yes?" Prowl stood at attention.

"Once you get the chance, I want you and Nightbeat to look into whatever you can about NERV."

"Don't you think you're overreacting a bit, Elita?" Sludge looked down to his officer.

"Sludge, they have human children piloting their Evangelion units, and they say that only they can pilot these things?" Slug remarked. "Even I know this is screwed up. Why can't they have someone else do it?"

"That's something I want to know for myself," Elita said. "Let's get back to the shuttle. Optimus will want to know about this." The group walked out of the training room, and as they left, Elita looked at Unit-02's still form, a slight chill going through her frame. Perhaps it was just a gut feeling, but something about Unit-02 was very…unnatural, and it didn't sit well with her, like much of what she had seen so far with NERV.


"Yes, the Autobots have arrived and they met Asuka," Kaji spoke into his phone, having retreated into a small closet for privacy. "It doesn't look like they are happy about children being pilots."

"They'll have no choice but to accept it," Gendo Ikari spoke from his office in Japan. "Nobody else can pilot the Evangelions."

"I am aware," Kaji sighed. "But I suppose there's another reason you called."

"Yes," Gendo answered. "In a few hours, Chairman Keel will be delivering Adam to you. I am already beginning arrangements for the Second Child to be brought to Japan with Eva-02. When the escort happens, I want you to bring Adam with you and deliver it to me."

"And I'm guessing you don't want the Autobots to find out about Adam?" Kaji asked, realizing where this was going.

"They cannot learn about Instrumentality," said Gendo. "If they have any questions about NERV and the Evas, then tell them what you have been told."

"That may be difficult, since they'll likely try and get answers out of Ritsuko."

"If they ask her, then she'll tell them what is…necessary," Gendo replied.

"If you say so," said Kaji. "Well, I better take my leave now, since Asuka's wondering where I am." Flipping his phone closed, Kaji walked out of the closet and to the nearest elevator that would take him out of the base. Many thoughts were going through his head right now. There was Asuka, who he could tell was not going to get along at all with the Autobots, after the criticism Slug gave her. Asuka never took criticism well at all, and it was clear she would have to likely deal with more of that from the other Autobots, since they didn't seem intimidated by her tough girl act. There was the matter of SEELE, who were no doubt scrambling to try and adjust their plans to accommodate for the Autobots, which may have been a likely reason why they wanted to give Adam to Commander Ikari for safekeeping. Although there was a high risk that the Autobots would likely find Adam if it was brought to Japan. Highly likely that they assumed the Autobots will not catch on until it's too late to act. But from what Kaji had seen so far with the Autobots, they would likely have their own eyes on NERV's inner workings, which would likely clash with his own work…unless they worked together.

'Gonna have to be extra careful from here on,' he thought with a wiry grin. 'Still, that doesn't mean that this won't be fun.'


As Germany began entering the evening hours, early noon had come upon America, where the shuttle carrying Ultra Magnus and his crew flew through the clouds, with Springer, Windblade, Blades, and Swoop flying behind to provide cover, and Omega Supreme flying close by.

"Ultra Magnus to Springer," the Autobot commander contacted the triple-changer from his place in the shuttle. "Any sign of unusual activity?"

"Nothing at all Magnus," Springer reported over the radio. "Just like the last five times you've called me."

"My apologies Springer," said Magnus, "but it's best to do a regular checkup every half-hour for status. Protocol has to be followed when necessary."

"So how long will it be until we reach NERV's US branch?" asked Cliffjumper, who had his feet propped up on the console he was manning.

"That all depends on which base we are going to," Perceptor answered, seated next to Arcee and Snarl. "According to the files we were provided by Doctor Akagi, NERV has two bases in the United States. One of them is based in Nevada, and the other one in Massachusetts."

"Maybe we should go to the one that has the Eva units stored," suggested Arcee. "Meaning the question is, which one are we going to?"

"Well-we-need-to-not-only-see-the-Evangelion-units-but-we-also-have-to-meet-the-creator-as-well," Blurr sped over to Arcee, speaking tenwords a second. "So-with-any-luck-we'll-be-able-to-find-them-both-in-the-same-location."

"If being the key word Blurr," Streetwise commented. "If this mission requires going to both bases, then that means we'll have to split up even more."

"Magnus, what do you think?" Groove looked over to the Autobot lieutenant. Magnus leaned forward and placed his hand under his chin in a thinking manner. As he decided on the next course of action, Windblade's voice came over the communication.

"Sir, if I may make a suggestion, perhaps we should contact each base first. Depending on who or what is there, it could give us an idea of how to proceed."

"Hmm…that does sound like the best choice," Perceptor voiced his opinion.

"Very well," Magnus said with a nod. "First Aid, Arcee, I want you to get in touch with the Nevada base. According to our radar, we are currently flying over Oregon, which is near Nevada."

"Already on it, Magnus," First Aid replied, typing several commands into his console. After several attempts at reaching them, the medic succeeded in contacting NERV's Nevada base. Due to the confusion and apprehension of the NERV soldiers receiving an unknown transmission led to Ultra Magnus explaining everything regarding the Autobots and their new alliance.

"So, we have been sent here to meet the creator of Evangelion Units 03, 04, and 05, in addition to seeing the units themselves," Magnus concluded. "Are any of them located currently in your Nevada base?"

"No, they're all at our base in Massachusetts, on the outskirts of Boston," said the director of the Nevada base. "In all honesty, it's a bit of a risk having three of those things in one place, but the creator of the units in question made her home in Massachusetts. She has a daughter and her own team, and didn't want to be hassled so much with traveling from one base to another."

"I see," Magnus nodded. "This will make our mission much easier. I thank you for your cooperation."

"You're welcome," the director replied before hanging up.

"All right then, it's off to Massachusetts!" Hot Spot punched the coordinates they were given into the navigation system, allowing the shuttle to take them to Massachusetts.

"Destination set: Boston, Massachusetts," Omega Supreme acknowledged the new orders, changing his course as well and flying with the shuttle. As the massive Autobot flew, Swoop dropped down above Omega and transformed into his robot mode, sighing as he sat on top of Omega's left engine.

"Woo! I haven't flown this much since I had to do recon for that two day mission in the Sea of Rust," he sighed. "My wings need a rest."

"Yeah, I hear you Swoop," Springer agreed with the Dinobot as he transformed from his helicopter mode and sat next to the winged Dinobot. "I can feel the aches and pains in my body as well." The triple changer emphasized his point by stretching his arms up with a slight groan.

"I find it a little hard to believe that you two are complaining about aching all over these days," Windblade commented as she transformed herself and landed on Omega's left engine. "You're not as old as Kup or Ironhide. I don't hurt that much myself."

"Easy for you to say Windblade," Springer replied. "But when you've been in the Wreckers as long as I have, you get a lot of dents and bangs throughout your entire body as the years go by. Honestly, as much as I've always loved a good fight, I don't know how much longer I can take of this."

"The same with us Dinobots," said Swoop. "We've seen more action than the Wreckers, and as tough as we are, we've been in and out of Ratchet's medical bay on occasion as well."

"After millennia of war, the taste of conflict can taste bitter for the most hardened warriors that crave a battle," Windblade noted solemnly. "But hopefully, this alliance we have entered with NERV will finally end this war, and we can have peace."

"Hopefully being the key word," Springer commented. "I'm not a cynic, but I know this will not be easy. We don't have to deal with just the Decepticons, but also with these Angels. War is never an easy task to win."

"That is true," Swoop nodded. He wouldn't lie if he said that he didn't enjoy fighting much. When one spent a long time with a fierce, Energon-thirsty warrior like Grimlock for eons, a little of him would rub off on one. But Swoop was the more gentle of the Dinobots, even more than Sludge, and he always preferred relaxing more than battling. But, that's not to say he wouldn't stand with the other Dinobots on the battlefield.

"Me personally, I don't really care if the Decepticons show up or not," Blades said, suddenly appearing right next to Windblade and surprising the three Autobots. "I'd like to take on these Angels myself."

"I know you would Blades," Swoop noted.

"By the way, I think we should get back to flying," Blades then added. "Groove just called me and said that because we're all sitting on Omega's left engine, our weight is causing him to fall behind."

"What?" Springer asked. Looking up, he noticed that Omega Supreme was dropping down slightly from the sky and was moving slower than Ultra Magnus' shuttle.

"Get. Off. Me." Omega then boomed to the four Autobots. Although his voice still carried its usual heavy monotone, there was a hint of annoyance to it. The fact that Omega spoke in a complete sentence, a rarity for him, showed how irritated he was.

"All right," Swoop sighed, jumping off the engine and transforming back into his pterodactyl mode, Springer, Windblade, and Blades following in their own air vehicle modes. With the extra weight gone, Omega flew back up next to Magnus' shuttle.

'Well, back to flying again,' Springer thought with another sigh. 'Well, at least I rested enough to go the rest of the trip. I really need a vacation once we finally knock down the Decepti-chumps and Angels.'


After two hours of flying across America, the Autobots finally made it to Massachusetts, and were currently over Boston.

"Now, according to the information that was provided to us by the Nevada base, the location of the Boston base should be approximately twenty miles from our current location," Perceptor reported to Ultra Magnus.

"Very good," Magnus replied with a small nod. "Once we land, Perceptor, Arcee, and Hot Spot will accompany me to meeting with the staff."

"No problem, Magnus," Arcee called out.

"Attention," Omega Supreme boomed. "Landing platform detected. Location: 2.5 miles from current location. Westside."

"Yeah, I can see it as well from here," said Blades. "Me and the rest of the flyers."

"Then it looks like we're going there," Cliffjumper said, maneuvering the controls to take the ship to its intended destination. A few minutes later and the platform was found in a large empty field surrounded by a circle of trees. From what they say, the platform was big enough for the shuttle and Omega Supreme to land safely, with additional room for the flying Autobots. Both Omega and the shuttle landed slowly and carefully on the platform, with Springer, Windblade, Swoop and Blades transforming and landing on the roof of the shuttle.

Before any of the Autobots outside or inside could move, the sound of metal grinding caught their attention, and they noticed the platform they were on was beginning to descend to a lower level.

"Hmm, as I thought," Perceptor mused as he looked outside the shuttle's front window to see the lights leading down to where the platform was taking them. "The Massachusetts base of NERV is located deep underground."

"Well, of course it's underground Perceptor," Cliffjumper said with a roll of his optic sensors. "Given what we've seen of NERV so far and their giant Evas, where else do you think it would be? In the sky?"

"Or underwater?" Streetwise asked with a laugh.

"I-know-you-two-are-being-sarcastic-but-lt-would-be-impossible-for-a-NERV-base-to-be-underwater-or-in-the-air," Blurr spoke up. "The-calculated-height-and-mass-of-the-Evangelion-units-as-well-as-the-necessary-space-for-training-rooms-repair-areas-and-other-essential-rooms-and-offices-for-an-agency-would-be-impossible-for-a-base-to-be-in-the-air-and-ever-since-Second-Impact-the-waters-of-Earth-have-been-poisoned-and-unable-to-sustain-life-for-a-prolonged-amount-of-time-so-an-underwater-base-would-be-out-of-the-question-as-well."

"Geez Blurr, slow down to at least a hundred words a minute," Snarl said with a groan. "I could only understand the first three words!"

"All right, zip it," Magnus ordered. "We've arrived." The platform finally came to a stop in a hanger. Despite the presence of some vehicles, there seemed to be no humans present.

"Strange," First Aid said, taking in the empty hanger. "I was expecting somebody to greet us."

"Yeah, you think Nevada would have called ahead to let them know we were coming," said Springer.

"So…what's the plan now, Magnus?" asked Swoop.

"We will proceed as planned," Magnus decided, standing up from his chair. "I'm sure there is somebody here to greet us." Lowering the ramp, Magnus walked out of the shadow with Perceptor, Hot Spot, and Arcee following close behind.

"Hmm…seems spacey enough," Hot Spot noticed, looking around the large hanger. "Though it doesn't seem big enough for Combiners to walk around in."

"Which means Omega Supreme won't likely be able to walk around in here," Swoop added, legs hanging off the edge of the shuttle's roof. "Sorry Omega."

"Apology accepted," Omega stated.

"Magnus, how exactly are we going to find someone in this base?" Arcee asked as she walked away from the shuttle with Magnus, Hot Spot, and Perceptor. "I doubt all of the hallways and rooms in this base will be big enough for us."

"Patience, Arcee," Perceptor said. "I'm sure that if we do not find someone eventually, then someone will come to us." Almost a second later, a door at the far end of the hanger opened up and two humans walked out, taking notice of the new arrivals in front of them and started walking to them. As they came closer, the Autobots could see they were a man and a woman. The man wore a white coat over a blue shirt and orange pants. His face looked weary and tired and the top of his head was a mess of brown hair, but despite the look of his face, the man looked at the Autobots with a friendly smile. The woman looked younger than the man, with a young and lively face. Like the man, she also wore a white coat, but the clothes underneath were a periwinkle shirt and a dark blue-green skirt, with gray leggings. She also had a small smile on her face.

"Well, good afternoon," the man greeted the small group once he was close enough. "You must be the Autobots we were told about. The Nevada base contacted us about your arrival. Apologies if the welcome isn't what you were expecting, but we figured you would want some space for yourselves and whoever else you brought. This hanger isn't used much, so you can use it to your leisure."

"I thank you for accommodating for our arrival," Magnus said as he looked down at the humans. "I am Ultra Magnus, lieutenant to the Autobot resistance movement. The Autobots currently with me are Arcee, Hot Spot of the Protectobots, and one of our top scientists, Perceptor."

"A pleasure to meet you," the man bowed his head to the Autobots. "I'm Doctor Hajime Suruga. I work here as an engineer for NERV. This," he gestured to the woman. "is Hitomi Kaga, my assistant."

"H-he-hello!" Hitomi greeted the Autobots with a slight stutter. "It's…it's a pleasure to meet you!" Despite appearing friendly to the Autobots, Hitomi was noticeably trembling slightly before the Autobots in fear and nervousness. Feeling Hajime's hand on her shoulder, she steadied herself and breathed deeply.

"Don't worry, Hitomi is a little shy, but she's very friendly," Hajime reassured the Autobots.

"If I may ask," said Perceptor, "is Miss Kaga the creator of the Evangelion units 03, 04, and 05?"

"N-no, I'm not," Hitomi answered. "I didn't join NERV until construction for Unit-03 was halfway done."

"She'll be back in a few minutes," Hajime said. "Doctor Illustrious, the creator in question, has a daughter and is currently picking her up from school. In the meantime, would you like to see the Evangelion units?"

"I most certainly would," Perceptor answered for the group. "I have yet to see one of these units myself, and I would like to give them my own studying."

"Right this way, then," Hajime gestured to the open doorway, motioning for the Autobots to follow him and Hitomi. As they walked down the tall hallway, Ultra Magnus chose to talk with the scientists.

"Doctor Suruga, how long, may I ask, have you been working here at NERV?"

"Oh, for about nine years," Hajime answered casually. "I was one of the earliest scientists to be brought into the fold for Unit-03's construction. Doctor Illustrious brought me in as she wanted some of the best engineers aiding her. I graduated with a doctorate in the field as one of the top in my class, so I accepted, and I've been here since then."

Arcee was the next to ask a question. "What exactly is Doctor Illustrious like?"

"Oh, Doctor Illustrious is a really fantastic woman," Hitomi spoke up. "She can be quite serious whenever she's working, but she's always friendly towards us and the rest of the staff here. She's also a very brilliant scientist."

"Before arriving here, we landed our main ship, the Ark, in Japan and met the NERV staff in Japan," said Ultra Magnus. "Ritsuko Akagi said that there was some bad blood between Doctor Illustrious and the NERV supreme commander, Gendo Ikari."

In almost an instant, Hajime and Hitomi immediately stopped in their tracks, the Autobots stopping quickly so they wouldn't step on the humans by accident. Hajime looked up at the Autobots with a frown on his face, and Hitomi's face carried a worried look.

"Whatever you do, try not to bring up Commander Ikari to Doctor Illustrious that much," Hajime said in a low voice. "She hasn't gotten along with him over the last ten years."

"If she doesn't like Ikari that much, then why does she still work for NERV?" asked Arcee.

"Besides the fact that she was one of the original founding members of NERV back when it was GEHIRN, she had a friend who worked there," Hajime began explaining, looking grim. He had heard about this from Doctor Illustrious herself when she brought him into NERV. It was something that she didn't like talking much, but Hajime knew the Autobots would have to be aware of this themselves if they were going to be working together. "Her friend died, but before she did, Doctor Illustrious made a promise to continue working in NERV in her memory. She also wanted to make a better world for her daughter to live in."

"That sounds like a noble reason," said Hot Spot, a solemn look on his face. The other Autobots, Perceptor included, shared the same expression as well, having gone through the same thing Dr. Illustrious went through.

"Ever since Doctor Illustrious set up shop in this base, Commander Ikari hasn't been around here," Hajime continued. "As the supreme commander of NERV, he goes to every base around the world whenever necessary, but this this the only base he hasn't set foot in for the last few years."

"Maybe it's for the best," said Hitomi, looking a little afraid. "I've heard the horror stories about Gendo Ikari, and I don't think I want to ever meet him."

"Is he really that bad?" asked Arcee.

"Let me put it like this," said Hajime. "Gendo Ikari may be the leading figure of NERV, and he does seem dedicated to protecting this world from the Angels, but he hardly cares for how they're defeated. He only cares about getting results, no matter how they're achieved."

"That…does not sound well," Ultra Magnus said with narrowed eyes. Having been involved in the Cybertronian War ever since the beginning, Magnus knew war was never a clean business. Casualties were always a consequence, and the Autobots had to resort to dirty tactics themselves in the past so they could get an advantage over the Decepticons. But they would never willingly sacrifice their own soldiers even if it meant winning a battle. And from what they heard about Commander Ikari getting results, it sounded like he hardly cared if the Evangelion pilots themselves were wounded or killed.

"No, it doesn't," Hajime spoke bitterly. "I too want to see the Angels be defeated, but unlike Commander Ikari, I'd rather see it not lead to unnecessary and unneeded losses. Doctor Illustrious feels the same way." Shaking his head while running a hand through his hair, Hajime sighed heavily before looking back up at the Autobots. "Anyway, we should keep walking."

"If you could continue following us please," Hitomi motioned, the Autobots taking the cue to continue following her and Hajime to the chamber. Nobody spoke for the rest of the walk until they came upon a set of giant doors.

"Here we are." Walking over to a console, Hajime punched in several buttons on a console, then stepped away.

"It's going to take a few minutes for the chamber to be cleared," Hitomi explained to the four Autobots. "The Evangelion units have to be kept in a special cleaning substance whenever they're not in use or being worked on."

"Interesting," Perceptor mused to himself. After several moments, the doors finally opened, allowing the scientists and Autobots to enter the chamber. Once they set foot in the chamber, the Autobots looked up to see three Evangelion units standing on the left side of the wall. All of them were the same size, but varied in color and appearance. The closest one to the group was painted black and bore a plain head design. The one in the middle looked identical to the black one, but was painted silver. The last one was much different. It was painted mostly pink with white arms and a white torso, and orange shoulders. The head of the unit had three points coming out of the top, and what appeared to be eight eyes.

"The black one is Unit-03," Hajime began identifying the units for the Autobots, gesturing to the black unit. "The silver one is 04, and the pink one with many eyes is Unit-05."

"Well, I have to admit, they do look quite imposing," said Hot Spot, "much like the units we've seen so far."

"And quite unique," Perceptor said as he walked closer to the Evangelions and transformed into his microscope mode, analyzing the three units with his scope.

"So Doctor Illustrious was the one who built all three of these?" asked Arcee. "That does seem impressive, and it looks like it took her a long time to build them."

"Well, it wasn't just by herself," said Hajime. "I helped in the construction, and we had a team of engineers and scientists that aided as well. It also helps that Doctor Illustrious was involved in the development of the Evangelion units from the very start when GEHIRN was formed, so she knew all the ins and outs of an Evangelion."

"And it's the ins that I find intriguing," Perceptor spoke up as he continued analyzing the units. "I am detecting organic material underneath the Evangelion units. The material on the outside appears to be a kind of armor."

"Organic?" Hot Spot asked, surprised at Perceptor's findings. Ultra Magnus and Arcee both had the same expression of surprise on their faces. "So these Evangelion units are transorganic?"

"Or biomechanical, whatever term you want to use," Hajime answered. "In addition to a humanoid body, the Evangelion units also possess a Core as well."

"How were you able to build something like this then?" asked Magnus.

"By studying the Angels," a female voice sounded out. Looking behind them, the group of Magnus, Hajime, Hitomi, Arcee, Perceptor, and Hot Spot were greeted with the sight of a young woman walking into the chamber. The woman had long auburn hair that came down past her shoulders, and wore glasses over her eyes. Like Hajime and Hitomi, she wore a white lab coat, the clothes underneath comprising of a plaid shirt, a pair of cutoff jeans, and black flat shoes.

"Doctor Illustrious!" Hitomi gasped in surprise. "When did you come in?"

"I came in a few minutes ago," the woman answered as she made her way to the Autobots with a small grin. "I heard we had guests, so I thought I'd follow you behind, and make a dramatic entrance."

"Been watching more of those movies, huh?" Hajime chuckled before making introductions. "Autobots, this is Doctor Marie Makinami Illustrious, the creator of Evangelion Units 03, 04, 05. Maria, these are the Autobots…well, some of them."

"Well, I have to say it's good to meet you," Marie greeted the Autobots with a smile. "I have to admit, I was quite surprised when I saw the footage of you at the United Nations. Transforming alien robots was really something I don't think anyone was expecting, even with all the craziness the Earth has seen the last fifteen years."

"It's a pleasure to meet you Doctor Illustrious," Ultra Magnus greeted the woman. "I am Ultra Magnus of the Autobots. With me are Arcee, Hot Spot of the Protectobots, and Perceptor, one of our top scientists."

"A scientist, huh?" Marie said, looking at Perceptor with an eyebrow raised in interest. "Well, I'd definitely like to know about your technology."

"As would I like to know more about your Evangelion units," Perceptor said, stepping forward. "How were you able to make them into biomechanical forms?"

Marie took a deep breath, a contemplating look on her face as she remembered the events that led to the creation of these units. After a few moments, she began her explanation.

"As I'm sure you may be aware, Second Impact was the result of a failed research and experiment on an Angel, dubbed 'Adam', found in Antarctica. What's not known that much is another Angel was found the same time as Adam, dubbed 'Lilith,' the second Angel. Both Angels were found in a dormant state, which was why it was considered safe to study them. While Adam's discovery led to Second Impact, research teams were able to safely dispose of Lilith before she awoke."

"Wait, there was a second Angel in the middle of all of this?!" Hot Spot asked, sharing a shocked look with the other Autobots. "How many of these Angels are there, anyway?!"

"After Adam and Lilith, it's believed that there will be fifteen Angels coming to Earth, one at a time," Marie answered with a grave look on her face. "Using what we learned from studying Lilith, as well as the little knowledge we had of Adam, and any remains that there were of them, we were able to create Evangelion Unit-00. Of course, that was after many tests and attempts."

"Wait. These Evangelion units are built from the remains of Angels?" Arcee asked, having figured out what Marie meant by her explanation. "Does that mean these things are…alive?"

"I can see many risks that were likely taken from having done a procedure like this," Perceptor voiced his own concerns. "Was something like this really necessary to fight back against the Angels?"

"My thoughts exactly," Ultra Magnus said with a frown.

"Unfortunately…it was," Marie said, looking down to the floor with regret and sadness in her face. "Our studies showed that the Angels are capable of projecting a powerful barrier called an AT-Field. Conventional weapons would be useless against it, and the only way to truly penetrate it would be with another AT-Field."

"So by using the Angel remains, the Evangelions would be able to project AT-Fields themselves to combat the Angels," Perceptor realized. "I suppose there is some practicality and logic behind this, but it could still be a risk. As Arcee noted, are these Evangelions alive in any way?"

"No," Marie answered shortly. "They're just empty vessels. They can only move if they have energy in them…and if…there's a pilot."

"I see," Magnus said, looking at the Eva units with a short glance. "I understand that these units in question do not have pilots yet."

"They don't," replied Marie. "And…I'm often unsure about finding pilots honestly."

"Why?" Hot Spot asked in confusion. "Giving the enemy we're about to face, we'll need any available forces at full strength, and that will include finding pilots for these units."

"Agreed," Ultra Magnus nodded. "Doctor Illustrious, it's imperative that we outfit these Units with pilots as soon as possible."

"I…I know," Marie said, shaking slightly from the thoughts of what she knew would have to happen eventually. "But…" Suddenly turning around on her heel, Maria immediately left the chamber, much to the Autobots' surprise, and to Hajime and Hitomi's understanding.

"Doctor Illustrious!" Perceptor called out, but was ignored as the woman turned a corner.

"What was that about?" asked Arcee.

"I guess you haven't been told about the pilots yet?" Hajime asked. He had a look of pity and understanding on his face, knowing the reason for Marie's sudden exit. Hitomi also knew the reason as well, a sad look adorning her face.

"No, not fully," said Ultra Magnus. "All we know so far is Unit-00 and Unit-02 already have designated pilots, and Unit-01 will have a pilot soon."

"And we are aware of the identity of Unit-02's pilot, Asuka Langley Soryu," Perceptor added.

"I see," Hajime sighed. "Well, there's one thing you should know then. The pilots for the Evangelion units…have to be children."

With that sudden revelation, the Autobots all had stunned looks on their faces, unable to process it much.

"Wait…children?!" Arcee was the first to voice her shock.

"Yes," Hitomi answered sadly. "It's not something we're comfortable with much at all. And it's worse for Doctor Illustrious…because her daughter is considered a top candidate to be a pilot."


Marie Illustrious sat alone in her office, quietly eating a donut while taking occasional sips from her coffee that sat in front of her on her desk. Having a snack always helped her whenever she was feeling emotional stress or turmoil, as she always considered it a better alternative to smoking or drinking beer. As she ate, her gaze fell to a few pictures on her desk. Some of them were of her with her daughter, and others had her with some of her trusted friends on the NERV staff, including Hajime and Hitomi. She soon looked at one picture which was of her with two of her best friends, who were no longer with her.

Looking at the picture, Marie remembered the memories of her college days with them, and the time they spent before she lost them. And as she did, she remembered the last conversation she had with one of them, who was the first friend she ever made.


FLASHBACK

"Yui, are you absolutely sure about this?" Marie asked Yui Ikari, who was tending to her young son in a stroller. "You know there are massive risks in being done with this, we even did the findings ourselves!"

"I know," Yui sighed as she stood up and looked out at the red river they were near. Both friends could recall when many of the waters of the world were a pure blue, a color that they were upset that their children wouldn't be able to see. "I even talked about this with Gendo and Professor Fuyutsuki. And they both know the dangers of it."

"Then you know if you bring this up with Kyoko and Naoko, they'll be completely against this as well!" Marie exclaimed.

"And I'll just ignore them," Yui admitted stubbornly. "I want to build a new and better world for Shinji and not the one that SEELE wants us to make. But I don't want that world to come at the expense of Shinji's innocence. And I know if Kyoko finds out, she would be on board for Asuka's safety. And…" she looked over to Marie with a frown. "I know you don't want Mari to be put in that position."

"N…no, I don't," Marie said, her head dropping down. "I don't want her to be a pilot, but there may be a strong possibility that she will be. I don't want to force this on her at all Yui. I don't want to lose her!" Marie's eyes began welling up with unshed tears at what was bound to happen. "Kami help me…she's just a child…they all are, and…" Feeling soft hands on her shoulders, Marie looked up to see Yui with a sad smile on her face.

"Then don't force it on her," she said. "Forget what SEELE wants, this should be something Mari should decide for herself. As human beings, we have the right to choose. If Mari chooses not to pilot, then it will be fine."

"But what if she does choose to do it? And what about a child that is chosen to pilot what I'm planning to make?"

"Then I know you'll be able to help them every step of the way," Yui said softly. "Like I said, we have the right to choose as humans. That's why I'm going to test pilot Unit-01. This is my choice, and I don't want to believe that children should be pilots."

"But what if something happens to you during the test?" Marie asked. "Maybe Unit-01 won't respond at all, but we know what they're made out of. It could hurt you seriously or kill you! I don't want to lose you Yui, you're my best friend! And think about how this would affect Gendo and Shinji!"

"If something happens to me, then I know Gendo will be able to take care of Shinji," Yui said, looking over to the sleeping Shinji. He looked so peaceful and innocent in his sleep, an innocence that Marie know Yui wanted to preserve and keep from being destroyed. "Marie, if something does happen to me, then I want you and Kyoko to keep going for me. SEELE cannot be allowed to let their plans succeed."

"I…I will," Marie nodded, wiping her eyes before hugging her friend. "I promise Yui."

END FLASHBACK


"If only you were here now Yui," Marie said in a sad and bitter tone. "Kami knows you'd flip over what Gendo as done. I know I have." She let out a small chuckle. "Though given where you are, I'm sure you'd have flipped a thousand times already. And Kyoko…" she looked over to the blond-haired woman in the photo. "I hope you've been able to watch over Asuka to your best, even after everything that's happened. God, I don't even want to know what they're like now. And that other girl…" Marie thought about the pilot that she had been told about, the girl chosen for Unit-00, Rei Ayanami. She never saw any images of her, and was only told about her name, but something about her gave her a look of suspicion.

'I feel pathetic,' she thought to herself, looking up when she heard the door open. Her spirits were lifted slightly when she saw her daughter Mari enter the office, depositing her backpack on the floor.

"Hey Mom!" Mari greeted her mother as she sat down in the nearest chair, noticing Marie's depressed look. "Are you okay?"

"Fine as always," Marie answered with a small smile. "So…homework done?"

"Easy as always," Mari answered, fishing a donut out of the box in front of her. "So, what's this I heard about alien robots that can become vehicles?"

"How do you know that?" Marie asked in surprise. "I didn't tell you anything yet."

"I was in the mess hall doing my homework and I overheard Koji and Mitsuru talking about these robots called the Autobots that showed up at the UN," Mari explained. "Oh, and it's been buzzing on the news about the sighting of an alien ship appearing over New York and later Japan."

'Of course,' Marie thought to herself, remembering the footage she was shown earlier. 'Figures something like that would be easy to see for civilians.'

"Yes, it is true, and some of them are here right now," she said. "In fact, I actually met them a while ago, and they saw the Evangelion units as well."

"Well, they sound great!" Mari said excitedly. "Is there any chance that I can meet them?"

"Maybe," Marie said, looking at a picture of Mari as a toddler. "They are here mostly to help us work, and I doubt they'll want to be bothered much."

"But what if I was part of that work?" asked Mari. "Maybe then I could know them better."

"Mari…" Marie sighed heavily, realizing it couldn't be avoided anymore. "I don't think you understand what's going on here."

"Yes, I do!" Mari said, dropping her cheerful demeanor as she stood up. "Mom, you told me about what really happened fifteen years ago, as well as the work you've been involved in, and why you're doing all of this…"

"Then you know that you're one of the only ones that can do this," Marie said, looking hurt. "But I don't want to force you into this at all, Mari. You're fourteen years old, you have your whole life ahead of you. You should choose your life for yourself."

"And I choose to be an Evangelion pilot," said Mari. "I know you want to try and keep me safe Mom, but I know that if it isn't me out there, it will be another kid, and I know you don't want that."

"No…I don't," Mari admitted, though given that there were still two other Evangelion units that needed pilots if her daughter really did want to become a pilot, a bad feeling rose in her that two children would want to pilot without knowing the implications and consequences of doing so.

"Besides, I know what's happening here," said Mari. "If you're going to have a pilot, then it should be someone who already knows the full story."

'Not the entire full story, but still,' Marie thought before speaking to her daughter again. "Then you know this will be extremely serious. You may be piloting a giant robot and you'll be working with alien robots that turn into vehicles, but it will not be as fun as you think. These kinds of things you see in cartoons and comics? They'll usually gloss over the real-life effects and consequences that they have on people. If you want to become a pilot…then you have to be prepared, because none of this is going to be sugarcoated. But that doesn't mean I won't help you. You're still my daughter and I don't want to lose you."

"I know," Mari said, a sad look now coming on her face. "But this has been your life's work ever since I was born. NERV has practically been my home and I've made friends and family here, and I don't want lose them. That's why I want to be a pilot."

"Mari…" Marie said, feeling touched by her daughter's words. It was then she realized that she couldn't sway her daughter away from this life; she chose it a long time ago. She felt guilty inside as while she knew Mari was making this choice herself, she couldn't help but feel that she somehow forced her on this, a reason why she chose to help her daughter. She wouldn't be like Gendo Ikari, not at all.

Standing up from her chair, Marie walked around her desk and to her daughter, wrapping her arms around her in a tight hug. "Please…promise me that you won't do anything that could make me lose you."

"I'll do my best," Mari said with a sad chuckle as she returned the hug. Both mother and daughter stayed still for a minute before moving away.

"Come on," Marie led her daughter out of her office. "I think you should meet the new guys we're working with." Several minutes later, Marie and Mari found themselves walking back in the chamber holding the Eva units. Hajime and Hitomi were still present with Ultra Magnus, Arcee, Hot Spot, and Perceptor. The group looked over to see Marie, and while the Autobots were surprised to see Mari with her, Hajime and Hitomi did not seem shocked at all.

"So…she's chosen to do this?" Hajime asked.

"Yes…she has," Marie nodded before looking up to Ultra Magnus. "Autobots…I'd like you to meet my daughter, the Fourth Child and the chosen pilot for Evangelion Unit-05…Mari Makinami Illustrious."

"H…hi there!" Mari said, looking up at the Autobots in complete awe. "I hope we can get along and be good friends!"

"I…share the same feelings as well, Mari," Ultra Magnus greeted the girl. Despite keeping a calm posture, Magnus and the Autobots felt unwell slightly at the fact that the pilot they would be working with is a child.

'Primus, please help us with this kid,' Arcee thought to herself. 'And help her, because she may need it just as much as us.'

END CHAPTER 3


"Bumblebee here. Back in Japan, we're still setting up shop as we meet the military. And we also meet the First Child Rei, and…I don't know what to make of her."

Next time: The Lone Girl


And done. I think this may be the longest chapter that I've done so far for this story, and we're just three chapters in. Strap in, because the ride's getting to get only longer from here. Now the takeaways for this chapter:

Elita's team has met Asuka and Kaji, and as Misato warned them, Asuka is going to be a major handful. We know how prideful and arrogant she can be, and already she hasn't gotten along well with Slug. And it's because of her pride that Asuka's not taking the Autobots seriously, and that's something that will really bite her hard soon.

And of course, there's Kaji and his multiple roles in all of this. Expect him to end up working with the Autobots eventually.

Hajime Suruga and Hitomi Kaga are from the Secret of Evangelion video game, and also with them are Koji Katori and Mitsuru Wakatake, who were also a part of the game.

Of course, we have the biggest one from this chapter: Mari Makinami Illustrious, and her mother, Marie.

So, explanations for those who are confused. Mari Makinami first appeared in a side story in the Evangelion manga as a college student who was friends with Yui Ikari. Then she was later a part of Rebuild, where she was not only a pilot of Evangelion units…but also was friends with Yui and Gendo. Which honestly make the scenes with her and Shinji a little unsettling.

So, I decided to make them separate characters, along with a few other reasons. I also gave the elder Illustrious the name "Marie" to avoid confusion with the daughter.

As for a backstory, Marie attended college with Yui Ikari and Kyoko Soryu. Friendly to anybody she could meet, she helped Yui and Gendo meet each other, and studied under Fuyutsuki. She married after college, but her husband was sadly killed during Second Impact. Despite the loss, she vowed to be a good mother to Mari. In the aftermath of Second Impact, Marie joined GEHIRN and helped develop the Eva units. After Yui was absorbed into Unit-01, Marie took Mari to the UK, upset over what Gendo did to Shinji after Yui's "death". And shortly after Kyoko was hospitalized after her failed synch test, Marie went to America with Mari, and developed Units 03, 04, and 05. Unit 08 from Rebuild is renamed to Unit 05. Because of her status as an original member of NERV, Marie knows about SEELE and Second Impact, and has been attempting to undermine their plans. She also knows about Asuka being an Eva pilot, and Shinji eventually being one. However, the only thing she knows about Rei so far is her name and status as the First Child. She hasn't seen a picture of her yet, since Gendo knows she'll immediately recognize Yui's face and realize some foul play. She will see Rei's face eventually, and believe me, she's going to have quite the talk with Gendo once she comes to Japan. Marie is one of the few people that Gendo actually fears.

Mari for the most part will have the traits of her Rebuild counterpart, so expect some crazy stunts and fights from her once she boards Unit-05.

Next time, Rei Ayanami meets the Autobots. Nuff said.

Oh, a few more video game characters will debut as well.