The entire hangar was dead silent as Byakko stood before the next train in development.
Beside him stood Director Hayasugi, eyeing the vehicle critically.
"It's finished?" he asked.
The wolf Faunus nodded. "Yes. We spent quite some time fine-tuning it. Now all it needs is a Driver."
"But who?" the cat Faunus asked.
Here Byakko crossed his arms, a contemplative look crossing his features. His yellow eyes narrowed as he looked at the bird symbol on the side of the train.
"Whomever shows the necessary compatibility rate," he mused. "And whomever can find a way to fly over this next obstacle..."
(Shows a pair of red optics flaring as a shadowy hand reaches out, grasping at the screen before fading to show several wanted posters depicting the Shinkalions, the title appearing below)
GRIMMFALL SHINKALION: DARK DOUBLE DAZE
(The images fade to show a pinprick of light)
Awake and remembering the torn promise (The pinprick of light grows brighter as Railspike is shown looking over the city of Tokyo, his two brothers appearing as ghosts behind him)
Trapped and entrusted myself (Railspike looks up, showing the six young sparklings marching past him in their human forms)
Are you ok with this? Not being able to reach (He slowly reaches out a servo and grasps at the sun, throwing the screen into black)
Opened the door with incomplete condition (A sliver of light runs down the middle of the screen, revealing two doors as they open, showing a young boy staring in awe at the contents within)
Made mistakes, learn, in fear and hide (The boy is shown running before the camera pans to the left, revealing him outside as he holds a device in his hands)
Hesitate, deadlocked, facing myself (The camera pans in on the device, showing the city of Tokyo from above before two sets of orbs are shown facing one another down, colliding in a brilliant flash)
Break through the wall now (The light becomes a thick wall, Railspike standing before it as he drives a fist into it, causing cracks to spread out as it shatters)
Go my way, I'm going to grab the future (The wall crumbles around Railspike as his servo reaches out towards the six children)
I won't let anybody get in my way even if you hurt me (A huge mass of garbage rises up before him, two red eyes flashing in the background)
I'm chasing the continuation of my dream (The six young Shinkalions are shown turning around, brandishing their weapons in their frames)
Because it's still there and that's what I am (Railspike is shown reaching for them as they extend their own hands, reaching towards the middle of the screen before it goes dark)
The word that I used to hear came back again (Railspike stands before the remains of his two brothers, his students gathered around him as they offer support)
I didn't question it I just buried it deep (He bows his helm, optics closing as memories of them march past him in transparent form)
The noises are clouding my thoughts (Memories of their demise cause him to grit his denta and he screams as lightning flashes, rain pouring down around him during a battle)
Plastic melts and turn black when you burn it (The form of Nightstreak looms over him as he holds up a burning spark)
Tied and no freedom, there's nowhere to go (Railspike slumps to the ground as he grips at his helm with his servos, energon tears running down his cheeks)
Trust, betrayal, turning my mind dark (Sammael is shown in the background, wearing the mask of a Grimm as he holds his hands around the shaking Shinkalion)
I have to open the way (The darkness engulfs the screen before an explosion rocks it, shattering it as a winged form flies through the air)
Go anywhere when you spend your days (The form spins around, revealing a shadowy shape reminiscent of a Shinkalion, but with green optics and wings spilling green particles, holding a crossbow of sorts in one servo)
Meeting and findings you call this a fate (The camera pans down, showing the city from above as of on a map, dark purple orbs flashing on the screen)
We're alive and there are sadness and anxiety (One of the orbs flashes, panning out to reveal a pair of purple optics as six shadowy forms resembling the Shinkalions are revealed)
This won't last forever. All this for me to be strong (The forms attack, forcing Inspector Tezuka to fire on them as her men open fire as well)
All of this from the hard works (The gunfire pans over to show Railspike firing his arm-mounted guns to take down the black-clad attackers)
I kept it in me. Now I'm here (His optics flash as he summons a grey, blue, and dark blue Aura to shield himself from the return fire)
I can overcome this (He grits his denta as he hefts his shield and fires off his missiles as the other sparklings unleash their own attacks)
Go my way, I'm going to grab the future (Railspike lunges forward, his servo outstretched to catch a glowing spark)
I won't let anybody get in my way even if you hurt me (The spark is caught in his palm as it flashes, showing the boy holding a device in one hand and a visor resting on his head, a shadowy winged shape behind him)
I'm chasing the continuation of my dream (The boy looks out as four Rails of Light streak out from the screen, showing the four Shinkalions on them, heading off into the horizon)
Because it's still there and I have to move forward (The horizon flashes as the camera pans down to show Director Hayasugi in the front of the command center, waving an arm as he gives an order)
Go anywhere when you spend your days (The camera then pans to the left, showing Chief Lee standing in the main server room as he adjusts his sunglasses, light glinting off of them)
Meeting and findings you call this a fate (The chief glances out to the right, the camera following his gaze to reveal Tsuranuki in Townsville as he stands atop a hill overlooking the city)
We're alive and there are sadness and anxiety (His hair blows before the two Powerpuffs streak overhead, the camera following them before panning down to show Shinobu and Miku in the Shiga Highlands)
This won't last forever. All this for me to be strong (The camera then pans up to the sky as a winged shape flies overhead before panning down, showing the six kids and Railspike standing before the city of Tokyo, a young boy and a new shadowy Shinkalion shown in the background as transparent images, the title appearing below them)
OPENING FILES: REI OZORA
Rei Ozora is the son of the former astronaut Hayashi Ozora, who also happens to be part of the Astro Self-Defense Forces. Rei is a very eager and intelligent kid who shares the same dream to go into space like his father. Not only is he interested in space exploration, but he is a highly skilled robotics prodigy, excelling in the field even as a teen. While not prominent, he has shown aptitude for developing new machines to assist in the fight against the Grimm.
Rei's knowledge of robotics has made him a very high-profile target of Satyra's assassins before they were reported leaving Tokyo after the Battle of Mt. Fuji over a year ago. Rei has in that time moved on to high school and has begun studying engineering.
CLOSE FILES
GRIMMFALL SHINKALION: DARK DOUBLE DAZE
CHAPTER II - DARKNESS RISING II
The sound of the seagulls cawing was enough to make Railspike sigh as he stood on the pristine sands of Onjuku Beach.
He could hardly believe that it had been close to a week ago that they fought the Blizzard Turtle, and now things were returning to normal.
Or as normal as they could be, considering the effects that the unnatural weather had had on the planet. On the whole, there had been enormous benefits, but at the same time there had been drawbacks in that many had died during the intense cold, mostly in the poorer countries and regions of the world.
At least in Japan the effects had not been as severe.
The old Shinkalion narrowed his optics as he watched the seagulls fly overhead as he sat down, letting his pedes rest in the water and his servos on the sandy beach itself.
The whole area was deserted, so that gave him some time to himself.
Then again, considering how popular he and the kids were becoming due to their efforts at defeating the Kaiju, it wouldn't be long before people started to seek them out for autographs or even photos. The mere idea made Railspike snort to himself. After all, he was not too keen on being seen in the spotlight. Most of his kind had an aversion to being exposed, and he was one of them. After all, it was in their nature to hide in plain sight, hence why they were called robots in disguise every so often. Most aliens had actually not been aware of the Autobots or Decepticons being on their home worlds during their long civil war. But now...
Railspike cast his gaze down at his reflection in the water, taking in his frame critically. Now here he was, trapped on Earth, one of a few last survivors from Outpost Prima, Cybertron was a dead world, and he was helping a group of humans, Faunus, and Mobians in defending their country from an enemy he had faced once before, and lost to.
It was enough to make him look away from his reflection and shift his gaze to the sun as it set beyond toe horizon.
With the end of the planet-wide winter, he felt a sense of relief, but it didn't do much to ease the sense of dread that now niggled at his spark.
In fact, he had no idea why he was even feeling this dread to begin with. And it worried him.
A few seagulls circled around and one of them landed on his left shoulder guard. He turned to look at it and he snorted. "What are you looking at?" he muttered.
The bird ignored him and continued to roost on his shoulder. The old train sighed and turned his gaze back to the sunset. He knew his brothers were watching over him, but something just... didn't seem right.
Actually, now that he thought about it, maybe it wasn't what he thought it was. The sense of dread was perhaps not related to his brothers, but maybe something else...
Like...
His optics narrowed as he recalled the footage that Director Hayasugi had shown them all. The footage of the attack on the workers in Omiya. The very image was enough to make him scowl as he drew his legs close to his chest and rested his servos on his metal knees. He placed his chin on his arms as he studied the sunset, watching as the sun's rays dressed the sky in a dazzling array of vivid colors. The memory files of the attack footage surfaced in his mind's eye and he frowned visibly.
He could see the black-clad mechanical hand as it reached out to crush the construction vehicles and workers, and he paused the relevant file, studying it. The snow blowing mostly hid the forearm's features from sight, and the dark smoke coming from it seemed to add to the sinister air it gave off.
"What attacked them...?" he rumbled as he shut down the footage and the image vanished from his optics.
This was worrisome. And it warranted an investigation.
Bur for right now, everyone was staying put.
That was about to come and bite them hard...
Not that anyone knew it at the time.
Railspike glanced to the sand beneath him before he sighed and stood up.
And it was just as well, too. The beeping of the alarm caught his audios and he raised a servo to his helm. "Go," he rumbled.
"Railspike, it's Director Hayasugi. We need you back at the base," the director instructed.
"I was on my way, anyway," the old train responded. He turned and headed off, transforming back into shinkansen mode. "HYPER RAIL!" As soon as his wheels were about to touch the sand, the gleaming rails of the Hyper Rail appeared beneath him and he engaged his engine, blaring his horn as he directed the Hyper Rail to the closest train tracks.
As for why he was being called back to base, he could only guess, but something told him it had to do with a Kaiju attack. And considering how far the beach was from Tokyo, it made sense that he wouldn't hear any of the alarms or alerts going off. And actually, now that he thought about it, that was an issue. If someone was at the beach and a Kaiju surfaced, it would be close to impossible to get to a shelter in time.
That was a serious ramification that needed to be addressed.
He made a mental note to bring this up to the director once he had the chance to. However, that was the furthest thing from his mind as he finally shifted his attention to the rails in front of him; the tracks were coming up and he shifted over onto them, extending his pantographs to connect with the overhead catenary wires. The familiar tingle of electricity raced throughout his systems, but he ignored it as best he could; he had other things to focus on.
Such as what the meeting could be about.
He was very tempted to call and ask, but he squashed the urge to do so. He would learn soon enough, he figured.
But as to what that was, it had to wait.
Because right then he heard the familiar blaring of the alarms as he neared the outskirts of Tokyo.
"Primusdammit...!" he muttered.
This was not good. Especially seeing how an alert hadn't reached him.
"Attention all residents of Tokyo and all surrounding prefectures. A Kaiju Alert has just been issued for the surrounding area of Tokyo's largest landfill. All residents and workers are to be evacuated immediately. I repeat. A Kaiju Alert has just been issued for the surrounding area..."
The ex-Autobot forced the repeating message from his processor and focused more on his COMM as he heard it beeping. "Go!" he barked.
"Ah, good. I wasn't sure if you were on your way yet," Director Hayasugi said. "There's just been a Kaiju Alert issued. We're sending the kids there now."
"All the more reason for me to get there!" Railspike remarked. "Got the coordinates for me?"
"Hai. They should be appearing on your HUD shortly." As soon as he said those words, a small map of the surrounding area came up, showing him en route to the target area, which was marked by a glowing blue orb. "However, due to the circumstances surrounding this one, we can't hope to keep it contained via conventional means."
"Care to explain why?" Railspike asked as he shifted over to another track.
"This Kaiju seems to be composed entirely of... well... garbage." That sentence threw Railspike for a loop.
"Say, what?!" he blurted, jolting in disbelief.
"It's true. We've codenamed it Garbage Heap as a result," the director replied.
"All right. I'm en route now!" the old train stated.
"Good. The sooner you get here, the better." The director cut the line and it went silent. Now Railspike could focus on getting to the battle site before the Kaiju emerged from its new mass.
He put all power to his systems and sped towards the location marked on his HUD.
For their part, the kids were already en route as well, each of them a blur of color as they rode along the Rails of Light towards the battle site.
Haifu was leading the group, followed closely by Fumikiri, Matagi, Nozoma, and then Efu. Railspike was also en route, she noticed on her HUD. While his marker was a farther ways off, he had a direct line to the site if he used his Hyper Rail, which she suspected he would at some point.
Her gaze finally shifted away from her own HUD and to the sight of the landfill looming ahead of them. Unlike most other countries, Japan's landfill space was limited, so they had to resort to incinerating whatever garbage couldn't be recycled. In addition to reducing much needed landfill space, it provided some power to the areas closest to those facilities. It also helped that they could draw on fire Dust to help in the process.
Haifu shivered at the thought of all that garbage coming to life and fusing into a new Kaiju. Actually, it posed a serious problem because if it was made up of garbage, then it would be close to impossible to beat. The smaller components would make it hard to hit, and it could split into smaller chunks to evade their weapons fire, especially Matagi, she noted with a mental scowl. That was something that had to be prevented. But she didn't know if Matagi's guns could fire ice rounds. That was the issue.
So they'd have to wing it. And while that strategy had never failed them before, it was only a matter of time before it did fail them.
And that they needed to prevent at all costs.
She glanced to the others as they came alongside her.
"Everyone ready?" she asked.
"Hai!" came the collective cry.
The five trains continued on their path before Fumikiri took notice of the battle site ahead of them. "We got contact!" he remarked, seeing the mounds of garbage moving and shifting. "It's already fused!"
"All the more reason for us to get there then!" Matagi stated.
The others were silent, but they were all in agreement.
"Let's just hope Railspike gets there, too," Nozoma said softly.
"He will," Efu responded with certainty. "He did say he'd be there."
"Right." Nozoma's voice fell silent as the huge mass of garbage started to stand up, taking on a vaguely humanoid form.
That was enough to make the trains shudder on their tracks.
The battlefield was drawing closer.
And along with it, Railspike.
Haifu could see him approaching them on the Hyper Rail.
"You sparklings better follow my lead!" Railspike ordered over the COMM.
"HAI!" the kids responded.
The trains finally reunited, with Railspike driving alongside the kids as they rode the Rails of Light.
"You sparklings see that heap?" the old train asked.
"Yes," Haifu stated. "We see it." She was very tempted to ask why, but she wisely kept the urge in check. Railspike seemed to sense this and he gave a grunt of approval.
"Good. You know better than to ask the unasked," he lectured. "That thing right there is our target. We have to take it out before it escapes the landfill and starts to assimilate more trash into its body. At least according to the director. We don't know what it's abilities are for combat, so we have to be on high alert!"
"Understood," Nozoma said.
The others all were silent, but Railspike took their silence as an agreement.
LANDFILL BATTLESPACE OUTSKIRTS
The shadowy figure smirked as he watched the six trains approaching.
But it was no ordinary figure.
Oh, no.
But as to whom it was, no one knew. The shadows provided an excellent cover for him to remain hidden from sight, but allowed him to observe.
Already he could see the trains coming to a stop before the huge heap of garbage loomed up ahead of them, its red eyes pulsing as it stood up, throwing back its misshapen head and roaring.
That was all it took and he sneered.
"I hope you are ready, Shinkalions..." he purred.
CENTRAL BREAKWATER LANDFILL BATTLESPACE
"You sparklings ready?" Railspike asked.
"HAI!" came the collective cry.
"Then let's go!" he ordered.
Haifu was the first one to enact her transformation.
"CHANGE! SHINKALION!"
Haifu's rear and front engines disconnected from the rest of the shinkansen, linking up. The rear half of the front engine folded out to reveal a pair of arms and shoulder guards, and the nose of the train became the chest of her humanoid form. The rear of the train unfolded into a pair of legs protected by the shell of the rear engine. Haifu's head emerged last, a pair of bright orange-yellow optics flaring online. Her rabbit ear-like extensions emerged from the back of her helm and twitched before she landed, grasping her sword as it formed in her grasp. A few swings of the blade and she landed, her weapon held out to the side.
"CHANGE! SHINKALION!"
Nozoma's rear and front engines disconnected from the rest of the shinkansen and linked up. The rear half of the front engine opened up to become a pair of arms and shoulders, the rest of the train's front engine transforming into a thruster set and the chest of his humanoid form. The rear engine split open to become a pair of legs, protected by the shell of the rear engine. His head emerged last as his light green optics flashed online. He clenched his fists and lashed out in a few martial arts moves before taking a fighting stance, his twin energy blades coming online.
"CHANGE! SHINKALION!"
Efu's rear and front engines disconnected from the rest of the train and linked up. The rear half of the front engine split down the middle to become shoulders and arms, the front of the train becoming the chest of his humanoid form. The rear engine slid open down the middle, becoming a pair of legs guarded by the shell of the rear engine. Claws extended for traction from the pedes while thrusters on the ankles slid open. His head was the last thing to emerge, his yellow optics flashing online. He held out a servo and summoned his sword to his grasp, swinging it a few times before he landed, holding it out to the side.
"CHANGE! SHINKALION!"
Matagi's rear and front engines disconnected from the rest of the shinkansen and linked up. The rear half of the front engine split open to become his shoulders and arms, the nose of his shinkansen mode becoming the chest of his humanoid form. The rear engine split open, forming a pair of legs protected by the shell of the rear engine. Two pairs of wheels latched onto the sides of his pedes, granting him greater mobility. His head finally emerged last, his yellow optics flashing online. His servos extended to grasp the twin guns as they formed in the air. Once they were in his grasp, he spun them a few times before aiming them.
"CHANGE! SHINKALION!"
Fumikiri's front and rear engines separated from the rest of the train before they linked up. Then, the rear half of the front engine folded out to reveal a pair of arms and shoulder guards, and the nose of the train became the chest of his humanoid form. The rear of the train unfolded into a pair of legs, protected by the shell of the rear engine. Fumikiri's head emerged last, a pair of light blue optics flaring online. The mecha landed and crouched, holding two fingers in front of his faceplate. His other servo flew out and he summoned to his grasp his shuriken, snapping it open from kunai mode.
"CHANGE! SHINKALION!"
Railspike's first, second, seventh, and rear cars disconnected from his frame. The seventh car split in half while the second car opened to form a pair of legs. The feet snapped into position as the two halves of the seventh car approached his front engine. Two sections opened, revealing sockets for the arms as they unfolded into position. They then attached, and his servos flexed in motion. A small section of the front engine lowered itself out and then the legs connected to it, forming his completed frame. His head was the last thing to emerge, his golden optics flashing online as his faceplate came up to cover his mouth in battle. The rear engine itself also changed, with part of the rear component disconnecting and forming into a pair of missile banks that locked onto his legs. The rest of the rear engine snapped open into a shield of sorts, with more missiles on its sides. He grabbed onto that and held it in front of himself before his other servo lashed out, summoning forth his Signal Spear.
The six trains landed just inside the entrance to the landfill.
Already they could see that half of the garbage within it had been assimilated, leaving a vast open space for them to do battle in. But due to the Garbage Heap's ability to assimilate more trash, there was only one option viable to them.
"Standing by to fire capture field!" Futaba's voice exclaimed over the COMM.
TOKYO SDI HEADQUARTERS
MAIN COMMAND CENTER
The COC's fingers flew over the keys as she typed in the command.
Her eyes narrowed as they darted across the screen as the targeting reticle honed in on their position. Then, she gave a nod. "Ready!"
Behind her, Director Hokuto stood at his desk, one hand pressing to the headset he wore. "Get ready!" he barked to the six.
CENTRAL BREAKWATER LANDFILL BATTLESPACE
"Yes, sir!" came the cry.
Railspike merely grunted an affirmative before he looked up.
TOKYO SDI HEADQUARTERS
MAIN COMMAND CENTER
Director Hayasugi waved his hand. "Kyapuchafīrudo no kidō!"
Futaba gave a nod. "Hai!" Then she hit the button.
EARTH ORBIT
Up in space, the capture satellite pivoted ever so slightly to aim directly at where the Central Breakwater Landfill was located. The island's position was locked in and then the satellite sent a charge of nanomachines directly into the satellite dish on its front. The small orb coalesced and within two minutes, the nanomachines were charged up to full. The multicolored beam of light lanced down towards the Kaiju below...
CENTRAL BREAKWATER LANDFILL BATTLESPACE
...and slammed into the air above it.
At once the Kaiju looked up as the orb of nanomachines expanded out, lifting it up and out of the landfill, removing it from its gross, decaying prey.
The six trains all looked at one another and nodded. They glanced up as the capture field finished cloaking itself via its optical camouflage.
Haifu was the first one to leap into the air, landing on a nanomachine platform as it materialized beneath her pedes. The others followed suit, springing up after her. The platforms appeared beneath them, transparent as always, but giving them enough to leap up like on a staircase. Railspike brought up the rear of the group.
The group finally came to a stop just outside the capture field.
Railspike finally cleared his vocalizer and the sparklings all looked to him.
"Okay. So we know next to nothing about this Kaiju in particular, so we need to be extra cautious when we fight it," he explained. "And since this thing is made of garbage, there's no telling what it might be able to launch at us, or what its abilities are."
"So in short, be observant and adapt," Nozoma summarized.
Railspike glanced to him in surprise, but nodded. "Yeah. That's the gist of what I was going to say," he said, his golden optics a bit wider in mild surprise.
"That we can do," Matagi stated as he hefted his guns.
"Right," Fumikiri replied. He gave a nod and Efu nodded back with a thumbs up.
Railspike scowled, earning a squeak from the group. "You can, but you have to be able to shift your priorities when needed," he said. "That's one thing you sparklings have to master. When we Cybertronians were engaged in combat during our civil war, we sometimes had to shift priorities within seconds on the battlefield, or even sometimes in milliseconds. And that kind of thing only comes with experience. You, as of right now, have zero experience in that aspect of combat. So we'll be working on that as we fight."
"Training during battle?!" Efu squeaked.
"Yes. It's harsh, I know, but experience is always the key thing in fighting. And I am the most experienced one here." Railspike's optics narrowed as he glanced at the capture field. "Now that we're going in, be ready for whatever this thing throws at you."
"Hai!" the sparklings exclaimed in one voice.
They entered through the capture field, and were greeted by the sight of the Garbage Heal hunched over in the middle of the main platform.
The Kaiju loomed over them, its red eyes flickering as it studied the six trains before it.
Railspike's optics flickered in response, narrowing a bit. He hefted his Signal Spear as the Garbage Heap started to stand up, small bits of trash sloughing off its massive form.
Matagi gripped his guns as he snapped down his Namahage Goggles, switching to infrared. "Namahage Goggles: Scanner Mode!"
At once his vision was bathed in differing colors of red, orange, yellow, and blue. He shifted his gaze around, trying to find out where this Kaiju's core was. But so far, all he could see was the dull red of the internal heat of the beast. The garbage shifting against itself was enough to generate some heat, which would no doubt hide a core, he mused.
The large beast roared before it finally thrust its fist towards the red and white train. Matagi yelped and dove to the side, skidding before whirling around and aiming his guns at the Kaiju. He fired off a salvo of bullets that struck it, but much to his shock and horror, the rounds didn't even do much to it. The only real damage done were some minor holes which closed up. He hissed through his vents as he glanced to Railspike. "Bad news!" he relayed. "This thing can regenerate its own wounds! A lot like the Blizzard Turtle!"
"Dammit... good observation," Railspike noted. "That means we have to figure out a way to remove its regeneration ability."
"A lot easier said than done," Fumikiri stated. "If it can regenerate its wounds with the garbage it's assimilated, we'll be here all day!"
The old train knew that the purple and white sparkling had a point. The capture field could only last so long, and even though the LinkNodes could in theory allow for up to three days of continuous operation, it was still a risk to take as no one was sure of how long the devices could actually function.
"So, any ideas then, Railspike?" Nozoma asked.
Railspike glanced down in thought, wracking his processor for any ideas. He gritted his teeth behind his faceplate as he cast his gaze over the Garbage Heap again. His optics flashed as he engaged his scanners, running them over the massive Kaiju Grimm. He could already see most of its technological components, and each one flashed with the possibilities of what weapons it could form, if anything. Already he was getting an idea of how to fight it, and he looked back over to the five sparklings as they awaited his orders.
"All right, sparklings. Here's the plan..."
OZORA HOUSEHOLD
TOKYO, JAPAN
Rei glanced to the screen of his family's TV when he heard the announcement.
He was not too keen on retreating to the nearby shelter, especially when the Shinkalions were fighting.
He turned up the volume as he watched the news anchor direct her camera skyward. "...can see, the same phenomenon has happened yet again. The government has not explained what exactly is happening regarding this event, so people have taken to calling it The Capture, which is a fitting name for the situation at hand. The Prime Minister, when pressed for questions, simply stated that any questions would be answered at a later time."
The boy leaned in, his gaze picking out the faint shimmering of the optical camouflage.
He had to admit it was a good idea. It did save the country's vital infrastructure from getting damaged, as since they were an island nation they needed to import a lot of goods.
"Rei?"
The boy perked up and glanced back as his father stepped out of his home office for a moment. "Oh, dad! What's going on?" Rei asked.
"I have to run to the office for a meeting," he said. "Something's come up and I need to be there."
"What could be this important?" Rei asked, briefly turning his attention away from his love of robots to his other interest.
"Something regarding strange activities in space. Can't explain much, but there is something happening up there and I want answers. Given how we have a top secret colonization program, I think it's imperative we get answers on these strange happenings before the government decides to cancel the program," Hayashi stated.
"Oh..." Rei frowned at this. It didn't sound good, whatever it was.
"Anyway, your mother is here so if you need anything, don't be afraid to ask her." Hayashi gave a grin as he grabbed his coat and threw it on. As soon as he had left the house, Rei turned his attention back to the television.
As soon as he did so though, something else caught his eye. Confused, the boy changed the channel...
CENTRAL BREAKWATER LANDFILL BATTLESPACE
"FUMIKIRI BARRAGE!"
The blazing red meteors fired from Matagi's guns struck the ground in front of the Garbage Heap, making it back off as the shots exploded into six. The smaller shots ricocheted off the platform and hit the Kaiju Grimm, sending pieces of it every which way. The other five Shinkalions barely avoided the debris as it rained down around them.
Railspike shot a glance at the red and white train. "Watch it!" he barked.
"Sorry'" Matagi exclaimed.
Efu peered around the column he had taken cover behind, his yellow optics flickering in his worry. "This thing just keeps recovering from our attacks!" he blurted.
"..." For his part, Fumikiri was silent as he studied the Kaiju. He could see that Efu was right. Every injury they inflicted was healing, no matter how much damage they threw at it. But then again, some of those wounds weren't recovering as fast as some others, he noted.
Or more specifically... those around its face were the ones that healed the fastest...
His optics flashed in realization. 'That's it!' he thougt to himself. 'That's got to be where its core is held!'
He got on the COMM line shortly after.
"Minna!" Everyone perked up at his voice. "I think I may have an idea as to where this thing's core is!"
"Really?!" Efu blurted.
"Yes. But we need to confirm it further somehow..." the purple and white train stated.
"And how do you plan to do that?!" Nozoma snapped. "Because this thing can repair its injuries, as you can see!" He gestured to the huge Grimm as Matagi fired off another salvo of Dust-laced rounds for it. The rounds impacted and caused it to roar as it withdrew out of firing range. Fumikiri turned his light blue gaze onto the Grimm and he snarled as the Grimm healed up the holes in its body with the garbage it had assimilated.
Fumikiri was silent as he tried to come up with a plan.
However, he was caught off guard when Efu scrambled out, holding his Turnstile Sword off to the side.
"Dammit, Efu! Get back here!" Haifu cried, running after her friend. Nozoma saw this as well, and he growled to himself. He remembered that incident with the Hydra and he ran after Efu. There was no way he was about to let the kid make another mistake like that!
Railspike turned and saw this, and his spark hitched inside its casing. Memory files came back to him and he shuddered at the images as they played out before his optics. He remembered seeing Rapid Run and Midnight Express fighting to their last breaths. The Grimm swarming the base. Rapid Run being impaled bu a Grimm through the spark. His lifeles chassis as fhe life drained from his wounds. The way his optics dimmed. The look of pure agony on his exposed face. And the haunted expression in Midnight Express's own optics. His optics widened before he shook his helm to try and force the files back into his memory banks.
It was enough to rattle him to his struts.
No. He couldn't focus on that! With his own will, he shoved those memory files back deep into the recesses of his memory banks as he broke into a run after the two sparklings.
"HAIFU!"
The femme glanced back as she saw him pursing the trio. "Get back!" he cried. "I'll handle those two!"
"You sure?" she asked as she stopped pursuit.
Railspike gave a firm nod as he darted past. "Get back until I give the signal to attack!" he ordered.
The white and green train nodded as she began to back up, turning and bolting back towards where the others were.
Railspike, for his part, kept on going, spotting the two trains ahead of him. "Damn sparklings! Always rushing in!" he muttered under his breath.
He cupped both servos to his faceplate. "EFU! NOZOMA!" he bellowed. "STOP!"
But they didn't. And the Kaiju took notice of this.
Its garbage head turned to face them, and its red eyes flashed as its mouth curled into a sneer, exposing the dark interior of garbage and piping. The Garbage Heap roared as it threw its arms out to the sides before it reared up, and, with a surge of dark mist, sent a wave of garbage towards the two sparklings.
Efu yelped and summoned his Aura as did Nozoma. The two braced themselves against the onslaught of debris and garbage as it rained down on both of them and Railspike. Railspike held his shield over his helm as he aimed its missiles directly at the Kaiju's attack. He clenched his servo on the handle and with a battle cry, he released a salvo of missiles that arced skyward. "MISSILE SHIELD!" The projectiles exploded against a large cluster of garbage as it fell towards him, but it did nothing to dampen or even halt the oncoming wave.
The blue and grey train skidded to a stop, his optics widening as he watched the two sparklings get swamped. Their cries echoed as he clamped both of his own servos to his audio receptors, trying to mute the sounds. It reminded him all too much of Midnight Express's screams from his own wounds.
"Railspike! Are you there?!" Futaba shouted in his COMM.
The older Shinkalion looked up at her voice. She sounded panicked. "Yeah, I'm fine!" he stated. "But two of the sparklings got swamped by garbage from this thing! And we have every reason to believe that it can regenerate from any would we can throw at it."
"Ability logged." Her fingers typing reached his hearing and he then heard her voice again. "Any other abilities?"
"None," he explained.
"Okay. Get in there and rescue Nozoma and Efu!" she exclaimed. "We don't know if this thing has the same abilities as 2-BO."
"I was already thinking of that!" Railspike snarled as he lunged forward. He cut the COMM line and gripped his spear as he held it in one servo, tossing his depleted shield aside.
His spark pulsed frantically in his chest as he bolted for the thing's attack, his optics glowing a bright gold as he leapt up, roaring as he swung with his spear, the blades cutting through some of the garbage like a shockwave cutting through water. He could already see Efu's servo sticking out, but it was soon engulfed once more by the thick sea of trash as it undulated, bringing both downed sparklings back towards the Garbage Heap. He dashed forward, his thrusters roaring in his audios as he swung and slashed again and again, slowly parting the sea as he moved towards his target.
Behind him, Matagi watched in shock and awe as he saw the older train cutting his way through the garbage after his friends. He looked to Haifu, who was also in shock. Fumikiri, for his part, was silent as he observed this. His light blue optics darted over the Kaiju, and it was then he saw what it was trying to do.
"Shit... it's trying to eat them!" he breathed in his friends' COMMs.
"That's not good!" Haifu blurted. "We have to do something!"
""For once, I'm in agreement," Matagi stated. He looked up, his optics flashing bright yellow. "I'll provide cover! You guys get in there and clear a path for Railspike!"
"Hai!" the two trains said.
Matagi's optics flared as he focused on his Namahage Goggles, snapping them down over his original optics. The green optics on the goggles lit up, and he could see things in infrared. Already he was able to pick out the limp forms of Efu and Nozoma under the trash as they slithered towards the Kaiju's stomach. Railspike was following them, but slowly being pushed back. And directly in front of them, was the Kaiju itself. Matagi briefly focused his gaze on the creature's head, and was surprised to see a dimly glowing orb right in the middle of its forehead...
"The core!" he breathed. "I found it!"
"Where?" Fumikiri asked. "I'll go after it!"
"Right in the forehead!" the red and white train explained. "But it may try to regenerate its wounds, so keep it occupied long enough for Haifu to do some damage to the garbage belts!"
The ninja train nodded before his video feed went silent.
That was all Matagi needed. He hefted his guns and stood up from a crouch, spinning his guns in his hands before tossing them skyward. They snapped out into cannon mode and came to rest on his shoulder guards. Once in position, his tri-colored Aura began to seethe over his frame, slowly changing from its three-colored scheme to a brilliant blazing red, much like that of a red giant. It began to concentrate in his cannons, twin red suns igniting deep within their dark depths. The targeting reticle located in his vision began to dance across his sight, focusing not on the Kaiju, but on the heaps of trash slithering around its very body like so much water. He targeted the largest heap, and he tensed his shoulders, bracing his legs for the recoil. He could feel the pressure building in his shoulders and he waited for a moment more before he let loose. "FUMIKIRI BARRAGE!"
The pressure released itself from his shoulders as the cannons fired, sending twin beams of blazing red energy right for the trash before Railspike. He watched as his attack split into twelve smaller shots, each one striking either the Kaiju or its trash heaps. The beast roared in agony and some of the trash withdrew to its body, healing up its wounds... but at the same time leaving less for Railspike to clear. That was when he saw Fumikiri leap into action.
His optics flashed bright blue as he summoned forth his kunai and held them off to the sides. His own Aura began to glow a brilliant violet, the energy seething along its blades and turning the entire weapon a piercing violet color. He then leapt skyward, becoming a violet comet before he dove down, drawing back both arms before thrusting his weapon forward repeatedly. "FUMIKIRI KUNAI BLITZ!" Violet energy darts lanced out from his weapons, raining hellfire down onto the battlefield below. The Garbage Heap roared as it summoned a wall of garbage to shield itself... and again left less garbage for Railspike to clear. The older train by now had taken note of their tactics and he had to admit they were impressive. But even so, there was still too much garbage for him to clear.
At least until Haifu leapt into the fray.
Her Turnstile Sword began to glow as her Aura wreathed her frame in its tri-colored beauty. However, it didn't stay like that, slowly shifting to a lovely sunset orange, seething along her arm towards her sword. The weapon became wrapped in the divine fire, becoming a blade of flames that seemed to be drawn from a star's very core. And she didn't even hesitate as she leapt up, her wing emitters putting out those pinkish-green particles. She spun around a few times before swinging her blade. "YUBARI HEAT SLASH!" Haifu swung her blade upwards at an angle, unleashing a beautiful wave of fire that rocketed towards the Kaiju, striking it in the arm and severing part of it, scorching most of the garbage that made up the limb to ashes. With a growl, the Garbage Heap began to use trash to reconstitute its limb... and cleared the path for Railspike to reach Efu and Nozoma.
Only for something unexpected to happen...
The last thing he expected was to see the bodies of his deceased comrades.
Railspike's entire frame shook as he stared in shock, his optics wide as he staggered back. "No...!" he rasped.
He had sworn he was looking at Nozoma and Efu as they lay on the ground, wounded and damaged. But a blink later and he was staring at Midnight Express and Rapid Run instead, bearing very much the same injuries as Nozoma and Efu.
The ex-Autobot could see the stumps of Rapid Run's right arm and left leg, and Midnight Express was battered, his armor cracked in many places, oozing fluids from his wounds and sparks flying from his shoulder joint and his left leg's hip joint. Energon dripped down his mouth, and one of his optics was cracked, rendering him blind in that optic.
But what really shocked him was the fact that they were right there in front of him and he couldn't do anything for them.
Railspike's shaking legs gave out and he collapsed onto his knees, staring in shock at his servos as they trembled before his optics, and he swore he was staring at the energon of his two comrades as it coated their palms. His venting increased and he felt his spark increase its pulsing until it was pounding in his chest beneath the glass cockpit cover. He stared in horror at the fluid as it dripped from his servos.
He could barely hear the screams of his team as they shouted at him to move.
All he could see was the energon coating his servos. He slowly curled their digits into his palms, and he buried his head in his servos, trying to drive out the screams of the deceased as they came rushing back full force. "No...! No! NO!" he murmured, his whispers starting to grow into shouts of terror. "NO! PLEASE! LEAVE ME ALONE!" he shrieked.
Railspike cowered in a ball, not even hearing the laugh of Nightstreak over his COMM system.
A loud roar reached out, and his optics snapped open.
He slowly raised his shaking helm, his optics widening in shock as the huge Kaiju inched closer, its red eyes pulsing as it reared itself up, only to come crashing down upon him in a wave of Grimm-fused garbage. The ex-Autobot scrambled to his pedes to try and outrun the stuff as it came falling down, landing all around him. His metal feet pounded the pavement as his flight or fight programming kicked in, driving him to flight. He ran, glancing back over his shoulder in terror.
(This was wrong... He shouldn't be doing this... He was a Shinkalion... Wasn't he?)
He could only see the darkness of the shadows as they encroached on him, drawing him into their menacing clutches as he ran for it as fast as he could. Behind him he heard Nightstreak cackling. "Yes, run! Run, you little coward! Run like the little toy train you are~!"
(No... He couldn't... He shouldn't be running...)
Railspike darted and weaved to try and reach the light as thick spikes of Dark Substance lanced out from the ground, trying to impale him in the chest and limbs. He leapt over several and landed, bolting for the fading light.
(He wasn't a coward... He knew that much... so why was he running...?)
The darkness came closer, finally looming ahead of him and he skidded to a stop, staring in shock as it took on the form of Sammael, but wearing the mask of a Grimm, his eyes flashing red. The mouth of the mask suddenly snapped open and he found himself plummeting to his doom into Sammael's mouth.
(No... He couldn't die...)
A servo reached out to grab him.
(His friends... no... his brothers... would be disappointed in him.)
He could only feel the gentle grasp as a second servo clutched his arm.
(After all, they had died so he could live... to give these kids a fighting chance...)
He could feel Rapid Run and Midnight Express's presences as he shook.
(Sammael... He was the one who did this...)
Railspike slowly looked up, his yellow optics locking onto those of his former brothers in arms. Rapid Run gave him a gentle hug and Midnight Express gently pushed him forward with one massive servo.
He lowered his head as he nodded, slowly walking forward.
(He still had to show Sammael a thing or two... And he was not about to die yet! Not since the kids needed him! And damn him if he was going to let them die on his watch!)
Railspike had no idea as to where it came from, but he felt a surge of power rush out from his spark as he snapped his optics open, using his will alone to force himself through the darkness and into the waking world.
His optics glowed brightly as he could see he was trapped within the darkness of the shifting mass of the Garbage Heap. However, it wasn't his optics that were providing the illumination. No. He cast his gaze down, and was surprised to see his entire frame was alight with a strange, glimmering energy shield of sorts. It was tri-colored, a dark blue with grey and lighter blue accents swirling through it. And even more strangely, it seemed to be coming from within him. But he had little time to ponder this. All he could see in his mind's eye was the damaged frames of the two young sparklings.
And this thing was getting closer to them. He wasn't sure how he knew; he just did.
Railspike gritted his teeth as he slid his faceplate on over his face. His optics flashed as he clenched his fists, drawing on this unknown power. He needed some way to break out... something that would give him a fighting chance.
And he needed it now.
The glowing energy around him began to react to his will and desire, shaping itself into a glimmering pair of objects on his forearms, taking shape into blurry forms at first. He didn't even notice this as he started to punch, his fists - and those sharp objects - beginning to drive themselves into the thick mass of garbage around him. He could feel the mass beginning to stop, as if sensing his activities. More pressure began to press into his frame, but the glowing energy kept it at bay. Railspike's drive was relentless. He kept punching, punching, and punching.
He had no idea that the sharp objects on his arms had finally taken a tangible form, becoming a pair of shimmering grey-blue rail spikes that lay upon his forearms. The Shinkalion clenched his right fist and, with a roar, thrust it forward, the energy swirling around the spike as it penetrated through the mass of garbage.
A loud screech reached his audios as he finally gave a burst from the thrusters on his back, boosting himself out of the Garbage Heap and into plain view of it.
He whirled around and brandished his new weapons, that glowing energy seething around him like a flaming aura.
Railspike looked up, his optics flaring a brilliant gold as he crouched and charged in, a bellow of rage escaping his throat. Railspike placed both feet on the ground and, with a burst from his thrusters, leapt up to meet the face of the Garbage Heap. His left pede whipped out in a roundhouse that connected solidly with the right eye, making the beast cry out in pain. He placed both pedes on it and flipped back, releasing the missiles located within the launchers on his legs. As the warheads sped at the beast, it looked up, its good eye flashing before heaps of garbage launched off its body towards them. The warheads exploded upon impact with the heaps of garbage, releasing thick black smoke that gave Railspike the cover he needed.
He could sense there was a power core located in the forehead of this thing. He just needed to get in close and expose it.
The Shinkalion landed atop a building before he leapt off, aiming his right servo at the beast, and with a roar, that energy shield flared, and then the rail spike on his forearm launched itself with the force of a rocket towards the forehead of the Garbage Heap. The spike drove itself in and then, much to Railspike's surprise - as well as that of the other Shinkalions - exploded to create a hole in its forehead.
And within it, nestled within a sphere of garbage, was a glowing red orb.
The power core.
Railspike roared as he charged in, his newfound power giving him the strength he needed to rush in, a battle cry escaping his chest. He aimed his left arm in front of him, the energy swirling around his remaining spike. It started to expand and grow, encompassing his frame in the exact same way that Esebu's Aura did when he used his Wheelset Driver.
And then his arm jolted as his weapon impaled the core.
He felt the Garbage Heap swing its head around, but the mech planted both feet on its forehead and grasped the opening with his free hand, pushing even harder as he drove the spike deeper into the core. His teeth were gritted behind his faceplate as he strained against the core, creating more cracks the more he pushed.
Inside his mind, he could see the young sparklings, wounded and damaged, unable to move. There was no way he was going to let this thing get to them! Not as long as his spark still beat!
"RAAAAAAAAAAH!"
The energy shield around his frame began to seethe even brighter, and Railspike pushed as hard as he could. "TAKE THIS!" he roared. "BULLET SPIKE IMPACT!"
The spike on his left forearm swirled with energy as he fired it from his forearm, slamming it into the core with the force of a pile bunker. The core began to spark with dark energy and Railspike sprang off, landing a distance away from the beast as it began to clutch at its forehead, as if trying to stem the energy leaking out of it. But it was to no effect.
The core exploded, sending energy waves out that shattered the capture field, forcing the team to take cover behind what rubble did remain from the battle. Railspike was hit hard with the force of the waves, landing on his back with a pained grunt; the energy shield took the brunt of the impact, but he was sure he'd have a few dents afterwards.
Railspike heard the cries of the others as they came running towards his position. His optics began to flicker as a strange exhaustion set in. It was like he couldn't move, but at the same time he still had energy to move. His readouts flashed with warnings in Cybertronian, English, and Japanese. His energy levels were surprisingly low, or were they? It was hard to tell...
His optics finally shut down as exhaustion took its toll and he blacked out.
HALL OF HEROES
GRIMMFALL
Aldamon was just glad to be back in the Hall of Heroes.
Not just for his own safety, but for the reason that his friends were here. Well... most of them, anyway.
Lobomon was who knew where in Japan, and Beetlemon was still in San Diego.
And he was worried for their safety.
Sure he knew they could hold their own, but against the individuals he had faced? Well, he wasn't so sure anymore.
Some part of him wished he were back home in his world, back with his family. Hell, he even wished Neemon and Bokomon were there!
The Legendary Warrior drew his legs close to his chest as he sat outside, gazing at the skyline of GrimmFall. The city was perhaps his only safe haven here, aside from Denver, of course. A part of him missed being within Dracon's vicinity, much to his surprise.
But given the recent attack, he wasn't sure if there was any place that was safe. Denver had been attacked, despite its reputation as an unassailable fortress in the Rocky Mountains. And then there was Tokyo, constantly under siege by Kaiju Grimm. GrimmFall, despite its name, was also attacked frequently. Then there was London, which had held up so far. Actually, now that he thought about it, London seemed to be the best equipped to hold the tides of Grimm back. But the memories of what he had endured there made it a place he did not want to return to.
So... where could they go that was safe?
The answer was nowhere. And that freaked him out more than anything.
He shivered as he curled into a ball, his wings curling around his body as he did so.
And yet, despite having been attacked, Denver still struck him as a place that felt safe. From what he had heard on the news, the city's defenses were left untouched, and only the sewer system had been attacked. In actuality, that was brilliant as well as disgusting in his opinion. It meant that the city's sanitation issues would keep them busy for some time.
He perked up as he heard a set of familiar footsteps coming out to his location.
"Aldamon?"
The Warrior of Flame turned to face the speaker.
Kazemon stood there with a box in her hands. "I... I brought you some lunch," she said, holding it out.
The winged Digimon stared for a moment before his stomach growled and he flushed as red as his armor. "Oh... I guess I didn't realize what time it was..." he muttered.
She giggled. "Guess someone's hungry~!" she joked as she sat down beside him, placing the box between them.
Aldamon nodded and opened the box, smiling as he saw it was a bunch of sushi rolls and dumplings, topped with some fresh veggies. "Man... I miss this kind of food," he murmured as he took out a sushi roll and ate it.
Kazemon smiled as she also took one. "Yeah. Thank E-Male for these. He made them himself."
The Warrior of Flame almost choked on his sushi roll in shock. "He did?"
The purple-clad Warrior of Wind nodded. "Is something wrong?"
"No. I just figured he wouldn't be too happy to make lunch for us," Aldamon clarified. "From what I know of the guy, he sees himself as a rival to Major Glory, so..."
"Oh... Well..." Kazemon looked down. "I guess he felt he needed to do something to bolster our morale..."
"Or his standing amongst the Justice Friends," Aldamon stated as he took another bite of sushi. The very idea was enough to make his stomach tie itself in knots. He glanced down at his lap, hands resting on his knees. "Kazemon... I'm..."
The Warrior of Wind looked to her companion in confusion. "Hm?"
"I... I'm scared..." he finally admitted. "Scared of this world..."
Kazemon stared in shock before she looked down, fiddling her gloved fingers together. "I am too..." she whispered. "Scared we may die here..."
Both Warriors hated to admit it, but despite everything they had been through in the Digital World, they had in no way been prepared for this. Being trapped here in this world where monsters ran amok and people had superpowers and supernatural creatures also roamed...
It was enough to give anyone a panic attack.
And in truth, Aldamon wasn't sure if all six of them were even going to get through this unscathed mentally. Already he was having nightmares, and he was sure he was going to have PTSD after this.
He was sure of it.
He glanced to Kazemon. "Do... do you think we'll make it home?" he asked.
"Honestly... I don't know..." Kazemon said softly. "I honestly hope to God we do..."
Both sat there, gazing at the fountain in the courtyard. Aldamon's hand crept closer to hers and hesitated just inches from her fingertips. He wasn't sure why, but he felt the sudden urge to hold her hand in his. But given how he wasn't sure she'd react, he hesitated. He drew his hand back a few seconds later.
"Me too, Zoe..." he said, using her human name, much to her surprise.
"Takuya..."
Both gazed at one another, their eyes looking into their faces.
To Kazemon, Aldamon's facd was actually rather handsome, in a youthful sort of way. His wikd blonde hair swayed around his face gently, teasing his features in a way that caught her eye. And he has the most beautiful blue eyes she had seen on anyone, human or Digimon.
To Aldamon, on the other hand, Kazemon's face looked downright angelic. The way her hair framed her face and the glint of her visor reflecting the light towards her wings made him stare at her. The marks on her cheeks and forehead also added a bit of an allure to her that seemed almost... mystical... to him. He felt his heartrate pick up a bit and he squirmed a bit. Being near her was making him twitchy.
If she noticed his discomfort, either she was not saying or she didn't even care.
Some part of him thought it was the first one.
PROJECT: SHINKALION (FILES UPDATED)
FILE 1-X07
UNIT: 500 KODAMA
HEIGHT: 27 METERS
WEIGHT: 120 TONS
COLORS: BLUE AND GREY WITH DARK BLUE LINING
OPTIC COLOR: GOLD
WEAPON(S): SIGNAL SPEAR, MISSILE SHIELD, MISSILE PODS
EQUIPMENT: SIGNAL SPEAR, MISSILE SHIELD, MISSILE PODS
DRIVER: RAILSPIKE
AURA COLORS: BLUE, GREY, AND DARK BLUE
SEMBLANCE: BULLET SPIKE
DESCRIPTION: TWIN RAIL SPIKES MADE OF PURE ENERGY FORM ON HIS FOREARMS. THESE CAN BE EITHER USED AS CLOSE QUARTERS WEAPONS OR CAN BE LAUNCHED WITH THE FORCE OF A PILE BUNKER AND CAN EXPLODE ON IMPACT WITH THE TARGET.
SPECIAL MOVES: BULLET SPIKE IMPACT