The first thing he realized was that he was lying down someplace.

His memory files were all hazy, like he had a fog in his processor.

Plus his energy levels were surprisingly low, which worried him. How had they gotten so low? The last thing he recalled was the attack from that... was it called the Garbage Heap? He wracked his processors, finally finding the relevant data files and he checked it. Yes, he recalled. It had been named the Garbage Heap.

His very frame felt sluggish, like he had been dipped in oil and ooze, but he couldn't figure out for the life of Primus how his energy levels had gotten so low.

The only thing that could possibly explain this energy drain was the possibility that the Garbage Heap had somehow sapped his energy reserves.

Slowly, his auditory and visual sensors came back online, static greeting his vision before giving way to the images of the underground hangar, his readouts coming into existence. They flickered feebly before moving to his peripheral.

Railspike slowly brought his audios up to a moderate sensitivity, since his processor was pounding like he had just been overcharged on high-grade energon, not that it was possible due to the energy drain he was experiencing.

He could hear the frantic cries as staff and other technicians began scurrying around.

But what had happened?

That he needed to know.

(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:

CLASSIFIED

DECRYPTING...

FILES DECRYPTED

OPENING FILES: BULLET SPIKE IMPACT

The Bullet Spike Impact is the special move of Railspike. Using his Aura, he is able to summon two rail spikes of pure energy to his forearms. These can act as either close quarters weapons or long range weapons. If he focuses on the spikes, he can launch them like pile bunkers for the enemy, causing an explosion upon contact. However, he has only two shots, as summoning more cannot be done without endangering his life. In addition, it seems that he cannot use it at will, only bein triggered when he is in a situation that brings about a PTSD episode. It also appears that his Aura is very taxing on his spark, meaning that his frame has to divert large quantities of energon to support it. This makes it a double-edged sword. However, in theory, with enough training, he can increase the time during which he can use his Aura and Semblance. But in order to master it, he needs to gain control of his emotions and make peace with his demons. Something that is a lot easier said than done for someone like him...

CLOSING FILES

TERMINAL ENTERING STANDBY PHASE

GRIMMFALL SHINKALION: DARK DOUBLE DAZE

CHAPTER III - DARKNESS RISING III

Railspike was stunned.

He had never expected to have done what he just did during that fight.

From what he had learned, apparently, in his traumatized state, he had somehow activated and unlocked the same Aura that the organics of Earth were capable of using, as well as discovering what was termed a Semblance. And apparently it was supposed to be impossible for mechanical life forms to have an Aura as well as a Semblance, especially given how most didn't have human minds within them. And yet he had one: both an Aura and Semblance.

This was a huge breakthrough, because not only did it mean that mechanical life forms could, after eons, develop sentience and therefore a soul, but it also showed that aliens too could have Auras and Semblances.

Railspike looked up, his optics locking onto Director Hayasugi as he stood out on the catwalk of the observation deck.

"So let me get this straight. Because of the trauma I experienced during that fight, I somehow was able to unlock both an Aura and Semblance in the same battle, and it was due to that that we won?" he asked, summarizing what he had been told.

"That sums it up," the cat Faunus explained. "But in all honesty, this is just as much a new development for us as well as you. So it means that we have to conduct studies to see if it's possible to trigger it at will, or if it's just when you're in an emotional or distraught state."

The older train narrowed his optics at this.

But the director was quick to reassure him. "I don't mean that we'll be triggering any form of PTSD you may have. I mean we'll just run some tests to see if you can access your Aura and Semblance at will."

"And if I can't?" Railspike growled. "Then what?"

Here Hokuto ran a hand through his hair. "Then we'll have to keep an eye on you during battles to see if it will be triggered in some way."

In truth, he was torn on what he intended to do. He didn't want to trigger Railspike's PTSD, but given how effective his Semblance and Aura had been during that fight with the Garbage Heap, it made sense he'd want to try and figure out how to help Railspike activate his Aura and Semblance at will.

But there was also another problem.

His Aura was drawn from his very spark.

The energy it put out was immense, and therefore could take an insane amount of punishment, if that explosion had been anything to go by. Being in close range would normally have shattered anyone else's Aura. But Railspike's had taken it, and from the readings on his Aura, it had been only at 85% when the battle ended. That showed how strong it could be. But due to the amount of energy needed to make such a strong Aura, it only made sense it would be drawn from his very life force. Not unlike their souls being used as Aura, but to a more concentrated and denser degree. Hokuto theorized that due to how long Railspike had lived and his much larger mass, it would make sense that his spark would be more concentrated and dense in comparison to the souls of organics. But it came with a steep price: his frame's energy reserves. The more he used his Aura, the greater the drain on his systems as his frame was forced to siphon the very energon that kept him alive and send it directly to his spark to keep it going.

That meant that Railspike would be pushing himself close to death every time he used his Aura and Semblance.

That was something they had to prevent any way they could.

At all costs.

The director turned to look at the kids' location seriously.

The five kids were already undergoing sparring with some of the training 'bots that Railspike had helped tweak. While not entirely perfected, these 'bots did give a somewhat more realistic scenario as the young trains worked to avoid and try to take them down.

This was, according to Railspike, a more effective way to test the teamwork of the young Shinkalions. And so far, despite having improved significantly in the last month and a half, their teamwork was still lagging behind.

And it showed in the way Nozoma was tossed right in Efu's path. The green and white train let out a squeak as the white train slammed into him, knocking the two flat on their backs. Efu groaned as Nozoma pushed himself off his companion and scrambled to his feet, only to get tackled by said robot. He grunted and braced his legs, pushing his pedes against the ground. His optics pulsed a brilliant light green color as he wrapped his servos around the robot's waist and shifted his stance, lifting it over his shoulder and throwing it full force against one of its other companions as one dueled with Haifu. Her sword flashed through the air as she parried and struck, only to retreat as the robot Nozoma had thrown crashed into her sparring partner.

Director Hayasugi grimaced at the crash of metal on metal.

Railspike, having heard that crash, looked over and gave a small grunt as he tried to stagger to his pedes.

As it stood, he was still drained of energy, which meant he had to take it easy for a while. For her part, Hibiki was a bit shocked at how he was trying to get to his pedes.

"Hey! You're not supposed to move around too much!" she protested.

"Like you can stop me?" Railspike grunted as he pushed himself upright somewhat wobbly. "I'd like to see you try."

He managed to grasp onto some of the scaffolding used to house the frames of the Shinkalion mecha, gritting his denta as he stayed in place, swaying slightly. His balancing centers finally kicked in, stabilizing his frame and he sighed in audible relief. Railspike stood up straight and stretched his arms over his head, feeling his back struts popping with the motion. He let his arms fall to his sides as he made his way over to where the sparklings sparred.

Director Hayasugi, for his part, turned and headed back into the main observation deck before making his way to his office. The good thing about his office was that it was close to the Underground Hangar so he could at least see how things were going with maintenance and training. He was just glad that the hangar was large enough to accomodate the training section as well.

He looked up from his laptop as he heard the door to his main office slide open.

The cat Faunus turned around to face the intruder.

"Ah. Glad to see you're here," he said, addressing the newcomer.

"Yes, sir," a male voice stated.

Before the director's desk was a man in his late thirties, with messy white hair laced with dark blue highlights. His eyes glinted almost wolfishly in the lights above the two men, and his body was lithe and muscled. To Hokuto, that wasn't much of a surprise given what he did for a living here at the SDI. He was a researcher first and foremost, researching and studying new ways to make the kids' Shinkalion frames stronger and more effective in combat. He wore a dark grey coat with matching pants and boots, his arms clasped behind his back.

The only giveaway to this man's Faunus status were his bright yellow eyes.

"How goes the research, Byakko?" the director asked.

Byakko Akimi stepped closer to his desk and folded his arms across his chest. "It's going smoothly," he remarked. "But there are a few hiccups every now and then."

"And the new frame?" Hokuto asked.

"That's finally finished, as you are well aware," the wolf Faunus replied.

"Good." Director Hayasugi stood up, clasping his arms behind his back as he walked over to the large window overlooking the hangar bay where Railspike was training the kids. He could see that the older Shinkalion was teaching Efu in how to fight with his sword. The young Shinkalion was proving to be a fast learner, if his efforts were any indication. He watched as Railspike thrust his spear towards Efu's chest, only for him to dance aside and whip his sword around for another slash. Railspike shifted his stance and brought his Signal Spear around, using the gap between the two points to catch Efu's Turnstile Sword. Efu's optics flashed in surprise before Railspike twisted his frame and with a grunt, sent Efu's sword flying from his grasp. But Efu was not done yet. He clenched a fist and thrust it towards Railspike, surprising him. The older Shinkalion leapt back to dodge, only for Efu to lunge forward using his wing emitters. The younger train's speed caught Railspike off guard as he body-slammed into him, causing the two to crash into the floor, and earning a wince from both Faunus men.

Efu proceeded to wrap his legs around Railspike's torso and held one arm in his grasp, twisting it behind Railspike's back. The older train smirked as he looked back over his shoulder, despite the pain in his optics. "Not bad, kid," he rumbled. "You're learning fast."

The green and white train flashed his optics in a grin. "Glad ya think so!" he chirped.

"But..." Railspike's voice trailed off and Efu tilted his helm to the side in confusion. "Don't get overconfident!" he barked, suddenly twisting his frame around in Efu's grasp, his Signal Spear slamming hard into Efu's helm and sending him sprawling. Railspike got to his feet - pedes, he corrected himself; it was not easy to think in Cybertronian biological terms - and walked over to where the younger train lay and suddenly thrust his spear forward. Efu squeaked and shut off his optics, bracing for the impact.

However, there was nothing. The director saw the ex-Autobot bring his weapon to a halt mere feet from Efu's throat.

For a minute the two remained in that position, and then Railspike lowered his weapon as Efu's optics came back online when he didn't feel any impact. The old mech held out a hand - servo, actually - and Efu took it, allowing the team's mentor to haul him to his own pedes.

"When someone still has a weapon, it is best to not just charge in so recklessly," he lectured as he dismissed his weapon. He proceeded to walk over to where Efu's sword lay on the ground and picked it up as Efu jogged after. "The reason I say this is because I was able to use my Signal Spear to disrupt your focus and knock you off." He turned and handed Efu's weapon back to him. "So in order to prevent a repeat, you'll need to figure out a way to disarm me. Or barring that, try not to lose your sword."

Efu nodded, taking in his words. "Hai, sempai."

Railspike's face flushed red a bit in the cheeks and he looked away, muttering under his breath no doubt, Director Hayasugi mused.

"They're learning fast," Byakko mentioned as he joined his boss overlooking the sparring matches.

Off to the side stood Haifu, Fumikiri, Nozoma and Matagi, each waiting their turn for training. Matagi had his guns in his grasp and he was looking them over while Nozoma proceeded to perform a few martial arts moves. From the looks of things, Nozoma was to be the next one to train against the older mech.

"Okay, kid. Get outta here. You'll be practicing with that training 'bot for the next few sessions while I work on Matagi's striking," Railspike ordered.

Efu scurried off as Matagi glanced up in shock.

Railspike jabbed with a digit at the floor in front of him. "Get in here, kid!"

Matagi gripped his guns and ran over. Nozoma glanced at him in mild irritation, but brushed it aside as he resumed his practice. Fumikiri and Haifu both looked at one another, then shrugged and resumed their own training.

The old Shinkalion watched as Matagi adopted a firing stance and then he shook his helm in frustration. "I said striking, not shooting, boy!"

The red and white train looked at his guns, then at Railspike in confusion. "You don't want me to use my guns for this?" he asked.

"No. We're going to be working on your physical strikes, like your punches and kicks," Railspike lectured. "Now, I know from training you and fighting alongside you that you have some serious mobility in that frame. So we're going to be training you on how to best utilize your mobility and momentum in your blows."

Byakko pursed his lips at this. "I see. Matagi is an excellent shot, but his physical attacks leave a lot to be desired," he mused.

Director Hayasugi nodded. "Hai. That's a glaring weakness we have to overcome. Every one of them has to know basic hand-to-hand combat, at least according to Railspike. If Matagi lost his weapons, all he would be able to do is run. And despite that, he's not as agile on rough terrain. So hence why this is going on."

The wolf Faunus unfolded his arms and placed a hand on his chin in thought. "Sounds to me like that could be a serious disadvantage, given some of the Kaiju have been fused with things like a power plant, mist, and even sewage pipes. So who knows what the next one will be fused with?"

Hokuto was grim as he nodded once. "Yes." His blue eyes hardened. "The next one, for all we know, could be able to alter the very earth on which we stand. And that would limit Matagi's mobility."

Byakko looked to the other Faunus. "So Matagi's agility is both his weakness and strength."

The cat Faunus didn't even answer as Railspike spoke to the younger train.

"Okay. First thing is you can't use your guns. That will only hinder your progress in this area of combat," he lectured as Matagi dismissed his guns into storage. "Now, the main thing is that in combat, you can't always rely on superior mobility alone. One of those Kaiju could very well have an ability to affect the very earth on which you stand. And there will come a time when the capture field doesn't even work or is jammed somehow."

"So that means I need to learn to fight without my guns or mobility," Matagi deduced.

Railspike gave a firm nod. "That's correct. So, we'll be teaching you how to fight without your wheels or guns. Now, I want you to come at me with all your might using your mobility. Hit me as hard as you can, kid!"

"Hai!" Matagi's foot-mounted wheels screeched and he became just a red and white blur as he sped towards Railspike.

Byakko and the director both narrowed their eyes as they proceeded to observe the fight.

Matagi was indeed fast. Much faster than any other Shinkalion in robot mode. And with his agility, it was hard to catch him, least of all even hit him. So to be honest, on paper, it looked like Matagi would be able to beat Railspike. But in terms of experience, Railspike outmatched every single one of them. And it showed as he whipped his frame around, one arm suddenly curling around Matagi's neck and catching him by surprise before his punch even connected. The red and white train flailed as he tried to pry himself free from Railspike's more secure grip.

"And that is your biggest weakness, kid," Railspike remarked as he pulled the young train into a headlock. "Any enemy with sufficient battle experience can anticipate a basic strike like that."

"N-No fair!" Matagi exclaimed.

"Sorry, kid. But in war, there is no real honor. Sure sometimes sides may form truces to retrieve the wounded or dead, but in all honesty, war is hell. And trust me, I've seen war in every way possible," Railspike lectured as he twisted Matagi's left arm behind his back, earning a pained yelp from the younger Shinkalion.

But Matagi was not about to go down without a fight. He reacted surprisingly fast, whipping his leg out and kicking Railspike in the torso, causing him to let go. Matagi seized his chance to zip backwards using his wheels, speeding around to try and keep their mentor off guard.

Railspike merely took in his movements with a cool gaze, those golden optics narrowed as he tensed his frame, anticipating where his student would come from.

Matagi came in from the left, but rather than let himself get grabbed, he leapt up and whipped his left pede out, delivering a nasty kick to the older Shinkalion's gut. Railspike was caught off guard by the strike, causing him to stagger back from the blow. Matagi landed before crouching and engaging his wheels, a fist clenched for the next strike.

However, Railspike was not down. He merely looked up, a smirk on his face. "Nice strike. But not good enough!" he roared, straightening up and grabbing Matagi's servo by the wrist.

Matagi gasped before Railspike twisted his frame, grabbing him by his waist and, with a cry, heaved him over his shoulder, throwing him flat on his back in a move reminiscent of a judo flip. The red and white train lay there in a dazed state for a few moments before he snapped back to reality and glanced to his teacher. "D-Dammit..." he muttered as he sat up, rubbing his helm with one servo.

"Good try. You did catch me off guard with your movements, but not enough. But as I said, you have to learn to fight without mobility. That was just to see what you can do with it. Now, comes the hard part." Railspike seemed to sneer at that, and for a moment, Director Hayasugi began to think this was a bad idea.

The younger train gulped as the ex-Autobot backed up, getting into a fighting stance again. "This time, I want you to come at me without your wheels. Try and hit me as hard as you can, just like last time," he challenged.

Matagi got into a fighting stance himself, and at Railspike's command, he charged in, a roar escaping his throat as he threw a fist forward.

Railspike just stood there, taking the blow full force. A loud CLANG! of metal meeting metal echoed in the hangar bay, and the two Faunus winced. The two watched as the smoke began to fade a bit, revealing Matagi's fist having connected with Railspike's face. His faceplate had gone up to take the damage just in case, and his head was turned to the right from the force of the punch. He glanced at Matagi out of the corner of his optic.

"You missed," he scolded. "Had I been an enemy, you'd have failed to knock me into stasis for a while."

"Huh?" Matagi straightened up and lowered his servo, looking at his clenched fist in confusion. "I know I hit you as hard as I could..."

"And that's something we need to work on," Railspike explained. "To deliver a blow, you need to do something that a lot of sparklings fail to realize until they experience it for themselves." The older train backed up a bit more and joined Matagi on his right side. "I want you to watch me." He proceeded to do a few punches, and Matagi tilted his helm quizzically. "Watch my hip joints."

"Ah. I see what's happening," Byakko noted. "Matagi's not using his hip joints correctly in hand-to-hand combat."

The director only hummed as he watched the two train.

That was when his tablet beeped.

Byakko looked to the cat Faunus as he pulled it out. The device flickered before coming online, and Hokuto's face turned white.

The wolf Faunus's eyes narrowed dangerously. "Something's wrong," he noted.

"I can't believe it..." Hokuto whispered. "I can't believe I forgot all about this!"

His eyes were wide as he pocketed his tablet and bolted to his desk, booting up the main computer terminal and bringing up the news feed.

"...just a few days ago when another Hunter was left dead, brutally murdered by this unknown Hound Grimm. Many people have already started to lose trust in the Huntsman Association, and despite the brave efforts of the Shinkalions, more Grimm continue to surface in the southern forested regions of the country. People are advised to keep a close watch out for this thing, as there is no known pattern to its strikes." The news announcer looked fairly grossed out by the images she was displaying, and from the looks of things, Byakko noted, so was the director.

His face was as pale as snow, and he looked a bit green in the cheeks. His eyes were wide in horror, and his entire body shook in terror.

"Due to the loss of over one hundred innocent people, with a good portion Huntsmen, there is a possibility that with the lowering of trust, people will start to lose faith in the Shinkalions as well, which, after the Battle of Mount Fuji, would be a disaster."

The director finally shut down the feed and turned back to Byakko. "I need you to ramp up the search for the Driver of the 800 Tsubame," he ordered. "This way, the more Shinkalions we have, the better our chances of taking down any future Kaiju that may come our way."

"Already working on it," Byakko said as he looked back at the sparring trains. "Also, am I right in that you'll be sending out a pair of them?"

Director Hayasugi wasn't too sure about it, but given the circumstances, he had no choice. He gave a subtle nod.

"Then pick wisely," the wolf Faunus cautioned. "I don't want us to lose any of them, especially now."

The cat Faunus gave a nod before he turned back to the observation deck as Byakko strode out of the office, his mission clear.

Once he had left, Hokuto made his way back to the observation deck before he picked up the mike and raised it to his lips. He pressed the button.

"Everyone, we have a situation."

That was all he said, and the dark tone in his voice caught their attention.

And from the sound of things...

There was a bad situation happening.

And its implications sent cold shivers down their back struts.

After the kids had disconnected from their frames and a quick bite to eat, they all assembled in Director Hayasugi's main office. Railspike, on the other hand, stood close to the windows, which had been opened to allow him to hear better and communicate with the team.

The explanation didn't last long, but when the director was finished, the group was all horrified.

The young Shinkalions glanced to one another, terror on their faces.

"So just to be clear, there's an intelligent Grimm out there hunting down Huntsmen and Huntresses, killing them and leaving a mess behind. This thing has already killed over one hundred, and more people are starting to panic, which could lead to more Kaiju showing up." Railspike folded his arms across his chest as he pondered this. "So you want a few of us to investigate, and given the location, we need to be ready for anything, right?"

The director nodded. "Hai. Due to the state of things here in Tokyo, we can't afford to send all of you. So..." Here he brought up an image of the forest in question. "Given that the San'yō shinkansen runs down there, we'll be using shinkansen trains that run that route. So Railspike, Ryuji, you two will be going, unless Railspike has any ideas otherwise."

The older train grunted. "Your idea is sound," he noted, "but I'm going to bring your son with me."

That got Hokuto, as well as Hayato himself. The younger Faunus sputtered as his father blinked in shock. "And why might that be, Railspike?" he asked.

"Because he could stand to learn a thing or two about controlling his hatred of Grimm," Railspike explained.

The director looked down in thought. He knew Railspike did have a point. Hayato did need to control his hatred of the Grimm. And what better way than to go with someone who had millennia of combat experience? He finally looked up. "Okay. I'll approve this."

The ex-Autobot gave a nod before he turned to the younger Faunus. "Let's get ready, kid."

"Hai!" Hayato chirped.

TOKYO SDI HEADQUARTERS

LAUNCH BAY

Railspike grunted as he shifted on his tracks.

Beside him was Efu, also in his train alternate mode.

It had been decided that out of all the remaining Shinkalions, it would be best to split them into teams based on the situation at hand. The teams would consist of two or three Shinkalions, with one or two in reserve.

Director Hayasugi chose to send out Railspike and Efu to see if there was any sign of this Hound Grimm or whatever it was. And in all honesty, Railspike felt that the choice he made was perfect for the task at hand. Given Railspike's experience, he was the most logical choice. And Efu's Gran Cross was perfect for a surprise attack should the need arise.

The director's voice echoed over the COMM system as he addressed the two trains.

"Okay. You two have been cleared for departure." he said. "Just remember: do not engage the Hound. If it attacks you, you can fight back. Other than that, run."

"Hai!" Efu chirped.

"Affirmative," Railspike rumbled.

The signal turned green and the two Shinkalions put more power to their wheels, slowly releasing their brakes as they did so.

"Efu, E5 Hayabusa..."

"Railspike, 500 Kodama..."

"Shuppatsu shinkō!" the two declared.

They increased their speed as the two tunnels loomed before them. Railspike increased his speed, letting the darkness engulf him. He flicked on his headlights as the rails raced by in front of him.

'Just hope this thing doesn't give us too much trouble...' he mused to himself.

He gunned it further, pushing his engine to the limit.

Memory files of the Grimm he had faced back at Outpost Prima came back to him. The most dangerous had been the Dragon Grimm, given its ability to generate a whole veritable army of Grimm from its very being. Well, if it could be considered dangerous in the overall short term. The most troublesome had been the Geists, possessing the corpses of those slain and bringing them back to life as what could only be termed as zombies. He recalled having faced down a few such creatures back during the Cybertronian Civil War, but those had been experiments created by Shockwave. There was just no substitute for seeing one's own friends brought back as shells for the Geists to control. That was the ultimate psychological warfare. But thankfully it hadn't happened to his own brothers. It really rattled him, and even today he could still recall the faces of the deceased coming back to life, but not the same faces he had known.

The most powerful though, had been the Underground Dweller, a huge worm-like Grimm capable of devouring even a combiner. He remembered seeing that huge monstrosity looming out of the earth, gobbling up Superion. The aerial combiner had not stood a chance. His efforts at escape had been futile in the end, leaving only the Dweller behind. When it spat up a few parts, all Railspike could think of was how it had been useless. But somehow he had rallied the remaining survivors to his side and held his own.

Until Sammael wiped out their energon supply and the spacebridge.

He finally forced the memory files back into the depths of his processor as the end of the tunnel grew closer.

The light engulfed him and then he was out, followed by Efu who emerged on a separate track. They both knew their mission, and they were to accomplish it.

Of course, things were only to get interesting...

DEEP WITHIN THE FOREST

The forest was silent.

Or rather, it was far too silent.

That alone was enough to deter anyone from venturing inside, and given the circumstances surrounding this once viable location for adventurous tourists, it made sense people were staying away. Especially given the reputation it was slowly acquiring as the Aokigahara Forest of Kyushu.

The government had thus decided it was essential to bar any travelers from entering or leaving the forest.

The national park was closed indefinitely until whatever was killing innocent people, as well as Hunters and Huntresses, was taken down. And it was decided to send the best the Self-Defense Forces could muster to guard the entrances and exits, as well as patrol the perimeter to keep any wayward tourists from going in and risking their lives needlessly.

But despite their best efforts, the guards could not keep an eye on every aspect of the perimeter they were assigned to patrol.

That proved to be a boon to the two trains as they rode the Rails of Light into the forest itself.

It was just as well, too.

They came to a stop within the boundaries of the forest and engaged their transformations.

"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!"

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.

They landed on the ground, looking around the deserted woods.

To the two Shinkalions, the forest was as quiet as a graveyard.

It made Efu's systems crawl as he pushed aside some of the tree branches. It was strange how, like last time, the forest had grown to match their proportions.

Beside him Railspike walked, his golden optics narrowed dangerously. He hefted his Signal Spear and Efu gripped his Turnstile Sword in a death grip.

"Stay alert, kid!" the older train cautioned. "Something's wrong here..."

Efu was also getting that feeling, like a tingling sensation racing down his spinal struts. Whatever the feeling was, it was not a good one at all.

He shivered against his will and gulped.

The two trains inched through the forest, scanning around them for any sign of the intelligent Kaiju.

The forest was well-known for housing unknown entities, at least according to Japanese folklore. But the very idea of a Kaiju that was based on a hound was enough to make Efu shiver against his will. He gripped his sword as he inched through the brush, trying to scan for any sign of that unknown Kaiju.

Railspike, however, was as calm as a cucumber, scanning around him with his sensors and scanners.

His optics flickered dangerously as he looked around, his radar scanning around them. The radar in the lower right hand corner of his vision beeped and he directed his gaze towards it, seeing both him and Efu as blue dots. Around them he could see nothing, but eons of experience in combat had honed his combat instincts to a fine edge, so fine he could almost taste the enemy in the air. And right now, he could swear he was tasting the scent of the Grimm - the smell of the Dark Substance reeked of spoiled energon... mixed with a hint of decaying flesh.

He grimaced beneath his faceplate as he looked around, fighting against the roiling feeling in his fuel tanks; he rarely felt nauseous like this. But the permeating stench was so bad he had to resist purging his tanks right in front of Efu. In truth, he didn't even want to admit it, but the stench of death like this was enough to make him sick. And that was saying something, given how long he had been fighting. Even so, that smell never got easier.

Efu glanced to the older train, a bit concerned. "You all right, sempai?" he asked.

"I'm fine, kid," Railspike stated. "Just a bit... disturbed..."

"By what?" Efu was confused, at least until he caught a whiff of the stench of death. The younger train gagged and clapped a servo to his faceplate, feeling sick to his nonexistent stomach. He doubled over and collapsed, making motions as if he were throwing up. Railspike was at his side, placing one servo on his shoulder guard.

"I know it's bad, kid, but that's what we smell all the time in war," he muttered.

Efu finally gave a final gag before he looked up, his facial plating a bit green around the edges. "W-What... is that...?" he rasped.

"That, kid, is the smell of death," Railspike said darkly. He helped Efu to his pedes, looking directly into his yellow optics. "That's what usually permeates a battlefield for months at a time. And it does not bode well for anyone who smells it."

"Why?" Efu asked softly.

"Because it means that the one who often led the battle was still there," the old train muttered darkly. "But from the looks of things, the Dark Substance has a smell similar to that of spoiled energon - I've smelled that once before and it reeked to the Allspark."

"A-Allspark?" Efu was confused, but the way Railspike shot him a glare made him shut up.

"Later. Right now, we need to find out where that smell is coming from." He was dead serious as he said this, looking around the forest as it loomed over them.

The green and white train nodded as he gripped his Turnstile Sword.

The two trains continued on.

As they walked, Railspike narrowed his optics, finally flashing on his chest-mounted headlights. Efu did the same thing, his own lights joining those of Railspike. The pale yellow beams played out before them, letting the two see ahead in the darkness.

Thick tree branches hung low, and all kinds of moss and leaves and rocks dampened their footsteps, which wasn't helped much by the snow. Railspike scowled as he raised his Signal Spear to chest level. They continued on a few more meters before Railspike suddenly halted, throwing out his spear to the side to stop Efu from going further.

"Wait!" he commanded.

Efu halted, slowly looking around. "What's up?" he asked.

"SHHH!" Railspike hissed.

Efu fell silent, and all around them, they could only hear the stillness of the forest. No leaves rustled, no birds sang, and no wind softly whistled through the trees. Only the snow lightly falling around them was the source of any movement. The silence was deafening and Efu shuddered against his will.

But Railspike was still, not even moving. He closed his optics, bowing his head, as if listening for anything out of the ordinary, which made Efu wonder if the old train was starting to lose it.

And yet he was proven wrong.

The old Shinkalion suddenly tensed his frame and whipped his Signal Spear up to block a stinger as it rocketed out from the trees. Efu yelped and dove to the side as a barrage came his way, the stingers barely missing his armored shoulders and back. He glanced back and hissed through his vents. "Lancers!" he growled.

"So you fought them," Railspike rumbled as he aimed his left arm at the spot where the stingers had come from and fired, sending fuchsia lasers in that direction. A few of the lasers hit their targets, causing the Lancers to vanish in black smoke.

"Not really. But we've heard of them," Efu clarified as he spun, using his sword to deflect a few more stingers before he flared his Aura to block more.

The Lancers fired off another salvo, but Railspike reacted by aiming his Missile Shield and Missile Pods at their location. He fired off a few projectiles, causing the Lancers to scatter to the winds. That did give them some breathing room, but not enough as the Lancers came back around, firing off their stingers at the two trains like missiles. Railspike gripped his Signal Spear as Efu held up his Turnstile Sword for battle. Both of them waited as the Lancers came down...

And then they struck.

Railspike let out a cry as he swiped with his spear, cutting a Lancer in half as Efu just lunged, his sword flashing as he cut through two Lancers before headbutting a third as it tried to jab its stinger into his chest; Railspike saw the young sparkling had managed to grab the Lancer's abdomen in one hand and held it at bay before headbutting his adversary. He turned his focus back to his own battle as two more Lancers dove down from above. His optics flashed as he crouched and leapt into the air, spinning around as he put his Missile Shield on his back. He grasped his spear in both servos, twirling it over his helm before he dove down, thrusters on his back roaring. He gritted his denta before he swung his spear a few more times, the blades cutting off two Lancers' wings, sending the Grimm plummeting to their deaths. The blue and grey train spun around as his radar sent him data on several more coming his way. "Slaggitall to the Pit!" he swore. "We're about to encounter the heavy hitters!"

Efu looked back, confused as to what he meant, only for his own radar to blare in his head. He jerked his helm up and yelped as a large hand made of a tree limb lanced out to try and grab him by the neck. He leapt back using his ankle thrusters and plastered his back against the larger Shinkalion. "I-Is that what you meant?" he squeaked, looking at the large shape as it emerged from the darkness.

Railspike snarled lowly as he watched the last of the Lancers retreat; he had a vague inkling as to what caused them to retreat. But that was only the beginning as around them, three large trees began to move and shift as the ground undulated in a few spots. "More than you know, kid," he muttered, his optics flaring. "More than you know."

Efu gulped as the trees finally stood, roots emerging from the ground to form makeshift legs and the branches curling together to form crude, but powerful arms. Slits in the bark started to pulsate, slowly opening to reveal three pairs of bright red eyes, flashing as the front of the bark suddenly ripped itself open, exposing gnashing teeth made of roots and limbs, and a tongue made up of leaves and vines. The clawed branch-fingers flexed and moved, curling as if anticipating the bloody fight to come. The green and white train shook in his armor as he held up his sword.

Railspike, for his part, gripped his weapon as his radar suddenly blared. He glanced down, noticing that the ground close to his pede was beginning to push itself up. His optics widened and he barked out an order to Efu. "MOVE, KID!" he bellowed.

Efu glanced in confusion before he felt the ground near his left pede move up a bit and his gaze snapped down to the forest floor just as a hand made of dirt and rock pushed itself up out of the ground. He yelped and sprang to the right, Railspike moving to the left to avoid the golems as they emerged from the earth below them.

The grey and blue train skidded as he glanced up, his golden optics flashing as he gritted his teeth beneath his faceplate. He braced himself as the golem closest to him thrust its fist right for his chest. He dove to the side, rolling with the motion and bringing up his shield as he released a pair of missiles from it. The projectiles exploded against the golem's left arm, shattering it into mere fragments of what it once was. That gave the older train the chance to replace his shield on his back again before he spun his Signal Spear and swung it, cutting another hand that came out of the ground off its parent arm. He backed up, his optics narrowing dangerously.

"Dammit... This is not good," he muttered.

"Uh, Railspike? What'll we do?" Efu asked in a timid tone of voice.

"For one thing, keep yourself calm, kid!" Railspike ordered. "Grimm feed on negative emotions, remember? To feel fear is to doom yourself in such situations. Even my kind were capable of drawing these things to us." Despite the intense calm he displayed, however, Railspike's spark was pounding in his chest, pulsing loudly in his audios. The thrum of his laser core matched it, and his hands shook ever so slightly. But unlike Efu, he was in firm control of his emotions. He may have been scared, but he was in no way letting it master him.

"And how am I supposed to do that?!" Efu whined.

Railspike shot a glance over his shoulder. "Keep your emotions in check, kid! Don't let the fear get to you!" he barked. "Remember: they feed on such emotions! Think about what you really want to do in this job and keep that in your processor. That will act as an anchor for you when you get panicked."

Efu's helm jerked as he recalled hearing his mother's words. "Don't attack with hate. Defend with resolve." His fear was derived from his hatred for the Grimm. And he was a Shinkalion. One of the defenders of Japan, right?

He gripped his sword and took in a breath through his vents before letting it out, dimming his optics and letting his mind focus on his family: his father and sister. He wanted to protect them more than anything. And that was what he needed to do right now. Not quiver in terror like some scared little sparkling.

Railspike noticed the way the sparkling was relaxing, the tension easing itself out of his frame and he gave a grunt of approval before he looked back to the golems and tree monsters as they started to circle the two trains.

Then the closest tree monster lunged.

Efu's helm snapped up and his optics flared online as he tensed his frame and leapt to the right, whipping his sword out and gashing the tree monster's branch-arm. It recoiled in pain and he struck a few more times, cleaving those branch-fingers clean off. His optics pulsed as he attacked again, this time lashing out in a punch that dealt a blow to one of the eyes before he thrust his sword into the other, causing the monster to retreat in pain and agony, thick black smoke streaming from its wound. Much to his surprise, though, he could see the Grimm-monster as it emerged, revealing it to be a Geist before the Grimm faded into smoke.

"Good work, kid!" Railspike commented. "But we still got a few more to-"

A strange wail suddenly cut across the battlefield, making the two trains grimace.

Railspike suddenly felt the strength leave his frame and he swore his spear was too heavy to lift. His optics narrowed as he conducted a scan on his systems and energy levels. He struggled to lift his helm, grunting with the effort. "W-What...is this?" he heard Efu gasp. "M-My weapon... it's so... heavy..."

The bigger Shinkalion gritted his denta as he looked around, his radar picking up on the signature he had identified all those millennia ago. "Shit... A-Apathy..." he grunted. "I hate those things..."

"A-Apa...Apathy?" Efu whispered.

"Yes. Mute your audios, kid!" Railspike ordered, doing the exact same thing.

At once, all sound went silent. He felt the strength returning to his frame and he straightened up, rolling his shoulders and looking to Efu, who by now was shaking his own helm to recover his sense of awareness. He looked a bit worse for the wear, if his shoulders shaking was any indication, but he otherwise appeared fine.

Railspike extended a hand and touched his student's shoulder before speaking directly to him over the COMM. "You hearin' me, Efu?"

"H-Hai..." Efu rasped. "Railspike, what was that sound?"

Railspike's optics narrowed into mere golden slits. "That was the Apathy," he explained. "A Grimm I ran into once before during the siege on Outpost Prima. It's not strong or ferocious, but it's the most dangerous one I faced because of its ability to sap one's will to live."

Efu actually squeaked in terror. "And it was doing the same to us?!" he wailed over the COMM.

The older train gave a somber nod. "The only reason we Cybertronians could fight it was because of our ability to mute our own audios." Then he looked down. "However, not everyone was able to do that, and a lot of us died during the attacks because of a lack of willpower to keep fighting."

The green and white train was silent at that.

The two were interrupted as something began to emerge from the shadows, those red eyes glowing and the sheer numbers only adding to their imposing stature. While not that big when compared to the two trains, the very fact the Apathy resembled zombies made Efu's plating crawl and Railspike's optics narrow, a low growl coming from his vocalizer, though he couldn't hear it. "Kid, I think our best bet is to get out of here at this rate," he muttered over the COMM.

"And just leave that Hound here?!" Efu blurted.

"Trust me, kid, it's for the best! And if I didn't know any better, I'd say this thing was capable of planning!" Railspike countered. "Think about it! If that Hound can plan, then this was an ambush waiting to happen!"

They had no idea as to how right they were.

Or that help was soon to be on its way to assist them...