Railspike grunted as he helped Efu to his pedes.
The young sparkling would need to have his left optic replaced, but for the most part the kid was in decent fighting shape.
He glanced back at the Hound, his optics narrowing a bit.
'The fact that thing is a Faunus? This is bad news...' he thought to himself. But something told him there was more to it than that.
For instance, what organic would have silver eyes? That alone warranted more research. But seeing as how there were no records of any silver-eyed individuals on this world... it made sense to reason then that silver eyes were perhaps real on whatever world existed on the other side of that dimensional bridge he had seen on the news.
Efu glanced to his mentor, one servo holding his gouged out optic in place. "Senpai? What'll we do now?" he asked.
"For one thing, let's get back to base and get that optic fixed. Then we'll figure out a plan from there," the older Shinkalion stated.
Efu just nodded. "Hai!"
(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: BLACK SHINKALIONS
CLASSIFIED
DECRYPTING...
FILES DECRYPTED
OPENING FILES: BLACK SHINKALIONS
The Black Shinkalions are the exact opposite of the Shinkalions themselves. Not much is known about them at the moment, but what is known is that they have been spotted attacking civilians and have earned the Shinkalions a bounty on their heads.
CLOSING FILES
TERMINAL ENTERING STANDBY PHASE
GRIMMFALL SHINKALION: DARK DOUBLE DAZE
CHAPTER IV - DARKNESS RISING IV
The two trains finally returned to the base, but due to Efu having lost his left optic, he had been ordered by Railspike to remain in robot mode.
And actually, it made a lot of sense. With only one optic, Efu wasn't able to see properly in shinkansen form. And that would put everyone at risk if he made an incorrect judgment.
On the whole, it was a good judgment call on his part, Hokuto mused as he watched the two come in through the main entrance. The doors hissed shut behind them as Railspike guided the wounded Efu to the maintenance table.
"How is he?" the cat Faunus asked.
"Kid will pull through," Railspike assured him. "Losing an optic is no big deal."
The director didn't like the thought of any of the kids getting hurt, but then again, this was the first time any of them had been hurt in such a manner. "I did anticipate the thought of them getting injured, but not like this..." he murmured, looking on as Efu's single optic went dark and the frame went limp on the table, Hayato having disconnected from the frame.
With the boy finally back in his true form, the repairs could begin.
The older train looked back at the director as he watched the Faunus man observing the footage of the battle as it was downloaded from the young Shinkalion's frame. His eyes narrowed in suspicion, and he pursed his lips.
"Thinking about things?" Railspike rumbled.
Hokuto nodded. "Yes. And not all of them are good. This Hound... the fact that it's really a Faunus could spur recruitment into anti-Faunus movements, which as you know are trying to grow their numbers. And this would only lead to more chaos, which would lead to Sammael seizing the initiative."
Railspike pursed his lips at that. That was bad news.
"Speaking of, anything new regarding those attacks?" he asked, recalling the footage of those strange entities that looked like mecha.
"Not yet," Hokuto muttered. "But I'm still examining the footage. Even Shashot is having trouble clearing it up, and that's saying something."
The ex-Autobot nodded grimly. "Right."
"Speaking of which, there's going to be a meeting soon," Hokuto remarked. "So you'll need to be there."
The older train just grunted.
"What's it about?" he asked.
Hokuto looked down, a serious gaze in his blue eyes. "There's been another attack."
That got Railspike. "Already?!" he exclaimed.
Hokuto just nodded.
"Who was it?" the ex-Autobot asked.
"We'll get to that once the meeting commences," Hokuto explained. "For now, just take it easy and rest up. You and Hayato had a real fight on your hands."
Railspike nodded and leaned back against the wall of the underground hangar, his optics closing as he tried to ponder what was going on.
'Dammit... This just keeps getting weirder. I mean, sure that Hound was a threat, but to find out it was a Faunus? That's bad news...' he mused darkly. 'Who in their right mind would even do such a thing to an innocent Faunus? And for that matter, what Faunus, no... what organic has silver eyes?'
That was troublesome.
The only conclusion he could come to was the fact that this Faunus was from another world. A world not like Earth at all. Maybe the majority of the people had been affected by the Dark Substance?
That did seem possible... But then again, when it came to the unknown world beyond that dimensional bridge within Aokigahara, who knew what state the world it led to was in? For all he knew, the Faunus species was what made up the majority of the Grimm. But he also knew better than to make such assumptions without direct evidence to back it up. After all, he had learned that lesson from eons of battle against the Decepticons.
The older Shinkalion finally opened his optics and headed off towards another section of the underground hangar. Once in the middle of the empty space, he held out his servo and summoned forth his Signal Spear in a flash of light. He clenched his servo around the shaft of the weapon and spun it in between his fingers before holding it out in front of himself.
He stood still for a moment before he launched into a series of strikes and blocks with his spear. He drew on his battle training, trying to slip back into its use. He needed to be ready for whatever came his way this time. His optics pulsed once before he spun his weapon as he twisted his frame to the right, as if dodging a simulated strike. He used the gap between the blades to catch his opponent's weapon, and with a twist of his spear, disarmed his adversary before bringing the blades up in a slashing motion. He grunted as he drove his spear towards his opponent, only for them to dodge and he retaliated with a punch. His opponent countered with a thrust of their knee, but Railspike leapt back and landed, brandishing his spear in one servo before clenching both servos around the shaft. His optics narrowed as he went on the offense, thrusting his spear towards his opponent's chest.
This time he scored a good hit, pulling back and smirking as he glanced at his adversary.
His imaginary opponent scowled, morphing into a very detailed image of Sammael, which made Railspike recoil before he gritted his denta and tensed for battle.
"Oh... This is new." Sammael had a smirk on his lips as those red eyes scanned the old train up and down. "A new frame? Interesting... I wonder what you'd have been like had you had that frame all those years ago, hm?"
"So what?!" Railspike growled. "You're not gonna take me down a second time!"
Sammael chuckled. "Like I did that first time? Oh, I don't know about that. You may have gotten stronger, but you are still affected, yes?" As he said this, he held up a hand and Railspike shuddered as he tried to keep his PTSD in check. Already he could see Rapid Run and Midnight Express's corpses before him, and he swore he felt their energon on his palms.
He merely narrowed his optics as he tensed his legs.
Sammael merely quirked an eyebrow before he held up a hand. "You wish to do battle, then so be it."
That was all Railspike needed. He launched himself forward with a roar of his thrusters, a battle cry escaping his vocalizer as he shoved his Signal Spear out in front of him, his optics flashing bright gold in response to his emotions. Streaks of energon ran down his face as he screamed out his rage. Sammael's eyes flashed red as he summoned forth a spear of his own, also with two blades at its tip. He held it up and grinned.
Railspike tensed his frame as he slammed his spear into Sammael's, shoving it aside as he clashed with the Fallen. The older Shinkalion placed one pede on the ground and suddenly spun around, delivering a nasty roundhouse that barely made contact with Sammael's head. As it stood, his Aura flared and he merely glanced at the old mech's pede as it was held at bay by the red glow of his Aura.
"I have to admit. Had I not reacted, you could've taken my head off, literally," Sammael noted calmly. "Your reflexes were never as fast as this."
"That's something you'll never know, scrapheap!" Railspike snarled. He pushed as hard as he could against Sammael's Aura, using his strength to send the Fallen sprawling. Railspike leapt into the air, his Signal Spear held over his head as his optics flashed, and then it happened: a sense of power surging out from his spark. A shimmering grey, dark blue, and blue Aura swirled around him, taking on the appearance of flickering flames as it did so.
Sammael's eyes widened as he saw this coming and he reacted, rolling to the side as Railspike drove his spear into the floor of the underground hangar. He got to one knee, eyeing the older Shinkalion's frame critically. "Well now... that's new. I never expected this from you."
Railspike was dead serious as he pulled his spear out, dismissing it and thrusting his arms out before him. Already the energy was beginning to take on a familiar shape. The energy shimmered before it solidified into a pair of glowing grey blue rail spikes mounted atop his forearms. The older Shinkalion didn't even hesitate to charge at Sammael, forcing the Fallen to block with his spear. His red eyes narrowed before he held up a hand and summoned forth another weapon, this time a knife. His spear shrank down to the form of a second knife, allowing him to block both rail spike tonfas.
"It seems you've uncovered some new abilities since we last fought," he remarked.
"Only because I had no choice!" Railspike roared. "All because of you and your Grimm!"
"Oh? So it was my fault you Cybertronians failed to keep an eye on your precious energon and spacebridge?" Sammael asked, his tone light and almost cheerful. "That's so petty. You claimed to be a brilliant race... but your own arrogance got the better of you."
"SHUT THE FRAG UP!" Railspike bellowed, pushing harder against Sammael's weapons. His Aura flared, and Sammael noticed this. His eyes hardened as he drove his feet into the floor, bracing himself against the older mech's strength and thrusters.
"You clearly have gotten stronger... but at the same time, you are still as weak as ever," Sammael noted. "A foolish being who seeks to take revenge on someone they latched onto as the boogey man." His lips curled into a smirk. "A fitting title, don't you agree?"
The older mech didn't even respond as his Aura began to glow brightly, the energy gathering behind the two rail spikes on his forearms. "YOU'LL PAY FOR THAT DAY!" Railspike shouted. "BULLET SPIKE IMPACT!"
Sammael's eyes went wide as he saw the energy gathering even more, and then the twin rail spikes launched, streaking away from his forearms like a pair of energy rockets. They glowed as he was thrown back with the force, and then they exploded as Sammael slammed into the floor. Railspike was now panting heavily as he staggered back, trying his utmost to stay online. He glared at the smoke as Sammael's body appeared out of it, glowing a bit with his Aura.
"Now that was unexpected," he stated. "You have a few new tricks, it seems. Well...this is only the beginning, Railspike. You have won this one. For now, anyway."
Then the Fallen grinned, sending a chill down the Shinkalion's back struts. "But how long until we meet again? Since you will soon be forced to flee..."
Then just as quickly as he had appeared, he was gone.
Railspike finally collapsed to his servos and knees, panting as his Aura dissipated into a shower of sparkles.
Readouts flashed across his vision, warning him of low energon levels. He could barely hear the director's words calling to him he was so exhausted. But he was able to at least remain online, although his strength finally failed him and he collapsed to his chest, panting heavily.
Hokuto was just as surprised as anyone else when he had heard Sammael's voice.
That was bad.
Very bad.
That meant he knew where their base was, or at least where Railspike was.
He glanced back at where the image was doing battle with Railspike, and at once he barked out an order to Shashot. "Shashot! I need a scan done on that image!" he ordered.
"Affirmative. Scanning now." The AI's green eyes flickered before glazing over as the scanners went to work. The cat Faunus watched nervously, feeling his heartrate increasing.
'Please don't let that be the real deal...' he thought anxiously.
It didn't take very long for Shashot to report back. "The image seen before us is an illusion, akin to what Ninpo users can conduct," he explained. "It is both solid and intangible, able to make itself semisolid for the recipient, but transparent and intangible to all others."
"Image Illusion Technique," Hokuto noted. "Clever. But can the image relay what it sees back to its master?"
"Negative. The Image can only see the recipient, not their surroundings." The explanation didn't do much to ease up the director's concern though. As a precaution, he had ordered the kids to duck out of sight and remain hidden. Thankfully, Tsuranuki was out of the area, so that meant he was safe and out of the way. And with the others hidden, that meant their identities were safe from Sammael's knowledge.
For the moment, anyway.
The two continued to fight, and Director Hayasugi peered around the corner, just as he saw Railspike's energy spike. His eyes widened as he bolted to the observation deck's window and peered out, just in time to see the older Shinkalion's Aura flare into existence once again.
The director was quick to take note of Railspike's emotional state. 'So it seems like when he's in a state like this, it activates,' he mused. 'That's something to keep in mind if he's to ever learn to master it.'
At least this was a major step forward.
And it was perhaps the one thing to consider the next time they trained.
The fight came to a rather explosive end as Railspike unleashed his special move, throwing Sammael's image back, only to hear it speak once more, and the words it said sent a shiver down the director's spine.
"But how long until we meet again? Since you will soon be forced to flee..."
Then the image was gone, and Railspike collapsed to his servos and knees, panting heavily as his Aura dissipated. He stayed like that for a moment, and at once Hokuto noticed the readings on his spark dropping. "Railspike! Can you hear me?!" he cried, pressing a hand to the earbud in his ear.
The older train didn't answer, but he did manage to look in Hokuto's direction. The way his optics flickered indicated he was exhausted, but at least he was online, even if by a miracle. He glanced out into the underground hangar, his eyes scanning for any sign of Sammael's image. But just to be on the safe side... "Shashot, conduct a scan in all spectrums to try and see if Sammael's image is still present!" he ordered.
"Scanning..." Shashot's eyes glazed as he went to work.
The air inside the room was tense as he waited for the results of the scan. He bit his lower lip as he watched the scanner slowly tick upwards. The whole time, Hokuto was worried. What would Shashot find, if anything? And what would it mean for the kids if they deployed now? This was one moment where he hoped his project would yield some results in how to counter Sammael.
And his hopes came to fruition when Shashot finished the scan.
"Scan complete," the AI reported. "There is a slight residue of Dark Particles remaining in the facility."
"Dark Particles... That means he can still summon another image," Hokuto mused. He crossed his arms. "Any sign of Sammael's Image?"
"Negative. All-spectrum scan has not detected any sign of his presence," Shashot stated.
"All right. Proceed to activate decontamination of the facility," Hokuto ordered.
"Affirmative. Decontamination procedure commencing now." Shashot blinked offline and at once a siren began to blare. Everyone out in the hangar scurried off towards shelters along the walls and once they were inside, thick doors slammed shut, turning the shelters into airtight bunkers. A series of vents opened, high-powered fans drawing out the air in the underground hangar. As Railspike had no reason to breathe, he was safe from harm. But everyone else had to remain out of the area while this was going on.
The Faunus man watched as his keen eyes picked out the slight darkness of the Dark Particles as they floated upwards, only to be sucked out by the vents. There was always a chance that some Dark Particles could escape detection and the ventilation systems put into place, but this time he was sure that it was going to work perfectly. After all, testing countless times and runs had proven it could easily remove any contaminants, including the Dark Particles.
The decontamination ended after five minutes. The vents closed up and the fans shut down as air was let back into the underground hangar by opening a series of airlocks all along the floor. There was an intense gusting and a bunch of loose papers were sucked out through the lifts as they too opened, letting air pressure back into the facility. It didn't last long, and soon, a green light above the doors of the shelters opened and the occupants came out, making their way over to the exhausted Shinkalion.
It was only by pure luck that he hadn't been dragged along the floor.
For his part, Railspike had driven his digits into the seams of the floor where he had collapsed, but it took a good amount of his remaining strength, so he couldn't even really muster up the strength to move much else aside from his helm, and even then that was minor. His optics were barely online as techs and mechanics started to rove over his frame, some of them dragging the energon container and IV over to his position.
Hokuto nodded to himself before he turned to the spot where the kids were hiding. "You can come out now," he said.
Hayato poked his head out, followed by Akita, Miku, Shinobu, and Ryuji.
The five slowly came out of their hiding spot. "Is Sammael gone?" Miku asked worriedly.
Hokuto nodded. "Yes. We removed the Dark Particles within the hangar facility, so he won't show his Image again for some time."
"Hold on. How did Dark Particles invade the underground hangar to begin with?" Akita wondered.
"The last battle must've had some clinging to Railspike's frame or one of your frames," Hokuto stated. "That's not uncommon, but it did provide an opportunity for Sammael to manifest an Image within the hangar bay."
"Image Illusion Technique," Shinobu remarked. "A technique designed to deliver messages to a recipient. It's not used very often these days, but it can still be used in lieu of a power outage or worse."
"Sounds like he must've gotten it from a former shinobi or ninja," Akita remarked, glancing to the young ninja.
Shinobu merely nodded. "Or worse..." he muttered, and the implications made Akita's face pale considerably.
That was not good under any circumstances.
"I'm not so sure if he got it through a ninja..." Ryuji muttered.
That made everyone tense.
Shinobu frowned. "That implies he learned it on his own, though," he pointed out. "And we have had that technique long for a long time."
"But for all we know he could've picked it up after seeing it," Miku remarked.
"That very well may be the case, but we can't dwell on it now," Hokuto stated. "We have other things to worry about."
"Such as?" Akita asked, bringing the meeting back on track.
Here, the director's eyes hardened as he frowned. "There's been another attack," he muttered. "And it's not a Kaiju."
"Wait... you mean those strange attackers that struck in Omiya?" Hayato asked.
The older Faunus gave a grim nod.
Hayato's face paled at that. He gulped nervously. Akita's eyes narrowed while Ryuji frowned. Miku's rabbit ears went limp against her head, and Shinobu's eyes hardened.
"Where did they strike this time?" Ryuji asked.
"They struck at Omiya again..." Hokuto muttered. "And this time there were a few more survivors."
That was enough to get the kids on edge. Or rather the tone of his voice was.
"Wait. If there were survivors, that's a good thing, right?" Akita asked.
"Normally it would be, but..." Hokuto's eyes narrowed. "These survivors have claimed that it was both Efu and Nozoma who struck them."
The kids all looked at one another, their gazes landing on Hayato and Ryuji. Both Faunus blinked, and pointed at themselves.
"B-But there's no way they could've been at Omiya!" Akita blurted, shock visible on his face.
"I know that," the director assured the boy. "But there are those who will think it was them because they don't know about this project. In all actuality, while we have been helping people, there are those who don't know that the Shinkalions even exist. And if those people heard of this..."
Miku's eyes narrowed. "Then support would plummet..."
The older car Faunus nodded. "Yes. That's why we are to investigate this as discreetly as we can. You kids are to remain on standby until further notice, or until a Kaiju attack happens. I don't want you to be associated with these imposters."
"Wait." Shinobu pursed his lips. "Is it possible someone could've hacked our frames?"
"That's impossible," the director stated. "Those frames are designed to function only with the LinkPods and LinkNodes. They can't be hacked."
"What about from an inside source?" the ninja pressed. "That's a logical conclusion, is it not?"
For his part, the director knew it was a possibility. But, as with all governmental organizations, there were strict background checks and psychological examinations to ensure that no one with malevolent intentions was hired. With this project in particular, each new hire was screened by the Prime Minister and Emperor both. That ensured a good backlog, but also more time for the other candidates to be screened more thoroughly as well.
"Plus Hayato was out in the field, remember?" Ryuji pointed out.
Hokuto knew that the cheetah Faunus had a point. Hayato had been out in the field with Railspike, so there was no way that he had been at Omiya. This was not good.
He finally sighed. "As much as I hate to admit it, we're in a tight spot right now," he admitted. "We have to keep going out to fight, but at the same time, we can't stay out too long because of the fact that these imposter trains are running around. So... I'm afraid to say this, but until we can get more information on these imposters, we can't go out unless the next Kaiju is in a place that is far from a population center."
"Somehow I don't think that will be possible..." Miku whispered.
And deep down, the cat Faunus knew she was right.
SAMMAEL'S CASTLE
DARKLANDS
Deep within his sanctuary, Sammael sat on his throne, his hands clasping the armrests while he had his eyes closed.
He appeared to be asleep, but that was far from the case.
He was observing the recent destruction of Omiya's newest restoration crew through one of his Seers.
His lips slowly curled into a smirk as he opened his eyes, the irises glowing red for the briefest of moments before he sat upright and cupped one hand under his left cheek. "I must admit that the scene was quite... delightful, concerning this attack," he mused.
"Ah. I take it the copies have begun to become known of?" Moloch asked from within the shadows.
Sammael didn't even flinch. He merely looked out of the corner of his eye at his guest. "The last few survivors have begun to spread the news," he confirmed. "But it is still not enough. Next time when the crew comes... I will be there to observe personally."
"I take it you will be hidden?" the Beast asked.
Sammael gave a wry smirk. "Of course, given my status."
Moloch chuckled a little as he slinked forward just the tiniest bit to show his face. While he was still missing part of an antler curtesy of Nozoma, he was otherwise healed from his fight against the Shinkalions. "As befitting the Prince of Darkness himself," he mused.
The Fallen grinned as he nodded. "Yes. And I must admit this is turning out to be quite entertaining. I wonder what they will do once all of them have been deployed for this next attack."
"However they react, it will be exquisite to see them fleeing even their government!" Moloch cackled.
And for his part, Sammael was all too keen to see it as well.
After all, if they wanted support, then they would lose it as well.
Nothing remained forever.
A fact he knew all too well himself.
OZORA HOUSEHOLD
TOKYO JAPAN
THREE DAYS LATER...
"...three days since the last crew at the Omiya Ruins was attacked. Survivor testimony has confirmed that two of the Shinkalions have been attacking them, leading some to question the validity of their claims of wanting to protect us. Others have said that this was proof that their intentions were not as good as they seemed, and a few others, notable among them Inspector Rinko Tezuka, have insisted that this is their true nature."
Rei frowned as he observed the news.
This was bad.
Very bad.
There was no way this could be true. After all, the Shinkalions had been fighting to protect Japan for over a year now. So... why were they suddenly attacking the people they were supposed to be protecting?
This didn't add up. All his notes on them indicated they were good guys.
So... what the hell was going on here?
He shifted a bit before he dove his hands into his latest project, pulling out a sports visor from its box. He placed it on his desk and glanced at the supplies before him. He held up one of his tools and started to work.
He didn't even hear his door open as his dad poked his head in.
"Rei?"
The boy yelped and dropped his soldering iron. Thankfully said iron was off, so it only clattered on his desk as he spun in his chair to face his father. "Oh... Dad... you almost gave me a heart attack!" he rasped.
"I'm sorry if I startled you," Hayashi apologized. "I was wondering when you'd be coming for dinner."
"Oh, sorry. I was so busy I forgot," Rei admitted, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly.
"Hmm?" Hayashi narrowed his eyes as he noticed his son's work. "What is that?" he asked.
"Ah!" Rei whirled around and covered it. "It's just a project of mine!" he exclaimed.
"I see. But what is it?" his father asked again.
Rei finally sat up, sighing. "It's a new device that can detect Aura," he muttered. "It's supposed to help law enforcement find out if there are Grimm in disguise as humans or whatnot. There are a few types like that, remember?"
Hayashi did remember that. In fact, those types were common amongst the older communities situated closer to the mountains. They were known as the Shapers, and could shift to mimic anyone perfectly, right down to the mannerisms. But the only downside was that they lacked Aura. And because of how good the copies were, it was hard to detect a Shaper unless the person or people close to the victim picked up on the lack of an Aura, which almost never happened. And because very few people had Aura detectors, it was close to impossible to pick out a Shaper in a crowd.
So Rei was working on the first such device.
But he had no idea just how vital it would be in this coming fight.
Or what his role would truly become.
Hayashi finally sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose with one hand. "All right. I'll admit you do have a point. But you do need to eat, Rei," he said.
The boy pushed back from his desk, spinning around in his chair as he did so. He got to his feet and nodded. "Right."
The two left the room and headed to the kitchen where Ino had finished dinner preparations. She smiled as she saw her son and husband. "About time," she joked.
"Yeah. Sorry, Mom. But I was working on a new project," Rei said.
"Oh? What kind?" Ino asked.
"It's a new device meant for law enforcement," the boy explained. "You remember the Shaper Grimm, Mom?"
His mother nodded.
"Well, this project is a new Aura detector," Rei stated proudly. "It's meant to detect the Aura of all living beings to separate the Shapers from the crowd. It works by scanning for the Aura signature of living beings. The base signature is what it scans for, not the actual thing. Then, whatever being it doesn't detect the Aura coming from is the Shaper in disguise."
Ino let out a whistle. "Impressive," she praised. "And you just started this?"
Rei nodded. "Yep!" he chirped, grinning widely.
Hayashi and Ino both smiled, feeling proud of Rei.
"To be honest, I wasn't sure if it would be viable," Rei admitted.
"Well, it is viable, given the Shaper's ability," Hayashi told his son. "And for that, we're proud of you."
Rei grinned back. "Thanks, Dad!" he chirped.
The family of three then proceeded to eat, unaware of what was going to come in the future...
SDI CENTRAL COMMAND
"Dammit..." Azuma muttered, his eyes narrowed.
"That's exactly what happened, Commander," Prime Minister Sanban said. "The attackers were noted to be Efu and Nozoma, according to the survivors. I'm beginning to wonder if the kids are getting a bit too power hungry."
"That would be a negative, sir," Azuma remarked. "No one has ever even been near Omiya since it was destroyed. And the director can confirm that they were not in the area at the time of the attack. In fact..." Azuma brought up footage of the kids' frames undergoing maintenance. "...their frames were undergoing maintenance ever since the battle against the Hound."
The Prime Minister narrowed his eyes as he considered this. "I see..." he muttered.
"I know what it seems like, but I trust the director. And I have a sinking feeling that something else is afoot. But... we're not going to be deploying any of them until we know what is going on," the commander stated firmly. "I'm sorry, sir."
"No. You made the right call," Kani confirmed. "But I am still worried about this."
"I know, sir. I am too," Azuma said seriously. "But right now, we have other things to worry about. Such as if a new Kaiju will strike."
The Prime Minister gave a slow nod, dread on his face. Azuma knew he had a choice to make here. And he hoped it would be the right one.
He finally sighed. "I will be very busy over the next few days, so... I won't be around to talk," he told the commander. "But I do hope you keep an eye out for these attackers and document them."
"I have every intention on finding out as much as I can," Azuma replied. "I'll keep you informed once you get back."
The Prime Minister nodded before the line went dark.
Azuma leaned forward, his fingers tented in front of his mouth.
'These attackers... they act and look just like the Shinkalions...' he thought grimly. 'I'm not sure who is behind this, but I'm not liking it one bit. For all we know it could be Shapers, but the Shapers usually adopt human, Mobian, or Faunus forms. Not machines. And that makes me wonder if someone found a way to make them just like the kids...'
His thoughts were interrupted as he saw the news flash on his terminal.
He turned, and his eyes widened in shock.
"Oh... crap...!" he whispered, fear filling his gut.
Right there, on the screen, was a news report. And it was showing a fierce battle raging.
Between the SDF and the Shinkalions.
There were six in all: Railspike, Efu, Haifu, Nozoma, Matagi, and Fumikiri.
Esebu was missing, he noticed.
"...a battle raging in downtown Tokyo two hours ago!" the reporter was saying. "The Shinkalions were intercepted in the middle of a wholesale slaughter of civilians, leading the government to deploy the Self-Defense Forces to tackle them head on. Given how many people are supportive of the trains, though, this is a huge shocker to everyone, myself included."
She turned to face the fighting. "And as it stands, it seems Tezuka was right: they are not to be trusted."
That was all it took.
"All police officers are ordered to apprehend any of the Shinkalions any way they can so they can be tried and arrested for murder and crimes against the country of Japan and its peoples!"
Azuma's face paled and he lowered his head, looking down at his desk despondently.
Project SHINKALION was in danger now...
And there was no way to save it.
TOKYO SDI HEADQUARTERS
HANGAR BAY
"WHAT?!" the kids all blurted as one.
The director was serious as he gave a nod. "Yes. The attack happened a few hours ago and the government has put a bounty on your heads."
"That's not good," Railspike rumbled darkly.
"Tell me about it," Hokuto muttered, rubbing his forehead with his hands. "And after everything we've done... to try and get in the good graces of the public... It's all been for nothing..."
"Then we'll have to lay low for a while," Ryuji muttered.
"It's not that simple, kids," the older cat Faunus admitted. "You're now wanted criminals. So any attempts to even go out and fight a Kaiju would mean your arrest. And we can't afford to lose you. So... I hate to say it, but you're not fugitives until we can find a way to clear your name."
"Wait... You want us to go on the run?!" Miku shrieked.
Hokuto nodded somberly. Just the way he was looking was enough to make Hayato's stomach clench. His father had put so much of his time and money and energy into this project, and to have it threatened was putting a whole lot of stress on him. Already he could see his dad had more grey hair, and he looked like he had lost a little weight. His dreams were being trampled, but he was still not giving up on them. He had to admire his father's will, but he was still concerned for him.
The younger Faunus approached his father. "OtÅsan? You need to rest," he said. "You aren't going to do us any good if you keep pushing yourself in this state!" His voice took on a pleading tone. "Please! I already lost my mother! I don't wanna lose you, too!" Memories of the attack on the command center by the Hydra came back to him. "Please! I almost lost you once! I don't want to nearly lose you a second time!"
Tears pricked at his eyes as he hugged Hokuto, burying his face in his chest. "Please...!"
The director looked down, surprise flooding his features. "Hayato..." He had not expected his own son to be so concerned about his wellbeing. But now that he thought about it, it did make sense in context. He had been stressed lately from these events, and it was taking its toll on him, not just emotionally and mentally, but physically as well.
He finally nodded. "All right. I'll take it easy. But in return, you kids have to get out while you can," he said. "Just be careful, okay?"
The younger Faunus looked up, concern and worry in his eyes. "You promise?"
Hokuto gave a firm nod. "Yes."
"Okay." Hayato backed off and rejoined his friends. "We'll be careful."
The director nodded. "Good. Now get going."
The kids scrambled out of the office and headed down to the hangar bay where Railspike transformed into his shinkansen alternate mode and opened his doors for them. They hurried aboard and within less than five minutes, the sleek train exited the hangar.
Now it was up to Hokuto to find a solution to clear their names somehow, and some way.
He had no idea that one would soon be coming his way...
And in a very unexpected manner to boot.