Tsuranuki frowned as he stood in the middle of Hokuto's office.
"So, I wasn't dead, but just in a sort of... stasis?" he asked.
Hokuto nodded as he sat down at his desk. "Yes. More or less. In a sense, you were dead, but alive. The LinkPod, which was the pod you woke up in, is a device that transmits your very essence into the shinkansen to use as your body."
"Oh... That's how I was able to use my Aura..." the boy muttered.
"Yes. The LinkPod basically puts you on life support while your soul is away," the cat Faunus remarked. "And as a result, now only you can use that particular unit."
Tsuranuki chewed his bottom lip as he pondered this. To be suddenly roped into a top secret military project... and basically being given a chance to help Japan survive this war? But at the same time, he was worried more about Hayato than anything. Then something came to his mind. "Sir... I have to ask."
"Hm?" Hokuto raised an eyebrow. "What is it?"
"This whole thing... that Grimm I faced earlier... what was it? And... how...?" His voice trailed off as he tried to ask the question. But he had so many questions it was hard to pick just one. "..."
"There are too many questions?" Hokuto asked, guessing what was on the teen's mind.
Tsuranuki looked up, surprised, and nodded. "Y-Yes..." he said softly. "There are just too many to ask." He finally looked down. "But one thing I do want to know is... why?"
"Why develop this in the first place?" Hokuto asked. "I already told you."
The teen was silent, but then he looked up. "Not just that. There has to be another reason. Something just doesn't seem right. It's... it's more than just as a symbol of hope, and a means to bolster the seal, right?" His eyes narrowed as he said this.
The cat Faunus was silent as he looked down, his eyes hardening. "More than you know..." he muttered. "However, it's all classified so only a select few even know of it. But what I can tell you is that there are more threats than just the Kaiju Grimm out there, so we need to be prepared for them."
Now Tsuranuki was getting the idea. He wasn't as smart as some others he knew, but he did know when it came to the business of Hunters, there were rogues out there. But to hear there were more threats than just them and the Grimm? He could only hope that he hadn't gotten in over his head here...
OPENING FILES:
CLASSIFIED
DECRYPTING...
FILES DECRYPTED
OPENING FILES: LIFE FORM RX
Life Form MX is the designation given to the deceased robotic life form found on Iwo Jima, alongside the Metal Man. This life form bears a strong resemblance to the Japanese shinkansen for its alternate mode, leading some to theorize that this was the basis for the creation of the shinkansen in the twentieth century. However, some have disputed this, saying that the idea was created long before the discovery of this life form. Life Form MX was determined to be part of a faction of similar entities, possessing a red robotic face on its chest. There have been remains found across the world, showing that perhaps other entities like Life Form MX existed thousands of years ago during the Forgotten Age.
Life Form MX still has many secrets to uncover, though, as this is just the tip of the iceberg.
IWO JIMA METAL MAN
The Iwo Jima Metal Man is an ancient war machine found beneath the sands of Iwo Jima, alongside Life Form MX. Its origins are shrouded in mystery, as this Metal Man has not been described in ancient texts or even uncovered until now. This has led the archaeological team to conclude that it may be the only one of its kind. Like Life Form MX, it possessed aspects of the shinkansen, but much different. It seems to bear a resemblance to a steampunk version of the shinkansen.
This Metal Man has runes inscribed on its armor plating, and after having been deciphered, it was shown the runes were an instruction manual on how to construct more of the same type of war machine. One can only wonder who made this Metal Man, and why.
CLOSING FILES
TERMINAL ENTERING STANDBY PHASE
"The last thing we sometimes expect is to find out that some conspiracy theories are true. But are they really? Or is it just a trick to get you to think otherwise...?"
CHAPTER VI - TRAINING
The next few weeks were hectic.
In the aftermath of the Grimm attack, Tsuranuki was put through an intense training regiment to try and master at least the basic aspects of his Shinkalion frame.
He had to spar against a few training robots that had been constructed for such a purpose, which often led to some disastrous failures, but also some humorous ones. The biggest problem he had was dealing with the treads on his ankles; those caused him to slip more times than he could count. His ability to walk and run had greatly improved, there was no denying that. He was also shown to be quite agile when he learned to use his treads without slipping on them. Then there was the matter of his balance.
Whenever he linked up to the E7 Kagayaki unit, he always found his balance off and he tripped over his own two feet quite often. He had to go through the process of linkup so many times it became second nature and when he finally didn't slip or trip up, he surprised even himself. He then was put through an obstacle course, which included crossing over wires that looked as if they wouldn't support his frame's weight. The purpose of this was to familiarize himself with his movement systems, as well as try to learn where his new center of gravity was located. He wound up falling off the wire more than once, but he finally managed to cross it without falling after two weeks of losing his balance.
He also had to deal with learning more about his alternate form's shinkansen mode. Especially when it came to regulations and safety measures regarding the railways. That was enough to make his head ache for days. But it was, Hokuto told him, necessary, lest he cause an accident or break some form of regulation and wind up delayed because of it during a Grimm attack.
And actually, he got the gist of why it was needed. Every second counted when it came to Grimm attacks. The sooner he got to the site of battle, the sooner he could finish off the Grimm and get away before the capture field collapsed or ran out of power.
It also didn't help matters that Grimm sometimes showed up during his training. The Giga Tusk made a second appearance, this time near Sendai, and he was forced to deploy to finish it off. After his battle, he was lectured on what he could've done differently, and then put through a simulator to try and imrpove his battle style. The whole time, he paid close attention to try and improve. His first missions had been almost failures, if not for timely luck on his part or some kind of fluke. And Tsuranuki was not about to make the same mistakes again.
When it came time to study the Kaiju Grimm, he paid close attention to their weaknesses and strengths. He took notes. He was diligent in writing down some things that others hadn't noticed. And Hokuto was amazed at how much effort the boy was putting into his training and studies. He even did some extra training time in private. He was called down a few times for some quizzes or simulations to test his knowledge, and despite only having a month's worth of training and study, he passed the tests with high seventies.
His assessment was performed a few days after his last test, and when he got the word, he was surprised.
Tsuranuki had been cleared for deployment by the SDI's commander-in-chief.
And just in time, too...
SANBAN ESTATE
The sun shone down on the interior of the training yard, a pair of girls scampering through its flora.
One of them wore a green sweatshirt and black pants with black and white sneakers, her hair hanging long and loose behind her, trying to keep pace with her companion. A grin crossed her face as she ducked behind a nearby tree.
Behind her ran her friend and adopted sister, Danielle 'Dani' Fenton-Phantom. Her appearance was very unique in that she had two hair colors, the left side being white and the left eye being green while the right side of her hair was black and the right eye was blue. She wore a ponytail to keep her hair out of her face and she was dressed in a pair of black slacks, a blue T-shirt and brown jacket. Her feet were covered white tennis shoes to complete the outfit.
And she was the one hunting Kuki Sanban, the heiress to Sanban Industries. Well, not so much hunting as trying to find her.
Especially as it was to try and help Dani increase her abilities to fight without her powers.
Yes, powers. Dani was in actuality a half-ghost, a special human with ectoplasm infused into their DNA. Dani was a very special case though as she was actually a clone of Danny Phantom, her male counterpart. She had been cloned by her so-called 'father' Vlad Plasmius to try and create a perfect half-ghost son, only to be saved by Danny. Now, after having been dragged here to this new world and after a frightening encounter that left her without many memories, she was trying to find her way in this world as well as make a name for herself.
Kuki clapped her hands to her mouth to try and squash a giggle as she watched Dani slink past, looking for her. "Hello?" she called. "I know you're here!"
'You won't find me that easy!' she thought to herself.
Or so she thought.
"Gotcha~!" Dani's voice sang.
Kuki looked up, her eyes widening as she spotted the girl perched in front of her. "How'd you find me?" she asked.
Dani smirked. "I heard your giggle."
"Darn!"
Both girls burst out laughing before a familiar voice cleared their throat.
The two turned as they saw Genki Sanban looking at them with a smile of approval. "I see your training has come far, Danielle."
"Yes, Lady Sanban," she said with a bow. "It's been helpful in so many ways."
"Yes. But now there comes a time when one must embark on schooling to refine their abilities, as well as become stronger in their knowledge and skill," the Demon Blade of the East explained. "So, I would like to embark on a small trip, if you don't mind, to a special place where you could learn even more about your skills."
Kuki's eyes widened as she knew what her mother was referring to. "You mean she'll be coming to Yamanouchi Academy?!" she blurted in excitement.
Genki's hard stare calmed her down though.
"Yes, Kuki. She will sometime in the near future be joining you and your classmates there," she repeated. "I would like you to at least see it before you make your decision," she added, glancing to Dani.
Dani couldn't help but squeal in giddiness as she hugged Genki tight.
The Lady of Sanban Industries smiled and returned it, although deep down she was worried about her future. And if she could even handle the training here. But if what she had seen was any indication, then she did have a possible chance at attaining some form of a future here.
The two girls obediently filed out after the head of Sanban Industries as they left the training yard. As they passed by some other members of the Family Guard, Dani couldn't help but be curious about something she had seen on the news recently. "Uh, Lady Sanban? Can I ask you something?"
Genki turned to look at her out of the corner of her eye. "Yes, Danielle?"
"Um... Recently on the news, I've seen things about Satyra, I think you called them, forming cells in Tokyo. Is that true?" the ghost girl asked.
The matriarch of the Sanban Family grew silent at those words. She turned to face her directly. "Yes. It is." Her words were grim as she stood in the middle of the hallway. She gestured for the two girls to follow her into her office close by. Dani was baffled. Why was this group so dangerous anyway?
Once inside her office, Genki closed the door behind her and the two girls sat down on the couch as the Lady of Sanban Industries took her seat at the desk. She tented her fingers in front of her mouth and leveled her gaze at Dani. "Yes. It is true. And, I can tell you have questions about them, yes?"
Dani nodded. "Yeah. Just why are they so dangerous, anyway? Aren't they for Faunus rights?"
"And that is where things diverge from the source of their cause," Genki clarified. "What Satyra wants is not Faunus equality, but Faunus supremacy. They see themselves as the rightful heirs to this world, and as such, seek to use violence to destabilize relations between humans and Faunus. They feel it is justified for their anger against those who see Faunus as subhuman and..." Here her eyes darkened. "...even delicacies."
The young ghost hybrid actually felt sick to her stomach. "But why would anyone even deem them as food?!" she demanded, standing up. "That's... that's just sick!"
"Yes. But it is, unfortunately, a way of life in some countries. While most have granted Faunus equal rights, others have not, and those countries that do business with them have earned their ire and wrath," Genki explained. "The actions they have taken have set relations back, although many groups, including independent think tanks, are striving to repair those relations between Faunus and humans."
Dani clenched her fists as she took a seat. "So... why are they setting up cells in Tokyo?" she inquired?
"That is one answer we do not have at the moment," Genki said seriously. "But rest assured, we will find it."
The girl bit her lip, unsure if she should even ask about the blue and white robot she had seen. For all she knew, it could've been a one time deal, like say a Hunter using a suit of armor. But that didn't explain how swiftly it had vanished.
No one had seen it since that day the bull Faunus rampaged in Tokyo.
"Something else is bothering you, Danielle?" Genki queried.
Dani eeped before she looked up. "Um, yes. It's just... after that bull Faunus rampaged in Tokyo, there have been rumors swirling on the SkyWeb about a strange robot... It was blue and white and had some kind of a drill on its right hand..."
For her part, Genki frowned. She knew who that robot was... or rather who was driving it. But she didn't wish to let young Danielle freak out at the thought, so she had to come up with a cover story. She pondered a few things to say before she decided on one.
"I am afraid I do not know what you are talking about," she said, feigning ignorance. "But if there is such a robot, then I assure you we will do everything we can to find out as much as we can about it."
Dani shifted nervously. "But... is it friendly or not?" she asked.
"We will determine that as well," Genki assured her. She gestured for Dani to take a seat and the ghost girl did. "Now, is there anything else you wished to know?"
Dani shook her head. "No. I'm good," she said.
Genki stood up and walked over before placing her hands on the young girls' shoulders. "I only wish the best for you both. That is why I do what I can to assure your safety and education. I hope you can understand this."
"We do, Lady Sanban," Dani chirped.
Kuki nodded as she hugged her mother. Dani also joined in, and Genki smiled as she hugged both children close.
Of course, things were about to get very interesting that afternoon...
UNKNOWN LOCATION
"..."
"I assume you are ready, then?"
"...As always."
"You know what to do, don't you?"
"Yes. If anyone tries to interfere, I am to capture them and hold them at bay until the boy can be recruited."
"If he can be recruited. He's shown an intense resolve to resist us. I fear he has been tainted by those filthy humans."
"So he cannot be saved by His Eminence, then?"
"No. He's too far gone. So we must, regrettably, exterminate him. It is the only way to prevent those humans from getting the upper hand against us."
"I see. 'Tis such a shame. His knowledge would've benefited us greatly."
"Yes. But it has to be done. For our objective and the future... We must end his life."
"Very well. I shall do as you ask, sir."
"And make sure that no one else learns of our presence. Least of all that... robot... that interfered last time..."
"Robot, sir?"
"A robot that can turn into a shinkansen."
"Ah... I have heard rumors, but so far I have yet to see this robot of which you speak."
"Well, if you do, then retreat. Do not let your pride blind you! I know how you think."
"As you wish, sir..."
To Dani, seeing the famous Academy was something else.
Yamanouchi was well-known throughout the world, and it stood as a testament to how determined the people of Japan were to keeping the Grimm at bay. Having been around for far longer than any other Academy in the world, it made sense that it would be the place for aspiring Hunters and Huntresses to go. Even international students were accepted.
Her eyes roved over the ancient structure, noticing how it looked to be a blend of old and new as some parts had been added on to over the years. Its gates were large and ornate, with images of dragons upon them and with them was the Imperial Chrysanthemum. The very building seemed to ooze with character and ancient wisdom, making it seem like it was a livign entity in of itself, even though it was not. The very atmosphere it gave off was testament to how long it had been around. And Dani was just floored by it.
Beside her stood Genki and her two daughters. They had seen and been here before, so it was not as impressive to them as it was to the young ghost hybrid. But it was still a sight to behold nonetheless.
"I see you are impressed," Genki mused with a small smile.
"And this is where I will be going?" Dani asked as she looked to the Lady of Sanban Industries.
She nodded. "Yes. But in the near future. Right now, you still have much to learn."
"I understand," Dani replied with a bow.
The foursome had just arrived in the area of the academy after a lunch in Tokyo, during which the history of the school was explained to the young girl. She listened with wide eyes as she told of how the Emperor's finest warriors had summoned Mount Fuji to act as a seal to the pool of darkness from which the Grimm had sprung. One of those warriors had carved the very academy from the rock itself, or so it was said, using his sacred blade to do so. Ever since then, Japan has had a veritable army at its beck and call near the entryway to this seal, acting as a guardian to prevent anyone from releasing the Grimm within. Of course, there were also other legends that surrounded this place, like the story of a large beast that was sealed within the mountain as well. But it was barely remembered, so it became lost to time.
The trip to the school was uneventful, although Dani had gotten a little too eager and almost went ghost if not for Genki calling her back so they could travel together. In all honesty though, she could hardly blame the ghost girl. She was just like a little kid, eager to explore and enjoy new things. She even asked about several of Japan's legendary Hunters, only to be told that they had died ages ago or had retired to recover after years of fighting an endless war, it seemed. So Japan was drastically low on people who could inspire the public to do good deeds or even take up arms against the Grimm.
Upon hearing this, Dani resolved to become one of those people, much to the pleasure of Genki and her children. As well as a hint of worry, though they kept this hidden from her. The foursome then made their way to the academy entrance, where they now stood as Genki began to explain to her the criteria for entering this prestigious Huntsman Academy. And young Dani was eager to begin as soon as possible so she could get in and start her training.
"Now, let us go and have a seat. I have some snacks for you to munch on before we continue," Genki said with a smile. Dani, Kuki, and Mushi all started chattering happily as the Lady of Sanban Industries set down the picnic basket she had packed before they left the estate.
The foursome sat down underneath a tree overlooking the main gate and walls, providing some shelter from the sun and a nice atmosphere for them to enjoy their treats. Dani plunged into the snacks first, pulling out a few boxes of pocky before handing them to the other two girls. They all began to enjoy their treats, chatting about prospective classes and potential ideas for new weapons for Dani if she was going to be attending the school with them.
Genki smiled wistfully as she remembered her own childhood, growing up and just being a kid. But in this world, that innocence was easily lost, either by Grimm or by rogue Hunters. It was not uncommon for some kids to go through cynical phases before finding what they were fighting for. Her gaze finally landed on a couple of kids close by, one of whom was a rabbit Faunus, and with her was a young boy who looked like he could be a ninja-in-training; ninja, she knew, were not uncommon, especially in this world.
Ninja in the aftermath of the Grimm awakening had proliferated, even spreading out to countries like Australia, China, Britain, and even America. Small clans that were formed expanded in the last one thousand years, some even becoming strong enough to form their own businesses as mercenaries or Hunters for hire by government officials or upper class members of wealthier nations. Some of those families even formed alliances with a particular ninja clan, calling upon them for services when in need of protection or to have a particular rival taken care of, or even to take out a particularly troublesome Grimm. Those clans often utilized their Aura and Dust in conjunction with ninjutsu, making them formidable adversaries in combat.
The thoughts were driven from her mind as the two kids walked over to the Sanban family and their guest.
"Oh! Are you two going to Yamanouchi?" Dani asked eagerly, only to be chided by Lady Sanban.
"Danielle, please. It is rude to ask that to someone you have just met," she said.
"Sorry," the ghost girl muttered as she bowed her head.
"Nah. It's all right," the rabbit Faunus said as she waved a hand. "We're not offended."
"Yeah. We were just checking it out. We don't actually go here, per say," the boy added as he smiled sheepishly.
"Oh! Forgive me! I forgot to introduce myself!" Dani bowed as the family stood up and bowed as well. "I'm Danielle, but you can call me Dani for short." She looked up and smiled. "With an 'i'."
"I am Genki Sanban and these are my two daughters, Kuki and Mushi," Genki said as she straightened up and gestured to her daughters.
"It's a pleasure to meet you," the boy said. "I'm Shinobu Tsukiyama."
"And I am Miku Hatsune," the rabbit girl said.
"The pleasure is all ours," Genki remarked as she gestured for the two to sit. The kids looked at one another, then joined the foursome on the blanket. "So, what brings you here, even though you do not attend the school?"
"Just sightseeing," Miku said as she ran a hand through her light green hair.
"Yeah. I mean, the place is still impressive," Shinobu remarked as he held up his phone. He flipped through a few pictures before showing the group an image of a cluster of students training outside on a training ground with their weapons.
"Yes, it is," Genki remarked. "Are your parents around?"
The two nodded. "My mom's busy with my dad in a training regiment," Shinobu pointed out. "They're both ninja, so..."
"And my mother took me here so I could get some kendo practice in," Miku added. "There is a kendo studio not far from here. My old studio closed down for a few months due to a Grimm attack some time back."
"Ah. It is good to keep one's skills sharp, after all," Genki noted.
The group continued to chat for a while longer, and Dani was surprised to learn that their two new friends had initially applied to Yamanouchi, only to be rejected on the grounds that they weren't suitable Huntsman material for some reason. While they had been disappointed, they still strove to try and make a better world in whatever ways they could, and she had to admire their dedication. They, in turn, learned about her powers, which she was eager to show them, and they were floored by her abilities. In fact, Shinobu was the most fascinated by her ability to turn invisible and intangible, which he called the ultimate ninja technique. Dani giggled and adopted a ninja stance as she vanished, earning applause from Mushi and Kuki. Even Shinobu and Miku had a good laugh.
By the time the sun began approach the city skyline, Genki decided it was time for them to head back to the estate. Miku and Shinobu said goodbye to their new friends as their parents arrived and called their children back over. The two groups separated, intending on going their own ways, unaware of the individual lurking in the trees close by...
SDI HEADQUARTERS
MAIN OFFICE
"Sir!"
Hokuto jerked as he looked up from the reports on his desk.
He wasn't too surprised to see one of the technicians coming in, but the look on her face signified trouble.
He frowned as he got to his feet and made his way down into the observation deck.
"What's the situation?" he asked as he took his seat at the main desk overlooking the banks of computers and technicians working at them.
"We got word from one of the agents in the field," she said, tapping away at her keyboard. She pressed a key and up came the main screen. Hokuto frowned as he saw what appeared to be a large shape moving through several trees, growing larger as it did so.
"Any idea as to what this thing could be?" he asked.
"No clue, sir. The agent can't get too close for fear of being spotted. But he does say that the shape is ape-like in build..." Her voice trailed off and Hokuto narrowed his eyes as he tented his fingers in front of his mouth.
This was bad. He knew of a few Faunus who had gorilla or ape-like qualities, but none of them had anything resembling this. A small part of him wondered if it was a gorilla Faunus with an ability similar to Mr. Jones', but there was no confirmation or reports of such a Faunus in the database on Satyra that the UN had compiled in the last fifteen years. Perhaps there had been one they missed? If so, then they needed to double down on their efforts to assemble the database.
His eyes flicked to the screen showing the location, and his eyes widened. "That's... That's near Yamanouchi!" he blurted.
"Yes, sir. And as you know, the rail lines don't run there. We'll have to activate a capture field if we're to get this particular entity before it rampages in the city," the technician replied.
"Too late! The thing's already in motion!" a second technician yelled as he brought up a second monitor. Hokuto's eyes widened even more as he saw just what the thing was.
It was a gorilla in shape and form, but the eyes... the eyes were not those of a typical gorilla. They were blue, and had within them an intelligence that was all too sentient. And this thing was huge in terms of size. It roared as it pounded its chest, sending students and faculty, children and parents alike, screaming in panic. His eyes flicked over the monitor, and his skin paled as he saw two familiar children running with their families to safety. 'That's... That's Miku and Shinobu! What in Glob's name are they doing there?!' he thought in terror. He stood up, about to grab the mike and put out the call for deployment, only to pause as he watched the gorilla reach out... lower its massive hand...
And grasp the two children in its fists.
"NO!" he blurted, his eyes wide in shock and horror.
Now he knew who this was.
Rumors had been circulating around work for months about a young gorilla Faunus who had gone missing weeks before he got assigned to Tokyo's SDI branch as part of Project SKL. The young Faunus had been named Goku Daiichi, and he was a sweet, kind soul who would never hurt a fly. His Semblance, King Kong Fury, was only used as a last resort because of the fact he lacked emotional control over his aggression when in that state. It basically let him grow into a huge ape-like beast, much like the fictional Gorilla Kong from the series of the same name. But now... to see his gorilla form was a sign that he was back... and working for the wrong crowd.
His eyes hardened as his hand flew for the mike. He grasped it and pulled it close. "Get the call sent out! Get the E7 deployed at once! We got a Satyra member on the loose, and we'll be needing all the strength we can get!"
YAMANOUCHI ACADEMY GROUNDS
He sneered as he heard the cries and screams of the filthy humans and tainted Faunus below.
A grunt escaped his torso as he sprang away from the school, trying to ignore the little pricks that they sent his way with their teeny little glows and toys.
The sheer power surging through his veins and muscles was enough to make him feel giddy. In some way, he had to thank that woman for opening his eyes to the truth of his people's plight. And now he was able to take revenge on them for being complacent in the mistreatment of his fellow Faunus.
He couldn't believe how much of a fool he had been. Thinking he was an equal... HAH! No Faunus was equal in this world. Sure they did have rights, but what did it matter when his people were consumed for sustenance in other countries? Such things had to stop, and only after humanity experienced the same kind of treatment at their hands would they truly be equal.
That was his only reasoning for joining Satyra now, and he clung to that belief like a lifeline.
He kept leaping away from the school, passing by the suburbs of Tokyo and entering the city proper. He was not too keen on taking up residence on the National Diet building, let alone the tallest skyscraper. Instead, his eyes landed on an icon he knew all too well. A sneer crossed his simian features as he made his way towards it.
Tokyo Tower.
A scream came from his left fist and he looked down at the two children he held in his grasp.
One of them was clearly a Faunus, and the other was just a filthy human.
No matter. He could use them as bait to draw attention to the might of Satyra.
He made his way towards the red and white structure, finally reaching it as the sun began to dip below the horizon. His feet curled around its base and he began to climb up the structure.
He glanced down as he saw people swarming out from the base of the facility, no doubt in an evacuation process. He could hear over the screams the faint wails of a siren and the voice warning people of a Kaiju attack and to find the nearest exit in an orderly fashion.
A roaring laugh escaped him at the thought. As if! Humans were not orderly. They were chaotic creatures that did not deserve to rule this world. Only the Faunus had that right. And only after humanity had experienced years, decades, of suffering under Faunus rule, would they be allowed to re-inhabit their former cities and homes. But until then, Faunus deserved to rule.
And only then would a new future for Faunus come about.
He threw back his head and roared.
TOKYO SDI HEADQUARTERS
DEPLOYMENT CENTER
Tsuranuki panted as he vaulted over a pile of pipes to reach the elevator shaft.
"Shit... Deployment already and I haven't even had dinner yet!" he grunted as he grasped a cable and slid down it.
The trip down didn't take very long, about two minutes at most. He landed on the bottom of the half-completed shaft and ran through the doors to the hallway leading to the pod room. He ducked inside and the door hissed shut as he ran to the pod he had woken up in. (The pod itself was blue, white, and had golden yellow lines on its side, so he knew it was his.) He got inside and the cover hissed shut as he heard the voice of Hokuto over the interior comm system.
"Sorry for the sudden call, Tsuranuki, but this is urgent," he explained.
"Couldn't you at least let me have dinner first?" the boy grumbled as he fumbled for the helmet.
"We'll make up for it next time," Hokuto promised. "Right now we have to deal with the situation at hand."
"Okay. So what's the deal?" Tsuranuki asked as he placed the helmet on his head. He leaned back in the pod as the linkup started. A gauge appeared on the helmet's visor, creeping towards full power.
"We recently got reports of a large ape-like creature heading up Tokyo Tower," the director explained. "We have reason to believe that this creature could be the result of a Semblance, like that used by Mr. Jones."
Tsuranuki remembered that. "Go on," he said, getting a bad feeling in his gut from the way Mr. Hayasugi's voice sounded so grave.
"As you know, some Faunus and Mobians possess Semblances that, in some cases, can make them more animalistic," Hokuto continued. "But in rare cases, like with Mr. Jones, they can take on a full animal body. These kinds of Semblances can enlarge their bodies, making them a rival to many minor Kaiju-class Grimm. So we've decided to call these kinds of Faunus Kaiju Fs for now until a more suitable name is chosen for them."
"Kaiju Fs... I think a better name could be Faunus Ultras," the boy suggested. The gauge flashed at fifty percent.
"That does seem to fit better..." Hokuto paused as he pondered for a moment. "Okay. Faunus Ultras it is."
Tsuranuki gave a light chuckle before he became serious. "Anything else I should know?"
"..." For a moment, Tsuranuki wondered if Hokuto had cut the line, but then his voice came back on, and it was far darker than he had heard. A shudder crept down his back at the mere sound of it.
"He has hostages... Both of them you may recognize..." His voice trailed off as an image came up on the visor and Tsuranuki swore as he jolted upright in the pod... or at least tried to. The helmet collided with the top of the pod with a crashing sound, and the director yelled in shock.
"Be careful! That equipment is sensitive!" he cried.
"Sorry! But two of my friends have just been turned into hostages by that thing! How can I not be mad?!" the boy shouted.
"I know how you feel, Tsuranuki. But please refrain from breaking the LinkPod," the director pleaded. "I spent months building and calibrating it."
"Okay." Tsuranuki took in a breath and let it out to calm his anger. He clenched his fists on the arm rests instead, leaving indents in the leather material.
The visor's gauge flashed at one hundred percent.
"You're clear to deploy," Hokuto said.
Tsuranuki took in a breath and let it out again as he let his mind drift as instructed. He could already feel the tendril that linked him to the E7, and he grasped it. He felt that distinct tugging as his soul was removed from his flesh and blood body, and following the tendril, sped down the dark tunnel of oblivion.
TOKYO SDI BRANCH
SHINKANSEN HANGAR
The first thing he noticed was his lack of arms and legs.
Tsuranuki slowly focused his mind on the frame around him, and the readouts began to come online.
UNIT: E7 KAGAYAKI
STATUS: ACTIVATED
DRIVER: TSURANUKI DAIMONYAMA
AURA: STABLE
BATTERY OPERATION TIME: 36 HOURS
ENERGY LEVELS: 100%
The words faded from his vision as his visuals came back to him, displaying the hangar bay where he and the other shinkansen were stored. Already one of the tunnels was opening for deployment.
A shiver raced through him as he started up his engine for the very first time. The very process could not be described in normal human tongue, there were no words to accurately match what he was feeling.
The power he felt made him feel a bit ecstatic until he remembered the mission and his excitement turned into grim determination.
He revved his engine a few times and his frame shook from the motion. Hokuto's voice echoed over his internal COMM system as he waited for the light to turn green. "Your destination is Tokyo Tower," he explained. "We'll try to fire a capture field, but I don't know if it will work, given the strange activity that's been happening near the tower."
"What kind of activity do you mean?" Tsuranuki asked, his voice now a deep baritone instead of his youthful human voice.
"It's best you see for yourself when you get there," the cat Faunus stated. "Just be careful."
"Will do!" Tsuranuki replied.
The light on the signal turned green and he revved his engine once more before releasing his brakes. He put more power to his wheels and he moved towards the tunnel, increasing his speed as he did so.
"E7, all aboard!" he declared as he exited his parking station.
Within minutes he was in the tunnel and he flipped on his lights. He sensed the door closing behind him and he knew that he was now officially in business as a member of the SDI.
'Hang on, guys! I'm on my way!' he thought. He increased his speed and let out a blare of his horn.
EN ROUTE TO TOKYO TOWER
Dani was panicked.
Her eyes were wide as she pushed herself to full speed.
She couldn't believe it.
Her two new friends had just been captured by a humungous gorilla-like creature, and now it was heading up Tokyo Tower.
But how this could've happened didn't make sense. From what she knew, Shinobu's parents were ninjas, so surely they could've tried to help the two, unless they had been held back by Satyra members or Grimm or whatnot. (That second option seemed the most likely as Yamanouchi was located close to the seal, anyway, from what she had learned.)
And now they were both held hostage by that creature. But she was worried as to what it actually was. Was it a Faunus? A Grimm? A Kaiju Grimm? What?
Her eyes narrowed as she flew towards the tower, unaware of what was happening in the area around it.
The next thing she knew, there was a sudden tingling in her body and then she was... she opened her eyes and she was surprised to see that things looked... black and white... somehow. She came to a hover and quickly looked herself over. She was still the same, but why was she seeing things only in black and white? She blinked a few times before she shook her head and rubbed her eyes. She opened them again, but things were the same.
A loud scream caught her attention and she turned in shock to see the huge ape-like creature roaring as it held the two children in one hand. Her eyes narrowed as she flew towards it, powering up a ghost ray. "Hey, ugly! Leave them alone!" she cried, firing off the ray in a blast of green energy, which threw her for a loop. If everything else was black and white, why were her ghost rays still green?
She had no answer and she was forced to brush it aside as she fired off a slew of those rays at the gorilla beast as it tried to block the energy rays with its hands. But since it was holding both onto the tower and its hostages, there was no such luck. But the fact it wasn't even bothered by the ghost rays made Dani growl. Her eyes narrowed as she cupped her hands and began to channel her power into an enery ball.
"Okay then... How about this?!" she screamed, firing off a blazing greenish white beam from the orb cupped between her hands.
The gorilla beast looked at her and narrowed its blue eyes before a grainy grey Aura flared into existence and her eyes widened. "WHAT?!"
The beast seemed to sneer as the beam struck the Aura, dissipating on contact with it. "Dammit!" Dani swore. Her eyes narrowed as she tried to think of some way to save the two. With an Aura, that beast no doubt had some kind of defense against overshadowing, and her rays were useless against it. She needed a miracle.
And she was about to get one... in a very unexpected way.
TOKYO SDI HEADQUARTERS
MAIN OFFICE
"We're set! Capture satellite is in place!" one of the techies shouted.
"All right! FIRE!" Hokuto roared.
The techie nodded and slammed his fist down on the button. "NOW!"
The director turned to watch the main monitor showing Tokyo Tower. His eyes narrowed as he swallowed a lump forming in his throat. If this worked... then they could actually save the two kids. If not... then they had to rely on Tsuranuki to save them. And his only hope was that it worked at this point.
TOKYO TOWER BATTLE SITE
Dani looked up as a glimmer of light caught her eye and she was surprised to see a speck of light in the sky.
Only it wasn't a mere speck.
It was a laser! A friggin' laser!'
And it was headed right for them. She backpedaled in the air as the beam slammed into the air above the tower and the gorilla beast. What happened next was nothing short of baffling and surprising.
The very air seemed to shimmer for some reason, and the more she watched, the more the black and white seemed to be returning to normal colors. She had no idea as to how or what had happened, and even if she did know, it would've baffled her regardless. Instead, she chose to focus on saving her newfound friends.
This place where it's open and blue
She charged at the gorilla beast again, this time summoning as much strength as she could for her next ghost ray. The beast looked at her and narrowed its eyes, only for that same Aura to flare and shield its face as she fired off three ghost rays in one burst. The rays bounced off or dissipated on contact with that Aura, which made her narrow her eyes.
"C'mon..." She wasn't sure if her strength would be enough against this thing, either.
At least until something unexpected happened.
The time is drifting by. My precious time.
The last thing she expected to hear was a train horn. And a loud one, too.
Dani cast her gaze around the battlefield, only to stare in shock at what appeared to be a shinkansen, but one that was riding energy rails in midair!
The bullet train had a blue stripe starting at the front and working its way along the top of the train to the rear engine, with golden yellow lines on the outside of the stripe and white across the rest of its body. On its side was a stylized 7 with lettering, and she wondered if it was for one of the rail lines in Japan. The train sped past her, and for a moment, she got the weirdest feeling like...something was staring back at her. Not a driver, nor a passenger or crew member, but... it seemed that the train itself was gazing directly into her soul. But then just as quickly as it happened, the feeling was gone and the train was continuing on its path.
The voice that cannot be replaced has vanished suddenly
The train neared the red and white structure of Tokyo Tower, and then...
"CHANGE! SHINKALION!" came a deep male voice.
Then, much to Dani's utter shock and surprise, the train began to change.
She watched as the front and rear cars disconnected from the rest, and linked up, undergoing a transformation. Parts shifted and moved, gears and servos whirred as the front end of the train shifted into a humanoid torso, with arms and shoulders protected by armor that made up the part of the engine. The nose of the train became the chest and the rear engine became the legs, both legs protected by the outer shell of the engine. The head was the last thing to emerge, a pair of green optics flaring online.
I lived and loves these simple days
The unknown mecha landed atop one of the buildings closest to the tower, and now Dani could see just what it looked like.
Its shoulder guards resembled the rear end of the front engine of the shinkansen she had just seen, and the nose of the train was clearly the thing's chest. The entire rear engine made up its lower half, with the shells of the rear engine acting as additional armor to protect its legs.
Dani noticed that the robot possessed two pairs of caterpillar treads, one pair on each ankle. Its feet had what appeared to be pistons on their fronts, allowing the robot to boost its jumps she guessed. It had on its hands two guards that resembled an excavator shovel, and pistons on those allowed the robot to put more force into its blows.
The lower legs were completely blue with grey and gold accents, while the upper legs were white in color. The robot's chest was blue on the front with white on the sides, and golden outlines. Its arms were dark grey with white armor on the lower arms, and its hand guards were golden in color. The helm was blue with a silver command fin, and those optics glowed a fierce green color. Its faceplate was pure white, and on either side of the robot's face was a vent. Two protrusions swept back from the thing's helm, adding a sort of streamlined look to its appearance.
I run as fast as I can towards where the sun is passing by
"What...?" Dani was shocked.
The robot clenched its fists, a low growl seeming to come from deep within its chest. She wondered what it was going to do.
"Hey! Monkey breath! Let those two go right now!" the robot demanded in a deep, male voice. He - yes, he - pointed a dark grey metal finger at the gorilla beast. "Unless you're asking for an ass whooping!"
The beast looked to him and narrowed its eyes before sneering.
Unbelievable things are happening in front of me
Dani just couldn't believe her eyes. First she was about to go to Yamanouchi, then she met two new kids, and now... she was fighting alongside that blue and white robot she had seen earlier on the news! And it could turn into a shinkansen!
'No wonder they couldn't find him!' she thought in amazement. 'He was hiding in plain sight all along!'
The gorilla held up its left hand with the hostages, as if to mock the robot and his ghostly companion. Dani's eyes glowed a fierce green as she gritted her teeth.
"Trying to stoop that low..." she growled, catching the robot by surprise. His helm whipped around to stare at her, and she swore he was looking right into her soul. Those optics matched her eyes in color, almost, except not as green. More like a greenish yellow, really.
"Who... Who are you?" he asked.
"Just call me Dani. Dani Phantom," the girl said. She held up a hand and a ghost ray formed in the palm as her eyes hardened. "So unless you plan on helping, I suggest you stay out of my way."
I'm looking up towards the sun
"Just call me Dani. Dani Phantom," the girl said. She held up a hand and a ghost ray formed in the palm as her eyes hardened. "So unless you plan on helping, I suggest you stay out of my way."
Tsuranuki's optics blazed as he felt anger surfacing in his chest. "Hey! Don't leave me out of this!" he snapped, pointing at the Faunus Ultra. "I'm trying to save those two!"
"Same here!" the girl, Dani, hissed.
"Tsuranuki, stop antagonizing her," Hokuto instructed. "You both want to save the two, then start working together. It's essential that you do this. The capture field nanomachines can only last for so long in this state."
The Shinkalion growled, realizing he had a point.
But it's hard to get up
Due to the necessity of fixing the vision adjustments caused by Goku's Semblance, the nanomachines of the capture field were deployed only at half power, allowing them to reflect the light around the battlespace to allow it to regain its original colors. That alone was costly in terms of power, which meant that the field's operating time was cut in half. So it became a necessity to finish it as fast as possible.
Tsuranuki's optics burned as he turned his attention back to the Faunus Ultra.
"Okay, banana breath! Drop them... NOW!" he snarled, clenching his fists.
The gorilla Faunus didn't answer; Tsuranuki figured that because of the animal-like nature of the new body, it wasn't able to answer. Instead, the Faunus Ultra held up a hand - the one with the hostages - and beckoned with a finger, as if to say 'bring it on!'
The Shinkalion growled in the depths of his throat as he held up a hand and summoned his Wheelset Drill to his grasp. He clenched his hand around the trigger grip and brandished it before he crouched, and flaring his Aura, he leapt off the building.
A roar escaped his throat as he thrust his drill forward, channeling his Aura into it.
I keep telling myself to move forward
His drill slammed home against one of the gorilla's legs, only for that grainy grey Aura to cover its body and deflect the brunt of the impact. He grasped the side of Tokyo Tower in one hand and placed his feet on it before springing off and flipping, landing on the roof of another building. He turned to look over his shoulder and his optics flickered in annoyance.
As long as that Faunus Ultra was clinging to the tower, there was no way he could use his drill, least of all really make an impact and get the thing to drop his two friends. And with the capture field in a half-powered state, they were at a serious disadvantage.
"Director Hayasugi, I hate to say it, but we're at a disadvantage here," Tsuranuki replied through his internal COMM unit. He had recently been trained in how to do so, mostly to keep people like this gorilla Faunus from finding out who he worked for. And boy, was it handy.
"Dammit...!" Hokuto growled. "We're stuck then..."
I'll keep going down this painful journey to retrieve the old look in your eyes
TOKYO SDI HEADQUARTERS
OBSERVATION DECK
Hokuto narrowed his eyes as he tried to figure out a plan.
But with the capture field in a half activated state, there was no way they could just charge it up to full.
The need to have people able to see in regular color was of the utmost importance, because how else would they be able to register red and green colors for the street lights, and the red of emergency lights?
The loss of life was the thing to avoid at this point. And there was no way the capture satellite was able to fire a second field...
"Dammit...!" he growled. "We're stuck then..."
They were in a tight spot. There was no way Tsuranuki could attack without causing damage to Tokyo Tower, and there was no way the ghost girl could do much damage either.
And this was a situation where they needed to work together.
Bit how?
I'm after the love that I longed for (On my way)
There was just no way... Or so he thought.
A voice cut into his hearing as he looked up, spotting Dani charging at the thing again on the monitor. Hokuto stood up from his seat, worry crossing his features as he heard Tsuranuki shout out to her.
"Wait! Don't do it!" he cried. "It's too dangerous!"
But she didn't listen. The director watched as the Shinkalion leapt off the building towards her, his hand outstretched. She cried out as he grabbed her and he twisted his frame around, curling into a ball to increase his drop. He fell to the ground, holding a screaming Danielle close to his chest. He landed on the ground in a ball, landing on his back with a loud crash.
Hokuto winced at the crater in the ground. That would cost them a hefty fine.
The reason I fight is not because of hate, I fight because I still have hope
TOKYO TOWER BATTLESPACE
Tsuranuki grunted as he felt the pain from his impact fading.
He slowly uncurled his frame, looking at his cupped hands as he struggled to get into a sitting position. He uncurled his hands, exposing the ghost girl as she sat in a ball, shaking slightly.
"You okay?" he asked.
She looked up, green eyes wide in shock and disbelief. "What's the big idea?!" she blurted, floating out of his hands and up to his face.
Tsuranuki felt a bit nervous and he gulped softly. But he managed to retain his composure and gazed at her seriously. He batted her away lightly with one hand before sitting up fully and folding his arms across his chest. "What you were doing was downright reckless!" he scolded. "You can't just charge in there! We need to work together if we want to save the hostages!"
"That's what I was trying to do before you just grabbed me out of the air like a bug!" Dani protested. "And speaking of which, why do you want to save them, anyway, Mr. Roboto!"
"Hey! I resent that name!" Tsuranuki growled. "My name is not Mr. Roboto, for your information! And as for your question, I want to save them because I have a duty to! I'm not some alien seeking to destroy this place like some others that you humans keep blabbering about in your stories!"
My precious time
Tsuranuki felt awkward even saying that. But he had been instructed to not reveal that he himself was a human wearing a Shinkalion frame. So he had to play the role of a sentient robot recently found and activated, or barring that, an alien from another world. In his defense though, he preferred to be playing the role of an alien from a distant war-torn world, something that seemed to fit better than a rogue robot left behind by a long deceased civilization.
Dani's eyes widened at his explanation and she frowned as she folded her arms. "So you're a good alien?" she inquired.
The Shinkalion nodded. "Yeah. And I for one am not about to let those two fall to their deaths, given how high up they are!" He gestured to the two children as they squirmed in the Faunus Ultra's grip. "So unless you want to have them die, then I suggest we try to come up with a plan that will actually work!"
As he said those words, he directed his attention to his internal COMM system.
"Do you have any ideas, Director?" he asked pleadingly.
"Nothing," Hokuto muttered sadly.
Ever since I can remember I've been surrounded with this same view
The Shinkalion growled. "Dammit... if only we could isolate that section of Tokyo Tower in a capture field..."
"Wait. Say that again!" the cat Faunus blurted.
"I said if only we could isolate that section of Tokyo Tower in a capture field. Why?" Tsuranuki asked, now confused. At least until he looked to the tower... and then a mental lightbulb went on.
"Director, is it possible to isolate that section using a capture field?" he asked.
"In theory. But it's never been done before. To do so would mean that that section would be essentially fused into the field itself. And there is the risk of people also getting caught in the field itself as well," Hokuto remarked. "It's a risky gamble. It would mean we have to fire a second field and disperse the nanomachines that are currently keeping people from seeing black and white."
"Well, that's a risk we'll have to take!" Tsuranuki shot back. "Unless the SDI has a procedure for evacuating people during such a mission!"
Hokuto was silent for a moment, and Tsuranuki could hear chatter in the background. He waited for a few minutes during which Dani tried to convince him to go after the Faunus Ultra, but he declined by shaking his helm.
Never tire of hearing your voice, but now it's slowly fading away
The director came back on the COMM ten minutes later. "Okay. We need you two to distract the gorilla Ultra until we can finish evacuating people from the battlespace," he explained. "Once that is done, we'll disperse the nanomachines and fire off a new capture field. But you two have to be out of the way of the fusion site. Also, there is the risk that you could be seeing black and white when inside with the Faunus."
"Right. I'll relay the plan to Dani," Tsuranuki replied with a nod.
"All right. But just tell her your superiors came up with it." That was the last thing Director Hayasugi said before the line was cut.
"Dani," he said, getting her attention. "I just got a message from my superiors. They have a plan, but it requires us to work together to distract that thing while they evacuate the native population below."
Rain is falling down on me
"Your superiors?" Dani was confused. "So... there are more of you?"
"That's better explained at a later date," Tsuranuki stated, trying to keep her focused. "Right now, do you wish to save your friends or not?"
The ghost girl's eyes flicked to the trapped children, then back to his optics. She bit her lower lip before she nodded, determination crossing her features. "Yes."
"Good. Now, the plan is simple. They'll be firing what is known as a capture field, or a containment area designed to prevent damage to this country's infrastructure, to trap the enemy inside," he explained. "The goal is to use that field to separate the beast from the rest of that tower, forcing it to leap to a new location within the field. Then, you and I are to make our move and attack the beast once it has been forced to leave the section of tower that has been isolated."
"Oh! Now I get it! Then we can attack from two sides!" Dani exclaimed, her eyes lighting up in realization.
My feelings are so heavy
Tsuranuki nodded. "Yep. That's the gist of it. But until the field has been fired, we have to keep that thing busy. You think you can go for its eyes while I try to go for the legs?"
Dani smirked. "I have an idea on how to do it. Just watch!"
She vanished right before his optics, and Tsuranuki had to slap his own faceplate to make sure his frame wasn't malfunctioning. She may have been invisible to all sensors, but he somehow knew she was there. More like he could get a sense of her presence in the form of a tingling running down his spinal struts.
It's getting hard to carry
He shivered at the implications before he heard a loud bellow of pain and he looked up, seeing the gorilla Ultra trying to clutch at its eyes with one hand. His engine leapt into his throat as he saw the hand with the two hostages start to uncurl, and he reacted with surprising speed. He crouched and leapt off the building he was on, his drill spinning up to full power and he thrust it forward, going for one of the closest legs. "RAAAAAAAH!" A bellow escaped him as he drove it home into the Ultra's Aura as it flared, blocking the drill from breaking skin and bone.
Tsuranuki's optics flashed bright green as he shoved, trying to decrease the Aura for a chance at dealing some damage to this Ultra.
"How much longer?!" he cried over his COMM.
These thoughts of losing you
TOKYO SDI HEADQUARTERS
OBSERVATION DECK
"We're working on it!" Hokuto shot back.
The technician in charge of the satellite had her orange eyes narrowed as she watched the targeting reticle dance across the screen. Beside her stood another technician.
"Futaba, just move it a little more to the right!" the technician told her.
"Honjo, it's not as easy as it looks!" Futaba Mihara said as she blew some of her brown hair out of her face. "It's like trying to thread a needle with yarn!"
Akagi Honjo narrowed his light blue eyes in frustration. He turned his gaze to the screen, watching as the reticle moved closer to the tower. "No! Not that close! We can't have the fusion of the rail and the Ultra!"
"Then you try!" Futaba snapped.
"Enough! Just keep trying!" Hokuto shouted.
My feelings are unwavering
Futaba narrowed her eyes as she moved the reticle to the left a bit, then down. Akagi was beside her, and he frowned a bit, but then when a chime came through, he knew she had it.
"There!" He jabbed a finger at the spot. "That's it! Keep it locked on that location!"
"Right!" Futaba nodded.
"All right! Capture field... FIRE!" Hokuto cried.
I'm desperately trying to reach out
TOKYO TOWER BATTLESPACE
The evacuation had gone much smoother than they had expected.
With the help of the local police and a few Hunters in the area, the civilians had been ushered away as the last of the capture field nanomachines dispersed. Tsuranuki had to shift his optics to heat vision so as to be able to see somewhat clearly in the affected area of the battlespace. Dani had to cover her eyes though at his command until the field was fired.
He shifted his gaze up as his sensors registered the incoming energy beam. He shut off his optics before returning them to standard vision as he sensed the field expanding. He brought them back online, noticing how he could see in real colors due to the field's activation. He turned to Dani. "Open your eyes. The field's been activated."
The ghost girl obeyed, and was surprised to see a bluish energy barrier solidifying before it vanished before her eyes. "What...?"
"Optical camouflage. A necessity if we're to keep the Grimm from causing any potential harm," he explained as he scooped her up in his hands. "Now hold on! We're going in!"
He broke into a run and sprang off the building, his optics finding the field's shimmering surface. The camouflage field shimmered as he vanished inside, a tingling feeling overcoming his frame for a few brief seconds. Then as quickly as it began, the sensation ended and they were inside.
Whatever comes my way, I'll keep searching for you (Find my way)
Dani was awestruck by the interior of the field, with the platform and rails crisscrossing the space around it. Tsuranuki had to clear his vocalizer to get her attention. She coughed a bit and blushed lightly. "Sorry," she squeaked.
"Enough. We have a mission," he reminded her.
Dani looked around the field as he set her down and she floated off, her flight allowing her to roam around the field. Tsuranuki turned his gaze to look at where he suspected the section of Tokyo Tower would be, and he was surprised to see that the gorilla Ultra was missing from it. A chuckle escapes his vocalizer as he scanned around for any sign of it. "Well, seems the plan worked," he mused as he finally picked up the gorilla clinging to one of the rails.
"Dani! I found it!" he called to her. She spun around, and her eyes landed on the shape of the gorilla Faunus Ultra as it roared, leaping up. Tsuranuki crouched and sprang off the platform towards the rail the gorilla was clinging to and thrust his drill forward, his Aura streaming off of it. "All right, banana breath! Let them go... right... NOW!" he roared.
Dani charged in from the left, her hands seething with ectoplasmic energy. "Hang on, guys!" she cried, firing off a blazing green beam.
When our feelings are aligned, the pieces will fall into place
Both attacks collided with the gorilla Ultra's Aura, the ghost ray vanishing at contact. But Tsuranuki's drill kept pouring into it, and his gaze flicked to the gauge in the lower left hand corner of his vision. The Aura was steadily dropping, but it wasn't enough.
He needed to get it down to below the safety limit so they could get the two kids free. He pushed, his optics flashing a brilliant green as he shunted more Aura to his drill. His own reserves were starting to decrease, but he was not about to give up.
WARNING!
AURA RESERVES AT 60%
BATTERY OPERATION TIME: 22 HOURS 36 MINUTES
This is the hope I believe in wow oh wow
The Shinkalion cried out as he pushed harder, his hydraulics giving it all they had. "RAAAAAAAAAAAH!"
His drill pulsed, and then a loud crunching resonated as the gorilla Ultra's Aura finally broke, the tip penetrating bone and flesh. A loud roar escaped the Ultra's throat. A roar of pain and agony. Tsuranuki felt a sense of satisfaction as he pulled the drill out, blood and muscle flying from the leg of the Ultra.
And just in time, too. The gorilla couldn't keep its pain at bay, so it tossed the two children from its hand as it grasped at its wound with that hand.
Tsuranuki's engine leapt into his throat as he turned and sprang off the rail he was on as he dismissed his drill into storage.
He thrust out both hands and grasped onto one of the two - Shinobu - but missed Miku as she fell beyond his reach.
The stories that you made are our best memories
"NO!" he screamed.
Miku shrieked as she fell, trying in vain to grasp at anything that was close to her. But to no avail. There just wasn't anything for her to grasp on to.
Tsuranuki felt his entire world crumbling. He wasn't able to save Miku... She was going to die...
And he would've failed his first official mission. He would probably be kicked out of the program... What would his mother say? He... He couldn't... He couldn't fail. Not now. Not ever! Not when the world needed hope! Not when Japan needed a symbol for the future!
"I...I can't fail... I can't fail now!" he howled.
It will forever remain
"Tsuranuki!" Hokuto cried.
"I got this!" Dani suddenly shouted. A blur of black and white sped past his vision and he looked down in shock as she swept around, her legs morphing into a ghostly tail as she neared the falling Miku. Her hands lashed out and caught onto Miku's backpack, and Tsuranuki let out a laugh of relief as he landed on the platform.
He looked down to the ninja boy who was gazing up at him in sheer awe. He slowly knelt down and placed the boy on the platform. "I take it you're uninjured?" he asked, trying to sound more professional than he appeared to be.
"Y-Yeah... Thanks for saving us... uh..." Shinobu's voice trailed off as Dani came down with Miku. The rabbit Faunus looked frightened, but for the most part she was all right.
Thank you for that wow oh
"Thank you," Miku gasped, clutching at her chest. Tsuranuki couldn't blame her for being panicked. Anyone falling from an incredible height would feel that way. Himself included.
Dani smiled and waved her hand. "No big deal," she remarked. She turned to look up at Tsuranuki, as if expecting him to speak.
"Tsuranuki, say something!" Hokuto hissed over his COMM.
The Shinkalion yelped in his thoughts before he cleared his vocalizer. "Just doing my duty," he said, trying to sound somewhat professional.
"Say, you never even told us your name!" Dani suddenly exclaimed, and he felt his engine leap into his throat as he gulped.
"Uh, a little help here?!" he pleaded to the director.
"Whatever you do, do not reveal your human name!" Hokuto warned. "I would highly recommend using a code name."
All painful journeys will come to an end
"But what one?! I sure as hell can't go around called Driller, now can I?!" Tsuranuki hissed.
Hokuto was about to speak again, only for a loud roar to interrupt and his helm snapped to the left, only to stare in shock at the gorilla Faunus Ultra as it leapt off the rail it had clung to, its hands opened in preparation to grab the Shinkalion's throat. Tsuranuki summoned his drill to his grasp and thrust it forward in a blocking motion, the ape grabbing the weapon and struggling to pull it from his hands.
"No...can...do...banana breath!" he growled, shifting his stance. Dani was shocked as the Shinkalion began to push back, his treads going at full speed. The ape Faunus Ultra was caught off guard as the effort put strain on the injured leg. A roar of pain barely escaped the enemy's throat as Tsuranuki kept going... right for the edge of the platform! His optics flickered as he started to twist his frame, spinning himself around a few times, the momentum allowing him to lift the Faunus Ultra off the platform and with a cry, he heaved the beast off the platform... and right onto another rail. Using this as his advantage, he sprang off the central platform and landed on the rail facing the gorilla Ultra.
"Okay! Time to end it!" he growled.
The Faunus Ultra grumbled as if in agreement.
The future is in your hands
Tsuranuki let out a cry as he charged for the beast, his drill going full force. The gorilla summoned its Aura, but the pain from its leg injury disrupted its focus and it wavered. The tip of the Wheelset Drill drove into the Aura, causing it to deplete even further. The gauge beeped and he knew it was close to the safety limit. Just a little more, and then the Aura would vanish, leaving the Faunus in its true form.
He pulled his drill back and dismissed it into storage as he thrust his left fist forward, his punch connecting solidly with the Faunus's chest and he followed that up with a nasty roundhouse kick to the face. The gorilla staggered back, hand flying for its left cheek. It looked up, those blue eyes hardening before a fist was thrust back at him. Tsuranuki leaned back and placed his hands on the rail before he flipped his frame, his feet lashing out and delivering a nasty upper kick to the chin of the gorilla. He finished his back flip and crouched on the balls of his metal feet before he sprang forward, whipping out a one-two punch combo to the gut. The gorilla's eyes widened as it double over, no doubt from the pain it was feeling. But it wasn't done. Despite the beating it was receiving, the gorilla managed to get to its feet in a straight standing position. It clenched its fists before lumbering towards the Shinkalion. He braced himself and threw up his arms, flaring his Aura as the gorilla punched with a fist. His Aura shimmered as he was pushed back, but he didn't get damaged. He kept himself braced as a flurry of punches came his way repeatedly. He had to rev his treads to keep from being pushed to the edge of the rail, and actually, this was a bad situation. He was stuck on the defensive, and he had no way to keep this thing from possibly even headbutting him off...
BING! On went the mental lightbulb.
The Shinkalion tensed his frame... and as the gorilla drew back for a final punch...
He lunged. His hands curled around the gorilla's arms and he braced himself for the impact. He positioned himself squarely in front of the gorilla's face and reared back his head.
Always keep chasing and never give up! (On my way)
The gorilla was not expecting the headbutt when it came. Tsuranuki was. His vision swam as he collided his helm with the gorilla's face, breaking its nose and its focus as well. He pulled back, blood splattered on his silver command fin and helm. He let go of the gorilla's arms and leapt back, watching as the Aura surrounding its body began to fade.
The injuries began to fade as the hulking body started to shrink, losing muscle and height. Fur began to recede into pink flesh, and the hair that covered its face and head started to shift back to normal hair. The eyes returned to a deep brown and a mustache sprouted from its face as its simian features reverted to human ones. The immense height reduced slowly as bones cracked and shifted, reverting to traditional humanoid form. The huge creature was returning to its true shape.
Dani watched in astonishment beside Shinobu and Miku, awe spread across her face. Shinobu was silent, his eyes wide as he stared in shock. Miku had her hands placed over her mouth as she grimaced at the wound on the simian features before it vanished.
I'm sure I felt the courage you gave me
The Shinkalion was panting as he stood up straight, summoning his drill again. He wasn't about to take any chances this time.
"Tsuranuki... stop. Please..." Hokuto's voice caught him off guard and he halted.
"Why? This guy held my friends hostage... and he threatened their lives!" the Shinkalion countered.
"It's not worth it. Besides, we are better than them. That is what we have to prove..." His words made Tsuranuki pause. He looked down at the naked gorilla Faunus beneath him and he huffed through his vents.
I'll sacrifice my everything to get back our precious time
"Fine... but only because it's the right thing to do..." he muttered. He dismissed his drill and knelt, scooping up the man in hand and looking him over.
The extra bulk to his arms and shoulders was enough to mark him as a gorilla Faunus, as well as the additional hair on his back and chest. He had messy black hair and a mustache on his upper lip. His eyes were closed, but he had seen them change from blue to a deep brown color. He wondered who this Faunus was.
"Director... who is this guy?" he asked.
"That... is something personal, I'm afraid," Hokuto muttered. "Just bring him in. His Semblance should be useless for a month anyway."
"Understood." Tsuranuki turned to the others on the platform and gave a thumbs up.
Mission: Complete.
TOKYO TOWER
HALF AN HOUR LATER
"That... was... insane!" Dani exclaimed as she flew around the Shinkalion excitedly.
After the battle had ended, the capture field had gone down, and the group had found themselves standing atop a building close to Tokyo Tower. Tsuranuki had dumped the exhausted gorilla Faunus off at the closest police station and rejoined the trio once they got to ground level. People of course were astonished to see him, and a few were even trying to take pictures of him. He didn't mind, but he was ordered to remain as discreet as possible.
"Yes, but it was also dangerous," Tsuranuki pointed out as he knelt next to the trio of children.
"So... what exactly is your name?" Miku inquired.
Tsuranuki froze at that. 'Oh, shit! I still need to come up with a code name!' he thought in a panic.
"Uh... a little help on the code name, Mr. Hayasugi?" he pleaded.
"Sorry. You have to come up with it," was the answer he got.
Tsuranuki paused, wracking his processor for any ideas. A few came to mind, but he dismissed them. Glob, there was no way he was going to be called Driller or Mr. Roboto! He wanted something unique, something... different. Something that would call attention to him and say that he was not to be messed with.
But what would work? He knew that there were some he could adapt, but the names Sam-R-I and Major Glory were already taken. He wanted something that didn't sound like a superhero, but sounded more like it was fitting for a Shinkalion like himself.
A few people were chattering beside him and he wondered what they were talking about. Maybe if he listened in, he'd get an idea for a code name...
"...the E7 was really a robot!"
"Yeah! I mean, sure the E7 can travel on both systems of electrical usage, but..."
"...the E7..."
"...fighting like the E7..."
"...E7 shinkansen..."
'The E7...' Tsuranuki looked down at one of his hands as he pondered. The E7... Esebun... Wait...
'E... se... bu...' he thought. 'Ese... bu... I... I like that. Esebu.'
The more he repeated the name, the more it seemed to fit. It wasn't too superheroic, nor was it too menacing. He finally looked up.
"I got it!" he said.
"What code name have you decided on?" Hokuto asked him.
Tsuranuki gave a mental smirk in his thoughts, not like it could be seen. "Esebu. That's my code name."
"Esebu? Are you sure? Because once it's put into the system, the only way to change the code name is for the whole system to be rebooted. And we can't afford that," the director cautioned.
"Yeah. I'm sure of it," Tsuranuki replied.
The director was silent for a moment. For a moment, Tsuranuki was worried that he'd reject it. But much to his surprise, when he came back on, there was some good news.
"Okay. It's been put into the system. You're now an official member of the SDI, Tsuranuki... or should I say, Esebu?" Hokuto had a smile in his voice at those words.
Tsuranuki, or Esebu, nodded subtly. "Thanks," he said. "See you back at SDI HQ."
He turned to the trio of children beside him and gave a thumbs up, jerking a thumb at himself. "You can call me Esebu!" he remarked.
"Esebu?" Dani tilted her head cutely. "That's... a really... unusual name..."
"Well, so is Dani Phantom," Esebu pointed out.
Shinobu rolled his eyes as Miku giggled. "He's got you there, Dani," he said with a shake of his head.
"Anyway, I gotta go. I can't hang around for too long or else people might get too suspicious," Esebu remarked.
He got to his feet and turned, but before he left, he heard Miku call out to him. "Will we see you again?" she asked.
"Maybe. I'm around, but I tend to keep a low profile," Esebu replied as he walked off. "See ya."
"It seems Goku lost to him."
"Yes. A shame. But no matter. He was expendable anyway. He was merely an enforcer, not one of our more... notable... officials here in Satyra."
"Not like you, sir?"
"Not like me, or my son."
"Ah. And what of the Fallen? Has he gotten interested in this new enemy?"
"We don't know. His Eminence has not said if he has or not. We shall wait... and see..."
Sammael smirked as he watched the blue and white shinkansen through his Seer.
He had to admit, he was coming along nicely, with how well he had fought the Faunus gorilla and won. He didn't know if it was really a robot or an alien, but whatever the case, he had an idea for his next Kaiju to send. And hopefully it could draw more out... as well...
Name: Goku Daiichi
Species: Faunus
Aura: Grainy grey
Semblance: King Kong Fury
Description: His Semblance can turn him into a giant gorilla that looks exactly like the fictional character, Gorilla Kong. He can affect the vision of those who see him within up to a five kilometer radius, making them see things as if they were in an old time Gorilla Kong film. It has no effect on ghostly powers, so they retain their usual colors. His Semblance 's vision adjustments can also be canceled out via the use of a capture field's nanomachines. Also, his Semblance cannot be used for a month once he has returned to human form.