(Shows a pair of eyes opening before the eyes morph into optics)
START Kaitei no Orchestra (Precious Time) (ROMI)
(The optics flash as the camera pans out to show six shadowy mecha before they leap towards the camera, brandishing their weapons)
Hiroi aoi kono basho de tokiga nagarete yuku my precious time (The image fades to show a cat Faunus boy with brown hair and magenta eyes walking down a street close to the ocean, looking down at an image of his mother in his hand. He perks up as he spots a rabbit Faunus girl with light green hair and eyes hugs him, making him yelp. A boy with brown hair and brown eyes joins the girl on the cat Faunus's other side, and gives a thumbs up. A boy with dark purple hair and eyes approaches from the left and smiles a bit before a ninja youth leaps down on the right, his dark grey hair and purple eyes standing out with the purple highlight on the right side of his bangs. The five look up at the sky as a shimmering image of a cheetah Faunus with blue hair and eyes appears behind them. The title appears below them all.)
GRIMMFALL: SHINKALION RISING
Itsu no manika kiete shimatte kakegaeno koega (The image fades to show the cat Faunus standing beside his mother's grave, his eyes fixed on her name)
Tsumaranai hibimo sorega sukide ikitetanda (Memories of her and his family march past as he bows his head)
Higa sashiteru tokomade omoikkiri hashitte (A wind blows past and he perks up as he sees something ahead of him, making him break into a run to try and reach the shadowy, winged humanoid shape as it looks back with yellow optics, holding out a hand)
Shinjirarenai koto bakari menomaeni okiru (The two embrace hands and then a flash of light engulfs the screen, fading to show a large Kaiju-class Grimm being attacked by a blue and white mecha wielding a drill before the two clash)
Taiyou no hou wo miagate tachiagaruno tsurakute (The impact throws off a light that engulfs the screen, dissipating to show the cat Faunus, but battered and wounded, looking at the sky, the sun shining down on him as he reaches up a hand, as if grasping at it)
Susumu koto dake omouto (He tries to stagger to his feet, only to collapse briefly before he lifts his gaze, a yellow optic forming in place of his eye as it glows brightly)
Setsunai tabiwo tsuzukeru kawatta me no okuniwa (The light of the optic fades as the camera moves out to show a green and white mecha armed with a sword and wings on its back attacking a porcupine Kaiju-class Grimm in close combat, only for the Kaiju to fire off a slew of spines from its legs and back, making the mecha block with a shimmering tri-colored Aura)
Natsukashii itoshisa wo motomete (On my way) (Behind the mecha appears an image of a cat Faunus woman, and the mecha lunges forward, its sword glowing as it traps the Grimm in an energy cage before slicing it in half)
Kizutsuke attanowa nikui wake janai nosa (The Grimm explodes before a Faunus Ultra gorilla lunges from behind, making the mecha spin to block with its sword, images of a peaceful world appearing behind it before punching the Faunus Ultra and sending it staggering back)
Sokoni kibouga arunonara my precious time (The images coalesce around the mecha's chest as it fires a blast of green energy from a hidden chest cannon at the screen)
Itsukaraka onaji keshikini kakomarete sugoshite (The screen comes back into view, this time showing the cat Faunus as he stands atop a building in Tokyo, his friends beside him as they eye the distant horizon, a shadowy shape behind Mt. Fuji in the distance)
Akinonai koega sukoshizutsu chiri hajimeta (The boy looks down at an image of his mother in his hands, his friends placing their hands on his shoulders to comfort him as tears streak down his cheeks)
Ameni utareta mamade omoku seouno tsurakute (The camera zooms in on his eyes before panning out to show him looking at the window, the same green and white mecha on the other side, both touching their hands to one another before it shifts to show the cat Faunus's mother as a transparent image behind the mecha)
Ushinau koto dake omouto (The camera zooms in on the mecha's face before panning out to show two Faunus, a fox woman and a bull man, standing atop a hotel in downtown Tokyo)
Togirenai omoino nakade hisshi ni tsukamunosa (The two Faunus lunge for the mecha, only to be blocked by a red and white mecha with two guns and a purple and white mecha wielding two shuriken in its hands Beside them is a white and green mecha armed with a sword and the blue and white mecha with the drill is close by)
Dokomademo dokomademo sagasunda (Find your way) (The five mecha charge towards a large shape as it looms out of the shadows of the two Faunus, and behind them is the shape of a white and blue mecha armed with twin energy blades)
Otagaini motomeatte kakera wo tsunagunosa (Shows the six mecha as they stand in a line, each of them holding their weapons at the ready before they charge forward; the green and white mecha fires off its chest cannon as the blue and white mecha spins its drill up, a blue aura engulfing it, the red and white mecha fires its twin guns in a rifle configuration as the purple and white mecha uses its shuriken as weapons, the white and green mecha swings its sword as heat radiates from the blade and the white and blue mecha swipes with its energy blades, releasing a shockwave)
Sokoni kibouga mierukara wow oh wow (The blasts combine to generate an explosion as it hits something before the smoke parts to reveal a scenic image of the city of Tokyo, the tendrils of Satyra retreating from it)
Kimiga tsukutta monogatari saikou no omoide ni nattanda (The image shifts to show the cat Faunus looking down at a photo album of his mother and his friends and family, tears pricking at his eyes before he sees his friends beside him and they hold out their hands, a smile crossing his face as he takes their hands and they pull him out of the darkness into the light)
Bokurano nakani ikitsuzukete soshite arigatou wow (They all hug before a flash of light envelops them, fading shortly after to reveal the six mecha, this time images of the six kids behind them as they charge at a shadowy shape as it looms over them)
Setsunai tabiwo owarasunda miraiwo kaete tsukuruno sa (The image pans to the right to show them all charging, this time transparent scenes of new enemies marching past them - Dr. Robotnik, Sammael, and Moloch - before fading to show the city of Tokyo at sunset, a light shining in this darkening world)
Istumademo akiramezuni oistuzukete (On my way) (The green and white mecha with the wings thrusts its hand out towards an image of the cat Faunus's mother as she reaches out, and their hands clasp before it shows the green and white mecha firing off its chest cannon, the beam this time a shining gold color)
Tashikani kanjitanda kimiga kureta yuuki wo (The blast strikes the enemy before them - Dr. Robotnik - before it shows the mecha with its companions as they join in on the attack with their own moves)
Bokuno subete wo gisei ni torimodosunda bokurano precious time (The image fades to show the six kids standing in front of Tokyo, the title of the series appearing below them)
GRIMMFALL: SHINKALION RISING
OPENING FILES:
CLASSIFIED
DECRYPTING...
FILES DECRYPTED
OPENING FILES: LINKPOD
In order to properly utilize the frames of the Shinkalion units, the drivers have to essentially become the units themselves. At first, it was feared that the drivers would have to literally be wired into their machines through an invasive and utterly torturous method that connected every single aspect of their body to the unit. It was deemed impractical and downright inhumane by the director, and thus a new solution had to be found.
That solution came in the form of the technology used to create Dracon. By reverse engineering it and combining some aspects of the ancients' technology with the modern, a new system was developed and implemented. It came in the form of a pod that, when activated, transferred the occupant's very soul into the frame of the Shinkalion unit they were assigned. This pod has since become called the LinkPod, and is considered the first stage of the project.
CLOSING FILES
TERMINAL ENTERING STANDBY PHASE
"Things that go bump in the night... what are they really? Stories and legends like this have been passed down for centuries. And sometimes they can be fables with a lesson, or just fairy tales meant to scare little children into being good. But what if those stories started with a grain of truth to them?"
A figure leaned forward, those glasses glinting before they adjusted them. "Like the Scooby-Doo project... What was it really about? Was it real? Or was it just a fake...? That is the thing about mysteries. What are they really? Are they fake? Or are some mysteries meant to be unsolved for all of time? Well, that's something only you can decide..."
CHAPTER VII - GRIMM
Tsuranuki glanced at the cell phone in his hand, unable to believe it.
He had finally been made an official member of the SDI.
And his code name was proof of that.
Esebu.
Actually, the more he thought about it, the more it seemed to fit. It was unique, alien sounding, and totally unexpected.
And it also fit the cover he and Mr. Hayasugi had come up with.
The cover was that he and his friends - when in their new frames - were aliens living undercover in Japan that had fled from a brutal war that tore apart their home world and were seeking a place to avoid combat. The government of Japan had agreed to shelter them, allowing them to blend in as part of the shinkansen network across the country. But in times of dire need, like with the Kaiju Grimm, they were to help assist in defending their adopted home in exchange for safety and security.
Prime Minister Sanban agreed to the cover, and alongside several other members of his cabinet, forged the necessary documents to back up the story. The whole idea was to keep things as realistic as possible whilst hiding the true identities of the 'aliens' as just high school kids.
Speaking of which, his mother, Misuzu Daimonyama - who also happened to be president of the family construction firm, Daimonyama Construction - had to be told of his new... position... so to speak, and boy, was she not happy. And truthfully, Tsuranuki couldn't blame her. After the death of her husband and his father, he was forbidden from even thinking about becoming a Huntsman. But this... This was not the work of a Huntsman. No. He was something different.
Something new.
In the end, after some arguing, his mother and he were able to come to a compromise: if a Kaiju-Grimm was detected and he was sent out, he was to be careful and not put himself into a risky situation where his life could be forfeit, even if he was wearing a robotic frame for the duration of the mission.
The boy was interrupted by the beeping of his cell phone and he directed his attention back to it.
It was actually a very sleek looking device, with the same color scheme as his Shinkalion frame: blue, and white separated by a gold line. There were a few functions that most cell phones didn't even hav"ze, one of them being a radar function and an infrared scanner. The most important one though was a communications app that had been recently developed for them, allowing the SDI members to stay in contact with one another at all times. And in this war, every second counted.
The boy placed the phone down on his bedside dresser as he lay back on the covers for it.
"Man... this whole thing... I still can't believe it..." he murmured as he gazed at the ceiling of his bedroom.
He closed his eyes and sighed. "Miku... Shinobu..." His thoughts drifted to them as he muttered their names. Tsuranuki could only wonder what they were doing now. He knew they were okay after that gorilla Faunus Ultra attack, but he could only wonder what they were thinking at this moment.
Hell, he knew that he was able to fight, but those two... without any Semblances or special weapons they were pretty much helpless against such things. And he was worried that after that attack, they would take a chance and risk their lives in an attempt to try and defeat the next Kaiju-class Grimm on their own. And that he did not want.
Not since they were two of his best friends.
Well, not counting Akita and Hayato, whom he had first met in grade school. The two were closer to him than Miku and Shinobu in a way. But he still considered them his best friends anyway.
His eyes softened as he remembered the way Shinobu looked at him in awe when he had worn his Shinkalion frame. In some way, he couldn't blame the boy. Despite being a ninja, he wasn't as skilled as some other clans and some clans even had experience in tackling large Grimm. Unfortunately, his clan wasn't one of them. And that meant he was seen as inferior to some other clans.
And then there was Miku. The poor girl had been terrified out of her wits after nearly plummeting to her death. In a way, he had to admit, everything was weighing on him alone right now, and that was even with Dani Phantom helping out.
But ghost powers or not, she was still a human being, and humans didn't last long against large adversaries such as Faunus Ultra or Kaiju Grimm. His eyes narrowed as he looked to the newspaper lying on his bed.
The front page article had an image of Esebu - his alter ego - on the front, brandishing his drill as he lunged for the Faunus Ultra gorilla, Dani beside him as she fired off an ecto-ray from her hands. In the left hand of the Faunus Ultra were Miku and Shinobu. He grimaced at it and brushed the paper off the bed.
Tsuranuki turned away from the paper and grasped a book, opening it to read. But before he lost himself in the pages, he only hoped that Miku and Shinobu were okay. No doubt their parents were chewing them out for their decisions to fight, if they already made them.
He had no idea how right he was.
HASTUNE HOUSEHOLD
Kiara Hatsune frowned as she looked at her daughter, her head buried in her hands.
"I'm so sorry, Mama..." she whispered.
The forty-seven year old computer engineer ran a hand through her brown hair and closed her light green eyes, sighing. "Miku, I know how you feel. But I cannot allow you to go out and fight. You may have your Aura, but without a Semblance or weapon, you cannot fight Grimm. I only allowed you to awaken your Aura for your own protection against Satyra attackers. You know this."
Then her expression softened as she opened her eyes. "Especially after you were nearly killed yesterday... I don't want to lose you like I lost your brother... and your father."
She embraced Miku as the girl broke down crying. "I'm just trying to keep you safe, honey. You're my most precious thing... and I don't want to lose the last member of my family to those Kaiju."
The two Faunus sat there for a while, just savoring the moment of being together. Miku still wished to fight, but she understood what her mother was saying. After losing her son and husband on the same day as a Kaiju Grimm attack two years ago, she had urged her daughter to take up kendo for self-defense, as well as unlock her Aura to further bolster her defense. (Well, her brother had been killed by Satyra while her father was left dead in the aftermath of a Squid Grimm attack.) Kiara had forbidden her from becoming a Huntress, and she was just glad her mother had not been disappointed in her rejection to Yamanouchi. She considered it a blessing, actually.
The rabbit girl looked up. "Mama... I understand why you're so worried... but..."
"Honey, even if that robot, Esebu or whatever it's named, is in the area, it may not get there in time to save you," Kiara said softly. "And that Dani girl may not even be in the area if you get captured again... I... I just don't want to lose my only daughter too... If I lost you, I don't know what I'd do..."
Kiara pulled away and gazed into Miku's eyes. "Please promise me you'll stay away from fighting..."
Miku shook her head. "Mama... I..."
Kiara was silent as she heard Miku's voice trail off. In all honesty, this was hard on both of them. Miku wanted to make sure her mother wasn't worried, but at the same time, she wanted to fight. Especially after that attack yesterday in which she was held hostage along with Shinobu.
"Miku..."
As Miku sat in her mother's arms, she could only wonder how Shinobu was doing with this...
TSUKIYAMA HOUSEHOLD
Masaru Tsukiyama was disappointed.
Not in his son, but in how he had handled himself during the crisis.
"Shinobu... I'm very disappointed in you. You failed to escape with your friend and got captured as a result," the forty-two year old shopkeeper said seriously. "You could've been killed yesterday. And both your mother and I would be very upset."
"But father-" Shinobu was cut off as his mother, Chiaki Tsukiyama, waved her hand.
"There are no excuses for such actions," the female ninja replied, her eyes hard. "You are a ninja. And ninjas always take the first strike or, barring that, escape when the time calls for it. You did neither. And therefore it is a shame upon our clan. We have fought for so long to try and become some of the best, but due to certain circumstances in our family's past, we have been unable to reach our goal. And now to hear of this..." She shook her head and sighed.
Shinobu bowed to her, burying his head in his hands as he did so. "Mother, please forgive me! I had every intention on escape, but that thing grabbed me before I could!" he exclaimed.
Chiaki narrowed her eyes at his words. She knew her son was no liar, but it still tugged at her heart when he did this. "You must understand, Shinobu. That robot may not always be there. And for all you know, neither will that Dani girl. A ninja can act in concert with other ninja, but they can never be true allies. We are not that way. You never know when someone could backstab you," she explained.
"But you don't protest my friends!" Shinobu remarked as he lifted his head. "You allow me to hang with them!"
"Because they have earned my respect and trust," the ninja said seriously. "They have backed you up in times of need, and have never once betrayed you. They I can accept as your allies. As for this robot, I cannot be sure it will not turn on us. And this Dani girl is a wild card. With them, it is best to be on your guard."
Shinobu looked down, knowing his mother was right. His friends were perhaps the only non-ninja to have earned the respect and trust of a ninja, and therefore were considered allies to their clan, and by extension, their families, too. And to do so meant that it was a bond of trust. Very rarely did ninja trust others outside their own clans.
He bowed his head again. "I understand, Mother," he said.
"Should this ever happen again, I am afraid it will have shamed our clan name for generations. We will be dishonored, and you know the price," Chiaki said grimly. Her eyes narrowed and her son gulped, knowing what it meant. Ritual suicide, which was forbidden in this day and age, had long since fallen out of favor with more prominent clans. So instead they adopted a new policy of removing one's name from the family tree. It was the closest they could get to committing seppuku. To be removed from a clan was considered a dishonor that could never be redeemed unless one was willing to go above and beyond in their duties to their former clients or clan, and that rarely happened.
Shinobu knew what this meant. If he was ever captured again, his name would be removed from the clan family tree until he found a way to redeem himself in their eyes.
He bowed his head lower. "I promise it shall never happen again, Mother, Father," he said.
Chiaki motioned for him to sit up. He did.
A smile graced her face. "I know it sounds harsh, but we only want what is best for you. We want you to succeed in your life, Shinobu. And we only wish to see you grow strong." Her smile faded as she looked down at her hands clenched in her lap. "But for this to happen... I worry about your future in this world... If you were to be lost, we would truly know the meaning of shame and grief."
The female ninja embraced her son and he returned it. "Mother... I'm so... so sorry!" he whimpered, breaking down crying. "I... I was just..." His voice was lost amongst his cries, and she hugged him closer.
Masaru joined the hug, placing a hand on Shinobu's shoulder as he embraced him as well.
"Just be careful from now on..." he said softly. "I don't want to lose my son to those Grimm..."
Of course, both families had no idea as to what fate awaited their children...
DARKLANDS - UNKNOWN LOCATION
SAMMAEL'S CASTLE
The red skies lit up with eternal fury as he stood in front of the window in his castle, his red eyes fixed on the horizon. For Sammael, this sight was never one to evoke emotions, but he did admit it had a sort of poetic quality to it as a smirk crossed his lips.
His smirk faded into a more serious expression as he heard the door to his domain open, and loud metallic footsteps reached his hearing.
"So, you have your next target planned?" a deep voice rumbled from behind him.
"Why yes, my friend," Sammael purred as he looked back out of the corner of his eye at the hulking form lurking in the shadows. "And I have to say that this time, the mecha will fail to defeat my Grimm."
The speaker's green optics pulsed as a screen appeared in front of him, courtesy of one of his drones. The screen displayed video footage of Esebu as he dealt the final blow to the gorilla Faunus Ultra before capturing him. "Esebu, they call him," he muttered.
The Fallen arched an eyebrow as he turned to face the shadowy figure.
A flash of lightning briefly illuminated the chamber, and the huge form of I.O.N.E.S.C.O.U. was revealed, his green optics burning into the Fallen's red eyes. "Esebu, hmm?"
The Devil Gundam nodded his helm. "Yes."
"An intriguing name," Sammael mused. Then a small smile crossed his lips. "Interesting..." Then he looked up. "I have a proposition. How would you like to... assist me... in creating the next Grimm? I know your drones are compatible with the Dark Substance, no?"
The huge Gundam narrowed his optics in contemplation. "And what is in it for me?" he asked warily.
"A chance to see just what Esebu is made of... literally," Sammael remarked casually. His smile grew into a sneer. "And to see if more like him exist."
I.O.N.E.S.C.O.U. hummed thoughtfully. "I will admit, as a former man of science, I too am intrigued. So I accept your proposition."
"Good. Then come. We have a Grimm to make..." Sammael turned and walked off, the hulking Gundam trailing after.
"As a suggestion, Sammael, I have one already planned," he said, his optics flashing red for a brief instant. "I can show you, if you like."
Sammael was normally not one to accept suggestions on what Grimm to make, but in this case, he wished to see what his biomechanical counterpart had crafted. So he nodded. I.O.N.E.S.C.O.U. raised a hand and a screen appeared in front of the red-haired Fallen.
The image made his eyes widen. Then he turned to look at the Devil Gundam. His sneer had morphed into a grin. "I must say, this is quite... devilish... of you, my friend."
I.O.N.E.S.C.O.U. hummed in pleasure at Sammael's reaction. "I take it you approve?"
"More than approve. Should this design prove successful, I plan on making smaller versions, if you don't mind," Sammael said with a real grin.
"Not at all. As long as you give me proper credit for this design..." the Gundam hissed. His hand clenched and scales of metal formed on it before transforming into a sword with those scales on the blade.
"I intend to, do not worry," Sammael said. The Fallen smirked. "After all, I do not waste talent. And yours really shine. I think you will go far, my friend. And I mean what I say with this."
The Devil Gundam dismissed his sword and nodded. "Good. I am satisfied that someone takes an interest in my talents..."
THE NEXT DAY
TOKYO, JAPAN
DAIMONYAMA CONSTRUCTION HQ - DAIMONYAMA HOUSEHOLD
"TSURANUKI!"
The boy groaned as he turned over in his bed, burying his head under the pillow. "Mooom! It's early!" he moaned.
Mizusu's voice rang out again. "GET UP! IT'S ALMOST TEN!"
Tsuranuki's eyes snapped open as he heard the words. His hand flew for his phone and he pulled it close to his face, only to gape at the time. "Crap! I almost overslept!" he blurted as he scrambled out from under the covers.
Thankfully it was a weekend, but it still was a busy day as he had been scheduled to go train at the main HQ for the SDI that day. And the session was supposed to start at eleven.
He hurriedly threw on his clothes and bolted down the stairs a few minutes later, a toothbrush in his mouth as he brushed his hair with the other hand. "Sorry!" he cried.
His mother stood not too far from the bottom of the stairs, a frown on her face. "I know I said you could take part, but that doesn't mean you get to slack off!" she remarked, pointing at him. "As it stands, you'll be late and I do not want my son to be late for training!"
The boy nodded as he finished brushing his teeth and darted into the bathroom close by to spit out the toothpaste. Once that was done, he bolted for the kitchen and grabbed a bagel before stuffing it in his mouth and running for the door, a backpack in hand. "I'll see you later!" he cried as he ran out the door.
"And don't be late again!" his mother called out after him.
Tsuranuki darted down the street, his food halfway gone by the time he reached the halfway completed Marunouchi Building.
The Marunouchi Building had been damaged in a Grimm attack several years prior and was still undergoing reconstruction even five years later. Mostly due to the fact that Mothra had damaged the surrounding buildings closest to it and therefore rerouted reconstruction efforts to them as well. It was also chosen for its close proximity to Tokyo Station to set up SDI Headquarters.
Thankfully no one was there right at the moment, so he was able to vault over the fence and landed on the other side before running past the inactive construction equipment and into the building itself. Tsuranuki ran over to the elevator shaft that was half-open and grasped onto the cable before sliding down it to the basement. He exited the elevator and ran down the hallway, having finished his bagel before getting into the elevator shaft. He ran through the basement before coming to a door that read "Danger: High Voltage" on its front. This was the building's electrical room, but inside it was another door that led down a flight of stairs to the SDI Headquarters.
The boy bolted out of the stairway and ran down the hallway until he reached the main office. He skidded to a stop, panting before he looked up as the door opened. Tsuranuki straightened up as Hokuto looked up from his desk.
"Oh, Tsuranuki. You're right on time," he said.
"Sorry, I slept in..." Tsuranuki panted as he walked into the office.
Hokuto chuckled a bit. "It happens. Just be sure to remember when you're supposed to be here for training. I'd recommend writing it down on a calendar so you don't forget."
The boy cracked a smile as he sat down in front of the director's desk.
"So, what's the training today?" Tsuranuki asked as Director Hayasugi took his seat behind the desk.
"Basically you'll be going to Hokkaido for training in operations during cold weather," he explained as he tapped a few buttons on his computer. Then he turned the computer to face Tsuranuki.
Tsuranuki leaned in and his eyes widened a bit. "This..."
Hokuto nodded. "This is where you'll be training." The screen showed a large open area filled with snow and ruins, and Tsuranuki narrowed his eyes.
"Doesn't look like much," he mused.
"Trust me, this place is as good as any. Actually, this used to be a city before it was demolished in a Grimm attack seven years prior," Hokuto explained. "It used to be called Shibetsu before it was destroyed by a massive bat Grimm seven years ago. It was completely leveled, and no one survived... Only ruins remain to this day."
"So that makes it a perfect training ground..." Tsuranuki mused.
The director nodded. "Yes. So you'll be heading out there as soon as-"
He was cut off by the alarm as it began to blare.
"Sir, it's Futaba! We got word on a new Grimm sighting!"
Hokuto's hand flew to the computer and he pressed a button beside the keyboard. Futaba's image appeared on the monitor in the lower left hand corner. "What Grimm are we talking about?" he asked.
"It's a Kaiju-class. We've code named it Rope Spider." She shifted before the image of the Grimm in question appeared on the upper right hand corner. "We've already fired off a capture field, so Tsuranuki can get in there."
The boy narrowed his eyes as he got up. "Understood!"
Hokuto nodded. "Then you're cleared for deployment. Get to the pod room."
Tsuranuki saluted before he turned and ran out of the room.
Of course, he was unaware that he had been followed...
SURFACE
MARUNOUCHI BUILDING
Miku frowned as she peered around the corner. "This... I know I saw him run down this way..."
Beside her, Shinobu narrowed his eyes. "I don't know... This just seems wrong..."
"So is ducking out of sight without letting us know what he is doing!" Miku shot back. Her rabbit ears twitched as she kept them close to her head. "This isn't like him... What is he hiding? Don't you want to know?"
In truth, the ninja did want to know. Why was he suddenly ducking away every few days for the last month? What was he up to?
That was what spurred Miku to follow him today.
But now, they had lost him. There was no way that he could've up and vanished. Tsuranuki was in no way as sneaky as a ninja, or as stealthy. In fact, he downright failed at stealth in some cases.
Miku peeped around the corner a bit more, her rabbit ears pricking up. She turned them a bit, then her head snapped to the right. "Footsteps!" she hissed. "This way!"
She quietly bolted out of hiding, with Shinobu following her. The two made their way to the closest elevator shaft and Shinobu held out a hand as he sprawled on his stomach, tilting his head as he listened. He could faintly hear footsteps all right. And they sounded as if they were coming from the basement.
"C'mon!" he whispered, slipping his hands around the cable. Within seconds he was sliding down it, Miku following just moments later. The two children descended down the cable until they reached the bottom of the shaft. Once on the bottom, they plastered themselves to the walls and peered out around the door frame.
And their eyes widened as they saw Tsuranuki run past. He ran past the elevator, not even noticing them as he ducked down another corridor.
The two teenagers ran out to follow, only to see that he had vanished.
"What...?"
TOKYO SDI HEADQUARTERS
LAUNCH BAY
Tsuranuki settled into the pod as he donned the helmet. The top of the pod hissed shut as he waited for the linkup to commence.
"Tsuranuki, I'm sure you saw the image, but as a reminder, the Grimm is based off of a spider. And it's started to spin a web inside the capture field. So you have to move," Hokuto relayed.
"Right! LinkPod, engage!" Tsuranuki replied.
He closed his eyes as the gauge flashed to one hundred percent. He let his mind drift free and he followed the tendril to his unit.
TOKYO SDI HEADQUARTERS
SHINKANSEN HANGAR
Slowly, he came to.
His mind, on instinct, reached out and embraced his frame.
The readouts flickered as his vision came online.
UNIT: E7 KAGAYAKI
STATUS: ACTIVATED
DRIVER: TSURANUKI DAIMONYAMA
CODE NAME: ESEBU
AURA: STABLE
BATTERY OPERATION TIME: 36 HOURS
ENERGY LEVELS: 100%
Esebu grunted as he started his engine, the power flooding his sleek frame.
He revved his engine a few times, feeling the power as it surged through him.
"All right. Esebu, prepare for departure!" Hokuto ordered.
"Roger that!" he replied in his deep baritone voice. He waited as the tunnel in front of him opened, exposing its dark interior.
The signal beside him turned green and he disengaged his brakes, putting more power to his wheels. "Esebu, E7 Kagayaki... all aboard!" he declared.
With a blast from his horn, he sped into the tunnel, flicking on his lights as he did so.
Destination: Hokkaido
MARUNOUCHI BUILDING
BASEMENT
"What do you mean he just vanished?" Miku blurted. "You said it yourself! He isn't as stealthy as a ninja!"
"There's no trace of him anywhere, and we saw him head down this way," Shinobu explained as he poked around for any sign of their friend.
The boy was a skilled tracker, she knew, but even his skills were of no use to track him down. It seemed that Tsuranuki had vanished off the face of the earth.
The rabbit Faunus inched down the hallway, her eyes narrowed as she hefted her kendo sword in one hand. Beside her, Shinobu walked, a kunai held in each hand. His eyes were hard as he looked around, every one of his senses primed for a potential attacker.
"Hello? Tsuranuki?" Miku called.
"Are you here?" Shinobu called.
No answer.
Nothing except the humming of the electricity.
The ninja glanced around."..." He didn't know why, but he felt as if... something were here...
His eyes landed on a door that appeared to be locked.
"Shinobu?" Miku was confused. "What's up?"
"I'm not sure... but it feels like something is here... calling us..." He narrowed his eyes as he sheathed a kunai and crept to the locked door.
"How could anything be calling us here? We're the only ones here," Miku pointed out.
"Oh, really?" Shinobu grasped the door knob and turned it. The door creaked open and the two peeped inside.
What they saw really baffled them.
Before them were several pods, each of them bearing a strange insignia on their sides. One of them was active, and it had a blue, white, and golden yellow color scheme. The front of it resembled the cockpit glass of a shinkansen, and inside it was...
"Tsuranuki!" both cried as they ran in.
They could barely see him beneath the glass, but it was him. A helmet of some kind rested on his head and he appeared to be sleeping. His chest rose and fell with each breath, and he lay in some kind of chair that acted as a bed of sorts as well.
Miku knocked on the glass with a hand. "Tsuranuki?"
No answer. He didn't budge or stir. He was out cold.
"What happened to him?" Miku asked.
Shinobu narrowed his eyes as he scanned the pods. "I don't know, but I think it has to do with these pods..." he mused. "Maybe..." He scanned them, noticing how they had numbers and words inscribed on them. One of them read E3 Tsubasa. Another read H5 Hayabusa. "I wonder what these are for..."
The rabbit Faunus frowned as she inched closer to the one that read H5 Hayabusa. "Let's see..." She peered in, only for Shinobu to accidentally bump her into it as he started to examine the pod he was closest to. He turned at her yelp and he was surprised to see her lying face down, the helmet partially resting on her head. She groaned as she turned around in the pod and blinked through the visor. "Shinobu!" she grumped.
"Sorry," the boy remarked. "But I think you had better get out of there until we know what we are dealing with."
She nodded and was about to when the lid began to hiss shut. "Ah! Uh, Shinobu?"
The boy backed up, shocked, until his foot caught on one of the cables and he tripped, falling back into the pod labeled E3 Tsubasa. He landed on his rump in the pod as the helmet flopped over his head partially. The same hiss came from the pod and he perked up in shock. "Oh... Glob...!" he murmured.
Just what had they gotten themselves into?
TOKYO SDI HEADQUARTERS
OBSERVATION DECK
"Sir! Two more units have been activated!"
Hokuto's gaze snapped from the main monitor showing Esebu en route to the other side of the deck's window. He looked out and he was surprised to see the lights slowly coming online within the E3 and H5 units respectively.
"Who activated them?" he asked.
Akagi narrowed his eyes as the names popped up. "Miku Hatsune and Shinobu Tsukiyama," he read off.
The director felt a small smile cross his lips, although he didn't like the twisting feeling he was getting. He knew what it was: guilt. But at the same time, that meant that Esebu would have reinforcements coming.
If they didn't freak out at their new frames, that is.
He turned to look at Futaba. "You keep in contact with Esebu. I got two new Shinkalion warriors to debrief."
She nodded and donned the headset as he handed it off to her.
"Esebu, do you read me?" she asked.
"Yes," came the reply. "I'm approaching the area now."
"Good. I'm going to send the rail directly to your location," she replied as she typed in a command at her keyboard.
She watched the monitor as it showed the blue energy rail linking up with the main one. She observed the blue and white shinkansen as it sped down the rail, zeroing in on the capture field.
"Once you get into the field, transform at once," she ordered. "And be prepared. We don't know what kind of abilities this new Grimm has."
"Understood," Esebu replied.
HOKKAIDO CAPTURE FIELD
Esebu entered the field at full throttle.
As soon as he did though, he swore that had he been human, his mouth would've fallen open.
The Grimm was not on the platform like they had figured. Instead, what appeared to be a web of sorts covered the entire diameter of the field, suspending the Grimm above the central platform. He could already see that the rails above were covered by the stuff, keeping him from ascending. He growled in the back of his vocalizer as he applied his brakes.
"CHANGE! SHINKALION!"
He transformed into his more humanoid form and landed on the platform pylon, looking up at the spider Grimm with his green-yellow optics. "The hell is this thing doing?" he muttered.
The spider Grimm looked a lot different than he had expected. For one thing, it did have the lower body of a spider, but with two pairs of legs instead of four. The second pair of legs acted as a pair of arms and the last pair was arched over its back, like a pair of pincers. It looked biomechanical... Esebu frowned to himself in his thoughts. Something was wrong. No Grimm looked like this.
"Commander Futaba, what should I do?" he asked.
"For now, be careful, and try to get to higher ground. If that thing attacks, be ready to run on the rails," she ordered.
"Hai." Esebu nodded and ran for the closest ramp. He skidded to a stop and looked up, his optics pulsing a bit. It was going to be a tight squeeze to get through the gap...
He ran for the closest gap and sprang up, kicking off the wall of the energy field. His hand lashed out to catch onto the webbing, only for a yelp of disgust to escape his vocalizer. He let go and landed on the ramp, shaking his hand with a whine. "Eeew! Gross!" he whined. "This stuff is like rotting flesh!"
"Esebu, be careful! We don't know what that stuff is made of!" Futaba cautioned.
He finally shook the last of it off his hand as he looked up. "Yeah? Try telling me that before I grab it next time!" he snarked.
The Shinkalion turned back to the gap. There had to be another way to get past it... without touching that goopy web.
He clenched his fists as he started to back up. There was no way he could get past that stuff. "Dammit... I'm trapped..." he muttered.
However, he needn't have worried for too long. The Rope Spider suddenly whipped its head around and fired off sticky black cables that wrapped themselves around one of his feet and arms. He looked down, only to yelp as he was pulled off the main platform and into the air. The Grimm swung him around and the cables snapped from the force of the throw, causing him to slam into one of the panels of the capture field. A grunt escaped him as he hit the field hard, causing a few cracks to appear. He peeled off of it like wallpaper and landed on his hands and knees, panting. His entire back ached from the impact.
The Shinkalion looked up, his optics locking onto the Rope Spider as it sprang off the web and came right for him.
He rolled to the side as the Grimm landed on the rail. He turned and his hands clenched into fists as he stood up. He held out his hand and summoned his Wheelset Drill to his grasp. He held it out to the side before he lunged for the Rope Spider. The spider Grimm roared before it thrust its legs forward to try and catch him. The Shinkalion rolled to the left and thrust his drill up towards its exposed underbelly, only for it to flash its eyes and leap away. He watched as it landed on the webbing and he growled to himself. "Shit..." he muttered.
He looked down at the webbing, growling to himself. No doubt if he set foot out there, he'd be stuck. He growled as he inched closer to it and looked at the Rope Spider. It narrowed its eyes and squealed a roar as it attacked with that webbing again. Esebu leapt to the side and landed on the rail, skidding back before breaking into a run, trying to avoid the sticky cables as they lashed out to try and catch him. He ssrang away from a few before he flipped and landed higher up, turning around and flipping the Grimm the bird.
That turned out to be a big mistake.
The next thing he knew, the Rope Spider was leaping towards him, its legs spread wide to clamp around him!
He was trapped.
Esebu cried out in shock as the thing landed on top of him, pinning his arms to his sides and disarming him of his drill. It landed on the edge of the rail as the Rope Spider proceeded to reel itself up off the track with him in its grasp. He looked down in fear as he felt his engine racing in his chest. What was this thing doing?!
He started to squirm, but the Rope Spider leaned in and suddenly, thick strands of black gooey cable wound themselves around his chest and arms, keeping him bound. He tried to kick with his legs, but the Grimm proceeded to bind his legs together, too, keeping him in place. He struggled against the bindings, but they were surprisingly strong considering their gooey appearance. Some small part of him told him it was futile, but he refused to give up. Esebu strained, channeling his Aura into his hydraulics, but even with the boost, the ropes were just too strong.
He heard a hissing sound and he looked up, only to gulp in fright as the Rope Spider inched closer to him, its eyes fixed on his throat. He stared in shock as the mouth opened, exposing fangs that glistened in the light of the field. He began to shake, his optics pulsing in fright.
The Rope Spider began to creep towards its prey, its mandibles moving as it inched closer, savoring the terror he was feeling. Esebu began to shake in his armor as the spider slowly came closer... with each step, his terror only grew.
He could only hope for a miracle at this point.
KAIJU GRIMM DATABASE:
Name: Rope Spider
Species: Kaiju
Class: Mega
Basis: Spider
Abilities: Able to fire off gooey cables to form webs; can emit frost from the fridge units on its sides; can sap energy from electrical objects; able to regenerate thanks to the Dark Grimm Cells in its body