Chapter 9: Childhood's End pt 1

Ash filled smoke still billowed from the ruins of Tokyo-3 which was really nothing more then a combination wreckage pile crater. Grimlock and Dino-mode Unit 00 tore across the wreckage in a dead run, large supply crates strapped to their backs as several flight-type transformers carried more across the massive divide to survivors in isolated parts of the ruined city.

"It appears I have won our race," Rei said with the faint hint of amusement in her voice as the Eva transformed into its standard mode with the supplies in its arms.

"Grimlock say he let Queen win, Queen have self-confidence issues." The Dinobot said as some other Autobots came to help remove his supply packs.

Rei smirked as she climbed from the raised Entry Plug and climbed down the deactivated Evangelion. "Rei!" Hikari called out and she turned to see some of her classmates approaching them from the camp.

"I'm glad to see you all made it through this all right," Rei said in her usual monotone voice, eyes lingering dully on the shirtless Kensuke. She finally broke the stare to look past them to the emergency hospital set up. "Did the injured make it through alright?"

"We lost some but not many," Hikari explained pushing her loose hair from her eyes. "Touji's not really happy with still being stuck in bed with all this happening. Telling everyone who comes close that 'he's still an Evangelion Pilot, damn it'. Stubborn baka …"

Rei glanced to the Dinobots as they transformed and began helping carry supplies to their secured locations. "Grimlock, I'm going to be a few moments, return to the command center once this is complete, I'll be along shortly." She said in just below a commanding tone before her eyes went back to the group, especially bespectacled teen. "Kensuke, I require your assistance with something, would you come with me?" The odd pilot said reaching out and grabbing the confused Kensuke's wrist and pulled him away from the group toward one of the still standing buildings.

---

"Shinji, wake up, we have to talk." A familiar voice spoke through his darkness. "Shinji, we have little time."

Shinji weakly opened his eyes and found himself laying on a metallic surface. "I think I'd prefer an unfamiliar ceiling than this …" he said admiring the 3 metallic moons high above him.

"It's been a long time, Shinji," Kaworu smiled down at him, causing the pilot of Unit 01 to yelp and crawl away.

"It can't be! You're dead!" Shinji squeak, staring up at the Angel.

"Perhaps but I'd have to have truly been alive to have died." Kaworu nodded as a woman who looked vaguely familiar to Shinji with a striking resemblance to Rei walked from behind the Angel.

"We don't have much time, son," the woman said holding her hand down and taking Shinji's hand. "You must hurry. We are the only hope for Humanity and the Transformers. We can awaken the source and stop the demon that started all of this. Only we can end this."

"Mom?" Shinji choked as he took Yui's hand and she helped him to his feet.

Once he was up he realized he was surrounded by several Transformers each bearing the Autobot symbol. "What's going on?" He asked, surprising himself with recognizing every one of the giant robotic beings.

"Till all are One …" Yui said taking Shinji's hands in her own.

"Keep fighting, Shinji," Kaworu smiled. "Keep fighting till all are One."

"…I'm still not sure how we got away with it. Bumblebee and Jazz were amazing diversions while me and Carlie snuck up behind with the spray cans. Prowl never saw it coming."

Shinji tightened his eyes and listening questioningly. That sounded very much like his father … but …

"I'd have paid to see that!" Misato's voice laughed. Shinji forced his eyelids to open and glanced over to see Misato giggling and much to his astonishment his father with the closest thing to a smile he'd seen in years. "SHINJI-KUN!" Misato gasped before turning back. "HE'S AWAKE!" She jumped to her feet and ran out of the tent. "SHINJI'S AWAKE!" she then ran back, nearly knocking Gendo out of the way before gripping his shoulders. "It's going to be ok, Shinji," She said with teary eyes. "It's going to be O. K. ok? It's going to be ok."

"I know, is Prime ok?" Shinji asked push himself up to a seated position.

"Optimus is fine; he went with a few other Autobots to meet with the UN to discuss the situation a bit more seriously." Gendo nodded.

"You're head of NERV, why didn't you go too?" Shinji coughed.

"There is no NERV anymore, Shinji. I officially disbanded the organization yesterday." Gendo nodded, "And why would I leave the country with my son sick?"

"Do you really want me to answer that question?" Shinji asked laying back down.

"I know I've made many mistakes, far more than you know, Shinji," Gendo stated seriously. "I don't expect you to forgive or ever to forget but I am going to do everything in my power to make things up to you. Even if it takes a lifetime."

Father and Son held hard eye contact for several moments before Shinji sighed. "Think they'll listen this time?"

"I'm sure Prime can make a workable argument." Gendo smiled.

---

Several hundred miles away at the United Nations the representatives were about to end their meeting of the day when the sound of a semi horn could be heard.

The reps barely got out of the way as the red and blue Evangelion transport slammed through the wall before transforming into the leader of the Autobots. "Mister Chairman, I believe I have some new business." Optimus Prime stated as he slid on one knee into the destroyed chamber.

"Optimus Prime …" The Chairman gasped looking up at the Cybertronian.

"Truly I'm not a hostel robot, so I'm willing to give you the reasonable doubt about the recent attack on my forces and Tokyo-3," Prime spoke with a sharp edge to his voice.

"With that said, I wish to address you with what has already been brought to your attention by Commander Ikari. A Transformer is in route to Earth; far greater than any Autobot or Decepticon. We had attempted a means of stopping him. We attempted to protect it as well as we could but without the added assistance, the Decepticons breached our defenses and destroyed our best shot at saving this planet. And in our most difficult situation, instead of lending us aid you attacked us."

"So you're here to lecture us when you yourself and your race has all but invaded our planet and sided with a man who has been confirmed to be planning genocide."

"Commander Ikari's threat has been assessed by us, and dissolved, Mr. Chairman," Prime stated with narrowed optics. "I assume you are aware of Unicron."

"Yes, Optimus Prime, we are very much aware of it, but rest assured we are prepared for him. NATO has already dealt with the threat. So there is really nothing to worry about." The Chairman smiled contently.

"Out of curiosity, sir, may I ask how?" Prime asked crossing his arms, and the chairman of the UN picked up a phone at his desk, spoke for a moment before looking back to the Autobot Commander. "If you'll stick around, Commander Prime, you'll see our victory within the hour."

---

After Gendo left to check on the recovery effort of the city Misato helped Shinji from the hospital tent. "Take it easy, Shinji." Misato said as Shinji limped slightly out of the tent.

"I've slept for over two days, Misato, I'm tired of taking it easy," Shinji said with a small smile. "Did your car make it through?"

"No it didn't … Damned Decepticons …" Misato cursed, before the sound of squealing tires was heard.

Shinji and Misato barely got out of the way as a pink convertible sports car slid sideways to a stop before them. "Need a lift?" Asuka asked sliding her sunglasses down her nose from the driver's seat.

"Sorry Red, their ride's just arrived," Hot Rod walked up with a cocky smirk. "Want to drive, Ace?" Hot Rod said to Shinji as he transformed.

"Sure," Shinji said as he approached the driver's side, not breaking his challenging stare-off with Asuka as he went.

Shinji got in and ran his hands along the steering wheel. "So, think you two can keep up with us to the command center?" Shinji asked with a confident smile, accompanied by a chuckle and a rev from Hot Rod.

"Less talk, more driving," Arcee stated shortly. "Or dust eating in your cases."

"Who are you going to ride with, Misato?" Shinji asked with a too innocent smile.

The purple haired woman glanced from car to car before waving. "I think I'll walk."

Hot Rod's radio turned on and the volume full blast.

Everyone considered him the coward of the county
He'd never stood one single time to prove the county wrong

"Are you trying to tell me something?" Misato's eye twitched to the sports car.

"Maybe," Hot Rod drawled as Arcee giggled.

"Kick his bumper, Arcee," Misato said as she opened Arcee's passenger side door and sat down beside Asuka.

The two cars pulled up side by side, both Autobots giving their drivers full control for the time being. "Three …" drivers and Autobots said in unison. "Two … One … GO!" came the unison bellow as the engines roared.

The two sports cars screamed down the battered streets, dodging wreckage as they went. Asuka and Shinji sent each other challenging gazes before Asuka brought her thumb across her throat in a slitting motion before replacing both hands on the wheel.

---

Goldbug and Jazz ran into the partly collapsed NERV Central Dogma to the command center. "Ultra Magnus!" Gold Bug called, "Spike! We have … um … a situation…"

"What kind of situation?" Ultra Magnus replied sitting down a large piece of debris.

"It's Hot Rod and Arcee, sir," Goldbug reported, "They're racing again …"

"Oh great Primus …" Ultra Magnus' optics widened. "Where's Kup?!"

---

"Your girlfriend's good," Hot Rod commented as they held a short lead.

"Wha? Asuka's NOT my girlfriend," Shinji replied pushing the gas harder, "Do you have a GPS? I think I have an idea but I need to know exactly where we are."

"Do I have a GPS? Please." Hot Rod snorted, as a monitor shifted and opened in the center of the steering wheel showing a map of the area.

"Yes. This is perfect." Shinji said letting off the gas slightly to close the gap more.

"Your boyfriend's good," Asuka commented as she pushed Arcee for all her worth.

"I have no boyfriend," Arcee replied sharply. "But yours is a decent driver."

"Me and the Baka? Ha!" Asuka scoffed, "I'd just soon kick his ass then look at him."

"Some couples do get kinky like that," Misato leaned her seat back and rested her hands behind her head. "Seriously, all four of you need to just get laid. This indirect flirting is just pathetic."

"Says the shameless woman who likes to flash her cleavage and ass to fifteen year old boys," Asuka's eye twitched slightly.

"Shame is overrated," Misato waved before yelping as Asuka whipped Arcee to the left as Shinji took a hard turn.

"Where the hell did he learn to drive like that?" Misato snapped as she watched the red sports car ahead of them swerve and turn, on two wheels in some places.

"I wonder …" Asuka replied with a dull look.

Not far ahead, Kup and a group of Autobots were preparing a road block for a detour when he saw the dust cloud. "Awe, crap." He sighed knowing exactly what it meant.

He jumped out of the way as the two sports cars tore through the blocks. "THE ROAD'S OUT!" Kup yelled after them. "Stupid stubborn kids!"

"Hang on girls," Shinji smirked in the rear-view mirror and pushed the gas to the floor.

"Are you sure this is really a good idea?" Hot Rod asked as their target came closer and closer.

"Sure I'm sure, I've seen it done tons of times," Shinji said then as an afterthought "In the movies."

"You're not scared are you?" Shinji smirked as he narrowed his eyes at the road.

"Me? Heck no, just a little worried about the girls making it, you know how fragile they can be."

"Let's break some records!" Shinji called as Hot Rod shot off the edge of the broken bridge and flew through the air.

"Don't do it, Don't do it, Don't do it!" Misato tried to climb in her seat with wide terror-filled eyes as Arcee sped up toward the broken bridge. Arcee and Asuka's only reply was cackling, evil laughter. "OH SHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII-" Misato screamed as Arcee took to the air on the same trail as Hot Rod.

"Oh shit." Arcee and Asuka gasped when Arcee's nose went a little too far down on her approach to the other end.

"Looks like we're going to have a bumpy landing …" Arcee said sweetly as she brought her hard top up.

Arcee landed nose first and rolled forward onto her top, sliding along the damaged road way. "Are you two ok in there?" Arcee asked as they came to a stop.

"Asuka … you … and Shinji … I am so sorry…" Misato whimpered clinging to her seatbelt as both girls sat upside down.

"You guys ok?" Shinji asked running forward as Asuka and Misato crawled out.

"Shinji … I … help me …" Asuka gasped still on the ground. Shinji ran toward her with Hot Rod close behind, but as soon as Shinji touched Asuka's shoulder her hands shot up and encircled his neck. "DIE, BAKA!!"

"Shinji! Gah!" Hot Rod gasped when two metallic hands circled his throat, he didn't even hear Arcee transform before she started choking him.

"You rust bucket, DO YOU KNOW WHAT THAT DID TO MY PAINT JOB, YOU LEMON!" She screamed in his face.

Misato sat on the ground and watched the two females attack their respective other with a knowing smile. "Ah young love …"

"Ahem." Three voices cleared and all five turned to see Ultra Magnus, Kup, and Gendo standing with their arms crossed.

"Hee …" all five grinned and waved innocently.

---

In deep space a large UN missile armed with a forty five warhead payload approached the weakened Unicron. Project Star-Killer was designed solely to destroy a large meteor or other object in route with Earth. It was launched from the old International Space Station several days earlier and was quickly approaching its target.

The Monster Planet slowly turned to face the missile as if detecting its challenge to itself. A low growling roar erupted from the large spiked opening as it opened outward into jagged tooth-like spikes. The designs for this attack expected as much and Unicron did exactly as the UN planned and began to suck the nuclear missile inside itself.

Back on Earth the United Nations and Optimus Prime watched with interest at the telescope view of the event and the humans cheered when the missile went inside the monster.

The nuclear shockwave caused a loss of signal for a few moments and the cheering increased. Even Optimus started to gain hope that perhaps they had won, but a feeling deep down in his spark told him that it was far from over.

"Oh my God …" one of the representatives breathed as the image cleared and Unicron appeared as if nothing had happened at all. "It … didn't have any effect at all…"

"Yes it did …" Prime said his head dropping sadly. "You fed him."

The chamber was silent. "I have Autobot Shuttles in route. With luck they will arrive before Unicron's arrival. We will do all we can to stop him. But I think it would be wise to evacuate as many as possible to safety. We will continue to try to discover a way to stop him but perhaps now that we are on the same page, we might be able to discover something FASTER. You know where I'll be if you wish to contact us." Prime said as he walked out the way he came, leaving the leaders of the United Nations in horrified silence.

To Be Continued …