The city of Townsville.
A place where great heroes are born...
Literally in the case of two of them.
It's hard to believe, but yeah. I'm back, and with a new book in the works.
My name is Tsuranuki Daimonyama, and I am the leader of Team Shinkalion.
But just who or what is Team Shinkalion, you may ask? Well, if you read the last few books, you may get an idea, but to put it simply, we are the defenders of Tokyo, and thereby all of Japan as well. We, that is, me and my friends, can take on the form of mecha that can transform into shinkansen trains. And no, it's not a Semblance or some kind of power. We use technology to transfer our very essence into the frames and then we can use them as our bodies.
As of right now there are seven of us.
Me, my best friends Hayato Hayasugi and Akita Oga, Shinobu Tsukiyama and Miku Hatsune, as well as a cheetah Faunus named Ryuji Kiyosu. We also happened to find a real life Cybertronian named Railspike, who has since started to act as our mentor. His backstory is quite surprising, as he is one of only a few survivors from what was their research base on Earth here: Outpost Prima. And due to how long he's lived, he has, according to him, much greater experience in battle than even Sammael himself has. And that's saying something! So while we do have an edge, Railspike is still not one hundred percent certain on some of the Fallen King's moves.
As for what's happening so far, well... it turns out that my friends and Railspike are on the run due to some fake Shinkalions created by Sammael. I'm not sure how they're going to clear their names, but one thing I do know is that since I'm on a mission to Townsville, I'm safe from that situation. At least for the moment.
And that brings me back to my mission here. I was sent to help bolster the ranks of the Powerpuff Girls until Buttercup Utonium is found and brought back safely. But... little did I know I would soon be involved with a much more personal mission.
This is my story. The story of how I helped a princess in need...
And showed her life outside the castle in which she lived.
(Shows a gleaming light as a hand reaches for it before the screen goes dark)
What are you waiting for? (Two optics flash online as the camera pans to the left, showing Esebu standing atop a cliff)
What are you waiting for? (Shows the city of Townsville, a huge estate overlooking it with a shadowy shape just above it before the movie title appears below Esebu)
GRIMMFALL: THE CASTLE AND THE KAGAYAKI
Are you waiting on a lightning strike? (A flash of lightning cuts across the screen, showing Tsuranuki as he's standing in the guest bedroom of the Utonium house, rain pouring down the window)
Are you waiting for the perfect night? (The camera pans out to the right, showing Princess Morbucks gazing down at the city from her balcony, hands clenching the balcony railing, tears in her eyes)
Are you waiting 'til the time is right? (The camera moves out to show the estate in the background, Esebu in shinkansen form observing the building as a steam train heads away from it)
What are you waiting for? (The steam train rounds the corner as Esebu follows behind)
Don't you wanna learn to deal with fear? (Shows Esebu facing Elmer Sglue, backing up in terror)
Don't you wanna take the wheel and steer? (The Powerpuff Girls are shown trying to control a runaway bus)
Don't you wait another minute here? (Esebu is shown grabbing onto the bus and pushes hard with his treads digging into the ground)
What are you waiting for? (The vehicle comes to a stop as smoke fills the area)
What are you waiting for? (An explosion suddenly erupts from the ground, smoke covering the screen before it vanishes, showing a Kaiju attacking Townsville)
You gotta go and reach for the top (Esebu is shown lunging forward at the Kaiju, his drill revving up as in his optics he sees Princess crying out for help from her estate balcony)
Believe in every dream that you got (Esebu charges at the Kaiju Grimm, his Aura streaming off his frame as behind him a peaceful vision of Earth appears)
You're only living once so tell me (The Kaiju fires off a blast of red energy that strikes the incoming Shinkalion, creating an explosion before Esebu comes out of the smoke)
What are you, what are you waiting for? (The Kaiju retaliates, the two colliding with a flash of light before the light fades)
You know you gotta give it your all (The light vanishes to show Princess scrambling up a cliff, only to lose her grip and fall)
And don't you be afraid if you fall (A shadowy hand reaches out and catches her, causing her to look back at two green optics, relief on her face)
You're only living once so tell me (Princess smiles as the figure sets her down)
What are you, what are you waiting for? (The figure transforms into a train before heading off, two headlights flaring brightly)
Are you waiting for the right excuse? (The light fades to show Tsuranuki glancing back at the manor of Princess with a concerned look on his face)
Are you waiting for a sign to choose? (The camera pans to the right to show Princess behind a door, tears running down her face)
While you're waiting it's the time you lose (The two are shown back to back, the door between them)
What are you waiting for? (Princess and Tsuranuki are engulfed by two streaks of light, one pink and one blue, before it shows the Powerpuff Girls flying overhead)
Don't you wanna spread your wings and fly? (Princess is shown falling before two mechanical wings spread behind her and a metallic hand grasps hers)
Don't you really wanna live your life? (The two hands fade to show Princess and Esebu standing before one another, their alter egos in the background transparent)
Don't you wanna love before you die? (Blossom and Bubbles are shown looking at an image of Buttercup, tears in their eyes)
What are you waiting for? (Tsuranuki places his hand on both their shoulders, his eyes in shadow)
What are you waiting for? (An explosion suddenly erupts from the ground, smoke covering the screen before it vanishes, showing an avian Kaiju Grimm attacking Townsville)
You gotta go and reach for the top (Esebu is shown lunging forward at the Kaiju, his drill revving up as in his optics he sees Princess crying out for help from her estate balcony)
Believe in every dream that you got (Esebu charges at the Kaiju Grimm, his Aura streaming off his frame as behind him a peaceful vision of Earth appears)
You're only living once so tell me (The Kaiju fires off a blast of red energy that strikes the incoming Shinkalion, creating an explosion before Esebu comes out of the smoke)
What are you, what are you waiting for? (The Kaiju retaliates, the two colliding with a flash of light before the light fades)
You know you gotta give it your all (The light vanishes to show Princess scrambling up a cliff, only to lose her grip and fall)
And don't you be afraid if you fall (A shadowy hand reaches out and catches her, causing her to look back at two green optics, relief on her face)
You're only living once so tell me (Princess smiles as the figure sets her down)
What are you, what are you waiting for? (The figure transforms into a train before heading off, two headlights flaring brightly)
Tell me what you're waiting for (The light vanishes to show Princess in her family's estate, gazing at Townsville)
Show me what you're aiming for (Tsuranuki is shown atop a cliff, gazing at the estate in the distance)
Whatcha going to save it for? (Princess turns and walks off, grasping her gown and tiara)
So whatcha really waiting for? (Tsuranuki closes his eyes before he leans back, falling into a tunnel of darkness)
Tell me what you're waiting for (Princess takes off her dress and tiara, tossing it aside)
Show me what you're aiming for (Esebu is shown running through the streets of Townsville)
Whatcha going to save it for? (Princess is shown sneaking out of the estate)
So whatcha really waiting for? (The two are shown heading along the train tracks towards one another before the camera pans up to the moon)
Everybody's gonna make mistakes (The camera pans down to show Princess crying under a tree as it rains)
But everybody's got a choice to make (Tsuranuki shows up, looking concerned as he places a rain coat over her)
Everybody needs a leap of faith (Princess looks up, her eyes widening as she sees Tsuranuki - with Esebu behind him transparent - holding out a hand)
When are you taking yours? (Princess slowly reaches a hand out to grasp his)
What are you waiting for? (An explosion suddenly erupts from the ground, smoke covering the screen before it vanishes, showing a Kaiju attacking Townsville)
You gotta go and reach for the top (Esebu is shown lunging forward at the Kaiju, his drill revving up as in his optics he sees Princess crying out for help from her estate balcony)
Believe in every dream that you got (Esebu charges at the Kaiju Grimm, his Aura streaming off his frame as behind him a peaceful vision of Earth appears)
You're only living once so tell me (The Kaiju fires off a blast of red energy that strikes the incoming Shinkalion, creating an explosion before Esebu comes out of the smoke)
What are you, what are you waiting for? (The Kaiju retaliates, the two colliding with a flash of light before the light fades)
You know you gotta give it your all (The light vanishes to show Princess scrambling up a cliff, only to lose her grip and fall)
And don't you be afraid if you fall (A mechanical hand reaches out and catches her, causing her to look back at two familiar green optics, relief on her face)
You're only living once so tell me (Princess smiles as the Shinkalion sets her down)
What are you, what are you waiting for? (Esebu transforms into shinkansen form before heading off, his headlights flaring brightly)
You gotta go and reach for the top (The light fades to show Esebu doing battle with HIM, his drill held at the ready)
What are you, what are you waiting for? (Princess is shown repairing some of Esebu's battle damage)
Believe in every dream that you got (The blue and white train slams his fist into Giant Sedusa's gut)
What are you, what are you waiting for? (The Powerpuff Girls clash with Fuzzy Lumpkins)
You know you gotta give it your all (Brass, Erika, and Rokusho confront the Gangreen Gang)
What are you, what are you waiting for? (The form of Sammael looks back, eyes flaring brightly)
You're only living once so tell me (Princess and Tsuranuki are shown facing one another before the E7)
What are you, what are you waiting for? (The sun sets behind the two as they slowly lean in)
What are you, what are you? (Shows the two Powerpuff Girls as they land before the two and they look back)
What are you, what are you waiting for? (Tsuranuki and Princess look back as they join the two heroines and then they turn to look in the direction opposite Townsville)
What are you, what are you? (The camera pans around to show them from the front, the city of Townsville in the background)
What are you, what are you waiting for? (Behind them Esebu appears transparent, the words of the movie title appearing below them)
GRIMMFALL: THE CASTLE AND THE KAGAYAKI
CHAPTER I: MEETING
"...And so, with the recent events pertaining to the Old Magic Theater, many people have begun calling for a petition to try and save the old building. So far there have been at least fifty thousand signatures, but no one significant has offered to back the petition. Still, the fact that so many are stepping up to try and save the old building is a first step towards reclaiming a piece of Townsville's history," Blossom concluded. She closed down the PowerPoint presentation and stepped aside, allowing Bubbles up to the front of the room.
Bubbles held up her note card. "So, if you have any additional questions, feel free to ask!" she chirped, grinning.
One of the boys raised his hand and the blonde heroine nodded. "Mitch."
"So, the old place was controlled by a Kaiju?" he asked.
"Yep." Bubbles nodded. "But had it not been for Roland, we'd be dead by now."
Mitch frowned, but let it slide.
Tsuranuki shifted in his seat, holding his pen in his hand as he discreetly doodled on the edges of his notebook margins. He had just finished up his own presentation just before the girls had gone, so he was able to at least fake paying attention to their own project as he secretly doodled images of well-known Cybertronian landmarks.
It had only been two days ago that he had gotten the assignment from Railspike to make a map of as much of Cybertron as he could using what he knew, which wasn't much. But he was not one to back down from a challenge.
In fact, it only made him driven to try as hard as he could.
The young Shinkalion finally set his pen down and rubbed his eyes briefly.
He could hear Bubbles and Blossom answering a few more questions in the background as he glanced out the window, observing the birds flying overhead. It was a nice sunny day out, with only a few clouds floating through the sky. Tsuranuki smiled softly as he watched the birds soaring and swooping, embracing their freedom. In a way, he too was like them, except for being able to fly, of course.
His ability to shift between two bodies was the equivalent of flight. As a Shinkalion, he could fight harder, faster, and longer than as a human. He had the ability to change between robot and shinkansen forms in his mechanical state. He also possessed the Wheelset Drill, his signature weapon that allowed him to use his special moves, and he was able to fight against the Fourth Wave Kaiju Grimm that attacked Tokyo frequently. As a human, he could live an ordinary life, blending in and remaining out of sight from Sammael and his forces.
This was his ability. Thanks to the LinkNode in his back, he was able to don a mechanical body and take on the alter ego of Esebu, the leader of the Shinkalions, descendants from Cybertronian colonists who first landed on Earth thousands of years ago.
At least, that was idea for the cover story.
He turned his gaze back from the window as Ms. Keane finally spoke. "And that's it for our assignment," she said. "Everyone will get their graded projects back by the end of the week. I'll see you all tomorrow!"
The buzzer rang and everyone got up from their seats, heading for their lockers to gather up their backpacks and head out. Tsuranuki was on his feet in a flash and running for the locker he had been assigned during his stay here in Townsville. He undid the combination lock and slid the door open, grabbing his jacket and bookbag. He shut his locker and relocked it before turning as the Powerpuff Girls approached. "Oh! Tsuranuki!" Bubbles chirped.
"Hey!" the boy replied, slapping her hand as she held it out. "I saw your presentation."
"Same. You did a good job, despite not being a railfan!" Blossom said with a grin.
"Heh. Well, thank Hayato for that one!" Tsuranuki muttered, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly. And it was true, too. Tsuranuki had picked up a few things from his friend, but also due to his cover as a Shinkalion. So it was sort of a half-truth, half-lie situation. Not that he cared though.
As long as he kept his cover separate from his civilian life, that was all that mattered.
"Well, your friend sure knows his stuff!" Bubbles remarked.
"So, what do you wanna do this weekend?" Blossom asked.
Tsuranuki pursed his lips as he thought. He did want some time without needing to do any homework, mostly because he wanted to explore the city a bit more as Esebu. He finally just shrugged and smiled. "I guess I just want to take it easy," he said.
The two girls blinked before Blossom smiled. "Eh, why not?" she relented. "It's been a while since we had some free time anyway."
The three kids turned and headed off, chatting about what they would do that weekend. To Tsuranuki, it felt good to at least have a semblance of a normal life this weekend. No schoolwork, no Kaiju, no villains, no Grimm... just hanging out with the Powerpuff Girls and watching TV or enjoying a good movie.
And maybe even getting to know the three new guests at the Utonium house. Tsuranuki was kind of intrigued by the fact that the robots and girl had been prisoners of Mojo Jojo, and that they weren't like any robots he had ever seen. And just who was that girl, anyway? He wanted answers, but he wasn't sure on how to go about asking her any questions. He was afraid he might upset her somehow... or possibly worse. He decided to chat with her after dinner.
Tsuranuki adjusted his backpack as he followed the two girls back to their home.
The trip back was rather uneventful and they finally reached the Utonium house in no time at all. Tsuranuki thanked Glob for that.
Bubbles threw open the door and the two heroines dashed inside in blurs of pink and blue. Tsuranuki ran in after them, tossing his backpack off to the side as he ran past the professor. "Hey!" he chirped. "Gonna chat with my friends for a bit!"
Professor Utonium looked at the boy as he ran up the stairs, taking two at a time. "Well, okay! Dinner will be at six," he called.
Tsuranuki gave a grin as he dashed into his room, closing the door behind him. He sighed in relief as he walked over to the bed and flopped down, lacing his hands behind his head. As he did so, he focused on the LinkNode in his back, feeling the sensations as they overcame him.
Already he could sense the tendril forming as he grabbed it and within mere seconds, he could feel his flesh and blood body around him rather acutely. He waited a few seconds before he gave the tendril a tug and within moments he was flying down the Tunnel of Oblivion.
He didn't even pay attention to his surroundings, knowing them by heart. He could sense the movement of his very essence as it neared the destination. A small light glimmered at the end of the tunnel, and within seconds circuitry could be seen flowing around him. Then, everything went dark as he felt his soul slide into a familiar slot.
There was only silence for a moment, and then he could feel his frame around him. Every system was slowly coming online, and he took in each one. The way his engine revved softly, his wheels resting on the tracks beneath him, and his very pantographs resting atop his cars. He flexed them a bit, keeping them connected to the overhead catenary wires as part of his cover.
No longer was he Tsuranuki Daimonyama. No, he was now Esebu, the leader of the Shinkalions.
Esebu grunted a bit in his thoughts as he felt a shudder race down the length of his frame.
Now he could at least explore the city.
He felt glad that the director had insisted that the E7 be maintained as a backup train at Townsville Union Station. This way it wouldn't be touched by anyone and find out its secrets. The location where he was currently located was sealed off from the front, but not the rear. That allowed him to slip out unnoticed.
He shifted into reverse, relying on his rear cameras and sensors to feel his way out of the station.
The exit wasn't too long, but it was still nerve-wracking as he had never driven in reverse before.
Once he exited the station, he let out an audible sigh of relief before he glanced left and right.
"Change... Shinkalion!" he whispered.
He felt his front and rear engines disconnect from the rest of the shinkansen, linking up. The rear engine opened to reveal a pair of legs, each leg protected by the outer shell of the rear engine. His treads snapped into position on either side of his ankles. He sensed the rear of the front engine opening as the front shifted its position to become his chest and lower torso. His arms extended from the rear of the front engine and locked into position, his hands clenching as his shovel guards came down to protect against strikes to the hands. His head finally emerged, and his green-yellow optics flared online as he grasped his drill in one hand. He pressed the trigger and the drill spun a bit before he held it out to the side.
The Shinkalion landed on the tracks, dismissing his drill as he did so.
He stood up straight and looked around, seeing that no one was really paying attention.
"Okay... time to explore," he remarked.
He turned around and, after a few moments, shifted back into shinkansen form so he was facing the right way. Once he was back on the tracks, he extended his pantographs and revved his engine. Drawing on the power of the electrical cables overhead, he slowly increased speed, keeping his optics and sensors on his surroundings.
Truth be told, this was the first time he actually had the chance to explore the city on his own.
He felt a sense of excitement and a bit of worry flood his systems and frame. He had been so busy he had completely forgotten to keep in touch with his mother, he realized.
He made a promise to contact her that evening after dinner, after talking to the robots and the girl.
He did a quick check of the time on his internal clock.
'Okay. I got about three hours. So that should give me some time to explore a bit and then get back to the station before I disengage LinkUp,' Esebu thought.
As he drove down the train tracks, the young train could see all kinds of buildings and landmarks, some of which were, from what he had heard, left over from prior battles the Powerpuffs had had against the city's criminal element. And that wasn't including his few fights with Mojo Jojo, he mused.
A mild snort escaped his vents at the thought. Who even named themselves Mojo Jojo to begin with? He brushed the thoughts aside though as he saw he was coming up to a railway crossing. He blasted his horn as he barreled through, one of the cars' occupants waving excitedly as he passed by.
Esebu wasn't too surprised, seeing as how the reputation of the Shinkalions was spreading.
At least the good parts, he mused somberly as he briefly reflected on his friends back in mainland Japan proper.
The young Shinkalion drove on for another half hour before he came to a section of tracks that deviated from the rest. He could see at once a gate across them, and this gate had large dollar signs on it while the gate itself was painted a bright gold color, a stark contrast to the regulatory black and white crossing gates back on the main islands. He slowly applied his brakes as his sensors detected something incoming.
It was just as well, too, he realized as the gate began to open.
He came to a stop not too far off from the gate and the tracks beyond it. The trees lining the rails were thick and looked to be close to a hundred years old, he guessed. Their thick limbs provided excellent shading, as the sun was barely able to penetrate their leaves. He could see beyond their trunks though, and his visual sensors perceived a plume of smoke, like that belonging to a steam engine. Esebu frowned a little in his thoughts as he saw the train coming closer.
The blue and white train remained still as the steam train finally entered his vision's range, and he swore had he been human his mouth would've fallen open.
He recognized that model, having seen it all too many times back in his hometown of Kanazawa. It was the D51 steam locomotive, of which the first had been constructed in the 1920s by the Japan Government Railways. This one, though, looked as if it had been overhauled in recent years and painted a very tacky purple and gold color combination. On the front, right below the headlight, was a large dollar sign in brilliant gold. Esebu inched just a bit closer, and he watched as it approached the gate as it lifted up.
The steam engine chugged past his location, and the young train zoomed in a bit to see if there was anyone driving it. Much to his surprise, there was a conductor aboard, a Faunus man who looked like he had seen better days. His gaze was fixed on the gauges before him and he worked the levers, increasing the steam train's speed just enough to accelerate. The train passed by Esebu, coupled with a single passenger car and a caboose at the end. The passenger car was close to empty; it had only one occupant.
He could see that it was the same girl he had first run into at Pokey Oaks Middle School.
But Princess was not dressed in her uniform.
Oh, no. She was dressed in clothing more befitting a noblewoman than a commoner.
Her dress was an elegant gold color with purple lining on its shoulders, chest and sleeves. The sleeves were open at the bottom, exposing her pale arms and white gloves on her hands. She sat with her legs folded daintily, and she wore a pair of purple dress shoes on her feet. Her hair was long and loose, and on her head she wore a tiara. Her eyes were fixed on the scenery outside the window, as if she were bored.
But Esebu picked up on something else.
Her hands were clenched.
Tightly.
He inched just a bit closer, and she turned in his direction.
For a moment, her eyes locked onto his location, and he swore his engine would cease to function briefly. Had she seen him?!
The two unknowingly stared at one another for a long moment.
Then the moment passed and Esebu watched as the steam train headed off in the direction he had been coming from.
Esebu kept his sensors on the steam train until it blipped off his radar.
'Now I can see just what lies at the end of that track,' he thought. He revved his engine and, after retracting his pantographs to his third and seventh cars and engaging his backup batteries, headed for the gate. The track switch was still engaged, so he shifted onto the track. The gate must have had a motion sensor equipped, because it began to raise up, allowing him to pass. The Shinkalion leader didn't even let up his speed. He glanced briefly to his left, noticing the guard house was empty. Esebu guessed it was because the gate was automated.
He turned his focus back to the task at hand.
Already he could see that the trees on either side of the tracks were starting to part, and beyond the left side of the trees he could see a large estate.
Esebu applied his brakes and came to a stop, a good distance away from the gilded mansion, but still close enough to see it. His sensors registered he was at least five thousand meters from the estate's property.
The entire building was mostly surrounded by a large open field, thick trees covering the tracks heading towards it. Further from the estate was a cluster of trees that looked to be as old as the ones he was underneath at the moment. The estate was encompassed in a wall that had several small towers on it, reminding Esebu all too much of an old European castle from medieval days. The building inside even resembled a castle. Its color, however, was not dull gray, but a bright yellow color with green roofing and doors. Windows with green shutters stood out and Esebu had to admit that the wealthy Morbucks family had terrible taste in building decor.
He zoomed his visual sensors in on the walls and he could see several dollar signs plastered on the walls themselves. The Morbucks patriarch really liked people to know he was large and in charge, Esebu noted.
He was very tempted to sneak a bit closer, but a quick glance at his internal clock was enough to remind him to return to the station.
'Crap! I've gotta get back to the station!' he thought.
He quickly reversed course, backing out from underneath the trees. He was in no way used to driving in reverse, so he had to be extra cautious as he traveled slowly. Some would no doubt wonder why a shinkansen, noted for its speed, was traveling slowly in reverse. And he was supposed to be an alien who was used to this. Esebu really regretted not practicing this part of driving as a shinkansen. But there was no other option. He kept his attention focused on his rear cameras and sensors, shifting ever so slightly to prevent a derailment.
The trip back to the station was uneventful, although he did pass by that steam engine used by Princess as he made his way back. He wasn't too surprised, but some part of him still couldn't get over the way her hands had been clenched. Why had they been? Was there something bothering her? Was she having issues at home? Or was there something else afoot?
He finally forced those thoughts from his processor as he finally pulled in, bringing himself to a stop before he shut down his engine.
Esebu let his entire chassis relax and he let his mind go, focusing on his entire frame, feeling every system and circuit layout within him. Then came the tendril he knew all too well. He grasped it with a figurative hand and then he was sailing through the Tunnel of Oblivion once more.
And everything went dark.
UTONIUM HOUSE
TOWNSVILLE, LITTLE TOKYO ISLAND
Bubbles was the first one to hear the door opening.
She looked up from her drawings as Blossom poked her head out of their shared room.
Tsuranuki exited the guest room as he stretched. "Man! That was quite a chat!" he remarked.
"What did you talk about?" Blossom asked.
"Oh, just school, the usual," the boy replied. He rubbed the back of his head with a sheepish grin.
The two heroines just looked at one another before nodding. "All right."
"Girls! Dinner's ready!" came the professor's voice.
"C'mon. Let's get downstairs," Blossom said as she walked out, closing the door behind her. Tsuranuki nodded.
Bubbles and Blossom elected to not fly this time as the trio of children walked down the stairs. The professor could be heard setting up dinner at the table for the trio, and Tsuranuki had to admit it smelled good.
The kids entered the kitchen as the professor looked over. "Ah. Good." He grinned as he gestured. "Dig in."
The two heroines and undercover Shinkalion darted to the table and took their seats just as their new guest came out from the living room. Tsuranuki just about did a double take as he blinked. "Uh..."
"Oh! Sorry. I... I didn't mean to intrude," the girl said.
"It's all right, Erika. Just take a seat," Professor Utonium said.
The girl nodded as she walked in and sat down.
Tsuranuki narrowed his eyes a bit as he took in her somewhat ragged appearance, noting it had been some time since he and the Powerpuffs had rescued her and her two robotic companions from Mojo Jojo. And speaking of, he glanced discreetly back to the living room where he could see the shadows of the two robots in question. No doubt they had been repaired and examined for any possible reprogramming, he mused.
"Tsuranuki?"
"Huh?" The boy jolted a bit. "Oh! Sorry. I was just looking around," he quickly lied. "Just curious about the place still."
"You've been here for some time and you're still curious?" Professor Utonium narrowed his eyes. "Somehow I doubt that, Tsuranuki."
"Sorry. It's just I'm very interested in the layout," the boy said, trying to make his story sound plausible. "I mean, it looks like it's straight from the sixties."
"Oh! That! Well, just call it a taste of mine," Professor Utonium remarked with a grin. "I always had a bit of a liking for the simplistic, modern styles."
Tsuranuki grinned a bit before he turned his gaze back to his food. The ramen smelled good, and the sushi to go with it really added a nice touch. Plus the seaweed snacks added a nice crunch. He grabbed his chopsticks and proceeded to dig in, as did the girls. He secretly shot a glance to the girl beside him, noting her pink pants and blue shirt. Her camera lay close by, and Tsuranuki wondered if she was a photographer. But what really stumped him was the strange gauntlet on her left arm. It was basically a pink fingerless glove that went to her elbow and on it was a pink and blue tablet of some kind.
He had seen a few kids with tablet attachments that could be worn like gloves, but this was something new.
Her brown hair was a mess and it hung over her face a little as she quietly slurped her noodles.
"Hey, you okay?" Tsuranuki asked.
The girl just about squeaked in terror as she glanced around for whoever was speaking before her gaze landed on the boy next to her. "Oh... Sorry. I'm still a bit nervous about being here," she admitted.
"Don't worry about it," Tsuranuki remarked. "You're safe here. That monkey won't even get close to here!"
The Powerpuffs looked at Tsuranuki and the young Shinkalion gulped. Had he said something he wasn't supposed to?
Bubbles couldn't help but crack a grin. "You said it!" she chirped.
The girl managed a weak grin. "Thanks," she admitted.
"Oh! By the way, do you know these three?" Tsuranuki asked.
Erika shook her head.
"I'm Blossom," Blossom said, introducing herself. "And this is Bubbles."
Bubbles waved.
"And I'm Professor Richard Utonium," the professor introduced. "And you are?"
"I-I'm Erika. Erika Amazake," the girl stuttered. "It's nice to meet you all." She turned her gaze to the two Powerpuffs. "Especially you two. You saved me and my friends from that creep."
"Well, it wasn't just us," Blossom admitted. "It was also Esebu."
Erika blinked her eyes. "And just who is Esebu?"
"An alien that's currently residing in Tokyo," Bubbles explained. She grinned as she held up her drawing. "See?"
Erika took the drawing and Tsuranuki had to keep from facepalming in exasperation at Bubbles giggling slightly.
The brown-haired girl blinked. "Uh... is that Esebu?" she asked, turning the picture to show the two heroines.
Bubbles nodded.
Tsuranuki peeked over their shoulders at the image Bubbles had drawn.
It showed his alter ego at around the same size as the two heroines, holding hands with them, his drill on his back. (Tsuranuki made a quick note to ask the director to allow for that capacity if he couldn't put it into storage in time or something.) Bubbles had done a decent job on catching his alter ego's detail, but it was also a bit off in that his optics had no eyes and he did not have a mouth in his mechanical state.
"He looks..." Erika frowned. "This is good, but he does not have eyes or a mouth, from what I can recall."
Bubbles looked down, a sad expression on her features.
"And I thought it was good..." she whimpered.
"It is good, Bubbles!" Blossom reassured her sister. "You just need to... refine it. But other than that, it's good."
The blonde Powerpuff looked to her sister, and she smiled. "Thanks, Blossom," she said softly.
Blossom just hugged her in response and Bubbles returned it.
Tsuranuki seized his chance and looked to Erika. "So, I don't want to sound rude, but what led to you getting captured by Mojo Jojo anyway?" he asked.
"Oh. Well... actually, I'm not sure," she admitted, looking down at her food. She poked the sushi with her chopsticks. "I mean, one minute I was with my friends, and next thing I know we're sent tumbling through some kind of tunnel, and then I wake up with Brass and Rokusho outside a volcano. Then that monkey jumped us and took us captive. That's all I can recall."
Tsuranuki frowned a bit. 'If I remember correctly from the news, then there apparently are dimensionally displaced individuals scattered across the world,' he thought. 'Then that means that she's one of those people. Her and the two robots with her.'
"So you're not from around here?" he asked, trying to phrase his question in a way so as to not tip off the Powerpuff Girls' own suspicions.
Erika shook her head. "No. I'm not."
That was all it took to confirm the boy's suspicion.
"So, your two robotic friends. Are they yours?" Tsuranuki asked.
"Oh! Well, Brass is. Rokusho on the other hand is not," Erika clarified.
"Huh?" Tsuranuki blinked. "You mean he's not yours?"
"Then is he someone else's?" Blossom asked.
"No. He's... kind of a loner," Erika explained. "Rokusho has always been a loner as long as I've known him."
Tsuranuki frowned, pursing his lips. 'Seems to me like he's got his own agenda,' the boy thought. 'Gonna have to be careful.'
Memories of Nyx and her words about the Powerpuffs came back to him, making his eyes narrow a bit. 'Then again, who doesn't have their own agenda here?'
"If Brass is your robot, then you must own her, right?" Blossom asked, drawing Tsuranuki back to reality.
"Well, kind of," Erika admitted. "She's not so much my robot as she is a companion and partner."
"Wait. Then she would be like your adopted sister?" Blossom wondered.
Erika gave a nod with a smile. "Yep!" she chirped.
Blossom frowned. "But she's a robot..."
"Where I'm from, everyone has a Medabot," Erika explained. "A Medabot is basically a robot that acts as both a friend and a pet, but in some cases they can become more than that, like with Ikki and Metabee. Those two are considered brothers, actually, given how close they are."
"Medabot?" All three kids blinked in confusion.
Erika nodded. "Yep. It's short for Medal Robot."
"I see," Blossom mused, folding her arms.
Tsuranuki popped a bit of sushi into his mouth as he listened to the explanations, filing this away for later.
"And everyone who has a Medabot has that gauntlet, right?" Bubbles inquired, poking at it across the table.
"Hey!" Erika pulled her arm back, looking at the blonde in exasperation. "Don't touch it! What if you broke it?!"
"Sorry!" Bubbles blurted, raising her hands.
"And to answer your question, yes, they do," Erika muttered, checking over the gauntlet. "This is called a Me-Gauntlet, and it acts as a phone, storage device, and even a monitor to check your Medabot's condition during Meda-Battles."
"Meda...Battles?" Tsuranuki blinked. "You mean you can have your Medabots fight one another?"
Erika nodded. "Yes. Actually, it's actually a sporting event, as well as a past time for many people."
She quickly proceeded to explain the layout and rules of a Meda-Battle, during which Tsuranuki learned that the World Meda-Battle Regulations Commission was the overall authority on the matter, and even cracked down on illegal Meda-Battles and the black market of Medabot parts. He had to admit, it did sound rather interesting, but the risks were just too great, not that he was a political expert by any means.
The girl also took the time to explain a bit about Rokusho's past, and Tsuranuki had to admit that the poor 'bot had been through a lot. At least he now understood why Rokusho was a loner.
"So that's it," Erika remarked, shrugging. "Unless you have anything else to ask, of course."
"No, that's fine, Erika," Professor Utonium stated. "I think we've learned enough for now."
The young girl nodded as she finished her dinner.
Tsuranuki and the Powerpuffs likewise did the same.
The boy handed his plate to the professor before he got up and excused himself.
He turned and bolted for the stairs leading up to the second floor, passing by the girls' bedroom and entering the guest room.
The young Shinkalion leader grabbed his phone and booted it up, half expecting the chat app to be operational. But the small dot that indicated a chat was in session was dark. He sighed and rolled over onto his back, phone still held in his grasp. His eyes narrowed as he wondered how his friends were doing at that moment...