"HELP! HELP! HELP!"
Blossom had to struggle to keep the train from going over the bridge.
Whomever had launched this attack was quite the planner, she mused as she heard Bubbles working on trying to fix the tracks as quickly as she could. Her laser vision glowed red as the tracks were welded at the seams where they had been broken. But it wasn't quick enough. The train's brakes had been disabled and the acceleration was getting worse. Her shoes were emitting smoke as she put more of her superstrength into her push.
"Dammit...! Where's... Esebu?!" she grunted.
"WHEELSET BOLT DRIVER!"
Blossom glanced up as she saw the familiar shape of Esebu poised to strike with his drill, a greenish aura engulfing his frame. He pointed his drill at the ground and dove down, a battle cry escaping his vocalizer as he slammed it into the dirt. "WHEELSET PULSE!"
As soon as his drill made contact with the ground, Blossom gritted her teeth and braced herself as a huge electrical pulse was unleashed.
She felt her hair stand on end and she could feel the train she was fighting against start to lose power. It only took a few minutes, but soon the train had ceased all functionality and she heard Bubbles fly up to join her.
"Nice timing, Esebu!" the blonde chirped.
"Sorry. I was a bit late," he admitted as he pulled his drill free from the ground and dismissed it into storage. "So what gives? What happened?"
"Someone sabotaged the train's brakes and destroyed the tracks," Blossom stated as she darted to the nearest doors and began to pry them open.
"I see," Esebu rumbled. He suddenly perked up, glancing over in a different direction.
"Is something wrong?" Bubbles asked.
"No... I just thought I saw something..." Esebu muttered softly.
Blossom looked over in that direction, but there was nothing there...
(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 II: MAJOR
Tsuranuki grunted as he stretched his back, feeling somewhat relieved to have a day free from any criminal attacks.
It wasn't even two days after he had encountered Princess while exploring the city a bit, and so far things were somewhat calm.
He turned back to the window and walked over to it, looking out at the city in the distance as the sun shone down on the street before him.
A few cars were coming and going, and pedestrians were out and about, allowing themselves some time to enjoy the weather.
But Tsuranuki was not focused on that.
Oh, no. His mind was already focused on what the Powerpuff Girls had said.
Someone sabotaging the railways and the brakes on the train he had helped to save.
But how was he supposed to know if it had been the girls themselves or someone else?
The young Shinkalion frowned as he narrowed his eyes.
'Did they sabotage the train and tracks? Or was it someone else who did it?' he wondered. It did seem plausible, after all. And given what that Nyx lady had said, who knew if they truly were on the side of good anyway?
There was just too much that he didn't know. And as it stood, how was he supposed to find out what secrets they were hiding? He had a sneaking suspicion that it also had to tie into Buttercup's disappearance.
Tsuranuki folded his arms across his chest at this, bowing his head a little. 'Okay. Next time the girls go out to fight, I'll see if their room has anything to tell,' he thought. 'Or at least if one of them has a diary or something.'
He knew it was wrong to look through a girl's diary, but that did seem like a good place to put a secret. He nodded once as he finalized his plan.
Now all he had to do was wait.
He turned and walked over to the desk, sitting down in the seat and leaning back, lacing his hands behind his head as he glanced at the ceiling.
Memories of Nyx came back to his mind as he narrowed his eyes; more specifically, what she had to say about the girls and secrets to hide.
He could recall the way that the woman had mentioned about how Elmer had not been their only casualty, whatever that meant. And that brought to mind all kinds of theories, most relating to the toxic Dust and glue incident he had read about in the news some time ago. So, how, if at all, had they turned Elmer into a glue monster? Had it been on purpose, or was it an accident?
He just didn't know.
The boy pursed his lips and closed his eyes as he kept his ears peeled for the Hot Line.
He didn't even have to wait for very long.
The beeping from the Hot Line reached his hearing, followed by the sound of the two girls darting past his room. Tsuranuki stayed put at his desk, leaning forward and opening a book to give the appearance of doing some reading for school. He waited for a few more minutes before he heard Blossom stop by the door.
"Tsuranuki? We've got trouble. But we'll be back," she assured him.
"Be careful!" he called.
Blossom didn't even say anything. She just flew off, leaving him alone. It also helped the professor was out doing errands with Erika, Rokusho, and Brass; he had been left at home before while his mother was out on errands sometimes.
Tsuranuki waited a few minutes more to be on the safe side, and then he stood up, closing the book and setting it aside.
He made his way to the door and opened it, glancing left and right.
The young Shinkalion darted out and closed the door before heading into the Powerpuff Girls' bedroom.
The room was all pink and frilly, but in a few spots he could see some stuff that belonged to Buttercup, such as a punching bag, some footballs, and her side of the closet apparently was a bit of a mess. The boy headed in and started to look around.
'Okay. So where would they keep their diaries?' he thought as he scanned the room.
Tsuranuki crept over to the desk where Blossom had her books and pulled open a drawer. Inside he could see writing utensils and papers neatly arrayed. He slowly lifted up a corner of the papers, expecting to see a book underneath. But nothing was present. He lowered the papers and closed the drawer, only to reopen it. He reached in and pulled out the case of pens and pencils, setting it down.
Underneath it was a pink journal. Tsuranuki grinned as he grasped a pair of gloves and pulled them on before taking out the journal. He quickly closed the desk drawer and sat down on the floor, becoming serious as he opened the book.
He flipped through a few pages before he spotted what he was looking for.
Dear Diary.
Today was downright awful.
I had no idea that Buttercup had bullied poor Elmer.
I mean, sure he eats paste which is unhealthy... ("Unhealthy indeed," Tsuranuki muttered.)...but she didn't have to go that far.
And then the toxic Dust?
The kid didn't deserve what happened to him.
And now he's a criminal. If I had known, then maybe I could've acted sooner to stop her, and maybe spared Elmer the fate that befell him...
Tsuranuki blinked, stunned at what he had read.
Buttercup... had bullied Elmer all because of his habit of eating paste? And then the toxic Dust accident... That must've been what turned him into a glue monster, he mused as he scowled.
'Looks like that Nyx lady was right... they do have some things to hide,' he thought as he flipped through the diary a bit more. Maybe he could find out what that box he had seen Nyx grab was.
It seemed rather important to the girls.
There was nothing more other than some notes on battles and events for the next twenty pages before he came to a date that was marked with big red marker. He frowned as he started to read it.
The diary entry was more like a journal than just one page. From what he was reading, the girls had become overwhelmed with trying to save the city by themselves, so they stole the professor's notes and, using substitutes for the ingredients that made them, made a new Powerpuff girl. However, she turned out to be rather twisted, being rather slow and dimwitted, as well as deformed with a hunched back. They named her Bunny, and she became their newest member. However, due to being rather stupid, she assumed all crooks were the good guys and cops were the bad guys. But after a big mistake that caused her to make amends, she wound up exploding and dying due to being unstable.
All they recovered was a small shred of her dress, locking it in a box and keeping it close to remember her by.
The young Shinkalion narrowed his eyes as he closed the book, looking up as he glanced back over his shoulder.
'So that's it... that's what she meant by their secrets,' he thought. 'This does explain a lot. But the fact they're hiding this from even their father... that shows they're not being honest with him. Guess this indicates they're not as clean as I thought.'
But then again, he wasn't being honest either. Well, mostly.
His secret was much safer than the girls' were, he thought as he put the diary back where he had found it.
Tsuranuki crept out of the girls' bedroom and closed the door. He removed the plastic gloves he had borrowed from the professor's lab and tossed them out in the trash as he headed downstairs. And just in time, too, as he heard the garage door open and the engine of the sedan the professor drove finally shut down.
The boy sat down on the couch and flipped on the TV, turning it to the battle that was currently waging in the desert of Nowhere in America.
The door to the garage opened and Professor Utonium entered the house. "Oh! Tsuranuki! Good to see you're not too busy. I could use some help with the groceries," he said.
"Sure!" Tsuranuki chirped as he got up, shutting off the TV. He ran over and grabbed a few of the bags as Professor Utonium entered.
"It's a madhouse out there," the professor remarked. "What with the battle raging right now."
"Battle with a new monster or Mojo Jojo?" the boy asked.
"Oh, it's just Mojo up to his old tricks," Professor Utonium explained as he started to put away the groceries. "Honestly I don't get why he always tries to beat them."
"Eh, who cares what that monkey thinks?" Tsuranuki stated with a snort. "He's no match for the girls or Esebu when he chooses to help them."
"Speaking of, where has Esebu been for the last few days?" the man asked. "The girls have been a bit concerned for him."
"He's trying to keep a low profile and not attract too much attention from some of Townsville's other villains," Tsuranuki told him. "I asked the girls about what villains there were, and well, I relayed the information to him." He anticipated the next question as the professor opened his mouth. "And yes, I do know him," he added.
"It sounds risky to be friends with an alien of his reputation," the professor admonished the youth.
Tsuranuki grunted. "Hardly. I only communicate with text or phone. I rarely see him in person."
In truth, he was Esebu, but he was not saying that to the man.
Professor Utonium frowned, but let it slide as he finished putting away the groceries. With the food and other stuff put away, Tsuranuki scampered off towards the living room and turned on the TV again, only to feel his heart stop as he saw the news feed. It showed a massive wildfire spreading out from a large forest, creeping towards the city's outskirts!
He gritted his teeth as he glanced out the window, his eyes narrowing as he spotted the clouds of smoke curling skyward.
He turned and bolted up the stairs.
Blossom mentally grunted as she struggled to keep the fire from coming right for the cluster of apartment buildings. She was currently using her ice breath, trying to keep the flames from engulfing the terrified citizens.
Behind her she could hear Bubbles flying from one window to the next, grabbing people and taking them to safety, but even with her help, it was just impossible to rescue everyone. Even the fire department was having issues getting the people out in time. She was trying her best, as were the firefighters. But it just couldn't be done.
Even if Esebu were here there was no guarantee they'd succeed.
The entire endeavor was sure to fail.
"WHEELSET KORI DRIVER!"
The next thing she knew, a blue and white blur came down from above, driving his drill into the ground and causing a huge shield of ice to erupt from the pavement, generating a thick wall of ice spikes and keeping the fire at bay.
Esebu stood up, his armor dripping with condensation as he looked back at the Powerpuff Girls.
"You okay?" he asked.
"Esebu!" Bubbles darted up to him, surprised. "We weren't sure if you'd be here in time!"
"Actually, I almost wasn't," the train admitted. "I just happened to hear of the fire on my radio."
In truth, he had seen it on the news back at the Utonium house, but he wasn't telling the girls that. He glanced to the fire as it began to melt the ice. "That ice shield won't last long," he remarked. "So we have to work fast on evacuating as many people as we can in the meantime."
The two heroines nodded as the three turned back to the apartments and resumed their rescue efforts. Esebu crouched down beside one of the buildings and held out his hand close to the balcony. "C'mon," he gently coaxed. "We'll get you to safety."
The family within nodded and stepped onto his hand. He then lowered it to the ground and the civilians got off, allowing him to repeat the process as word spread quickly. The fire department was grateful for the extra help, and in some way, Esebu wished his friends had not been framed by those fakes so they could help. But they weren't here, and he was. So he had to do his best.
The evacuation efforts took another fifteen minutes, and by then Esebu had moved onto another apartment building with Blossom, allowing Bubbles and the fire department to finish the last building. However, the ice shield he had created was melting, and he could sense the air temperature rising ever so slightly. Time was running out, he knew.
It wasn't even an hour later when the first sign of trouble reached his hearing.
Esebu perked up as he heard the faint cracking of ice...
He turned around just in time to see the ice shield finally collapse and the fire roared forward, as if it were alive, right for the apartments!
"NO!" he roared. He spread his arms and his Aura flared, covering his frame in seconds, trying to shield as much of the building he was near as he could. He concentrated his Aura into as dense a shield as he could make it, but he couldn't do more than that. He really hated the drawbacks of this project at times. The blue and white Shinkalion stood firm, his optics flashing as he watched the fire rage around him.
People started screaming as he was engulfed, but he didn't even move from his spot.
His readouts flashed a single warning in his vision.
WARNING!
AURA LEVELS AT 87%... 85%...
DAMAGE: COSMETIC
BATTERY OPERATION TIME: 62 HOURS
He mentally gritted his teeth as he stood firm in place.
He had no idea as to what was en route.
Least of all what was to come.
He felt the heat of the flames starting to lick at his armor, despite his Aura keeping them at bay. He didn't know how much longer he could keep this up.
"ESEBU!" the two heroines cried.
"NO!" he snapped, looking back over his shoulder. "Keep getting these people to safety! I can-"
He was cut off as he was forced to lean into the flames, channeling more Aura into his defenses.
"I can handle myself!" he rasped.
"But..." Blossom's voice was lost amidst the roaring of the flames and Esebu winced in his thoughts.
"Hold on, fair citizens!"
Esebu glanced up, his audios barely picking up the sound of the voice over the roaring of the flames. 'The hell? Who... Who was that?' he thought.
The fire continued to burn and inch its way forward as a form started to come forward. Esebu dimmed his optics a shade as he saw the form incoming. Who was that? It looked to be human...
A blur of white and blue darted past the train, making him flinch as the fire burned through his Aura defenses and scorched his paint job. "The hell?!" he blurted.
The form spun around, coming to a hover, its body silhouetted against the flames in front of the young train. Esebu lowered his arms from in front of his face enough to see. The form before him was hard to see as it was covered in shadows, but he could just barely make out a cape blowing in the breeze generated by the fire and the figure was definitely a male human. His hair appeared to be swept up in a pompadour. He glanced back and grinned, giving a military style salute before he faced the flames again.
The man took in a deep breath, his chest expanding as he did so, before he blew - hard!
A huge gust of wind emitted from his mouth, blowing the flames back away from the apartment complex, and consequently, Esebu as well.
People who had been observing and being rescued all turned as Esebu lowered his arms, his Aura dissipating.
Blossom and Bubbles hovered up as the man turned around, and now the two could see just what he looked like.
The new hero was indeed strong and powerfully built. He stood at an imposing six foot nine, with broad chest and shoulders, thick arms and legs, and a square jaw. He wore a white and blue costume, with the majority being white. His boots and gloves were blue in color, as was the so-called 'hero underwear' he wore at his crotch. A big blue M was plastered across his chest and he wore a belt with the letters MM on the buckle. A red cape was draped across his shoulders and he had tan skin. His hair was a sparkling blonde color, and Esebu had to suppress a wince.
He hovered down and landed before the astonished group.
"Who... Who is that?" someone asked.
"I have no idea..." a man whispered. "But... he saved all of those people..."
"Now that is a superhero!" a woman exclaimed as she held up her phone. People began to gather around, speculating on who he was.
"Those muscles... He's the Muscle Man!" someone swooned.
"No. He's the Midnight Marauder!" an elderly man exclaimed.
"He's the Mail Man!" another man said.
The man gave a small grin and held up a hand in salute.
"Uh... sorry to ask, but, who are you, exactly?" Esebu asked, raising a hand.
The man glanced to the train and raised an eyebrow before he flexed an arm and thrust his other hand out. "I am... The Crusher of Crime..." he boomed, his voice sounding a lot like an old-school superhero's. Esebu cocked his helm to the side briefly.
"The Demolisher of Disorder..." the man continued, putting one hand behind his head and the other down at an angle.
"The Eliminator of Evil...!" he added, flexing his arms into a defensive stance.
"I... am..." He raised up a hand in a military salute with two fingers.
"Major Man!" He gave a grin, exposing perfect teeth.
"Major Man?" Blossom cocked an eyebrow. "What kind of a name is that?"
"And what kind of a name is Esebu?" Major Man retorted, jerking a thumb at the blue and white train. Esebu twitched and clenched his fists, feeling anger building in his chest.
But he wisely kept his vocalizer muted.
The two girls looked at one another before glancing to Esebu who just snorted through his vents.
"Well, we have to thank you for saving all those people," a policeman said as he approached Major Man. "Even the Powerpuffs were having a hard time, which is strange given that a fire has never acted like that before."
Esebu perked up at that and frowned in his thoughts, crossing his arms across his chest as he noted that. 'Huh. That is strange...' he mused.
"All in the name of justice and freedom!" Major Man remarked, extending a hand. The police officer held out his own hand and the two shook hands as people took pictures. Esebu, for his part, decided to retreat for the moment, as his Aura reserves and energy levels had taken a considerable hit from the flames and heat.
As he approached the train tracks, however, the young train began to get a bad feeling in his gut...
Shows a train driving along, heading for a bridge. The conductor looks up, his face becoming filled with fear as the train falls off the shattered bridge. Esebu is shown clinging to the side of the mountain, only to fail at grabbing the falling train.
Major Man - a hero to everyone
Major Man is shown flying up, carrying the train by its middle car, people within cheering for him.
Fighting his battles to the end, never giving up
Major Man grasps the broken rails and straightens them, using his laser vision to weld them together, a grin on his face.
Seeking justice, never far away
The hero is shown flying through the sky, his arms outstretched, before he spots something down below.
Always there to help the weak, fending off the bad
The Powerpuff Girls are fighting a large blob monster, trying their best to stop it as it attacks with several large globs of goop. The two heroines are trapped within the globs, unable to do much else except squirm helplessly.
Loved by all, he'll never let us down
Major Man flies down, using his superbreath to freeze the monster before he punches it, shattering it into millions of tiny shards as a crowd cheers around the fight.
We'll never lose the faith for Major Man!
Major Man salutes the crowd before flying off dramatically, causing the two girls to glare at him.
Seeking truth, defeating lies
The hero is shown engaging in a fight with Mojo Jojo, delivering a major punch to the monkey Mobian's latest weapon.
Flying high through clear blue skies
Esebu is shown struggling to keep a building from collapsing as Major Man catches several people falling and flying them to safety.
Finding ways to protect us all
Major Man stands firm in front of Fuzzy Lumpkins before punching the furry hillbilly and sending him flying back to his cabin in the woods.
He's our man, standing strong and tall!
Esebu shakes his helm at seeing the man standing atop the city's tallest building dramatically.
Major Man - a hero to everyone
Major Man glances over, seeing crime in action.
Fighting his battles to the end, never giving up
An old man is about to be mugged by several Satyra members, only for Major Man to zip in front of them.
Loved by all, he'll never let us down!
The hero punches out the terrorists and the old man hugs him.
We will never lose the faith for Major Man!
Major Man flies off into the sunset dramatically as the American flag flies on the city hall behind him.
Tsuranuki groaned as he buried his head in his hands.
"Globdammit... That song is so annoying!" he whined.
"Tell me about it. I can't get any homework done!" Blossom admitted.
It had been three days since Major Man had arrived in Townsville, and although the song playing in the background had been a minor nuisance at first, it had quickly evolved into a real annoyance, and it was not just the girls and Tsuranuki who were feeling the desire to find a way to mute it, or at least block it out.
"Make it stop... Please!" Bubbles whimpered.
The young Shinkalion couldn't blame Bubbles. In truth, although he had managed to get some sleep, it wasn't much, and he was starting to feel the effects of a lack of sleep. He rubbed his face as he tried to focus.
'Dammit... at this rate, I'll need to engage LinkUp at night just to get some sleep!' he thought.
As it was, it was getting close to bedtime, anyway. And he did need some sleep due to a test coming up tomorrow. "I gotta go," he remarked. "Bed."
"But who can sleep with that song playing?!" Bubbles moaned.
"Just... I'm gonna try to sleep, at least," Tsuranuki admitted.
The two heroines didn't even protest as the boy got to his feet and made his way upstairs to his bedroom. He quickly brushed his teeth and changed into his pajamas before clambering under the covers after closing the door.
Once he was in bed, he closed his eyes and focused as hard as he could on the LinkNode.
He could feel the tendril forming in his mind and after he grasped it, the Tunnel of Oblivion embraced him.
Finally, he would be able to get some sleep... even if it was in shinkansen form.
The last thought he had was of how grateful he was to even have this ability, because at least in train form, he could just mute his audios so that damn song wouldn't keep him up at night.
THAT NIGHT
Major Man hovered over the city, gazing down at the lit buildings and roadways filled with cars, his cape billowing out behind him dramatically.
His face was serious as he fixed his eyes on the people below him, and he felt a slight smirk curl his lips upward at the corner.
It was just like his first days as a hero.
People grateful for his services and his efforts to save them.
He could still recall the pain from the accident that had gifted him with his incredible powers. But it had been worth it, he mused, as he slowly pivoted around, watching the city's heartbeat beneath him. At least he was now able to live up to his idol's reputation as a hero.
Yes, Major Man was a fan of Major Glory. In fact, he had even chosen his heroic code name as an homage to the symbol of peace. But, as he was still new to this work, it made sense he'd have to work alongside other heroes to bolster his reputation. And so far, things were looking up.
He turned and flew off, passing over the train station, unaware of the young train currently asleep within.
Major Man angled his body a bit and he flew over the city hall, coming to rest atop one of the tallest buildings. Yes, life was going to be good...
At least for him, anyway...
The first thing Tsuranuki knew was that he was lying on the tracks, his wheels resting against the rails as he remained at rest.
A sense of relief flooded his frame as he embraced the sensations of his shinkansen form.
Esebu, as he was now known, shut down his audio receptors at once, feeling a huge sense of joy now that he couldn't hear that annoying song playing in the background. The young train let out a yawn through his external speakers before he settled down a bit lower to the tracks. He dimmed his optics and let the warmth of sleep come up to claim him for the night.
THE NEXT DAY
Tsuranuki let out a yawn as he slowly sat up, rubbing his eyes with one hand.
'Man... who'd've thought I'd have to sleep within my shinkansen form for the night!' he thought as he stretched.
The stupid theme song he was slowly getting used to was still blaring in the background, and some part of him really wanted to call in sick and remain in train form for the entire day. But he had to endure it until school let out, and then he could engage LinkUp and at least wander around the city in his Shinkalion form, albeit with his audios muted so as to not keep hearing that ridiculous song playing.
The only issue was if he could even ignore the song for that long.
Tsuranuki got out of bed and proceeded to get dressed for the day. Although he had gotten a good night's sleep, the same couldn't be said for the Powerpuff Girls or their father. Bubbles looked especially exhausted as she brushed her hair and Blossom looked as if she had been up half the night as she brushed her teeth. Tsuranuki quickly brushed his teeth and hair before he grabbed his book bag and headed downstairs for breakfast.
Professor Utonium, for his part, was somewhat rested, which made the young Shinkalion wonder if he was a heavy sleeper.
That did seem to be the case, and he secretly envied the man.
Still, at least he had gotten some sleep, which was a good thing.
Tsuranuki made his way into the room and sat down as the girls joined him. As did their other guests, Erika, Rokusho, and Brass. Brass and Rokusho didn't look like they had any lack of recharge, but Erika was halfway asleep into her cereal. The boy couldn't blame her, in all honesty.
"Ah. I guess you managed to get some sleep at least, Tsuranuki?" the professor asked.
The boy nodded. "Yep. I was always a bit of a heavy sleeper," he stated, digging into his toast. The professor gave a nod in agreement.
"I just wish we didn't have to hear that song repeatedly..." Bubbles whimpered.
"Tell me about it..." Blossom grumbled. "I didn't get a wink of sleep last night..."
Tsuranuki frowned to himself as he looked at the exhausted Utoniums and the sleepy Erika. The fact that no one was getting much sleep was worrisome to the young Shinkalion. But he could ponder later. Right now, he had a test to complete.
The school day came and went, during which the boy managed to get the test done, and he had to admit he had to avoid a few other grumpy boys, no doubt because they hadn't slept good because of that Globdamn song.
As soon as the boy was off the bus and back in his guest room, he leaned back, focusing on the LinkNode and engaging LinkUp.
The pulsing feeling of the LinkNode reached him and he could sense the tendril forming between him and the E7. Almost as suddenly, he could feel his very flesh and blood body around him, and he grasped the tendril in one figurative hand. He gave the tendril a firm tug, and then he was torn free from his human flesh, and down into the Tunnel of Oblivion.
Major Man smirked as he hovered over the city, his cape blowing out behind him. He could already see that the city was going about its normal day, and below him he could see the train tracks ahead as they snaked around to the island's other side near Cityville.
His Semblance flared as he closed his eyes, embracing it as it played in the background.
"Ah... my favorite song," he muttered with a smile. "How it makes me smile."
The sound of wheels on the tracks caught his attention and he opened his eyes, his smile fading as he gazed down.
The sleek blue and white train was heading down towards the area he knew was a danger zone. A frown crossed his face as he recalled the train as actually being an intelligent alien robot in disguise. If that was the case, then he'd no doubt be on high alert for anything out of the ordinary.
But in this case, that was to be the alien's downfall, the hero thought with a sly grin. The avalanche had been perfectly timed, which had broken the tracks and caused a huge gap along the mountainside route. And now, all he had to do was sit back and enjoy the show before he made his move.
Of course, he had no idea just what he was really going to get into with Esebu.
Esebu, for his part, was focused on his unexpected route. It had been bad enough he wanted to explore the city, but to find out his shinkansen frame had been commandeered to be used as a backup train due to one of the other bullet trains being out of commission was something he had not enjoyed. It had taken a bit of time, but he was able to convince the director of Townsville's Union Station to allow him to complete the route on his own without any driver or crew.
The director had not been too thrilled with the idea, but he was willing to allow it on the condition that he be extra careful.
Esebu was just glad he had agreed.
The young train drove along the route that was designated on his HUD, scanning around him for anything that could be a danger to him or his passengers. He had to actually focus on the surroundings as the gossip was a tad distracting to his work.
The trip was proving to be uneventful so far, and actually, he had to admit he was a bit bored. Driving passengers was very monotonous, he realized.
However, he had no idea just how eventful this trip would get.
As he continued on, he cast a brief glance up at the mountain, his visual sensors zooming in on some rocks that looked a bit unstable. He cautiously slowed his speed a little so as to not cause an avalanche.
That was when his sensors beeped and a warning appeared in his vision.
WARNING!
TRACK HAZARD AHEAD
RAIL TRACKS OUT
A gasp escaped Esebu as he sought out the source of the warning...
And his optics landed on the large gap in the middle of the tracks.
He reacted instantly, slamming on the brakes as hard as he could before he went over.
The young train's brakes squealed as sparks came from them. He could feel the brake pads pressing against his wheels, drawing sparks from them as he gave it his all. He grunted as he settled back a bit to try and apply more friction to them. "C'mon...! C'mooon!" he muttered under his figurative breath.
However, despite his efforts, he wasn't able to fully stop in time. The gap in the tracks drew closer and closer...
And then he was airborne.
A sense of weightlessness filled Esebu's gut as he found himself plummeting through the air. A scream escaped his vocalizer as he fell. Behind him he could hear the passengers screaming in terror and fright.
"HAVE NO FEAR, CITIZENS!"
Esebu cried out as he felt something jerk him to a stop, and he gaped. "Uwhu?"
He expanded his sensor radius, allowing him to sense just what had grabbed him.
He found himself being lifted up, and he realized with dread that he was being airlifted out of the gap by none other than Major Man.
Major Man's voice echoed from beneath him.
"You are safe now, citizens!" he said.
'Oh, brother!' Esebu thought as he was set down on the tracks on the other side of the gap in the tracks.
Cheers broke out from within the cars behind him and he had to resist the urge to transform to robot mode just to facepalm.
"Thank you, Major Man!" a woman called.
"Yeah! You saved us!"
"Thanks!"
"Glob watch over you!"
Major Man threw a salute and flew off, allowing Esebu to start his engine once more. He revved it loudly, startling a few of the passengers into silence as he continued on his route. He muted his audios so as to not hear that obnoxious song as it started to play in the background.
'Major Man... just who are you?' he thought.
He increased his speed, intent on getting the route done so he could explore and try to get some information as to who Major Man was.
It did not take him long to reach Cityville Station, where he let off his passengers. A few of them waved to him as they left and he responded with a blast of his horn before he started to slowly reverse out of the station.
Once he was clear of the station, he continued on for a few more minutes before he applied his brakes and came to a stop.
"CHANGE! SHINKALION!"
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 servos clenching as his shovel guards came down to protect against strikes to the servos. His head finally emerged, and his green-yellow optics flared online as he grasped his drill in one servo. He pressed the trigger and the drill spun a bit before he held it out to the side.
He dismissed his drill and landed on his feet, rolling his shoulders as he finally sighed in relief.
Now that he was free for the day, he started to walk, unaware of the fact he was being watched by the new hero of Townsville.
Major Man's blue eyes narrowed before he flew ahead, taking care to stay out of the Shinkalion's radar range.
At least until Esebu sensed something ahead of him.
He came to a stop, shoulder joints tensing a bit.
'He's here...' he thought.
He watched as the hero came down from the sky, arms folded across his chest, a smirk on his face. His mouth moved, and Esebu had to bring his audios back up to full sensitivity.
"Ah. Esebu," Major Man said. "I am pleased you are safe."
"Yeah? Well, thanks, but I could've stopped in time," Esebu muttered.
"Somehow I doubt that," Major Man said, arching an eyebrow. "You seemed like you were having trouble."
Esebu's optics dimmed a shade as he folded his arms across his own chest. He didn't even respond to that remark.
"Why are you following me?" he asked.
The blonde hero unfolded his arms. "I'm just making sure all citizens are safe and unharmed."
"That still doesn't answer the question, seeing as how I'm not even really a citizen here," Esebu pointed out. "I'm officially based out of Tokyo, not Townsville."
Major Man's eyes narrowed just the tiniest amount, and Esebu caught that. His digits clenched on his arms, squeezing the metal armor there. He had to actually force his joints and hydraulics to relax at that.
"Ah. I can see why then," the hero remarked. "Well, I'm just seeing if you're okay."
Esebu found this insistence on his well-being's concern being a priority very off-putting, like he was hiding something. He didn't like it one bit. "Yeah, right," he muttered. "Look. I just want to have some time to myself, okay? No offense."
Major Man smiled. "I can understand the need for some solitude every once in a while," he said. "So I shall leave you be."
He gave that two-fingered salute before he flew off, leaving the young train alone at last.
At least that theme song had stopped playing for the moment, he mused as he continued to walk.
Esebu made his way across the island until he reached a secluded location, a lone cliff on which an old wooden bench rested. The bench was located beside an overgrown fountain that still continued to spray water, giving it a sort of elven look and appearance. He noticed with some irony that it was located next to the railway tracks that ran through and across the island.
He sat down on the cliff overlooking the ocean, one leg hanging off, the other resting on the edge, one servo on his knee and the other on the ground. He knew from experience that Tokyo was in this direction although he couldn't see it. Even with his optics zoomed in to their farthest range he couldn't see the city. All he could see was the glow that came from the many lights of the buildings and Tokyo Tower.
The sun was just beginning to set over the horizon, adding a sort of strange beauty to the area.
He let out a sigh, thinking back to his friends and the team's mentor, now on the run from the law. And all because of a bunch of fakes.
He clenched his servos into fists, his optics dimming a shade as he hung his helm.
'What'll I do now?' he thought. 'I mean... I can't exactly return home right now. And yet... what else am I supposed to do?'
He had no idea that he'd soon be finding out more about his new role in Townsville than he ever realized.
NAME: Major Man
SPECIES: Human
AURA: Red with white accents
SEMBLANCE: Hero Chorus
DESCRIPTION: Hero Chorus summons a chorus of voices to sing a heroic song for the user. The user's Semblance remains active until they choose to end it or another song takes its place. To cancel out the heroic chorus, anyone can begin playing a new song. The longer that the heroic chorus is played, though, the more irritable people become and the more criminal activity they commit.