Act 2, Chapter 2 - Reunions (Part 2)
Articho knocks on the door, as he and Kinuho have immediately arrived at the home of Seymour Simmons. The door opens up, revealing none other than Simmons himself.
"You made it just in time." Simmons says, gesturing them to come inside. "Come in, come in!"
The married teenage couple entered the former agent's family mansion, and the latter quickly shuts the door and locking it.
"It's really wonderful to see you again, Simmons!" Kinuho happily greets, hugging him.
"Anna!" He laughs, hugging her back before letting go. "My, you're still as beautiful as ever! I'm really glad to see Articho's continuing in taking care of you."
Kinuho's birth name was Anastasia Darrow, but is usually called Anna by her close ones.
"That's very kind of you." She smiles. "But please, it's still Kinuho Wannai."
"My bad, Kinuho." He chuckles. "How're your kids doing, by the way? Seems they've taken up your old surname. Your mother would be very proud of the young woman you've become."
"Selena and James are doing great." The light chestnut haired girl shares before noticing how empty the mansion is. "Did something happen to all your things?"
"Dutch and I have spent the last few months selling the things I don't need anymore and keeping the ones that's been in my family since the Great Depression." He explains, urging them to follow him.
"You're moving?" Articho questions, as he and his wife followed the man down a hallway.
"I'm afraid that I've lost faith in the United States." He says in a disappointed tone. "I should have seen what our nation has become all those years ago, Kinuho."
"I'm so sorry to hear that." She apologizes with a sad tone.
"Don't be." The former S7 agent shakes his head. "Besides, my true loyalty lies with my friends. Lennox, Epps, the Autobots, and - of course - you and Articho."
"Do they know about this?" The Pathfinder further questions.
"Only Lennox and Epps."Simmons admits.
"The Bots should still know what you're doing." The light chestnut haired girl suggests.
"Don't bother." Simmons says. "I can't put them in danger due to my vast knowledge on Cybertronian society. Not with the Cons, Mech, and Cemetery Wind "
"You're planning to fake your own death." Articho deduced.
"Lennox and Epps already made preparations for my 'untimely' demise." Simmons dramatically admitted that got a small chuckle from the married couple but quickly shrugged it off due to the seriousness of the choice he's making. "And all that's left is that I need witnesses to make it convincing."
"You do realize that I have zero official records, meaning I don't technically exist in the eyes of the public." Articho points out. "Even one witness won't fool them in the long term."
"What, you got a better idea?" Simmons questions, getting a little snappy towards the boy. "Because this is the only plan I could come up with."
"What do you think?" Kinuho asks her husband.
"Cemetery Wind's too smart for anyone trying to stage their own fake deaths." Her Pathfinder husband says while in deep thought. "Especially Simmons with his given track record as a former government agent."
"Ouch." The former agent mockingly says aloud.
"Where is Dutch, anyway?" He asks.
"Left here shortly before you arrived." Simmons explains. "He's on his way to take the private jet with the stuff I wanna bring to Academy City."
"Does that mean you'll be close by?" Kinuho gasps excitedly. "Simmons, that's the best news I've heard from you in ages!"
"Like I have anywhere to go." Simmons jokingly says. "But it'll be a nice change of pace for once. It would be a real shame if I missed this opportunity to finally meet my godchildren."
"We'd be honored." She giggles.
The trio finally reached Simmons' study, where they then stopped to face each other.
"Now then." The former S7 agent clasps his hands. "I know we've little time, but tell me: what exactly is it that you need my help with?"
"I'm sure you're informed about the Ginza incident." Articho begins explaining. "Apparently, we can't use the Gate without starting an international incident with the Japanese government."
"However, the data we've gathered so far is that their world Tellus is somewhere within our galaxy."
"Their world's not a separate dimension?" Simmons raised an eyebrow. "And you named it?"
"The term 'Special Region' sounds stupid to be called that way." Articho shrugs.
"So why are you trying to get to Tellus?" He asks before realizing the reason. "Hold the phone. It has something to do with fighting against Unicron, isn't it?"
"We need allies, Simmons." The Pathfinder admits. "Academy City's still weakened from the backlash and public outcry of the Parameter List that got leaked three years ago."
"And now Megatron is making himself and the Decepticons look like the good guys, and using the temporary truce with the Autobots to his advantage." Simmons deduced. "Clever bastard. Though ya gotta admit, his skills as a politician are very impressive."
"We know." Articho and Kinuho deadpanned.
"Still doesn't explain how you're going to get there if you can't risk the Japanese government breathing down on your city's neck." Simmons shakes his head.
"Precursors, Simms." Articho reveals to him. "We think they're somehow connected to Tellus, and that Nazis are the only people that came into contact with their technology at some point during World War II."
"Precursors?" The former S7 agent questions. "That mysterious alien civilization capable of traversing the multiverse? And you said Nazis found bits of their ancient tech?"
"Yes" Articho nods. "Kinuho and I were hoping if you have any classified S7 documents that might help us locate a secret Nazi research facility."
"Of course I have classified documents, kid!" He chuckles. "Why do you think I stole them right under the US government's damn noses after they fired me?"
Simmons then searches through his desk, and pulls out a small thumb drive. Before he could give it to them, however, his encrypted phone alerts him of a perimeter breach.
"What's wrong?" Kinuho asks.
"They're here." Simmons informs before putting his phone away. "We need to go. Now."
"Right then…" Articho stretched his arms getting ready for action if needed.
"Hold on." The light chestnut haired girl interrupts. "We can't just simply disappear and leave them a trail to follow. So what if we mask our escape with a big enough explosion?"
"How much firepower do you need to destroy something as big as a mansion?" Her husband asks the older man.
"Enough to get them flabbergasting." Simmons grinned.
"You're not worried about losing your family house?" Kinuho questions.
"It's just a house." Simmons casually shrugs off. "Don't worry about it."
A pair of government owned SUVs drives into the estate. As soon as they parked in the front courtyard, four people came of out of each of the vehicles, all of them wearing sunglasses and government official suits. They're also armed with pistols as they prepare to enter the mansion from the front.One of them placed a finger on their ears pressing comm on it.
"We've arrived and waiting further orders, sir." The CIA agent informed.
"Proceed. Make sure to bring in the package alive. Use violence if needed." His superior on comms commands.
"Understood." The man complies as he turned to his fellow men. "Let's go."
He then orders the rest to circle around the back of the building to prevent their target from escaping. Two of the small teams break down the doors on both sides and entered inside with their sidearms aiming down their sights, searching room to room on every floor.
A few then opened a door down into the basement and walked down the stairs. Noticing that their target hasn't been found at all, they then decided to check the boiler room. One of the agents kicks the door open, only to find it empty as well. Before they could call it in, the agents in the basement's boiler room heard a faint beeping sound over and over. Keeping their guard up, they circle around the boiler tank in opposite directions, where they ended up finding a pack of explosives planted and armed for remote detonation.
"Aw, sh-"
Outside the estate from a far distance, the mansion itself exploded - killing all of the agent inside and leaving only their SUVs in perfect condition.
"That'll teach those assholes not to cross me." Simmons gloats, watching the wrecked mansion up in flames. "I always get the last laugh."
"Good thing your place had a smuggler's tunnel." Articho adds, as he looks at the thumb drive in his hand.
"Let's get back to Ryouko and see what we can find on the thumb drive." Kinuho says.
"Grab on tight." Her Pathfinder husband tells them.
Simmons grabbed onto his shoulder and Kinuho held Articho's hand tightly before the three of them teleported away via Instant Transmission.
The trio reappeared inside the Acceledrome's control center, where Ryouko and the dirty blonde 18 year old boy Shiage Hamazura turned around to see that the couple returned with Simmons.
"What kept you?" Ryouko rhetorically questions.
"Here." Articho tosses the thumb drive and his black and white haired wife catches it. "That thumb drive has everything Sector Seven had on the Nazis."
"Nice base you got here." Simmons whistles in awe before noticing the red and orange tace tracks circling around the Acceledrome. "Are those race tracks?"
"Ask me another time, Simmons." Kinuho says before looking at the scientist. "Find anything?"
"I believe I found one mention of Nazis studying Precursor tech, dating back sometime in 1942." Ryouko explains, reading the data she easily decrypted. "Apparently, they found the remains of a marble structure identical to the one that appeared in Tokyo."
"The Nazis found a Gate?" Shiage questions in surprise.
"I think so." The black and white haired girl nods. "A small excavation team was sent to investigate the site, but never made it there."
"Or that they never reported in." Articho adds, finding the Nazi reports suspicious. "Do we know where the site's standing at?"
"Only a rough location." Ryouko answers. "I've sent the coordinates onto your Omni-tool."
"Omni-tool?" Simmons questions the boy who is using one in front of him. "Like in Mass Effect? Kid, you've got quite an adventure to tell me when you have the chance."
"I'm sure Ryouko can fill you in." Articho chuckles as he looks at the coordinates om his Omni-tool before expressing disbelief on his face.
"Oh my God." Kinuho utters in disbelief as well with her own Omni-tool.
"What is it?" Shiage questions.
"I'll explain it to you on the way there, Shiage." Articho says before turning off his Omni-tool.
"Right." The current leader of ITEM nods. "I'll go prep the Kodiak for departure immediately."
"I've already informed Maaya to meet us in the hangar." Kinuho informs her husband, as Shiage has left the room. "She's not gonna believe where we're headed to."
"You coming too, Simmons?" Articho asks the former S7 agent. "It'll be good working alongside with you again."
"I wouldn't be much help to you in the field, given that your hybrid alien biology takes a lot more punishment than a normal human like myself would." Simmons shakes his head.
"I understand." He acknowledges. "Ryouko, see if you can help Simmons here settle in this new place he's staying at."
"I'll get right on it." Ryouko complies. "Let me know if you find anything. Sooner you do, the sooner we can leave for Tellus."
"Let's go meet up with Shiage and Maaya in the hangar." Articho tells his wife.
"Right." The girl with short, wavy light chestnut hair nods and follows after her husband out of the control room.