Sea of Serenity: Red Sea, Blue Earth

The multiverse is in chaos. A depressed child soldier, an immortal automaton, a princess, a dinosaur, and their squabbling allies and enemies must band together against a pair of dark gods whose victory will mean the end of all reality! Can this chaotic band of misfits rise to the challenge, or will old flaws and grudges doom them all? (Rewrite in Progress!)

Notes:

Inspired by Sea of Tranquility: Red Earth by KingofRocks97

Disclaimer: The following is a work of fanfiction. I do not own any of the franchises involved.
A/N: The following is a rewrite of my first fanfic, "Sea of Tranquility: Red Earth," merged with its ongoing prequel/sequel, "Sea of Tranquility: Super Robot Wars." I consider this project a more definitive version of what I had planned.
Update 7/1/22: I have decided to rewrite vast portions of the "Sea of Tranquility" series, including this work. The revisions include removing several characters and franchises that either did not contribute to the plot or clashed with its tone.
Update (7/9/22):
The original draft of Red Sea, Blue Earth was written during the summer of 2019.
A significant portion of the story involves the villains plotting to violently overthrow the Japanese government, including the Prime Minister.
Due to its integral nature, I cannot remove this subplot without completely overhauling my hard work.
That said, I do not wish to offend those shocked and appalled by the current events in Japan.
If the need arises, I will gladly delete this story entirely.
-KingofRocks

Chapter 1: Death of a Tyrant

Chapter Text

It is the year 2029.

Nearly a century and a half have passed since the super robot lifeforms known as the Transformers awakened.

The beings hailed from the planet Cybertron, torn apart by millennia of revolutions and civil wars.

The factions that found themselves on Earth were the heroic Autobots, which defended humanity, and the villainous Decepticons, who sought total domination of the universe.

In truth, both sides once fought against tyranny, only to be split by ambition and zealotry.

Optimus Prime and Megatron, the respective leaders of the Autobots and Decepticons, each believed that they could sway their former comrade to peaceful reunification.

But as casualties and vendettas piled up, it seemed as if the war could only end in the complete eradication of one side.

Then, a third party emerged to complicate the war even further.

On July 17th, 1966, Ultraman, the Warrior of Light from Nebula M78, revealed himself during an encounter with a human/Autobot expedition to the moon.

Known for its successful history of balancing brute force with pacifism and diplomacy, the Warriors of Light quickly proved themselves valuable allies and negotiators in the upcoming battles.

In 1985, the landmark NEST (Networked Elements: Supporters and Transformers) Treaty was signed, solidifying the triple alliance between Earthlings, Ultras, and Autobots.

Thanks to NEST, humanity soon prospered on Earth, the Moon, Mars, and in space colonies orbiting the eight planets of the solar system!

But Megatron, an ever crafty opponent, never took the enemy coalition seriously.

He knew that it would only be a matter of time before tensions would rise between the so-called "allies," which he would immediately exploit.

Megatron's prediction would come true in May of 2014.

A new extraterrestrial menace known as the Ravager Empire declared war upon humanity and unleashed terrifying monsters known as Kaiju upon Earth's cities!

Despite the NEST alliance's best efforts, human forces on Earth suffered heavy losses before the research organization Monarch was reorganized as the core of a new anti-kaiju task force!

By the end of 2017, the newly formed Earth Defense Forces repelled the invaders by taming Earth's native Kaiju and reverse-engineering Cybertronian technology!

And it was there that Megatron pounced.

The Ravager War had drained humanity's resources, and by focusing on Earth's defenses, the colonies fell prey to Decepticon raiders and equally unscrupulous mercenaries!

In 2019, that unrest boiled over.

The Mars-based Republic of Munzo renamed itself the Principality of Zeon and violently seceded from the Earth-led United Federation.

Despite efforts by NEST to mend the rift, the flames of secession spread to the other planets and colonies of the solar system.

Using "Mobile Suits," anti-kaiju weapons derived from Cybertronian biology, the human race nearly halved itself in yet another round of bloodshed!

The Autobots, seeing echoes of their fratricidal war, intervened and forced an armistice after one year of the bloodiest fighting in human history.

Nine years have passed, and Megatron now has a plan to finally end this dark chapter of history.

A plan so intricate that even his most loyal troops only had the faintest idea!

But as it turned out, the plan would incur an unforeseen cost.

Megatron's entire worldview…

Autobot City, Tennessee, U.S.A…

A battle-damaged Optimus Prime spoke.

"It was an ingenious plan. Sending Deathsaurus to the colonies, the combiners and city-bots to Monster Island, and the Demon King Jackal to Nebula M78 to stretch our forces thin. Then amid all that chaos, you hijack a shuttle and sneak past our defenses."

Optimus aimed his ion blaster at his equally battered foe.

"But you underestimated us like all of your other attempts!"

"Finish him off, Prime! Do it now!"

The old Autobot Kup yelled from a distance.

"Grant me mercy, Prime! I beg you!"

Megatron groaned.

"You, who are without mercy, now plead for it? I thought-"

"-I was made of sterner stuff."

Optimus froze as Megatron took the words out of his mouth!

"What?"

Hot Rod suddenly lunged at Megatron!

"Oh no, you don-"

BLAM!

Optimus and Kup stared in horror as Hot Rod fell backward with a smoking hole from his chest!

"No!"

In a blind rage, Optimus fired his blaster at Megatron repeatedly!

The first blast destroyed the hidden pistol Megatron had drawn, along with his hand!

The next couple of blasts tore holes of molten metal into his torso!

The final blast shattered his helmet and scarred half of his face!

Optimus then threw away the rifle and drew his Energon ax!

As he approached Megatron, he saw the tyrant whisper a final taunt!

"I knew you had it in you…."

With one last hateful yell, Prime brought down his ax.

The Energon splashing on Prime's face shocked him out of his rage.

The Autobot Supreme Commander backed away in revulsion.

"What have I done?!"

Despite the bloody battles and atrocities between them, Prime still believed that his old friend was worth redeeming.

But that was no longer possible.

In one brief moment, he had lost control and brutally ended him.

"I had no choice! He shot Hot Rod!"

"You could have disarmed him! Arrested him! You didn't have to bash his head in!"

As Prime wrestled with his conscience, Ultra Magnus happened upon the scene and bellowed,

"Megatron has fallen! Autobots, press the attack!"

Elsewhere, Starscream watched in secret satisfaction as his hated superior met an inglorious fate.

Outwardly, however, he composed himself and signaled the surviving Decepticons with a familiar refrain.

"All forces, retreat!"

"We're just gonna run without avenging Lord Megatron?!"

A zealous Decepticon shouted.

If an Autobot sniper hadn't shot him right after that sentence, Starscream would've done so himself.

"If you wish to join him, be my guest."

Astrotrain sighed and transformed into a shuttle large enough to transport some of the retreating 'Cons.

Prime turned towards Kup, who was tending to Hot Rod's wound.

"Kup, how is he?"

"Shot missed his vitals, but he's pretty messed up. I gave him my last Energon grenade, but he'll need a medic."

"Puh-Prime…"

"Easy, Hot Rod, you did well. You saved me."

Prime handed Kup two more Energon grenades.

"He needs these more than I do."

"But Prime, you're leaking all over the place!"

"A good leader puts his troops before himself."

The old Autobot smiled and activated the healing grenades, slowly mending Hot Rod's wound.

"Prime!"

Ratchet and Ironhide approached the group.

"Just made it back from Monster Island. What happened?"

Prime turned and stared at the mangled form of the Decepticon leader.

"Is that who I think it is?"

Ironhide asked, bewildered.

"Regrettably."

"Shame, I was looking forward to the trial."

Ratchet snarked as he healed Prime with his Energon Repair Ray.

"It might be premature to celebrate."

"Why is that?"

"I have a suspicion that that wasn't the real Megatron. He had an opportunity to shoot me or use Hot Rod as a hostage and escape, but he didn't act on them. He went this far to take us down. Why throw it all away?"

"A body double? Impossible. The Decepticons might be violent brutes, but I'd doubt they'd fall for a trick like that!"

"Prime!"

"Magnus."

"The shuttle they hijacked. We could only save Brawn. Prowl, Huffer, and Windcharger are offline."

Prime sighed and looked down at Hot Rod, now being treated by Ratchet.

Ultra Magnus followed his gaze and grimaced in solidarity.

"I can only hope that their sacrifices weren't in vain."

"You really think he'd use a body double?"

"I fear that Megatron is not really dead, and even if he were, a Decepticon Civil War would only be the start of our worries."

Ultra Magnus inspected the smoking, ruined remains.

"Mechanical data matches that of Megatron's records. It is him."

Prime still looked unsure.

"Don't worry, Prime. At the very least, we have rid the universe of one great evil."

In the dark reaches of space…

Elsewhere in the vast cosmos, a peculiar planet moved of its own volition.

Known to only a few, the planet was merely a guise for an ancient mechanical being with only one purpose.

The destruction of life to bring balance to creation.

However, the planet had done its job for so long that its mind devolved into a complete hatred for all life in the multiverse.

And now, the being detected an anomaly, an event that should've transpired differently but deviated to its current course.

Unicron, as the being was known, usually did not care for such matters.

More deviations meant more universes, which to him meant more food.

But then, a menacing aura manifested itself in the vicinity of the anomaly!

Whatever gave off that aura could threaten even a god of destruction such as himself!

The planet tilted slightly and soon vanished into nothingness as it warped to its target!

En route to Cybertron…

"Just how many forces did we lose in the last battle?!"

"Total Casualties: 80%, Total Fatalities: 50%"

"You mean to tell me Megatron spent all our resources on this 'decisive blow' only to get himself and half our troops killed?!"

Starscream bristled as Soundwave reported the costs of Megatron's failure.

He had long dreamed of killing Megatron and usurping his place as the glorious leader of the Decepticons.

But now, he became the leader of a demoralized rabble of walking scrap metal!

Even in death, Megatron had found a way to humiliate him!

"I'm running low on Energon! Scrounge some up, or I won't make it back to Kaon!"

Astrotrain yelled.

Starscream growled in frustration.

"Drain what you need from the wounded and cast their chassis out the airlock!"

"For a moment, I thought you were actually worried about our troops."

Starscream turned and glared at the Decepticon, who dared to mock him.

He stared in shock for a moment, only to relapse into anger.

"Archforce. Where were you when Lord Megatron faced Prime? I'm sure Tarn and his Justice Division would like to know why their leader's body double survived when he didn't."

"Oh, you must be confused, Starscream. You see, Archforce and I switched bodies before the operation. He perished so I could lure the Autobots into a false sense of security before destroying them for good this time."

Starscream did not hesitate to raise his null ray at Archforce.

"I won't tolerate this exploitation of our leader's demise! You're either lying or incredibly stupid! Such a switch would've been obvious to everyone!"

Archforce chuckled.

"Really, Starscream? You're going to shoot me? You've done that your entire ca-."

Archforce recoiled as Starscream emptied his null ray into his chest.

Several Decepticons raised their guns at Starscream!

"You actually believe him?! This imposter's only claim to leadership is that his face looks like Megatron! He doesn't even have the same alt mode! You deserve someone with some experience on the front lines!"

"Front-line experience?! You flew off after literally shooting yourself in the foot!"

"And I would've lost much more if I kept up this foolish gamble! If I didn't give the order to retreat, you'd be Kaiju droppings right about now, Brawl! All of you would be spare parts for the Autobots, if not Autobots yourselves!"

"You're calling us traitors?! You, of all people, Starscream?!"

"Yes, Deathsaurus! I am calling you a traitor! While the rest of us were getting slaughtered, you were off gallivanting with your disgusting human allies and their mockeries of our species!"

"The colonies are ripe for revolution! They see the Autobots as the hypocrites and collaborators we always knew them to be! They were just like us when we rebelled against the Functionists!"

"That sentimentality is why we lose to the Autobots all the time!"

"Or maybe we need a leader who doesn't stab everyone in the back!"

"Why you-"

"Alert! Autobot ship detected!"

Every Decepticon in the standoff lowered their weapons at Soundwave's warning!

"Soundwave, Astrotrain, report!"

"Autobot ship detected off the starboard side. Looks like a supply shuttle."

"We should board it."

"No, it might be a trap! Destroy it!"

"What are you doing, Starscream?! We're low on Energon, and I won't sacrifice any more of our wounded!"

"For a pirate, I'm surprised you don't know a feint when you see one. Besides, Deathsaurus, I outrank you! And if you don't do what I say, I know some Earthnoid supremacists who would be glad to know where rebellion is fomenting."

Deathsaurus angrily growled at Starscream and relented.

"Astrotrain! Can you fire at them?!"

"I diverted all Energon to my engines! Redirecting them to the guns will take too long! Can't you send out the Seekers?!"

"Skywarp! Thundercracker!"

No response.

"Where are those idiots?!"

"Skywarp and Thundercracker sustained serious injuries. Per your orders, they have been drained and jettisoned out the airlock."

Soundwave monotonously updated.

"Scrap!"

Starscream did not want to admit that he felt remorse for ending the lives of his two closest friends.

"Blitzwing! Lugnut!"

Unfortunately, the German-accented Triple Changer and his giant friend were also preoccupied.

"Einen Augenblick, bitte (One moment, please). Lugnut is still mourning."

"Lord Megatron, why?!"

Starscream facepalmed.

Two female Decepticons stepped forth to volunteer.

Deathsaurus's wife, Esmeral, and her lady-in-waiting, Lyzack.

"We'll take care of it."

"Esmeral! I-"

"Don't worry about us. Besides, you hardly let us fight those mobile suits earlier."

Deathsaurus smiled knowingly and let the two fembots deploy.

"Just be careful with the Living-Metal-Destroying Cannon. It drains energy quickly!"

"Got it!"

Indeed, Deathsaurus's trademark weapon only took one shot to pulverize the Autobot shuttle into fiery rubble!

But since it was directly linked to Esmeral's internal systems, it physically weakened her.

Thus, Lyzack had to carry her back to Astrotrain.

It was then that she saw Starscream throw a Decepticon out the airlock!

As he floated past, she recognized him as Archforce!

"Help…me…"

Archforce groaned.

"I... still... function…."

Knowing the threat Starscream had issued against her superior earlier, she kept quiet for Deathsaurus's sake and continued to the shuttle.

Little did anyone know, "Archforce" had told the truth!

Once he was alone in the darkness of space, the battered Megatron checked off a mental note,

"Phase 1: Mission City has ended. Proceed with Phase 2."

"Bad Comedy."

Megatron whispered.

His master plan was still in play.

"Rest peacefully, Megatron."

He saw a ringed planet in the distance.

"Galvatron will lead in your stead."

Much later, an alternate Antarctica…

Megatron awoke in a pod once more, this time clutching his chest in a fit of panic.

Recognizing his surroundings, he chuckled to himself.

"Combining Cosmic Rust and Deathsaurus's cannon. If only you unveiled that earlier, Shockwave, I might not need this crazy scheme."

Megatron sat up in his coffin-like pod, staring at the blood-red sea that used to be the Antarctic icecap!

Four giant wings of lights stretched into the upper stratosphere on the horizon!

"Begin Phase 3…"

Megatron recited.

"Cruel Angel!"

To be continued...

Chapter 2: (Not) A Beautiful Universe

Chapter Text

Autobot City, Tennessee, U.S.A. December 3rd, 2029…

"As we're all aware, at 0700 hours Coordinated Universal Time, The Decepticons launched an all-out offensive across this entire solar system. By 0900, all of their forces returned to their bases on Kaon and Planet Jaar."

Ultra Magnus spoke, addressing the assembled holograms of the NEST Alliance leadership.

"Before we give our status reports, I want to make a significant announcement. During the attack on Autobot City, Megatron perished from wounds sustained during vicious close-quarters combat with Optimus Prime."

Ultra Magnus displayed a gruesome image of Megatron's shattered remains to the conference.

"We have sufficient data to believe it is indeed Megatron and not a potential body double."

"Are you sure? What does Prime have to say?"

Dai Atlas, the Autobot's Japanese garrison commander, asked.

"Prime was the one who raised the possibility of a body double in the first place. After we had Ratchet and Perceptor examine the corpse multiple times with the same positive result, he relented."

"Where is Prime now?"

General Kozo Fuyutsuki asked.

"I'm afraid Prime can't be reached for comment at the moment, General. He was appalled by the casualties we incurred throughout the offensive and insisted on rescuing a stricken Autobot supply shuttle."

Magnus paused for a bit.

"We lost Prowl, an excellent lieutenant and one of the finest Autobots Prime and I have ever known. He was the first Autobot fatality of the offensive, and I have no doubts there will be more like him by the end of today."

"If only more of our generals and admirals were as compassionate as he is."

"I'm sure he'd appreciate your comment, Grand Admiral Aznable."

The former Red Comet smiled and continued with his report.

"I'm relieved to say that all enemy action against the Republic of Zeon was repelled with minimal casualties. Mostly thanks to the efforts of the Autobots led by Star Saber."

Earlier, Zum City, Republic of Zeon (formerly Mars)…

Sitting in his car, a driver played a holographic recording from his past.

"Petty Officer 2nd Class Bernard Wiseman! First Lieutenant Christina Mackenzie! I highly recommend ceasing hostilities lest I personally destroy this colony myself!"

Suddenly, his superior called!

"Greatshot! Enemy forces approaching the relay station! Go now!"

The driver shut off the hologram.

His car sped forward, transforming into a jet emblazoned with the Autobot symbol!

Greatshot sped in the direction of the enemy forces!

He spotted nine Virgo mobile dolls decked out in a sinister black-and-red paint job!

"Just Mobile Dolls. Good, I can let loose."

He thought as he released a barrage of missiles against the AI-controlled drones.

The Dolls responded by activating their Planet Defensor energy shields!

The missiles exploded harmlessly, but it distracted them long enough for Greatshot to hurl three EMP grenades!

The Planet Defensor shields overloaded and fell to the ground!

With his foes unprotected, Greatshot made short work of them with his dual blasters and holomatter decoys!

"Star Saber, this is Greatshot. The relay station is secure! One mobile doll company successfully scrapped!"

"Excellent work! Our informant warned us they would try to hijack the Virgo-II operating A.I. with the Reverse Evolution virus. We uploaded the Vaccine Program as a precaution, but it looks like they brought a reserve force in case we did!"

"What's the situation up there?!"

"We've managed to hold off most of the Decepticon fleet with Grand Maximus, but it looks like they already snuck some infiltrators through the civilian spaceports!"

"Cobra!"

"Probably working with Zabi loyalists. Either way, I need you to take care of them. My hands are tied with Deathsaurus. I've already notified Grand Admiral Aznable. All further reinforcements will be at his disposal."

With that, Star Saber signed off.

"Autobot Greatshot! This is Grand Admiral Aznable. Do you copy?!"

"Yes, Admiral?!"

"A group of Decepticons is making a beeline towards Armed Forces HQ! The Mobile Suit force in charge of the sector they're passing through appears to have defected, so I can't send in the Virgo-IIs without risking friendly fire across the system!"

"You want me to get rid of them."

"Do what you want with the Decepticons, but only disable the suits! We can't interrogate corpses."

"Understood, sir."

Greatshot reloaded his blasters and flew off!

As he continued towards his remaining targets, the old Decepticon holographic pad Greatshot kept with him crackled to life!

"All Decepticons, retreat! Lord Megatron… Lord Megatron has perished in battle!"

Greatshot was mildly surprised at the death of his former employer.

"I can't believe Prime actually did it!"

He thought to himself.

As he neared the site of his new opponents, Greatshot soon noticed that half of his intended targets started retreating, and the other half began shooting at them!

"This looks too easy. Something's up."

The Autobot ninja cautioned himself.

His instincts turned out to be correct as a barrage of missiles honed into his position!

"I knew it!"

Greatshot yelled out, transforming and unleashing flares!

The missiles exploded harmlessly behind him as he landed safely in front of a familiar face!

"Overlord. How nice to see you again."

Greatshot sarcastically deadpanned.

"Ah, Sixshot, you're just the one I need! These squishy humans and their pitiful imitations failed to satisfy my thirst for a decent challenge!"

Greatshot grimaced and scanned the trashed mobile suits for any signs of survivors!

"Scrap! I'm too late! Wait, a Dreissen, two ReGelgus, and a R-Jarja? There's only one squad with that lineup!"

"You defeated Haman Karn's personal guard?"

"Were they supposed to be some kind of elite force? If so, that's just sad!"

Greatshot prepared his blasters!

"Chara Soon, Mashymre Cello, Illia Pazom, and Gerald Sinclair. They were my friends, even as I changed sides. I will avenge them!"

Greatshot fired off a couple of rounds in quick succession, which Overlord blocked with his shield.

"Hmph! You've gone sentimental as an Autobot! Why bother learning the names of the vermin you crush underfoot?"

He fired off a few high-caliber rounds in response!

The shots destroyed a series of Holomatter decoys!

Overlord jumped forward, dodging a stab from behind by a cloaked Greatshot!

As he did, a pair of metallic whips ensnared his legs!

"How's this for vermin?!"

The whips crackled with electricity!

A pair of Goufs revealed themselves and opened fire with their wrist cannons!

Greatshot de-cloaked and opened fire from the back while a Zaku and a Dom charged from the front!

"This is for trashing our mobile suits, asshole!"

The Zaku pilot shouted.

Overlord simply smiled and parried them with his gun and shield!

"That was just what I needed!"

To the shock of the combatants, Overlord effortlessly swatted them aside and flew away!

"Luckily for you, I must be leaving! Ta-ta for now!"

Overlord transformed and separated into a tank and jet, both of which vanished through a distant portal!

Greatshot turned to his allies.

"I thought you guys.."

"We were testing out these new prototypes when we got the alert. Then the techs at our hangar told us some guards forced them to hand over our old suits at gunpoint!"

Illia reported.

"Prototypes? I thought Zeonic retired the Zakus, Goufs, and Doms!"

"They did. Lady Haman recently met with our allies in ZAFT. Some of their manufacturers offered to give our old mobile suit models a tune-up and modify them to use beam weaponry. They sent the first batch to our squad for testing!"

Mashymre proudly beamed.

Chara, on the other hand, was a bit miffed.

"I'm just sad our poor suits didn't make it. Damn traitors got what they deserved!"

"Just glad you guys are safe."

Greatshot sighed before contacting Admiral Aznable.

"Grand Admiral Aznable, I've made contact with Vice Admiral Karn's guards. It appears their mobile suits were stolen while they tested out prototypes."

"Thank goodness. For a moment there, I'd considered placing Haman under arrest."

"I'm sure the Vice Admiral would appreciate your comment."

"Shame. I'd like to see him try."

Haman suddenly announced.

"Nice of you to join us, Vice Admiral."

"Heh. Anyways, we've managed to contain the situation. The Zabi Loyalist forces and Cobra didn't fight much after the Decepticons left and the Mobile Dolls were taken out."

"We might have a bigger problem on our hands."

"What is it?"

"Megatron is KIA. That's why the Decepticons sounded a general retreat."

"Might I ask where you got this intel?"

The Grand Admiral asked.

"Managed to intercept an encrypted message from one of their comms. Cracked the code, thanks to our informant."

"Are you sure it isn't a feint?"

The Vice Admiral asked.

"If it's true, I'd expect Ultra Magnus to call a meeting soon."

"What do you know? He just called. For what it's worth, I commend you for your service, Greatshot."

"Just doing my job, Grand Admiral."

Back at the meeting…

Ultra Magnus smirked as Admiral Aznable finished recounting his dispatches with Greatshot.

"Honestly, I didn't expect much from a former Decepticon, especially one with a rap sheet like him. But, I'm glad you and your troops managed to bring out his better side, General."

"When dealing with former enemies, you should at least give them a little trust, Magnus. Then again, my case probably won't help your suspicions."

A woman with dark brown hair and a green striped outfit lightly scolded.

"My apologies, Mother of Ultra. Your report?"

"For their assault, the Decepticons collaborated with our old enemy, Demon King Jackal. He managed to assemble an army from our many foes and somehow managed to ambush and incapacitate our best warriors, which left us heavily outnumbered. His troops would've easily breezed through the remaining opposition."

Mother of Ultra gave a slight smile before continuing.

"Fortunately, thanks to Commander Ikari's contingency plans and the bravery of our allies, we were prepared for such a development."

EDF/Monarch facility, "The Castle." Honolulu, Hawaii, U.S.A., earlier…

"How credible is the threat?"

"Intel came from the usual source, Punch."

"What if the Decepticons deciphered his true identity?"

"He triple-encrypted his messages before passing them to Devcon, Nightbeat, and Greatshot. The 'Cons won't be able to pin him since we took care of Doubledealer."

Commander Gendo Ikari took a sip from his cup of coffee and smiled at his wife, Professor Yui Ikari.

"I've already sent out Shinji and Asuka to Monster Island. They should make short work of anything that isn't Godzilla."

Yui sighed.

Suddenly, a warning klaxon sounded!

"TSUNAMI ALERT! TSUNAMI ALERT!"

Gendo quickly switched on his monitor.

"That's odd. USGS isn't reporting any signs of activity."

Gendo then noticed the fear on Yui's face.

"It's not a regular tsunami."

Gendo's smile disappeared.

He slowly returned his coffee cup to the table and switched on the facility's camera feed…

…only for nothing but static to appear.

"Get to Cover!"

Gendo grabbed Yui and ran to higher ground as an explosion of water blew the facility's protective wall to rubble!

"Great. There goes my 3:00 at Waikiki."

Gendo snarked before Yui slapped him.

"That's what you're worried about?!"

Gendo realized the awkward position he put himself in before Misato burst through the door!

"Professor Ikari! Are you okay?!"

"Both of us are fine. Thanks for your concern."

Gendo grunted in annoyance as Misato ignored him.

"Nebula M78 is suffering the full brunt of a Kaiju army! The Ultra Garrisons have managed to take out the heavy hitters, but they've suffered massive casualties. The Ravager dropships that got through them just crash-landed, and their kaiju will be here on short notice!"

"Do we still have communications with the rest of the EDF?"

Yui asked Misato.

"I activated the Autobots' emergency silent alarm system once the initial tsunami occurred. Reinforcements from the mainland will still take a while."

BOOM!

An explosion tore through the city's inner wall!

A group of EDF Rangers armed with M27 assault rifles and Buffalo shotguns approached the trio.

"Sirs, they've breached the last lines of defense. Arm yourselves with anti-Kaiju weapons!"

"How are we on weapons?"

Gendo asked Misato.

Misato drew a Beretta 92A1 and a Px4.

Gendo shook his head.

"I don't think pistols are going to get us that far. Luckily, I came prepared!"

He opened a briefcase to reveal a shining, gold-plated M5 battle rifle!

Yui sighed in exasperation.

"I'm not going to ask how you got that past security."

"Kaji did the paperwork. Actually, this is for you. I prefer the classics!"

Gendo handed her the rifle and opened a violin case containing a folded G3A4!

"They're breaching!"

A door down the corridor exploded, and gunfire erupted!

In the exchange, several ant kaiju and guards fell where they stood!

"Look out!"

A group of jumping spider kaiju tried to attack through the walls, only to be shot by Gendo, Yui, and Misato!

Suddenly, an explosion took out the ants and spiders in the corridor!

"Friendly fire?!"

The head Ranger wondered.

"No! It's the Joes! And the Wing Divers!"

Misato pointed to a heavily-armored human soldier carrying a missile launcher!

Several similarly armed troops accompanied him, including a burly sergeant who easily defeated several kaiju in close-quarters combat!

"Hurry! Signal our location with smoke!"

"Yes, ma'am!"

Outside the Castle…

"Watch your fire, soldier! You came this close to lighting up a friendly!"

"Sorry, Sgt. Slaughter! I tried to raise them, but comms are still spotty!"

Backblast had never been reprimanded by Sgt. Slaughter before, but he knew better than to embarrass himself further in front of a legend.

Slaughter effortlessly snapped the neck of an ant kaiju he was fighting with, then seized his pistol and fired at two more!

"Control yourself, son! You're part of G.I. Joe!"

A female corporal turned to her warrant officer, Flint.

"Flint, I see green smoke down the corridor."

"That's the signal. Lady Jaye, tell the Wing Divers we've secured the King, Queen, and Princess."

Planet Jackal…

Demon King Jackal bristled at the stiff resistance his troops were experiencing.

"This was supposed to be over in minutes! How did they get reinforcements through?!"

"They've been allied with the humans for 60 years. Did you honestly expect them to not pick up a few things?"

Archforce sneered.

"Why aren't you helping?!"

"The Insecticons and Ravager Kaiju were only supposed to provide cannon fodder and distract the Autobots and their allies. Squashing the Warriors of Light was your sole responsibility, my King."

"I should have known the Decepticons would try to cheat me. Why else would Megatron send a body double instead of showing up in person?!"

Archforce was about to respond to the insult when a call came through on the comms.

"It appears the humans have deployed anti-kaiju special forces, including mobile suit squadrons, to assist the besieged. I must be off."

Archforce transformed into a tank and drove elsewhere.

"Tch. Damned coward!"

Jackal huffed.

A while later, one of his guards made an alarming announcement!

"Your Highness, an Ultra strike force has made their way to the main castle! Our forces are being pushed back!"

"What?! How did they get past our cordon?!"

"You might have Kaiju-proofed your fortress, but you didn't Transformer-proof it!"

A voice announced from behind the Demon King!

"Vector Prime! Who else but you?"

He sneered at the Ancient Autobot that suddenly teleported behind him.

"Been a while since Ultraman King and I trapped you in a black hole. Good times."

"Comedy won't make me spare you. Shoot him!"

The Kaiju guards prepared to shoot Vector Prime, only to explode instead!

"By the way, while you were screaming your frustrations, I took the liberty of inviting some of my new friends. Do the names 'Redman' and 'Zone Fighter' ring any bells?"

"Must I do everything myself? Fools!"

Jackal charged at Vector Prime, only to run face first into Ultraman Melos!

The young Warrior of Light quickly knocked him out with a combo of punches and kicks!

Enraged, Jackal shapeshifted into a Kaiju and shot Melos with a beam!

However, he had to evade it when Melos cast off his armor, deflecting Jackal's beam back at him!

"I won't you hurt anyone anymore!"

Melos screamed in rage.

"Melos, keep him occupied! Redman and I will deal with the rest of the guards!"

Zone Fighter shouted from a distance.

As more kaiju guards closed in, Vector Prime drew his sword and slashed open a portal in time!

The nearest guards dropped as their upper halves were disintegrated by a mysterious beam!

Stunned, Jackal was knocked out by a blow from the flat of Melos' Andrang!

Before he passed out, Jackal attempted to lure Melos into a final all-or-nothing attack!

"Please… Grant me mercy… I beg you!"

Melos seriously considered the offer before a shout interrupted him!

"Red Arrow!"

A giant spear narrowly missed Melos and impaled the weakened Jackal!

"Redman! What was that for?!"

An angered Melos reprimanded.

"Meteor Missile Might!"

A flurry of missiles narrowly missed Melos and blew Jackal to smithereens!

"Zone! All right, that's it! You two explain yourselves before I have you punished for insubordination!"

Melos reprimanded once more.

"Hey, that cheating bastard was clearly trying to lure you into a trap!"

Redman complained.

"Even if that were true, we should always offer our enemies a chance at clemency. The Warriors of Light are peacekeepers, not executioners!"

However, Zone angrily countered Melos' reprimand.

"I'm afraid I agree with Redman. The Garoga said the exact same thing about 'peacekeeping, not executing' to my people right before they killed them anyway and joined the Ravagers!"

Incensed, Melos took on a more authoritative tone.

"Listen here, Zone Fighter. What's done is done. I'm sorry about what happened to your planet, but I expect some professionalism from a soldier of the Inter Galactic Defense Force! Commander Zoffy's here. Perhaps he'll be more lenient towards you two than I will."

As the three Warriors left the dying Jackal to wither into dust, the villain glanced upwards and saw the Ultras he'd thought he killed return to subjugate the rest of his army.

"You… can't win…forever."

With one opposing army vanquished, Vector Prime teleported elsewhere to the final hot spot, Monster Island.

He saw a winged automaton fire beams of light at the ground, eviscerating some Insecticons!

From inside the automaton, the young pilot relayed reports from his fellow pilots.

"The God of Death has left his mark! Sector 2 secure!"

"Sector 3 is secure. I'm going to need more ammo."

"Sector 4 is secure. Hang on, Trowa, I'll be there in a bit!"

"Sector 5 is secure. Being squashed by Nataku is too honorable for these bugs."

"Sector 6 is secure. Preventer Wind, out."

Smirking contently, the pilot reported in as well.

"Sector 1 is secure. Mission: Complete."

"This is Vector Prime. Good job, Preventers. That's another one for the records."

Back at the meeting…

"That 'Redman' sounds rather bloodthirsty. I hope Zoffy can mellow him out."

Magnus commented.

"Oh, he will. I'll see to that."

Mother of Ultra assured Magnus.

"General Abernathy, I must ask you for clarity on one troubling issue. What would push Cobra to join forces with the likes of Megatron and Jackal?"

Magnus asked.

"Our analysis of the enemy's weapons sourced them to a military warehouse for decommissioned firearms in Indonesia. We suspect they vacated the guns before Shocker could seize it first."

General Abernathy answered.

"Shocker?"

"A new terrorist organization. They've been pushing Cobra out of East Asia and into space. Their modus operandi is mostly the same: world domination through mad science and the illegal arms market. They've also inherited Cobra's love of nanotechnology and used them to create cyborg soldiers out of kidnapped test subjects. We've recently recruited a new task force from the lucky few that managed to escape."

"Have they collaborated with the Decepticons or the Ravagers?"

"No concrete evidence thus far. We initially thought that was the case when they pursued this artifact, the Witchblade."

Abernathy briefly faded out as an image of the artifact took his place.

Magnus studied it closely.

"Doesn't look like any artifact I know of, General."

"Your psychiatrist Rung said it matches no known civilization on Earth or Cybertron. All we know is that it grants the bearer, usually female, a power-enhancing bodysuit. More alarmingly, the bearer and those around her seem to have the ability to see other universes in brief visions."

"Like a psychic crystal ball? How can such an object even exist?!"

Grand Admiral Aznable asked.

"Have you secured it yet? That kind of power cannot fall into the wrong hands!"

Magnus spoke sternly.

"Fortunately, we were able to recruit the bearer and her husband into our new task force. The Kamen Riders, as we've designated them, will keep Shocker at bay for now. However, considering how they've managed to beat back Cobra, I fear it won't be long before they try to negotiate an alliance with either Megatron or the Ravager Empire."

Abernathy paused for a bit.

"I've worried you enough. I'll leave Mother of Ultra to conclude her report."

Mother of Ultra continued.

"Thank you, General Hawk. Even with the help of these new allies, it didn't make much of a difference. Once Vector Prime coordinated our defenses, our victory over this demonic army was 100% assured."

"Seems a bit excessive to me."

"You weren't there, Magnus. There were so many Insecticons, I didn't think five Gundams and a Tallgeese would be enough!"

EDF Intelligence Colonel Ryoji Kaji cheerfully chimed in.

Ultra Magnus smiled knowingly.

"Just my opinion, Colonel Kaji. I know better than to ignore your experience."

He turned to the rest of the conference.

"That reminds me. Do we know where Archforce went after the meeting with Jackal?"

"I detected his signature for a brief moment after moving to Monster Island. A report from pilot Trowa Barton indicated that Archforce was last seen retreating with some fellow Decepticons around the same time as the retreat order was broadcast."

Vector Prime reported.

"Must have used a space bridge. I'm not surprised Megatron's designated body double abandoned-"

Magnus came to a dire realization.

"Oh, Primus. I think Prime might be right!"

"What is it, Magnus?"

A concerned Dai Atlas asked.

"What if Archforce and Megatron switched bodies before the operation?! That way, Prime kills Archforce, and the real Megatron escapes unscathed!"

"Then we finish the fight! Alive or not, Megatron's forces have been utterly decimated!"

Dai Atlas confidently proclaimed.

"But his other allies aren't. The Ravagers held off on attacking Monster Island with their strongest soldiers, allowing us to easily defeat the combiner teams and Insecticons with our Kaiju. Except for that skirmish in Honolulu, they might be planning a separate offensive and simply wanted us to whittle down the competition. And of course, there's that Shocker group."

General Fuyutsuki warned.

Greatshot interrupted the conference.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, we have bad news and worse news."

"What's the bad news?"

Magnus asked.

"Punch is dead. His last message was that Shockwave was purging the surviving Decepticon ranks."

Magnus scowled at the news of the loss of his trusted agent.

"And the worse news?"

"Prime and his entourage have gone missing."

To be continued…

Chapter 3: Across This New Divide

Chapter Text

Monster Island, Bonin Islands, Japan, "Blue Earth." December 3rd, 2029…

Captain Shinji Ikari sat inside the cockpit of Kiryu Unit-01.

"Misato, did you feel that?"

"What is it?"

"I don't know. I just get the feeling that something bad might happen."

"Are you that worried about Asuka's birthday?"

"No. Well, okay, maybe."

"Just pretend it's another date. Then surprise her when the time is right."

"It's just that… this isn't your ordinary birthday present."

"Don't worry. Everyone gets nervous."

Shinji quickly checked to see if Asuka was around.

Luckily, she was busy helping Jet Jaguar, the EDF's first sentient A.I. controlled Anti-Kaiju Mecha, defuse an argument between Baragon and Gorosaurus.

"For the last time, Goro, This is my spot! Your spot is over there!"

"I know! Then those metal invaders attacked, and look what happened!"

"Well, you can't just go and take my spot!"

"What are they arguing about?"

Asuka asked Jet Jaguar from Kiryu Unit-02.

"Gorosaurus's resting place was destroyed in the attack, and he wants to stay with Baragon, but they disagree on boundaries."

"Should I tell them to break it up?"

"Not yet. Let me talk to them."

Using pre-programmed frequencies and synthesized roars, Jet Jaguar was able to communicate with the kaiju!

"Break it up, you two! I'm ashamed of both of you! If you two can fight off an invasion together, I'm sure you can stand each other for the next couple of days until the fires die down!"

"But Mr. Jet-"

"No 'buts.' I expect you two to get along as you did earlier, understood?"

"Yes, sir."

The two kaiju grumbled and sat in their respective corners like scolded schoolchildren.

Asuka sighed in disappointment.

"And here I thought I'd actually get to blast something."

SPOOOOOOM!

A short distance away, Godzilla suddenly blasted the side of a mountain, causing it to collapse in a landslide!

"Asuka, what happened?!"

Shinji screamed over the comms.

"That overgrown lizard just shot up a mountain! Jet! Ask him what the hell he's doing!"

"Godzilla, explain yourself!"

"There's something buried inside that mountain! It might be another invader!"

Godzilla answered Jet Jaguar with an annoyed grunt.

When the dust settled, Godzilla, Jet, and the Kiryu units stared at the mountain in awe!

Embedded in the ruined mountain was an 80-meter-tall horned humanoid figure!

Traces of purple and green could still be seen on its metallic armor!

"Misato! We found some kind of statue on Monster Island. It's the size of a Kaiju!"

Asuka relayed the video feed to Misato to view.

"Could be an ancient Cybertronian. I'll call Pri-"

Misato suddenly fell silent.

Asuka could hear a brief gasp of shock.

"Misato?!"

"This is an emergency broadcast from Major General Misato Katsuragi to all EDF and Monarch personnel! Optimus Prime is missing in action, and invasion fleets have been reported on Cybertron and Jupiter! Prepare for a second wave!"

Between Earth and Cybertron, sometime earlier…

Optimus Prime gave the sad news to his fellow Autobots.

"From the Autobot City garrison, Autobots Prowl, Huffer, Windcharger, Beachcomber, and Bluestreak have been confirmed to be killed in action. I'd like to give them a moment of silence for their sacrifices in the name of freedom for all sentient beings."

Ratchet, Ironhide, Bumblebee, and Wheeljack silently bowed their heads in respect.

After the moment of silence, Prime continued his briefing.

"Casualty figures from across the system are still being updated. I've ordered this rescue mission because it is of the utmost importance that those figures do not increase any more than they already have."

"But, Prime, we only have a distress signal to go on! It could be a trap!"

"I know the risks, Ironhide. That's why we're using Omega Supreme."

"Are you sure Omega can handle this trip? I heard he took a nasty beating in Autobot City."

Bumblebee asked.

"If he can't, it's because of me."

A remorseful Wheeljack stated.

"Wheeljack?"

"Omega was thrashing 'Cons left and right. Smokescreen and I were providing support with turrets. Then, Megatron got his hands on a Nucleon Shock Cannon and aimed it at us! He fired three shots. We found out later that he somehow charged them with antimatter for extra damage. I was about to accept oblivion right then and there when Omega took the shots for us. I should've ran-"

"Wheeljack, don't!"

Ratchet cut off and reassured the younger scientist.

"Don't blame yourself for what Megatron did. Omega's been through worse."

The old medic turned to Bumblebee.

"To answer your question, Bumblebee, Omega's in a power-conservation mode for now. Teletraan-1 will handle his vehicle mode until his auto-repair systems finish. Until then, all we need to do is to avoid trouble."

Ratchet explained.

"Proximity alert! Unknown debris ahead!"

Teletraan-1 warned.

"…And just like that, I've jinxed it."

Ratchet grumbled as the crew focused on the viewscreen.

There was nothing in front of them but partially-melted scrap metal and fuel droplets.

"Teletraan-1! Match the location of the debris with that of the distress signal and known Decepticon escape routes!"

Prime ordered.

"Cross-checking locations… Complete."

The Autobots turned grim when the results came up.

"They match. This is the ship we're looking for. Ratchet, prepare an autopsy. Ironhide, Bumblebee, and Wheeljack will form a search party and salvage the remains. I'll keep guard-"

"Warning! Unknown energy spike detected!"

"It's an ambush!"

Bumblebee shouted.

"Emergency Transwarp to the energy spike now!"

Teletraan-1 warped the moment Prime finished his sentence.

The sudden jolt knocked all five Autobots to the floor!

As Prime faded into unconsciousness, visions of a different final confrontation with Megatron floated through his mind.

"Fall! Fall!"

"Optimus, forgive me…."

"Ultra Magnus. It is to you, old friend."

"But Prime, I'm just a soldier. I'm not worthy."

"So was I."

"Until that day… 'Til all are one…."

"Arise, Rodimus Prime."

Later, somewhere in the infinite cosmos…

The Autobots groaned as they picked themselves off the floor.

Prime wondered a bit about the alternate events he saw in his dream.

"Must be a glitch. I'll have Ratchet take care of it later."

The commander muttered as he moved on to more pressing matters.

A shocking image now appeared on the Ark's viewscreen.

"How did we get back to Mars?"

Ironhide groaned, still recovering from the fall.

"Ironhide, that isn't Mars!"

A panicked Bumblebee exclaimed!

The Earth, which the Autobots remembered as being vibrant blue, was now an ominous shade of red!

Even more alarming was that the entire bottom of the planet had disappeared entirely under an utterly bizarre-looking void!

"It must be another Decepticon plot!"

Ironhide exclaimed, too shocked to say anything else.

"They must have attacked while we were in stasis..."

Wheeljack muttered despondently.

"Prime, this must be a trick, right? Our friends are fine, right?!"

Bumblebee whimpered in shock.

"Sir, Teletraan-1 is working at 100% efficiency. It's no illusion."

Ratchet confirmed sadly and sighed.

"There's only three billion lifeforms left."

Prime set aside his grief and frustration. He calmly issued orders, as any commander in his place should.

"Scan for any abnormal energy readings. It should point us to whatever caused this. I fear it might be a new Decepticon weapon."

"Understood, sir, deploying probes," responds Ratchet.

A fleet of reconnaissance drones launched into Earth's atmosphere.

A few seconds later, all of them relay signals, but one is abruptly silenced.

"Sir, readings indicate a massive spike in the Japanese Archipelago!"

The automatons set out to avenge their fallen friends with their bearings confirmed.

"Ratchet, prepare a dropship! Ironhide, Bumblebee, and Wheeljack, with me! Autobots, Roll Out!"

Tokyo-3, Japan, "Red Earth." August 3rd, 2015…

Shinji Ikari should have been attending school, like most boys his age.

Unfortunately, after his estranged father summoned him out of the blue and a giant monster attacked the city, that course of action would have to wait.

Despite the chaos unfolding around him, worse things had happened to poor old Shinji.

Fate had been unkind to him in childhood when it took away his mother, and it certainly wasn't going to stop now.

His only consolation was the attractive woman his father had sent to pick him up.

Shinji didn't know what to make of Major Misato Katsuragi.

On the one hand, she looked and behaved more like an eccentric supermodel than a military officer.

On the other, her "expert" driving allowed them to outrun the attacking Angel and dodge any stray debris.

Shinji was still trying to cope with this sudden turn of events when things got weirder.

The car screeched to a halt on the side of the road, shocking the boy out of his stupor.

"Shinji!" Misato hissed in a hushed tone. "Look..."

The duo looked on in disbelief as a mysterious spaceship appeared in the skies over Tokyo-3, like an old sci-fi movie scene.

It fired a couple of laser beams at the Angel and deployed a team of giant transforming robots who tried to distract it.

Suddenly, a radio crackles.

"Major Katsuragi, is the Child secure?" a familiar voice asks.

"Yes, sir, we managed to evade the Angel. But-"

"We know. Return to base immediately. The Vice Commander will debrief you then. In the meantime, make sure to avoid contact with those beings."

Shinji never had the chance to say hello to his father.

"The Child." thought Shinji. "He didn't even bother calling me by my name."

Closer to the battlefield…

After exchanging a few barrages of gunfire, the Autobots realized that despite its organic nature, the Angel proved to be a stubborn opponent.

"The damn thing's shielded! It's deflecting everything we throw at it!"

Ironhide said in frustration as salvo after salvo was blocked by an orange force field.

A group of JASDF gunships opened fire on the Angel, narrowly missing the Autobots.

"Hey! Watch your fire! I'm flying here!" yelled Wheeljack.

The Angel turned its head, and a flash of light emitted from its eye sockets, vaporizing the unfortunate gunships.

Shocked by the humans' unfriendly fire and the Angel's capabilities, Prime contacted Ratchet.

"Ratchet, contact the humans and tell them to pull back!"

"They already are! The humans just launched a high-explosive missile at the creature! Retreat now!"

Prime, Bumblebee, and Ironhide transformed into vehicle mode and sped into the dropship.

Wheeljack fired a few parting shots from the ship's missile launchers and accelerated in the opposite direction.

The Third Angel, Sachiel, stared blankly at the retreating enemies as if surprised by an easy victory.

It was then that it noticed a peculiar object falling towards it.

SPOOOOOOMMMMMM!

A massive Fireball engulfed the Angel, burning the countryside to a crisp!

The resulting shockwave was strong enough to knock the drop ship out of the sky, despite its distance.

"Everyone, hang on!" yelled Wheeljack over the pandemonium.

The Alpine Renault carrying Misato and Shinji was much lighter and was also knocked a great distance!

"AAAAAAGH!"

Due to a stroke of luck, and Misato's improvised shielding of Shinji, the duo survived.

As the boy and his guardian got out of their vehicle to survey the damage, they came face to face with the Autobots in similar straits.

Misato instinctively stood in front of Shinji, unsure what the alien robots would do.

They both received the shock of their lives when the Autobot commander stood forward and said:

"Major General Katsuragi, Captain Ikari. It is good to see you-"

He paused as if noticing something off.

"What happened to you? You look younger..."

"It's just Major Katsuragi. Shinji's just... What are you? How do you know our names?" asked Misato, concerned about their strange familiarity.

Optimus Prime, proud commander of the Autobots, simply froze and stared at them.

Shinji returned the gaze, surprised that a giant robot could show fear and confusion.

A masked Autobot stepped forward.

"Prime, I know my hypothesis sounds crazy, but I think we're in an alternate universe."

For once, both Autobots and humans were equally confused.

To be continued...

Chapter 4: Cruel Angel

Chapter Text

Kaon, Cybertron. Before Prime's disappearance…

Clad in a cape and crown, Starscream stood triumphantly before the remaining Decepticon forces.

"My fellow Decepticons, it pains me to announce that our latest offensive has ended in catastrophic failure. Many lives have been lost, including that of our great leader, Megatron. As your new ruler, I will take great pains to prevent another costly misadventure. Gone are the days of incompetence and defeat! The Decepticons shall-"

A purple Decepticon jet suddenly crashed into the ceremony!

"Who disrupts my coronation?"

Another purple Decepticon disembarked from the jet before it transformed into robot mode!

"Coronation, Starscream? This is bad comedy."

Starscream was all-too-familiar with that condescending tone.

"Maybe Archforce wasn't lying after all…."

He now realized too late.

"Megatron?! Is that you?!"

"Here's a hint!"

"Megatron" transformed into a tank and shot Starscream with his enhanced Fusion Cannon!

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!"

Starscream shrieked as he disintegrated.

"Megatron" transformed into robot form and stomped on Starscream's fallen crown.

"The false heir has fallen! Rejoice, Decepticons! Your rightful ruler has returned under the new title of Galvatron, Emperor of Destruc-!"

BLAM!

Galvatron gasped in shock and pain as he stared down at the gaping hole in his chest, from which Cosmic Rust began expanding!

Cyclonus and Scourge reached for their guns, only to meet the same fate!

"I'm afraid that title is already taken."

A cycloptic Decepticon appeared from behind the stage with a smoking gun!

A pair of Sweeps attempted to help their fallen leaders, only to be surrounded by Deathsaurus and his crew!

"Shock…wave…"

Galvatron only managed to croak out his former chief scientist's name before he was silenced with a shot to the head.

As the bodies of the usurpers crumbled to rust, Shockwave turned to the crowd.

After a moment of pause, he made an announcement that led to massive protest from the audience.

"Prepare yourselves for a more well-thought-out offensive! We will be coordinating with the Quintesson and Ravager Empires this time!"

"You mean we almost became Kaiju food because of your power play?! Go frag yourself, Shockwave!"

Scrapper cursed, with the rest of the Constructicons joining him in jeering.

"Why would you invite those five-faced freaks?! They'll just try to enslave us as they did to our ancestors! You're a disgrace to the legacy of Megatron!"

Lugnut, arguably Megatron's most devoted follower, disapproved of their new allies, to say the least.

Not wanting to face an angry mob, Deathsaurus aimed a Cosmic Rust gun at Shockwave.

"Betraying me so soon? I thought you'd stay for another hour."

The scientist unusually snarked.

"Our deal only covered Starscream. In case you haven't noticed, we're not exactly in the right condition for another offensive!"

"You once told me that you'd rather die than become an Autobot. Do you intend to keep your promise?"

Esmeral pointed another Cosmic Rust gun at Shockwave.

"How disappointing. For the former chief scientist, that was one stupid decision!"

Despite being pirates, Deathsaurus and Esmeral had some sympathy for the well-being of their fellow 'Cons.

By comparison, even Megatron wasn't nearly as callous as Shockwave at his worst.

"Oh, I admit I've made several mistakes. I believe one of them was 'Trust a pirate?'"

Upon receiving Shockwave's calm response, anti-corrosive liquid spilled from the Cosmic Rust guns, rendering them useless!

The couple switched back to their standard-issue Neutron Assault Rifles!

"There won't be any more coups on my watch. I've made sure of that."

Lockdown and Sunstorm appeared at Shockwave's side, grinning and crackling with golden energy!

The two held up their trophies to the audible gasps of the audience!

In their hands were the severed heads of the feared Decepticon Justice Division!

"The Decepticon Justice Division has been replaced. If anyone contests my rule, you will answer to these two. If you're fortunate, you'll receive the same 'upgrades.'"

At that moment, the Decepticons instantly split into two factions.

Those who sided with Shockwave, mostly Insecticons and Vehicons, began firing at the fleeing pirates!

Those who hated Shockwave, mostly Combiners and Seekers, joined Deathsaurus's escape and fired back!

Amidst the chaos, Counterpunch sent a secret message to the Autobots!

"Shockwave in charge! Purged DJD! Split in Ranks! Quintesson support!"

Once he sent that message, a sinister voice whispered!

"Found you…"

Lockdown pounced upon the hapless double agent with his chainsaw!

The former bounty hunter relished his kill with insane laughter!

Autobot City, Tennessee, U.S.A. "Blue Earth." December 3rd, 2029….

Ultra Magnus and the other assembled NEST leaders grimaced at the recovered footage from Punch's final message.

Despite his violent demise, the double agent had recorded the chaotic melee dutifully!

"Do you realize what this means? Prime's worst fear has come to life! The Decepticon Civil War has begun!"

Magnus loudly summarized.

"Shouldn't we be rejoicing at the division of our enemies?"

General Fuyutsuki asked.

"They replaced Megatron and Starscream with Deathsaurus and Shockwave. In other words, General, our enemies just got a big boost of competence!"

Grand Admiral Aznable cleared his throat.

"Ultra Magnus, if I may?"

"Yes, Grand Admiral?"

"Considering our past dealings, would it possible for me to negotiate a truce with Deathsaurus?"

"You're not trying to start another rebellion, are you?"

Magnus cautiously asked.

"Heavens, no! If I did, I'd be no better than the Zabis! All I'm trying to do is to minimize the number of opponents we're facing. If we can temporarily turn Deathsaurus into an ally, we might end this second wave before it starts!"

Greatshot shook his head.

"Call for you, Magnus. It's Elita. The second wave's already started."

Magnus took the call, which appeared as another hologram.

"Elita, you're talking to the NEST leadership. What's happened?"

"There's a Quintesson invasion fleet bearing down on Kaon! Where's Optimus?! His reinforcements didn't show up!"

"Elita, listen, Optimus is missing."

"What?! What do you mean he's missing?!"

"We lost contact with him when he went to rescue an Autobot supply shuttle."

"Supply shuttle? That was Sky Lynx!"

"Sky Lynx?"

"Prime was afraid the comms were compromised! That's why he had Sky Lynx disguised as a regular supply shuttle! Do you mean to tell me we've lost our Supreme Commander and Lieutenant Commander?!"

Ultra Magnus was shocked and speechless.

This had to be Megatron's master plan, he thought.

The first offensive was supposed to fail.

Why else would Megatron switch places with Archforce?

Then, when things calmed down, he would eliminate Prime in one stroke and return for a second strike with a refined Decepticon army, now purged of weaklings and traitors!

Fortunately, an older voice broke the tension.

"I'll handle this, Elita. You prepare the defenses."

"Alpha Trion!"

"Since Prime is absent, we'll require your services. I highly recommend sending yourself as well as Vector Prime and Metroplex."

"Then who will defend the Americas?"

General Abernathy asked.

"I'll send over Fortress Maximus from Japan. We should be fine with an army of Kaiju, not to mention WILLE and the Gotengo."

Dai Atlas reassured.

"General Abernathy, I also require Agents Hongo, Ichimonji, Midorikawa, and Kisaragi."

Alpha Trion continued.

"Why them specifically?"

General Abernathy asked.

"From what I've sensed, Prime isn't dead. He's trapped in a parallel universe. As for how he got there and how we'll rescue him, I'll explain in detail later."

Tokyo-3, Japan, "Red Earth." August 3rd, 2015…

From the moment the Third Angel, Sachiel, first set foot on land, Gendo Ikari remained at Nerv Headquarters with his vice commander Kozo Fuyutsuki and the JSDF General Staff.

They closely monitored the peculiar new combatants as they fought Sachiel, only to be repelled by the Angel's Absolute Terror Field, as its energy shield was known.

"I take it the erm... transforming robots weren't part of the Scenario?"

Fuyutsuki quipped.

"No, they are not. But, since they're fighting against the Angels, they may prove themselves useful tools against the Old Men."

Gendo whispered.

While Gendo and Fuyutsuki silently plotted, General Takaki Aso received some distressing orders from the Minister of Defense.

"All units, pull back! Target has been designated for a tactical N2 strike! Clear the area!"

"Won't the mechs get caught in the blast?"

Lt. Col. Akira Yuki asked his superiors.

"They have a spaceship. They'll be fine!" replied

Colonel Goro Gondo, a notorious snarker, sarcastically answered his underling.

The JSDF officers fell silent when a blinding light enveloped the target and obscured the live camera feed.

After a moment of static, the image of a charred but still standing Angel surrounded by smoking wasteland filled the screen.

"Damn it! All that bloodshed, and we barely even scratched it!"

A now-livid General Aso exclaimed, snapping a pencil in half in frustration.

The General sighed and turned to Gendo.

"We'll proceed with your project, Ikari."

"You should've done that from the start."

"You, on the other hand, should watch your tongue. If your toy doesn't kill that thing, the Prime Minister will have your organization's status revoked."

For all his scheming, Gendo Ikari had a habit of not-so-subtly criticizing those he viewed to be of lower intellect, especially his superiors and nominal allies in the Japanese Government and the UN.

General Aso signaled his men and turned to leave the headquarters.

Likewise, Gendo was about to leave and contact Misato on the status of his son.

They all froze when they heard a strange noise from the main viewscreen.

"Sir, the Angel is regenerating faster than anticipated!"

The humans watched as the Angel changed shape.

Wings protruded out of its back, and spikes grew on its arm.

Finally, its birdlike face slid downwards like a mask, revealing a more humanoid face behind it.

Its eyes lit up in crimson.

"Where am I? Why do I feel so heavy?"

Starscream wondered before his memories flooded back into his new body.

"RRAAAAAAAUUUUUUUGH! MEGATROOOOON!"

"WHERE ARE YOU?! SHOW YOURSELF, YOU COWARD!"

The assembled humans stood in stupefied horror as the Angel spoke in a language they could understand.

Even the usually stoic Gendo stood wide-eyed in silent horror.

In any other circumstance, it would have been hypocritical for Starscream to call anyone else a coward.

After killing his superior, Megatron, and usurping his place, Starscream felt his longstanding grudge and ambitions had finally been fulfilled.

Then, he pulled that trick with Archforce and reappeared at his coronation…

"COME OUT AND FIGHT ME!"

Then he saw a familiar convoy of vehicles fleeing the vicinity.

"PRIME! AND YOUR AUTOBOTS! I SHALL KILL YOU FIRST!"

Starscream initially thought of transforming into an F-15 Eagle as he had done so many times before.

Upon realizing he was trapped in a massive organic body, he grunted in frustration and hovered towards his targets instead!

A few minutes earlier...

"Prime, I know my hypothesis sounds crazy, but I think we're in an alternate universe."

"What do you mean, 'alternate universe,' like in a comic book?"

An incredulous Misato asked.

"Yes, in our universe, the Earth was blue, Antarctica was still intact, and I believe the year was 2029 the last time I checked."

Wheeljack answered.

"What year is it here?"

"2015."

"Hmm. Time distortion, too. Yui would have a field day with this."

Wheeljack noted in his log.

"Wait! You know my mother?!"

Shinji had been keeping silent until the mention of Yui Ikari suddenly shook away his shyness.

"Yes, we met your family at the Odo Island facility a while back. She and Lt. Gen. Gendo needed our help taming some local wildlife. Speaking of which, how are your parents in this universe?"

Shinji gulped.

"My mother died when I was three. As for my father, I haven't seen him since. He sent me off to live with one of my teachers until recently. This morning, I got a letter asking me to come to his base."

The Autobots were shocked by Shinji's revelations.

"I... see. I'm very sorry for your loss, Shinji."

Shinji was stunned by Wheeljack's condolences.

"If you need anybody to talk to, we're here."

Bumblebee reassured him.

Shinji's new friendship was interrupted by a loud squelch.

Suddenly, someone bellowed into the air.

"RRAAAAAAAUUUUUUUGH! MEGATROOOOON!"

"WHERE ARE YOU?! SHOW YOURSELF, YOU COWARD!"

"COME OUT AND FIGHT ME!"

Shinji could've sworn he saw fear on his new friends' steel faces.

Of course, he was terribly frightened once he realized that voice could've only come from one thing...

"It's Starscream! He's taken over the Angel!"

Ironhide exclaimed.

"How the scrap did Starscream get here? And how did he take over that thing?"

Bumblebee wondered.

"I don't know. He must have gotten here the same way as us!"

Wheeljack explained.

"Move! Get to wherever Gendo is now!"

Prime ordered his men, who had already begun transforming into vehicle modes.

Prime transformed into a White Freightliner WFT semi-truck.

Bumblebee transformed into a Suzuki Swift.

Ironhide transformed into a red Hummer H2.

Wheeljack transformed into a Lancia Stratos race car.

Prime loaded Misato's wrecked Renault into his trailer.

"Bumblebee, take Katsuragi and Ikari with you. You'll get there faster."

The duo placed their trust in the Autobot commander and barreled towards the Swift.

"PRIME! AND YOUR AUTOBOTS! I SHALL KILL YOU FIRST!"

The Angel screamed.

"Prime! He's gaining on us!"

Ironhide yelled.

"Go! Now!"

Later, En route to Nerv HQ…

"Splendid day so far."

Shinji sarcastically mumbled to himself.

In summation, he was nearly crushed by a giant monster, nauseated by Misato's "emergency" driving, nearly incinerated by a non-radioactive nuke, and encountered giant transforming alien robots that somehow mistook him for a Captain.

After all that, he was chased again by the same monster, which had developed flight and was now screaming death threats at him.

All because of his pitiful excuse of a father, who finally decided to talk to him after years of absence.

Meanwhile, Prime decided to bring back an old friend to improve their chances of survival.

"Ratchet, we need you to buy us some time! Activate Omega Protocol!"

"Roger! You had better get to Gendo's HQ quick! Our Energon reserves won't hold for long!"

Ratchet answered over the commlink.

"What's Omega Protocol?"

Shinji asked Bumblebee.

"An old friend with big guns. You'll see."

Bumblebee answered, now in the shape of a holomatter human driver.

Specifically, a 19-year-old blond male in a yellow shirt with black stripes.

"Take a right! The shortcut should be here."

Misato directed the young Autobot.

Bumblebee turned into a tunnel, which led to an elevator platform.

"Ironhide, Wheeljack, with me. We've got to distract Starscream and protect the evacuating humans until Ratchet and Omega Supreme arrive."

Prime ordered the remaining Autobots.

"Call me pessimistic, Prime, but I don't think Omega can handle Screamer in his current state!"

"Would it kill ya to have a little faith?"

Wheeljack and Ironhide bantered.

"A little caution never hurt anyone, Ironhide. Then again, if this version of Gendo Ikari is remotely like the one at home, I'd say we're in safe hands!"

"Did you miss the part where he left Shinji after Yui died? Our Gendo would shoot him in a nanosecond!"

"Enough, you two! Focus on the task at hand!"

In space ...

"Omega, can you hear me?"

Omega Supreme stirred into consciousness.

"Ratchet?"

"Prime and the others need our help! Starscream's grown to immense size and is attacking human cities! We need you to transform!"

"Energon Reserves: Moderate. Chances of success: Low."

"At least buy them some time to evacuate. We'll improvise the rest."

"Understood. I am programmed to protect and sacrifice if necessary."

"Don't worry, old friend. We'll get through this together."

"Transwarping to set coordinates. 3. 2. 1..."

To be continued…

Chapter 5: Be Not Afraid

Chapter Text

Tokyo-3, Japan, "Red Earth." August 3rd, 2015…

Starscream had never felt more alive.

After all those years of failed schemes and humiliation, he had finally surpassed all Cybertronians, let alone his hated superior Megatron!

"AHHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHA! DIE, PUNY FLESHLINGS! YOU AND YOUR AUTOBOT FRIENDS WILL PERISH BEFORE THE ALMIGHTY STARSCREAM! ABANDON ALL HOPE AND DESPAIR!"

Even as Tokyo-3's buildings transformed into missile platforms and pummeled him mercilessly, nothing pierced Starscream's A.T. Field, and he returned the favor with his Angel-enhanced eye beams and arm blades!

Suddenly, an Autobot ship transwarped in above him and transformed!

Starscream smirked.

"OMEGA SUPREME. FINALLY, A WORTHY CHALLENGE."

"TARGET IDENTIFIED: DECEPTICON AIR COMMANDER STARSCREAM."

"PROCEED ON YOUR WAY TO OBLIVION, RUST BUCKET."

"ENGAGING TARGET."

Omega hurled towards Starscream, firing barrage after barrage of missiles!

As Starscream tried to pull the same trick, he was countered by a blast from Omega's plasma cannon hand!

Omega tried to use his tractor beam and pull Starscream in closer!

Itching for hand-to-hand combat, Starscream lunged at him and protracted his arm blades, only to be parried by a swipe of his massive claw of a right hand!

Below, the denizens of Tokyo-3 watched in awe as the titans grappled!

"Ratchet, I will eliminate Starscream. You must rendezvous with Prime and help him evacuate the city."

"Omega, with Starscream's new abilities and your current Energon levels, you won't stand a chance!"

"One Autobot death: Preferable. Five Autobot and a million human deaths: inexcusable."

"Omega…"

"Go, Ratchet."

Ratchet barely had time to internalize his sadness before Omega forcibly ejected him out his back!

The Autobot Doctor managed to land safely despite making a rather large crater on the pavement.

As he stood back up, his sensors detected two humans trapped in a nearby collapsed building!

"Help! Help us! Anyone!"

Ratchet jumped out of the impact crater he made and used his arm magnets to lift the debris, revealing a teenage boy and his younger sister.

"A... giant robot?"

The girl wondered.

"I assure you, I mean no harm. Do any of you need medical attention?"

"I'm fine, but my sister injured her leg."

The boy answered.

Thinking quickly, Ratchet transformed into an ambulance and opened his rear doors.

"Get in. There's a first aid kit in the back."

Seeing as they had no choice, the boy carried his sister into the back of the ambulance and closed the doors.

He looked to the driver's seat and saw an old doctor wearing a suit.

"This old geezer's a mecha pilot? I hope he's one of those grizzled veteran types. Otherwise, we're doomed."

The boy thought to himself, having seen his fair share of sci-fi.

"Alright, Toji, I need you to do exactly what I say."

The boy stared at him in awe.

Somehow, the old man already knew his name!

"Disinfect the wound with some alcohol and wrap it tightly with gauze. Tell Sakura it might hurt a bit."

The boy did as told.

His sister winced a little but was stable.

"How do you know our names?"

Sakura Suzuhara asked, still reeling from the pain.

"Let's just say I knew you from a past life."

Ratchet answered as he hit the accelerator.

The ambulance sped through the streets, shaking intermittently from the blows the dueling giants inflicted on each other.

The silence was broken by an urgent message over the comms.

"Ratchet, this is Prime! Status report!"

"Prime! Omega doesn't have enough energy to successfully defeat Starscream! He ejected me and told me to save myself."

"I see…"

"I'm en route to your location with the Suzuhara siblings. What's the status on Bumblebee and Ikari?"

"Drop off the Second Lieutenant and Corporal at the nearest shelter first. As for Bumblebee, he said Nerv was deploying some kind of anti-Angel weapon."

"At this point, I'm praying to Primus for a miracle."

Prime sighed.

"Remember the days when you were more skeptical of things? Even Primus himself?"

"Always. Ratchet out."

"Prime out."

After the conversation, Toji turned to Ratchet.

"Corporal?"

"Your past life. You, on the other hand, need fourteen more years."

"So, who's the Second Lieutenant?"

"That would be your sister."

"WHAT?!"

"Yes!"

Sakura exclaimed from the back, momentarily forgetting her pain.

"This is gonna be a long medevac."

Ratchet sighed.

Nerv HQ Geofront, the C-22 Special Express…

When Bumblebee saw the massive size of the Geofront under Tokyo-3, he was as awestruck as the youth in the passenger seat.

"An entire city underneath another city. Never thought I'd see that layout on Earth."

Suddenly, their sight-seeing tour was cut short by debris falling from the city above!

"The track's collapsing!"

Misato yelled as sizable chunks of Tokyo-3 street took out portions of the car-train track!

"Yeah, that happened on Cybertron too. Hang on!"

In a flash, Bumblebee transformed into robot mode and held the two humans tightly as he jumped from platform to plummeting platform!

The two humans were understandably terrified, screaming all the while!

"MakeitstopMakeitstopMakeitstop!"

Misato rattled.

"WHY IS THIS HAPPENING TO ME?!"

Shinji shouted.

Miraculously, they managed to land safely at ground level!

After a short vomit break for the humans, Bumblebee continued towards the main HQ's shiny pyramid!

Sometime Later…

Dr. Ritsuko Akagi had been performing maintenance on the Evangelion Units when Sachiel made landfall.

When she heard that robotic extraterrestrials had engaged the Angel, she quickly changed out of her diving suit and wore her lab coat over her one-piece swimsuit.

She arrived at the elevators just as warning sirens blared that the Angel had regenerated and entered Tokyo-3.

When Ritsuko stepped in, however, she was surprised by the relatively quick arrival of Misato, Shinji, and a mysterious young man.

"I'm surprised you got past that maze of escalators. Is the Third Child safe?"

"Yes. He's a little shaken, but we managed to get here thanks to Bumblebee and his friends."

Misato explained.

"Pleasure to meet you, Dr. Akagi."

Bumblebee chimed.

"How do you know my name? More importantly, do you have clearance?"

"I'll cut to the chase, Doctor. My physical body is currently in the parking garage. My robot form, as you humans would probably call it, wouldn't be able to fit in this elevator."

Ritsuko glanced back at Misato.

"Is this a joke? He can't be-"

"Yes, Rits, he's one of the transforming robots fighting the Angel. He seems to recognize us from a parallel universe. I know it sounds like the plot of a bad manga, but after the Angel started yelling death threats at us like a crazed drug addict, nothing surprises me anymore."

"Hmph. I'll clear him with Section Two. Bring both of them to the Eva Cages. Commander Ikari will brief you there."

"Father, what have you been doing all these years?"

Shinji wondered as he followed Ritsuko's lead.

At the Cage...

Gendo Ikari was unhappy.

Granted, he usually was, but today especially.

His organization's grand debut and pet project had been derailed by transforming alien robots who seemed to appear from a weekend morning kids' show.

Suddenly, he received a call that Major Katsuragi had arrived with his son!

He didn't expect one of the alien robots to accompany them.

"I thought I ordered you to avoid contact, Major."

"I apologize, Commander, the N2 bomb disabled our vehicle, and the Angel recovered faster than expected."

"I still don't recall allowing you to pick up stragglers."

Gendo said sternly, gesturing towards the not-quite-human blond teen accompanying the duo.

"I, too, apologize for any offense, Lt. Gen. Ikari."

Bumblebee replied, then saluted Gendo.

Gendo shifted an eyebrow at the rank Bumblebee addressed him with.

"Lieutenant General?"

"In my home universe. Here, I'll make it quick."

Bumblebee pulled out a holographic pad with an Autobot insignia on it.

Upon pressing the insignia, a hologram of Professor Yui Ikari appeared.

"Yui…"

A speechless Gendo mouthed.

"Mother…"

For once, Shinji sympathized with his father.

"June 14th, 2029."

The holographic Yui started.

"Optimus Prime and his Autobots have agreed to escort us on our observation mission to Odo Island. Since we lost the facility on Birth Island to a Decepticon attack, we've relocated the Kaiju from the facility to the surrounding islands. Gendo assures me that the Kiryu units will be enough, but after that so-called Justice Division appeared, Prime isn't taking any chances. Luckily, Misato and the kids are standing by in the Gotengo and Super-X if anything happens. I know Shinji and his friends are seasoned veterans by now, but they're still my children, and I still worry."

"Yui, we're approaching the Island!"

"Yes, dear. Ikari out."

The transmission ended.

"My friends and I protected your family in another world. We'll do the same all over again in this world, too."

Bumblebee explained.

"I'll consider it."

Gendo curtly replied before turning to his estranged son.

"Shinji, I need you to pilot Evangelion Unit-01 and engage the Angel."

"The 'Angel?' You mean that giant monster currently wrecking the city?! That was the only reason you invited me here? After all these years, you only called me so you could draft me into a war?! Not an 'I'm sorry for abandoning you, Son,' or an 'I'll make it up to you," but a 'Pilot this war machine I've been building for fourteen goddamn years instead of taking care of you?!'"

Shinji angrily yelled at Gendo to the visible discomfort of surrounding Nerv workers.

"Yes, because I finally have a use for you."

"You're insane!"

"I have no time for these childish tantrums!"

Gendo muttered to himself.

"Fuyutsuki. Get Rei ready."

"She's still recovering, Ikari."

"She isn't dead yet."

Soon, a gravely injured and bandaged blue-haired girl was wheeled out on a gurney in front of Shinji.

"This is Rei Ayanami, the First Child. She will pilot the Eva if you won't."

Gendo spoke calmly as if such cruelty was second nature to him.

Before Shinji could reply, an angry Bumblebee fumed!

"Until now, I thought you were like the Gendo Ikari I knew. But now, I know I was wrong! The Gendo Ikari I knew was a caring father and a brave frontline leader!"

He pointed an accusatory finger.

"You, on the other hand, are a callous coward who sends his son and daughter out to die on the battlefield like cheap cannon fodder!"

Gendo visibly gasped!

As did Misato, Ritsuko, and Shinji!

"Daughter?"

Shinji inquired.

"Yes, Shinji. Rei's your sister. You didn't know?"

Bumblebee was about to explain further when the Geofront shook violently!

In the city above, Omega Supreme crashed onto the streets of Tokyo-3, outmatched by Starscream's new abilities and his plummeting energy levels!

Likewise, the impact sent Rei crashing to the floor, re-opening some of her wounds!

As Shinji rushed to help the sister he had never met, he gritted his teeth.

"I mustn't run away. I mustn't run away. I mustn't run away. I mustn't run away."

He repeated the mantra in his head.

It had helped him endure years of emotional trauma.

"Fine! I'll pilot the Eva. But I'll do it to help my new friends! For Rei's sake! For Mother's sake!"

Above ground…

FRASHAKK!

SPOOM!

While engaging Starscream in hand-to-hand combat, Omega received several point-blank blasts from the former Air Commander's eye beams!

Eventually, with his armor damaged and Energon leaking from his injuries, he fell over in a tremendous crash!

"ENERGON: CRITICAL. DAMAGE: SUBSTANTIAL"

"FINALLY, I'VE MANAGED TO DO WHAT MEGATRON COULDN'T THROUGHOUT HIS ENTIRE REIGN! KILL THE GREAT AND POWERFUL OMEGA SUPREME WITH MY BARE HANDS!"

Starscream sneered.

Before he could fire another beam, Starscream was distracted by a mighty blast to the back of the neck!

"Starscream! Your battle is with me!"

Prime bellowed.

Starscream turned around to see Prime with a smoking Path Blaster in the distance.

"OPTIMUS PRIME?! HA! DO YOU REALLY THINK YOU CAN STAND A CHANCE AGAINST MY NEW BODY?!"

"Megatron once faced the same odds against Omega Supreme, yet he nearly succeeded without superpowers. Let's see how you fare, Air Commander."

Prime taunted Starscream with his old rank.

"GRR! AT LEAST WITH YOU, I GET TO HEAR YOU DIE SCREAMING!"

Starscream charged at Prime, who transformed into vehicle mode and sped away!

"Now, Wheeljack!"

Wheeljack, hiding in position, fired a Thermo Rocket Launcher at the street beneath Starscream, causing it to partially cave into the Geofront and trip up the Fallen Angel!

As Starscream regained his footing, a platform opened up a few kilometers down the street!

A peculiar, horned purple-and-green automaton rose in front of him, with a power cable dangling from its back!

Prime and Wheeljack stared in awe at the newcomer.

"So that's the weapon Bumblebee was talking about. Evangelion Unit-01."

Prime noted.

Eventually, Wheeljack recognized the familiar paint job and realized who the pilot was.

"Is Shinji really piloting that thing? But he's still an adolescent!"

Unfortunately, Starscream overheard the Autobot's poorly-timed exclamation and smiled deviously.

"THE HUMANS ARE SO DESPERATE, THEY SEND A CHILD AGAINST ME?! I SHALL AVENGE THIS INSULT!"

Both combatants began to stroll toward each other like a pair of duelists!

Suddenly, the Evangelion anti-climatically fell on its face!

"HAHAHAHAHAHA! HOW DISAPPOINTINGLY EASY!"

Starscream picked up the human-made bot and stabbed it through the collar with his arm blade.

"YOU SHOULD'VE RUN BACK HOME TO YOUR PARENTS, FLESHLING!"

The Cruel Angel taunted!

But his imminent victory was interrupted with another shot to the back, this time with greater force!

He turned around, expecting to see a weakened Omega Supreme.

However, he saw something much worse!

When the still inexperienced Shinji accidentally fell, Prime took the opportunity to scan the Evangelion Unit in hopes of discovering any damage to its interior or Shinji.

Suddenly, the Matrix of Leadership in his chest glowed, and he unexpectedly shifted to gargantuan size!

By a sheer stroke of fate, Optimus Prime, the selfless leader of the Autobots, now held the combined powers of Evangelion and Cybertronian!

"NOW, STARSCREAM, WHERE WERE WE?"

"PRIME! HOW DID YOU- URGH!"

Evangelion Unit-01 interrupted Starscream with a powerful kick to the ribs.

"How dare you?!"

Shinji whispered, then roared,

"HOW DARE YOU MOCK MY SUFFERING?! HOW DARE YOU INSULT MY MOTHER?!"

Slowly, Starscream realized that once again, he had made the mistake of taunting a stronger foe!

Shinji lunged at the Fallen Angel, knocking him off-balance!

Starscream tried to parry with his A.T. Field, but the Eva tore through it, broke his arms, and began to pummel him mercilessly!

It snapped off a rib and stabbed at his core repeatedly, cracking it!

To his horror, the Eva proceeded to open its jaws, revealing a set of nasty red teeth!

FRASHAKK!

SPOOM!

Starscream managed to save himself by shooting Eva-01 in the head with his eye beams!

But in his moment of relief, he failed to notice Prime charging at him from behind with his trademark Energon Axe, now enlarged and sporting an ominous crimson glow!

THWACK!

SHLUUUUNNNNNKK!

Prime dug his ax into the back of Starscream's shoulder and dragged it down diagonally, bisecting the Cruel Angel and shattering his core!

"AAAAAAAAAAAAARRGGHH!"

SPOOOOOOOOOOMMMM!

The Cruel Angel screamed in pain and exploded into a bright, Cross-shaped explosion!

The slightly-damaged Eva let out a mighty roar of victory amidst the flames!

Prime simply turned and walked over to the collapsed form of Omega Supreme and knelt to help his fallen friend.

On the outskirts of Tokyo-3...

Amid the chaotic battle, no one noticed a peculiar old man observing events as they unfolded.

Upon its fiery conclusion, the man only sighed and muttered,

"Even with unlimited power, you're still an idiot, Starscream."

The man turned and walked away.

"Prime, I look forward to catching up with you."

He thought to himself.

His coat fluttered in the wind, revealing a Walther P-38 in his shoulder holster.

Back in Tokyo-3…

Omega Supreme was on the brink of death.

As an Autobot Guardian, it was not a new experience.

During the height of the Great War, he was often sent on perilous missions against Decepticon strongholds. Simultaneously, the Elite Guard, regular Autobot troops, and the Wreckers special forces group attacked weaker defenses and cut off supply lines!

But all the horrors of war could not have prepared him for Starscream's new powers.

It was downright alien, even by his standards.

Omega looked up to see his old friend Prime towering over him and kneeling.

After a moment of contemplation, Prime transformed his Energon Axe into a blade and stabbed Omega Supreme in the chest, transferring much-needed energy into the giant!

Prime shrunk back to his original size as his friend's injuries healed in record time!

Omega regained his footing, towering over the facade of Tokyo-3!

He looked down at Prime, now joined by Ratchet, Wheeljack, and Ironhide.

"What the Pit was that?!"

An incredulous Ironhide exclaimed.

"Scanning the Eva must have affected the Matrix."

Ratchet explained.

"Prime, are you okay?"

"I'm fine, Ratchet."

"Did you notice anything peculiar with the Eva?"

"This might be difficult to explain, but I felt a spark within the Eva."

"A spark?"

"Yes, like ours. But this one felt human somehow."

"A human spark? Are you sure, Prime?"

"Whatever it was, it allowed me to match Starscream in power and repair Omega Supreme."

"Omega! Any side effects on your end?"

Ironhide asked.

"Yes, Ironhide. I've detected a human DNA signature from Evangelion Unit-01. Cross-checking Teletraan-1 Database. It is a positive match for Dr. Yui Ikari."

"Yui?! Shinji said she was dead in this timeline! How could she possibly be in the Eva?!"

Wheeljack exclaimed.

"Probably the same way Starscream took over that creature. I don't know, Wheeljack. There's a lot of things in this realm that unnerves me."

Ratchet confessed.

"Speaking of nerves, is the Eva supposed to be retrieved like that?"

Ironhide asked, gesturing towards the still-standing inert Eva-01 being loaded onto a receding platform.

"The Eva's inactive. We should check on Katsuragi and Shinji!"

Prime ordered.

"Permission to speak, Prime?"

A familiar voice spoke on the comms.

"Bumblebee! What's the status on Shinji?!"

"A little concussed, but stable. It'd probably be worse if you hadn't helped him out."

"That's a relief. Have you met any other familiar faces?"

"I met Rei, Doctor Akagi, the bridge crew, Deputy Commander Fuyutsuki, and Commander Gendo Ikari."

"Any noticeable changes?"

"Where do I start? Rei's about as emotional as Soundwave. She and Shinji aren't aware of their biological relationship. Ritsuko told me about her mother's death, and to top it all off, Gendo's about as doting as Megatron when it comes to his children!"

"Hmm. 'Personalities Inverted from our Timeline.' Interesting."

Wheeljack noted.

"You guys should get your holomatter avatars ready. Nerv and the Japanese Government want to question us. Thanks to our arrival and Starscream's stunt, their planned cover-ups are useless. The human press is already talking about how we're 'new weapons for an intergalactic war'".

"Acknowledged, Bumblebee. Prime out."

"Propagandists are the same on every planet, aren't they?"

Ironhide dryly noted.

"Every universe, Ironhide."

Wheeljack sarcastically corrected.

The Autobots laughed, except for Prime, who smirked under his faceplate.

It was their first chuckle in quite a long while.

Later, At Nerv HQ…

"Evangelion Unit-01 has been successfully retrieved!"

"Start repairs as soon as possible!"

Misato gazed at the technicians as they rushed to repair the Eva.

"Damage Report?"

The Major asked.

"Blast Damage to Head. Stab wounds to the collar."

Ritsuko reported.

"All things considered, not bad for a first mission."

"'Not Bad?!'"

Misato angrily shouted.

"Rits, we just sent a troubled child with no combat experience into a state-of-the-art war machine against an all-powerful Eldritch abomination and expected him to kill it with no weapons whatsoever! And this is after it single-handedly wiped out an entire JSDF force and gained sentience! The only reason he survived was those Super Robots from another universe helping him out! Damn it, Rits! We're supposed to be a special UN force, not a bunch of screwed-up anime characters!"

"Well, as that old song goes, 'This isn't anime. This is the real thing.' In reality, we have to make do with what we have available, even if we don't like it!"

Ritsuko retorted.

"Speaking of which, the Commander has it worse."

Undisclosed location, somewhere near Tokyo-2…

Gendo Ikari felt uncomfortable.

Not because of the Committee in front of him, but because his plans had unexpectedly unraveled over a day.

First, those strange automatons appeared out of the sky and triggered a dramatic change in the Angel.

Next, one of those automatons revealed that his dear wife, whom he had thought deceased, was still alive in a more idealistic universe where the Ikaris stayed together as a loving family.

Then, that same automaton had the gall to call him a callous coward when he was clearly trying to discipline his son into doing the right thing!

But the most distressing problem in Gendo's mind was,

"How did that boy know about Rei? He might not be correct about her nature, but he's close."

Gendo quickly thought of a solution.

"I should keep them close and ask them more about their universe. Whatever it takes to get Yui back. And more importantly, screw over these Old Men and their delusions of godhood."

"Ikari, explain this madness!"

Chairman Keel Lorenz asked.

"I'm just as confused as you are."

"The Scrolls did not predict the arrival of these interlopers!"

Theodore Cassin, the Green American representative, exclaimed.

"Correct. The Scrolls only foretold the arrival of Angels. However, seeing as the Angel recognized the interlopers and vice versa, could they be their progenitors?"

"You assume these machines are the First Ancestral Race?! Don't be preposterous, Ikari!"

Vladimir Kaganovich, the Blue Russian Representative, stated in equal disbelief.

"Ikari might have a point. These machines might not be the F.A.R., but their drones, so to speak."

Pierre Bretagne, the French Representative in Yellow, reasoned.

"Indeed, one of them managed to fight the Angel effectively while another interacted with Evangelion Unit-01 and assumed its powers."

Nigel Laforey, the Red British Representative, concurred.

"Very well, Ikari. We'll consider your hypothesis. In the meantime, do try to keep your guests well behaved."

Chairman Lorenz signed off. The other representatives followed suit.

Gendo breathed a sigh of relief.

"I haven't seen you this nervous in a while, Ikari. I suppose they bought our bluff?"

Fuyutsuki asked.

"For now. How are our guests, by the way?"

In a hospital near Tokyo-3…

A young man woke up in a cold sweat!

As he came to, he noticed something off about the ceiling!

"Whatever you do, don't panic,"

A voice declared.

He gasped!

"I've told the staff here you're my son who was injured in the attack."

He turned to see an old man sitting at the side of his hospital bed!

"Long time no see, Starscream."

The young man gasped once more as he recognized the old man.

"M-Megatron?!"

He stared downwards at his new human figure, clad in a gown with intravenous tubes stretching out of his arms!

The young man screamed in terror, to the alarm of nearby nurses!

To Be Continued...

Chapter 6: He Who Fights Monsters

Chapter Text

Tokyo-3 City Hospital, "Red Earth." August 4th, 2015…

The young man woke up again.

He looked around and noticed daylight.

"I specifically remembered ordering you not to panic."

That voice again!

"You always had a passion for disappointing me, Starscream."

He turned and saw the same old man from before!

"I only tolerated you for so long because your incompetence gave the Autobots a weakness to exploit, upon which I would entrap them."

"H-How are we still alive? How are we human?!"

Starscream whined.

"Relax, Starscream. After the demise of that creature you possessed, it appears enough organic material remained and regenerated to form a human covering for your disembodied spark, much like a Pretender shell. As for me, I'm using a holomatter avatar, much like our Autobot friends."

The old man gestured towards the TV.

On the screen were their old enemies in human form, explaining the nature of the Transformers for the press to devour.

"Prime's been going on for a while. Basically the same old scrap about us being 'extremist revolutionaries who became the very tyrants we fought against.'"

Starscream was still dazed from the previous day's events.

"Should I call you Megatron or Galvatron?"

"You may call me Megatron again. If these humans ask, however, call me 'Father.'"

Megatron smirked at Starscream's discomfort before continuing.

"By 'Galvatron,' I'm assuming you're referring to that stunt I pulled with Archforce?"

"Yes! Why take a new name? The crowd would've accepted you sooner if you'd just announced yourself as Megatron!"

As they spoke, the news switched to a report on organized crime.

"Let's just say you aren't the only one holding a knife to my back."

Megatron grimaced.

"More importantly, where are we now? If Prime has to explain things to the humans, then we're not on our Earth anymore."

"For once, you're correct, Starscream. We are currently stranded in another universe."

"Another universe?"

"Yes, Prime said it himself. 'We came from another universe where the Earth was still whole and blue.' You wouldn't believe the humans' excitement after he said that."

Starscream glared at his leader in realization.

"We're not stranded! You planned this! I can't believe this! After everything we've done and survived, you want us to start all over again from scratch?!"

"Consider it another chance to make things right."

Megatron stared out at the devastated city from the hospital room's window.

"This version of Earth suffered from a major catastrophe 15 years ago. Some seek to demolish it completely and rebuild it from the ashes. I would've agreed in the past, but now I see that this miserable little world is like a raw Energon crystal. It just needs the right servos to refine it to a more beautiful, functional state."

He looked back at Starscream.

"Do you remember the Functionist Council?"

"How could I forget?"

"Well, as it turns out, there's a human organization on this planet of similar size, scope, and goals. They are the ones behind the Evangelion Units."

"Are you suggesting we overthrow this organization?"

"Not entirely. Just nudge them in the right direction."

"And what of the Autobots?"

"They'll have their own issues to confront. Best if we avoid them for now."

"So we're just gonna sulk in the shadows?"

"Of course, Starscream. It's what you do best."

Starscream grumbled and changed the subject.

"So, what have you been doing lately?"

Megatron smirked.

"I'll tell you in full when they release you."

Near Mount Hakone, "Red Earth." March 30th, 2005…

"Professor Seizo Wakamoto?"

The middle-aged Professor stood calmly before the imposing figure of Gendo Ikari.

"Yes? Gendo! What are-"

"I'm placing Shinji into your custody."

"But, this is preposterous! I'm just his music teacher! Why me, instead of an uncle, aunt, or some other relative?!"

"They blame me for what happened to Yui. I can't risk them taking it out on Shinji."

The Professor gritted his teeth.

"I see. You could've warned me over the phone."

"Operational security. This is already stretching it."

Wakamoto noticed some suited men staring at him from a car.

"I'll take care of the boy."

He sighed.

Gendo turned back toward the car.

Moments later, the agents dragged a tearful Shinji and his belongings to the Professor's doorstep.

"No! Papa, please don't leave me!"

Gendo departed without a hint of remorse.

Even his agents felt unease at the task they had just accomplished!

As Gendo drove off, Shinji let out a final pained howl of grief.

"PAPA!"

The Professor knelt down and hugged him tightly in his arms!

As Shinji cried, the Professor glared at his father's departing car.

His eyes glowed red with hate!

Mount Hakone, "Red Earth." December 25th, 2014…

Shinji was now thirteen years old.

His musical talent had saved his life.

Without it, he wouldn't have a surrogate father like Professor Wakamoto.

Over the years, he met and befriended the Professor's other students: Kenjiro, Kentaro, and Fujiko.

Kenjiro was an intelligent young man who also tutored Shinji in various fields of science.

Kentaro, Kenjiro's slower-witted twin brother, would rather play sports than the violin.

Fujiko was a piano prodigy who was surprisingly adept at martial arts, which she taught Shinji.

That Christmas, the five of them gathered for a little celebration.

"Shinji, your present."

Shinji unwrapped it, revealing an S-DAT cassette player.

"Isn't this a bit old?"

"It's vintage from 1995. Your mother wanted to give it to you when you came of age."

"My mother?"

The Professor sighed.

"Your father gave it to me a week ago. He thought it'd be better off in your hands."

Shinji sighed sadly.

"At least he remembered this year."

"Ah, forget him! We're your family now, Shinji! We've been there for you through thick and thin! What has Gendo ever done for you?!"

Kentaro shouted.

"Years of crippling depression, trauma, social withdrawal. Or as we scientists call it, college."

Kenjiro joked, leading to laughs around the table.

"So, how did that Air Self-Defense Force interview go?"

Fujiko asked.

"We're in!"

Kenjiro and Kentaro cheered.

"But Kenjiro, I thought you wanted to become an engineer!"

Shinji asked.

"I am! Who do you think makes new planes, your father? All he can do is disappear!"

"THUNDER-!"

The Professor suddenly shouted at Kenjiro before shushing himself.

Shinji watched as the other three people in the room stared at the Professor in silent horror.

"I… mean… I thought I heard thunder. I'd better step outside and check."

The Professor excused himself, only to trip on a fold in the carpet and catch himself on a bookshelf!

He pulled on one of the books, which fell to the floor!

Kentaro, Kenjiro, and Fujiko rushed to aid the Professor!

Shinji prepared to join them only to stare at the fallen book!

Its pages had opened and revealed a pistol hidden inside!

Shinji began to reach toward it!

The Professor ran to Shinji and snatched the pistol from the book!

"Don't touch it!"

He grabbed a nearby glass case and locked it inside!

"I should've done that from the start."

Professor Wakamoto huffed.

"Is that a real gun?"

A confused Shinji asked.

"Yes. That pistol is another vintage, a WWII-era Walther P38. It belonged to an old mentor of mine, Professor Mikhail Klimov. Well, sort of. You see, long before he was a professor, he was a corporal in the Red Army during the German invasion. One day, he and his squad captured panzergrenadier Lieutenant Hugo Welker and his unit at the Battle of Kursk. Welker agreed to surrender on the grounds that his men be spared."

"Did he keep his promise?"

The Professor gave a sad chuckle.

"Oh, he did. It wasn't until much later that Klimov discovered that Welker and most of his men perished in the gulags after the war. It's brutally ironic, being spared a quick death only to suffer a slow one. But then again, the Germans had done the same. Before he passed away, Klimov gifted Welker's gun to me and told me, 'All those years, I believed I was fighting on the righteous side. Now, I realize too late that I was no better than my foes.'"

"That's quite a story for a gun. How'd you get it into the country?"

The Professor smiled.

"Klimov was a KGB man. They have their ways."

"You're kidding?!"

Shinji eagerly smiled.

"How did you think he found out about the Lieutenant? Anyways, that's enough intrigue for today. Food's getting cold!"

"Did he tell you about his spy missions?"

"Can it wait after dinner?"

The five friends returned to their Christmas dinner.

For the first time in his life, Shinji felt genuinely happy.

Tokyo-3, "Red Earth," August 4th, 2015…

Months passed, and Shinji's life took an erratic turn once more.

Despite his insistence on living alone, Major Katsuragi decided to take legal custody of him and offered to share her apartment.

Apart from the mess and her eccentric pet penguin, Pen-Pen, Shinji was satisfied that he found a comfortable home-away-from-home.

But even then, he still remembered the house he shared with his old teacher after his father abandoned him.

It was modified from a pre-Second Impact warehouse, but it was always his childhood home.

Despite Professor Wakamoto's many explanations, Shinji was still confused by the lack of historical markings on his prized pistol.

The only marking he could discern was a strange purple symbol, almost like a face mask!

Shinji would almost forget about that minor detail until he saw the same symbol on the Angel he fought!

"That symbol… Wakamoto-Sensei, how did you really get that gun?"

Shinji thought to himself as he walked over to join Misato for dinner.

"Today marks a seminal moment in human history. The day humanity made contact with extraterrestrial beings, both friendly and hostile…."

In the living room, Misato was busy flipping TV channels. Most commented on Prime's press conference but didn't show the speech itself.

"If this talk of a brighter alternate universe is true…."

"The Transformers, as they have been so eloquently nicknamed…."

"The Vatican issued a complaint to the UN after using the term 'Angel' to describe…."

"In other news, fears of gang warfare spread after the murder of alleged yakuza boss Ryota Takahashi!"

"Looks like our new friends are pretty famous."

Misato muttered, then found what she was looking for.

"I am Optimus Prime, Supreme Commander of the Autobots. Today, we have arrived on this planet to protect all who call it home from those who seek its destruction. We fight not to subjugate others but to ensure the freedom of all sentient beings. We have learned of the Second Impact's disastrous effects on Earth's populace and ecosystems. We deeply lament our inability to prevent this catastrophe. But allow me to explain why that is so. A few days ago, we departed our adoptive home planet to respond to a distress call. As you do now, the inhabitants there once reacted to us with awe. I once gave a speech as I am doing now. But when we left that planet, we clearly remembered its blue oceans, its distinct polar ice caps. For you see, that planet was Earth in 2029."

The audience gasped!

Prime continued his speech.

"In our universe, millions of years ago, a revolution defeated the Functionist Council on our home planet, Cybertron. The Council ruled it under a regime of bigotry, state violence, and expansionism. But as you are probably aware, revolutions rarely end peacefully. The extremist Decepticon faction became drunk on their own power and transformed into the very tyrants we fought to replace. Our civil war devastated Cybertron and rendered it lifeless. We fled to Earth, where we awoke in the year 1884, when humanity's greatest invention was the steam engine. But when we awoke, so did our enemies. For the next 150 years, we stayed and fought in disguise, forming alliances with such historical figures as Nikola Tesla, Jules Verne, and Mark Twain. Over time, humanity and other species across the universe proved themselves as valuable allies in the ongoing war against the Decepticons and other existential threats, like these so-called 'Angels' which made landfall on this planet. We arrived here by following their unique energy signature, to our mutual confusion."

The broadcast cut to a rather melodramatic reporter.

"A universe where the Earth is not only blue and full of life but a cultural center for various species from different planets to live in and fight for freedom and peace. Can such a beautiful world truly exist? Or is it an overly idealistic fantasy, like a tranquil sea, too infrequent to be true?"

Frustrated, Misato turned off the TV.

"Damn Nerv censorship!"

Shinji didn't say anything in response.

Suddenly, there was a knock at the door!

Misato, not taking any chances, cautiously approached with her pistol behind her!

Looking through the door's peephole, she saw Fujiko Hamada, Shinji's former roommate!

Misato opened the door.

"I'm sorry to disturb you, Ms. Katsuragi. May I talk to Shinji for a bit? It's about the Professor."

"Fujiko, what happened?!"

Shinji asked as he approached the door.

"His son was badly injured during the Angel's attack."

Shinji paused in shock before realizing something amiss.

"He never told me he had a son. I thought I-"

"His son had a violent rebellious streak. He ran away from home before your father dropped you on his doorstep. I guess he took you in out of guilt at what happened."

"You mean to tell me that I was a replacement?!"

Shinji spoke in a calm yet chillingly angry tone!

"Shinji, wait! It's not what you think!"

Shinji suddenly remembered Mikhail Klimov's last words.

"All those years, I believed I was fighting on the righteous side. Now, I realize too late that I was no better than my foes."

"Tell Professor Wakamoto that he's just like my father, and I want nothing more to do with him!"

Shinji angrily slammed the door in Fujiko's face!

Fujiko walked out of the apartment complex without a word.

Once she was a safe distance away, she made a call.

"It is done, my Lordship. Shinji Ikari has broken all ties with us."

"Good, Nightbird. Now proceed to Phase 4."

"King of Monsters."

"I've already taken the first step. I expect nothing but excellence from my top assassin."

"It will be done, Lord Megatron."

To be continued…

Chapter 7: The Godfather's Outrage

Chapter Text

Misato Katsuragi's apartment, Tokyo-3, "Red Earth." August 4th, 2015…

"Tell Professor Wakamoto that he's just like my father, and I want nothing more to do with him!"

Shinji angrily slammed the door in Fujiko's face!

"Shinji! You can't just-"

Misato stopped when she realized Fujiko had left, and Shinji was crying under his rage.

"He was the only parent I had left! He was all I had after my mother died and my fa-"

Shinji paused, still feeling contempt toward his biological father.

"-Commander Ikari abandoned me. And now she tells me that he did the same thing to his son?!"

Misato sighed and gave Shinji a hug.

"I'm sorry your previous guardian wasn't the saint you thought he was. I know you've had a rough life, Shinji, but that's all in the past now."

Shinji let his tears flow freely.

"Just know I'll take care of you from now on, okay? Now let's unwind and have a perfectly normal dinner."

Suddenly, Bumblebee kicked open the unlocked door!

"Shinji! Are-"

Misato instinctively leveled her pistol at him!

The Autobot recoiled in shock.

"Whoa! It's me, Bumblebee!"

"You might wanna knock next time?!"

Misato angrily reprimanded as she holstered her pistol.

"My fault! My fault! I am so sorry!"

"Why are you here? Isn't it kind of late?"

"Prime wanted me to tell you guys that we're setting up camp in Aokigahara. He thinks our presence there would prevent further suicides."

Misato smiled.

"That's pretty thoughtful of him."

"What's with Shinji?"

Misato sighed.

"He just found out his previous guardian only adopted him as a replacement for his son."

Bumblebee turned to Shinji and lowered his head in understanding.

"So he's no better than Gendo. You have every right to be upset."

Bumblebee pulled out his holographic pad.

"I manage to scrounge up some more holographic messages from Yui. Thought you'd want to hear them."

Shinji sniffled and smiled at Bumblebee.

"Thank you, Bumblebee. It's just what I needed."

Bumblebee had just switched on the pad when a red exclamation point suddenly appeared!

"Alert! Decepticon frequency detected!"

Shinji gasped as the familiar purple symbol replaced the exclamation point!

"What the scrap?!"

Bumblebee cursed in confusion as he activated the decode function.

A holomatter avatar of a Japanese woman appeared!

"It is done, my Lordship. Shinji Ikari has broken all ties with us."

"Fujiko-san?!"

"Good, Nightbird. Now proceed to Phase 4."

"Wakamoto-sensei?!"

"King of Monsters."

"I've already taken the first step. I expect nothing but excellence from my top assassin."

"It will be done, Lord Megatron."

"You recognize them?!"

Bumblebee questioned Shinji.

"She was my roommate! She was talking to my old guardian, Professor Wakamoto!"

Bumblebee's avatar turned pale.

"Shinji, do you recognize this symbol?"

The purple face-mask symbol materialized once more!

"It… It was on an antique pistol in his collection… and on the Angel yesterday."

That was all Bumblebee needed to sound the alarm.

"Prime, this is Bumblebee! I've got bad news. Your hunch was right, Megatron's alive, and he's here!"

"Where are you right now?"

"I'm still at Misato's apartment. Nightbird just visited in the form of Shinji's old friend! What's more, Megatron is impersonating Shinji's old guardian, Professor Wakamoto!"

"We'll look into it from here! For now, stay with Shinji and Major Katsuragi! They might be targeted!"

"Understood."

"'Targeted?' Bumblebee, what's going on?"

Misato questioned.

Bumblebee sighed.

"Remember when the Angel changed forms yesterday and started taunting us?"

"How could we forget?"

"It was being controlled by one of our old enemies, Starscream. Now his boss and some of their underlings are here as well. They're impersonating Shinji's old friends, which can't mean anything good."

"Then that part about his son was a lie. But that means Fujiko-san and Wakamoto-sensei are…."

Shinji teared up once more when he realized the truth.

"Dead. I'm sorry, Shinji."

Bumblebee finished the sentence, barely holding back his own sadness.

"NOOOO!"

Shinji belted out an anguished scream, not unlike the one he let out as a small child on Professor Wakamoto's doorstep.

Who could blame him?

He was an orphan once again.

Autobot base, Aokigahara, "Red Earth."

"Analysis Complete."

Omega Supreme announced to the assembled Autobots, sans Bumblebee.

Prime studied the results and read them aloud.

"Teletraan-1 found records of a music professor, Seizo Wakamoto, living in a refurbished warehouse near Mount Hakone. According to the documents, he held custody of Shinji from March 30th, 2005 to August 3rd, 2015, when custody was formally transferred to Major Misato Katsuragi."

"Can we make a move on his location?"

Ratchet asked Prime.

"Not at the moment. All routes leading to the warehouse go through the most crime-ridden areas of Tokyo-3. According to recent police reports, the city's largest criminal syndicate just underwent a secession crisis following the death of its leader and second-in-command."

Prime shook his head in dismay.

"Megatron concealed himself well. We might be able to scout the area in our avatars, but any overt assaults will risk civilian casualties and instigate backlash against us."

"So we're just gonna let the 'Cons do as they please?!"

Ironhide grumbled.

"I don't like it either, Ironhide, but we have no other choice. We can only hope that Megatron is biding his time until the Angels stop attacking,"

Prime clenched his fists in trepidation.

"…however long that might be."

Tokyo-3 City Hospital, earlier that morning…

Almost an entire day had passed since Starscream's strange arrival.

The doctors and nurses finally allowed him to leave, believing Megatron's story that they were an ordinary squabbling father and son.

"I can't believe I have to walk around in this disgusting flesh bag of a body! 'Degrading' doesn't even begin to cover it!"

"Consider it a fitting punishment for your past insubordination."

Megatron spoke, feeling a twinge of amusement.

"So, 'Lord Megatron,' who's picking us up?"

Starscream grumbled.

As if on cue, Fujiko Hamada pulled up to the hospital in a silver Nissan 370Z!

"Nightbird."

Megatron spoke, confirming the driver's identity.

"Your Lordship."

"When did she get here?!"

Starscream sputtered in surprise.

"As you said earlier, Air Commander, I planned this. Now, are you going to get in or not?"

Mount Hakone, later…

Starscream stared at the filthy, repurposed warehouse Megatron called a home.

"You call this dump a base?"

"This was once a human storage unit before the Second Impact wiped out the coastal regions and displaced everything. With all the chaos, anything with a ceiling was an invaluable shelter."

"You've been a human that long? You haven't gone soft, have you?"

Megatron smirked, then explained further.

"I was just as distraught as you were when I realized I had to adopt a human disguise for this plan to work. After all, who would choose to be an ordinary human over being a Cybertronian with powerful strength, weaponry, and a transformation cog?"

"Well, that's your fault for picking a pistol as an alternate mode. Even Shockwave and Soundwave chose to become cars after a while."

"True, a car is much more convenient than a pistol. But if I learned one thing from the history of this planet, it's that a lone gunman can single-handedly change the fate of billions. Besides, I can still obtain a car if the need arises."

Megatron gestured to the white Mitsuoka Orochi parked in the corner.

"That car looks expensive. How did you afford it?"

"Oh, I stole that from Takahashi's place."

Starscream suddenly remembered that name from the news reports in his hospital room.

Coupled with Megatron's defense of his alt mode, it made perfect sense.

"That assassinated crime boss on the news? You're the one who shot him?!"

"Yes! My alternate mode comes with a scope, a barrel extension/suppressor, and a detachable collapsible stock if you recall. I sniped the felon as he and his bodyguards ran away from your beating at Prime's hands."

"You're welcome."

Starscream replied sarcastically.

"Once Takahashi went 'offline,' I pilfered a getaway car from one of his underlings. A short while later, I had Nightbird take care of their underboss across town. I'd expect a full-blown civil war within the week."

"So that's your master plan? Start a gang war and loot their inventories? Are we that desperate already?!"

"Well, I suppose you could take up a job at Nerv. Maybe you'll get to understand our opponents before you charge in blindly again and act surprised when you're hospitalized."

Starscream took a moment to calm himself, then continued.

"Anyways, I meant to ask you about what happened after Astrotrain."

"As I floated towards the brink of death, along with the others you threw out, I saw a planet moving towards us. When it got closer, I was awestruck to meet Unicron himself face-to-face."

"Unicron?! As in the 'Eater of Planets, Destroyer of Galaxies?' That Unicron?!"

"Yes, Starscream, the legends are true. I accepted his offer to become his herald, and he granted me a new body, the one I called Galvatron."

"So what happened after you shot me? Did Shockwave and the DJD welcome you with open arms?"

Megatron frowned.

"Quite the contrary. By the time I humiliated you at your coronation, Shockwave already prepared his coup. He, Deathsaurus, Esmeral perforated Scourge, Cyclonus, and I with Cosmic Rust guns in nanoseconds. Chances are, he similarly defeated the Justice Division before your return to Kaon. The Sweeps immediately surrendered, cowards like the Insecticons before them!"

Starscream paused, then he laughed.

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHA! That's what you get for ruining my moment, Megatron! Oh, that Shockwave! I should treat him to Maccadam's when we get back! Oh, ho ho!"

"You done?"

An annoyed Megatron asked.

"Ahem. Please, continue."

"You know, you should realize they originally planned to shoot you. I launched that offensive against NEST because I suspected him of covert treachery, unlike your more overt brand. I even ensured that any potential double agents got a gist of what would happen so that the Autobots would prepare their defenses. The ensuing massacre would provide an excellent cover for me to fake my demise and expose the conspirators. Then you shot me in the face."

"Hey, you shot me later. That makes us even!"

Starscream interjected.

"Fortunately, I prepared a backup plan in case either you or Shockwave acted first. A select group of trusted Decepticons and I would be cloned, and the spare bodies would be locked in stasis pods entombed in this Earth's Antarctica. When the whole place exploded during Second Impact, we escaped and made our way to Japan, which brings us to today."

Starscream whistled.

"Well, like many of your master plans, that sounds unnecessarily complicated. If you don't mind me asking, who else is in this 'select group?'"

"That's on a need-to-know basis. I don't exactly feel comfortable sharing my most intricate plan thus far with the one who ruined their predecessors. You've met Nightbird. You'll meet Skywarp and Thundercracker in a while. The rest you'll meet eventually."

"Skywarp and Thundercracker?! What did those dunderheads ever do to gain your respect?!"

"Thundercracker is basically you but smarter and loyal. Skywarp might be rather dull, but he can be trusted in a fight."

Megatron then smirked mischievously.

"You should be nicer to them, Starscream. They were amongst the fighter jets shooting at you that night!"

Starscream slowly turned beet red.

At that moment, Skywarp and Thundercracker returned to the "base."

"Lord Megatron, we have returned with the supplies for- STARSCREAM?!"

"Oh, scrap."

Skywarp squeaked timidly.

"YOU TRAITOROUS BASTAAAAARDS!"

Starscream chased the duo, screaming obscenities all the while.

Megatron simply sighed at the mayhem.

"Just like old times."

"Lord Megatron?"

Nightbird asked.

"What is it?"

"Barricade reports a potential threat. Do these school officials look familiar to you?"

Megatron looked at the photos Barricade had sent to Nightbird.

He scoffed.

"I anticipated worse. No matter, our wild card will throw them off our scent when he arrives. Until then, they'll be occupied with the Angels, just like their Autobot friends. Then again, they could provide quite the distraction for one of our foes, given proper prodding. Keep me updated."

Tokyo-3 First Municipal Junior High School, August 24th, 2015. "Red Earth"

Three weeks had passed since Shinji Ikari's dramatic first day in Tokyo-3.

Bumblebee escorted Shinji as they both walked to Tokyo-3 First Municipal Junior High School.

The streets were still packed from all the road repairs after the last Angel Attack.

Even with the Autobots assisting reconstruction efforts, progress took time.

"You seem happy today, Shinji. That's an improvement," said Bumblebee.

"Thanks to you and Misato. After everything that happened, you guys are the only ones I can really call 'friends.'"

"Let's hope you'll make more today."

Shinji felt surprisingly calm about starting his first day of school.

The typical transfer student would be worrying about classmates, teachers, assignments, and the like.

On the other hand, Shinji had slain an eldritch abomination with the help of alien robot allies with only a slight concussion to prove it!

Then, he found out from the alien robot allies that their old enemies had murdered and impersonated his childhood friends, which did his already-fragile mental state wonders.

Anything after that would seem insignificant.

As they approached the school, the pair noticed some schoolgirls whispering excitedly as they approached the entrance.

"See? You've already got fans!"

"I think those are your fans, Bumblebee."

"Oh. Well, I'm sure they'll warm up to you eventually. See ya later!"

With that, Bumblebee waved goodbye and left, still in his holomatter avatar.

Shinji could've sworn he heard swooning.

As he moved towards Class 2-A, Shinji heard more swooning, only this time it was male.

"Mr. Maruyama had to be reshuffled to Class 2-B. So, I'll be your teacher from now on, okay?"

"Yes, ma'am!"

The male students shouted rather suggestively.

"A new teacher?"

Shinji thought.

He opened the door and entered the classroom.

Shinji was immediately taken aback by the new teacher's appearance!

Her figure somewhat resembled a slightly younger Misato, who was already a bombshell!

Her hair was long and strawberry blonde, held in place with a red headband.

She wore glasses over her light bluish eyes and a relatively modest dress shirt and skirt that still accentuated her shapely legs.

"Good morning, Ikari. I'm Ms. Hitomi Kisaragi. Class, this is our new transfer student, Shinji Ikari. I expect all of you to treat him with respect."

To be continued...

Chapter 8: Shining Machine

Chapter Text

Tokyo-3 First Municipal Junior High School, Class 2-A, "Red Earth." August 24th, 2015…

Three weeks had passed since Toji Suzuhara and his younger sister, Sakura, were nearly killed in the crossfire during the opening battle of humanity's first intergalactic war.

Thanks to the fateful intervention of the Autobot Ratchet, Sakura's injuries were quickly treated.

Both siblings then watched as the Evangelion Unit and the Autobot Commander, Optimus Prime, teamed up to defeat the rampaging fallen Angel, Starscream.

For the next three weeks, Toji would remain at his sister's side as she successfully recovered in the hospital, much to their father's relief.

Like most students in this class, Toji and Sakura lost their mother in the chaos of Second Impact and its immediate aftermath.

After losing his wife, Mr. Suzuhara devoted himself to his business and subsequently left Toji to hold the fort most of the time, something the boy never forgave him for.

Nonetheless, the man was still human enough to visit his injured daughter.

As Toji would later find out, some of his classmates weren't as lucky.

Toji walked to his usual seat next to his old friend Kensuke Aida, whose nerdy obsession with military technology deeply contrasted with the latter's athleticism and passion for basketball.

Kensuke was recording a mock battle between some figures with his camera, which earned him a scolding from Hikari Horaki, the class representative.

"Seriously, Kensuke? Playing with toys in class? What are you, 5?"

Toji snarked.

"Come on, Toji. I was making my dramatization of Nerv's first battle!"

Kensuke suddenly paused, realizing the potential harm of his excuse.

"Aida! Apologize for that remark this instant!"

Hikari yelled at him.

"Sorry, Toji. I didn't mean to... "

"It's fine, Kensuke. It's been three weeks. Sakura got out yesterday."

"Really? That's good news!"

Hikari complimented him.

"Yeah, it would've been worse if Ratchet hadn't saved us."

"Ratchet? The Autobot that turns into an ambulance?"

Kensuke asked with a sparkle in his eyes.

"Yes, that old geezer. He acts exactly like the grizzled veteran you see in war movies."

"I'm so jealous of you right now!"

"Aida…"

Hikari snarled.

"Eep! Sorry, Toji! I'm sorry, I don't know what's wrong with me this morning!"

"I know what you're trying to say, Kensuke. I don't mind. Rep, you really need to lighten up."

"Hmph! As a class representative, I have a reputation to uphold! You two should be on your best behavior today! We've got a new teacher and a new student!"

"About time. All Mr. Maruyama talks about is how the Second Impact happened, how it destroyed his old home, and how we have to 'build a new world for ourselves.' We got it the first time! Why do we keep learning things we already know?!"

Toji paused.

His sudden shouting had caused some classmates to stare in his direction!

"Sorry for the rant. I just wish we had a younger, more engaging teacher instead of him."

"You should be more respectful, Suzuhara."

Hikari admonished.

"Besides, I hear it's a young woman."

"Really! I hope she's pretty!"

Kensuke swooned.

"Aida, don't make me break out the fan…."

Hikari warned.

"Sorry! Shutting up…"

Suddenly, Hikari heard a pair of footsteps outside the door.

"Class! Rise!"

The classroom stood at attention.

The door opened.

In walked the most beautiful woman Kensuke thought he had ever seen.

Her hair was long and strawberry blonde, held in place with a red headband.

She wore glasses over her light bluish eyes and a relatively modest dress shirt and skirt that still accentuated her shapely legs.

She looked like the various main characters of the magical girl shows he was so fond of watching!

Naturally, most of the male (and some female) students agreed.

The teacher and students exchanged bows.

"Mr. Maruyama had to be reshuffled to Class 2-B. So, I'll be your teacher from now on, okay?"

"Yes, ma'am!"

The male students shouted rather suggestively, much to the chagrin of some female classmates, including Hikari.

The door opened once more, revealing the new transfer student.

"Good morning, Ikari."

He respectfully bowed after a brief moment of gawking at her.

"I'm Ms. Hitomi Kisaragi. Class, this is our new transfer student, Shinji Ikari. I expect all of you to treat him with respect."

Suddenly, Toji was shocked out of his love-induced stupor by a sudden recollection of that fateful night.

"What's the status on Bumblebee and Ikari?"

"Drop off the Second Lieutenant and Corporal at the nearest shelter first. As for Bumblebee, he said Nerv was deploying some kind of anti-Angel weapon."

Slowly, Toji connected the dots.

"Ikari?! Wasn't he the guy who piloted the Eva?! This can't be a coincidence. There's got to be a reason why he's here."

Then, he made a momentous decision.

"Ikari! Aren't you the pilot of the Evangelion?!"

"Suzuhara! Watch your tongue!"

Hikari admonished.

Shinji was taken aback.

"How did you know?"

He asked innocently.

"EHHHHHHHH?!"

The class gasped.

"I overheard the Autobots talking about you on the radio. One of them, Ratchet, saved my sister and me during that mess. At first, I kinda blamed you for my sister's injuries because I thought you wasted time. But then I saw how you and Optimus Prime kicked that thing's ass. I guess you guys had to plan things out, huh?"

"Uh, sure... "

Shinji stammered, trying to formulate the correct answer.

"Anyways, I'm sorry about your sister. Mine was injured too."

"Oh, I didn't realize…."

"Yeah, it was kinda sudden. We actually didn't…."

Ms. Kisaragi cleared her throat.

"Excuse me, but can you two continue this later?"

"Yeah, uh, let's talk outside later."

Toji said awkwardly.

"Understood."

Shinji replied.

The class continued.

For a while, at least, Class 2-A seemed just like any other classroom in Japan.

Later, outside Class 2-A…

"That's how you got caught up in that mess? A letter from your deadbeat dad?"

Toji reacted incredulously as Shinji recounted the events of the battle with Sachiel and later, Starscream.

"Yeah, and he didn't even bother asking how I was doing. He just wrote 'Come here!' in the letter, and when we saw the Autobots arrive, he just asked if 'the Child' was secure!"

"How did he react when your sister got hurt?"

"That's the thing. I didn't even know I had a sister until Bumblebee pointed it out! My father didn't tell me anything for ten years!"

"Really? Damn, Shinji. Either your dad's a complete dumbass or a complete asshole."

"Oh, it gets better. When I showed up, he told me to get in the robot and fight, or she would have to do it, even though it was painfully obvious that she was seriously injured!"

"Well, that narrows it down. He's an asshole!"

"What's your sister's name?"

Kensuke asked.

"Rei Ayanami."

Shinji answered.

Toji and Kensuke stared at him for a moment, then the realization hit.

"AYANAMI'S YOUR SISTER?!"

The slack-jawed duo yelled in unison.

"Yes. Apparently, he tried to pass her off as a friend's daughter, which is why she isn't 'Rei Ikari.' Is she famous?"

"No offense, but your sister's one of the hottest chicks in school right now!"

Kensuke remarked, causing Shinji visible discomfort.

Toji noticed and quickly elbowed Kensuke in the ribs!

"Dude! Time and place!"

"I said 'no offense'..."

Kensuke groaned.

"If you don't think before you speak next time, I'll tell the class rep about your 'required readings!'"

"You wouldn't! She'll have it all confiscated!"

As the pair bickered, Shinji saw a familiar face walk toward him.

Sure enough, it was his long-lost blue-haired twin sister.

"Ayanami!"

When she reached him, however, he quickly noticed something different.

"You're... all healed now."

"Yes. Ms. Kisaragi's boyfriend helped remove my bandages. When he was done, my wounds rapidly healed somehow."

"But that's…."

"Impossible, of course.

"Wait. Hang on a sec, Ms. Kisaragi has a boyfriend?!"

A despondent Kensuke bemoaned.

"Honestly, I'm not surprised. Who's the lucky bastard?"

Toji asked Rei.

"Takeshi Hongo. He's substituting for biology class later today. I ran into him after he parked his motorcycle."

Toji gave an appreciative whistle.

"Well, I can't wait to meet him."

Rei stoically turned back to Shinji.

"Anyways, there's an emergency call at headquarters."

"Another Angel?"

"Most likely."

Right on schedule, Bumblebee arrived in his Suzuki Swift form and opened a door.

"Duty calls, my friend!"

Shinji gulped, then ran towards the Autobot.

He glanced back towards his friends.

"The alarms will go off any second now! You guys better find a shelter!"

He shouted back.

"Give 'em hell, Shinji!"

Kensuke cheered.

Bumblebee sped off towards Nerv H.Q., leaving a trail of dust.

Minutes earlier, Autobot Camp, Aokigahara, "Red Earth."

"This is a terrible idea!"

Ironhide remarked.

Shortly before the Fourth Angel's attack, the Autobots were planning on how to assist Nerv effectively.

"I am afraid the Angels might quickly adapt after that incident with Starscream. It might be better for Nerv to utilize Cybertronian weaponry."

Prime spoke, explaining his unpopular decision.

"Optimus, this goes completely against the Tyrest Accord! What would Ultra Magnus say about this?"

"The Tyrest Accord is no longer valid in light of recent revelations of Tyrest's involvement with the Functionist Council. Ultra Magnus agrees with me on this and annulled it in favor of the NEST Alliance treaty."

"That doesn't mean we should hand over our strongest weapons to any human organization we encounter! Especially one as shady as Nerv."

"I'm afraid I must concur with Ironhide on this."

Ratchet interjected.

"What if humans start using Cybertronian weapons in their wars? You saw what they did with our universe's 'mobile suits'! One year, they'll claim it's for defensive purposes. By the next year, they have entire armies at each other's throats!"

"A regrettable instance, Ratchet. But honestly, were we Cybertronians any better?"

"You have a point, Prime. But I would advise certain limitations-"

"WWWWWEEEEEEERRRRRNNNN! WWWWWWEEEEERRRRNNN!"

The shrill sound of sirens interrupted the discussion!

"That's the Emergency Alert!"

"Prime! This is Major Katsuragi! An Angel just breached our defenses at Odawara! We need you to hold them off while we prepare Eva-01!"

"Copy! Ratchet, prepare Omega Supreme for takeoff!"

A few seconds later, Omega blasted off from his hiding spot near the base of Mount Fuji!

Around the same time, Megatron's Warehouse Base, Near Mount Hakone…

"Welp, there goes the Angel alarms."

"Thanks, Skywarp, for stating the glaringly obvious."

"Oh, can the sarcasm, Thundercracker, that's Starscream's thing."

"Hey! How dare you insult your superior officer!"

"Superior? At least we can turn off our human disguises!"

"Why I oughta…."

"Enough!"

Megatron shouted.

"Thundercracker, how far is the Angel?"

"Blazing past the human defenses at Odawara. It'll be here within 5 minutes."

"The Evangelions?"

"Unit-01 is being prepped for combat. Unit-00 is still under maintenance."

"Keep me updated. Skywarp, how did your salvaging mission go?"

"Managed to pilfer a shipment of AK-47s headed for Southeast Asia. Takahashi Junior's getting sloppy since his dad's friends turned on him."

"Excellent, Skywarp. These will be suitable for now."

"You're planning on waging a gang war with 68-year-old guns?"

Starscream asked.

"This coming from the guy with an 8-million-year-old gun."

Skywarp snarked.

Starscream was about to answer with a witty retort but was interrupted by Thundercracker.

"Omega Supreme has intercepted the Angel! Eva-01 dispatched to provide support!"

"Omega?! I thought I killed him!"

Starscream bitterly complained.

"After defeating you, Prime infused his excess Energon into Omega's chassis and shrank back to his usual size."

Megatron explained.

"How did he grow Eva-sized anyway?"

"He must have scanned Eva-01 when it fell, triggering a reaction with the Matrix."

"Of course! I should've known that wasn't a rookie mistake! The kid must have planned it all along!"

"I wouldn't expect anything less from my best student."

Starscream paused in shock.

"What do you mean 'best student?'"

"You see, Starscream, when I first arrived in post-Second Impact Japan, I took a job as an educator. One day, I was 'unexpectedly' forced to adopt one of my students, a human child named Shinji Ikari."

"Ikari? You don't mean-!"

"Yes, Starscream. The current pilot of Evangelion Unit-01 was my adopted son."

"Does anyone else know this? Does Prime know?"

"As far as Nerv is concerned, his former guardian was 'Professor Seizo Wakamoto.' Though if the truth does come out, I'll personally tell Optimus I did a better job raising Shinji than his current ally, Gendo, who is part of that Council I told you about."

"How do you know these things?"

Megatron smirked.

"I'll let you in on a secret. Look in the cabinet drawer beneath the display case."

Starscream turned towards the case Megatron pointed.

He opened the drawer, revealing a set of graphic novels and some DVD box sets.

"What in the Pit is this?"

"A gift from a friend in Axiom Nexus. Read the title and see if it sounds familiar."

Starscream picked up one of the volumes.

To his shock, he recognized his opponent on the cover!

"New Century Evangelion. Story and Art by Yoshiyuki Sadamoto. Original Concept by Gainax."

He quickly skimmed through the pages!

"This perfectly describes the universe we're in! How is that even possible?!"

"'What is real in one universe is fictional in another and vice versa.' I call it 'Megatron's Rule of Parallel Realities.' Read through it, Starscream, and you just might begin to understand the plans I have in store for this universe."

Several minutes later, Outskirts of Tokyo-3…

"This is a terrible idea."

Toji whispered to Kensuke.

"Why the hell did you have to drag me into this?"

"You said you wanted to support Shinji."

"Yes, as in moral support, Kensuke! Not stand out in the middle of the battlefield without any protection whatsoever!"

"Don't worry. He's got the Autobots supporting him. Let's see how well our new friends fight."

"I still think we should've chosen something sturdier than a hill."

"What, like a missile platform? Haven't you seen a monster movie, Toji? Those things are the first to go!"

Suddenly, a missile platform exploded in the distance.

"Oh, damn it! Here they come!"

The insectoid body of Shamshel, the Fourth Angel, barreled through the sky!

Pursuing it was the Giant Autobot Omega Supreme, whose attempts to pummel it with massive firepower had limited success!

Omega transformed and tried to engage the Angel at close quarters!

However, Shamshel deployed energy whip-like tentacles and flung the outmatched Autobot towards a hill!

The very same hill Kensuke and Toji were standing on!

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!"

Fortunately, Omega Supreme landed just far enough to avoid squashing the duo!

The Angel tried to move in for the kill!

BOOM! SPOOM!

Luckily, the other Autobots had set up positions and distracted it with powerful blasts from Nucleon Shock Cannons and Thermo Rocket Launchers taken from Omega's reserves!

"Identified: Suzuhara, Toji, and Aida, Kensuke. Suggestion: Evacuate premises immediately."

"Yes, sir…"

Kensuke complied sadly.

Toji, on the other hand, breathed a sigh of relief.

"Come on, let's leave this to the professionals. Also, we should get back before-"

"Before what, Mr. Suzuhara?"

A young teacher stared down at the two boys.

"Oh, Teach, my friend and I were just…."

Toji answered sheepishly.

"I tried to tell Kensuke here that it was too dangerous, but he insisted!"

"Okay, why do you keep blaming me for this sh-"

Before Kensuke could complete his colorful sentence, he and Toji vanished in a flash of light!

The teacher walked towards the resting Autobot.

Noticeably, he opened his trenchcoat, revealing a strange, circular belt.

"Nice to meet you again, Omega."

"Identified: Hongo, Takeshi. Kamen Rider 1. How might I be of service?"

"Has Shinji launched yet?"

"Negative. Nerv is still preparing weapons for the Eva. Pilot Ikari has just arrived at H.Q."

"You fought well, Omega. Allow me to assist you."

Hongo took a deep breath.

"RIDER…"

Hongo shouted and threw his right arm at a diagonal to his right before rotating it clockwise until it was slanted to his left.

"HENSHIN!"

Hongo quickly retracted his hand to his waist and thrusts out his left arm at a diagonal to his right.

"TOH!"

Hongo jumped into the air, where the wind pressure activated his transformation!

A suit of specialized insectoid armor enveloped his body in a flash of light!

"Your assistance is appreciated, Rider 1. However, your diminutive size might be a disadvantage."

Hongo revealed a device resembling a remote control.

He grew to Omega's size after raising his arm and pressing the button!

"Beta Capsule, like the Ultras use. This one has a limit, though."

Hongo explained.

"Agent Hongo?! What are you doing here?!"

Bumblebee interrupted on the commlink.

"Vector Prime sent me! Let's just say it has to do with that mysterious energy source you were tracking."

Just in time, Evangelion Unit-01 emerged from a hidden elevator platform!

However, something was a bit odd.

"HOW DID YOU GUYS GET IN THERE?!"

Misato bellowed at the viewscreen.

Likewise, her underlings at Nerv, Lieutenants Maya Ibuki, Shigeru Aoba, and Makoto Hyuga, were just as dumbstruck.

"Maya, what the hell was that?!"

Ritsuko asked.

"Magi is still analyzing that previous Energy Spike. It's unrecognizable!"

Ibuki answered.

"No signs of mental contamination! Eva is still synchronized with the Third Child!"

Aoba reported.

"Subjects identified as Toji Suzuhara and Kensuke Aida. They're Shinji's classmates!"

Hyuga reported.

"My sincerest apologies. I'll take responsibility for that foul-up."

Someone spoke over the comms.

"Identify yourself!"

Fuyutsuki demanded.

"I am Vector Prime. One of the thirteen original Transformers, and mentor of Optimus Prime."

"Original Transformers? Prime's mentor? But he'd have to be billions of years old!"

A confused Misato pondered.

"My powers allow me to contact you from across universes. However, as you can see, the distance severely limits their effectiveness. If I am to provide meaningful assistance to Omega Supreme and, by extension, yourselves, I expect you to trust the agents I have sent. Hongo and Kisaragi are but two of them."

Misato took a moment to absorb this newcomer's offer of help.

"So that's why Shinji got new teachers. This Vector Prime's methods might be questionable, but if he's Optimus's mentor, he's the best chance we've got!"

"Omega Supreme, provide suppressing fire! Shinji, close in for the kill! New guy, help them out whenever you can!"

She reluctantly ordered.

"Roger!"

All three responded.

Shinji grabbed the minigun from its building-sized container and charged at the Angel, firing wildly.

Omega did the same with substantially more substantial firepower.

Shamshel lashed out at both opponents, breaking Unit-01's minigun and slashing Omega across the chest.

CHHK-BOOM!

The reactive armor on Omega's chest detonated, firing shards through Shamshel's tentacle and into its body, wounding it!

"SCREEEEE!"

The Angel shrieked in response.

"Reactive Armor Upgrade. Status: Effective."

Omega dryly reported.

"Shinji, grab a melee weapon!"

Kensuke shouted.

"What?"

"The Angel's wounded! It says here that you have a Progressive Knife in the shoulder pylon! Take that knife and shank it!"

The Angel lashed out blindly and severed Unit-01's power source, the building containing its Umbilical cable!

"We're losing power, Shinji! Do it now!"

Toji yelled.

Shinji deployed the Prog Knife as Kensuke suggested.

It resembled a large jackknife that unfolded and revealed a glowing Bowie-style blade!

Against Misato's yelling at him to pull back, Shinji heeded his friends' advice and charged at Shamshel's core!

The Angel tried to stab him with its tentacles again, only to strike an A.T. Field!

However, it broke through, piercing Unit-01's chest!

"AAAARGH!"

Shinji reeled in pain.

"TOH!"

Hongo yelled from behind the Angel!

"ULTRA RIDER KICK!"

Hongo's diving kick slammed Shamshel into Shinji's knife, stabbing into its core!

The Angel's core cracked and leaked a blood-like substance!

Enraged, Shinji removed the knife and stabbed the core repeatedly until it completely crumbled!

Shamshel's tentacles vanished as the dead Angel crumpled to the ground!

Surprisingly, it didn't explode into a Cross like its predecessor.

On the ground, Hongo shrank back to human size, to the amazement of the Nerv staff.

The grasshopper-themed cyborg removed his faceplate and helmet.

"Let's start from the beginning, shall we?"

To be continued...

Chapter 9: Sympathy for the Peaceful Tyrant

Chapter Text

Iacon, Cybertron, "Blue Earth" universe. December 3rd, 2029…

Elita-1 kept a watch for enemy forces outside the Iacon Archives.

Suddenly, a Spacebridge portal opened in a flash of light!

Elita and her subordinates Novastar and Flareup readied their sniper rifles!

Fortunately, Metroplex drove out of the portal and into the ruined, desolate streets in front of the Archives!

Ultra Magnus disembarked along with Vector Prime and the requested agents.

"They're in the old bunker!"

Elita shouted down from the Archives' roof.

"Got it! If anyone attacks, Metroplex will provide suppressing fire!"

"Thanks for the assist!"

Inside, an elder Autobot was looking grimly at a holographic display.

"Alpha Trion!"

"Vector Prime! Magnus, thank Primus, you're here!"

"How many hostiles are we expecting?"

Magnus asked Alpha Trion.

"An entire fleet. It gets worse."

Alpha Trion changed the display to footage of an amorphous silver blob that was continually shifting!

"The Quintessons have managed to obtain a significant amount of sentient nano-metal. They've programmed it to condense, replicate, and mass-produce any foe it encounters."

Alpha Trion showed images of countless gunmetal gray copies of Lockdown, Sunstorm, Tarn of the Justice Division, and the Virgo mobile dolls!

"Cybertronians, mobile suits, even-"

"Mechagodzilla?!"

Magnus and the agents gawked at the image of an entire army of the Monster King's mechanical doppelgängers!

"That's more than enough force to subjugate this entire universe!"

Magnus exclaimed.

"It gets worse. Vector Prime, if you may?"

Alpha Trion changed the display to that of a different yet eerily similar solar system.

"Using Alpha Trion's connection to the Matrix and my knowledge of the multiverse, we've located the exact location of Prime and his entourage."

Vector Prime zoomed in on the image of a red Earth.

"Earth, Primax 619.14 Iota. It is a troubled world, one ravaged by extraterrestrial and terrestrial monsters. Unfortunately, unlike our Earth, they did not have the luxury of powerful allies until now. We intend to send you Riders in before Prime's arrival."

"How did they get there?"

Ultra Magnus asked.

"I've discovered a rift in space-time between our universe and Primax 619.14 Iota. Prime must've mistaken the creation of the rift for a Decepticon force and charged into it. Alpha Trion and I have been investigating the origins of these rifts for a while, but we haven't identified the cause yet. Hopefully, you'll be able to find it alongside Prime."

"Why us specifically? There's plenty of skilled Autobot and G.I. Joe operatives better suited for this rescue mission!"

Agent Midorikawa asked.

"You've probably noticed that Shocker remained conspicuously quiet during this morning's general offensive. We believe there's a connection between their silence, Prime's disappearance, and Megatron's faked death."

Vector Prime explained.

"Can't say I'm surprised. We picked up chatter on a 'Project Destron,' but all we found were more Kaijin and Combatmen asking for Rider Kicks to the face."

Agent Ichimonji snarked.

"Whatever they're planning is probably underway as we speak. We also chose you because our mission requires operatives with academic backgrounds who can perform the roles of educators, especially concerning adolescent students."

Alpha Trion continued.

"A schoolteacher?"

Agent Kisaragi asked.

"You will find familiar faces, but they will be younger and with radically different, troubled personalities. Shinji Ikari will be one of them."

"Shinji-kun?!"

Agent Midorikawa gasped.

"Midorikawa-san's nephew? The Mechagodzilla pilot whose parents lead Monarch?!"

Agent Hongo asked.

"We uncovered some data fragments concerning him from Megatron's ruined chassis. Archforce's memory banks didn't completely override them. It appears that whatever Megatron's planning involves this version of Shinji and the machine he pilots. If Shocker's involved as well-"

"-Then we'd better get moving."

"Exactly, 'Professor' Hongo."

As Alpha Trion gave his answer, Vector Prime drew his sword!

"I'm creating the portal now! Remember to keep a discreet profile! Only reveal yourselves once you rendezvous with Prime!"

Vector Prime tore open a hole in the fabric of space-time with a mighty swing!

With a grim nod, the Riders drove into the portal!

Tokyo-3, Japan, "Red Earth," August 24th, 2015…

"Let's start from the beginning, shall we?"

Professor Takeshi Hongo, a.k.a. Kamen Rider #1, turned towards the assembled Autobots.

"Before you arrived on this planet, you experienced some sort of nightmare, haven't you?"

"I saw Megatron and the other 'Cons shooting me down alongside Prowl, Brawn, and Ratchet!"

Ironhide recalled.

"I saw myself physically fused with Megatron and lashing out at everything, Autobot and Decepticon. It was… bizarre."

Ratchet recalled.

"I saw Megatron torture me and rip out my voice chip. It was horrifying!"

Bumblebee shuddered.

"I saw myself and Windcharger getting overwhelmed and shot by Seekers. Omega wasn't there to save us that time."

Wheeljack spoke solemnly.

"I saw Megatron shooting me in the chest multiple times after Hot Rod tried and failed to save me."

Prime remembered that his universe's Hot Rod was probably still in critical condition.

His long tenure as Autobot Supreme Commander had scarred him with survivor's guilt.

"What about you, Omega?"

Hongo asked.

"I was still offline at that time. Ratchet did not activate me until after Starscream's arrival."

"Do you recall anything from the beginning of the trip?"

"Yes, we transwarped towards where we detected an energy signature. We suspected that it came from a Decepticon super-weapon, but some sort of feedback knocked us into emergency stasis lock mid-transit!"

Ratchet explained.

"When we all regained consciousness, we arrived outside this Earth's atmosphere. Needless to say, we were shocked by its current state."

Prime explained further.

"Didn't you notice the lack of space colonies?"

"We thought they had all been destroyed or rammed into Antarctica. Hence the planet's state."

Wheeljack realized what Hongo was suggesting.

"You think that feedback caused the nightmares?"

"No, Wheeljack, I think your nightmares were visions of alternate universes."

"Like the one we're in right now?"

Bumblebee asked Hongo.

"Correct, Bumblebee. I'm here because Vector Prime detected something seriously wrong with the fabric of reality. Rifts connecting different universes together are appearing at an alarming rate. My fellow Riders and I came here to help you return to our universe. The other Autobots are holding the fort back home."

"What about our Ikaris? WILLE? The EDF?"

Ironhide asked.

"They're still keeping the Kaiju under check."

"Who's leading NEST at the moment?"

Prime asked.

"Dai Atlas and Star Saber. Ultra Magnus and Vector Prime went to Cybertron to help Elita out."

"I see. "

"It was there that Alpha Trion briefed us on the situation. One teleportation later, we arrived here on the night of your arrival."

"So you saw…."

"Yes, your debut fight against Starscream. After that, Kisaragi and I took on new identities as teachers at Shinji's school. Ichimonji and Midorikawa are investigating elsewhere."

Hongo waved his hands again.

Sensing the signal, Vector Prime teleported Shinji, Toji, and Kensuke out of the inert Unit-01's Entry Plug and levitated them before the group in an energy bubble.

"I can't believe it! A henshin hero, too! This is awesome!"

Kensuke swooned.

"Can't we talk on the ground?"

Toji whined.

"P-Professor, I-"

Shinji stammered.

"You can just call me 'Hongo-sensei,' Shinji."

"Hongo-sensei. I should've told you this sooner."

"What is it, Shinji?"

"Back when I was young, my father left me in the care of my music professor. He owned a pistol with a strange marking on it. I didn't realize what that symbol meant until I saw it on the Third Angel's wing during our battle."

Hongo turned to the Autobots for an explanation!

"How long has Megatron been here?!"

"We don't know. All we know at this point is that he's hiding near Mount Hakone. He murdered Shinji's former guardian and assumed his identity."

Bumblebee told Hongo.

"Or worse, Shinji's music professor never existed, and Megatron's been acting out a facade for at least 11 years. Emotional manipulation was always his greatest skill."

Ratchet shook his head at the sheer cruelty of such an act.

Hongo sighed in sympathy.

"You'll have to stop whatever Megatron's planning quickly! Shockwave seized control of the remaining Decepticons in his absence and is starting a second offensive with the Quintessons!"

Vector Prime warned over the Autobots' comms.

The Autobots turned to Prime in shock!

"That combination doesn't sound good!"

Ironhide understated.

"Optimus, we've got to get back!"

Bumblebee pleaded.

"And leave our universe at the mercy of the Angels? Who's being callous now?"

Gendo threw Bumblebee's earlier insults back at him over a Nerv loudspeaker.

"Commander Ikari!"

Bumblebee growled.

"I will deal with Shinji and his former Professor. On the other hand, you should prepare for the next Angel."

"Commander Ikari, I appreciate your offer. But you have no idea what Megatron is capable of or what is at stake!"

Prime cautioned.

"If he is as cunning as you claim, he would remain hidden until the Angels are taken care of. So, please, help us take care of them."

Gendo replied sternly.

Vector Prime tried to intervene.

"Commander, with all due respect, we-"

"And as for you, 'Vector Prime.' I'll accept your offer to assist our fight against the Angels. But until the next one strikes, I respectfully insist that your 'agents' remain teachers and nothing more, understood?"

"How dare you-"

Vector Prime stopped the hotheaded Autobot.

"Calm down, Bumblebee. I'll accept your terms, Ikari."

"I also agree to your terms. But as a teacher, I highly suggest you take better care of your children."

Hongo sternly warned Gendo.

"I cannot sacrifice the well-being of all humanity for the sake of two teenagers, even if they are my own! This conversation is finished!"

"These 'guests' are trying to lure me into a public-relations disaster!"

Gendo internally rationalized.

"Suzuhara, Aida, meet me with Shinji. We have much to discuss."

"He's probably gonna wipe our minds or something."

Toji groaned.

"Quite the contrary, you two have just been drafted."

Gendo remarked in his usual serious tone.

"Sakura's gonna kill me."

"This is the best day ever!"

In a day, Kensuke Aida encountered giant robots, alien monsters, and a henshin hero and joined a war for the fate of the multiverse!

It was an otaku's wildest dream come true.

Downtown Tokyo-3, later that evening…

Shinji didn't stay long in Misato's apartment after the battle.

While his guardian was taking a much-needed shower, he snuck out of his room after leaving a hastily-scribbled letter about confronting his former guardian, Prof. Wakamoto.

Fujiko's martial arts training had come in handy.

"At least they taught me the basics. It won't be enough, but maybe he'll listen to reason."

Shinji thought as he snuck onto a bus headed for the city's seedier parts.

So far, he seemed lucky.

"None of Dad's 'Men in Black' so far. Then again, they might be wearing disguises."

The boy thought as the bus stopped at the nightclub district.

Blending with the crowd, he got off without any suspicion whatsoever.

However, Shinji failed to notice the bus driver whispering into his collar.

"Union 3 to Leader, HVI is heading to the bar. Prepare the welcoming committee."

As he was switching on his trusty S-DAT cassette player and putting on his earphones, he noticed a woman in line waiting to be let into a bar.

A woman with short brown hair, much like his…

"Mother?"

Shinji hoped against hope that what he saw wasn't a hallucination.

He moved quickly, only to be stopped by the bouncer.

"Hey, Kid! You can't go in here!"

Ignoring the bouncer's yelling, Shinji watched from afar as another man scared off some troublemakers who tried to accost the woman.

"It's just some random couple. The hell was I thinking?"

Shinji scolded himself.

Suddenly his earplugs were yanked out!

"Did you hear what I said?! Get lost! Kids like you are supposed to be in bed at this hour! Go home to your mommy and daddy before I call the cops on ya!"

"I'm sorry, I-"

"He's with me."

Shinji froze at the sound of Professor Wakamoto's voice.

"What, you couldn't get a sitter?"

"The poor boy hasn't been the same since his good-for-nothing father ran out on him. Give him a break."

"Sorry, Gramps. No kids on the premises, period."

"Stay down."

The Professor hissed into Shinji's ear.

A split second later, Shinji was shoved to the floor while Professor Wakamoto fired two shots into the bouncer!

Shinji frantically crawled to cover as the Professor drew his trusty Walther P38 and a smaller Walther PPK and blasted the Yakuza goons rushing to fight him!

Screaming and running for their lives, the other patrons quickly evacuated the premises, leaving only a scared teenager and an old man in a white suit sitting in the ruins of the bar, now littered with shell casings and bullet-riddled corpses in elegant outfits.

However, one person returned!

To Shinji's shock, it was the woman who resembled his mother!

"So, the Witchblade bearer has arrived! How nice to finally meet you in person, Agent Midorikawa! Or was it Yano? Anyways, I much prefer your other form!"

The old man greeted the young woman, who wore a bluish-gray striped dress with an ornate silver bracelet on her right hand.

"Spare me the pleasantries, Megatron! Hongo and Prime already know of your existence in this world!"

Megatron only smirked at the news.

"I suppose Shinji over there told them. It was only a matter of reasoning after Starscream appeared. He probably recognized our faction symbol on Starscream's wing after he saw my pistol mode."

The old man flashed his Walther P-38, at which the woman flinched as if reaching for a weapon!

"Of course, Shinji was a child then. Did you know I raised him better than his father?"

Agent Midorikawa quickly drew her weapon and aimed, prompting Megatron to level his guns at her as well!

"A Glock 30! Good choice, Agent Midorikawa. Honestly, I'm surprised! I expected you to 'suit up' like your husband!"

"I told you to cut the small talk! I know you're planning something nefarious on this planet!"

"Nefarious? My lovely Agent, the only people I've killed so far were fellow criminals hiding under a facade of honesty and chivalry. Hell, I didn't even kill that many. They performed most of the killings themselves! I'm just trying to atone for my past. You've seen the alternate timelines, haven't you?"

Agent Midorikawa was about to retort when she heard the sound of more armed men rushing into the room.

"You've got some nerve hitting this place, old man!"

The young gangster leading this new group shouted.

"Katsuo Takahashi. Sorry about your father. He and I had a little disagreement."

Megatron nonchalantly taunted back.

"You killed him?!"

"Yes, I needed an incident to distract the local authorities, and your father sadly fit the bill."

"Why would you need to distract the authorities? What are you playing at?"

"Several weeks ago, an American bioweapon was stolen in Okinawa. According to my contacts, the culprits were the Red Bamboo revolutionary organization. The weapon's existence was supposed to be top secret, and as it happens, the only one with enough knowledge and weapons to steal it was your father, their secret benefactor."

"You dare accuse my father of selling out his country?!"

"I'm not accusing your father. I'm commending him! The threat of a violent Communist revolution would be the perfect excuse for a nationalist coup, wouldn't it?"

Katsuo visibly squirmed as Megatron's reasoning got to his head!

Megatron took a moment to turn towards Agent Midorikawa.

"You see, Agent? Even after surviving near-extinction, humanity will still find ways to finish the job!"

"Enough talk! Shoot them both!"

Takahashi's surviving men cocked their guns and aimed at the couple!

Suddenly, half of them swiveled around and shot the other half!

"What the hell are you doing?!"

Katsuo yelled as the henchmen re-aimed their guns at him!

Confused, the mob boss looked at the old man and woman, who also re-aimed their guns at him!

She pulled the trigger!

The men followed suit.

What was left of Katsuo Takahashi crumpled to the floor.

"I'm glad we understand each other, gentlemen."

Megatron congratulated the turncoat gunmen.

"Shocker needs you alive for now, Megatron. You, on the other hand…."

The Yakuza gunman turned threateningly towards the Agent!

However, Megatron aimed his pistols at the gunmen!

"Not yet. Whatever Scorponok's paying you, I'll double it."

"Despite what our insignias would have you believe, Scorponok isn't our partner in this. Now, hand her over!"

Agent Midorikawa aimed her gun at Megatron.

"You intend to use that bioweapon for yourself, aren't you?"

"It isn't exactly a bioweapon. It's a living creature."

"What is it?"

"A clone of the Monster of God himself."

The Agent and the gunmen's eyes widened in shock.

"You don't mean-"

"What else can strike fear into an Angel?"

Suddenly, several flashbangs went off!

"Secure the Child! GO! GO! GO!"

Nerv's Intelligence agents, Gendo's 'Men in Black,' burst in, guns blazing!

PAPAPAPAPAPAPAPAPAPAK!

Some Shocker gunmen, still distracted by this turn of events, barely reacted and fell unceremoniously!

Their more alert comrades returned fire and fought to the death, knowing a worse fate awaited if they retreated!

On the other hand, Megatron calmly walked towards the Mitsuoka Orochi near the front door.

Emerging from his hideout, Shinji aimed a dropped Beretta Px4 at Megatron!

Megatron paused, still holding the Walthers.

"What are you still doing here?!"

Megatron asked Shinji.

"Before they take me back, was it all a lie?!"

Megatron smiled appreciatively at his former pupil.

"No. It wasn't."

He walked towards the front door, knowing Shinji wouldn't dare shoot.

The old man disappeared into the street.

The woman and her husband were nowhere to be seen.

The 'Men in Black' nabbed Shinji and retreated as well, just before the sound of sirens filled the street!

It wasn't long before the night's events reached the airwaves.

"Tonight's breaking news, a violent shootout in a Tokyo-3 bar has left several dozen members of the Takahashi Syndicate dead, including presumptive heir Katsuo Takahashi! The Syndicate had rapidly fragmented into various feuding factions following the assassination of Ryota Takahashi, Katsuo's father, now known to be a notorious arms smuggler! The increasing levels of gang violence have led the T3PD to deploy its Special Investigation Team to the affected areas…."

"In other news, controversy erupted in Okinawa after a local militant group, the Red Bamboo, were found dead in their base camp. The group was suspected to be behind a raid on the joint JSDF/USMC base and the disappearance of disgraced scientist Dr. Goro Maki…."

To be continued...

Chapter 10: With(out) Honor and Humanity

Chapter Text

Nerv Headquarters, Tokyo-3, Japan, "Red Earth. " August 25th, 2015…

"Did you hear about that shootout in the outer city?"

"With all the stuff we've seen, you're asking about that?"

"Yeah, I suppose with superheroes and giant robots, run-of-the-mill gangsters aren't as interesting anymore, are they?"

"'Superhero?' Man, you know I stopped believing in that when I turned 12."

"And yet, that teacher turned out to be one."

"Clarke's Third Law: Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic. Their universe has access to technological capabilities far superior to ours."

"Really? Why do you always gotta take the fun out of everything?"

"I'm not removing the fun. I'm just trying to be realistic."

As the people around them conversed about current events during lunch break, Major Katsuragi and Dr. Akagi had a more severe and personal conversation, not unlike their days as college classmates.

"How's Shinji doing?"

"Shutting himself off. This is my fault. I should've kept a closer eye on him or asked Bumblebee to help. He's the only one Shinji will react to."

Misato slumped despondently into her arms.

"The hedgehog's dilemma. Shinji's trying to avoid attachment so he won't be betrayed anymore."

"You've got a theory for everything, don't you, Ritsuko?"

"I'm the Chief Scientist. It helps pay the bills."

Ritsuko snarked.

"Then why don't you help me talk some sense into him?! What the hell was he thinking, taking on an alien robot mob boss all by himself?"

"Well, he did have Section 2 tailing him most of the way…."

"Don't even joke about that, Rits! Even they admitted it was a miracle Shinji didn't get shot!"

"Let's change the subject. How are our guests doing?"

"Hongo and Kisaragi are still teaching Class 2-A. The Autobots are still camping out under Mount Fuji. Optimus and Shinji are briefing Commander Ikari."

"I thought Shinji was still under Section 2's custody."

"Sorry, I meant Shinji Kaminaga. He's the Section 2 agent investigating the shootout. Their given names sound similar."

Ritsuko smirked at the coincidence.

"Well, that'll get him in the Commander's good graces."

Commander's office, Nerv H.Q…

"You do realize that as part of Nerv's Section 2, the Intelligence Division, you were supposed to keep an eye on Rei, my son, and any future Eva pilots at all times?"

Gendo admonished a young Section 2 Agent while Prime waited for his turn in his holomatter avatar as a bearded, bespectacled truck driver.

"I am aware of that, Commander Ikari."

"Really, Agent Kaminaga? Then, explain to me why my son managed to sneak out of his residence onto a bus headed for the red-light district and right into a Yakuza-infested bar under your supervision? If we weren't under the U.N., I'd have you shot for failure!"

Optimus, unsettled by Gendo's sudden change in temperament, intervened.

"Commander Ikari, if I may?"

"You may speak, Prime."

"In Agent Kaminaga's defense, Shinji spent time with Fujiko Hamada, or as we know her, the Decepticon assassin Nightbird. Perhaps she taught him some martial arts during their time together."

Gendo visibly squirmed, obviously regretting his decision to leave Shinji in Professor Wakamoto's care.

Kaminaga and Fuyutsuki tried their best not visibly smirk.

"Very well. I apologize for my outburst, Agent. It appears that we all underestimated the boy. Please continue."

"I, too, humbly apologize for our initial negligence, Commander. However, we were distracted by something that got your son's attention. Does this woman look familiar?"

Kaminaga displayed security footage of Agent Midorikawa from her arrival at the bar to the confrontations with Megatron and Katsuo Takahashi.

Gendo and Fuyutsuki stared at the screen in shock, as if they had seen a ghost.

"Yui? But it can't be…."

"That would be Asuka Midorikawa. She's one of the EDF's newest agents."

Prime explained.

"EDF?"

Kaminaga asked Prime to elaborate.

"Earth Defense Forces, our equivalent of Nerv. She's the twin sister of our universe's Yui Ikari. According to Vector Prime, she was adopted and raised by a family friend, which is why she has a different family name. She was unaware of her biological family until very recently. Does she have a counterpart here?"

"No."

Gendo curtly responded, suspecting Prime of trying to draw parallels with Rei.

"Yui only had an older sister. She and her husband refused to take care of Shinji because they blamed me for her death, which is why I approached Professor Wakamoto."

"I'm sorry to hear that, Ikari. If you don't mind me asking, how did Yui die in this universe?"

"I do mind!"

Gendo hissed under gritted teeth, trying not to scream at Prime.

"Such personal questions are only reserved for my therapist, Commander Prime. Now let us return our attention to the situation at hand."

Kaminaga cleared his throat and awkwardly continued his briefing.

"Right. Aside from the eerie resemblances, we also picked up some concerning chatter before we made our move."

Kaminaga switched on the audio feed.

"I'm glad we understand each other, gentlemen."

"Shocker needs you alive for now, Megatron. You, on the other hand…."

"Not yet. Whatever Scorponok's paying you, I'll double it."

"Despite what our insignias would have you believe, Scorponok isn't our partner in this. Now, hand her over!"

"You intend to use that bioweapon for yourself, aren't you?"

"It isn't exactly a bioweapon. It's a living creature."

"What is it?"

"A clone of the Monster of God himself."

"You don't mean-"

"What else can strike fear into an Angel?"

"Secure the Child! Go! Go! Go!"

PAPAPAPAPAPAPAPAPAPAK!

This time it was Prime who was visibly shocked.

"That look on your face tells me you know what they're talking about. Tell me more about this Megatron, Prime."

Gendo coyly retaliated for his earlier humiliation.

"As I said in the press briefing, he was an old friend and a former revolutionary. But as time passed, Megatron saw threats everywhere and concluded that only brute force could ensure his idea of 'freedom.' I suppose it's a familiar tale on this planet."

"It is, unfortunately. But I fail to understand what Professor Wakamoto, or rather, Megatron plans to accomplish by seizing the Takahashi Syndicate's assets, including this supposed 'bioweapon.'"

"Vector Prime told me that Megatron had proof that Takahashi was secretly arming the Red Bamboo, a leftist militant group in Okinawa, to instigate a right-wing coup from allies in the JSDF."

"Just like the March Incident of 1931. A familiar tale, indeed."

Fuyutsuki commented.

Prime continued explaining to Gendo.

"Takahashi's arms and intel successfully allowed them to steal an American bioweapon. I believe Megatron plans to use the Red Bamboo and the weapon for his agenda."

"One problem with that theory, Prime. The entirety of the Red Bamboo organization was found dead this morning at their base camp."

Kaminaga chimed in.

"Then he's cutting off loose ends!"

Prime remarked.

"We don't know for sure. The Red Bamboo made plenty of enemies with eyes and ears everywhere. If we intervene, the higher-ups at the U.N. might raise a stink."

Gendo continued.

"But, Prime, if you insist on investigating, I'll dispatch Kaminaga here and a Section 2 detail to Okinawa. Remember to only fire when fired upon. As for you, Prime, the next Angel is fast approaching. I need you and your troops to provide support for Rei and Shinji."

"Understood."

Both Prime and Kaminaga saluted.

"Dismissed."

After the two left, Gendo thought to himself.

"The Americans have some nerve keeping a bioweapon here. Oh well, at least it'll drive Seele crazy."

"What will you do with these Agents that accompanied the Autobots?"

"Grant them the special privilege of being Section 2 assets, along with Ms. Kisaragi and Mr. Hongo. But remember to warn them to leave high-profile incidents such as last night's bar fight to us and local law enforcement, is that clear?"

"Yes, sir. You know, it's funny. Despite the universe-wide gap, we have more in common with our new friends than we think."

"So it would seem, Professor."

Gendo replied.

"So it would seem."

Yanbaru National Park, Okinawa Prefecture, the previous night…

In her guise as Fujiko Hamada, Nightbird slaughtered her way through the Red Bamboo's feeble defenses!

Their members were still learning the art of guerrilla warfare while she had perfected it for millions of years!

Using a pair of combat knives, she stealthily dispatched several sentries before switching to a dropped AK-47!

Eventually, Nightbird reached the tent where Dr. Maki was supposedly held!

When she entered, she saw a sight that would terrify any human.

Dr. Maki stood in the center of the tent, surrounded by the bodies of his captors!

One gunmen's neck had been snapped with brute force!

The rest were shot by his pistol, which was now in the doctor's hands!

The doctor stared intensely at his savior.

"Expectations: Starscream, Skywarp, or Thundercracker. Nightbird: Superior."

He monotonously confirmed his true identity.

Nightbird smiled.

"Good to see you again, Soundwave."

"Where is Lord Megatron?"

"In Tokyo-3. Where's the bioweapon?"

"Sample-G1 has mutated. Goro Maki successfully assimilated. Hybrid has escaped."

"Escaped where?"

"The Pacific Ocean."

"We'd better get going. What's your alt mode?"

The doctor revealed a cassette player hidden in his coat pocket.

Nightbird couldn't help but smile.

"A tape recorder? Rather obsolete, don't you think?"

"The Red Bamboo would not allow any other form of electronics. It was the best choice."

"Come on. Blackout's waiting for us."

Ayanami residence, Tokyo-3, "Red Earth." August 31st, 2015…

Shinji's mood had remarkably improved in the week since his victory against Shamshel.

Before he arrived in the big city, he mainly had isolated himself from everyone except his adopted family, preferring to listen to his outdated SDAT player.

After the revelation that his mentor was possibly an intergalactic war criminal in disguise, he angrily tried to dispose of the trinket!

He then remembered how the professor told him it was a gift his mother had intended for him.

"What if that was another lie?"

Shinji had thought.

He hesitantly decided to keep the player anyway after agreeing to an Autobot security check.

The boy's self-confidence had been badly shaken after his failed attempt to run away from Misato's apartment and confront his professor face-to-face nearly killed him in an impromptu gang war.

Not to mention his former friends' whole "evil giant robots in disguise" aspect.

Fortunately, he only suffered a few bruises from the epic shootout and a much-needed slap to the face from a worried Misato.

Despite this near-suicidal disaster, Bumblebee was still around to cheer him up with tales of his alternate self's adventures.

The young Autobot was now accompanying him to Rei's place to present her new I.D. card!

As they drove to her apartment complex, Shinji was still nervous.

From what little details he heard, Rei had a better relationship with his father.

She was the favored child, while he was seemingly the black sheep.

"If my father tried to save her once, why did he try to send her out to die? Was it some secret test of character? Did I pass?"

"Shinji, we're here!"

Shinji stared in confusion at a visibly decaying building, wondering if Bumblebee had gotten lost.

"Are you sure this is the place?"

"Yes, at least according to the directions Misato gave me."

Shinji and Bumblebee's avatar cautiously walked to Rei's apartment.

The door was so degraded that it looked like it was about to fall off its hinges any second!

Shinji knocked, only for the door to open ajar.

"Your father needs to invest in locks."

Bumblebee jokingly remarked.

The pair walked in.

They were greeted with the sight of refuse and bloody used bandages scattered around the pitiful excuse of an apartment!

"Ugh! This place is a mess!"

Shinji grimaced.

"I stand corrected. He needs new maids and new locks!"

Bumblebee commented.

Shinji moved towards a drawer, the only clean place he saw.

"I'll leave the card here until she gets back."

He then noticed a pair of recognizable glasses.

"Are these my father's?"

Shinji picked up the glasses and wore them.

"Part of the frame's melted, and the lens is cracked. It must be from that accident. Why does she-"

"Uh, Shinji?"

Bumblebee interrupted.

"What is it, Bu-"

Shinji gaped in shock at the sight.

Bumblebee was surprisingly unfazed.

An unashamed Rei stood in front of the boys, freshly out of the shower and covered in a towel!

"I think she wants you not to touch her stuff."

"I'm... er… sorry!"

Shinji awkwardly took off the glasses and set them back on top of the drawer.

Somewhat satisfied, Rei looked at Bumblebee instead and walked toward him.

She reached out and caressed the Autobot avatar's cheek.

Shinji uncomfortably gulped.

"You look human... yet are not human."

"That is correct, Rei."

"Why do you take on the form of humans?"

"It attracts less attention than a giant machine."

"Do you consider yourself human?"

"Despite some similarities, no, I do not."

"Why?"

"Because this body is a facade. My natural form will always remain a machine."

"Don't all humans put up a facade?"

"I suppose so, in a philosophical sort of way."

"Then what do you consider human?"

After a moment of thought, Bumblebee returned the caress.

Instead of warmth, Rei only felt cold steel!

"Flesh, Blood, Warmth, Emotion…."

Bumblebee suddenly grabbed the towel over Rei's shoulders and threw it aside!

Shinji turned beet red and shrieked!

"Bumblebee! You can't just-"

He suddenly noticed that Rei remained stoic.

"You didn't react with embarrassment or anger. The Rei Ayanami I knew would've slapped me."

Bumblebee spoke with disdain in his voice.

"Why would she slap a metal machine? Would she not injure herself?"

"Emotions force quick action. Sometimes it's more efficient to act before thinking."

"That is illogical."

"You value logic over emotion. Do you consider yourself a machine?"

Rei did not answer his retort.

She walked towards the drawer to get dressed.

Shinji cautiously moved aside, flustered all the while.

"Damn it, why is this happening? Why am I feeling like this? She's supposed to be my sister, damn it! Oh, this is so sick and wrong."

Shinji looked at Bumblebee instead.

The Autobot was staring at Rei as she dressed!

Shinji was about to admonish him for his perceived pervertedness, only to realize it was a suspicious glare instead of a lustful gaze!

"I was right! This Rei is more like Soundwave than the Rei I knew! She doesn't emote and refuses contact with anyone other than her direct superiors!"

As Bumblebee thought, he muttered his opinion of Shinji's father rather audibly.

"Gendo, you bastard, what have you done to her?!"

To Shinji's horror, Rei suddenly bolted at Bumblebee with lightning speed and attempted to strangle him!

Bumblebee, lacking a respiratory system, only coyly smiled at Rei's enraged glare.

"I guess you do have emotions, after all."

"Do not speak ill of Commander Ikari in my presence."

To Rei's shock and Shinji's absolute terror, Bumblebee broke Rei's chokehold and lifted her by the neck effortlessly!

"Bumblebee, stop!"

Realizing his mistake, Bumblebee let Rei down gently.

"Why shouldn't I?! He only treats you nicely because you do his bidding! In truth, he doesn't give a damn about you! Or Shinji!"

He roared in anger.

"If I die, I can be replaced."

Rei grunted, clutching at her still-red neck.

"What if Shinji died, then?! Can he be replaced?!"

Rei gasped at that retort.

Shinji rushed to Bumblebee's side.

"Let's just get back to Nerv."

"Good. I'd rather deal with Angels than this scrap."

Shinji said nothing and quietly followed Bumblebee out the door.

Now alone, Rei gazed at her hands, realizing that she had just contradicted her earlier words.

"Am I… really human?"

Iacon, Cybertron, "Blue Earth" universe. December 3rd, 2029…

The remaining Autobots received an alert shortly after the Riders' departure!

"Our outpost in the Asteroid Belt just detected a Decepticon Fleet in the vicinity of Jupiter!"

Alpha Trion announced.

"Did our human allies receive the same warning?"

Magnus asked.

"Yes. The Archangel, the Kusanagi, the Eternal, and the Minerva have been deployed to intercept. The Ptolemaios 2 Kai is standing by as a reserve force. Rather excessive, if you ask me."

"You can never be too careful when Shockwave's involved. What about Deathsaurus and his faction?"

"Oh, dear."

Alpha Trion gasped.

"What is it now?"

"It looks like the Jupiter fleet is Deathsaurus's faction! They're being pursued by Shockwave's loyalists!"

"Sacrificing his rivals and loyalists so he can make room for his new friends. Typical Shockwave!"

Magnus grumbled.

"You know, Magnus, we could easily let the humans open fire and blast all the Decepticons to smithereens!"

Vector Prime suggested.

Magnus sternly responded.

"Prime wouldn't sink to Shockwave's level! Contact Star Saber, Chairwoman Clyne, and Grand Admiral Aznable. Tell them to parley with Deathsaurus!"

The elder Autobots smiled.

"Wise choice, Magnus. I was testing your character. You truly are 'beyond great.'"

Vector Prime commended Magnus, who answered with a rare smile.

"I respect the compliment, sir. But I don't think this is the time-"

"Elita-1 to Ultra Magnus! Large hostile force inbound!"

"Elita, report!"

"Chromia's recon team just returned! The Quints are overrunning the entire planet! They've deployed four Mechagodzilla units to our location alone, backed up by at least a hundred infantry and Seekers!"

Magnus froze at the dire news before quickly calming himself.

He knew what he would have to do next.

"Elita, listen to me very closely. Take your troops onboard Metroplex. Vector Prime and Alpha Trion will join you shortly and help you transwarp to Mars."

"Magnus, no! There has to be another way!"

"I don't want to see you die again, Ariel! Give Orion my regards."

"Dion, wait!"

Magnus terminated the comms.

He disengaged the locks on his exterior armor and stepped out!

His inner body now resembled his missing friend, Optimus, save for a white-and-blue color scheme!

"Take this armor and give it to Prime when he returns."

"Are you sure about this, Dion? We still have time! You can retreat with the rest of us!"

Alpha Trion spoke as he assumed the Ultra Magnus armor in Dion's place.

"Then they'll follow you and doom our allies as well! The best I can do is buy you some time. I suppose the password to the self-destruct sequence is the same?"

"Yes. Remember not to utter it until the exact moment they arrive. Farewell, my pupil."

"It's been an honor. Now go!"

BOOM! SPOOM!

The Mechagodzilla units opened fire, prompting Metroplex to return fire with his cannons!

Under heavy fire, the Autobot elders joined Elita's troops aboard Metroplex!

"Metroplex! Transwarp to Mars now!"

Vector Prime barked.

"METROPLEX HEEDS THE CALL OF VECTOR PRIME!"

The massive land battleship bellowed as it took off and vanished in a flash of light!

As the bombardment continued, Magnus retreated into a secret passageway beneath the bunker.

He followed it until he approached Cybertron's core, the "Mother Computer," Vector Sigma!

"Identified: City Commander Ultra Magnus, aka Dion of Iacon."

"Begin the self-destruct protocol! Backdoor code: Darkest Hour!"

"Code Accepted. Secondary key-phrase required."

As Ultra Magnus spoke, the invaders realized they had destroyed an empty building.

"'Til conflict makes friends of foes and foes of friends."

The hostiles entered the bunker only to fall victim to a cluster of rigged grenades!

"'Til conflict has brought far too many good people to their ends."

The hostiles poured through the passageway in a torrent!

"'Til conflict wastes itself away, and all put down their guns."

Giant mechanical worms and spiders hurled themselves at the invaders, mauling them and pushing them into corrosive rivers of raw Energon!

"'Til the conflict takes one last life. Itself."

A Seeker duplicate aimed at Magnus and fired!

He then realized he had shot a holomatter decoy as a trio of thermal mines darted towards him!

"'Til then, when all are one."

Dion closed his eyes.

"Orion…"

A smiling younger Optimus appeared in his mind.

"Ariel…"

A younger Elita-1 appeared, smiling and extending her hand to Dion.

"Goodbye."

"Phrase accepted."

With those two words, the entire planet of Cybertron was reduced to a burnt husk in a nanosecond!

To be continued...

Chapter 11: Sound of Thunder

Chapter Text

Camp Gonsalves, Okinawa Prefecture, "Red Earth." August 31st, 2015…

Stepping off the VTOL, Nerv Section 2 Agent Shinji Kaminaga greeted the USMC Major.

"Major Gordon?"

"Agent Kaminaga. Good morning, and welcome to Camp Gonsalves."

"Good morning to you too, Major."

"Tell me, what interest does Nerv have in Okinawa?"

"Well, many things, but let's start with the fact that this place should've been underwater since 15 years ago."

"To tell you the truth, it's a mystery to us, too. The locals claim their guardian deity protected the island during Second Impact… and that it was a punishment for our presence here. King Caesar, I believe?"

"Shisa, Major Gordon. 'Caesar' is a good Anglicization, but King Shisa is the correct pronunciation."

"Ah, sorry, a slip of the tongue."

"Anyways, we were more concerned with the disappearance of one of our former business partners, Dr. Goro Maki?"

"Right, Dr. Maki. We knew that the Red Bamboo was holding him as a hostage somewhere. Didn't realize it was right under our noses."

"How did you find the base camp?"

"One of our squads overheard gunfire while training in the National Park. We sent a First Recon squad to check it out. That's when they found the bodies."

"There are quite a few people who think you're responsible."

"I know it sounds like one of our heartless, bureaucratic cover-ups, but I wish that were the case. According to the evidence, only two people did that, one of whom was Maki himself."

"Two people, one a civilian, wiping out an entire base of seasoned guerillas?"

"After that shit in Tokyo-3? Anything's possible."

New Decepticon Base, Odawara…

Megatron and Starscream were bantering as usual.

"Let me get this straight. To escape the police, you moved our headquarters to the first place the Angels usually strike?! I admit I've had my fair share of stupid plans, but this strikes me as profoundly stupid!"

"The warehouse near Mount Hakone was always meant to be a temporary observation post. Even if Shinji told the Autobots and Prime, they would've found nothing except those DVDs and graphic novels you're currently holding. This is our primary base."

Megatron stopped at a much larger dock warehouse meant for unloading shipping containers.

He forced open the door wide enough for a person to fit through.

As Megatron and Starscream entered, the warehouse's interior slowly lit up, revealing caches of cars and stockpiles of illegal armaments meant to be smuggled overseas!

"Takahashi's mother lode, along with some loot we took from his other strongholds."

"Wouldn't the authorities notice?"

"Thanks to the Angels and our formerly covert assassinations, they'll focus more on the downtown Tokyo-3 area. Besides, this will be an excellent vantage point for our new weapon from Okinawa."

"The one you sent Nightbird to steal?"

"And Soundwave."

"Wait, when did Soundwave get here?!"

"You may ask him yourself when he arrives."

"Lord Megatron?"

Thundercracker emerged from a secondary entrance, followed by Nightbird and Soundwave, still in his Goro Maki disguise.

"Ah, right on time. Soundwave, report."

"Lord Megatron, Goro Maki has merged with Sample G1. Mutant hybrid shows signs of accelerated growth and has escaped into the Pacific."

"Good work, Soundwave! I could always count on you to be ahead of schedule."

"It is an honor, Lord Megatron."

"Oh, enough with the groveling already!"

"Analyzing footage of Starscream's battle against Eva-01 and Prime. Conclusion: Pathetic."

"Why you-!"

Before the two underlings could clobber each other, Thundercracker sounded the alarm.

"Guys, I'd love to keep burning Starscream a new one, but we've got another Angel approaching!"

"There's a reinforced bunker underground in case of typhoons. Get to it!"

Evangelion Launch Bay, Nerv H.Q., below Downtown Tokyo-3…

In the cockpit of Eva-01, Shinji tried to make sense of the morning's events.

Despite the awkward circumstances, he could've sworn Rei was attracted to Bumblebee and vice versa.

Instead, he witnessed a full-blown argument between the two that could have escalated violently.

"Do not speak ill of Commander Ikari in my presence."

"Why shouldn't I? He only treats you nicely because you do his bidding. In truth, he doesn't give a damn about you! Or Shinji!"

"If I die, I can be replaced."

"What if Shinji died, then? Can he be replaced?"

Shinji found himself siding with Bumblebee over Rei.

In his eyes, his father had already proven himself to be an utter bastard when he left him in the care of his teacher -who was an alien robot warlord- not long after his mother's tragic death.

"Ayanami only sees my father's good side. Maybe that's why she's so protective of him.

I wonder if she feels the same about me. Oh, who am I kidding? As far as she's concerned, I'm the bastard around here."

Shinji's thoughts were broken by Misato's voice over the intercom.

"Shinji, are you ready?"

"Yes, Ma'am!"

"Launch the Eva!"

Shinji launched, expecting another lumbering beast like Shamshel and Sachiel.

As soon as he reached the surface, a beam tore through several buildings and struck his chest!

Shinji howled in pain as he felt his chest scorched and the LCL in the Entry Plug boiling him alive!

In an excruciating moment of clarity, he saw his opponent.

A giant blue shapeshifting octahedron.

This was Ramiel, the Angel of Thunder.

Shinji blacked out from the pain just as the city block beneath him gave way….

Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park, en route to Tokyo-3…

The Autobots had just launched Omega Supreme when Ramiel fired its first shot.

"Unit-01 has suffered severe damage! Shinji's in critical condition!"

Ratchet reported.

"That thing's a flying Requiem Blaster! How are we gonna get in close?!"

Ironhide yelled.

"Omega, any countermeasures?"

Prime asked.

"Analysis: Complete. The Angel's beam weapon exceeds my strongest weapons in range and intensity. Personal recommendation: Locate a more powerful long-range weapon and well-reinforced cover."

"Where the Pit are we going to get a strong enough weapon?"

Wheeljack asked.

He was answered by a familiar retort on the commlink.

"Aren't you supposed to be an inventor, Wheeljack?"

"Bumblebee! What's the situation at Nerv?"

Prime ordered.

"Shinji's in intensive care, but he's stable for now. Unit-01's undergoing emergency repairs. Major Katsuragi wants us to pull back for now until they prep Rei and Unit-00. She says they have an experimental positron rifle and a heat shield that might stand a chance."

"Any news on the Agents?"

"Kisaragi and Hongo are assisting evacuation efforts. Midorikawa and Ichimonji are investigating a lead in Okinawa. Hang on- Hongo, is that you? Oh, thank Primus!"

"What is it, Bumblebee?"

"He found Zone Fighter and Mothra."

Outskirts of Tokyo-3, a few minutes earlier…

After sending Class 2-A to safety, Takeshi Hongo transformed into his superhero outfit and drove around the city on his motorcycle, looking for trapped citizens or stragglers.

"Sector 1, clear."

"Sector 2, clear."

"Sector 3, clear."

"Sector 4, all clear."

"Alright, it looks like everyone's in a shelter."

Suddenly, he saw a flash of green light!

Upon investigation, he saw a familiar face!

It was a young man in a yellow shirt with a blue sweater.

"Hikaru?"

"Takeshi, is that you? Mother of Ultra sent me here to…."

"SHEEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!"

CHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!

Hikaru watched in dumbfounded horror as Ramiel changed shape, screamed, and leveled several buildings with its beam!

"An enemy Kaiju?!"

"I'll explain later. Right now, we have to…."

"Scree!"

Appearing out of Hikaru's jacket was a tiny butterfly.

"Mothra? How is she so tiny?"

"Micronizer Beam. As I was saying, Mother of Ultra and the Shobijin sent us here."

The duo heard explosions and a heavy groan as a smoking Eva-01 and the city block it was on plummeted into the Geofront.

"No. I'm glad you're here, Hikaru. I'm going to need you to turn giant again."

"I can't get giant that quick! It'll use up too much of my energy!"

"I've got a fix for that."

Hongo gave him the Beta Capsule Vector Prime lent him.

"Really?"

"You're much better at ranged combat than I am. Keep it if you want."

Hongo switched on his comms.

"Bumblebee, can you read me?"

"Hang on. Hongo, is that you?!"

"Bumblebee, I've got Hikaru Sakimori and Mothra here. He's going to transform into Zone Fighter. It's our best chance against an Angel that powerful!"

"Oh, thank Primus!"

Bumblebee exclaimed.

"Mothra, this might tingle a bit."

Hikaru warned the little butterfly.

He raised his hand towards the sky and switched on the Beta Capsule!

"Zone Double Fight!"

Nerv H.Q., Central Dogma Command Center…

After easily defeating Eva-01, Ramiel hovered directly over the Geofront and began drilling into the ground with its transforming crystalline body.

As Nerv's commanders and scientists debated their next move, a magnificent flash of light suddenly blasted skywards from a portion of Tokyo-3!

"Maya, what was that?!"

Ritsuko demanded.

"Magi reports unknown energy signature! Whatever it is, it's not another Angel!"

"Detecting another signature! One matches that of Takeshi Hongo during the battle with the Fourth Angel!"

Aoba yelled.

Hyuga patched into the remaining security cameras near the site of the light.

"Projecting camera feed onto the main viewscreen!"

When the smoke cleared, the staff gazed silently at what stood at the source!

A giant 100-meter silver humanoid with yellow eyes and a silver antenna protruding from his forehead towered over the cityscape!

Perched on the being's shoulder was a similarly giant moth with bands of orange fur and colorful spotted wings!

Takeshi Hongo stood at the giant's foot, his insectoid appearance now fitting!

"Hikaru, any problems yet?"

"None yet. You help evacuate the city. We'll take care of things here. Isn't that right, Mothra?"

"Scree!"

"Omega?"

"On your lead, Zone Fighter."

"Alright, let's buy our friends some time. Omega, challenge it!"

Omega readied his speakers and played a recording of Godzilla's roar.

"AAAYEEEEEOOOOOOUUUUUUUGH!"

Detecting their presence, Ramiel transformed and opened fire on Omega's location!

"SHEEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!"

CHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!

Fortunately, Mothra released powdery scales from her wings, deflecting Ramiel's beam back at it!

Hikaru retaliated by arming the missile gauntlets on his arms!

Then, he breathed in and unleashed a barrage toward Ramiel!

"Meteor Missile Might!"

Ramiel transformed its body into a shield-like form, absorbing the blasts while protecting its core!

It transformed into a rotating cannon form aimed at Hikaru!

Luckily, Omega and Mothra bombarded it with beam attacks and missile barrages from different directions!

The JSDF and Nerv Ground units joined the fray, assisting their newfound allies with a renewed artillery barrage and inflatable Eva-sized decoys to further frustrate Ramiel!

Unfortunately, at that instant, Ramiel came up with an appropriate response.

The Sixth Angel turned into a downwards-facing star and unleashed its most potent beam attack yet on the ground, blowing through all the armor plating protecting the Geofront!

"All 22 layers are compromised!"

Hyuga alerted.

"It's making a direct beeline to H.Q.!"

Aoba screamed.

"It must've known we were trying to delay it!"

Maya reported.

"What's the status on the positron rifle?!"

Misato asked.

"It'll take too long to set up! Forget it!"

Ritsuko's outburst sank Misato's hopes.

The absolute worst-case scenario became a reality when she thought she had a lucky break.

But Ramiel had made one fatal error.

When it focused on blasting through Tokyo-3, it failed to notice Hikaru suddenly turning around.

Remembering a trick he had seen the real Godzilla perform, Hikaru fired a beam from his antenna at the ground at an angle!

"Meteor Proton Beam!"

The resulting recoil propelled him backward towards Ramiel like a giant humanoid missile!

Ramiel tried to intercept with another beam blast, but Hikaru absorbed its energy, intensifying his speed!

Hikaru struck Ramiel with such force that his kinetic energy cracked the Angel's exterior!

"Meteor Proton Cut!"

Hikaru unleashed all his energy in one large pulse at point-blank range!

The resulting blast, reminiscent of a nuclear explosion, enveloped the Angel in a fireball that instantly melted several nearby buildings into magma!

But there was no cross-shaped explosion.

When the smoke cleared, its octahedron shape was still visible.

At the same time, Hikaru had spent his energy and reverted to his human form, upon which Mothra flew over to carry him to safety.

"Damn it! How is that thing still alive?!"

A frustrated Misato yelled.

"The Angel split its core into separate pieces to defend against a direct attack! It's slowly regenerating!"

Maya reported.

"How much time until it regains full strength?"

"Magi calculates for approximately two hours."

" Major, can you hear me?"

"Omega?! You're on speaker. We read you!"

" I heard your plan to use the positron rifle . Since we don't have time, I'll volunteer my Energon reserves as a power source."

"Omega, that'll kill you!"

" We have no other options! I was prepared to sacrifice myself against Starscream. Today is no different."

"I agree with Omega, Major."

"Prime?!"

"Omega's Energon reserves will generate power far surpassing this country's electrical grid. With any luck, we won't need that much to defeat this Angel. Returning to Nerv H.Q."

"Very well. Launch Unit-00 now!" ordered Misato.

Misato turned towards Ritsuko.

"How's Shinji?"

"He just regained consciousness."

"That quick?! He was boiled alive!"

"We're still trying to find out how. He dropped by Class 2-A before the first sortie."

Misato recalled how Rei's injuries quickly healed after meeting the new teacher.

"Takeshi Hongo, I can't thank you enough…."

Hospital Wing, Nerv H.Q…

Shinji's eyes shot open, gazing at a now-familiar ceiling.

He remembered the first time he was here, immediately after his battle against Starscream, where Eva took a shot to the head.

Shinji looked to the side of his bed.

Bumblebee was sitting on the guest chair like a worried older brother.

"Bumblebee? How long was I out?"

"I'd say around an hour."

"Shouldn't you be helping the others fight the Angel?"

"They already did their best. Now it's your turn."

"So I have to pilot it after all…."

"What do you mean?"

"When I first came here, I didn't want any of this war business. I just wanted to meet my father. I was planning to return to my old teacher's place if things didn't turn out well."

"Shinji…"

"You guys are the only reason I'm still here. Aside from Professor Wakamoto and his students, you were the first to be kind to me."

"I'm sorry for what Gendo and Megatron put you through, Shinji."

Bumblebee paused, looked at the clock, then continued.

"I was about your age when I joined the Autobots. Prime -well, just Optimus at the time- saved my life during a Decepticon attack. I was so eager to repay him that I volunteered on the spot. Thought we had to go through some training first, but things were so bad, Prime just handed me a sword and a gun and told me to follow his lead."

"Didn't your parents worry?"

"I never had parents, at least in the biological sense. Emotionally, the closest things I had to a mother and father were Optimus and his sparkmate, Elita."

"Mate?"

"Prime can tell you about her later," smiled Bumblebee.

"My point is that I understand why you don't want to pilot the Eva, Shinji. It's terrifying to set foot on the battlefield, even if it's your daily duty. The best we can do is put on a mask of bravery and help out our friends."

Bumblebee extended a helping hand.

"You don't have to fight alone, Shinji. If you don't trust Gendo, you can still count on us. In the end, each other's all we got."

Shinji tightly clasped his adopted brother's hand.

"Let's get back in the fight, brother."

"That's the spirit!"

Bumblebee lifted Shinji up and handed over a change of clothes.

"Rei dropped off your new plugsuit. She's already deployed."

"Are you two still fighting?"

"She apologized for her outburst, and I apologized for mine. That's all I'll say. Meet you outside."

Shinji put on his plugsuit and bolted after Bumblebee as fast as possible.

Lake Ashinoko, Outside Tokyo-3 City Limits, 15 minutes later…

Unit-00 and Omega Supreme sat in position as sniper and spotter.

A retractable hose connected Omega's Spark to the battery mounted on the back of the enormous Positron Sniper Rifle.

Unit-00 was fitted with a unique targeting scope around its head.

"Commence Operation Yashima!"

Upon Misato's order, Nerv's automated turrets resumed fire on the regenerating Ramiel, who responded with another beam attack that whittled down their numbers.

With Ramiel's core temporarily exposed, Rei took aim and fired!

However, Ramiel immediately fired an intercepting shot, which deflected Rei's shot!

Ramiel's beam tore into the mountainside, violently rattling the sniper team!

"Rei! Omega! Are you okay?!"

"I'm fine."

Rei winced.

"As am I."

Omega Supreme groaned.

To the Nerv staff's horror, Ramiel transformed into its star form again!

"Massive energy spike detected!"

Hyuga warned.

Rei and Omega braced themselves for the inevitable…

"SHEEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!"

CHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!

Rei opened her eyes, greeted by the sight of Shinji in Unit-01 holding the heat shield!

Behind her, Mothra hovered above Omega Supreme and discharged electricity from her wingtips into his chassis, giving him and the rifle an exponential energy boost!

"Now, Ayanami!"

Shinji yelled over the comms.

Rei aimed and fired once more!

This time, the beam struck home!

Ramiel let a final horrific scream as its core exploded in a jet of flame.

The octahedron returned to its default shape and collapsed, dripping blood-red LCL into Downtown Tokyo-3 and the Geofront.

Mothra shrank back to her fairy size as Bumblebee, Hongo, and Hikaru arrived in time to witness their victory!

Rei got out of her entry plug first.

For reasons unknown to her, she ran to Unit-01's ejected plug and wrenched open the burning-hot hatch as Gendo had done for her.

Shinji came to and saw Rei.

Despite their previous encounters being forced or awkward, Shinji still believed Bumblebee's words that Rei was his sister.

In other words, she was worth enduring Hell for.

"Ikari?"

"I'm fine, Ayanami. How about you?"

"I'm good."

"Sorry for all the trouble earlier. We should get a chance to talk properly."

"What is there to talk about?"

"I could help you make more friends at school."

"Friends?"

"Yes, friends. You don't have to fight alone."

"But if you die, you can't be replaced."

Rei said solemnly.

Shinji could've sworn he saw a tear.

"Then we'll fight together until our last breath! But until then, don't think about that, Rei. Think about life. Think about happiness. Smile a bit."

Rei gasped, surprised by Shinji's sudden boost of confidence.

"I'll save you, and you save me. In the end, each other's all we got."

Shinji smiled at Rei and offered his hand.

Rei took his hand and helped him out.

For the first time since they met, Shinji saw Rei smile.

A short distance away…

Prime and the Autobots saw Bumblebee walking toward them and stepped forward to offer congratulations.

However, the group stopped when they noticed his grim expression!

Prime braced himself for whatever terrible news the young scout had to deliver.

"What's wrong, Bumblebee?"

"Ultra Magnus has died."

Bumblebee solemnly stated, barely holding back his tears.

The Autobots grimaced and gasped in grief and horror!

"Hikaru gave this message to Hongo, who passed it on to me."

Bumblebee played aloud the message he carried.

"Optimus, this is Vector Prime. I have sent Zone Fighter and Mothra to assist you on your mission, as the situation at home has grown ever dire. I regret to inform you that Shockwave and the Quintessons launched a surprise invasion of Cybertron using Kaon as a staging ground. Elita and her forces were overwhelmed and had to evacuate on Metroplex with myself and Alpha Trion. Ultra Magnus stayed behind to cover our escape, leaving his armor in Alpha Trion's care. He self-destructed Cybertron to cripple the enemies' advance and give NEST a fighting chance. Due to this tragic turn of events, this message will be my final broadcast to you for a while. Remember these words. Find Megatron! Find Shocker! Defeat them once and for all!"

"Damn that one-eyed bastard! Damn those five-faced freaks! Primus, damn them all to the Pit!"

Ironhide cried and cursed.

Prime remained silent.

"Bumblebee?"

"Yes, Prime?"

"I need you to prepare a message for Vector Prime. You can send it to him once we re-establish contact."

"Understood."

"This is Optimus Prime. I have located Megatron and captured him so that I might negotiate terms with Shockwave. Hold out for as long as possible."

"Wait. What are you planning to do?!"

"Finish the message."

Prime responded curtly, but Bumblebee knew Optimus was hurting and did what he was told.

"We attack Mount Hakone effective immediately."

Optimus coldly declared.

"Prime, don't! I know you want revenge for everything Megatron and Shockwave have done, but rushing in recklessly might cause civilian casualties! You, of all people, should know that!"

Ratchet reasoned.

"There are only criminals like him there, Ratchet! We'd be doing this city a favor!"

Prime uncharacteristically grumbled.

"Megatron's not on Mount Hakone anymore!"

A mysterious voice announced!

"Who are you?!"

A jumpy Ironhide warned!

A ninja Transformer suddenly decloaked!

"Easy, I'm an Autobot. My name is Prowl, but I'm not the one you know."

To be continued…

Chapter 12: To Err is Human

Chapter Text

Lake Ashinoko, Tokyo-3, "Red Earth." August 31st, 2015…

"Easy, I'm an Autobot. My name is Prowl, but I'm not the one you know."

Prime stared at the Autobot ninja that shared his late lieutenant's name.

On the one hand, he had the symbol on his chest and didn't immediately attack them.

Conversely, he could easily be one of Megatron's double agents!

"How do we know you're not a 'Con spy?!"

Ironhide shouted, aiming a shotgun at the newcomer.

"I know where Jazz, Cliffjumper, and Sky Lynx are."

Prime motioned for Ironhide to lower his gun.

"Sky Lynx is in Sasebo, disguised as an abandoned factory. As for Jazz and Cliffjumper, you'll meet them when Evangelion Unit-02 arrives in a week."

"Unit-02?"

Ratchet questioned.

"Seeing as we've already met Shinji and Rei, my bet's on Asuka."

Wheeljack guessed.

"What about Mount Hakone?"

Prime sternly asked.

"Megatron vacated the premises after he eliminated Katsuo Takahashi. Chances are, he already figured out that Shinji would've revealed his identity and location to you."

Prime's optics widened in horror.

If he had let his grief get the better of him, he would've attacked an empty warehouse and killed multiple humans!

Criminals or not, the adverse reaction that would provoke would instantly torpedo any trust between the Autobots and this world's humans!

Megatron had laid a trap, and Prime was nanometers away from walking into it!

"Wait. How did you know about Shinji?!"

Ironhide asked.

Prowl paused for a moment in confusion.

"Ikari or Kaminaga?"

"The kid, not the Agent!"

Ironhide clarified.

Prowl responded promptly.

"I overheard the Decepticon femme Nightbird speak as she left young Ikari's apartment complex. A security camera spotted her human avatar while leaving the Takahashi underboss's assassination, and I was ordered by my superiors at the T3PD to investigate her."

"Any idea where they've resettled?"

Prime asked Prowl.

"Sadly, no. I only managed to tail Nightbird for a while when the Decepticon, Barricade, ambushed my position. Our quarrel attracted a hostile caravan of yakuza cars, which allowed both of them to escape!"

Ratchet groaned.

"No wonder he's leagues ahead! If Barricade's here, then Megatron has the criminal underworld and the entire police department in his grasp!"

Bumblebee's holographic pad suddenly beeped!

"Message from Agent Ichimonji: Last week, the New Yokosuka Naval Base in Odawara detected a suspicious aircraft heading towards them from the direction of Okinawa before it suddenly disappeared from radar. The official statement was that it was a radar glitch."

Bumblebee read aloud.

"The stolen bioweapon."

Prime remembered.

"He's hiding near the base! Any attack there might provoke an international incident!"

Wheeljack quickly reasoned.

"So we're right back to where we started?!"

Ironhide shouted in consternation.

"Not quite. I've noticed a trend for Angels to attack near Odawara before moving on to Tokyo-3. If we can time ourselves right, we can strike while the humans are preoccupied. At the least, we can expose the Decepticons to the public!"

Prowl reasoned.

"Good idea, Prowl! When the next Angel strikes, we take the fight to them!"

Prime declared to the cheers of the other Autobots.

Except for Ratchet.

The old medic noticed a twinge of anger in Optimus.

The deaths of the other Prowl and Ultra Magnus had affected his psyche.

As the team doctor, Ratchet took it upon himself to ensure that Optimus could still lead.

"Optimus, If you need to talk…."

"I know, Ratchet. I'm fine."

To everyone's shock, Ratchet slapped Optimus across the faceplate!

"No, you're not! Criminals or not, you were seriously planning on killing humans!"

"It was a foolish outburst. It won't happen again."

"Are you sure about that?"

Prime straightened himself and spoke confidently.

"I've long stated that freedom is the right of all sentient beings. When I chose to intervene in the First Galactic War, I did so because I saw certain humans seeking to deprive other members of their species of that sacred right. I could not stand idly by and watch humanity destroy itself over bigotry and ambition as we Cybertronians have done! As Autobot Supreme Commander, I vowed to protect the freedom of all sentient life. But if any being threatens that freedom, even a human, I will do what I must!"

Ratchet smiled.

"Good. I apologize for borrowing a page from Rear Admiral Noa, Optimus. I had to ensure you could still lead us after losing so much."

Prime smiled knowingly under his faceplate.

"I understand your concern, Ratchet. Autobots, let's lay low and gather more intel until Jazz, Cliffjumper, and Asuka arrive."

"I wonder if she'll get along with Shinji like in our universe?"

Ratchet pondered.

USS Saratoga. Off the coast of Ito, former Shizuoka Prefecture. September 6th, 2015…

Like most things in his life thus far, Shinji's trip started out great.

SMACK!

"What did you do that for?!"

"You peeked, didn't you? That's your viewing fee!"

"Oh, I think it's a bit overpriced. Here's some change!"

"Kyaa! How dare you, you outrageous buffoon!"

SMACK!

Shinji was looking forward to meeting his future colleague, Eva-02's pilot.

He did not expect the pilot to be a hotheaded (yet admittedly pretty) German girl named Asuka Langley Soryu.

The yellow sundress she wore for the occasion was blown upwards by a sudden gust of wind, and Toji, who was trying to free his cap from Asuka's foot, got an eyeful.

Needless to say, she slapped Toji, who dropped his pants in retaliation and got slapped some more.

SMACK!

She also slapped Shinji, who wondered what he did in a past life to deserve this.

SMACK!

And then she slapped Kensuke, who took it in stride as part of the anime protagonist experience he longed for.

Misato, who planned the trip, smiled at the quirky first impression.

On the other hand, Bumblebee was too busy looking around the carrier to notice the shenanigans.

Asuka noticed him.

"Is that the Third Child?"

Asuka asked in an almost dreamy tone.

"No, that's Bumblebee. He's with the Autobots."

"Those alien robots?! Then who-"

"Hello..."

Shinji meekly replied.

"You're kidding me. It's this dull kid?"

"Dull?!"

Bumblebee ignored the banter and saw what he was looking for.

The VTOL that just landed and caused the wacky dress mishap.

"Agent Kaminaga! It's good to see you again, Shinji Senior!"

"Don't call me that in public! I hope the Angels weren't too much trouble?"

"They're much easier to deal with now that Rei's recovered and Hikaru's here. I suppose Asuka and Unit-02 will make it even easier."

"Somehow, I think things are only gonna get stranger."

"Anyways, how was Okinawa?"

"I'll brief you and the Major in a bit."

Kaminaga noticed the party walking towards them.

"Speaking of which…."

"Good morning, Kaminaga-san. Didn't expect to see you here."

"Morning, Major Katsuragi. We wrapped things up in Okinawa ahead of schedule. Is she-?"

"Yes, the Second Child will stay with us for a while."

"Nice to meet you, sir! Asuka Langley Soryu, reporting for duty!"

"Your reputation precedes you, Ms. Soryu. I'm sure you'll be an invaluable member of our team."

"You won't be disappointed, sir!"

Kaminaga looked toward Shinji, Toji, and Kensuke.

"I suppose this is the Third Child and his classmates?"

"Yes, Ms. Kisaragi and Mr. Hongo agreed to let them accompany me today."

"Really? How nice of them!"

A cheery photographer chimed behind Agent Kaminaga.

"I can see Kisaragi as the 'fun' teacher, but Hongo? Man's like a karate instructor!"

"I'm sorry, who are you?"

Misato questioned.

"That guy from the bar!"

Shinji internally remembered.

"But that means-"

Before Shinji could continue his thought, the woman in question appeared before him.

"Major Katsuragi, this is Hayato Ichimonji and his wife, Asuka Midorikawa. They're accompanying me at the behest of Optimus and Vector Prime. Commander Ikari has cleared them as Section 2 assets, so don't worry about the technicalities."

Kaminaga reassured Misato.

"She looks just like…."

Like Shinji, Misato was awestruck by Midorikawa's resemblance to the late Yui Ikari!

Agent Midorikawa turned towards Shinji.

"Shinji, was it?"

"Yes, ma'am?"

Shinji's usual meek tone annoyed Asuka, who was unaware of his personal connection to Agent Midorikawa.

"What is wrong with you? You're supposed to address a superior officer with confidence!"

The German redhead elbowed him and hissed under her breath.

Shinji noticed Agent Midorikawa's annoyed frown turning into a gentle smile.

"Ms. Soryu, was it? I'd call you Asuka, but that's also my given name."

"Yes, ma'am!"

"Mr. Ikari over here may seem meek and dull, but don't be fooled. Anyone who has defeated three Angels without prior combat experience is worthy of respect. After all, many glorious warriors in history were meek men and women before receiving proper assistance and guidance. He just needs some time to adjust, is all."

Shinji stood in awe at the woman's stern yet motherly reprimand.

"I... see your point, ma'am."

A humbled Asuka haltingly apologized.

"I'm glad you understand, Soryu-san. I'll leave you in charge of whipping him into shape."

After a moment of realization, Shinji and Asuka turned beet red at the older Asuka's double entendre.

"EHHHHHHH?!"

The unlikely couple yelled.

"Let's brief the admiral, shall we?"

Agent Kaminaga awkwardly began leading the adults and Bumblebee to the aircraft carrier's command center, or 'island' in naval parlance.

Misato looked back at the kids.

"Well, you kids have fun! Just do what the sailors say, and you'll be fine."

"Yes, Ma'am!"

Kensuke saluted.

"At ease."

"See you lovebirds at lunch!"

Bumblebee teased.

"It's not like that!"

Shinji and Asuka yelled in unison, still blushing red.

After the others were out of sight, Asuka glared at Shinji.

"So, you've managed to kill three Angels, huh? I guess you're not as boring as I thought."

"Look, Ms. Soryu, I apologize about Toji's outburst earlier. He's been on edge since his sister got hospitalized during the first Angel attack."

"Hmph. Well, that answers several questions. That Toji fellow should keep better control over his emotions, or he won't last a day on the battlefield. And don't call me, 'Ms. Soryu,' you make me sound like an old woman!"

Shinji was already starting to get sick of Asuka's snooty attitude.

So, he thought of a very straightforward question.

"How many Angels have you killed?"

"What?"

"Exactly how many Angels have you killed, Asuka? Admittedly, I killed three with some help, which apparently wasn't good enough for your standards. So, tell me, Asuka, what's your kill count?"

Asuka stood flustered.

On the one hand, she wanted to punch Shinji for making a fool of herself.

On another, she was impressed by his sudden boost of confidence.

Or perhaps, he had intentionally concealed this more assertive personality under a facade of shyness to deceive her, and possibly Misato as well.

"Fine, you got me, Third Child. But remember that my Eva Unit is supposed to be more advanced than yours."

"I'll believe it when I see it."

Asuka gritted her teeth in visible anger.

Following his biological aunt's example, Shinji calmly smiled as if meeting a new friend.

"The audacity of that boy! I'll show him!"

"Cliff! We need a ride!"

Bridge of the USS Saratoga, 5 minutes later...

Admiral Stenz stared at his guests' reflections: two attractive young women who resembled models and three young men about the same age as his sons.

In the past, it would've been hard to believe that this motley were either agents of the U.N. agency supervising him or envoys from another universe.

But after the Second Impact and the Angels' arrival, nothing seemed strange anymore.

Stenz glanced back at the crimson-red sea from the Saratoga's bridge.

"You know, Major, there was a time when it would've been unthinkable for American, Japanese, German, Russian, British, French, and Chinese ships to travel in the same fleet."

He turned toward his guests.

"Then the seas ran red with blood, and humanity realized that there were bigger things to worry about than pride and greed."

The Admiral noticed some discomfort in Misato's expression.

"I apologize, Major. I know you were in Antarctica with your dad when all hell broke loose. I wasn't that far away, either. You weren't the only one that had to be fished out."

"I understand your point, sir. Wait, how did you know I was-"

"It might have slipped out during our one-on-one briefings."

A familiar voice announced.

"Agent Kaji, how many times must I remind you to announce yourself before entering the bridge?!"

"Sorry, sir. It won't happen again."

Misato struggled to maintain her composure in the presence of her ex-lover.

"Major Katsuragi, I understand that you and Agent Kaji haven't been…."

Stenz paused to find a kind word to cool down the disgruntled Major.

"...amicable as of late. But do try to keep your quarrels to a minimum. There's enough mayhem on this ship as it is."

"Yes, sir."

"Anyways, back to the point. The U.N. Rainbow Fleet will provide escorted transport of the Eva Unit to Odawara. From there on, Nerv will handle the rest. But until then, all command authority goes to me, is that clear?"

"Understood, Admiral. But if an Angel attacks-"

"We'll cross that bridge when we get to it."

Stenz turned towards the older Shinji.

"As for you, Agent Kaminaga, I understand that you've been tasked with investigating the Red Bamboo Crisis on Okinawa. Are you at liberty to share your findings?"

"Admiral Stenz, I can only disclose that Dr. Maki was last seen escaping with a uniformed JGSDF woman, per an eyewitness account."

"The JGSDF? Was it the JSDF coup plotters?"

"We're still investigating that. However, I can inform you that in response to the coup, the Prime Minister has already pushed emergency legislation for restructuring the JSDF."

"Restructuring?"

"A new branch called the Japanese Strategic Self Defense Force or JSSDF for short. It merges the Special Forces Group, the Ranger platoons, the Amphibious Rapid Deployment Brigade, and the Special Boarding Unit into a single, combined-arms task force for high-risk combat scenarios and answers directly to the Ministry of Defense."

"Sounds a bit like SOCOM. Won't that rile up the neighbors?"

"The Korean and Chinese governments already voiced their disapproval. The opposition in the National Diet is also trying to block it. Of course, the Prime Minister claims he's trying to rein in the JSDF."

Kaminaga sighed.

"In short, it looks like Ryota Takahashi got his wish after all."

"Shame. Can't believe some nutjobs want to start World War IV right after we've survived the apocalypse and World War III! Not to mention the alien invasion."

Bumblebee raised an eyebrow at the apparent snub.

"Not you, son. I meant the Angels. Speaking of which, couldn't you guys come up with a less offensive name? Like Kaiju or something?"

"I see you're a movie buff, sir."

Misato smiled.

"I always watched those monster movies in my younger days. It brought back some memories when I saw you guys on the news."

Before Stenz could continue, a terrifying message played over the ship's radio!

"Mayday, Mayday! This is Seahawk! We're under attack by some giant creature!"

Stenz immediately switched to his Admiral role, cursing beneath his breath.

"Seahawk, this is Saratoga! Evangelion Unit-02 is en route to your location. Pull back now!"

"Is that-?! Oh, God, there's another one!"

A loud crash, then static.

"Seahawk? Seahawk, respond!"

Stenz closed his eyes for a bit, then growled into the radio.

"Saratoga to Rainbow Fleet, Seahawk is down! Repeat, Seahawk is down! Two confirmed bogeys near Seahawk's location, over! All hands, battle stations!"

Stenz looked at the Agents, Bumblebee, Misato, and Kaji as alarms sounded.

"Secure the kids and get your robot ready! Otherwise, a lot more people are gonna die today!"

A man in a suit walked in with Toji and Kensuke.

"Sir, I found these two on the flight deck, figured they'd be safer up here with the other guests."

Admiral Stenz quickly introduced the newcomer.

"Major, this is Darius Crothers, a private contractor with Skywatch Logistics. He's here to provide additional security for the Second Child since most of our Marines have been dispatched to Okinawa and Odawara."

"Nice to meet you, Crothers."

Misato greeted the man.

"Same to you, Major. If we are facing two Angels, you'd best keep these kids close."

"We won't be a nuisance, sir!"

Kensuke squeaked.

"I have literally done nothing wrong this entire trip! If anyone's a nuisance, it's that crazy redhead!"

Toji complained.

"Wait! Where's Shinji and Asuka?!"

"No need for alarm, Major. My colleague already got them in Eva-02."

"Really? Excellent job, Crothers. I can't thank you enough."

"A talk with Bumblebee here is fine. We'll leave you guys to work."

"You two better keep it short. Those things could reach us at any second."

The pair stepped outside the bridge.

Unknown to Stenz and the others, Bumblebee already knew Crothers.

They had been friends for a very long time.

"Jazz?"

"Perceptive as ever, Bee. Was it the sunglasses or my holomatter avatar?"

"The glasses. You'd always wear your visor even when we weren't fighting. How did you get here?"

"Sky Lynx, Cliffjumper, and I were on a supply run to Moonbase One. We were almost there when some Cons ambushed us. We tried to transwarp away, but a shot must've hit our engine mid-warp. One crash landing later, we found ourselves near Sasebo. After trying to process… well, that."

Jazz pointed to the blood-red sea.

Having just arrived a week after Jazz, Bumblebee knew all too well the initial shock that would cause to a newcomer!

"We tried to fix Sky Lynx and turn him into a makeshift shelter. Then, we met Prowl."

"I met him last week after the battle with Ramiel. Is he related to our Prowl?"

"No. Same name, different bot. This Prowl isn't an uptight smartass like our Prowl. He's much nicer."

Bumblebee winced.

"What's wrong, Bee?"

"Megatron attacked Autobot City not long before you got ambushed. I'm afraid our Prowl is dead, along with many other Autobots. Our team actually arrived here while searching for you guys. After that, Vector Prime sent the Riders and Zone Fighter to look for us, and they wound up here too! We're only staying here for now because Megatron's planning something big on this Earth."

Jazz frowned as he took in the new information and stared at the sea in contemplation.

"So that's why no one responded to our distress calls. Damn!"

Bumblebee continued.

"I should've told you sooner. What else did 'new Prowl' tell you?"

"He said he met us before in a past life. Whatever that means."

"Another universe?"

"I don't know, Bee. Clearly, a lot of insanity happened since we, the 'Cons, and the Riders showed up. Nearly sprung a leak when I saw that footage of Starscream."

"Where's Cliffjumper now?"

"Cliff's the 'colleague' getting Shinji and Asuka into Eva Unit-02."

Bumblebee chuckled.

"That should be fun."

SPOOM!

Suddenly, a cruiser within the fleet exploded!

"Bogey has arrived! Tempest lost!"

"Cliff! Tell the kids to launch and get out of there!"

Jazz yelled into his comm.

"I'm in the air already! Just give them some time. They're synchronizing!"

SPOOM!

Another explosion!

"Titus Andronicus lost! Bogey heading for transport ship!"

"Tell 'em to hurry up!"

"Evangelion Unit-02, launching!"

SPOOM!

The large red Eva Unit jumped from its transport moments before its destruction!

It landed on a nearby destroyer, much to the consternation of its crew.

The Red Baroness was ready to do battle!

But as she scanned the horizon, Asuka wondered…

"Where's the second one?"

New Decepticon Base, Odawara, around the same time…

Starscream gawked at the large metal container Megatron and Skywarp carried into their base.

It was marked with symbols warning of its radioactive contents.

"How in Primus's name did you get a nuclear bomb?"

"Our old friend Takahashi had quite the connections for his coup. There was a competitor of sorts to Nerv, Japan Heavy Chemical Industries. If you read or watched the materials I gave you-"

"Yes, yes, the Jet Alone project."

Starscream took a moment to recall watching all 26 episodes and the theatrical finale of the oddly-familiar Evangelion series in Megatron's collection.

"By Primus, that was the most depressing work of theater I ever saw! Don't even get me started on that rambling train wreck the humans call a finale!"

"Personally, I prefer the literary version. The plot's more streamlined, and the ending's more coherent."

"Heh! Of course, you'd prefer the graphic novel, Mr. 'Towards Peace!' Besides, the author had the benefit of hindsight on that adaptation!"

Ignoring the barb aimed at his treatise, Megatron decided to muse a little before returning his attention to the nuclear bomb.

"Hindsight. A cruel word, just like 'irony' and 'fate.' In hindsight, Takahashi should've stuck to arms dealing instead of launching a coup in his home country. In hindsight, Shiro Tokita should've thought twice about strapping a nuclear reactor to a close-quarters-combat robot and accepting bribes for spare uranium rods. But, thanks to the powers of inter-dimensional travel, we can finally weaponize hindsight!"

Starscream changed the subject, trying not to laugh at his superior's cheesy monologue.

"How is Tokita, by the way?"

"Revising his little project, per my instructions. Exposing Takahashi's plot caused the JSDF to clean up and postpone the test date. I told Tokita to make the best of his time and gave him a couple of hints. In return for helping him and keeping his involvement secret, Tokita told me Takahashi's fuel rods' location. After that, I discovered this contraption lying in storage."

Megatron opened the box, revealing what appeared to be an artillery piece.

Starscream seemed unimpressed.

"A gun-type fission weapon, modified from a recoilless rifle. Not unlike the first nuclear weapon dropped on this very country. Rather crude, if you ask me."

"Indeed, it might be weak compared to its successors, but the shock of detonating yet another nuclear weapon on Japanese soil would silence any opposition to Takahashi's dream of re-militarization."

"What do you intend to do with it? Hold Tokyo-3 for ransom?"

"I applaud you for recommending the simple solution for once, Starscream. However, I intend to feed it to our guest, the former Dr. Maki. His fusion with Project G1 may have progressed its evolution, but it still isn't fast enough for my plans. Once he has attained the form of the Monster King, this entire planet is as good as ours!"

"You assume he won't regain sentience and revolt against you? Not to mention the Warriors of Light or whatever Evangelion unit or Angel might challenge it!"

"I don't recall you ever being this pessimistic, Starscream. I suppose it's my fault for shooting you so many times for failing."

Starscream replied with his usual sarcasm.

"Never saw you being so humble, either."

Megatron was about to reply when Soundwave interrupted.

"Incoming Distress call! Location: Ohio Class Nuclear-Powered Submarine off the coast of Ito. Designation: USS Seahawk."

"Play the transmission."

"Mayday, Mayday! This is Seahawk! We're under attack by some giant creature!"

"Seahawk, this is Saratoga! Evangelion Unit-02 is en route to your location. Pull back now!"

"Is that-?! Oh, God, there's another one!"

"Seahawk? Seahawk, respond!"

"Saratoga to Rainbow Fleet, Seahawk is down! Repeat, Seahawk is down! Two confirmed bogeys near Seahawk's location, over! All hands, battle stations!"

The Decepticons sat in silence, contemplating their next move.

"Should I shelve the nuke?"

Starscream asked Megatron.

"No, detonate the nuke offshore and lure Maki here. He won't resist it if he's anything like his progenitor."

"You realize we're next door to a U.S. Navy base?"

"You do realize that Takahashi has yachts?"

Skywarp sneered.

Indeed, Takahashi's customized yachts, the Bingo-Maru and Glory-Maru, sat a short distance from their warehouse base.

Thundercracker closed the container and moved towards the entrance.

"Well, we're not cruising anytime soon. Lord Megatron, I'll take the bomb out to sea and fly back."

"Excellent, Thundercracker. That reminds me, Starscream, I have a gift for you."

"What could you possibly-"

"Put on this watch on your left wrist."

"I have no desire for these human trinkets."

"Just do as I say."

Starscream did as told, with an annoyed grunt.

"Now what?"

"Hit the button."

Starscream pressed the button on the watch.

He was clad in teal, grey, and brown armor in a flash of light and armed with a large blue rifle!

"What is this?"

"It's your Pretender armor, Starscream. The first step to becoming a Cybertronian again."

Upon hearing those words, Starscream's voice grew desperate.

"Tell me the next step!"

"You yell out 'Pretender!' at the top of your lungs."

Megatron said matter-of-factly.

"You had better not be…."

"I'm serious, Starscream. Just remember that we're next door to a base."

"Hmph! I'll deliver the bomb using the Glory-Maru. Thundercracker can stay here."

"Hey!"

"Thundercracker, sortie in the Bingo-Maru for extraction. Your jet modes will draw attention from our neighbors."

Thundercracker let out a resigned sigh.

"As you wish, Lord Megatron."

To be continued…

Chapter 13: Up From The Depths

Chapter Text

U.S.S. Seahawk, Off Ito, former Shizuoka Prefecture, earlier…

Captain Clark Nelson tried to calm his nerves.

He had served his nation's navy ever since the Second Impact and the Third World War in the past decade, yet the sight of an endless ocean of blood still unnerved him.

"Captain!"

Nelson recognized the voice of his lookout on the conning tower and checked his periscope.

To the Captain's speechless horror, a long reptilian tail whipped across the water's surface, towering at least 28 meters!

It was impossible!

The Impact should've killed off most sea life, save for certain bacteria!

"Submerge the ship!"

"Dive! Dive!"

The Seahawk began its emergency dive.

Then the creature rammed the sub.

WHAAAAAM!

Nelson radioed Admiral Stenz, knowing full well that he and his men were doomed.

Then his G.P.S. detected another mass speeding towards the sub.

In one quick movement, the sub was severed in two.

The last thing Nelson saw was the sight of crimson seawater rushing towards him at an alarming pace.

Outside, the first creature had barely managed to dodge the newcomer's attack.

Noticing that its opponent sped past it, not bothering to fight, the giant reptile feasted on the Seahawk's nuclear reactor.

Swallowing a sizable amount of uranium, the creature morphed!

Its stubby arms and legs grew longer and sturdier!

Its tail grew even longer, nearly doubling its length!

A familiar set of dorsal fins spurted from its back, crossing the length of its body!

Eager to test its new powers, the reptile began swimming toward the second beast's direction and the Rainbow Fleet!

Above water…

Starscream, still decked out in his Pretender armor, drove the Glory Maru and its hazardous cargo as close as he could to the Seahawk's last known location.

The timer, activated at the moment of departure, was nearing zero.

Starscream walked onto the deck and shouted!

"PREEEETENNNNDERRRRR!"

To his utter disbelief, Starscream found himself hovering above the yacht in his old mechanical body!

Remembering the bomb, he transformed into a jet and flew to Thundercracker's rendezvous point at maximum speed!

Then the bomb exploded.

SPOOOOOOOOMMM!

The explosion was similar in size to the infamous Little Boy of 1945, producing an identical fireball and mushroom cloud!

One that did not go unnoticed by the Rainbow Fleet.

"Who the hell fired an N-2 bomb?!"

Misato yelled.

"Odawara, watch your fire! You nearly sunk us!"

Stenz relayed.

"Odawara to Saratoga, that's a negative on friendly fire! We have an unknown nuclear explosion, not N-2!"

"Nuclear?! But we're not detecting radiation!"

"Radiation levels have already decreased to zero! It's as if something absorbed it all like a sponge!"

Agent Midorikawa's eyes widened at the description.

"It's Gojira! Project G1!"

"That bioweapon Maki created?!"

Kaminaga asked.

"Bioweapon?"

Stenz wondered.

Agent Ichimonji proceeded to explain the rest.

"Project G1 was a microscopic organism that fed on radioactive material. Maki and his sponsors tested it in the ruins of cities nuked during the Third World War. According to his notes, the organism self-replicated until it grew into a reptilian creature the size of an iguana. One day, a suicidal trespasser tried to drown himself in the storage pool and-"

"It mauled him?!"

Misato guessed.

"Assimilated him. It grew exponentially after that incident."

Stenz sat down in horrified shock and rage.

"Did Maki and Takahashi plan this? What kind of sick bastards are they?!"

Kaminaga shook his head.

"As far as we know, Maki was coerced into participating. His wife was suffering from terminal cancer after the nuking of Tokyo-1. Takahashi only plotted to steal the weapon. The closest thing we had to an original benefactor was Smart Brain Peculiar Chemicals, a pharmaceutical company with ties to DARPA."

"DARPA?"

Admiral Stenz and Misato recoiled in surprise at the name of the infamous research agency.

"At first, DARPA's higher-ups wanted to clean up the post-Impact world. Eventually, they realized that they had a weapon to surpass the Evas in their hands."

Whatever feelings of betrayal Stenz felt were dashed by another alert from Odawara.

"Saratoga! A massive radioactive object is heading towards the Rainbow Fleet!"

Below Sea Level…

Gaghiel, the Sixth Angel, was close to uniting with its progenitor Adam.

All it had to do was to eliminate the red-clad imposter in its path.

An explosion occurred behind it!

Probably a missed attack from one of these tiny vessels!

Then Gaghiel detected an utterly alien essence.

An essence not borne of the First Ancestral Race, Adam, Lilith, or even the Lilin.

Gaghiel then prioritized that this creature's death was of the utmost importance, even over the recovery of its progenitor.

It charged at the affronting abomination, jaws wide open.

Gaghiel swallowed its prey whole and clenched its teeth.

It realized too late that it had just exposed its core to the creature's most potent attack.

Above Sea Level...

"Asuka, Shinji! Do you see any sign of the Angel?!"

"Negative, Misato! It ran off towards the explosion!"

Shinji, positioned uncomfortably close to Asuka, quickly grabbed her attention…

… amongst other things.

"Hey, watch it, perv!"

SMACK!

"Gah! Asuka! Ominous glow at 12:00!"

True to Shinji's words, several pillars of violet light blasted into the sky!

To the entire fleet's shock, the tallest pillar turned into a cross!

Asuka quickly jumped onto the Saratoga, sending some unsecured aircraft to the bottom of the sea.

She and Shinji gazed back, speechless at the sight of the cross.

"No way… that thing killed the Angel?!"

Once again, the creature's tail broke the ocean's surface and whipped around.

Only now, it towered at the height of 200 meters, dwarfing the Evangelion Unit!

"Misato! What should we do?!"

Shinji frantically asked over the radio, hoping for some crazy plan to defeat the creature.

Instead, Misato could only reply,

"Retreat."

"What?!"

"I said 'Retreat,' Asuka! The creature's heading towards deeper water for now. We should hurry to Odawara and regroup with our units there."

"So we're gonna stand back and let it escape like a bunch of cowards?!"

"Asuka, you saw what it did to the Angel! The same Angel that just took out a third of our fleet! You only have standard B-type equipment and a Prog Knife! I know you want to prove yourself, Asuka, but there's a fine line between that and a senseless sacrifice!"

Asuka, now humbled, held back her frustration.

"Fine, Misato. We'll do it your way."

Stenz similarly composed himself and continued ordering his crew.

"All remaining ships are to assist in lifeboat recovery. Saratoga crew, set up the umbilical cable and clear the flight deck for the Eva Unit."

He turned to Misato and the Agents once more.

"There's gonna be a lot of notices and grieving families over the next few days. I hope you two never have to face the same situation I face today."

"We understand, sir."

Misato looked down solemnly, realizing the full ramifications of the day's events.

Agents Ichimonji and Midorikawa looked solemn as well.

Unknown to the humans present, the couple had led armies in many battles over the past year alone.

They knew the pain of losing many loyal friends and fellow soldiers, even in victory.

"My condolences to your men, Admiral."

"Thank you, Mr. Kaminaga. I wish you good luck with your investigation. I want to see the bastards who created this thing and let it escape hanging from the gallows."

Kaji walked towards the exit.

"Where are you going?"

A suspicious Misato asked.

"Odawara. Someone has to tell 'em the situation. That, and I have to deliver a package to Commander Ikari."

"What package?"

"Section 2 stuff. Not your jurisdiction, Major."

"We're with Section 2."

Kaminaga sternly replied.

"Then you can come with me. I know this great place in Tokyo-3 for drinks, but I'm pretty sure you've already heard of it."

The three Agents fumed at Kaji's teasing.

Misato, on the other hand, just smirked.

"Oh, Kaji, Kaji, Kaji. You can't fool me after all these years. Even with the Section 2 pass, I highly doubt Commander Ikari will trust someone like you with something that important."

"It is that important. I'm handling it because no one will suspect a drunk womanizer in a suit of being a spy."

Kaji coyly retorted.

"Here's the package with Commander Ikari's exact orders, in case you don't believe me."

Kaji held up his briefcase with 'Top Secret! For U.N. Nerv Command only!' emblazoned in big red lettering on the front.

"I'll get the VTOL warmed up."

Agent Kaminaga grumbled.

Kaji continued on his way to the flight deck.

He had initially intended to leave earlier and called his superior.

"You're late."

"Sorry. Got held up by some surprise guests."

"Was the contingency plan successful?"

"Not entirely. Looks like we have some competition. The Committee will be pissed."

"Competition drives the economy, Agent Kaji. The Committee won't mind so long as its money is safe. The Old Men will just adapt and innovate, as they did before. Leave them to me."

An undisclosed location. A short while later.…

Gendo Ikari felt somewhat better than usual.

Mainly because Chairman Keel Lorenz's anger was focused on someone else this time.

"Mr. Cassin, care to explain why you allowed your government to commission a profoundly lethal bioweapon, let alone lose control of it?"

Theodore Cassin, the former U.S. Committee representative, now sat with his hands tied and his face bloodied.

His holographic display was still a bright shade of green, as usual.

"It was Maki! We had no idea he was working behind our backs the whole time, let alone selling out to Takahashi and the Red Bamboo!"

"That sounds like the result of major incompetence, or perhaps, treason!"

"I would never-!"

BLAM!

Cassin crumpled out of view, ending the transmission.

"Another tragic suicide."

Vladimir Kaganovich, the blue Russian representative, couldn't resist snubbing his rival one last time.

"Ikari, I hope you understand the consequences of turning against our agreement."

"Absolutely, Chairman Lorenz."

"Eliminate this 'Project G1' creature, or at least prevent it from obstructing our plans."

"The Evangelions shall not be beaten. You have my word, Chairman."

"I'll have the new Jet Alone prototype sent to you as a backup 'distraction' in case you require assistance in this goal."

"That won't be necessary."

"We are growing uneasy with your 'guests,' Ikari. Their so-called 'assistance' might have very well derailed us!"

Kaganovich yelled.

Pierre Bretagne, the bespectacled French representative in yellow, calmly agreed.

"Indeed, the public's perception of their advanced abilities has challenged the need for Project Evangelion in the first place."

"At least we can keep Jet Alone on a leash!"

Nigel Laforey, the red British Representative, concurred.

"Very well, I'll accept it. All necessary force is needed to defeat the Angels. I am only doing what is logical."

"We'll continue this discussion later, Ikari. We have to find a replacement Green first."

"Understood, sirs."

The remaining Committee members all signed off at once.

"I see the Americans have decided to start an Angel-killing arms race."

Fuyutsuki quipped.

"It shouldn't be possible, but they somehow succeeded. At least the Old Men will be busy fighting amongst themselves for a while. It'll make our job easier."

"Quite the Machiavellian, aren't you?"

"I'm just adapting to my environment and innovating, Professor. Perhaps you should teach biology again."

New Decepticon Base, Odawara. Much later …

Starscream and Thundercracker sauntered into the warehouse base in their holomatter avatars.

"Lord Megatron, I am proud to announce that our mission was a resounding success."

"I noticed, Thundercracker. By merging Dr. Maki and Project G1 into a new Godzilla, we surpass the combined forces of the Autobots, Nerv, the Angels, and humanity!"

Starscream sneered at Megatron's boasting.

"Aren't you concerned that this will backfire like so many of your 'master plans' thus far?"

"Of course, Starscream. I'm concerned that you'll somehow screw it up! In fact, you already have!"

"What?! How is this my fault?"

"Remind me, Starscream, what form did you take when you arrived on this planet?"

"The Third Angel. You disintegrated my old body, remember?"

"And why did you possess it?"

"It was pummeling the Autobots and the humans! Honestly, what better host for a disembodied spark is there?!"

"And thanks to your ego, you've alerted the Autobots, Angels, and Nerv to our presence!"

"What of your tutelage of young Shinji Ikari? I know his role in the grand scheme of things is important to your plan, but why, for the love of Primus, would you display your alternate mode in the open for him to see?! Now the Autobots know you're here and brought the Warriors of Light with them!"

"They'll have to kill New Godzilla first, and thanks to its self-replication abilities, that's much easier said than done. After all, what better defense against Angels than a god?"

Megatron took a moment to name his creation.

"Hmm. 'New Godzilla,' 'Shin Gojira,' 'Shinji.' How fitting."

"Do you realize how ridiculous you sound?"

"Oh, shut up, Starscream. Soundwave, what's the status of our combatants?!"

"Unit-02 and the remaining fleet have docked at Odawara Naval Base. Omega Supreme, Jet Alone, Zone Fighter, and Mothra have all been dispatched to assist. Units 01 and 00 are standing by as reserves. Shin Godzilla is still cooling itself in the Pacific."

"What's his projected course?"

"He'll make landfall in Odawara in approximately five minutes."

"Good, we can have a chat."

A female "human" in a mascot outfit spoke.

Starscream and Thundercracker instinctively turned around with guns drawn!

They paused after noticing Skywarp at her side!

"Skywarp, you fool! She'll tell Nerv and the Autobots everything!"

Starscream scolded.

"Relax, Starscream. I specifically ordered Skywarp to let her in."

Megatron stated calmly.

"Why would you-"

"I'm one of his contacts. Call me 'Smart Lady.'"

She explained.

"Like with Prime against the Functionists four million years ago, I intend to form a temporary alliance against a mutual enemy. In this particular case, the Seele organization."

"You honestly think a human organization can seriously threaten us?"

Starscream scoffed.

"The leader of Seele, Keel Lorenz, is not so different from our old accomplice, Dr. Henri Arkeville, Starscream. However, his social status as a philanthropist with hundreds of financial ties to the United Nations and Nerv makes him a superior opponent. As you foresaw, his ultimate goal is to purge Nerv entirely and commandeer Evangelion Unit-01 as the god of a new, perfected species. I'm considering giving them a taste of their own medicine, so I approached Shocker, the more reliable competitor of our former ally, Cobra."

"I'm all for setting our opponents against each other. But that still leaves the Angels!"

Thundercracker asked.

"They will adapt to our presence and Godzilla's. There has been at least one documented timeline where they attacked all at once. Smart Lady, can you please refrain from punishing Nerv too hard? At least until all the Angels are dealt with."

Smart Lady smirked, momentarily closed her eyes, and breathed in.

A sudden flash of light stunned everyone in the room!

Smart Lady suddenly transformed into a humanoid butterfly monster!

"Agh! What the Pit is that?!"

Starscream shrieked at the abomination.

"The Morpho Orphnoch. Her true form."

Megatron explained.

"That's your master plan?! You'll end this eons-long war by having everyone fight each other while you reap the profits? Shocker would never accept a stab to the back like that!"

She screeched.

"Ever heard of 'The enemy of my enemy is my friend?' It worked for the humans on this planet, didn't it? Perhaps you should try it sometime, 'Smart Lady!' Maybe you'll actually defeat the Riders this time!"

Megatron sneered at the monster.

Suddenly, alarms sounded in the warehouse and the surrounding area!

"Shin Godzilla has resumed movement! Landfall imminent!"

Soundwave announced.

"It appears the honorable doctor has arrived. My troops and I are going to greet him."

Smart Lady looked at Soundwave's holomatter avatar and deduced what had happened.

"That suicidal trespasser that got assimilated was actually the real Dr. Maki, wasn't it?"

"You catch on quickly, Lady. Maki lost his wife to radiation-induced cancer some years ago. He decided that his creation was the last thing he held dear and jumped in. Luckily, Soundwave has since impersonated the good doctor, leaving DARPA none the wiser."

Smart Lady transformed back into human form and turned to leave.

"This is your final warning. My superiors won't be as hesitant or lenient as I am."

"I know. Give Shadow Moon my regards."

Smart Lady disappeared into a silver portal.

Megatron turned to his men.

"Back to business! Decepticons, transform, and rise up!"

New Yokosuka Naval Base, Odawara. Around the same time…

After briefing Ritsuko on the eventful trip from Ito, Misato reviewed all the available troops and assets at Nerv's disposal for the upcoming battle.

She was particularly intrigued by a robot that matched the Evas in size.

"Is that the Jet Alone?"

"Yes, the improved prototype from Japan Heavy Chemicals."

"Improved?"

"Originally, the prototype was supposed to be nuclear-powered and auto-piloted by an A.I. program. They moved the test date when the Takahashi conspiracy happened. Of course, it turned out to be a blessing in disguise since the A.I. was found to be tampered with. The whole unit was gonna turn into a walking nuke."

"Was it sabotaged by the coup plotters?"

"With Angel-killing being a new market, who knows? J.H.C. replaced the reactor with an experimental 'N2 engine' and the A.I. with a manual piloting system. It won't do much good against an Angel with an A.T. Field, but that didn't stop Omega Supreme, so we licensed it."

"With this new threat on the horizon, we need all the help we get. Who's the pilot?"

"Behind you."

Ritsuko motioned towards a young girl about Shinji and Asuka's age, who approached them.

She wore a dark green armored plugsuit, not unlike the volatile redhead and her meek beau.

The pilot snapped at attention and saluted.

"Jet Alone pilot Mana Kirishima, reporting for duty!"

Misato paused for a moment, then whispered into Ritsuko's ear.

"Okay, I know I said we needed the help, but this is ridiculous! Are all of our pilots goddamn teenagers?!"

"She was the ward of the mech's designer and the only one available on short notice. She is literally the best candidate qualified for the job!"

Ritsuko hissed back.

Misato turned to face the new recruit and returned the salute.

"Sorry about that, Kirishima. It's just that this beast we're facing is stronger than the Angels we've faced thus far. I hope you realize that this is a serious combat situation."

"I'm well aware of the risks, Major. I wouldn't have volunteered otherwise."

"You won't be alone, Kirishima. You've got plenty of teammates for this mission, just follow my orders and try to work with them."

"Understood."

Meanwhile, inside Eva-02, Shinji noticed the absence of their star player.

"Misato, where's Unit-01?"

Shinji asked over the comm.

"It's being deployed as we speak."

"But I'm still here!"

"We had to deploy it with another pilot. We'll lose valuable time if we try to transfer you."

"You mean I have to stay close to this perv again?!" yelled an annoyed Asuka.

"For the last time, I didn't mean to-!"

"Enough, you two! You'll also have Rei in Unit-00, Omega Supreme, Zone Fighter, and Jet Alone to help out."

"Isn't that overkill, Misato? By the way, who's the new Eva pilot?"

"Well, Ritsuko?"

"He just arrived yesterday. His name's-"

Before Ritsuko could clarify, the Magi's Angel Alert blared!

"Pattern Orange! Try to hold it off until reinforcements arrive! Unit-02 & Jet Alone, battle stations!"

Asuka huffed as she restarted Eva-02.

Her prideful ego chafed at the thought of fighting alongside supposedly 'weaker' allies.

She was conveniently surprised when a spaceship flew to her right and transformed into a giant robot of identical size!

On her left, a hunched mecha stood up from its hangar, sporting a scaled-up electrical hammer!

"So, these are Nerv's new allies? The Autobots?"

Asuka barely had time to rethink her opinions when the red seawater began to recede.

"A tsunami?!"

Shinji exclaimed.

Then the pilots and bots saw an unforgettable sight.

A 120-meter tall dinosaur with sunken, small eyes, a 200-meter long tail that dangled over it, and a grotesque, bumpy, black-and-red hide that resembled burns more than scaly skin rose from the blood-red sea!

Asuka felt her ego collapse into nothingness like a neutron star.

Shinji tried desperately to maintain his sanity, repeating his usual mantra of not running away.

Mana broke into a cold sweat, hoping her colleagues could not feel the same level of fear as she was.

Misato, Ritsuko, Stenz, Toji, and Kensuke could only stare in slack-jawed horror.

Omega Supreme stared intently at his target, analyzing it for any possible weakness to exploit.

A second later, something else aroused fear in him!

A group of smaller robots that hovered not too far away!

"Megatron."

Odawara Warehouse District…

The cosmic tyrant smirked as he began broadcasting a speech.

"Denizens of Earth, I am Megatron, Leader of the Decepticons! My old enemies, the Autobots, call me a tyrant of the worst caliber. But today, I shall prove to you that I have renounced my former hostility."

The other Autobots paused their planned raid in shock, realizing that Megatron had anticipated their move yet again!

They were in for an even worse surprise when Megatron cut to footage of Shin Godzilla's landfall!

"Optimus! That's-"

"A clone of Godzilla."

When the Agents told Optimus that the stolen bioweapon was Godzilla cells, he had anticipated such a possibility.

However, he did not expect Megatron to develop a clone so quickly!

"What the scrap are we gonna do against that?!"

Bumblebee panicked.

Prime remained silent as Megatron continued speaking.

"The monster you see before you was created by a secret organization called Seele. This mad cult plotted to destroy both Nerv and the Angels and cement their rule over the planet! Now the fools have let the beast escape, and it will not stop until it has destroyed everything in its path! We must join forces now or face utter annihilation!"

As Megatron spoke, displaced seawater splashed ashore, damaging the base!

By the time he finished his speech, the abomination had reared its head and let out a deafening roar that revealed its wide jaw and gaping maw!

"AAAYEEEEEOOOOOOUUUUUUUGH!"

"Lord Megatron! Autobots are approaching your location!"

Soundwave warned over comms.

"I will deal with them myself, Soundwave. Remain in Okinawa with the others."

"As you wish, my Lord."

The tyrant chuckled to himself.

"Consider this poetic justice, Ikari. You dropped your child on my doorstep. Now, I'm dropping mine on yours."

To be continued...

Chapter 14: Who Will Know?

Chapter Text

Nerv HQ, Tokyo-3, "Red Earth." September 6th, 2015…

"I see. So Project G1 is heading straight for us."

"You're acting rather nonchalant about this, Commander."

"This creature may have killed an Angel, Agent Kaji, but we've killed three."

"I still think we should be cautious, sir."

"We have three Evas at our command, not to mention Tokita's project and our esteemed guests supporting us. We can kill it ten times over if needed."

"I'll leave the defense planning to you and Misato. Your package should be at H.Q. once the action concludes. Kaji out."

Gendo ended the call and placed his secure phone back on his desk.

"Ikari?"

Fuyutsuki asked.

"You may enter, Professor."

"We might have a problem."

"What is it?"

"Based on the current trajectory and speed of the creature, there won't be enough time to deploy Unit-01 to Odawara."

"No matter, Unit-02 is already present, along with the upgraded Jet Alone and the Autobot Omega Supreme."

"There's another problem. That Megatron fellow just revealed himself and outed Seele!"

"What?! How could he possibly know about Seele?"

"He claims they're a mad cult that created Project G1 to destroy Nerv and the Angels and take over the world."

Fuyutsuki reported.

"Well, he isn't entirely wrong."

The Deputy Commander internally snarked.

"They must have a less subtle version of Seele in their universe. Well, no matter, the Old Men have already sent us a gift in advance."

"A gift?"

A pale teenage boy revealed himself from the shadows.

"I apologize for not speaking up earlier, Sub-Commander."

"Is he-"

"I'm Kaworu Nagisa. A pleasure to meet you."

"The Fifth Child shall be deployed as a reserve pilot effective immediately."

Fuyutsuki stared at the boy as if recognizing him from somewhere.

"Very well. Nagisa, follow me. You're deploying in Unit-01 since its usual pilot is unavailable."

"Yes, sir."

New Yokosuka Naval Base, Odawara…

Shin Godzilla looked from side to side, gauging the strength of its opponents.

Omega, detecting the movement, refocused his weapons and fired a volley of missiles at the grotesque dinosaur!

The missiles struck Shin Godzilla in the face but barely scratched it.

Omega followed the volley with a blast from his plasma cannon hand!

The blast struck Godzilla's left shoulder, severing its misshapen arm!

"Nice shot!" commended Kensuke.

Unnervingly, the beast did not roar in pain as steaming radioactive blood poured from his wound.

To the humans' horror, Godzilla's wound regenerated into a new arm in a matter of seconds!

Worse still, steam erupted from where the old arm had fallen!

"Rits?"

"Yes, Misato?"

"Please tell me that arm isn't doing what I think it's doing."

From the steaming seawater, a more miniature Godzilla rose, roaring just like its father!

The miniature Godzilla fired its atomic breath at Omega, who was knocked backward despite his shielding.

Inside Jet Alone, Mana Kirishima was trying to comprehend the deadly foe before her.

"Damn it! If shooting the thing just causes it to multiply, then what the hell are we going to do?!"

"Hey! New girl!"

Mana heard Asuka yell through the Jet Alone's comms.

"Yes?"

"Don't just stand there! Whack these things with your hammer!"

"Yes, ma'am!"

Mana gritted her teeth and charged at Shin Godzilla.

The monster knocked her over with a rapid tail swipe, sending her flying towards Unit-02!

Shinji, acting fast, seized the controls from Asuka and dodged, causing Jet Alone to bodyslam Shin Godzilla Jr. instead!

"Nice job, Third. The new girl might be a rookie, but she's got some nerve attacking the stronger opponent head-on."

"Did you just compliment me?"

"Focus, you idiot!"

Shinji turned back to see Shin Godzilla opening his jaws wide, with a purple glow traveling up his dorsal fins.

"Oh shi-"

Shinji barely had time to finish cursing before a jet of flame shot out towards him and Asuka!

The pilots threw up an A.T. Field to block the flames, but the heat was enough to boil the LCL surrounding them, causing Shinji and Asuka to scream in pain over the intercom!

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"

Odawara Warehouse District, not far from the battlefield…

After his grand speech, Megatron decided to stand aside and watch his creation battle against the best this world has to offer.

He was very impressed with the results.

But his observation was interrupted by the sound of guns loading.

Megatron turned and faced his old sparring partner.

"Prime, it's been far too long!"

After their recent escapades, Optimus Prime did not hesitate to level his path blaster at Megatron!

The rest of the Autobots were no exception.

"What in the name of Primus are you playing at, Megatron?"

"I'm giving you what you wanted all those years ago, Prime, peace on planet Earth!"

Prime pointed at the columns of smoke caused by the rampaging Shin Godzilla.

"That's your idea of peace?! Follow you or face imminent destruction? Tell me how this is different from your other schemes!"

"Haven't you realized by now that your human friends are innately drawn towards war? They'll fight and kill their own brethren on the flimsiest of excuses just to satisfy their greed! The only way to pacify them is to completely humble them!"

"There are plenty of humans who just want to live in peace! The only 'humans' you've befriended are the likes of Cobra and Shocker! They've rejected their humanity and only want to enslave others, just like you! You only oppose this 'Seele' group, if it even exists, because they're competing with you!"

Megatron sneered at Prime's comeback.

"In that case, Prime, why do you side with Gendo Ikari?! Do you want to know why I chose to adopt Shinji? Because his own father abandoned him for delusions of godhood!"

"Just because we work with Gendo against the Angels doesn't mean we like him!"

Bumblebee corrected.

"You have no right to criticize 'delusions of godhood!'"

Ratchet yelled.

"Yeah, tell that to the billions of innocents you murdered, you hypocrite!"

Wheeljack jeered.

Prime motioned for his team to calm down.

"At least tell me one thing, Megatron. Why Shinji? What are you planning to use him for? His Evangelion unit? You've already got your own Godzilla."

"True, even a False King of Monsters is enough to hold the Angels at bay. However, our mutual friend is the key to unraveling Seele. He reminds me of myself when I started the Decepticon movement; a scared and confused youngster molded into the perfect warrior by the cruel world he lives in!"

"So you want Shinji to corrupt other people and send them to destroy and die for his ambition by the billions?! You're a worse father than Gendo!"

Megatron raised his fusion cannon at Bumblebee in anger!

The Autobots opened fire, only to destroy a holomatter decoy!

"What?!"

"Did you honestly think that I would have our climactic battle here, Prime? If you're disappointed, you can spar with Shin Godzilla in the meantime. I expect you to be in top shape when the time comes!"

A hidden speaker announced.

In truth, Megatron was already safe and sound with the other Decepticons on Okinawa!

"Just remember to topple Seele by the time we meet. I don't want any distractions."

Megatron cackled as the hidden speaker detonated and took out the Odawara hideout and its arms cache, sending the Autobots into a retreat!

Back inside Jet Alone...

Shinji and Asuka's screaming jolted a battered Mana awake.

Just in time to see Shin Godzilla Jr. glaring down at her with glowing dorsal fins!

In a knee-jerk reaction, Mana activated the Jet Alone's electric cuffs and punched Junior across the face, causing him to shoot his father by accident!

Recovering from his initial knockout, Omega Supreme picked up a peculiar munitions case and tossed it at the burnt Unit-02's feet.

"Shinji! Asuka! Incoming!"

"An Eva's weapons case?"

Asuka asked.

"Thanks, Omega!"

A grateful Shinji responded.

Unit-02 stepped on the case, causing it to eject a Positron cannon, a smaller version of the weapon used to kill Ramiel!

Asuka wasted no time in blasting the elder Shin Godzilla with it!

The shot struck the exact same spot where Junior had wounded him!

Shin Godzilla howled in pain, causing his son to rush to his aid!

At that moment, a large contingent of JASDF fighters and gunships finally arrived to reinforce the battered units, raining missiles on both Godzillas!

Behind them was a giant moth with a rider perched on it!

"Ready, Mothra?"

Hikaru telepathically communicated.

"NOW!"

Mothra flung Hikaru towards the enemy Kaiju!

"ZONE DOUBLE FIGHT!"

In a flash of light, Hikaru transformed into a giant silver humanoid!

With a martial arts stance, he issued a challenge to the smaller Godzilla.

Accepting the challenge, Junior charged at Hikaru, who returned the favor!

The two giants grappled with each other to the awe of the Nerv, U.N., and JSDF staff present.

Shin Godzilla watched silently at this surprising turn of events.

Inside its mind, a portion of the former Dr. Goro Maki remained.

It quickly formed a battle plan!

The dinosaur hunched over as its dorsal fins glowed once more!

A B-2 bomber tried to seize the moment and dropped a GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator aimed at his back, which would surely result in a painful explosion of blood and flame!

But Godzilla had prepared a nasty surprise.

Dozens of violet beams shot out of its back, slicing the unfortunate bomber and its intended payload into fiery pieces!

Shin Godzilla immediately returned to a standing position and fired his atomic breath!

The jet of flame condensed into a laser-like violet beam, which cut through rows of VTOL gunships in one swath!

Using its tail, Shin Godzilla fired a second beam at Mothra!

Once again, she used her reflective scale powder to deflect the beam at Junior, striking a fatal blow!

Hikaru stared down at the bleeding Junior, then finished him off with a powerful energy attack!

"Meteor Zone Slice!"

Shin Godzilla stared angrily at the figure who vanquished his 'son!'

However, his body temperature had increased to dangerous levels, and he retreated and swam back into the sea!

Misato breathed a sigh of relief.

"Did we win?"

Kensuke Aida, usually excited about such carnage, looked like a shell-shocked private who had just witnessed his first bombardment.

Toji was no different.

Unlike Shamshel, their encounter with Shin Godzilla was a lopsided battle in favor of the beast.

If not for its overheating, they and their friends would have been wholly massacred!

"For now, Kensuke. For now."

Misato turned towards Ritsuko.

"Where's it headed now, Rits?"

"Old Tokyo. It's cooling off and finding an area with less resistance."

"Tell H.Q. to send Units 00 and 01 to intercept. As for us, we're going back to Tokyo-3. We need to develop a new plan, repair our units, and fortify our headquarters with everything we've got."

Misato looked at the wrecked VTOLs strewn about the ruined base.

The fate of their pilots was obvious.

"We'll make him pay for this!"

She internally raged.

"Major?"

"What is it, Crothers?"

"I have some information about our new foe that might be valuable."

Crothers revealed an Autobot holographic projector similar to the one Bumblebee had.

Misato gasped in realization.

"Dr. Yui Ikari's notes. I believe my friend Bumblebee showed you one of them."

Off the coast of Old Tokyo Bay, below sea level...

As Shin Godzilla traveled through the water to his new destination, six small humanoid creatures detached from the tip of its long tail!

Four of the creatures multiplied in size until they were 120 meters long, feeding on Shin's excessive radiation.

The two remaining creatures grew into identical clones of the fallen Shin Godzilla Jr.

The seven harbingers of doom continued towards their hapless targets…

En route to Nerv HQ, Tokyo-3…

"Yui Ikari's Log, Entry #110354"

"Subject: Codename 'Leviathan'"

"Titanus Gojira, or Godzilla for short, is a 100-meter-tall and 200-meter-long amphibious Kaiju resembling a classic cinematic dinosaur. Despite its appearance, Godzilla is known to have existed since the Permian Period due to the discovery of a living trilobite in one of its footprints. Godzilla's cells have special properties that convert air and water into radioactive isotopes to provide energy. This unique biology grants Godzilla abilities ranging from regenerative tissue to a 500,000℃ atomic ray formed from its breath. Combined with a second brain located near the spine, these abilities make Godzilla an intelligent, indomitable ally and a terrifying opponent. However, Godzilla is prone to overheating after extensive combat and will recover by launching more powerful attacks and escaping into seawater to cool off. As such, he is weak against freezing weapons, blood coagulants, and Anti-Nuclear Energy Bacteria. It should be noted that these weapons have only managed to stun him temporarily."

In one of the few remaining VTOLs, Misato and Ritsuko took notes as Yui dictated Godzilla's strengths and weaknesses.

Glancing at the hologram, Misato noticed, to her surprise, that the doctor wore an eye-catching plugsuit underneath her lab coat.

"Is everyone in the 2020s wearing plugsuits? And here I thought our fashion trends were weird."

As Misato thought to herself, Shinji and Asuka sat to the side, watching intently.

Shinji was severely beaten in his fight against Shin Godzilla, but seeing his mother and hearing her voice eased the pain, even if it was in a recording from another lifetime.

"Is she your mother? She looks just like that Agent from earlier!"

Asuka asked.

"Yes, but not in this universe. The mother I remembered died eleven years ago."

"'This universe?' Oh, right, the Autobots said they were from a parallel universe."

"And in that universe, we were full-fledged officers, and our parents were brilliant scientists and generals who fought giant monsters and alien invaders to a standstill. The Agent that you and I met was actually my aunt. She came with the Autobots."

"Really? Sounds leagues better than this world."

"Your mother died when you were young too, didn't she?"

Asuka looked at Shinji with shock.

"How did you-"

"I recognized your tone when I mentioned 'our parents.' Honestly, my father and I reacted the same way when we first saw these recordings. It was the first time I saw him with any emotion other than apathy. Did you know that he kicked me out of the house when she died and made me stay with my teacher instead?"

"Your father, the Commander?"

"Yes, the one and only Commander Gendo Ikari, master of the tactic of throwing fresh meat at your opponent until it chokes and dies."

Asuka snickered a bit at Shinji's sarcasm.

"Never pegged you for the witty type. You know, at first, I thought you only became an Eva pilot because of your family connections."

Shinji snickered a bit, too.

As if he were the kind to use 'family connections,' especially for becoming an Eva pilot!

"But now I see we're the same."

"Your father wasn't exactly an Angel either, was he?"

"Ran away with a mistress."

"Ouch. I'm pretty sure my father has a mistress, too. I found out I had a sister I didn't know existed until my first day of piloting."

"What's she like?"

"You'll meet her in a bit. She's the First Child."

Asuka was about to ask more about that exciting tidbit when the Angel Alarms sounded again!

"Ritsuko, what's happening?" asked Misato.

"Magi just detected seven Pattern Orange signatures in Old Tokyo Bay!"

"Seven?! Get Rei and the New Kid out of there now!"

"We can't! Three bogeys have already engaged them! The rest are barreling towards Tokyo-3!"

"Fire an N-2 missile or two at Old Tokyo and tell Units 00 and 01 to pull back! Prepare the anti-Angel batteries!"

Misato sighed.

"It'll buy us a couple of hours. Until then, we can only pray this thing doesn't figure out our timetable."

Undisclosed safehouse, Tokyo-2…

The Committee backing Nerv was unsettled by the recent chain of events.

"The Autobot leader was right! Megatron is a serious threat!"

"At least he withheld our names. That might give us time to cover up everything."

"That doesn't change the fact that he irrevocably altered the scenario!"

"We already crossed that line when we had to send the Fifth Child to Nerv ahead of schedule!"

"Gentlemen, remain calm."

Keel Lorenz settled the members of Seele, now identified by numbered holographic monoliths instead of their full bodies.

"Chairman Lorenz, what do you propose?"

"Send Evangelion Units 03-6 to Japan. Intensify production of the Eva Series."

"But the Angels haven't-"

"This Shin Godzilla has evolved beyond our comprehension, let alone Ikari's. I never trusted the fellow, but now we face a common threat. Humanity must survive if it is to evolve."

"And if Ikari turns against us, like Cassin?"

Lorenz smirked.

"After this mess? Believe me, he won't. Besides, we weren't the only ones Cassin betrayed."

A different route to Nerv HQ, Tokyo-3, sometime earlier…

"Why are we traveling in an armored car instead of a VTOL like the others?"

Kaji asked Agent Kaminaga.

"The pilots' health takes top priority. Thanks to the Angels and Project G1, every VTOL we have is either on medevac duty, fueling up, or being towed to a scrap heap. At least we won't be swatted from the sky."

"No, Kaji has a point. We're sitting ducks in this setup. With the VTOL, we can see them coming."

Ichimonji explained.

"We have a Predator drone coming in to support. You happy?"

Kaminaga chided.

"Can't you hack those?"

Midorikawa asked.

"Look, who do you think is planning to attack us? The Red Bamboo? The Takahashi Syndicate? The former are wiped out, and the latter is in a civil war! No one has the balls to-!"

SPOOM!

Kaminaga was instantly proven wrong by a Predator's Hellfire missile taking out the lead escort vehicle!

The rear escort vehicle tried to shoot down the rogue drone with a Stinger missile turret!

WHOOSH!

BOOM!

Sadly, its glory was cut short by a tandem-charge RPG!

SPOOM!

Soon, heavy gunfire raked the remaining vehicles!

PAPAPAPAPAPAPAPAK!

"Get us out of here!"

Kaminaga roared at the driver.

The driver of the armored personnel carrier floored it and tried to escape the kill zone!

The hijacked drone honed in for another kill!

The APC gunner fired a Stinger missile at the drone!

WHOOSH!

BOOM!

The drone went down in flames!

Unfortunately, it had already fired another Hellfire missile!

SPOOM!

The blast disarmed and crippled the APC!

The remaining occupants managed to survive, thanks to the state-of-the-art armor.

"Anyone dead yet?"

Kaminaga asked, quickly answered by a cacophony of groans.

"Gunner's down! Driver's wounded!"

A Section 2 agent sounded off.

Kaminaga wiped some blood off his forehead and drew a Glock 30 from his ankle holster.

"They'll close in for the kill. Agent Midorikawa, your gun privileges are reinstated."

"Keep it. You'll need it more than I do."

Midorikawa revealed her ornate bracelet.

"Really?"

"I know it sounds ridiculous, but she's right."

Ichimonji revealed his belt, which had a fan-shaped device on its buckle, like Hongo's.

"Superpowers, huh? Kaji, need a gun?"

"No, thanks. Brought my own."

Kaji cuffed his briefcase to his wrist and drew a Jericho 941 R pistol from his coat.

"Never dual wielded before…."

Kaminaga muttered as he also drew his standard issue USP.

"Phoenix 2 to Base! We've been ambushed! Multiple agents and security staff are down! Requesting Medevac! Phoenix 2 to Base! Is anyone there?!"

A Nerv security soldier with an M4 carbine screamed into his comm to no avail.

"Comms are jammed. We're the only ones left. Make your peace."

The soldier grimly warned the group.

"This is the Red Bamboo Revolutionary Army! Hand over the briefcase, and we will spare you!"

A voice announced outside.

"Tch. 'Wiped out,' my ass."

Kaji snarked at Kaminaga's earlier denial.

"You have three seconds! One!"

The outside voice threatened.

"Two!"

"Flashbang on three."

Kaminaga ordered the nearby guard.

"Three-aargh!"

A flashbang grenade stunned the gunman with a loudspeaker allowing Kaminaga and Kaji to shoot him and the two nearest attackers!

"HENSHIN!"

Ichimonji rapidly moved his arms, activating his belt's transformation sequence!

As nanotech armor covered his body, he deflected the other attackers' bullets, allowing the surviving guards and agents to pick them off!

"If Shocker's here, it won't be long before they get to Shinji!"

Asuka Midorikawa thought to herself as a strange light began emanating from her bracelet.

"I WON'T LET YOU HURT HIM!"

She roared as black lines began emanating from her wrist and enveloped her body!

Her eyes turned a demonic black with yellow irises!

Her hair changed from brown to blood red!

The lines dissipated, revealing a combat outfit that scandalously flaunted her figure!

She charged at the attackers with a blade extending from her wrist!

Some of them stopped shooting and stared agape at the new combatant!

Their heads remained shocked when they fell to the ground.

"Midorikawa-san?!"

Kaminaga muttered in confusion.

"Sorry, boys. I'm married. Isn't that right, Hayato?"

Midorikawa teased.

"Yep. I'm a very lucky man!"

Hayato replied, punctuating every word with a punch, kick, or chop at the enemy.

"What is even happening?"

Kaminaga asked himself as the two superhumans tore their tormentors to shreds.

"So these two are humanity's newest allies. I'm impressed. If only they didn't arrive so late-urk!"

Kaji gasped as a bullet tore through his neck.

"Sniper!"

Kaminaga yelled out before he was cut down by a bullet to the head.

To be Continued…

Chapter 15: Extermination Strategy

Chapter Text

En route to Nerv HQ, Tokyo-3, "Red Earth." September 6th, 2015…

"Sniper!"

Agent Shinji Kaminaga yelled out before he was cut down by another bullet.

“Kaminaga and Kaji are down! Secure the package and get a bead on that sniper!”

A nearby Section 2 agent roared!

Hayato quickly disarmed a Red Bamboo guerilla wielding a G3 battle rifle, knocked him out, and fired a shot at a nearby building!

To the other agents’ shock, a humanoid hornet monster wielding a Dragunov sniper rifle flew from the building to attack Hayato!

The two cyborgs shot at each other, but only managed to destroy their respective guns!

“Well, you’re obviously with Shocker. Let me guess, ‘Sniper Wasp?’”

Hayato snarked to his opponent’s annoyance.

“Hornet. Vespa orientalis. Much better than a common locust.”

“We’ll see. How about we fight without guns this time, like proper gentlemen?”

Sniper Hornet chuckled at Hayato’s offer of a duel.

“What of your wife? A two-on-one fight isn’t ‘gentlemanly.’”

“Oh, I know how you guys operate. There’s two of you here, aren't there?”

Right on cue, the Morpho Orphnoch darted from another direction and directly attacked Midorikawa!

Midorikawa dodged and taunted,

“Little unfair, isn’t it? Hayato gets a hornet and I’m stuck with a butterfly.”

“I’ll make you choke on those words, bitch!”

Morpho, formerly “Smart Lady”, hissed.

The butterfly cyborg dove again for another attack!

Midorikawa dodged, flipping in midair before striking again with her blades!

Morpho parried and threw some strange powder at Midorikawa!

Her scant armor grew and covered most of her skin in defense!

“Your poison won’t work on me! You’re not the first one who tried that!”

“That’s what they all say.”

Morpho circled around for another strike.

Midorikawa got up on her feet and finally realized the situation.

“I think she’s trying to trick me. This ‘venom’ isn’t as potent as Dokugander’s! Think! She probably stuns her opponent for her boyfriend to snipe them! Without him, she’s totally defenseless!"

Using her prehensile hair, she launched herself at the aerial foe!

“Ha! Too slow!”

Morpho laughed maniacally as she delivered a kick to Midorikawa’s ribs.

“Damn! Thought I had her!”

Midorikawa choked as the blow landed.

Meanwhile, Hayato was zig-zagging across the battlefield, dodging Sniper Hornet’s handheld “stinger” darts.

“You’re pretty bad at darts for a sniper!”

Hayato taunted.

“Stay still, you impudent pest!”

Sniper Hornet growled.

“I thought we were gonna fight like gentlemen!”

Hayato fired a dropped FN Five-seven pistol at Sniper Hornet, wounding one of his four hands.

“Armor-piercing rounds. Won’t kill a Kaijin like you, but it still hurts like hell, doesn’t it?”

Hayato mentally noted.

“Hayato Ichimonji! Asuka Midorikawa! Surrender now, or your remaining friends are done for!”

A very familiar voice screeched.

“Starscream?!”

The Decepticon Air Commander, as a human in Pretender armor, aimed an oversized rifle at the few surviving NERV security agents!

“Lord Megatron wants to see what your armors can do against mine. These pawns, on the other hand….”

Starscream audibly charged his beam rifle to emphasize his point.

Hayato dropped his gun.

Midorikawa de-transformed back to her normal form.

“What the hell, Starscream?! It was just getting fun!”

Morpho whined.

“Lord Megatron does not care for fun, only results! I suspect Lord Shadow Moon feels the same.”

Starscream hissed back at the Kaijin, who backed off.

“If you want to satisfy your bloodlust so badly, you can save it for when their colleagues arrive!”

“He’s right. Hongo and Kisaragi are still unaccounted for. We should check the perimeter.”

Sniper Hornet ordered Morpho, then he took off.

“Since when were you such a daddy’s boy?”

Morpho taunted Starscream.

Unfortunately for the butterfly Orphnoch, that barb was one too many for Starscream’s threshold.

He pointed an armored finger at her chest.

Before she could realize what he was doing, a laser shot out of his finger and burnt a hole through her torso!

Morpho toppled over with a shocked expression and exploded!

Just as Sniper Hornet sensed that something had happened to his companion, Starscream merely swiveled his rifle and sniped him the moment he turned around!

“Somebody’s got anger issues.”

Hayato snarked.

“Those insects were in my way! As I said, Lord Megatron ordered a field test. Since your nephew’s preoccupied, I’ll use you two to avenge his humiliation of me.”

Midorikawa smirked at Starscream’s pettiness, slowly transforming back into her Witchblade form.

“What’s so funny?!”

“I remember that battle. You told Shinji to run home to his parents and he beat you so badly, Prime had to put you out of your misery!”

Hayato guffawed loudly as he saw Starscream’s eye visibly twitching.

“PRETENDER!”

In a flash of light, Starscream returned to his giant robot mode!

“INSOLENT FOOLS! I’LL KILL YOU ALL!”

He revealed and aimed an unholy gauntlet of missile launchers and null rays at the couple!

“Get down!”

Hayato bellowed!

PAMPAMPAMPAMPAMPAMPAM!

A missile suddenly struck Starscream from the side!

A couple more narrowly missed him!

Midorikawa saw what appeared to be a giant robot dragon flying towards Starscream, guns blazing!

She saw the giant Autobot insignias on its wings and recognized it as an ally.

"Halt, foul creature! You now face the might of the Great and Powerful Sky Lynx!"

“‘Foul creature?!’ You’re one to talk, Dinobot scum!”

“Starscream, you half-wit! You were only supposed to test the Pretender suit!”

Megatron chastised Starscream over his comms.

“Lord Megatron! Those Shocker morons blew our cover! I-”

“Enough excuses! Barricade, Rumble, Frenzy! Get that briefcase!”

A Nissan Fairlady Z police car with a cleverly-hidden Decepticon logo burst onto the battlefield!

Two human-sized Decepticons bolted from the car as it transformed into robot mode!

“Rumble! Frenzy! Make a run for the case! I’ll hold off the Riders!”

Barricade ordered as he charged straight at Hayato!

“Crap! We forgot about Kaji’s briefcase!”

Hayato cursed as he ran to counter the Decepticons!

“Hang on, friends! Prime didn’t make me Lieutenant Commander for nothing!”

Sky Lynx taunted as he ejected a trio of motorcycles from his body.

"HENSHIN!"

Hongo shouted as he transformed into Rider #1.

"Honey Flash!"

Ms. Kisaragi shouted as she transformed into a red-headed swordswoman.

“Transform!”

Prowl shouted as he transformed into robot mode, his sidecar reforming into samurai-esque armor.

Prowl tackled Barricade, resuming their past duel!

“You again?!”

“You’re a disgrace, Barricade! As an officer and a Decepticon!”

“Let me show you what happened to the last goody-two-shoes Autobot that played ‘good cop!’”

Barricade blew Prowl back with an acoustic shockwave and fired on him with a Neutron Assault Rifle.

While the two police bots fought, Rumble and Frenzy engaged the Riders and their female teammates.

“I’ll take the Bug Brothers. You always did talk about dazzling the ladies.”

The blue twin decided.

“Really, Rumble? You’re starting this now?”

The red twin grumbled.

“Just ‘dazzle’ them!”

At Rumble’s signal, Frenzy emitted a strong jamming signal which stunned the Double Riders and Kisaragi!

Rumble, with his arms transformed into piledrivers, sent the combatants toppling over!

Frenzy then bolted for the case!

Midorikawa, in her Witchblade form, chased after him but was intercepted by Rumble, who parried her blades with his piledriver arms!

“For a second there, I thought you two looked adorable.”

She mocked the diminutive Decepticon.

“The pleasure’s mutual.”

He snarked.

Frenzy quickly scanned the case attached to Kaji’s body before the surviving Nerv staff fired all the bullets they had left at him!

“I got it! Let’s go!”

“Oh no, you don’t! Rider Kick!”

Hongo ran and jumped into a diving kick aimed at Frenzy.

The ‘Con quickly detonated an EMP grenade to deflect the cyborg’s fatal attack!

Feeling his cybernetics scramble, Hongo botched his kick and sent up an explosion of asphalt!

Frenzy, Rumble, Barricade, and Starscream all retreated from the battlefield, leaving their foes confused.

“I don’t get it. All that carnage just to scan a briefcase?”

Ms. Kisaragi asked Hayato.

“From what I can tell, Starscream was only supposed to test his new Pretender armor on us but wound up using it on his Shocker ‘allies.’ As for Megatron, the fact that he got Shocker on board to perform this high-stakes ambush is troubling.”

Hayato sighed.

“Long story short, our only hope is that Hongo’s Rider Kick might’ve caused Frenzy to scramble his own circuits, otherwise whatever’s in that briefcase is gonna bite us in the ass later.”

“I thought Frenzy was the blue one?”

Midorikawa asked.

“They change color schemes every now and then just to confuse people. It’s a psy-op thing.”

Hayato grumbled.

“How many casualties did we take, Hayato?”

Hongo asked.

Hayato simply gestured toward the gathered bodies of the fallen Nerv staff, including Kaji and Kaminaga.

“Too many. Let’s get them to safety. Gendo will want answers, not to mention Misato and Asuka.”

Nerv HQ, Tokyo-3….

“We lost contact with the Section 2 convoy. All forms of communications have been scrambled. We suspect a targeted attack is ongoing.”

“Suspicions are never satisfactory for this organization! Send a relief force now!”

“We can’t, sir! We and the JSDF have spent all available manpower for the Major’s Extermination Strategy.”

As Gendo grumbled with the head of Section 2, Fuyutsuki retreated into his bygone days as a simple professor.

“Whatever happened to those halcyon autumns?”

Faculty Lunchroom, Kyoto University, "Red Earth." 1999…

“I apologize for stealing your prized pupil, Maki.”

“No need to apologize, Fuyutsuki! You did as you pleased, and now I’m going to do the same.”

“Steal a student of mine?”

“No, I’m taking the last curry bun.”

Fuyutsuki chuckled.

“I learned that the hard way back when I was younger. I wanted to be an investigative reporter like the ones you see in documentaries: going on adventures in jungles and diving beneath the waves!”

Maki ravenously bit into his prized curry bun, which turned out to be spicier than expected.

Fuyutsuki patiently waited until Maki gulped down enough water to cool his tongue.

“Let me guess. Your parents wanted something more profitable.”

“Correct. For what it's worth, I wound up doing the same sort of things anyway.”

“Good for you! I heard you even met your wife on one such trip.”

“Yep! Met Saeko on my expedition to Odo Island. We’re expecting our first child soon!”

“Congratulations! Did you decide on a name yet?”

“Akira if it’s a boy. Mari if it’s a girl.”

Back in Nerv HQ, Tokyo-3….

“Fuyutsuki.”

Gendo’s stern voice snapped Fuyutsuki out of his flashback.

“Yes, Ikari?”

“Kaji’s Section 2 escort convoy came under attack and suffered heavy casualties.”

“Has anyone claimed responsibility?”

“Megatron, or so the Autobots tell me.”

“I see. You want me to oversee Major Katsuragi’s Extermination Operation in your absence.”

“I’m glad you understand, Professor.”

Gendo loaded a CZ-75 pistol and exited his office with a pair of well-armed Section 2 agents.

"Maki, my old friend, what have you gotten yourself into?"

A sullen Fuyutsuki wondered as he walked towards the command center in Central Dogma.

Later, Old Tokyo Bay…

Evangelion Units 00 and 01 sat in a sniping position outside Tokyo, waiting for the enemies to arrive.

The once vibrant capital city was now an oversized tide pool after the double calamities of Second Impact and World War III.

Inside Unit-00, Rei kept watching the ebbing waves for any signs of receding.

She didn't know what to make of Kaworu, the newly-arrived reserve pilot.

Despite his polite demeanor, she felt an unnatural aura around him.

"Is this what Ikari thinks of me?"

Rei thought to herself.

"Ayanami, can I ask you something?"

"What is it, Nagisa?"

"Do you love Shinji Ikari?"

Rei, taken aback, actually felt herself blush.

"This isn't time for-"

"Ikari has suffered much hardship in this world. A tragic being such as him deserves love."

"I see… But why are you interested in Ikari?"

"This may seem strange, but I feel as if I met him before in another life. It seems I am destined to meet him again."

Before Rei could answer, the seawater began to recede, and the emergency sirens roared to life!

"Target has arrived! Prepare Positron Cannons!" ordered Fuyutsuki over the comms.

Both Evas readied their cannons and aimed at the rising seawater!

Suddenly, the sea began to bulge in six other locations!

"Additional bogeys sighted!" alerted Aoba.

"Magi indicates Pattern Orange for all seven targets!" reported Maya.

"Massive energy spike from six targets!" warned Hyuga.

The Nerv staff watched in horror as six atomic beams struck at the two Evas.

The Eva Units deployed AT fields, which blocked the beams at the cost of their positron cannons.

Rei and Kaworu drew their backup weapons, an Eva-sized assault rifle for Unit-01 and pistol for Unit-00.

They managed to fire a few shots before being ambushed from the flank by two of the targets!

The new iguana-like foes were Zillas, smaller iterations of Godzilla, which lacked physical strength but made up for it with increased agility.

The pair disarmed the Evas with a quick blast of atomic energy and grappled with them in melee combat!

A Shin Godzilla Jr. moved to assist them while the rest of the invaders continued towards Tokyo-3!

By now, the Nerv staff realized that the odds were hopelessly stacked against them.

"Tell the pilots to break off and regroup with the Odawara detachment in Tokyo-3! Get the JSDF on the line and launch some N2 missiles at Old Tokyo!" ordered Fuyutsuki.

"Major Katsuragi has already called it in, sir!" Hyuga responded.

"All units, retreat! Repeat, all units, retreat!" yelled an automated klaxon.

Nonetheless, the melee continued as the Zillas headbutted and bit the Evas, who Fought back with Progressive Knives, punches, and kicks.

In Unit-00, Rei saw Shin Godzilla Jr. fire another shot in her direction!

Rei acted quickly and used the Zilla as a meat shield, causing it to cry in pain!

She drove her Prog Knife into the Zilla's heart, finishing it!

Rei turned to see Kaworu breaking the other Zilla's jaw before doing the same to its neck!

Kaworu grabbed the lifeless Zilla's tail and lobbed the corpse at Shin Jr., who blasted it without remorse!

Shin Jr. continued walking menacingly towards his opponents when a couple of missiles suddenly struck him from the side!

PAMPAMPAMPAMPAMPAMPAM!

Rei saw a giant robot dragon with Autobot symbols strafe Shin Jr.!

"Fall back, friends! The Great and Powerful Sky Lynx shall cover your escape!"

"Roger."

Rei ran back towards Tokyo-3.

Kaworu followed her after a second of watching Sky Lynx spit fire into Shin Jr.'s eyes, then slap him repeatedly with his metallic tail.

"So these are the Lilin's new allies. So bizarre, yet so endearing."

The Fifth Child thought to himself.

As Sky Lynx laughed at his foe's lack of agility, his passenger Prowl warned him of the approaching threat.

"N2 missile inbound in 30 seconds! Pull out now!"

Sky Lynx launched an EMP Charge at Shin Jr., blinding it!

Then, he abruptly turned and flew off in the other direction.

Shin Jr. recovered, thinking his opponent had turned and ran.

He belted out a roar of victory…

AAAYEEEEEOOOOOOUUUUUUUU-!

...only to be cut short by a massive fireball.

SPOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!

The shock of the blast rattled Sky Lynx and Prowl mid-flight!

"Such intensity! I must commend these humans for creating such an awesome weapon!"

"Don't push yourself, Sky Lynx! In case you’ve forgotten, you have passengers on board!"

"I warned them about the possibility of turbulence!"

“Is he always this much of a jackass?”

A surviving Nerv soldier groaned, nauseated from the excessive “turbulence.”

“You get used to it after a month.”

Prowl muttered and returned his attention to the newly-formed crater.

Talking to the egotistical Dinobot had pushed the ninja to his mental limits.

Both Autobots did a double-take when they saw a bloodied Shin Jr. still standing with an angry expression on his face.

Yet what it did next terrified them even more.

Shin Jr. roared one last time, then its body decomposed into countless tiny Zillas scattering in all directions.

The bulk of the Swarm continued running towards Tokyo-3 when the second N-2 missile hit.

SPOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!

Even then, hundreds of young Zillas survived and followed their elders' footsteps towards Tokyo-3!

"Sky Lynx, how are you on power and weapons?"

"I still have four missiles and 60% fuel for the flamethrower. Overall power is at 73% capacity."

"That won’t be enough. Jettison your ‘Lynx’ component and have it proceed to the nearest Nerv or JSDF base to treat the wounded. We’ll use our remaining Energon to destroy the spawn before they mutate further."

"Cruel but efficient. Weren't you a naturalist?"

"In a past life, Sky Lynx. But this Shin Godzilla isn't going to stop until it overwhelms and eliminates all life on this planet. That I can't allow."

"In that case, let the culling begin!"

Sky Lynx bellowed as he ejected his lower component, which transformed into a giant lynx, before diving towards the swarm of young Zillas and firing the last of his missiles!

Tokyo-3 City Limits, sometime later…

Still exhausted by their previous engagements, the Odawara groups returned to the outskirts of Tokyo-3 as planned.

Yet for Misato and the Autobots, that slaughter was merely a premonition of things to come.

"Damn it! What the hell happened?! Today was supposed to be an easy day! Bring Asuka home, get her to tolerate Shinji, and maybe kill one Angel at most! But this?! We might as well be fighting God himself!"

She breathed in and exhaled.

"Calm down, Misato. You're not fighting God. It's just a mad scientist fused to an alien symbiote taller than the tallest dinosaur. Perfectly normal compared to everything else these past few weeks."

"What's the status of Old Tokyo?!"

She asked First Lieutenant Makoto Hyuga, her loyal aide.

"Units 00 and 01 successfully retreated before the N-2 detonations thanks to the sudden appearance of a giant Autobot named Sky Lynx, who provided suppressive fire and is currently engaging a swarm of juvenile 'Godzillas.' Likewise, the Autobots Ratchet and Wheeljack have prepared a blood coagulant to use against them."

Hyuga reported.

"More Autobots. Thank goodness."

Misato sighed in relief.

“But, there’s some bad news. Kaji’s convoy got attacked by the Red Bamboo. The Section 2 detail escorting him suffered casualties. The Autobots managed to medevac the survivors.”

“Kaji?!”

Misato suddenly felt a wave of shock and regret crashing down on her at the possibility of her old flame dying.

“We don’t know the exact status of everyone just yet. Let’s just focus on our operation for now.”

“Don’t worry. If your Kaji is like the one we know, he’ll survive.”

Prime reassured Misato.

“Thanks, Prime.”

"Omega, status report?!"

Prime asked.

"Battle Damage: Light. Combat Status: Operational."

“I’ll lend you some help.”

Prime looked over at Eva Unit-02, which was finishing repairs.

Once again, Prime scanned it!

"Hey! What are you doing with my Eva?!"

Asuka angrily demanded.

Shinji gave her a not-to-reassuring message.

"Wait for it…"

To her astonishment, Prime increased to giant size again, regaining his former red color scheme!

"Eva Pilots, can you still fight?"

"Still good, Prime!"

Shinji smiled at his endearing allies.

"Something's coming!"

Ritsuko alerted Misato.

Right on cue, some automated turrets opened fire in the distance!

"Everyone, battle stations! Today we begin Operation Metastasis!"

"Autobots! Evangelions! Roll out!"

Misato and Prime bellowed!

To be continued...

Chapter 16: Golden Demise

Chapter Text

Tokyo-3, "Red Earth." September 6th, 2015…

"Hostiles breaching outer turrets!"

"Self-destruct the outer walls!"

"They already blew it up!"

As the technicians relayed warnings and updates to each other, Misato directed the combatants!

"Prime! They've broken through! You and the others need to hold them off until the other Eva Units arrive!"

"Copy! Autobots, draw the Zillas towards the traps! Zone Fighter, Mothra, and Jet Alone, take care of Shin Junior! Unit-02, Omega, with me. We'll face Shin Godzilla head-on!"

"Yes, sir!"

Tokyo-3 Outer Limits…

The Zillas silently walked on, ignoring the blaring sirens and intermittent gunfire and explosions.

Suddenly, Jazz and Cliffjumper opened fire on them from hidden vantage points!

The Zillas reared back to unleash their atomic breath!

Suddenly, The buildings behind them self-destructed and collapsed on top of them!

Ironhide and Bumblebee fired their Thermo Rocket Launchers from two other vantage points, finishing off the pinned beasts!

"Keep an optic on the rubble! If they regenerate, call it in!" reminded Ironhide.

"Ratchet! What's the status of the coagulant?!" asked Bumblebee.

"Wheeljack's heading to your location with a batch! I'm heading to Mothra's location with another! Once we take care of the smaller opponents, we'll concentrate all our forces on Shin Godzilla!"

"How long till the Tokyo Group arrives?" asked Cliffjumper.

"They're on their way, but they're low on power and ammunition. We'll have to hold the line for another ten to fifteen minutes!"

Misato replied.

"I don't think we'll last that long!" warned Jazz.

Just as Jazz voiced his concern, the rubble began to shake!

Suddenly, a giant worm-like creature burst from where the Zillas had been buried!

"You just had to say it…" snarked Cliffjumper.

"It's evolving! Keep shooting!" screamed Ironhide.

As the Autobots unloaded their firepower into the new monster, a dragon-like creature burst from the other pile of rubble and flew towards Shin Junior!

"Zone! Mana! Airborne hostile heading straight for your location!" warned Bumblebee.

"Roger! Mothra's breaking off to intercept!"

Zone Fighter responded.

Shin Junior's location, around the same time…

Zone and Shin Jr. grappled with each other, then fired their beams!

The orange and blue beams collided in an explosion that knocked the behemoths back and leveled several buildings caught in the crossfire!

Zone and Jet Alone rushed their opponent!

Jet Alone, hastily repaired and wielding a more practical ax, hacked at Shin Jr. with unrelenting fury!

The earlier carnage had taken a heavy toll on Mana's psyche.

The novice pilot had many friends and acquaintances in the JSDF, many of whom had lost someone in that rampage.

But now, she was free to avenge all that.

"This is for all the dead at Odawara, you bastard!"

She dug the blade of the ax into Shin Jr.'s side, then activated the JA's electric gauntlets, shocking the beast!

Zone charged forward and stabbed his energy-charged right hand into Shin Jr.'s chest!

"METEOR PUNCH!"

With a mighty roar, he tore out the vile beast's beating heart!

"AAAYEEEEEOOOOOOUUUUUUUGH!"

"METEOR ZONE SLICE!"

Zone blasted the wound with a bolt of energy from his left hand while crushing the heart with his right!

The smoking carcass collapsed onto the city streets.

Just in time, Ratchet arrived and hosed the remains with his Anti-Godzilla blood coagulant.

"You two better head to Prime's location! Shin Godzilla's shrugging off our attacks like cyber-ticks!"

"What about Mothra?"

Zone Fighter asked.

"She can handle herself for now. We need all we can afford for the big guy."

The light on Zone's belt turned from blue to yellow.

"I'm running low on energy. I'd better accompany Mothra."

"Wait!"

Zone flew off.

Ratchet tried to convince him to stay, but failed.

"Damn kid."

He faced an unamused Mana.

"No offense."

"Don't worry, Doc. The other two Eva units should be returning. I'm confident we can hold out until then."

Shin Godzilla's location, Downtown Tokyo-3…

A few minutes earlier, Optimus began the battle by firing a few shots from his supersized path blaster!

To the shock of every combatant, Shin Godzilla ignored the shots and continued walking!

Back at Nerv HQ, Ritsuko shouted in confusion.

"That should be impossible! The force of those weapons should've crippled him!"

"This is Wheeljack at Point A! HQ, do you copy?!"

Wheeljack yelled over the comm.

"Copy, Wheeljack. We read you loud and clear!" replied Misato.

"The Zillas evolved into stronger forms after we sprung the traps! We managed to freeze one of them, but the other is flying towards Shin Godzilla!"

"Flying?!" asked an incredulous Misato.

"This is Ratchet from Point B. Shin Jr. is down! Zone and Mothra are currently pursuing the winged hostile! Jet Alone and I are en route to Point C!"

"They're adapting to our every move!"

Ritsuko solemnly realized.

Despite this new knowledge, Eva-02 defiantly charged Shin Godzilla, guns blazing!

"Arschloch! Try adapting to this!"

With one quick headbutt, Shinji and Asuka were sent back into a building!

"Direct assault: Unwise. Insulting opponent: Very Unwise."

Omega Supreme dryly remarked.

"What do you suggest, Omega?" asked Prime.

"Recommendation: Sustained bombardment."

"I concur."

With that, both giant Autobots unleashed suppressing fire on Shin Godzilla!

Tokyo-3's remaining defense batteries joined in the effort!

As Shin Godzilla prepared to fire his atomic breath, unmanned Shinkansen rigged with bombs rammed into his feet and detonated!

The colossal beast toppled over in shock!

He fired his breath into the air, missing his intended targets!

"Almost got him…"

Misato silently hoped.

"Unknown object entering the upper atmosphere!"

Hyuga's sudden scream interrupted Misato's train of thought!

"WHAT?!"

"It appeared out of nowhere! JAXA couldn't-!"

Aoba's explanation was cut off by Shin Godzilla's atomic breath striking the meteorite!

"He 'accidentally' shot it from that distance?!"

A dumbfounded Ritsuko mumbled in awe at the range of Shin Goji's destructive power.

Suddenly an alert blared from Maya's panel!

"Magi is detecting signs of-"

She stared at the warning again in disbelief!

"-Pattern Orange, from the meteor!"

The Nerv staff watched in silent horror as the fiery remains of the meteorite proceeded to condense…

...into the shape of a three-headed dragon.

Shinji, Asuka, and Mana gazed in silent awe at the newly-arrived threat!

"Prime, what should we-"

Shinji stopped mid-sentence when he saw what could only be described as sheer terror on his Autobot allies' faces!

"Identified: King Ghidorah. Alias: The Golden Demise. Recommendation: Prioritize termination."

Upon hearing Omega's identification, the pilots realized just what kind of opponent this dragon was!

"Major Katsuragi, this is Prime! Redirect all firepower at King Ghidorah!"

"But we still haven't defeated Shin Godzilla!"

"Ghidorah destroys entire planets for amusement! Believe me when I say that in comparison, Shin Godzilla is the lesser evil!"

Prime's grave tone was all it took to convince Misato to follow his lead.

"All units! Prepare to intercept new hostiles!"

Fuyutsuki, silently observing the worsening situation in Gendo's stead, became more concerned with what countermeasures their backers in Seele had prepared.

"Another alien monster. Will the Old Men fight back and prevent these outsiders from interfering with the Scenario? Or are they just as clueless and helpless as we are?"

He thought to himself.

"Vice Commander Fuyutsuki?"

A Section 2 agent announced.

"Yes. Any news from Commander Ikari?"

"The survivors from the attacked Section 2 convoy have been successfully retrieved."

"That's good news. And the bad?"

"Out of the combined police, SDF, and Section 2 contingents in that convoy, only one fireteam plus the assets and Agents Kaji and Kaminaga survived. The rest perished. I've also been told that the agents suffered heavy injuries and required a blood transfusion en route."

"Anything else?"

"We're expecting more Eva Units."

"I thought we had a treaty limiting three Eva units per country."

"The U.N. suits are allowing an exception in light of our current situation. Units 03-06 are being shipped as we speak."

"How did they know of our current situation?"

The agent quickly whispered something urgent into Fuyutsuki's ear.

Fuyutsuki grimaced and looked back at the displays.

"A self-replicating nuclear monstrosity, an army of Angels, and now an invasion led by a three-headed dragon. If this isn't the Apocalypse, I don't know what is."

The former professor thought to himself.

King Ghidorah descended from the heavens, letting out a shrill, high pitched roar that eerily sounded like demented cackling.

"BIDIBIDIBIDIBIDIBIDIBIDIBIDI!"

The Golden Beast bolted straight for Shin Godzilla's location, eager to test the strength of this strangely familiar foe!

The Nerv Anti-Air batteries unleashed a deluge of missiles and flak at Ghidorah, only to be taken out by lightning bolts!

Unfazed by the show of force, King Ghidorah landed with a loud boom, leveling several small buildings in the process!

The dragon gauged its opponents with its three pairs of eyes, which began to glow yellow…

"Fall back! FALL BACK!"

Prime bellowed frantically.

Ghidorah unleashed electric bolts at his surroundings, causing buildings to explode and their debris to levitate!

With a sudden movement of his wings, the hail of debris smashed against the assembled fighters!

Prime and Omega tried their best to evade!

Despite throwing up an A.T. Field, Shinji and Asuka were violently jolted inside Unit-02's Entry Plug!

"Damn it! What kind of dragon distorts gravity?! Why can't he just breathe fire like a normal dragon?!"

An increasingly exasperated Asuka cried.

"You're asking me?!"

Shinji replied amidst the growing cacophony of thuds.

While his opponents were blindsided, King Ghidorah unleashed an extra volley of lightning from his wingtips!

"Scheiße!"

Asuka cursed as the extra blasts knocked the Eva Unit on its back!

BOOOOOOOOM!

"Omega, suppressing fire!"

"Affirmative."

Prime tried to run over to the fallen Eva-02 but was nearly struck by another gravity beam!

Prime responded by emptying his path blaster into King Ghidorah, who deflected all of the Autobots' shots with a barrier of light!

"Shinji! Asuka! Can any of you hear me?!"

Inside Evangelion Unit-02…

After the jolt, Shinji and Asuka slowly regained consciousness.

"Hell of a first day…"

Asuka groaned.

"Hey! What did I tell you about hands?!"

Looking downwards, she noticed that Shinji had instinctively clung to her torso, leaving the pair in an awkward position when the Eva unit fell over.

"I- I was trying to shield you…"

Shinji timidly stuttered.

"Shinji! Asuka! Can any of you hear me?!"

"We hear you, Prime!"

"Asuka! I need you to activate Protocol 777!"

"But I've never-"

"Just do it!"

"Understood."

Asuka replied, gritting her teeth.

"What's Protocol-"

Shinji started before Asuka shushed him.

"Hang on. This might sting a little."

Asuka stood up, and in a loud voice, proclaimed:

"Invert controls! Backdoor code: The Beast!"

Both pilots winced as a sudden twinge of pain seized their spines!

Outside, Eva Unit-02's eyes lit up bright green as it suddenly leapt forward on all fours like an apex predator!

Cylinders that limited the Evangelion's strength popped out of its spinal column!

Unit-02's mouth split open, revealing lines of jagged teeth!

Back inside the entry plug, Shinji and Asuka slowly felt their pain giving way to pure, unadulterated rage!

"You okay, Third?"

"Yeah."

Shinji paused for a moment.

"Asuka, they have knights in Germany, right?"

"What are you, stupid? Of course we do!"

"Knights slay dragons, don't they?"

The once-timid Shinji now grinned maniacally.

Asuka responded with a maniacal grin of her own.

"That's the spirit!"

The Eva Unit charged at Ghidorah, evading its beams and gnashing its teeth in a frightening display!

Omega joined the counterattack, firing the last of his ammunition!

With Ghidorah distracted, Prime turned towards the downed Shin Godzilla.

"Primus, forgive me for what I am about to do…"

Inside Nerv HQ...

The Nerv staff continued to watch the dramatic turn of events.

Misato looked worried at seeing the all-too-familiar sight of a berserk Evangelion Unit.

"It's just like Shinji's first battle…"

Then she realized a contradiction.

"But if that was supposed to be an anomaly, how come Asuka's unit has it built-in for emergencies? Someone's not telling the truth. I just hope Rits isn't in on it."

Amid the battle, she saw Prime standing in front of the fallen Shin Godzilla and preparing his Energon Axe…

…which caused her to remember another event from that fateful night.

"Wait! Prime, stop! What the hell are you doing?!"

"Shin Godzilla is the only opponent that stands a chance against Ghidorah!"

She watched helplessly as Prime turned his Energon Axe into a blade and plunged it into Shin Godzilla's hide, injecting it with much-needed energy!

The injured monster roared as energy surged into its body, exponentially boosting its power!

"I'm sorry, Misato. This is the only way we can survive."

Prime painfully grunted as he shrank back to his average size!

"No, no, no! All Reinforcements to Point C!"

A panicked and betrayed Misato cried over the comms!

Kyoto University, "Red Earth." 1999…

"Are you sure you want to transfer to metaphysical biology? Don't you find it more philosophical than scientific?"

"Yes, Professor. I've planned this for quite some time now."

"Don't get me wrong, I have nothing but respect for Aristotle, but it seems to me that you'd be better off in bioengineering."

"I'll be fine, Professor. I'm sure you'll find more promising candidates soon."

"Well, if you're that determined, I won't stop you.

The teacher and student bowed and shook hands.

"Goodbye, Yui. Give Kozo my regards."

"I will, Dr. Maki. I'll see you around."

Inside Shin Godzilla's subconscious, 2015…

Goro Maki opened his eyes.

To his shock, he found himself in his old office at Kyoto University.

"Professor…"

He looked forward and saw his two best students.

None of them had apparently aged a day since 1999.

"Yui. Kyoko. What are you two doing here?"

"You gave our children and us a nice thrashing back there," Kyoko responded.

"That was… I'm sorry, but that wasn't me at the helm."

"We know," answered Yui.

The professor suddenly snapped.

"Oh, like hell, you knew! I sold my souls to those monsters! Why did you do the same?!"

"It was the only possible outcome."

"What about your husbands? Your children? Do you think they deserved this pain?"

Maki began to cry.

"I was on an expedition to Sierra Leone before I returned to the University. The civil war started, and we had to evacuate. A reporter friend of mine stayed and sent me pictures of everything that happened afterward. The thought of children having to endure that hell…"

Maki shuddered.

"Do you honestly want your children to face that same fate?"

"No."

Kyoko answered.

"But a mother must be ready to sacrifice everything for her child, including her soul-"

Kyoko looked down at her hands with regret.

"-and her sanity."

"You're absolutely right about Seele, Professor."

Yui interjected.

"They are monsters. For that reason, we sacrificed ourselves to give our children a fighting chance and a better future."

Maki then saw what looked like a stereotypical American trucker step out of the shadows and approach him.

"The alien robot?"

"Goro Maki. My name is Optimus Prime. I have seen what happened to Yui, Kyoko, and now yourself. I know the circumstances that drove you and your pupils to your current states, and while I cannot undo the past nor your condition, I can at least help you bring justice to those that ruined you and create a brighter future for your children's sake."

"How can I trust you?"

"In our universe, Goro Maki is an accomplished reporter and documentarian. As for your alter ego, Godzilla is one of our strongest allies and the leader of Earth's guardian Kaiju. An army of destructive saviors, but saviors nonetheless."

"Maki, I was also wary of Prime at first. But then I saw him and his soldiers treat Shinji with the compassion that Gendo regrettably never gave."

Yui reassured him.

Maki sniffled and smiled.

"You always did make the class brighter, Yui."

He turned towards Prime.

"'Optimus Prime' in Latin means 'first amongst the best.' I expect that from you once we get back to the front."

"Likewise, I expect much more from you, Gojira."

The two shook hands.

"By the way, who names themself 'God Incarnate?'"

Maki chuckled.

"I might have gotten carried away."

Back outside…

Shin Godzilla's eyes lit up bright blue!

The lumbering beast stood back up, glaring at its new foe!

Suddenly, its body started to mutate!

Its arms grew more muscular!

Its torso and legs became slimmer!

Two additional rows of dorsal plates grew on its back!

Its tail shrunk to half its former size to maintain balance!

To top it all off, giant violet crystals grew from his shoulders!

Goro Maki, now with restored sanity, assumed full control of his new body and let out a mighty roar!

"AAAYEEEEEOOOOOOUUUUUUUGH!"

Now in a more agile form, he bolted at the new foe with terrifying speed!

Ghidorah, flying away to evade the berserk Eva-02 and Omega Supreme, intercepted Godzilla and collided violently!

The two titans grappled with each other for a time, Ghidorah trying to bite Godzilla with his three jaws and drain his life energy!

However, Godzilla counterattacked with his dorsal beams, injuring the Golden Dragon and forcing him to back off!

It was at this point that all the assembled combatants converged on the spot.

Ratchet and Jet Alone let loose more rockets!

The rest of the Autobots joined in and fired the last of their heavy weaponry!

Evangelion Units 01 and 00 rejoined the fray with a withering hail of positron fire!

King Ghidorah, realizing that he had been outmaneuvered and surrounded, tried to break out and retreat!

Unfortunately for the Golden Demise, Jet Alone and Unit-02 jumped and clung onto his legs, slowing him down!

Tapping into Maki's intelligence, Godzilla unleashed his violet atomic breath, which struck Ghidorah with pinpoint accuracy!

Ghidorah collapsed to the ground with a gaping chest wound!

As he stared up at his hated foe, Ghidorah fired one last, defiant burst of lightning!

To his shock, Godzilla absorbed the energy from his lightning and shot it back at him in the form of an enhanced atomic breath!

SPOOOOOOM!

The Golden Demise had met his fiery demise!

Shinji, Asuka, and Mana looked up at their former foe.

Godzilla stood still, as if in contemplation.

The Autobots and the Nerv/JSDF forces remained wary, still aiming their weapons.

It did, after all, attack Odawara and Tokyo-3, to begin with.

A long, tense silence ensued.

"Major! Should we continue our engagement?!"

"Negative, Kirishima. We need him on our side now."

"Is that it?! We're gonna let him get away again after everything he's done?!"

Asuka angrily grumbled.

"Orders from Vice Commander Fuyutsuki. He has some distressing news to relay."

"This is Vice Commander Fuyutsuki. It appears that while we were slaying that dragon, a small army of cybernetic monsters attacked capital and port cities around the world. Those same monsters are now heading towards our location."

"Seriously?!"

The assembled Autobots and Eva pilots groaned.

Two back-to-back epic battles was exhausting enough!

"Everyone, return to base for repairs and refueling. Prime…"

Optimus sighed.

His emergency maneuver had undoubtedly withered Nerv's trust.

"Next time, a word of warning would suffice. You're lucky Katsuragi and I are here instead of Gendo."

"My utmost apologies, Vice Commander. I will give you ample warning next time. On that note, I also wish to know more about these new enemies."

"Witnesses described them as avian in appearance with saws and scythes attached to their bodies. Sound familiar?"

"I'm afraid so. It- or rather, their- name is Gigan."

To be continued….

Chapter 17: Deus Ex Machina

Chapter Text

New Decepticon Base, Okinawa, "Red Earth" universe. September 7th, 2015….

After fooling the Autobots yet again, Megatron and the Decepticons relaxed and watched the events of the day proceed on their view screens.

It was expected that the Autobot-Nerv Alliance would destroy the King of Monsters's spawn and force him to retreat.

However, no one had expected King Ghidorah to make his grand appearance and cause Prime to bring Shin Godzilla under control.

Not to mention Gigan and his clone army stirring Nerv's other branches into panic mode.

"These mysterious monsters, described as 'birdlike, with saws attached to their bodies,' wreaked havoc across the world's capitals. In response, the United Nations Security Council is considering giving Nerv extraordinary powers to…"

"Considering the fact that these monsters specifically targeted London, Paris, Berlin, Moscow, Beijing, and Washington, many have wondered whether this was a premeditated decapitation strike from an unknown invasion force…"

"It now appears that the monsters are regrouping in Japan, specifically Tokyo-3, where such attacks have become frighteningly commonplace since early August of this year…"

The human reporters clamored on every channel.

"Didn't our Godzilla kill King Ghidorah and Gigan? How can they still be alive?!"

Skywarp asked.

"It might be this universe's version of them. Then again, those Exif sociopaths could've regenerated them from a single cell, much like this Godzilla."

Thundercracker hypothesized.

Megatron suddenly remembered something useful.

"Soundwave, you said that when DARPA found the original Project G1 sample at Yellowstone, it was a single cell, correct?"

"Affirmative, Lord Megatron."

The Decepticon leader smirked.

"Is it possible that it might have been damaged tissue from another Godzilla?"

"Accessing File: Professor Goro Maki was a native of Odo Island, now destroyed by the Second Impact. He named the specimen after a local deity."

"Gojira?"

"That is correct, Lord Megatron."

"Then, that means we have another Godzilla in the wild. One much older and stronger than the hybrid Maki is now."

Starscream remained skeptical.

"If such a powerful being existed, why hasn't it engaged the Angels or done anything since the Second Impact? Did it die?"

Thudercracker scoffed at such a notion.

"Impossible! A Kaiju of his size and stature would view such a cataclysm as a minor nuisance! If anything, it probably hid underground in a volcanic rift zone. Or perhaps-"

"It fell through a multiversal rift zone, just like the Autobots. Then someone from our universe planted that Yellowstone sample."

Megatron completed Thundercracker's thought.

"Wait. I thought that we were the only ones that knew about this Earth?!"

Starscream asked.

"With the exception of Soundwave, who else has 'eyes and ears' everywhere?"

Megatron asked in the form of a riddle.

"Shockwave?! He's in on this?! I thought he wanted you- I mean, us- dead!"

"Oh, he does. Shockwave always was too smart for his processors. I suppose his next move is to retrieve and rebuild Archforce's body, or rather my old one, from within the Autobot ranks. It won't be long before he sends an army our way, under my supposed orders. Such cunning makes him an indispensable ally, Starscream."

"And an unpredictable opponent! I don't care what kind of masochistic mental tango you have going on with Shockwave! I want no part of this!"

"There is no need for whining and worrying. It's all part of my master plan."

"Oh, yes, those brilliant master plans of yours."

Starscream sarcastically grumbled under his breath.

"I wonder if Leozack has to put up with this scrap…"

Between Mars and the Asteroid Belt, "Blue Earth" universe. December 3rd, 2029…

"Cap'n, with all due respect..."

Leozack stared at the image on the rear view-screen.

"…YOUR PLANS SUCK!"

He suddenly screamed as flak from cannon fire exploded around their ship!

"They're still chasing us?!"

Deathsaurus yelled in disbelief.

He and his faction had attempted to escape Shockwave on his recently-stolen ship, the Peaceful Tyranny .

Shockwave, not taking any risks, ordered an enormous plague of Insecticons to pursue them all the way from Cybertron!

Even after warping to Earth's solar system and dodging his way through the Asteroid Belt, the giant pests still dogged them!

"Why?! Why in Primus's name did you abandon our gigantic mobile fortress for a tiny, little cruiser?! HAVE YOU GONE DAFT?! "

Leozack whined.

"Will you stop whining? You sound like Starscream!"

Lyzack scolded her brother.

"We're running low on Energon! If we stop and fight, we won't last a nanosecond!"

Nickel warned.

This diminutive Decepticon was the sole survivor of the Justice Division.

In a moment of pity and forgiveness, Deathsaurus had adopted her as part of his crew.

"Captain! There's a human force up ahead!"

Esmeral shouted.

Deathsaurus saw a trio of mobile suits on his display.

He instantly recognized them!

"Hold your fire! They're friendly!"

The three mobile suits aimed their ranged weapons at the Peaceful Tyranny !

"But they're aiming at us!"

Lyzack protested.

"I said 'Hold'!"

A dizzying barrage of beams exited the barrels of the mobile suits, narrowly missing the ship and destroying dozens of Insecticons!

The giant bugs scattered for a moment.

One of the mobile suits hailed the Peaceful Tyranny !

"This is Commander Athrun Zala of the Archangel! Identify yourself!"

"This is the leader of the Decepticon Privateer Fleet, Captain Deathsaurus! I have an urgent message for Councilwoman Clyne!"

"You led an invasion fleet to our borders earlier and now you expect us to parley?!"

An outraged younger pilot butted in.

"Calm down, Shinn! Let's hear him out."

A more level-headed pilot reprimanded.

"Thank you, Mr. Yamato."

Deathsaurus complemented and continued.

"Shockwave has seized control of a sizable Decepticon force and is preparing for a larger offensive with the Ravager and Quintesson empires! He has also sent the Insecticons to crack down on all dissenters, including forces loyal to Scorponok and myself! Those bugs chased me all the way from Cybertron to your Asteroid Belt! In the process of fleeing, my ship has consumed most of its fuel supply!"

Athrun suspiciously scanned the Peaceful Tyranny with his Gundam.

"If this is another one of your tricks-!"

"It's okay, Athrun. Let him through."

Councilwoman Clyne chimed in.

"But, Lacus, he's-!"

Athrun protested.

A more familiar male voice also joined in.

"I'll keep an eye on Deathsaurus, Athrun. Don't you worry."

"Commander Saber!"

Deathsaurus smirked.

"Star Saber. Nice to meet you again."

"Shinn might be hot-headed, but he has a point. You have some nerve showing up here again after leading this morning's attack."

"Megatron promised us great rewards, and he ended up dying. What else do you want me to say?"

"I've heard worse excuses. By the way, what happened to your fortress?"

"I had to abandon it. Shockwave's thugs had us boxed in, and the DJD's ship was the nearest one."

Deathsaurus heard Saber take a deep breath and readied himself.

"Let me get this straight. You mean to tell me that Shockwave is currently in possession of your heavily-armed, planet-destroying fortress , and you chose to flee here?!"

A furious Star Saber yelled over the comms.

"Called it!"

"Shut up, Leozack!"

Star Saber, Lyzack, and Deathsaurus shouted in unison.

VWOOORRP!

Everyone turned and stared in shock at the massive fortress that had just warped onto the battlefield!

"You know, Deathsaurus, I expected a pirate to keep better track of his possessions."

Shockwave taunted over the comms.

"She'll be mine again soon enough!"

"I'd like to see you try, Captain. As for the humans, I understand that your aces' specialties are beam weapons. By all means, fire away. You might be able to impress me."

Shockwave boasted.

"You're going to eat those words, Decepticreep!"

Shinn taunted.

"Oh, and I have a little gift for your friends on Earth as well!"

With a push of a button, the Mobile Fortress transformed into its Planet-Destroying Cannon mode!

Every Autobot and mobile suit opened fire!

True to Shockwave's boasts, it had absolutely no effect as the remaining Insecticons returned and absorbed most of the blows!

"I must be a fragging Newtype because I saw this coming from light-years away!"

Leozack screamed in frustration.

Deathsaurus slapped and scolded him.

"Do me a favor and shut up, Leozack! You know why I didn't bother with that mode? You'd need a sun's worth of Energon to power that transformation! Shockwave must be running on fumes after chasing us!"

The cannon's barrel started glowing red!

"Looks like we're going to be fumes."

Leozack gulped.

The pirate captain's expression quickly soured as Shockwave continued taunting.

"You know, I must really thank Ultra Magnus. If he hadn't self-destructed Cybertron along with himself and the Quintessons, I wouldn't have been able to get my hands on so much Energon!"

"Ultra Magnus and Cybertron are destroyed? No, it must be a lie!"

A horrified Star Saber thought.

"Now perish, insolent fools!"

Shockwave uncharacteristically shouted as a blood-red beam shot out of the cannon!

It disintegrated several asteroids, ships, and mobile suits in its path and would strike the Earth within seconds!

Monster Island, Bonin Islands, Japan, "Blue Earth." December 3rd, 2029…

"This is an emergency broadcast from Major General Misato Katsuragi to all EDF and WILLE personnel! Optimus Prime is missing in action, and invasion fleets have been reported on Cybertron and Jupiter! Prepare for a second wave!"

Alarms blared on Monster Island!

"Another threat?!"

Godzilla roared.

"I'll take Junior and Minilla to the shelter!"

Jet Jaguar spoke in electronic roars.

"Keep them safe!"

Godzilla roared back.

"But, Father, I want to fight with you!"

Junior complained.

"I need you to look after your younger brother! I have a feeling this threat won't be like this morning's scuffle!"

Nearby, Kiryu Unit-01 remained still at the relic they recently uncovered.

Shinji stared nervously at the horned statue.

"Shinji! Get your ass moving! There's a second wave!"

"Asuka, does this look familiar to you?"

"It's probably some ancient Autobot! We've met hundreds of them already!"

"I know, but I'm getting this feeling of déjà vu."

"You can research it all you want after we get the all-clear!"

Before Shinji could protest further, the sky glowed an ominous red!

"Oh no."

He mouthed wordlessly.

Godzilla stared in shock at the second sun that seemed to have materialized out of nowhere!

He was shaken out of his stupor when a giant moth flew past him!

"Mothra!"

To Godzilla's utter horror, Mothra seemingly took the full brunt of the Planet-Destroying ray!

"MOTHRAAA!"

"NOOOO!"

"This can't be!"

The denizens of Monster Island mournfully roared as the beam dissipated.

Golden energy trickled down from the skies and onto Godzilla's dorsal fins.

The King of Monsters silently cried as the first monster who saw him as a friend rather than a rival met her heroic end.

His sorrow immediately gave way to anger as magma-like patches began to grow on his chest and scales!

"AAAYEEEEEOOOOOOUUUUUUUGH!"

He screamed to the heavens and fired his Red-Spiral Atomic Breath!

As it reached the upper atmosphere where his beloved died, it condensed into a narrow violet beam!

The Violet Atomic Breath continued blasting into space, where it soon collided with its target!

Shockwave's fortress!

"Damned organic beasts!"

Shockwave internally cursed as the Violet Breath slammed into the fortress's cannon, crippling it!

Deathsaurus grinned.

"The main gun's down! Now's our chance!"

"How?! Secondary defenses are still online, and our Energon levels are at 20%!"

"Remember our first gig, Leozack?"

"Yeah, we captured an Autobot cruiser with an unarmed supply shuttle and… its… cargo."

Leozack slowly realized.

"Rerouting power to engines and forward guns! Decepticons, prepare to board!"

He confidently ordered the crew.

"Lyzack, aim the Tyranny at the bridge! I want to see Shockwave squirm!"

Esmeral ordered.

"Yes, ma'am! Activating manual controls!"

The Peaceful Tyranny charged forward, guns blazing!

Shockwave stared emotionlessly at his impending doom!

"You want my ships, Shockwave?! Have your fill!"

Deathsaurus roared as the cruiser smashed into the fortress's bridge with a mighty screech!

Shaken but undeterred, the Peaceful Tyranny 's crew disembarked, weapons at the ready!

Only to be greeted by a foreboding silence instead of a vicious fight!

The only opponent in view was a seemingly-deceased Shockwave!

"Overlord, inspect the body."

"Don't mind if I do!"

Overlord enthusiastically responded and dug his mnemosurgical needles into Shockwave's ruined head!

"Tell me why we let Overlord join us again?!"

Esmeral nervously questioned Deathsaurus in a hushed whisper.

"He said he found Shockwave boring, whatever that means. I'm not complaining."

"What if he screws this up like the Clyne mission?"

"We still got paid, didn't we? Would you rather he fight against us?"

Lyzack returned and transformed from jet to robot form.

"I flew over the entire fort. There's no one else here."

She reported to her superiors.

"But it couldn't have been just Shockwave! Where's Lockdown and Sunstorm? Or the Insecticons and Vehicons?"

Leozack, now combined with his fellow crew into Liokaiser, asked.

His captain readied his rifle.

"Something's up. Be on your guard."

"Captain!"

Overlord's sudden announcement caught Deathsaurus by surprise.

"What is it, Overlord?"

Overlord creepily grinned as he held a small screw-like device in his hand.

"I found a Cerebro-shell in his cranium. You know what that means."

In stark contrast, Deathsaurus angrily grumbled!

"We've been played! That's not Shockwave! It's some poor bot he modified to look like him!"

A distress call suddenly filled the comms!

"This is the Ra Cailum! A massive strike force just warped into lunar orbit! It's- It's a Mechagodzilla Army!"

Overlord chuckled at the broadcast.

"This day just keeps getting better!"

Aboard United Federation Battleship Ra Cailum, Lunar Orbit…

Unlike his communications officer, Rear Admiral Bright Noa stared stoically at the army of robotic dinosaurs bearing towards him.

The 34-year-old was no stranger to hopeless odds.

"Is this my fate?"

He thought as he re recalled his first taste of combat.

As a 19-year-old Ensign, he barely survived the devastating initial strike by the Ravager Empire's Kaiju Army!

"Optimus Prime?!"

"Run, Ensign! This building won't hold for long!"

When the Ravagers retreated five years later, Bright planned to leave the Space Forces as a seasoned Lieutenant Junior Grade…

…only for the Principality of Zeon to declare war and send him right back.

"Your vacation wasn't the only one that got canceled, Lieutenant. We're all itching to get back at the Zeeks. You're being assigned to our new carrier ship, the SCV-70 White Base. Report to Captain Paolo Cassius at 0600."

"Sir!"

"We're going to Side 7 to pick up an experimental mobile suit, the RX-78-02 Gundam. Don't worry, Bright, it should be a relatively simple trip."

"…"

"Aw, damn it. I've jinxed us, haven't I?"

Bright softly smiled as he remembered his conversations with Admiral Tianem and Captain Cassius.

The White Base accomplished its mission, but with a cost.

A surprise Zeon attack on Side 7 killed Cassius, along with most of the senior staff.

Bright was left in charge of a ragtag bunch of misfits.

But among the misfits was a teenage prodigy named Amuro Ray.

His father had designed the Gundam, which allowed the young boy to pilot the machine and beat back the enemy!

"Who the hell are you, and what have you done to Lieutenant Kemp?!"

"I'm Amuro Ray, sir! My father is the Gundam's designer!"

"You're Tem's son?"

"My friends and I were the last ones out! There's… There's no one left."

"I see… Come aboard, Amuro. As of now, you're the only one who can pilot the Gundam."

Over the next few months, the White Base and the Gundam became feared opponents and respected allies.

As the conflict expanded across the galaxy, so did the reputation of the legged carrier ship, the masked mobile suit, and the men and women who crewed them.

Ten years had passed that fateful day.

Now, there were as many Gundams as stars in the night sky.

"Am I doomed to fight until the end of time? Perhaps even beyond?"

Bright's trips down memory lane were interrupted by a warning.

"Ra Cailum, this is the Nahel Argama! They're going to fire the Requiem! Pull back!"

"Reverse thrusters!"

Bright looked back at the endless swarm of mechanical kaiju!

"There's too many of them! Even a colony laser would be an annoyance!"

He muttered.

Suddenly, Bright remembered the fact that his allies might be in the line of fire!

After the Autobots intervened in the Galactic War, there were plenty of Federation officials who would be glad to see them perish in an "accident" such as this!

"Toraja! Get me Autobot Commander Star Saber!"

"Yes, sir! Hailing them now!"

"Ra Cailum, this is Saber. We are heading to your location now!"

"Stay back! The top brass want to fire the Requiem first!"

"I see…"

"I understand you recently crippled an enemy fortress?"

"Well…"

"Stay there for now!"

As soon as Bright finished his sentence, an orange glow flashed in the direction where his reinforcements were supposed to arrive!

"They've hacked the Requiem! It's firing on our fleet!"

Comms officer Toraja frantically announced.

"Star Saber! Belay that order! I need you over here now!"

"I'm sorry?!"

A confused Star Saber asked.

"They took over the Requiem! Get over here now!"

Bright shouted and slammed the comms shut, praying that Star Saber would make the right call.

"Contact the Nahel Argama ! Tell them to ready the Hyper Mega Particle Cannon!"

Autobot City, Tokyo, Japan, "Blue Earth."

"Doc! Dr. Rung! Are you okay?"

The Autobot psychologist opened his eyes!

"Sonic Bomber? What happened?"

"One of your human patients in Aokigahara saw your avatar convulse and fall to the floor! They contacted me to check on you."

Rung held his head and winced.

"Get me to Dai Atlas! Something terrible has happened on Cybertron!"

"What do you mean? Did you have a vision or something?"

The young Autobot asked.

Rung was about to explain when the base's alarms rang!

WWWWWEEEEEEERRRRRNNNN! WWWWWWEEEEERRRRNNN!

"Battle Stations! Battle Stations!"

The warning klaxon caused both Autobots to rush to their command center!

"Dai Atlas, what happened? Who's attacking us?!"

Sonic Bomber asked.

Dai Atlas played footage of the recent turn of events.

"An enemy fortress just warped into Martian orbit and fired a beam at the Earth. Mothra and Godzilla managed to stop the beam and disarm the fortress, but not before hundreds of Mechagodzilla units warped into lunar orbit!"

"Don't we have the Requiem Orbital Laser System for this sort of threat?"

"The Shockwave faction hacked it and fired on the Earth fleet! The Ra Cailum and the Nahel Argama managed to escape and disable the main gun, but they're severely outnumbered!"

With a grim expression, Dai Atlas turned and continued yelling orders into the comms.

"This is Japanese Base Commander Dai Atlas to all Earth forces! There is a massive invasion force heading our way! All stations at DEFCON 1!"

"Atlas, there's something I need to tell you."

"Can it wait, Rung?"

"No, it can't! I know it sounds insane, but-"

Once again, Rung was cut off by a dire warning.

"This is an emergency broadcast from Elita-1 to all Autobot forces! Cybertron has been overrun and destroyed! Ultra Magnus… Ultra Magnus has been killed in action!"

All the assembled Autobots froze momentarily in horror.

"What are you all standing still for?! You think doing nothing is going to avenge Magnus and Cybertron?! You still have a duty to protect this planet and your fellow Autobots! To your stations!"

Dai Atlas shouted, visibly holding back grief.

Moved, the Autobot garrison double-timed to their battle stations!

"Primus, help us!"

Sonic Bomber mouthed.

"Do not worry. I am much closer than you think."

A voice that only Rung could hear spoke.

The psychiatrist remained deathly silent, clenching his fists as he ran alongside Sonic Bomber.

Monster Island, Bonin Islands, Japan…

As the escalating train of bad news made its way to Monster Island, the Kiryu pilots could only sit in their cockpits and contemplate their fate.

"Asuka."

"What is it now?"

"It's a stupid question, but we might not be alive in the next few minutes, so I'll just ask you right now."

"Fire away."

Shinji gulped.

"Will you marry me?"

Asuka grimly chuckled.

"Picked a hell of a time to pop the question, huh?"

"Even if you say 'No,' we might die anyway, so…"

Shinji snarked.

A brief silence, and then…

"Yes, you idiot."

Shinji laughed sadly.

The event he was worried about a few minutes earlier had now resolved itself in a split-second realization of mortality.

"Was that so hard?"

He imagined Misato saying if she wasn't preoccupied with imminent Armageddon.

A short distance away, Godzilla was still buckled over from exhaustion.

The Violet Atomic Breath had sucked all the strength from his body!

"Goji!"

Kong ran to his former rival's side.

"Mothra…"

Godzilla sobbed.

Kong sighed in sympathy.

"She saved us all. Now, get up. Whoever did this isn't done!"

Rodan swooped down.

"Rody?"

"Remember your metal lookalike? And I don't mean the ones the humans made."

"He's behind this?!"

"And he brought an army!"

Godzilla slowly stood up as the other Kaiju moved alongside him.

"You have families. You don't have to stay here. Leave with the humans."

He pleaded to his allies.

"We won't last long even if we leave. Besides, I'm not letting you steal all the glory!"

Kong thumped his chest and brandished a makeshift ax crafted from a tree and a shattered dorsal fin!

"This time, I'm breaking his jaw!"

Anguirus triumphantly roared.

Godzilla smiled softly at his friends.

Varan, a winged Kaiju, suddenly landed next to the party!

"They're here!"

He warned.

The Earth Kaiju steeled themselves for the oncoming storm!

They gritted their teeth as they saw just how large the invading army was!

Mechagodzilla units as far the eyes can see, flying in densely-packed formations, like a swarm of silver hornets!

"Do not worry, King. You and your court will be joining the Queen shortly!"

The lead Mechagodzilla unit taunted in a mechanical roar.

Godzilla snarled at the vile insult!

"MECHAGODZILLA!"

To be continued…

Chapter 18: Silver Rebirth

Chapter Text

Monster Island, Bonin Islands, Japan, "Blue Earth." December 3rd, 2029…

The Mechagodzilla Army unleashed an ungodly amount of missiles in their first barrage!

Godzilla summoned his magnetic powers and caused most of the missiles to collide with each other and explode prematurely!

The rest of the missiles landed across Monster Island, exploding and kicking up dirt and burnt trees!

Grimacing at the daunting army before them, the Monster Island Garrison prepared to make a last stand!

"Goro, if we survive this, you can stay at my place anytime."

Baragon apologized.

"Apology accepted. But we'd be lucky if we even have a home after this!"

Gorosaurus quipped.

"AARGH!"

The King winced as that life-saving move sapped more of his dwindling strength.

"Tired already?! You disappoint me, King!"

General Mechagodzilla, the mass-produced army's leader, taunted.

"Then you're gonna love me."

An unidentified voice taunted back.

Several Mechagodzilla units suddenly exploded, taken out by fireballs!

"Uncle Gamera!"

Godzilla Junior exclaimed in excitement, recognizing his father's savior!

The giant flying turtle effortlessly tore his way through the army of mechanical beasts!

Some of the hostiles tried to outflank him only to be sliced apart by a volley of blade-like beams!

A thousands-strong flock of Gyaos, bat-like monsters who usually opposed Gamera, came to his aid!

The monster armies began to dogfight each other in the skies above Earth!

"Took you long enough."

Kong scoffed.

"Had to lure enough of these idiots here. That should keep them occupied for now."

Gamera quipped as he flew around, dodging and exchanging fire.

"Gamera. Mothra's…"

"I know, Goji. She laid an egg a while back."

"An egg?"

"A reincarnation. The fairies must have warned her about a fierce battle in the future."

Godzilla quickly realized the implications.

"She didn't want me to worry."

He looked to his adolescent son, who supercharged Kong's ax with his atomic breath, allowing the ape to behead several Mecha G-units who had touched down on the island!

"So this is it. The twilight of our existence. The beginning of the end."

Meanwhile, in a dimension outside of space and time...

Vector Prime stood before a group of high-ranking Ultras.

"I've convened you all here in our emergency meeting spot. I can safely say that we now know what's behind these multiversal rift zones."

Frantic distress calls still echoed into the void.

"This is Japanese Base Commander Dai Atlas to all Earth forces! There is a massive invasion force heading our way! All stations at DEFCON 1!"

"This is an emergency broadcast from Elita-1 to all Autobot forces! Cybertron has been overrun and destroyed! Ultra Magnus… Ultra Magnus has been killed in action!"

"You knew…"

Ultraseven uncharacteristically snarled.

"Seven, let him explain…"

Taro interjected.

"You knew this would happen! Why didn't you tell us sooner?! Do you know how many we've lost?!"

Vector Prime, being who he was, could've easily sent Ultraseven back to the Land of Light and defused the threat to his well-being.

But now, he knew better than that.

"Some time ago, Megatron contacted me."

"What?!"

The Ultras gasped in surprise.

"Yes, our version of Megatron. He claimed that a great cataclysm was nearing and that the only way to prevent it was to preserve several clones of himself and his most loyal soldiers."

"Really?! Then how come you never shared this tidbit with us? Or with Prime?!"

An angered Ultraseven reprimanded.

"It had to be done in secret! Do you realize how Shockwave would've reacted?!"

"Why would the great and fearsome Megatron have a sudden change of heart?"

Zoffy asked.

"He saw visions. Visions of a world where he stuck to his principles and Optimus became the bloodthirsty tyrant! He said it himself: 'Why else would I intervene in the Galactic War and help Char overthrow the Zabis?!' It shouldn't be possible for any version of Megatron to receive these visions unless a multidimensional being or beings were crossing over."

The senior Ultras paused for a moment of contemplation.

"How did he contact you in secret?"

Mother of Ultra asked.

"He sent the message through our late friend, Punch. We met in Axiom Nexus. All he asked for in return was a selection of manga and DVDs."

"Manga? As in Japanese graphic novels?"

"Yes, a series by the name of New Century Evangelion. Sound familiar?"

"New Century Alcion. The series that Gendo was so fond of."

Father of Ultra realized what Megatron was planning to do.

"You mean to tell me you helped Megatron fake his death and invade another universe?!"

"Yes! Because if I didn't, our universe might very well be doomed! A threat unlike any other is ripping apart the fabric of space-time and you want to debate ethics!"

"Then please, Vector Prime, can you tell us what this threat is?!"

"Grand King Ghidorah."

Two female voices suddenly interjected.

It was Mothra's companion fairies, the Shobijin.

"Ghidorah? But the Guardian Kaiju killed him! Several times, in fact!"

"The King Ghidorah you defeated time and again is merely the collective identity of its species. It was foretold that upon the patriarch's arrival, many Guardian kaiju would die fighting against him in an epic battle to decide the fate of many worlds. Mother Mothra would have already fallen, if not for Vector Prime's intervention."

"Remember that mysterious beam I summoned that took out some of Jackal's men? I managed to relocate Mothra's newborn larvae to an ideal spot on the jungle planet Eukaris several years back in time. The twins are adult Mothras by now. You're welcome."

Vector Prime grumbled.

Princess Yullian took a deep breath and turned to Vector Prime.

"Ultraseven has a point. You should've told us. Prime would have-"

Vector Prime raised his hand.

"I apologize, Your Highness, but I am not my friend's pupil. He has his spark in the right place, unlike his predecessors, which I find commendable. The fact remains that if even the slightest hint of an epiphany from Megatron makes its way to Shockwave's audio receptors, we'd be in even more trouble than we are already! Now, if you'll let me redirect us to our area of concern-"

"Earth, Primax 619.14 Iota, I presume?"

"Yes, where I sent Megatron's team, Prime's team, and the Riders. Now, you Ultras have a chance to help out as well."

Vector Prime created a new portal.

To their shock, the Ultras saw something in the portal that visibly disturbed them!

The image of two bloodied men whom Zoffy immediately recognized.

"Kaji? Taki?!"

These poor fellows couldn't possibly be Ryoji Kaji and Kazuya Taki, he thought.

Last he checked, the smooth-talking agents were either with Misato aboard the Gotengo, or on a case in Hong Kong.

"Kaji" had been shot in the throat.

"Taki" had a similar wound through the side of his head.

Mother of Ultra calmly stood up and ordered.

"Zoffy, you and Lipiah will possess these versions of Kaji and Taki and assist Prime. Ultraseven will accompany you in his human form once we wrap up this second wave. Is that clear?"

"Yes, ma'am!"

Zoffy begrudgingly bowed out.

"Vector Prime, is there anyone else you want to recommend?"

"Yes, Zone Fighter. He might be a newer recruit, but he shows promise. He, Mothra, and several other Kamen Riders will be sent ahead of Zoffy, Lipiah, and the other search parties. They will reveal themselves once the time is right. Such is the luxury with interdimensional travel."

Sky Lynx's "Lynx" Component, Tokyo-3, "Red Earth." September 6th, 2015…

Kaji and Kaminaga suddenly shot up from their body bags and gasped for air!

" Hurrruuunnnggggddddddddd!"

"Aaaaaaaaaagh!"

Some recuperating Nerv soldiers screamed in shock at the dead men coming back to life!

"Don't panic! Stop screaming!"

Hongo reprimanded the soldiers as he unzipped the bags and let the men breathe.

"You guys alright?"

He asked the duo as if they had suffered mere concussions.

The two Agents wordlessly revealed the Beta Capsules in their clenched hands.

"I'll take that as a 'yes.'"

"What the- How are they still alive?! They took shots to the head and neck!"

One of the still-shocked soldiers asked.

"See those capsules? Alien blood transfusion. Any more details and we risk damaging the space-time continuum."

Hayato coyly explained to the visibly-confused soldiers.

"What's the situation, Hongo?"

Kaji asked.

"Kaji, Kaminaga, we've got rampaging Kaiju that need some physical therapy."

"Who's Kaminaga?"

Shinji Kaminaga earnestly asked.

"That's you."

An alarmed Nerv soldier answered.

Hongo then spoke in a hushed whisper.

"Taki's name is Kaminaga in this universe."

"I'm sorry. I'm still a little dizzy. Give me a moment."

Kaminaga sheepishly excused himself.

"Which Kaiju?"

Kaji asked.

"AAAYEEEEEOOOOOOUUUUUUUGH!"

Shin Godzilla roared in the distance.

"BIDIBIDIBIDIBIDIBIDIBIDIBIDI!"

His newly-arrived opponent, King Ghidorah, cackled as well.

"Never mind."

Kaji grimly answered his own question.

"With any luck, Godzilla will stop attacking the city and focus on Ghidorah instead. Prime, Omega, and the Eva Units are still out there, so they might get a handle on things."

"I hate to sound pessimistic, but there are more bogies headed our way."

A familiar voice called over the comms.

"Sky Lynx! Did you take care of the horde in Old Tokyo?"

Hongo asked.

"I did, somehow. I ran out of ammunition, but the creatures suddenly turned docile and melted away into some sort of primordial ooze. Anyways, I picked up this concerning message over the air."

"We're coming to you live from Tokyo-2. For those just tuning in, giant monsters have attacked major cities in Britain, France, Germany, Russia, China, and America and are flying towards the Japanese archipelago. The Prime Minister has likewise increased the state of emergency to cover all of Japan in addition to Tokyo-3…"

"It appears that we arrived right on schedule."

Kaji spoke up.

"Ah Kaji, how are those injuries of yours? I heard that they were quite severe."

"Nothing some Compound M78 could fix. At least that's what the device I'm holding claims."

Kaji answered cryptically.

"Well I'm glad you got better. I'll leave you to freshen up for the next round. Oh, and you might want to come up with a more convincing cover story seeing as Gendo's making his way towards you."

"Let me do the talking."

Kaji told the others.

"Well, maybe Midorikawa-san can help."

"Please, Gendo only cares about the fact that I look like Yui. Other than that, he trusts me about as much as he trusts Prime."

"I suspect he trusts me even less. Sky Lynx, hail them before they get jumpy and shoot us!"

"Attention, Nerv convoy! This is Autobot Lieutenant Commander Sky Lynx! I am carrying wounded friendlies that require immediate attention!"

"How did you get this frequency?"

Kaji, unamused by Gendo's priorities, spoke up.

"Sorry, Commander. I gave them your number. I was bleeding to death at the time."

"Sarcasm is unbecoming of you, Agent Kaji."

"That's not an exaggeration. Agent Kaji took a bullet to the neck during the ambush. If Sky Lynx didn't carry the proper necessities onboard, he would have died mid-transit."

Midorikawa spoke up.

"Nice save."

Kaji whispered.

"Very well, you may unload the casualties at Elevator #7 up ahead."

Gendo stoically relented.

"Oh, and Agent Kaji, I expect a debrief once you're done, seeing as your neck wound has apparently healed up quickly."

Kaji gritted his teeth as Gendo hung up.

"Damn! I forgot about that!"

"You forgot being shot in the throat?"

Ichimonji snarked.

Kaji handed Midorikawa his Beta Capsule.

"I suspect Zone Fighter is somewhere out there. Seeing as he's running out of energy and I'll be busy debriefing Gendo, one of you is going to have to turn giant if things get worse."

"What about me?"

Kaminaga asked.

"I trust your abilities, Lipiah. That's why you're transforming first. One of these three will be your backup."

"I'll go."

Midorikawa answered.

"Wait a second, how come?"

Ichimonji asked.

"See Ghidorah out there? I bet his buddy Gigan isn't far behind."

"Fair point. But I think our armor would stand a better chance against his saws. Besides, I don't think Gendo would appreciate seeing a hundred-meter tall version of his wife's twin sister in a fetish outfit."

Hongo reasoned, to Midorikawa's chagrin.

"Actually, now that you mention it, Hongo, maybe having Midorikawa-san transform and grow giant doesn't sound so bad after all. While she lacks adequate armor, she makes up for it in agility and weaponry. Also, having Gendo's jaw drop would be an exquisite bonus!"

Kaji chimed mischievously.

"Ha-ha! Very funny, Kaji. Now get moving before I re-open your neck."

Midorikawa hissed.

"I'll send you a picture!"

He joked as Sky Lynx landed on Elevator 7.

Elevator 7, A Short While Later…

"13 wounded, twice as many dead. And that's Section 2 alone. Our JSDF and police escorts were completely wiped out."

Gendo took a deep breath to calm himself.

"The Red Bamboo did this?"

He asked Kaji stoically.

"Not exactly. A new, deadlier group using the name as a cover. Starscream called them 'Shocker.'"

"'Shocker.' I've heard that name before. The nightclub shootout. Who is this 'Starscream,' then?"

"A lieutenant of Megatron's. He was present during the ambush."

"That name again! Damn him!"

"He's been playing us for a while, Chief. What if he knew that we were tracking Shinji and intentionally tested us with the nightclub attack to find weaknesses?"

"I saw the same footage, Agent Kaji. Megatron aimed his guns at this new group too. It appears that he doesn't mind who he allies with or betrays so long as he accomplishes his plan."

"Much like myself."

Gendo mentally noted.

"Tell Prime that from this moment on, he is to concentrate all his efforts against Megatron. The Autobots did a good job against the Angels, but it is time Nerv reclaims its place as humanity's first line of defense. Evangelion Units 03-08 will see to that."

"They're sending more Eva Units?! I thought there was a treaty against that!"

"The Vatican Treaty still stands. That's why they're also sending an oversight committee to make sure that the Eva Units are only used to fight Angels and similarly sized threats."

"Forgive me, Commander. I'm grateful for reinforcements, but we can't afford to get bogged down by bureaucracy when the situation calls for quick action."

"My sentiments exactly. That's why I trust you and Agent Kaminaga with distracting them while Prof. Fuyutsuki and Col. Katsuragi cut through their red tape. You two can manage that, can't you?"

"Well… Yes, sir."

"Good. Where is Agent Kaminaga, anyway?"

"With the Autobots, sir. It appears that more hostiles are on their way."

"Perfect. The Scenario might be salvageable after all."

Elsewhere…

"Let me get this straight. After fighting this overgrown lizard for an entire day and a gravity-controlling dragon from space, you want us to keep fighting until we drop dead from either exhaustion or enemy action."

Shinji prepared himself for Asuka's eventual outburst.

"Are you kidding me?! This is 2015, not 1915!"

"Look, Asuka, we're all tired here. Be glad that you have a few minutes for yourself. Besides, now that Prime's knocked some sense into Godzilla, you won't have to do anything heavy."

Cliffjumper reasoned.

Asuka looked uneasily at the now-docile Shin Godzilla.

"It just wrecked half the city and killed hundreds of people, including our comrades-in-arms. You're okay with just letting it live after that?"

"All the more reason to not antagonize him further."

Prime spoke authoritatively.

"'Him?' How do you know that it's a 'he?'"

Asuka asked Prime.

"I know it sounds outlandish, but for a brief moment I saw his consciousness, his memories, his soul. If my vision and reasoning are correct, the knowledge that he caused all those deaths will hurt him more than anything our weapons will ever achieve."

"Machines and animals have souls? You learn something new everyday."

Asuka sarcastically grumbled.

Fortunately for the others, she was self-conscious enough to keep it to a low whisper.

"I heard that."

Ratchet spoke.

"What are you talking about? I didn't say anything."

Asuka blurted out, rather unconvincingly.

"Yeah, I heard it too."

Wheeljack suddenly stood up with guns drawn, as did the other Autobots.

It quickly dawned on Asuka that they weren't reacting to her sarcasm.

A faint, but steadily louder hum of electricity buzzed over where Ghidorah had met his explosive demise!

"I knew it was too easy."

Ironhide grumbled as loaded his Scatter Blaster shotgun.

Suddenly, a flurry of lightning bolts exploded out of the sky and struck the smoldering crater, kicking up dust and debris!

A familiar golden figure shone through the smoke!

King Ghidorah had resurrected himself!

But a shocking new detail appeared on his chest!

A red orb!

"Pattern blue confirmed!"

Hyuga screamed.

"It's an Angel!"

To be continued…

Chapter 19: Invisible Challengers

Chapter Text

Tokyo-3, "Red Earth." September 7th, 2015…

“Pattern blue confirmed!”

Hyuga screamed.

“It’s an Angel!”

“We can’t seem to catch a break, can we?”

Misato grumbled.

“All hands, battle stations!”

“Like we ever left!”

Jazz grumbled as he vaulted to the top of an auto cannon turret platform with his grappling hook.

He opened fire on Ghidorah with a photon burst rifle, allowing the turret to follow his shots with higher caliber rounds!

To his dismay, Ghidorah’s brand new A.T. Field blocked all his firepower.

“Figures.”

Ghidorah quickly turned one of his heads at Jazz!

“Scrap!”

Jazz cursed as he jumped and grappled to another platform just as a lightning-infused gravity shattered his vantage point and sent its debris flying!

“Can someone please tell me how the frag did Ghidorah become an Angel?!”

Bumblebee wondered out loud as the rest of the Autobots scattered to safer locations.

“He didn’t ‘become’ an Angel. From the looks of things, the Angel took on Ghidorah’s form!”

Ratchet hypothesized over comms as he healed Jazz with his Energon Repair Ray.

“Aoba, play back the footage of the dragon’s arrival. I think Ratchet might be right.”

Misato ordered.

“Replaying Footage now.”

Aoba relayed.

The screens displayed satellite footage of Ghidorah’s meteorite casing entering the upper atmosphere.

As Godzilla’s atomic breath struck the meteorite, a peculiar cloud appeared to be sucked into the fireball that materialized into Ghidorah’s familiar form.

“Wait. Right there. Where did that cloud come from?”

Misato asked the technicians.

“Weather was supposed to be clear today.”

Hyuga reported.

“That’s our Angel, Bardiel.”

Maya read off the Magi supercomputer’s report.

“It merged with the monster during atmospheric entry. Ingenious.”

Ritsuko whispered.

By now, the seasoned scientist had seen too many things that broke all known laws of scientific knowledge.

“Well, if it chose Ghidorah, it chose poorly! Godzilla! Give this Angel a Royal welcome!”

Ironhide bellowed.

The Heavy Weapons Autobot then released a barrage of missiles and machine gunfire at Ghidorah to limited success.

Godzilla, now with Dr. Goro Maki’s consciousness and intelligence, obliged with another violet Atomic Breath!

Unfortunately, Ghidorah was now wise to Godzilla’s attacks and deflected the heat ray back at him with his A.T. Field, along with some gravity beams for good measure!

The combination attack knocked Godzilla backwards into another weapons platform, which detonated underneath him and propelled him forward for another beating!

Ghidorah proceeded to blast Godzilla in a rather…

…sensitive place.

Dr. Maki internally screamed, as did every male watching the melee.

“It’s a good thing he doesn’t reproduce like most organics, otherwise that would have really humiliating…”

Ratchet snarked.

“…aside from the excruciating pain, of course.”

“Is it just me, or was he much better when he didn’t have self-control?”

Agent Shinji Kaminaga asked no one in particular.

Godzilla hissed at the Angel/dragon hybrid for its insult!

"BIDIBIDIBIDIBIDIBIDIBIDIBIDI!"

It seemed to laugh at him.

"AAAYEEEEEOOOOOOUUUUUUUGH!"

Godzilla roared as Energon crystals materialized on his back!

Tapping into all his energy and rage, he fired a Red-Blue-Violet Spiral Atomic Ray at Ghidorah!

Ghidorah countered with A.T. Field-enhanced Gravity Beams!

To everyone’s shock, six additional beams assisted Ghidorah!

The beams canceled each other in a massive explosion!

When the smoke cleared, six avian monsters with bladed arms appeared beside Ghidorah.

“Who are these guys?!”

An exasperated Asuka asked.

“Gigan! Prepare for close-quarters combat!”

Prime answered.

“They cloned him?! What sort of maniac decided to clone him?!”

Wheeljack complained loudly.

“You flatter me, Autobot.”

A vaguely sinister voice announced.

A red avian monster, slightly taller than its dark blue doppelgängers, descended from the clouds.

“Did that thing just talk-“

“‘That thing’ is a rather demeaning form of address. But I suppose that’s in-character for you, Asuka.”

Asuka was now rendered speechless- and disturbed- by the alien monster’s familiarity.

“You see, Asuka and I have a history. In my home universe, her parents tore my arms off and blew off my head! Twice!”

It gestured wildly with its bladed arms.

“But now you have no Ultras and no parents to save you now. Only those techno-organic mockeries of Kaiju-kind. Let’s see how well they fare against the best.”

Gigan extended his blade arms, revealing them to be long-bladed whip swords!

Likewise, his clones revved their chainsaw arm blades and charged at Godzilla and the Evas!

“That’s my cue!”

Kaminaga mentally noted as he raised his Beta Capsule to the sky and pressed its button.

“SHUWATCH!”

A giant shining silver hand enveloped Kaminaga’s human form and extended towards the sky to reveal a shimmering red and silver humanoid alien towering over the city!

“Ultraman?! Here?! Impossible!”

Gigan screeched.

“You didn’t notice Zone Fighter earlier? I suppose I overestimated the abilities of a Kaiju created by giant roaches.”

Ultraman taunted.

“Damn you! I’ll slice you into chaff for that!”

A blue Gigan let loose an Eye beam!

Ultraman countered with a Spacium Beam from his right arm, which instantly destroyed his head!

Gigan Rex, the leader in red, unfurled his whip swords at Ultraman, who evaded and returned fire with a Ultra Slash Halo!

Another Gigan clone took the attack for its master and two others charged at Ultraman with their blades!

Suddenly, a Gravity beam struck one of the Gigans!

“What?! Ghidorah, what are you doing?!”

Gigan Rex bellowed to his apparent betrayer.

Ghidorah let loose a volley of Gravity beams at both Gigan and Eva units!

Observing this, Prime ordered:

“All forces! Charge at Ghidorah! The Angel considers Gigan a threat too! We’ll use that to our advantage!”

The Evas and Autobots charged at the three-headed draconic Angel, avoiding clouds of flying debris crashing around them!

Gigan Rex watched in frustration as his clone army threw themselves into the whirlwind and were promptly deconstructed by beams, bullets, and parts of buildings.

“Stupid drones! Fine, I’ll kill you all myself! Starting with you, Ghidorah!”

Gigan folded his whip swords back into blades and darted towards his former ally.

“Hey! We’re not done yet!”

Ultraman taunted, flying after him.

But before the Giant of Light could catch up to him, Gigan Rex attracted and absorbed the shattered cores of his clone army and let loose a much stronger eye beam than before!

Ghidorah, once again, had learned from his past mistakes.

With one head, he seized Unit-00, which had tried to hack away at his necks with a Gigan clone’s dropped chainsaw, and used it to block Gigan Rex’s attack!

“ AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!”

Rei screamed loudly in pain over the comms.

“Rei! Asuka, save her!”

Shinji beckoned.

“I can’t! The other two heads are still blasting us! They’re not giving up!”

Indeed, Units 01 and 02 were still withering under the constant barrage of gravity beams and smashed debris.

Fortunately, Ultraman tackled Gigan Rex out of the sky and sent him crashing into the city below!

The Giant of Light regained footing and braced himself for a vicious melee!

Gigan Rex smirked deviously as he revved up his central buzzsaw!

“Well, look who’s eager to die! Tell your friends to go easy on Ghidorah, will you? Going by your sense of justice, I shall kill him last, as a traitor deserves.”

“Tempting, but you’re still forgetting one more combatant.”

“SCREE!”

Mothra chirped as she swooped down dramatically behind Ultraman.

“Same to you.”

A giant Beetle monster suddenly flew down behind Gigan Rex!

“Megalon?!”

“Now it’s even! Come, Ultraman!”

As the pairs clashed, Shinji and Asuka rushed towards Unit-00 to check on Rei.

To their horror, Unit-00 now stood in an unnerving gait.

“Rei?! Are you alright? Speak to us!”

“Stay back!”

Rei suddenly screamed.

“Rei?”

Unit-00 began to glow gold.

“I am no longer the Angel of Lightning nor the tool of invaders.”

Rei spoke in a voice that was half hers.

“I am now the King in Yellow. All who oppose me will be driven to despair! Then, destruction!”

Realizing what had happened, a shocked and speechless Shinji could only wonder,

“What would Hongo-sensei do in this situation?”

Somewhere outside Tokyo-3, "Red Earth."

“Mind telling me why we left our friends in the middle of a Monster Mash?”

Hayato asked Hongo over the roar of their motorcycles, the Twin Cyclones.

“I suspect Gigan and Megalon’s controllers are based nearby. Besides, Ultraman’s a skilled fighter and I still don’t think Midorikawa-san would appreciate having an entire city ogle her.”

“Oh, I don’t mind. Hayato, on the other hand…”

Midorikawa teased Hayato, who uncomfortably changed the subject.

“Ahem. Anyway, Hongo, got any ideas on where their secret evil base might be located?”

“Well, seeing as those Shocker goons dressed up as Red Bamboo guerrillas, I say we look at recent Takahashi Syndicate hideouts.”

“Our usual suspects are working together? Heh. Not surprising. You’d need a pretty big warehouse or abandoned ruin to house those men and weapons.”

Hayato chimed.

“We can rule out Odawara. Prime and the Autobots already cleared it.”

Midorikawa reminded the Riders.

“There’s a nearby scrap yard where they could’ve escaped through before Prime’s raid. Let’s start there.”

The Riders and Witchblade bearer soon arrived at a recently-destroyed checkpoint.

The remains of the security guards were still strewn about the wreckage.

“They didn’t even try to make it look like a Godzilla rampage.”

Hongo gritted his teeth.

“We’re in the right place. Let’s go to work.”

The Twin Cyclones rammed the gate at full speed!

The wind automatically activated the Riders’ belts, enveloping them in armor!

Machine gun turrets immediately opened fire on the Riders!

However, they were silenced by mysterious blasts!

“We’re late to the party!”

Asuka Midorikawa snarked as she vaulted off the Cyclone 2 and transformed.

The Riders did likewise as the motorcycles came to an automatic stop.

The trio were met by a familiar figure in magenta armor!

“Oh, not you again!”

Hayato groaned.

“Don’t mind me. I’m just passing through. Honestly, I’m just here to keep Kaito out of trouble.”

“Mr. Phantom Thief is here, too? What are you two up to?”

“He’ll be here in a minute.”

The magenta Rider readied his gun.

Suddenly, he off-handedly shot a soldier who fled out of a nearby hidden trapdoor!

The hapless trooper collapsed and reverted into a gray reptilian alien!

“Were you going to shoot me?!”

A voice asked from beneath the trapdoor.

“Kaito, you shot me in the face once.”

“We were armored! And you were going insane!”

“Still hurts, Kaito!”

“Okay, okay. I’m going up!”

A Rider in cyan armor appeared from the trapdoor.

“Well, this is embarrassing. I’m a thief, not a kidnapper.”

“Clearly, you haven’t been in the espionage circuit. Who’s the package?”

Hongo asked.

“Miss Ayanami, was it? You can come up now.”

“Wait. What?!”

Midorikawa did a double-take.

Sure enough, Rei Ayanami, pilot of Evangelion Unit-00, walked up behind the cyan Rider.

She was dressed in a black plugsuit, not her usual white one.

“Miss, I’m Daiki Kaito, also known as Kamen Rider Diend. This pink fellow over here is-”

“I’m magenta!”

“-magenta fellow is Tsukasa Kadoya, also known as Kamen Rider Decade. This is Kamen Rider One, Takeshi Hongo. Kamen Rider Two, Hayato Ichimonji. And Hayato’s wife, Asuka Midorikawa.”

Kaito properly introduced everyone.

“Thank you all.”

Rei stoically replied.

After a moment of processing, Hayato asked the most obvious question.

“Wait, if Rei’s here, who the hell’s piloting Unit-00?!”

“Unit-00? You mean there’s more of those giant robots?”

Kaito earnestly asked, alarming the other Riders.

“Kaito, are you sure that’s the real Rei Ayanami?”

“Yes. Miss Ayanami, blink.”

Rei blinked.

“See? She’s not an alien.”

“Was there anything else down there besides Rei?”

Tsukasa asked.

“Yeah, there were blueprints for some giant robot thing. Apparently, it's supposed to arrive in Tokyo within an hour.”

“Tokyo-3?”

Hongo asked.

“No, just Tokyo. What, there’s three Tokyos here?!”

A confused Kaito replied.

It was now apparent that he and Tsukasa had only recently arrived on Red Earth.

“Sky Lynx, this is Hongo. Get us to Old Tokyo. Now!”

“What happened, Hongo?”

“This Giant Monster Battle, it’s a smokescreen!”

Back in downtown Tokyo-3…

“Geothermal Napalm Bullets!”

“Slash Beam!”

Ultraman and Megalon fired dart-like projectiles at each other, which collided and exploded in mid-air!

At the same time, Mothra and Gigan flew across the skies, dodging each other’s attacks!

“Damned insect! I wish to fight Ultraman, not you!”

Gigan hissed.

“You’re right. Having a cockroach fight a butterfly would be unfair.”

Mothra telepathically taunted.

“RRAGH!”

Gigan yelled in anger as he unleashed a pair of flying saw blades at Mothra!

Mothra dodged, then charged straight at Gigan!

“Die!”

He blasted her with his Eye Beam causing her to apparently burst into flame!

Gigan smirked at his kill…

…only for his shurikens to return.

The blades slashed the avian Kaiju, instantly beheading him!

To add injury to insult, Mothra redirected the intercepted energy from Gigan’s Eye Beam back at his body, blowing it to pieces!

“One down, two to go.”

Ultraman muttered.

Suddenly, the Color Timer on his chest began to blink red!

“It’s over, Ultraman! Beast Killer Light Ray!”

Megalon telepathically taunted as he let loose an electric beam from his head!

Ultraman countered with his Spacium Beam, once again!

However, he quickly lowered all but two fingers on his right hand!

“Colorium Beam!”

Ultraman shouted as an enhanced, multi-colored Spacium Beam shot out from his right hand and collided with Megalon’s beam!

“This…isn’t…OVERRRR!”

Megalon roared as the Colorium Beam overtook his Light Ray and disintegrated his upper body!

His lifeless legs fell to the ground and exploded.

Ultraman sighed as he reverted back to Agent Kaminaga.

Ratchet quickly swooped in and evacuated him.

“I’ve done my best for now, Ratchet. If I had arrived during daylight-”

“You did a good job, Ultraman. You took care of Megalon and Gigan, that’s two threats down.”

“How’s the rest of our group doing?”

“Ghidorah’s possessed Rei. He infected her Evangelion Unit with a lethal cocktail of his and the Angel’s cells. I can’t think of a way we can kill Ghidorah without potentially harming her.”

“Where’s Zone Fighter?”

“Zone Fighter and Omega Supreme are receiving the new Evangelion units sent here from the States. Apparently, one of them malfunctioned on the way here, and Nerv feared that it might be an enemy action.”

“After that ambush, I’d be surprised if it wasn’t enemy action!”

Ratchet abruptly braked to a halt.

“Wait. What’s Godzilla doing?”

To the Autobot’s horror, Godzilla suddenly blasted Units 01 and 02 with atomic beams from its mouth and tail!

The energon crystals on his back disappeared while the Evangelions suddenly grew Godzilla-esque tails and dorsal fins in a grotesque transformation!

Exhausted and unfazed, Kaminaga could only grimly mutter,

“Gendo’s going to be pissed.”

To be continued…

Chapter 20: Ship of Theseus

Chapter Text

Tokyo-3, "Red Earth." September 7th, 2015.

Earlier, from Rei’s perspective…

“All forces! Charge at Ghidorah! The Angel considers Gigan a threat too! We’ll use that to our advantage!”

Following Prime’s lead, Rei watched as the Gigan clones rushed mindlessly after her and into Ghidorah’s gravity beams!

One hapless Gigan clone behind her had its chainsaw hand shorn off by another’s chest saw!

Seeing the disembodied weapon float towards her, she grabbed it and hop-skotched across several floating buildings to lob off one of Ghidorah’s heads!

Unfortunately, her intended target had gotten wiser to his opponents’ tricks!

The draconic Angel bit her Unit by the shin as she descended!

It then whirled its head around, using her as a shield!

“ AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!”

Rei screamed loudly in pain as Gigan Rex’s beam scorched her Evangelion Unit!

The Silver Giant fighting Gigan suddenly tackled him, ending her pain!

But it was too late.

Rei had passed out from the intensity of Gigan Rex’s compound beam attack.

When she reopened her eyes, something felt off.

Very off.

For starters, it seemed that she was no longer in her Evangelion unit.

Instead, she stood in an endless ocean of LCL, that oxygenated liquid within the Evangelions that unnervingly resembled blood.

She now wore a new black plugsuit instead of her usual white one.

Rei had never emoted much, but even she gasped in shock when she saw the doppelganger standing across from her.

The other Rei wore her usual white plugsuit, now criss-crossed with disturbing vein-like lines that glowed yellow!

“Rei?! Are you alright? Speak to us!”

She heard Shinji yell from afar.

“Stay back!”

She warned him.

In a split-second, the other Rei dashed at her and seized her by the throat.

“I am no longer the Angel of Lightning nor the tool of invaders!”

The other Rei declared in a demonic voice.

“I am now the King in Yellow. All who oppose me will be driven to despair! Then, destruction!”

The demonic Rei viciously threw the original into the LCL, attempting to drown her!

Rei struggled to break free, only to feel herself blacking out again!

Suddenly, a loud gunshot rang out!

BANG!

Rei awoke once more, now under an unfamiliar ceiling!

As she analyzed her surroundings, she realized that she was lying in a ruined laboratory, in a puddle of LCL from a shattered glass tank.

“Was all that just a dream?”

She quickly clothed herself with a nearby black plugsuit, like the one in her nightmare, and closely inspected the laboratory.

“This isn’t Nerv HQ. Where am I?”

She hesitantly opened the door of the lab room, peering out the corner.

“Intruder! Secure the-”

BANG!

A voice shouted outside before being swiftly cut down by another gunshot!

Rei quickly ducked back into the room as more gunshots rang out!

She closed the door, toppled over a table, and picked up a shard of glass for defense!

Suddenly, the door burst open with a loud explosion!

BOOM!

A charred figure flew across the room, landing beside Rei!

Realizing the reptilian features on the corpse, a surprised Rei accidentally revealed her presence.

“Excuse me, miss?”

She pointed her glass shard at the direction of the voice.

Rei meekly realized that her weapon was worthless when she saw that the man who spoke was clad in bright cyan armor and carried a concerningly-oversized firearm.

“You wouldn’t happen to know of any valuable items within this underground base, would you?”

The man asked a strange question.

“I do not.”

“Huh. Well, this is awkward, but long story short, I’m extracting you from this base.”

“Extracting?”

“I thought I was stealing a giant robot labeled ‘Unit-04’ based on my instructions. But seeing as this base is too small and you’re wearing some sorta flight suit labeled ‘04,’ I’m going to assume that you’re the package I’ve been hired to ‘steal.’”

“That sounds… logical. I am Evangelion Pilot Rei Ayanami. You are-?”

“Over there!”

Another voice interrupted.

“Damn it!”

The cyan man opened fire with his energy rifle, killing more reptilian guards!

“Follow me, miss! And keep your head down!”

Rei, by now realizing that she didn’t have a choice in the matter, did as told.

The cyan man eventually shot his way to a narrow passageway.

The last remaining opponent fled up a ladder towards a trapdoor entrance, where another gun silenced him.

The cyan man motioned for Rei to stop.

“Were you going to shoot me?!”

He shouted upwards at his apparent ally.

“Kaito, you shot me in the face once.”

The ally responded, somewhat snarkily.

“We were armored! And you were going insane!”

The cyan man, now identified as Kaito, justified himself.

“Still hurts, Kaito!”

Kaito turned towards Rei.

“Ah, he’s fun once you get to know him.”

He whispered.

“What kind of friends would shoot each other in the face if the situation demanded it?”

Rei wondered.

Then she remembered the other Rei.

And Shinji.

“Who was that ‘other me?’ Can Ikari bring himself to shoot her? Will he know what I truly am?”

Rei winced at the thought of causing Shinji more pain.

Sensing discomfort, Kaito announced,

“Okay, okay. I’m going up!”

He moved up the trapdoor entrance first.

“Well, this is embarrassing. I’m a thief, not a kidnapper.”

“Clearly, you haven’t been in the espionage circuit. Who’s the package?”

She overheard him talking with a different ally this time.

“Miss Ayanami, was it? You can come up now.”

Rei climbed up after Kaito’s cue.

“Miss, I’m Daiki Kaito, also known as Kamen Rider Diend. This pink fellow over here is-”

“I’m magenta!”

“-magenta fellow is Tsukasa Kadoya, also known as Kamen Rider Decade. This is Kamen Rider One, Takeshi Hongo. Kamen Rider Two, Hayato Ichimonji. And Hayato’s wife, Asuka Midorikawa.”

Kaito properly introduced everyone.

Rei stared at the other armored men, and the outlandishly-”armored” woman.

“Midorikawa? Wasn’t she the one who resembled-?”

“Thank you all.”

She quickly uttered, suppressing that train of thought.

“Wait, if Rei’s here, who the hell’s piloting Unit-00?!”

Hayato asked.

Rei’s eyes visibly widened.

“That bad dream… It was real?!”

“Unit-00? You mean there’s more of those giant robots?”

Kaito asked Hayato, who seemed incredulous at his question.

“Kaito, are you sure that’s the real Rei Ayanami?”

“Yes. Miss Ayanami, blink.”

Rei blinked at Kaito’s order.

“See? She’s not an alien.”

“Right. Reptiles have nictitating membranes.”

Rei recalled a science lesson she memorized some days before.

“Was there anything else down there besides Rei?”

Tsukasa asked.

“Yeah, there were blueprints for some giant robot thing. Apparently, it's supposed to arrive in Tokyo within an hour.”

“Tokyo-3?”

Hongo asked.

“No, just Tokyo. What, there’s three Tokyos here?!”

A confused Kaito replied.

“Yes. Yes, there is.”

Rei whispered to Kaito.

“Why would you need three Tokyos?”

Kaito whispered back.

“The world almost ended.”

She succinctly replied.

Kaito just gulped and remained silent as Hongo radioed for reinforcements.

“Sky Lynx, this is Hongo. Get us to Old Tokyo. Now!”

“What happened, Hongo?”

“This Giant Monster Battle, it’s a smokescreen!”

“How can a worldwide decapitation strike possibly be a smokescreen?!”

“Listen, we found Rei at the Naval Scrapyard between Tokyo-3 and Odawara!”

“How can that be?! I just saw Ghidorah infect Unit-00! It’s going berserk right now and Shinji’s refusing to fight it because he could harm Rei! You mean it was piloted by an imposter this entire time?!”

“Look, I don’t know what’s really going on here either! What I do know is that Shocker has plans for the Evangelions and that they’re willing to use the Decepticons, Ravagers, and who knows what else at their disposal to see it through!”

“Very well. I’ll be there in a minute. Sky Lynx out.”

“Professor Hongo?”

Rei asked.

“Yes, Rei?”

“Is that really you beneath that mask?”

Hongo removed his faceplate and lifted up his helmet.

“Does this answer your question?”

Rei’s eyes widened in surprise.

“You look different from when we first met. When you healed my wounds.”

Hongo smirked at Rei’s understatement.

His normal human face now had bulging black veins and red irises that punctuated his cybernetic nature!

“Yeah. Nanomachines don’t look so good when they’re mixed with grasshopper DNA. Or in your case, Ghidorah’s DNA.”

Rei gasped as she realized what had happened with her other self.

“Of course, that’s it.”

Rei’s reminder led Hongo to slowly piece together what had happened.

“That blend I gave you two weeks ago was only programmed to mend your eye and broken arm. However, nanomachines, like most things that compute, can be hacked and reprogrammed to carry out more sinister aims. The electricity in Ghidorah’s bite reactivated the nanomachines and a third party reprogrammed it to merge with your DNA. Luckily for you, someone, for some reason, backed up your true personality to the nearest clone body with similar modifications. I assume that the same person wanted us to find this hideout, with you inside, and here we are.”

Despite the convoluted explanation, Rei was surprised and relieved that Hongo had deduced her true nature.

“Clone? You mean you- you knew all this time?”

“Rei, we’re from an alternate universe where giant robot wars and alien invasions are a fact of life. Human cloning isn’t as absurd as the things we see and do on a daily basis.”

Hongo explained matter-of-factly.

“Also, the exact same thing happened to Hayato about a year ago. Long story short, Hayato botched the cloning process and forgot he was the youngest university professor in all of Japan.”

“Hey! That’s need-to-know!”

Hayato grumbled, not wanting to elaborate on his traumatic ordeal.

“She needs to know, Hayato!”

After that aside, Hongo resumed speaking to Rei, who started to wonder how Hayato became a professor in the first place.

“Anyways, it does bring up the question of why Gendo treats you better than Shinji even though your very nature makes you expendable. Is it because you look like your mother, Yui? If so, that’s disturbing.”

Rei gritted her teeth at Hongo’s insinuations, but kept it to herself.

“The more pressing question is how much do our enemies know? How long have they kept tabs on Rei?”

Midorikawa asked.

“Megatron has been plotting against Gendo ever since he gave him custody of Shinji a decade ago. Possibly even before that when he was still in our home universe. Considering Starscream’s presence earlier, I doubt that Shocker and the Ravagers can pull off feats like today’s attacks without his help.”

Hongo reasoned.

“Or maybe they want us to think it's Megatron. You’re forgetting that Shocker is a multiversal terrorist organization with a nearly infinite number of branches and iterations. It’s the primary reason why a Kamen Rider’s job is never done.”

Tsukasa reminded Hongo.

“Yeah, you’d know a lot about that, wouldn’t you, Great Leader?”

Hayato snarked.

“Ex-Leader. I don’t care what that doomsayer Narutaki says, I’m no longer the ‘Destroyer of Worlds.’”

Tsukasa defended himself.

Hayato wasn’t buying it.

“Heh. Sometimes I wonder.”

Rei stared at Tsukasa in surprise.

“You… You founded a multiversal terrorist organization?”

“Regrettably, yes. It was a misguided attempt to save the multiverse from collapsing. Yet, it succeeded. If I didn’t create Shocker, they themselves would not have accidentally created the Kamen Riders. Ironic, isn’t it?”

“An infinitely bad action with an infinitely good reaction. Basic physics.”

Tsukasa chuckled.

“Clever girl.”

Suddenly, a gray curtain-like distortion appeared in front of Tsukasa and Kaito!

“That’s our cue. Kaito, let’s get going. We wouldn’t want to keep our gracious host waiting.”

“Vector Prime had better pay me with actual treasure for this gig, or this’ll be the last time I do freelancer work!”

“The multiverse will survive. Isn’t that enough?”

“Oh please, we save the multiverse all the time.”

The duo bickered as they disappeared into the distortion.

Rei blinked twice, as if to comprehend the ridiculousness of what had transpired.

She was not alone.

“Vector Prime sent them? Well, that explains all my questions.”

“Yeah, the old bot has a habit of keeping things in the dark until it’s the right moment. I still wonder how Optimus deals with him.”

Hayato and Hongo complained, just as Sky Lynx arrived at their location.

“I hope you two have a hell of an explanation! Godzilla just killed Ghidorah! And the other Rei!”

The Dinobot announced loudly, much to the Riders’ dismay.

Downtown Tokyo-3. Around the same time…

“I am now the King in Yellow. All who oppose me will be driven to despair! Then, destruction!”

The possessed Rei bellowed as Unit-00 swung its chainsaw at Units 01 and 02!

“What the hell?! We’re on your side!”

Asuka yelled in frustration, slowly realizing that she might have to take down an ally.

“Shinji, Asuka, listen to me. The Angel that infected Ghidorah infected her, too! It’s using both of them as puppets!”

Ritsuko announced over comms.

“Then how do we disinfect her, Doc?!”

“We could try killing Ghidorah first-”

“Attempting that right now!!”

“-but there’s a chance that the damage will be reflected onto Unit-00!”

“Rei…”

“I’m sorry, Shinji. There’s nothing we can do to save Rei. At the very least, we can avenge her.”

Misato solemnly announced.

Shinji recalled the promise he made the night they defeated Ramiel.

"I'll save you, and you save me. In the end, each other's all we got."

“No! I can’t do it! I can’t hurt her!”

CHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!

Godzilla suddenly blasted Units 01 and 02 with atomic beams from its mouth and tail!

The energon crystals on his back disappeared while the Evangelions suddenly grew Godzilla-esque tails and dorsal fins in a grotesque transformation!

“ AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!”

Shinji and Asuka screamed as pain jolted through their spines!

In the midst of it all, a calm male voice mentally addressed them.

“Asuka, Shinji, I know that this is painful. But if you want to get anywhere in life, you must realize this: Sometimes you have to accept the unacceptable. Rei is gone. Ghidorah is here.”

"AAAYEEEEEOOOOOOUUUUUUUGH!"

Godzilla and the transformed Evangelion Units roared in unison.

“Internal battery power just shot up to infinity! Magi reporting logic errors!”

Aoba sounded the alarm.

“Synch Rate, A.T. Field, everything’s off the charts!”

Hyuga joined in as well.

“Ritsuko! Are Shinji and Asuka okay?!”

An alarmed Misato asked.

“Well, Maya?”

“Psychological contamination at nil for Units 01 and 02! It’s… It’s the exact opposite of Unit 00!”

The scientists were at a loss as well.

“Give…Rei…BACK!”

Shinji bellowed in primal wrath as he charged at Ghidorah!

Unit-00 ran to intercept but was pounced on by Unit-02, knocking its saw aside!

“Using his sister against him? That’s low, even for a monster.”

Asuka taunted the possessed Unit-00 in a cold rage.

Unobstructed, Shinji charged onward as Ghidorah fired his gravity beams at him in full force!

Luckily, Godzilla had also been charging his Atomic Breath!

Shinji ducked out of the way as the two titans had another beam clash!

Sensing that its main host was in danger, the possessed Unit-00 knocked Unit-02 off and blasted at it with gravity beams!

Asuka countered with her own Atomic Breath, causing yet another beam clash!

Charging his dorsal spines as well, Evangelion Unit-01 aimed at Ghidorah and unleashed its Atomic Breath!

Even now, Ghidorah was still holding fast, even though his A.T. Field began to flicker under the strain!

Suddenly, a beam from a positron rifle shot also slammed Ghidorah from behind!

The three combined beams proved too much for the draconic Angel and the A.T. Field shattered like fabric!

Ghidorah disappeared in a massive explosion which took out most of the Tokyo-3 skyline before turning into a massive cross of light!

With the Angelic threat gone, Units 00-02 reverted to their original forms and fell limp.

Godzilla, himself exhausted from the prolonged battle, collapsed onto the rubble-filled streets as well.

Later, en route to Nerv HQ….

Gendo stared silently at the screen as Fuyutsuki debriefed him on the past 24 hours of bloodshed.

Around his APC, he could see his Nerv underlings already clamoring to begin reconstruction operations.

When heard that Unit-00 showed signs of Angelic possession, he had not lost his cool.

Unit-01, however, was another story.

“Sir, we’ve successfully medevaced the pilots, though their conditions remain unknown. In the meantime, the pilot selection process for Units 03 to 05 is underway. Unit 06 has been assigned to our new reserve pilot, and Unit 08 has redeployed to recover Unit-04 from Old Tokyo.”

“What happened to Unit-04?”

“Apparently, a malfunction with its S2 engine caused it to ‘teleport’ from Nevada to here. Akagi’s crew are still making sense of it.”

“What of our guests?”

“The Autobots are assisting search and rescue efforts around the city. The Riders are chasing down leads on that Red Bamboo ambush that nearly killed Kaji and Kaminaga.”

“Good. When they’re done, tell them that they have my unconditional support to begin hunting down Megatron, alias Professor Seizo Wakamoto, along with any of his associates! I made the mistake of naming that man Shinji’s guardian all those years ago, and now he’s undone decades of work in a single day!”

“Yes, about that…”

“What happened, Professor?”

Gendo asked sternly, barely containing his rage.

“We received some conflicting reports. Our medical branch just pronounced that the pilot of Unit-00 was dead upon their arrival to the site. However, the Riders reported that they recovered someone matching Rei Ayanami’s appearance at a suspected staging ground in the Odawara-Tokyo-3 Naval Scrapyard. The report came in just after sensors in Old Tokyo detected Unit-04’s teleportation, so it was lost in the confusion for a while. You don’t suppose-?”

“We have a mole.”

Gendo curtly ended the transmission.

“No wonder he’s been two steps ahead. But who?”

He thought as he retraced his steps.

“If they knew of Rei’s true nature, it had to be someone involved with Project Eva, maybe even before Second Impact.”

“Wait. Kaji. He works with the Ministry of the Interior, doesn’t he? Didn’t Megatron have contacts with the Takahashi Syndicate, who in turn, had their contacts with the JSDF? On the other hand, didn’t Megatron try to kill Kaji in that same ambush?”

Gendo's eyes widened as he remembered the particulars of how Kaji survived the ambush.

“He was in a heavily guarded armored convoy. There’d be no way to extract information, unless of course, they attacked the convoy with brute force and made it look like he was the intended target. Kaji would barely survive, and the extent of his injuries would rule him out from suspicion.”

Gendo smirked.

“I must thank the Autobots. Their advanced technology has proven miraculous in more ways than one.”

Nerv HQ….

“We should get a chance to talk properly."

"What is there to talk about?"

"I could help you make more friends at school."

"Friends?"

"Yes, friends. You don't have to fight alone."

"But if you die, you can't be replaced."

"Then we'll fight together until our last breath! But until then, don't think about that, Rei. Think about life. Think about happiness. Smile a bit. I'll save you, and you save me. In the end, each other's all we got."

Shinji sat still, once again recalling the battle with Ramiel.

He had plucked victory from the jaws of defeat then.

Now, the bitter reality set in that such occurrences were the exception, not the norm.

“Shinji? Are you all right?”

A male voice asked.

“No, I’m not. The sister I didn’t even know I had for my entire life died just as I got to know her. How do you think I feel?!”

Shinji yelled in indignation.

To his embarrassment, he realized that he had yelled at his newest teammate.

“I’m sorry. I just… lost control. You're the new guy, Nagisa, right?”

“Just call me Kaworu. It’s nice to meet you again, Shinji.”

“Again?”

“Well, Rei did tell me about you during the last mission for the brief time that we were together.”

“Together? Oh, right. You took over my unit when I was with Asuka. What did she say about me?”

“She said that you were worthy of love, because you still believed in others despite having gone through so much trauma.”

“She really said that?”

“Yes.”

Kaworu paused, choosing his next words carefully.

“For what it’s worth, I agree.”

Shinji smiled a bit.

“You're a good friend, Kaworu.”

Kaworu smiled back.

“Thank you.”

“Shinji!”

Shinji and Kaworu turned towards Hongo, who ran towards them.

“Hongo-sensei, what’s wrong?”

Shinji asked his teacher, and was immediately answered by a strange, yet welcoming sight.

Rei Ayanami, very much alive, standing next to his Uncle Hayato and Aunt Midori.

“Rei? But how?”

“Shinji, I know this is a strange question, but was there a moment where you saw Rei in two places at once?”

Shinji suddenly realized a chilling fact.

“I… I did.”

“When?”

“When I first came to Tokyo-3. I was waiting for Misato to come pick me up, then the Angel attacked.

Before that, I tried to call my father at one of the phone booths and for a moment, I saw a girl staring at me from across the street. When I turned to look at her, she disappeared. Now that I think about it, she looked a lot like Rei. But that’s impossible, she was injured then!”

Hongo turned towards Hayato.

“I was right. Megatron cloned Rei, used the nanobots I gave her to eavesdrop, and then used Ghidorah to wipe his footprints. It’s how he’s been one step ahead.”

“Clone?”

Shinji asked, still struggling to comprehend.

“Yes, Shinji, a biological and mental copy of Rei, just like in your sci-fi anime.”

A sharply dressed middle-aged man announced, appearing from the shadows like a phantom!

“Professor Hongo, I highly advise you keep any conspiratorial theories to yourself. Some things are not meant for young ears. Otherwise, please notify Prime that he now has unanimous approval from the higher-ups for whatever measures he has planned to combat Megatron as well as this Shocker syndicate ambushing our convoys.”

“And you are-?”

Hongo questioned the newcomer, who proceeded to reveal his badge.

“Kimio Tamura, Commander of the S-class Species Suppression Protocol. We’re here to deliver new Evangelion Units to Nerv Japan, ensure that they only be used to fight against Angels and similar threats, and free our extraterrestrial friends to fight unfriendly extraterrestrials. Also, we’re formally disbanding Section 2 and replacing it with ourselves, so you answer to me now, not Commander Ikari.”

“I don’t think the Commander would appreciate that last part.”

Hayato sarcastically warned Tamura.

“I’m aware of his personality flaws. Fortunately, they don’t seem to be genetic.”

Tamura turned to Shinji.

“Your compassion for your fellow pilots is admirable, Shinji. That said, miracles like this won’t always happen. Try as you might, you will lose comrades in the line of duty. Accept that sordid fact, and it might dull the pain enough for you to endure it.”

“I-I understand, sir.”

“At ease, soldier. Pilot Ayanami?”

“Yes, sir?”

“Do you recall anything from the base you were kept in?”

“No, sir. I only recall the moment of my rescue. Before that, I thought that I was piloting Unit-00.”

“I see. I’m afraid that we have to bench you for the time being, as security protocol demands. Considering that Unit-00 is beyond repair, and Unit-04’s status is questionable, it’s for the best.”

“Understood, Commander Tamura.”

“Good. The rest of you, take a break. You’ve been at it for, what, 48 hours straight? I don’t recommend falling asleep in the middle of combat.”

“Yes, sir!”

Hayato saluted and stood at attention.

“By the way, Commander, if you don’t mind me asking? Do you know a man named Kotaro Minami?”

“I don’t recall anyone by that name. Why do you ask?”

“You remind me of him.”

Tamura smirked.

“Must be another sharply-dressed bureaucrat. Heaven knows we need more of those.”

Nerv HQ, Gendo’s office….

“I do not understand why the Committee thinks that the Supreme Commander of Nerv requires a babysitter.”

Gendo was, once again, in a teleconference with Chairman Lorenz.

Their Committee had seen better days, to say the least.

“Due to the severity of the last extraterrestrial attack, the remaining members of the Committee for Human Instrumentality have had to be replaced. Consider yourself lucky, Ikari. If our present situation hadn’t whittled down our numbers, you would meet the same fate as Cassin for your incompetence!”

Gendo gritted his teeth, remembering how his American counterpart was punished for unwittingly creating Godzilla.

“The public, for once, is rightfully afraid of these new beings and their capability to strike accurately and mercilessly. Nerv needs expanded powers to counter these changing threats and the SSSP is the only way to get it past those bureaucrats obsessed with accountabilities and balances!”

Gendo internally chuckled at Lorenz’s inherent hypocrisy.

“Without further ado, I would like to introduce you to our future acquaintances: Sir Adam DeCobray, representing France; Sir James McCullen representing the United Kingdom; Baroness Anastasia Cisarovna, representing Russia; and Mr. Thomas Arashikage, representing the United States.”

Gendo seemed unimpressed with his new colleagues.

Two of them were wearing masks, and the other two seemed too young for their stations.

“In case you were wondering, the masks are for extra confidentiality. Megatron might be an alien robot warlord, but he has a surprising number of dedicated followers after his revelation of our existence.”

McCullen announced.

“Indeed, he has proven to be quite the nuisance. Prime has an unresolved vendetta against him. That’s the only path where I won’t obstruct him.”

Gendo declared.

“For now our paths align. But don’t let your guard down with Prime. He might decide that he’s better off trusting the enemy he knows than the ally he doesn’t.”

The Baroness warned.

“He won’t. He still cares for my son.”

Gendo replied.

“Last I checked, that was the one thing they might agree on. Our plans stand on the precipice of defeat because you wouldn’t lift a finger to properly raise your son! And you wonder why you need a babysitter.”

DeCobray scolded Gendo, who raged internally.

Lorenz noticed this and redirected the conversation.

“Enough mockery! Ikari, I expect you to treat the SSSP with proper respect and eliminate Megatron. Mr. Arashikage, what do the American intelligence agencies say about this Shocker group?”

“They’ve absorbed the remaining Red Bamboo and Takahashi Syndicate members that Megatron didn’t kill or co-opt. Disturbingly, this isn’t the first time that they’ve been increasing their numbers by infiltrating and assimilating rival criminal organizations. They got a head start during the immediate aftermath of Second Impact and have laid low ever since.”

“And we haven’t heard of them until now?!”

“Cassin did more damage than mutating Dr. Maki into a dinosaur, sir.”

“Damn him! Ikari, I understand that your sister-in-law and her husband have combat experience against this group. Let them do as they please, as the good doctor once said.”

“I understand, Chairman.”

“This meeting is adjourned.”

As the holograms switched off, Gendo still fumed at DeCobray’s taunting.

“How dare he humiliate me in front of the Committee! A snake such as him will be stomped on soon enough!”

New Decepticon Base, Okinawa…

“Good job, Starscream.”

Starscream stared at Megatron as if he grew a second head.

“Did you just compliment me? Without a hint of sarcasm?”

“Unlike your other responsibilities, I can consistently rely on you to provoke murderous rage.”

“There it is.”

A relieved Starscream muttered.

“But why have me, Skywarp, Thundercracker, and Nightbird impersonate the leaders of Cobra when we could hire the real thing ourselves?”

“Convenience, Starscream. Also, the last time Cobra opposed Shocker, it ended badly for them. They only survived because we let them plunder Blue Cosmos and keep the treasure. Honestly, they deserve to rest on their laurels after that.”

“Never thought I’d see you compliment a human faction either. Did anything get lost during the cloning process?”

“Starscream, let me ask you a rhetorical question: If you replace all the parts of a ship over time, is it still the same ship?”

“Physically, no. Symbolically, yes.”

“Exactly. The humans call it the ‘Ship of Theseus’ paradox, after one of their mythological heroes. If I look like Megatron and act like Megatron, then who am I?”

“Megatron.”

“Remember that, Starscream. It just might save your life one day.”

To be continued…

Chapter 21: Our Worlds are in Danger

Chapter Text

Tokyo-3, "Red Earth." September 13th, 2015…

"As we're all aware, the last couple of days have been a completely unprecedented disaster."

Commander Tamura announced to the assembled Nerv staff.

"In addition to Tokyo-3, Five capital cities have been destroyed. Hundreds of thousands of people dead, trillions of dollars in damages, and to top it off, we're down five Eva units!"

"Excuse me, sir, but five units? I thought we only lost one!"

A confused Hyuga asked loudly.

"Unit-00 is a complete write-off; Provisional Unit-05 blew itself up, taking out a rogue Experimental Unit Alpha with it; Unit-04 is still undergoing inspection after it randomly teleported itself halfway across the planet, and Unit-07 is being mass-produced in China in anticipation of another giant monster invasion. Have I left anything out?!"

Tamura threw an overstuffed folder to Misato to emphasize his point.

The newly promoted Colonel skimmed through the documents inside.

"This is the first time I've heard of Unit-05, what happened there?"

"Experimental Unit Alpha, which was testing the new Dummy Plug autopilot system, went berserk. Unit-05 was the closest available battle-ready unit, and engaged Alpha. The result? Mutual destruction! I must commend your pilots for their reckless waste of resources!"

"I'm sure Ms. Makinami had the best intentions, given the circumstances and limitations of her Unit."

"Or maybe she's just plain bloodthirsty. In the meantime, Pilot Makinami has been reassigned to Unit-08. Experimental Unit Beta will take up the mantle of Evangelion Unit-05, and the Jet Alone will receive a long-range support unit, the Trident."

"Do we have pilots assigned for the new Units yet?"

Tamura handed over another folder, this one considerably thinner.

Misato read through and stared back at Tamura in shock.

"Why are you so surprised?"

Tamura asked.

"They're already good friends, aren't they?"

Sometime later. Elsewhere in Nerv HQ…

"Rei's a clone?! I mean, the one we've known this whole time?!"

Bumblebee asked Shinji, who meekly shrugged.

"That would explain why she survived her Unit's destruction, and how Megatron's been one step ahead of us."

Ratchet reasoned.

"Professor Hongo and Uncle Hayato told me how they found her at the scrapyard, surrounded by that Gigan creature's controllers. I'm still trying to make sense of it all, but at least Rei's okay."

"Is she though?"

Jazz asked.

"She doesn't seem any different."

Cliffjumper chimed in.

"If this clone of Rei looks and acts like the original, then for all intents and purposes, Rei is still alive."

Prime spoke up.

"That said, we should focus on more pressing matters. I fear that this lull in activity is merely Megatron refining whatever's he planned. The fact that Commander Tamura is using this time to reorganize Nerv instead of rearming our defenses also concerns me."

"A little breather wouldn't hurt after that mess of a battle. Besides, Prime, I got a good feeling about this Tamura fella. Unlike Gendo, he'll probably give us more leeway to take down the 'Cons."

"Always lookin' on the bright side, aren't you, Ironhide?"

Prime smiled at his old friend's optimism.

"By the way, Optimus, doesn't Tamura look a lot like-"

"He might resemble Kotaro Minami and may very well be this universe's version of him. That doesn't mean he is exactly like the Kotaro we know."

"Who's Kotaro? A friend of yours?"

Shinji asked.

"He's a compatriot of your uncle and aunt."

Prime paused to reflect, then began to explain.

"In fact, he's a lot like myself."

"More than you realize, Prime."

Megatron suddenly announced over the comms!

The Autobots recoiled immediately.

"He's been listening to us this whole time?!"

Shinji gasped.

"Of course, Shinji. If Gendo kept an eye on you, why shouldn't I, your adopted father, do the same?"

"Is that why you cloned Rei? So you can keep track of Shinji and strain his emotions to the breaking point so he turns out just like you?!"

Prime verbally countered.

Megatron only chuckled.

"Did you hear that, Gendo? I told you Kaji wasn't my contact."

"Wait, what?! Megatron, what have you done?!"

A panicked Optimus pleaded.

Nerv HQ scrambled into full alert.

"Where's the source of that transmission?!"

Misato ordered.

"One of our defense satellites! It's being used to broadcast straight to the Magi!"

Hyuga relayed.

"Bring up the feed!"

Slowly, a familiar metallic face filled the screen.

"Megatron!"

"I hope you've had a nice break. I expect you at your best."

Megatron grinned.

The camera panned over to a shuttle that Starscream was holding at gunpoint!

"That's the Commander's shuttle! He and Deputy Commander Fuyutsuki were supposed to be in Antarctica for a Second Impact Memorial!"

Ritsuko alerted everyone.

"You've got to be kidding me."

Misato muttered.

"I give you my word that I won't kill Gendo and Fuyutsuki. I only want them, as well as all of you, to view this next act."

Megatron pointed offscreen.

The feed changed to a shot of the Moon where a fleet of Ravager ships warped in!

"More aliens?"

Ritsuko asked.

"Another invasion?!"

Aoba wondered loudly.

"Attention, Earthlings! We-"

The Ravager announcer, a humanoid reptile, paused as he apparently noticed Megatron's presence.

"I apologize for any misunderstanding, but this planet is already under the control of the Decepticon Empire. Please leave."

Megatron calmly announced back.

"But, Lord Megatron, we were invited here on behalf of the Decepticon Empire! Shockwave announced your demise!"

"Oh, did he now? Shockwave is an usurper, and if you're here on his behalf, then I'm afraid that I must ensure your complete destruction."

"There's only two of you! You won't stand a chance against our entire fleet!"

The Ravager announcer brashly boasted.

"When did I specify that only Starscream and I were going to kill you?"

Megatron coyly replied.

"Pattern Blue detected! Angel approaching lunar orbit!"

Maya alerted.

The Angel Sahaquiel, resembling a giant eyeball with wings, battered through the Ravager fleet, destroying dozens of ships in an instant!

"What is that?! Argh!"

"Fire! Fire Every-aagh!"

As panicked screaming flooded into the Ravager mothership, The Controller tried to salvage the situation.

"Redirect forces to the rear! Deploy all-"

He was cut off when a railgun mounted on a Nerv defense satellite fired a N-2 bomb directly into the bridge.

BOOM!

"You'd think he'd disable the defense satellites before his big speech or at least move his ship out of the line of fire."

Starscream chided the late Controller.

"He was more worried about us, Starscream. Prove him right."

Starscream smirked.

"As you command, Lord Megatron."

With the Angel's momentum stalled by the exploding ships and N-2 bombs, Starscream charged forward at Sahaquiel, weaving through projectiles and debris!

He transformed into robot mode and to the astonishment of everyone watching, pried open Sahaquiel's AT Field!

"To tell you the truth…"

The Decepticon Air Commander smirked as he charged his null rays for the kill!

"… I envy you."

CHOOM!

A beam sliced through Sahaquiel's core, causing it to explode!

The Autobots and Nerv staff stared in stunned silence at Starscream's impossible feat!

"How-How the scrap did Starscream even manage that?!"

Cliffjumper wondered.

The feed returned to Megatron and the shuttle.

"Remember Starscream's introduction to this world, Prime? It wasn't a one-off freak accident. Merging with an Angel was all according to plan. In fact, we defeated another one a few moments before our chat began."

"You've defeated two Angels? You're definitely bluffing."

Prime retorted.

"Allow me to elaborate. I was able to detour Gendo's trip because when I had Soundwave hack your human friends' systems, he discovered an Angel in the form of a techno-organic virus. Of course, it stood no chance against our patented Reverse Evolution Virus."

"Ritsuko! Maya! Check to see if he's bluffing!"

Misato ordered.

"I don't believe it! There's another firewall buried into the Magi's programming! It's-It's unlike anything I've ever seen!"

An awestruck Ritsuko exclaimed.

"Such primitive human technology should have been easy to crack. So how come it wasn't? Prime, is there something you want to tell your friends?"

Megatron taunted.

"Optimus? What does he mean by that?"

Misato asked.

"On our arrival here, I had Ratchet plant an Autobot security program onto the Magi to prevent Decepticon cyberattacks. The combination of the Angel virus and the Reverse Evolution virus must have compromised it."

Prime confessed.

"You hacked the Magi first?!"

Ritsuko yelled, betrayed.

"It was supposed to prevent this very incident from happening!"

Ratchet defended Prime.

"No, Ratchet. She's right to be upset. I undermined her trust."

Prime hung his head in shame.

"I undermined everyone's trust."

Of course, Megatron relished in his rival's angst.

"Oh, don't act so high and mighty, Prime. Even if you had asked, Gendo wouldn't have trusted you anyway."

Megatron began charging his fusion cannon.

"Don't worry, you won't have that problem anymore."

Prime's optics widened.

"No. Primus, no!"

Optimus shouted as Megatron fired on the shuttle, destroying it instantly!

At this point, even Tamura, who had been observing passively, slumped to his seat in utter shock!

"Your universal sympathy sometimes disappoints me, Prime. Check the Magi's Records again. You'll see that I've kept my word."

Megatron ended the feed.

"Did he just…"

Shinji mumbled before collapsing onto his knees into a fit of sobbing.

"Shinji!"

Hongo rushed forward to help him up.

"Why?! Damn it, why?! Why am I crying for the man who abandoned me on the street? Why? WHY?!"

Shinji shook to his core as he choked out those inner thoughts.

Hongo wordlessly let him cry into his shoulder.

"Magi is reporting errors in Staff Identification!"

Aoba suddenly announced.

On the screen, three large orange messages appeared with the same heading:

"Error: DNA matches existing profile."

The rest of the messages read as follows:

"Takeshi Hongo = Gendo Ikari"

"Hayato Ichimonji = Kozo Fuyutsuki"

"Asuka Midorikawa = Yui Ikari"

Shinji read the messages, then turned to Hongo in realization.

Hongo sighed.

"Like I said, where I come from, cloning isn't so absurd."

"You're a clone? Of my dad?"

"I didn't know until recently. In fact, I never got the chance to meet the Gendo and Shinji of my Universe, only Midorikawa did. For what it's worth, I'm sorry for lying to you, Shinji."

Somehow, for Shinji, that mere sentence made one of his darkest days slightly brighter.

"I must get going. Tamura and Misato are going to want answers."

Hongo turned and walked towards Hayato and Midorikawa, who were being escorted to another room by suited agents.

As they disappeared behind a pair of metal doors, Shinji could only wonder,

"Who can I trust anymore?"

Interrogation Room #176. Nerv HQ, Tokyo-3, "Red Earth." September 13th, 2015…

"They do realize that these handcuffs do nothing?"

Hayato asked Hongo.

"I don't think snapping them off will help our case!"

Midorikawa hissed at him.

"Honestly, I thought they'd catch on sooner. You look too much like Yui and she's been dead here for a decade!"

Hayato retorted.

"Will the both of you shut it?! We and the Autobots were on thin ice the moment we warped here, and Megatron literally shot a giant hole under our feet! We'll be lucky if all we get is a stern lecture!"

Hongo scolded the couple.

In another room, Tamura and Misato viewed the trio as they were bickering in captivity.

"For a clone of the late Deputy Commander, Ichimonji sure is talkative."

Tamura commented.

"All the more reason it might be a trick. If Prime had already compromised the Magi, it's reasonable that Megatron could have done the same."

"Are you actually defending him after what he did? I thought that you of all people would be suspicious of extraterrestrials, Lt. Colonel Katsuragi."

Misato angrily gritted her teeth at the reference to her past.

"Our true enemies are still the Angels. Prime and the Autobots have been nothing but supportive of our efforts since they first appeared. I don't agree with what he did to the Magi but he had good intentions and apologized for it."

"He only did so when Megatron held the commanders at gunpoint. Had Megatron not done that, his sabotage would have continued unnoticed."

Tamura countered, then stood up.

"I'll interrogate them myself. Turn off the cameras, Agent Kaminaga. It could get ugly."

"Yes, sir."

Kaminaga obliged as Tamura walked out.

"What are you going to do to them?"

Misato asked apprehensively.

"Ask them nicely for information."

Tamura coyly smirked back.

It wasn't long before he entered the interrogation room.

The captive trio glared at him.

"For the record, I know that the cuffs are useless."

Tamura suddenly produced a key.

"It's just that a coup shouldn't be so blatantly obvious."

"Coup?"

A confused Hayato asked.

"It's okay if you're clueless. I think Vector Prime has a complexity addiction."

"Are you Kimio Tamura, Commander of the SSSP, or are you our old friend, Kotaro Minami?"

Midorikawa repeated an earlier question.

Tamura smiled, then struck a dramatic pose.

"I am the child of the sun! Kamen Rider Black RX!"

Hayato held back a chuckle.

"You were practically itching to say that out loud, weren't you?"

"You do realize that I'm the one holding the key, right?"

Tamura warned.

"Besides, there's another reason why Vector Prime chose you three. There's a lot of buried secrets here at Nerv, and they can only be unlocked by your DNA."

"Wait, were we seriously supposed to kill and replace Gendo and Fuyutsuki?!"

An alarmed Hongo asked.

"No, we were supposed to unlock it secretly using Prime's back door to the Magi. Megatron forced us to take the direct route."

Tamura reassured him.

"As for the subject of killing-and-replacing, I fear that Shocker has already done that to the resident shadowy conspiracy."

"How so?"

"Based on the information Kaji supplied, the 108 shell companies collectively known as the Marduk Institute just disappeared overnight. That wouldn't be so concerning if they weren't Nerv's official sponsors before the Gigan attacks."

Hongo turned pale in realization.

"I was half right. That was a coordinated decapitation strike, but not for a spur-of-the-moment invasion. Megatron and Shocker used the Ravagers to maneuver themselves into the right places, then betrayed them to cover up their tracks."

"Considering the firepower at Nerv's disposal, Shocker should have more than enough to both defeat the Angels and take over the world!"

"Unless Megatron double-crosses them as well. Either way, both our worlds are in grave danger."

Outside "Blue Earth." December 3rd, 2029...

"Sir! We've lost all contact with the Gigan Garrison!"

A Ravager underling reported to his Controller.

"What?! We gave them Megalon and a Ghidorah clone! They had more than enough to subjugate an alternate Earth!"

"Sir, their last message indicated that they made contact with Megatron! But that's impossible, Megatron's-"

"Not dead after all."

The commander angrily muttered.

"Damn Decepticons! I should've known they'd try to take all the spoils for themselves! Redeploy the Mechagodzilla Army!"

"But they're still engaged in combat with the local kaiju!"

"I don't care! Shockwave is the greater threat! He intends to use us as fodder for some ulterior plan! No one makes fools of the Ravager Alliance and lives!"

"Then it pleases me to be the first!"

The Ravagers collectively gasped.

"Shockwave?! How did you-"

"Your communications might be more advanced than the humans, but it cracks all the same when up against Cybertronian tech."

"Come out and face us, you treacherous coward!"

"I can't right now. I'm performing a few modifications to the kaiju you lent me."

The Controller smirked.

"Ganimes? Even with 'modifications,' he won't last longer than the last crustacean kaiju we deployed."

"Extensive modifications. You see, Baron, I don't like being fooled either. Speaking of which, I am redeploying the Mechagodzilla Army, just not where you wanted."

"Sir! The Mechagodzilla Army is returning to the fleet! They're-"

The Controller's jaw dropped.

"They're attacking us!"

"Your services are no longer required, Baron. Farewell."

Shockwave coldly taunted.

The Controller barely had time to scream as a Mechagodzilla unit fired its beam into the bridge.

"When you're done mopping up, regroup at the space bridge."

Shockwave relayed to the lead unit.

"As for our Earth Guardians, I have a new surprise for them."

Shockwave, in his hidden base, turned towards his latest creation.

"Ganimes might have been a useless weak kaiju in the past, but with Godzilla's and Ghidorah's cells injected into your bloodstream, your performance will improve exponentially. This calls for a rechristening."

Shockwave pondered for a moment, then announced:

"Your new mission is to utterly destroy the Earth's Guardian Kaiju! Now arise, Destoroyah!"

To be continued…

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Account Deleted on Chapter 21 Fri 09 Dec 2022 02:50AM UTC

AMAZING story when u get the chance i hope u make the next chapter and more godzilla x mothra stories someday.

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