#general bryce

Agent Fowler was already suffering from a massive headache.

He had spent a good portion of his time worrying about Bulkhead after that Insecticon incident. Then he heard about Miko running off with another Autobot for a revenge stunt. Then there was that incident in Egypt! Where they had to somehow explain away purple lighting and the pyramids getting cut in half to the government and the population of Cairo! And now an unidentified blast from a location near the arctic had taken out a U.S. satellite in the process!

And with all of these blunders and moments of chaos and finally the destruction of the satellite had pushed General Bryce over the edge enough to pay a personal visit to the Autobot Base to demand what in the Sam Hill was going on.

It was a quiet elevator ride to the main floor. General Bryce looked angry from Fowler’s perspective, and the Agent really just wanted to come up with an excuse for the Autobots. The Earth still needed them, and he just hoped the kids weren’t there.

The elevator doors opened, and the two humans were met with the sight of a few of the Autobots scrambling to hide something. Fowler couldn’t help but be filled with dread as he spotted another human holding a staff that was clearly into costume design with a bunch of items all over the floor!

 “…What is the meaning of this?!” General Bryce demanded.

“Gen-!”

“I thought I could trust you lot again after the Nemesis Prime debacle, but it’s clear I was wrong! Not only did I have to deal with call after call regarding one of Egypt’s oldest pyramids, but now you brought a civilian into a secret government operation?!” Bryce yelled.

“...she’s not a human, she’s an elf?” Smokescreen chimed in.

Fowler thought Smokescreen lost his mind. An elf?! Fowler got a closer look at the girl as she was sorting through the items on the floor, and noticed the familiar pointed ears he’s seen fantasy players where. But they weren’t fake. He managed to catch them twitch as she picked up a small ring. She stare at it fondly before placing it on her finger.

“You’ve all lost your sanity!” Bryce accused, “And let me guess, this ‘elf’ has something to do with the destroyed U.S. satellite in orbit?!”

The Autobots grew nervous at that while the elf paused in her sorting. Her face transformed into one akin to nervousness, almost catlike even.

“Sorry,” The elf apologized.

“What in the Sam Hill is going on?!” Fowler shouted at Optimus.

“It is…a complicated story,” Optimus admitted.

“How. Complicated?” Bryce punctuated.

After an explanation of events, Agent Fowler rubbed the bridges of his nose while General Bryce crossed his arms at the absurd explanation that he was given. The Autobots couldn’t help but look rather guilty, avoiding their gaze as best as they could.

“So…let me get this right,” Bryce began, “This war has been going on for eons, and Megatron, Leader of the Decepticons, was killed by a child?!”

Bryce pointed to Frieren, who had managed to find an old book in her personal belongings. She opened it to check the contents before smiling and hugging it to her chest.

“…She’s technically over 7,000 years old-!”

“That is a child!” Fowler shouted, cutting Smokescreen off.

“Agent Fowler, General Bryce, please understand that what we say is true. Frieren is a powerful mage and has eliminated Megatron and majority of the Decepticons,” Optimus explained.

“She was going to kill them all, but Optimus stopped her,” Arcee added.

Bryce sighed in annoyance. “Say that I believe that, you’re telling me that magic somehow exists?! Like when Fowler told me that a unicorn was the center of the Earth!”

“Unicron-! Never mind,” Fowler reluctantly dropped it, not wanting to be placed on notice again.

“Magic used to exist, but humanity abandoned it eons ago,” Frieren explained as she found a per-packaged treat she had been saving. She opened it as Bryce walked over to her and snatched it before she could take a bite.

“Noooooooo,” Frieren whined.

“Stop making stuff up!” Bryce ordered.

“General Bryce, I’m telling you, she’s not,” Bulkhead insisted.

“Just show them your magic,” Bumblebee whispered to her.

“I just want to eat.” Frieren merely held her hand out and the treat suddenly flew out of Bryce’s hand and back into hers.

“That…that was a trick.” Bryce swatted his hand in the air, “There has to be a string somewhere or-!”

“No string,” Frieren declared, “All magic.”

“…” Bryce was shell shocked at such a blunt answer.

“Can I just eat in peace?” Frieren asked.

“No! No! We have to somehow explain this to the Pentagon without sounding crazy!” Fowler reminded.

“We’re aliens to you guys!” Bulkhead reminded.

“But there’s some logic behind that!” Fowler retorted, “How are we going to explain a magician?!”

“You could just lie. I’d actually like to go back to my life of solitude,” Frieren suggested.

“No way you are getting out of this young lady!” Fowler declared.

“I’m older that you,” Frieren grumbled.

Bryce shook his head to regain his sanity. “Body.”

Frieren tilted her head at that.

“You said you killed Megatron. Where’s the body?!” Bryce demanded.

Frieren sighed at that. “Let me eat my treat and we’ll go see the body.”

“You can’t just-!”

“Fowler, we saw her destroy the Decepticon warship. Please don’t piss her off,” Bulkhead begged.

“I would also like to see Megatron’s body as well,” Ratchet commented.

Frieren merely took a bite out of her dessert in response.

“She will not move until she is done eating,” Optimus informed, earning groans from everyone else.

==

Fowler and Bryce stared in bewilderment at the headless corpse of Megatron surrounded by flowers.

“Oh…oh he is very dead,” Bryce emoted.

“He…he’s actually dead.” Ratchet couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief. He almost started crying as well.

“And the ship…” Fowler trailed off as he stared at the remains of the once mighty warship, “And the bodies.” Fowler surveyed the remnants of the battlefield to find more dead Decepticons, including Dreadwing, along with the broken ground and a burnt tree.

“…how did you do this?” Bryce asked Frieren.

“I distracted Megatron while I retrieved the Omega Keys before destroying the ship,” Frieren explained.

“That ship is made from material not of our world!” Bryce reminded, “We’ve spent months trying to create weapons that could pierce their armor alone!”

“Sure, their armor is strong, but armor is all that they have,” Frieren proclaimed, “I’ve faced stronger opponents with more protections spells than their armor. The insects did have a tougher shell, but I simply poured more of my mana into the attacks.”

“You make it sound like the Decepticons weren’t even worth your time!” Fowler exclaimed.

“They weren’t,” Frieren agreed.

“They weren’t?!” Bumblebee exclaimed.

“All I needed was basic offensive magic to kill them,” Frieren declared.

“You blasted a hole in the ship!” Bulkhead reminded, “You’re telling me that’s basic magic?!”

“Yes.” Frieren nodded.

“The mimic of Optimus wasn’t basic,” Arcee retorted.

“True, that was a more complex spell, but compared to the ones within my arsenal, it is,” Frieren explained, “I just needed an elaborate distraction for Megatron because I didn’t want him returning to the ship to give orders. I also needed the chance to break his sword. That was the biggest threat to me.”

“That actually does raise another question, how were to able to break the Dark Star Saber?” Ratchet asked, “That same blade was able to break the Star Saber. One of Cybertron’s oldest relics.”

“The blade itself was just raw dark energon,” Frieren answered, “And when Optimus warned me about the planetary alignment and Unicron’s awakening, I searched the planet for dark energon  samples before destroying the rest. After that I studied my samples and created a spell that would be strong enough to counteract it.” Frieren showed her basic defensive magic: a small blue hexagon, before flicking her fingers and causing the hexagon to turn golden, “It took a while. Studying the dark energon made me nauseous, and I was starting to have hallucinations and hearing Unicron’s voice. I had to start wearing a hazmat suite and put a bunch of protective spells on me.”

Everyone else stared at Frieren in disbelief. She heard Unicron’s voice and was fine?!

“…what was hearing Unicron like?” Smokescreen couldn’t help but ask.

“He screams all the time,” Frieren groaned.

“Okay, you need a medical check-up. Because no human should still be alive after that kind of exposure to dark energon!” Ratchet exclaimed.

“I said I was fine,” Frieren whined.

“I can’t!...I don’t!...I don’t even know what to say.” Bryce rubbed his eyes.

“Thank you? Maybe?” Arcee suggested.

“I am not saying thank you!” Bryce declared.

“Actually, I have a question for you!” Ratchet pointed to Optimus, “How long have you known about this human?!”

Optimus sighed. Looks like he had no choice. “Since…before the planetary alignment.”

The Autobots stared in shock at that omission. Meanwhile, Frieren sensed something in the wreckage and floated over to the debris when no one was looking at her.

“She had actually helped me decipher the prophecy,” Optimus admitted.

“Are you kidding me?!” Arcee screamed as Frieren used her magic to levitate the metals into the air and move it out the way, “You’ve known about this powerhouse for that long?!”

“Frieren asked to remain out of the war and I was respecting her wishes,” Optimus retorted.

“With her help, we could’ve ended the war months ago!” Ratchet shot back, “We could have gathered the Iacon Relics more easily!”

“I was not going to drag an innocent soul into our conflict!” Optimus exclaimed.

“Optimus!” Frieren called out as the Autobots turned to her, “Is this important?!”

The Autobots gawked at the sight of the Forge of Solus Prime floating in the air, no doubt because of Frieren.

“It survived my attack and I’m sensing a similar mana output to the Omega Keys!” Frieren explained.

The Autobots snapped their heads in anger to Optimus, and the Prime couldn’t help but look rather embarrassed. His audio receptors twitched as all optics and eyes were on him.

“Yes, Frieren! It is important!” Optimus answered her, “Thank you!”

==

Autobot Base

“I…I don’t know what I’m going to tell the Pentagon,” Bryce admitted.

“I would prefer to remain anonymous,” Frieren requested.

“That…doesn’t seem likely,” Bryce warned before he straightened his back, “But in any case, you’ve managed to save humanity, and thus, we thank you for your service.”

“Oh! Uhhhh…it’s okay.” Frieren tried to brush off as both men saluted her, “I was just helping out for a friend. It wasn’t a big deal.” An idea struck her. “How about I help fix the satellite I destroyed in return for you guys leaving me alone?”

Bryce thought it over as he lowered his hand. “Seems reasonable enough.” He turned to the Autobots. “So what do you intend to do now?”

“We intend to find out the secret of the Omega Keys to revive our home,” Optimus informed.

“Well, I do hope that relationships between the U.S. government and Cybertron are still cordial.” Bryce walked towards the elevator, followed by Agent Fowler, “Thank you for your service. This is a victory finally earned.”

Fowler smiled at the Autobots as the elevator doors shut and they left the base.

“…Well, that could have gone better,” Arcee remarked.

“The good news is that we now have the Omega Keys and the Forge of Solus Prime,” Ratchet stated, “We can use the Forge to create a spacebridge to get to Cybertron, but that might have to wait until I figure out the contents of the Omega Keys.”

“Well…what’s the rush now?” Frieren asked.

“This is our home,” Ratchet reminded, “We finally have a chance to go home.”

“That’s true, but you can take your time with finding out the solution,” Frieren stated, “There are no Decepticons that can hunt you down, no MECH to steal your body parts, no war to fight. You can move at your own pace without making any mistakes.”

The Autobots looked at each other in realization. Frieren…was right. The war was finally over. They no longer had to fight or worry about their lives. They could live in peace and restore Cybertron whenever they wanted. But…what were they supposed to do with all of that free time now?

“I’ll get myself situated.” Frieren used her magic to pick up the rest of her items so she could get settled on the couch.

“Guess, I’ll go pick up Jack, Miko, and Raf,” Bumblebee offered, “And…I guess I can take the long way this time…” Bumblebee laughed. “I can take the long way!” Bumblebee cheered as he transformed and drove out of the base.

“Oh man, Jackie! I gotta call him and tell him the news!” Bulkhead exclaimed as he activated his comm. link.

“I’m…gonna go be with Cliff.” Arcee slowly stepped out of the room to make her way to the top of the silo.

“Hey, can I drive around for a bit, since the Decepticons are dead and all?” Smokescreen asked.

“Do as you like,” Optimus answered.

“Thanks, Chief!” Smokescreen transformed and drove off.

“I’m going to continue analyzing the keys,” Ratchet declared, “Cybertron still needs to be restored.”

Optimus picked up the Forge of Solus Prime and walked over the groundbridge. He needed to at the very least upgrade this to a spacebridge. The hammer glowed as he made the first swing.

“May I watch?” Frieren asked as she appeared next to Optimus, but the Prime wasn’t startled. In fact, he smiled at her.

“You may,” Optimus answered, “Thank you, Frieren. For your help.”

Frieren smiled back. “You’re welcome.”

Hanji finally managed to gain a basic idea of the mechanism of their quarantine quarters. They first noticed that the door was wired to lock with electronics, despite the fact that the door was made out of glass. They had already tried removing the hinges off the door, and they actually did when everyone was asleep, but the actual lock on the door was so strong that it prevented them from pushing the door open. It meant that unlocking the door would require disabling the wireless connection.

The corners where the glass and the wall met didn't have wiring. It looked like it was sealed shut with glue or something. So there had to be something in the floor. After hours and days of prodding and force, they had finally managed to get the floorboard open. Hanji grinned with delight as they saw a bunch of wires under the floorboards.

"Speak to me prison box," Hanji ordered as they examined all the wires connected, "Which one opens my cell."

"You're not going to get very far," Rafael warned them, earning their attention.

"Honestly, Raf, they are getting pretty far," Miko retorted.

"I will break out of quarantine! Mark my words, Rafael Jorge Gonzales Esquivel!" Hanji shouted at him.

"Okay, you break out, then what?" Rafael challenged, "You don't know the layout of the place, you don't have your weapons, there are armed with guns that will riddle you with holes. On top of that, you will be forced back into quarantine, for longer, because you broke protocol and will be exposed to new pathogens."

"Hm...where exactly would my 3D gear be stored?" Hanji asked.

"Secure vault," Miko answered.

"Miko," Jack warned.

"Requires a retinal scan," Miko added.

"Miko!" Jack raised his voiced.

"Well looks like I'm knocking out a soldier and stealing his weapons!" Hanji decided.

"You can't just knock out a fully armed U.S. soldier like it's child's play!" Rafael exclaimed.

"Not with that attitude!" Hanji pulled out the broken handle of their fork that they had managed to sharpen into a weapon.

"Hanji, I think it would be better to just wait to be let out," Armin advised.

"I can get you guys and update on Jean if I get far," Hanji bribed.

"But they said he was doing fine so far," Sasha reasoned.

"Don't you want to know if he's awake?" Hanji challenged.

"...I do," Sasha confessed.

"Hanji, we're warning you from experience and the fact that the U.S. is the most power military force on the planet," Jack declared, "You will be detained, if not, shot on sight."

Hanji picked up all the wires and placed their sharpened weapon under it. "A mission with impossible odds leading to certain death. Sounds like being in the Survey Corps."

"...Raf, I bet they survive a minute before getting tazed!" Miko challenged her friend.

"Bet. Getting the stopwatch ready." Rafael pulled out his phone.

"Um...maybe this shouldn't be a bet-!"

"Shut up." Miko and Rafael told Willy.

Hanji grunted as they pulled their weapon upright, cutting through all the wires at once. They yelped when sparks began to fly and the lights to their room flickered in and out. However, Hanji heard the click of the door unlock, and the glass door fell forward due to the lack of hinges, hitting the ground hard. Everyone stared in disbelief while Hanji peered out of the room.

"HA!" Hanji pointed at Rafael, but flinched when a loud, blaring alarm echoed throughout the whole military base, following by a blinking, red, light. Hanji and everyone else covered their ears to the noise, but Jack, Miko, and Rafael were unbothered.

"Timer starts now!" Rafael pressed start on the stop watch.

"BYE!" Hanji bolted down the hall to their left.

"GO HANJI!" Miko cheered.

"They're gonna get tazed," Jack groaned.

Hanji immediately got confused by the winding halls of the military base, unsure of what to do or even where to go. Even in a place as advanced as this, there had to be some kind of physical map! Hanji turned a corner and yelped when they saw two soldiers standing post. They were shocked at the sight of them and quickly aimed their large guns, but Hanji saw an opening between one of their legs and slid right under it, startling both guards. However, Hanji didn't look back and just kept running.

"All personal! One of our alien visitors has escaped quarantine! Detain but do not kill!"

"I am not a visitor! I was kidnapped!" Hanji screamed in anger. Hanji screamed as they saw at the end of the hallway multiple soldiers aiming smaller guns at them, but Hanji quickly bolted down the end of another hallway as they fired. Hanji knew they weren't going to get anywhere by continuously running on the ground. They were severely outnumbered and they were going to get caught without their weaponry. Their gaze turned upright to the ceiling and they smirked. Earth might be advanced, but they've been tinkering with Cybertronian technology. They know about the vents!

Hanji saw a large vent that looked like it would be big enough for them to fit through. They jumped towards the wall, pressed their feet against it, and jumped higher to latch onto the metal bars of the vents. They grunted and used all of their strength to yank the vent open. They almost fell as the hinges fell of and the metal bars fell to the floor, but they quickly grabbed onto the sides of the vent before that happened. Hanji then scrambled to climb up the vent and crawled through it to get as far away from the opening as possible.

The soldiers down the hallway finally managed to find the open vent that Hanji had climbed through.

"Uh, General Bryce. They climbed through the vents!" a soldier activated their comm. link.

"They what?!" Bryce screamed into the comm. link.

Hanji continued to crawl through the vents, stopping whenever they heard heavy footsteps from the soldiers below. They peered through the openings of the vents to see what was happening outside. They were horrified at the sight of multiple makeshift beds in an open space, housing injured civilians that were no doubt harmed during the Rumbling. Hanji ignored it and continued to crawl their way through the vents. Hanji then spotted two guards directly below them. A risky idea spawned in Hanji's mind as they adjusted themselves in the small space. Their feet rested against the opening, waiting for the soldier to be in the right position. When they were, Hanji slammed their feet down hard, falling from the vents with the metal opening and hitting the first soldier, knocking him unconscious and breaking their fall.

The second soldier was about to fire, but Hanji ripped the helmet off of the first soldier and threw it at the second one, causing him to misfire. Hanji ducked as bullets hit the wall, but quickly grabbed the small gun from the unconscious guard and stood up. They were about to run, but something latched onto their back. Hanji screamed as they felt electricity run through their whole body. They seized up at the sensation before hitting the ground hard. The electricity didn't stop though, and their body started to convulse at the sensation. Hanji managed to catch a glimpse of their assailant and gasped in confusion when they saw that it was Fowler before they passed out.

==

Later

Hanji gasped as a bag was pulled off of their head. They blinked their eye to the bright light in the room before looking ahead of them to see Bryce sitting across the table from them, looking irate. A glass wall separated the two of them, with two lightbulbs on both sides of the glass. Hanji tilted their head when they noticed someone off to the side and out of the spotlight. They were in a lab coat, but something was off about the lab coat. What was it?

"So..." Hanji trailed off, taking notice that their hands were cuffed behind the chair, "Is this where you torture me? Cause I'm not seeing a lot of tools."

"Do you want to explain how and why you broke out of quarantine?!" Bryce yelled at them.

"Hmmmmm...." Hanji narrowed their eye at him. "No."

Bryce was flabbergasted. "What?!"

"No," Hanji repeated.

"Are you treating this like a game?! Do you understand how stupid that is?!" Bryce started to yell again, never feeling this angry before, "We are in the middle of a-!"

"Pandemic, yes! I get it!" Hanji cut him off.

"No! You don't! Almost 15 million people have died worldwide to this thing and we cannot introduce a new variant because someone else decided to break the rules, just because!" Bryce declared.

"Oh, I'm sorry! I didn't know that we were comparing stats!" Hanji rolled their eye, "That number, was probably reached in a day on our world because of the Rumbling! There is chaos on my world! Paradis' government is in disarray due to the chaos! So is Kenshin's home! So is any other country that's still around! Paradis has no queen or military head! My comrades have been kept in quarantine, barely hearing anything some of my other subordinates who were in surgery or are getting tested! So I'm a little bit fucking peeved, Bryce!"

"General Bryce!"

"Bryce!" Hanji snapped back.

"I can hold you in contempt and have you locked up for assaulting two of my officers!" Bryce reminded.

"You fucking kidnapped me!" Hanji retorted.

"We were quarantining you for your own safety!" Bryce retorted.

"Bullshit!" Hanji hissed.

"You are not getting off the hook this easily!" Bryce declared, "You will be punished in accordance with U.S. law!"

Hanji froze for a moment, thinking about the consequences, but then...they started giggling.

"What's so funny?!" Bryce demanded.

"Yeah...that's not gonna go over as well as you think," Hanji declared with a smirk.

"How so?" Bryce demanded.

"Because I have Optimus and Megatron in my corner," Hanji answered.

Bryce scoffed. "Optimus was our ally first, and I doubt that Megatron would care for a human!"

"There's a difference between ally and friend," Hanji retorted, "I'm not just Optimus' ally; I'm his friend. And I've been his friend for four years. Buckethead...I wouldn't classify us as friends just yet, but at the very least, he'll protect any allies that are close to Optimus. And the Survey Corps are allies to Optimus. So, how well do you think that this whole situation will blow over once Optimus and Megatron get wind of it? How fast do you think Buckethead will tear up the compound trying to get me back? Or how much damage do you think he'll do before the Autobots catch him again?"

"The fact that you consider Megatron an ally is already a red flag for me," Bryce declared.

"Maybe." Hanji shrugged, "But Megatron has been following my orders too."

"Your orders?!" Bryce exclaimed in disbelief.

"Yes." Hanji leaned forward and grinned, "Because I'm the bitch who blackmailed him!"

Before Bryce could come up with a response, Fowler barged into the room.

"What is it?!" Bryce demanded.

"Don't touch them! We need to talk!" Fowler informed in a panic.

Bryce was confused at Fowler's panic as Hanji leaned back in their chair, but he decided to hear Fowler out and step out of the room.

"You are in trouble! What?!" Bryce demanded as he shut the door.

"Jack got this from the Autobots just now." Fowler pulled out his phone and showed the video to Bryce. Bryce saw that...it was a memory...of Hanji blackmailing Megatron and getting away with it. Bryce was horrified as Fowler played another video of Hanji calling Megatron a coward and getting away with it.

"How the hell is that possible?" Bryce demanded, "Megatron has been public enemy number 1 for years and this human's able to get their way with him and live?!"

"I don't know, but whatever you do, do not let anyone harm them!" Fowler ordered, "Oh god, I tazed them!"

Bryce took a deep breath and sighed. He still needed information on the 3D gear. It was possible with this situation, he could get the information out of them. "Stay out here." Bryce opened the door and entered the interrogation room. He sat back down in the chair. He was prepared to ask a question, but-!

"Why am I here?" Hanji demanded.

"You know why you-!"

"No, why am I here specifically?" Hanji demanded, "You brought me into an interrogation style room. If you were just mad at me, you would have put me back into quarantine. Instead, I'm here with you and someone who's not a soldier. Judging by the coat Rafael was wearing when I first met him, he's a scientist. Not a skilled combatant."

Hanji narrowed their eye at him again, causing the scientist to stiffen. "And judging by the lab coat...oh for god sake, are you idiots firing the energon spears in a confined space?!"

"H-how did you-?!"

"Your lab coat has energon residue!" Hanji snapped at the scientist, "In a confined space, if you are near an energon spear explosion but thankfully don't get caught in the crossfires, the smoke will leave traces of energon on the user! Harmless short time, but I haven't tested any long term effects of exposure to the smoke. Because I wasn't dumb enough to launch the weapon in a confined space!"

Bryce was taken aback, annoyed even, but...intrigued. "So...you invented this weapon?"

Hanji looked Bryce up and down. "...you can't figure out our weapons." Hanji started laughing. "Some superpower you guys are! You can't figure out a weapon this archaic in your eyes."

"Well it was clear that you had gotten significant help from the Cybertronians," Bryce couldn't help but sneer.

Hanji scoffed. "Please. Our weaponry's been around for a century and have had the schematics for years and improved on it. And I'm the one who invented the prototype for the energon spear before Wheeljack showed up. Wheeljack was an assistant. I'm the goddamn mastermind."

"All the more reason to keep you and your comrades here until you tell us how it operates," Bryce threatened.

Hanji blinked before smirking, and then giggling, and then cackling like a madman. It made Bryce uneasy and the scientist fearful.

"You think we're afraid of you?!" Hanji grinned sadistically, "Do you know what it's like staring at the jaws of death? Hearing the screams of your comrades as giant man eating monsters chew them up, spit them out, or swallow them whole? Do you know what it's like to be ridiculed and mocked for every single failed mission outside the walls? I'm sure you know what it's like to be shot at, blown up, or betrayed. That does seem like that in the cards for you and your government. But do you know what it's like to have your eye get taken out by someone you once called a comrade? Or try to survive getting trampled to death by skinless titans?"

Hanji jerked forward and rattled their chains, scaring the scientist and making Bryce flinch. "I'm not afraid of you, and neither are my comrades. We will claw and fight you until our very last breath because that's just how chaotic and unpredictable the Survey Corps is."

Hanji leaned back into their chair. "Do your worst."

Bryce didn't know how to respond. This person was...manic. They had nothing to lose. Or...they were willing to sacrifice greatly to get what they wanted. The door opened once again, and Bryce grew angry when Fowler stepped into the room.

"Agent Fowler-!"

"You shocked me!" Hanji accused.

"Yes, and I'm sorry about that," Fowler apologized, "We couldn't have you running around the base so recklessly because of the pandemic."

"Yes, I have been told many times," Hanji proclaimed with an annoyed sigh, "I need to keep tabs on my people and my comrades, and you've all refused to do that."

"Listen, I've seen footage of you and I know that you do care about people," Fowler retorted, "Think of this from our perspective: we've allowed an unknown group of humans onto our world with unknown diseases that can very easily sneak into our larger population and cause serious panic and damage. On a social, economic, political, and even religious level."

Hanji's shoulders slumped in disappointment. "There's always conflict no matter where we go. Doesn't excuse the situation that many of the people from our world have been put it."

"I know, and we are working to rectify that," Fowler reassured.

"...you're still not going to let me go until I talk about our weapons," Hanji assumed.

"It is of high interest," Bryce reminded.

"What was the term Miko used?" Hanji smirked.

"Please," Bryce emphasized, "This weaponry is...quite advanced for your civilians."

"Kinda had to force that out of you," Hanji snickered.

"We will make a compromise," Bryce promised, "There must be something that you want from us. Right?"

Hanji hummed at the thought. "What do I want? I want. I want. I want....hmmmmm...."

"Please decide." Bryce was annoyed.

"Hey, you put me on the spot, and you're asking me to give all the information I know on our weaponry," Hanji reminded, "I want....access to your weapons!"

"No," Bryce declared.

"Then the weapons die with me." Hanji turned their head upright.

"We can very easily get the information out of your comrades," Bryce warned.

"Half of the comrades I do have aren't even from Paradis. One's a huntress, not a mechanic. The other's not as skilled in the upgrades that I've made. Two has been out of commission for four years. Two of them are recovering from surgery." Hanji listed, "Not to mention our archaic world will make it harder for you to find my notes or where other equipment is stored. I am your best bet at explaining the weaponry with as little damage and little time as possible. Now I don't want anything serious like a nuclear bomb. Our world is clearly in disarray and just got rid of the power of the titans. We don't need to be introduced to a new threat that can wipe out millions in an instant. Something like...those advanced guns that your soldiers wear. The grenades. Better ways of conducting electricity. Cars! I would like to take a look at the very least the schematics of it to make something advanced but not too advanced for our world. And it doesn’t have to be all at once. It can be in increments in order to build trust between us. It’s how Optimus and I were able to build trust with each other."

Bryce and Fowler glanced at each other.

"It seems...reasonable," Bryce reluctantly agreed.

"Alright, now we're getting somewhere!" Hanji grinned with excitement, "Next thing I want!"

"Hold on, we're trying to exchange knowledge of weapons," Fowler warned.

"Yes, but this is for my comrades," Hanji reasoned, "Isn't there a way you can set up video cameras for them to virtually talk to one another? Sasha's been worried about Jean and Connie's already dead. She has no idea what funeral preparations are going to be. I hope you guys are taking care of Connie's body properly. Not to mention, Erwin is one of my oldest friends and Levi is my second in command. I need updates on their health."

"Fine, we'll set up a zoom meeting," Bryce reluctantly agreed.

"I also want-!"

"NO!" Bryce shouted.

"C'mon, it's for Colt!" Hanji whined, "He's got a brother in Paradis that's in a coma. Bring him here just to increase his chances at survival."

"We cannot just send-!"

"There is a high chance that Colt's parents and his hometown was destroyed during the Rumbling," Hanji reasoned, "Falco maybe the only family he has left and he needs some type of hope, however small, that his brother is going to make it out alive. I know the address of the hospital, just please get him and bring him here and I promise you that I will give you more information. And it will be worth your while."

"...It better be," Bryce warned.

"Anything else?" Fowler asked.

"Two things. One: I am sorry for not taking your pandemic seriously. I've been worrying about my planet's issues. That was cruel of me. Can you give me a few lessons on the current pandemic and a basic rundown of infectious diseases?" Hanji asked.

"Oh." Bryce was surprised at the change in attitude, "That's...honestly a refreshing change of pace."

"What can I say? I'm a scientist and I crave knowledge," Hanji declared, "Number two: Was the thing you used on me a taser?"

"Yes, and I'm sor-!"

"I want one," Hanji cut him off.

"What?" Fowler was flabbergasted.

"I want a taser," Hanji repeated, "Give me taser! I want one!"

"Listen that hurt you! You know what it feels like!" Fowler reminded.

"It hurt like a bitch!" Hanji agreed before leaning forward, "I want to study it! Please?!"

"If the stuff you give is adequate enough, we will give and teach you how to use a taser," Bryce decided.

"Yay!" Hanji cheered, "When do we start?! When can I look at your weapons?! Oh! Can I get a marker and can I write on a wall or chalkboard?! I need a really big canvas if I'm going to explain the omni-directional mobility gear. It's the official name, but we usually call it the 3 dimensional maneuver gear or 3D gear for short, originally invented by Angel Aaltonen in 793."

Bryce and Fowler glanced at each other as Hanji continued rambling on and on. It perplexed them. It...made them feel like they made a big mistake.

Erwin watching Hanji access the console to the Nemesis while still screaming, stunning all the vehicons there.

Skarmory: I didn't think humans knew how to access a spacebridge. Or the console.

Steve: We could have done it for them.

Erwin: I think they need this.

Skarmory: Can they stop screaming?

Erwin: It's part of the process.

Hanji manages to open a spacebridge and bolts through it, still screaming.

Erwin following Hanji: Sorry.

===

On Earth

Bryce: Where have you two been-! Steps aside as Hanji is now running but still screaming, followed by Erwin.

==

Rafael raising his head from his laptop: Is someone screaming?

Hanji and Erwin pass by the room with Hanji still screaming.

Jean walking with the support beams: Don't worry about it. It's just Hanji having a moment.

===

Gabi, Colt, and Falco playing cards on Falco's bed.

Falco: Got any twos?

Gabi: Go fish.

The trio stop when they hear Hanji's screaming grow louder before it fades away.

Falco: What was that?

General Bryce pressed the numbers on the key pad before the light on the lock turned green. He then leaned forward and let the laser go up and down his eye for a retinal scan. The laser changed from red to green, and the doors finally opened to the science lab. When it did, Bryce yelped when one of the energon spears flew past him and ricocheted off the wall. It hit the ceiling before crashing into the ground and going off. Everyone in the room immediately took cover behind the makeshift barricade as smoke, fire, and shrapnel flew everywhere.

Bryce lifted his head the moment the smoke died down and gawked at the destruction of the explosive. "What were you all thinking?!"

"We were trying to test the damn thing; we didn't realize it would do that!" a scientist exclaimed.

Bryce sighed in both annoyance and defeat before rubbing his eyes. "I need to know what you've gathered on this weaponry."

The head scientist stood up and dusted himself off. "This way."

Bryce followed the scientist to another portion of the lab that was blocked off by another door. The scientist swiped his key card and the door opened. Bryce saw all the weapons from those other humans on the large table, separated and organized by their specific shape and function. He saw the energon spears, the gas tanks, the hooks and wires, the swords, the guns, even the straps.

"For an environment that doesn't have electricity, this is some of the most advanced weaponry that I have ever seen," the head scientist explained.

The head scientist put on some gloves and picked up the gas tank. "This thing has energon as a power source."

"We've been trying to use energon as an alternative fuel source, and somehow they're able to incorporate it into their weaponry?!" Bryce demanded.

"That's not all." The head scientist put down the gas tank and grabbed the gun. He opened the chamber to reveal glowing blue bullets.

"Energon bullets." The head scientist quickly shut the chamber and put the gun down before slowly and carefully picked up the energon spear.

"A spear filled with energon and ignited once the pin is pulled. However, the string to the pin isn't long enough and the user would need to fly out of range before it goes off," the head scientist explained.

"But their weaponry is designed for versatility and speed," Bryce assumed.

"Exactly." The head scientist pressed a button, and a projector began to display some of the video footage from the final battle. Bryce saw the Survey Corps flying through the air with ease, cutting through the napes of titans or getting humans to safety. Bryce took great interest in the footage of Levi cutting through the titans like butter.

"We've analyzed the swords and the materials aren't on the periodic table." The head scientist picked up the sword as the footage continued to play, "The switches and buttons on the handle help them aim the hooks and maneuver."

"Where does the material from the swords come from?" Bryce asked.

"They match the metal from the dead vehicons," the head scientist answered.

Bryce sighed in contempt. "They only have this technology in the first place because of Cybertron. It's not fair that they didn't help us when we asked."

"No. They've had this technology long before. Cybertronian interference just helped improved it," The head scientist stated as he pressed the button again. The footage changed to that of Historia flying around and grabbing children to get them to safety. "Her model is the only one that's different from the rest."

The head scientist pointed to Historia's gas tank on the other table. "No energon in the tank. Sword materials that fall under the periodic table. These guys have perfected this model and have been using it with such ease that...they are medieval spidermen!"

"Oh don't you start!" Bryce yelled.

"Do you have a better way to describe them?!" The head scientist demanded.

Bryce groaned in defeat. "I need footage on those guys in quarantine!"

The footage from the projector changed to that of the area where Jack, Miko, Rafael, and the other foreign humans were. Bryce narrowed his eyes and was flabbergasted at the sight of Rafael writing something on the glass with a marker.

"When did he get a marker?!" Bryce demanded.

"Probably Fowler. He's soft on those kids," the head scientist shrugged.

"Turn up the audio," Bryce ordered, and the head scientist complied.

"Okay. 2,000 years ago, a girl made a deal with the devil granting her the power of the titans." Rafael pointed to the top of the flow chart, "Her power gets split into nine parts and the Eldians rule for 2,000 years. Also, your country was good allies with the Eldian Empire."

"Yeah, Hizuru and Eldia had good relations during their reign. Also during the Eldian Empire, having an Eldian child did elevate your status," Kenshin explained.

Rafael then pointed to another section of the chart. "Over 100 years ago, the king decides he's not going to rule the Eldian Empire anymore and flees to reverse Madagascar."

"Paradis island," Hanji corrected.

"Reverse Madagascar," Miko chimed in.

"He makes a deal with your family in exchange for your protection." Rafael pointed to Willy's room, "And you created an elaborate story that your great grandfather worked with some dude named Helos that didn't exist to overthrow the Eldian Empire."

"...yeah," Willy reluctantly confessed.

"Now the Marleyan Empire rules and uses the powers of the titans to conquer lands themselves," Rafael continued, "And despite knowing that the Eldian king in Paradis didn't want to destroy the world, you guys decide to send four kids with titan powers to Paradis to try and take the Founder because you guys were greedy assholes."

"It's a lot more complicated than-!"

"Don't talk over me," Rafael ordered him before pointing to another section of the chart, "So the four kids attack your home and infiltrate it. And five years later they attack again, and that's when Optimus shows up."

"Yes, that would be correct," Hanji answered, "He and Eren worked together to help seal the hole that was in Trost."

"Isn't Eren the same guy that tried to commit mass genocide?" Rafael asked.

"...we're not ready to talk about it yet," Armin declared.

"Okay. Touchy subject," Miko commented.

"A month later, after Optimus does a bunch of good deeds for the island, Megatron shows up, and then you all work together to overthrow the government," Rafael continued.

"A few details missing here and there," Hanji added.

"Details are later," Rafael proclaimed, "You overthrow the government, learn about the outside world because your memories got wiped and you guys thought that humanity was extinct."

"Fun times. Megatron threw a fit and kidnapped Ymir per Historia's request," Hanji added.

"It feels like there's more shit missing," Miko groaned in annoyance.

"And you guys start working with people who wanted to defect from Marley, but nearly half of them had other things that they wanted. You guys go to the mainland to attack Liberio right after war was declared and Megatron was also pretending to be a human spy for some reason?!"

"What?" Bryce felt like his brain was going to break.

"That took a lot of convincing to do. He grabbed my face when I suggested it," Hanji snickered.

"But Marley retaliated for the attack, and I'm assume that Eren activated the Rumbling in response," Rafael pointed to the bottom of the chart.

"There's a lot of other things that are missing. Like dark energon getting into the Colossal Titan, energon powered titan shifters, Megatron convincing Annie to defect and successfully, Arcee and Wheeljack coming in during year two which should align with when they left Cybertron, Megatron being Mikasa's escort to Hizuru, Optimus training Eren-!"

"Oh wow, that is a lot to unpack," Miko cut Hanji off.

"You also said that Optimus considered Eren his son?" Rafael asked.

"...that is also something we're not ready to talk about in detail yet," Hanji sighed.

"Boy, if I had a nickel for every time Optimus had a relationship with someone that ended up destroying the world and became a full-blown villain, I'd have two nickels," Miko declared, "Which isn't a lot, but it's sad that it happened twice."

"Wouldn't our extraterrestrial friends want to know about all this?" the head scientist asked. Bryce narrowed his eyes at Jack's room, and noticed the teen typing something on his phone while paying attention to the conversation.

"Seems that Jack is taking care of that," Bryce proclaimed, "Also, Fowler's in trouble. Make sure to let him know."