Tokyo Mecha Drift

  “It is perhaps to be expected that humans, a tool using specie, would rapidly develop some method of keeping up with its enhanced, dare I use the phrase super human, members. The most notable of these are mecha and mecha suits.”

  “Many tech heroes, Breakthroughs and Kitbashers both, wear supertech suits that are too complicated or expensive to duplicate without their power’s assistance. I myself have watched components seem to just come together for them, in spite of rather I thought they should or not.”

  “It was Alexander the Conquerer, an analog of Alexander the Great who has somehow achieved both immortality and extremely high tech himself, allowing him to conquer multiple worlds, that gave the answer. His Hoplights and their power armor gave us the steppingstone to modern mecha suits.”

  Zerg was happy to lead the American Enhanced through Akihabara. It was nice to have another mech head to talk to, he was trying to build a K-car that transformed into a rideable mech, but had hit a wall on some of the actuators. And also a literal wall.

  The headmaster had not been amused.

  “Here it is, Neutral Ground, the best Toyshop in Tokyo. Well, that you can visit without a reference.” The boy said with a shrug. He opened a door in a tiny stall full of Gatcha machines, revealing stairs that lead down.

  “Oh, Secret door! I approve.” The English girl, Robyn ‘Chipper’ St. Marcus said. “Very classic.”

  “Neutral means if you don’t know, you don’t need to know.” Grayson said with a chuckle.

  “It’s also an electric pun. And a warning, even if you see your worst enemy here, no fighting.” Zerg said, leading them down to a huge room full of shelves with all sorts of bit’s of electronics on it. “This used to be part of the train system, or at least that’s what I heard. This place even has a lower area where people can work on projects since space is kind of at a premium here.”

  “Makes sense. Kind of a toymaker Maker Space.” Erica nodded. “To be fair, that’s kind of what our shop is, in a way. Back in New York, I mean.”

  They found themselves in a large, but clearly outdated underground train route, something that must have been built and abandoned before even the seventies. However there were parts everywhere, tools, and even a few people working on smaller projects. “I can smell the solder.” Erica said approvingly

  Chipper giggled. “It’s a techies playground!”

  “Yeah, this is cool. You could build almost anything.” Talia said, almost reverent as she looked through speaker parts.

  “If there is anything specific you want and can’t find it, ask Grandma Gears for help. She knows where everything is, and if she doesn’t have it, she might be able to get it for you.” Zerg advised.

  “Eventually, I likely can.” An old woman in a kimono with a non-traditional, gear pattern said as she approached. “I see you have brought friends, young Zerg-san. Welcome to our little slice of technological heaven.”

  Talia gave a polite bow, like some of the kids had shown her, before going to look through the shelves, putting small bit’s and bobs in a cart she found. “Are you looking for anything specific Gray?” Talia asked, getting excited thinking about making a custom stereo for Erica, something that put quality of sound first for their enhanced hearing.

  “Actually, yeah. I’m looking for some actuators for a smaller, faster type of Mech than I’ve built before. I figured I wouldn’t push my luck, and try to build within the limit’s Erica and Elenore threatened me with.”

  “Probably wise, You’ve seen how good my cousin moves at the gym. the ass kicking would be epic.” Talia said, then smiled brightly. “Oh, Look!” She reached out for what looked like a kind of crystal, when her eyes went blank.

  Talia blinked, grabbing the crystals then moving from shelf to shelf, getting parts even with her hands already working to put something together as she shopped.

  “Oh hell.” Erica sighed, looking at the old woman with them. “Can I just hand you a credit card, and have you keep a tab?”

  “Guys, she’s gone into her creative fugue! Anyone know what she’s building?” Grayson called out, watching.

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  Grandma Gears nodded. “I can do a tab, is she going to be okay?”

  “Yeah,” Erica sighed, as Talia began slotting things together, T-panda coming out of her backpack to help with soldering and welding.

  “It looks like a giant sword with, um, I think that is a synth board in the hilt?” Zerg said.

  “And a speaker system?” added Clipper.

  “Right, sonic powered sword. She’s big on sonic things.” Grayson looked around. “So, we could watch, ignore her and shop, or try to build a mech that can carry the damn thing, since I sure as heck can’t carry all that.”

  All that was a pile of components getting assembled, Talia herself half dragging it along, with little grunts of exertion between bouts of assembly.

  Erica nodded. “She’s getting used to some medication. This is something that happens occasionally. She’ll come out of it when she’s done.”

  “Poor thing. But she has skill! That looks like some good wiring, very efficient.” The old woman moved from behind her counter, pulling a few bits from various shelves, putting them near the girl, who immediately began integrating the parts, adding a wicked looking chainsaw-like edge around the sword..

  “I kind of want to see Penny with it.” Grayson said, as he and the other two were piling parts on a pallet.

  “Dreadful might be just big enough.” Erica nodded, grabbing tools, since she knew those, not the components the kids were grabbing.

  Chipper cheered from a section marked ‘salavage’. “Oh that’ll save some time. I found a mini-sub someone must have brought in.”

  “Looks like some external manipulators and such were taken, but the interiors all here. Gives us a ready-made cockpit.”

  “And a water-tight one!” Zerg said brightly, “that’s really important with mechs.”

  Grayson, who had poked around in the salvage pile, smiled as he came up with a pair of arms that looked like they’d been ripped off another suit. “Hey got limbs!”

  “Let me see. Yeah, these are beefy hydraulics. We’ll have to make a mount, but we can probably retrofit the junction the sub used for its waldos for these. Gonna be a tubby mech with skinny limbs, but it’s a rush job.” Chipper said.

  “Yeah, still probably pretty awesome though.” Zerg said. “And I bet it would do better in a fight than my last mech. My ax broke after one hit and I was screwed.”

  “Oh, her sonic stuff is wild and grade A. Plus she’s a good tech in general. “

  “I usually work with micro-bots. It’s generally less expensive than the big stuff and raw materials go farther. I’ve just been having issues with scaling up.” Zerg admitted, looking at helmets. “Soo who’s piloting this beast?”

  “Me. Then I can honestly say Grayson wasn’t.” Erica said.

  “Damn it.” Grayson said irritated. “I want a turn in it.”

  “Make sure everything is waterproof.” Zerg said

  “Why?” Chipper asked

  The Japanese boy grinned. “Because the mech fighting ring is out under the sea.”

  “There's a mech fighting ring in Tokyo?” Erica asked, raising an eyebrow, while Chipper started checking, and reinforcing, seals.

  “Not technically in Tokyo. In Tokyo Bay. It’s run by gray capes and some of the more legitimized Yakuza families.”

  “Of course it is.” Erica shrugged. “Well, we can check it out, I suppose. If it’s grey capes, it’s likely not to total destruction, at least. Let’s make sure the sub can separate as an escape capsule, just for safety's sake.”

  Granny shook her head. “It is a good idea, but the arena is down for repair. OverRide, over boosted and damaged the water seals. They are repairing it but will be closed for a week or so.”

  “Right, well, maybe they’ll get the arena back up before the end of the whole job fair thing.” Gray grumbled. “Though can you Imagine the boss’s face when we just park this next to the hotel!”

  “Yes, park. No random destruction.” Erica pointed at him.

  “Of course! Dude, I have class. And I’ve been on YouTube. I am not going to act like Logan Paul!” Grayson said looking affronted

  “I like that. Even Semi-reformed supervillains say Logan Paul has no class.” Chipper laughed.

  Talia blinked as she snapped out of her fugue. “Logan Paul? the prime drink guy? I missed something. And I built a sword for a giant.” She looked at the Sonic Chainsaw with a bit of confusion and pride.

  “Don’t worry.” Grayson said. “We’re working on the giant.” He laughed as Zerg ran a test on the arms and got the gripping arm clutching. It was a spindly set of limbs they were making, skinny arms and legs, with a bulbous torso and no formal head, the sub being nestled in a closing chest with the ability of launching as an escape pod like they discussed.

  “Oh, you built a suit to go with it. That makes sense.” She blushed, looking at Erica. “I think I got too excited by all the cool parts. Sorry.”

  “It’s fine. You’re still adjusting to your meds. Come over and help us get this assembled, and we can try picking up the sword. Apparently, there’s elevators all over the place to get the mech to the surface. No idea how well get it home, though.

  “Elenore said she was getting a boat to transport all the souvenirs. She was expecting major shopping.” Grayson said with a grin.

  “Yeah, well, okay. If nothing else, we got a submarine. Found it in the discard pile, someone stole external parts but nothing that makes it a boat. I think Gray had to replace its thruster propeller things.”

  “Yeah, but it’ll be way faster now.”

  Talia shook her head, getting out the last of the fog. Oh, that would be fun! Does Japan have any reefs? I always thought diving by a coral reef would be amazing!”

  “There’s some good diving off the coast. Also, wartime wrecks to explore.” Zerg said. I’ve used underwater drones to look at some of them, they’re neat.

  That would be cool!” Talia said as she grabbed a wrench to help work on the main bot.