What the...?
Hey, you oversized roach! Over here!
I said over here!
Huh?
You good?
Captain Tanaka?
You couldn't just let it go, could you?
A janitor's kid. And because of him, you blew everything.
If he was allowed into pilot selection,
it would've been against the rules.
Who said you had to do something?
You. You said that it's our job to do what's right, no matter the cost.
- Your job was to win! - I did win!
If you won you would have a Robo.
What are you going to do now?
What do you mean?
I'm still a trainee.
You're going to wait for the next arrival?
There might not be any more alien Robos out there.
And you know that they've never bonded with anyone older than 16.
You missed your shot.
A reinforced shell, that's new.
Grab a sample for R&D.
I waved at Buddy, he waved at me,
and this Sharg came out of nowhere,
but it wasn't gigantic like this. Ugh.
Then the Sharg jumped onto Buddy's back,
and I had to crash my bike into the Sharg to knock it off.
And then you showed up.
Buddy's a bit... small for a Robo.
It's getting late. Let's get back to campus.
What? Me? Go back to campus?
Buddy bonded with you, right?
Yeah. I guess so.
We'll never fully understand how the Robos choose who to bond with,
but that bond can't be broken, and Buddy chose you.
You're a Mech Cadet now.
Without an ExoSuit, the ride can be rough.
Hang on in there.
See you back at base.
Whoa.
Yeah, I'm ready.
I think.
Whoa, whoa, whoa!
What? Car, stop.
You will arrive at your destination in 14 minutes.
Huh?
Come on.
Car, turn around!
Passenger, please fasten your seat belt for safety.
Passenger has exited the vehicle.
What?
Well, Buddy's small but they're certainly fast.
I'll give them that.
I told you, new Robo.
- Sir. - Sir.
Maya, Frank. I want you to meet the newest member of your team.
Stanford?
And his Robo Mech, Buddy.
That Robo bonded with him?
Yes.
Stanford is part of your Cadet class now.
First day of Cadet training starts tomorrow.
You two get him up to speed,
starting with taking him down to the docks.
Yes, sir.
Captain Tanaka. Pretty amazing to meet the very first pilot.
Get used to it. He's our Robo instructor. You're going to see a lot more of him.
So, Buddy, huh? That's a cool name.
Yeah. Yeah, my dad used to call me that.
He doesn't call you that anymore?
He's dead.
Whoa.
You've probably never been down to the docks before, have you?
What?
What is that? Is that a new Robo?
What is he doing here?
What are you doing here?
Planning other ways to stab teammates in the back?
- That's my Robo. - Take it easy.
- They've already bonded. - They've what? W-with mop boy?
I can't believe it either, but that's what Tanaka said.
This is garbage. I won selection. I deserve the Robo.
Yeah. Well, Buddy chose me.
Whoa! Liv, chill.
Come on, let's walk it off.
So, aisle or window?
I'm just kidding. There are no windows.
This is where they recharge.
We can run them pretty hard, but they need to sleep, or shutdown or...
To power their core back up.
That's right.
Come on. New guys over here.
Man, I can't believe you got a Robo and didn't have to do trainee school.
That's a pretty sweet deal.
Yeah, I guess,
but Buddy didn't get to check out anyone else.
Maybe there's someone better?
I've got one leg.
You think the Robos chose us because we're perfect?
No one's perfect.
I don't know.
I just kind of feel like I lucked into this.
Listen, I've played soccer my entire life.
If there's one thing I know, you get an opening, you take your shot.
This time last year, I was minding my own business.
Now, look at me. I'm flying this bad boy!
You're good here. I'll... I'll see you in the morning.
All I'm saying is we all get lucky sometimes.
You're here now.
I don't care how you got here.
Buddy saw something in you, and that's good enough for me.
Let's hope everyone else feels that way.
Forget everyone else. You gotta believe in yourself.
You're gonna love the dorms.
They've got an endless supply of those extra toasty, cheesy crackers.
Actually, I'm gonna catch up with you later, cool?
It's not fair. Let me go head-to-head with Stanford.
Yes?
We've got a problem.
What is it, Tanaka?
When I got to the crash site, there was a Sharg.
How many?
Just one. It must've gotten through while the global defense ring was down.
Probably a recon.
We've faced rogue Shargs before.
There was something different about this one.
Its armor was stronger.
It was evolved.
If the Shargs are back...
Let's not jump to any conclusions.
Alert the response teams,
initiate a global scan for any more breaches.
Please, give me a chance at that Robo.
You said they bonded already.
Is that correct?
The new Robo bonded with the janitor's kid,
Stephen, or whatever?
Stanford. And yes, Buddy chose him.
Ah, Buddy.
Hmm. That's a fine name that will surely incite fear in our alien enemies.
Those are the rules, and they apply even to you.
Dismissed.
Stupid plasma incinerator.
Ma?
Stanford?
What are you doing back?
- It's late. - I... I know it's late.
You have that internship tomorrow.
Yeah, about that internship...
Um, did you hear about the new Robo?
Yes. Why?
Ma, I found the third Robo.
They bonded with me.
I'm gonna be their pilot.
Did you hear what I said?
I heard you.
It was really hard after your father passed.
I wanted you safe. That's all.
Yeah, I miss Dad too, and I do try to listen.
I was going to get in a morning workout.
Care to join?
One last round?
Each exchange has its own unique energy.
Find its current.
Gotcha!
Whoa!
I had you. You can't judo throw.
If you want to survive in battle and in life,
you must always adapt.
You sacrificed so that I could dream.
He always expected me to become a pilot. I let him down.
Your father is a complicated man.
But he wants the best for you.
Don't worry about him.
In the end, you only have yourself to answer to.
Becoming a pilot is the only thing I know.
Without that, I...
I don't know what I'm supposed to do, I don't know what I am.
Olivia, ever since you were a child, you wanted to be the best.
You have more drive, more ambition than anyone.
That is your gift.
And my curse.
There are other positions at Sky Corps that you'll be great at.
Yeah.
Just not a pilot.
You and your father, with your expectations...
Take it from this old man, life is filled with unexpected twists.
Follow your heart, it can only lead you to purpose.
And to greatness.
That's exactly my point. It's his first day but not ours.
Sheesh! About time.
Have you never put on clothes before?
- Cut him some slack. - Ugh. Fine.
I won't dress you every day, so you better get it together.
That's as good as it's gonna get.
Can we go already?
First day of school, kids! Let's hard rock and sushi roll!
Ow!
See the blast shields?
This one looks like a demolition Robo.
Good morning, cadets.
Chief Max!
Did someone say demo Robo?
Perhaps.
Can you believe it?
Dude, it's wild.
I know, right?
And you were attacked by a Sharg?
You okay?
Yeah. Yeah, it was close. Tanaka saved us.
This is so cool.
I'm happy for you, Stanford.
It's your dream come true.
Thanks, Ava.
Be careful out there, okay? This isn't a sim.
All right, Mom.
Cadets.
Chief Max, how do the new Robos look?
Meh.
We'll make them better.
Hope y'all got rest last night
because today is going to be a little less than pleasant.
These ExoSuits are the real thing.
Trainee days are over.
You got this?
Yes, sir. I've logged over 500 hours in the sim.
Good. You're going to need every one of them.
Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa!
The Nexus Link, it's how you connect with your Robos.
What you're going to feel is a grueling stress test of your mind.
And it's never easy the first time.
Whoa!
You'll get used to it.
And it's the key to you and your Robos working as one.
They'll know your thoughts, your training.
You will feel their pain.
So, let's try to keep them whole.
We're just stretching their legs. You have the coordinates.
Last one to the finish line has cleaning duty.
Whoa.
All right, I'm starting to get the hang of this.
We got this!
Race leader! Whoo!
Whoo! Eat Robo dust! Woohoo!
- Whoa! - Whoa!
Hmm?
Stanford, get control.
Buddy!
Whoa. How'd you do that?
Hmm.
Huh?
What are those?
Eastern front reports all clear.
And here's the analysis report from the Sharg's armor
that Captain Tanaka recovered.
Thank you, sergeant.
What's going on?
That Sharg last night was the only one that got through the GDR.
But it was a reminder that we always need to be ready.
You wanted to see me?
You're disappointed, I know, but I push you only to make you better.
I get it.
And you were right, but I still wanna be a pilot.
I'm going to remain a trainee.
I don't care how slim the chances are.
I have another idea.
What is it?
I don't know.
It's Sharg for sure, but I've never seen this before.
A Sharg egg?
Is it a new breed?
Possibly.
Shargs are primitive, but they're extremely adaptive,
with a powerful will to survive.
Where did it come from?
I don't know. You three head back.
I'll stay to wait for the containment team.
This whole business with Stanford only reaffirms my concerns.
Choosing a completely untrained cadet, what a joke.
Meet Hero Force One.
Uh, are those Atlas Missiles?
And the Z-Series Railgun?
I've been quietly working on the Hero Force Program for years.
Built from the ground up
for the sole purpose of defending our planet.
Why in secret?
There are plenty of naysayers,
Robo loyalists in power, but what you said was right.
We must protect humanity, no matter the cost.
Who's going to fly it?
I never found the right pilot,
someone I can trust.
You're the best we have in the Academy, that's uncontested.
But this is a prototype, never been flown.
It's going to be difficult, possibly dangerous.
I wasn't sure I wanted to ask this of you, but...
I'm in.
Sometimes the unexpected twists in life present the best opportunities.
No way to soft-pedal this, you need work.
I know.
Those guys have a year of training on you,
but you'll get there, you have to.
- Yes, sir. - And I still need your paperwork.
The Academy has to have a parent's release.
I don't think there's any way my mom's gonna sign.
Come in.
Ma?
Good evening, Captain Tanaka.
Thank you for calling me about this.
Just don't forget who you are, Stanford Yu.
And please, try and be safe.
I don't mind making dinner.
Even if I did let you win.
Don't push it, Galleta.
Tostones!
Yo, my grams used to make this for me. How'd you know?
Just a good guess.
Dude, want some dinner?
Is there enough for me?
Sit down already.
Okay, thanks. One sec.
Yo, you can cook. This is so good.
That spin out was crazy. You all right?
Yeah, yeah, I'm okay. And I'll work harder.
Oh, you better.
Don't think I'm gonna ease up on you. If you wanna be a part of my team...
- Your team? - You heard me just fine.
Um, this dorm is for Mech Cadets?
I've got a Robo.