Crossroads:
An Evangelion/Rifts Crossover
Neon Genesis Evangelion is used without permission. It is copyright by Gainix (wonderful folks!). Rifts®, Palladium Books®, Mechanoids® The Mechanoid Invasion®, Rifts®, Megaverse®, RECON®, and After the Bomb® Are registered trademark owned and licensed by Kevin Siembieda and Palladium Books, Inc. Cyber-Knight(TM), Coalition States(TM), Triax(TM), Nightbane(TM), Nightlands(TM), Heroes Unlimited(TM), Villains Unlimited(TM), Beyond the Supernatural(TM), Boxed Nightmares(TM), Ninjas & Superspies(TM), Mystic China(TM), Palladium Fantasy RPG(TM), Triax(TM), Mindwerks(TM), Vampire Kingdoms(TM), The Juicer Uprising(TM), Phase World(TM), Wormwood(TM), Psyscape(TM), Mega-Damage(TM), S.D.C.(TM), I.S.P.(TM), P.P.E.(TM), SAMAS(TM), Splugorth(TM), Cyber-Knight(TM), Glitter Boy(TM), Juicer(TM), Mind Melter(TM), Psi-Stalker(TM), Coalition States(TM), Northern Gun(TM), Erin Tarn(TM), Naruni(TM), ... and other names and titles are trademarks owned and licensed by Kevin Siembieda and Palladium Books, Inc."... and are also used without permission. Please don't sue me; I am a poor college student! If you sue me I won't be able to waste my money on your wonderful products! 8^)
Chapter 9: The Day Tokyo 3 Stood Still/What Comes From Shadows
For Shinji, the next week was definitely one that he would file under the 'pleasant' category. While his training and school load were both back in full swing he now had the return of Touji and Kensuke, both in high spirits after the class trip. He was even beginning to find Rei's constant silence not quite as eerie anymore. In fact, they had almost had two conversations, and had succeeded in having one on the way to HQ for synch tests, and the reactivation test for Unit 00 on Thursday. All in all, it was a good week. Right up until Friday.
Shinji was standing at a pay phone about halfway to HQ, with Asuka and Rei waiting close by. They were on their way to another series of long synch tests, the third day in a row of them in fact. Asuka wasn't happy. However, Shinji was trying not to be concerned about that as he waited nervously for the phone to be answered.
He was about to hang up when his fathers voice answered. "Yes, I'm busy."
"Fath... father..." Shinji forced himself to calm down. He could do this. "There's a parent teacher meeting at school next week. I was wondering if you were going to attend."
"I have no time for things like that. Besides, I have delegated all such responsibility to Captain Katsuragi. She's the one..." Gendo was saying, when the phone line died.
Shinji blinked, and jiggled the receiver a few times. Nothing. He stared at it for a moment. "That's odd." He finally said.
"What is?" demanded Asuka.
"The phone line just went dead." Shinji answered, hanging up the phone and joining the other two pilots.
"So what? It happens. Let's just get to HQ..." Asuka said before she strode off towards the nearest entrance.
Meanwhile at NERV HQ, the second disaster of the week was occurring.
"Sir, we've confirmed that we have lost all backup generators except for two." Lt. Aoba said.
"Transfer all remaining power to maintaining the Magi core systems and critical dogma." Fuyutsuki said from the command tower.
"But sir that could compromise life support," said one of the other bridge techs.
"Just do it!" The former professor said sternly, his command voice ringing across the chamber.
"YES SIR!" All three on-duty techs said in unison.
As they rushed to work, Fuyutsuki turned to the commander. "This could be bad. Do you think that the same 'group' as before is responsible?"
"Perhaps, but something tells me no. This feels different somehow." Gendo replied calmly.
"I can't believe I'm stuck in here with YOU," Misato said to Kaji as she desperately tried to get the elevator to move.
"It could be worse. The elevator could be full of people, instead of just the two of us." Kaji said mischievously.
Misato just glared at him in response.
"Why isn't this door working?" Asuka said as she swiped her access card for the forth time.
"Mine isn't working either," said Shinji.
"Nor is mine," Rei said calmly. "It seems that the power is out."
"Well, this is defiantly no time to panic. We need to plan out a strategy. To do that, we need a leader. Naturally, I'm the most logical choice," Asuka concluded defiantly.
Rei had already taken a seat and was opening her emergency procedure handbook. Asuka blushed slightly, realizing that Rei was beating her to the punch and quickly took out hers as well. Shinji looked between the two with some confusion, before he remembered his own emergency procedure booklet.
"We must report to NERV central, in case there is an attack." Rei said calmly into the silence.
"Exactly my plan Wonder Girl," with that Asuka stood up and began to lead them towards an emergency exit.
"Well Shinji, time to be of use." Asuka said, indicating the manual crank for the door.
Shinji looked at her blankly for a second, before he sighed and began to slowly crank the door open, muttering under his breath until he was silenced by a glare from Asuka.
Maya and Makoto were heading for NERV when they heard the announcement from the plane flying overhead. An Angel was approaching. They quickly commandeered a car rigged with external speakers, campaigning for a mayoral candidate. Surprisingly enough, they even made it to HQ, despite the best efforts of physics and Makoto's driving.
Lacking power most of the internal systems in NERV would no longer function, including things like security doors. Now, while a prepared task force, rescue group, or military unit could probably make short work of such minor setbacks, for the three Children, these were fairly substantial obstacles, so they took the only other route that made any sense for them, the ventilation ducts. Shinji, after a little fast talking, was in the lead, followed by Asuka, and having the honor of rear guard was Rei. As they were heading along a slightly more open area, they heard Makoto as he drove by in the PA-equipped van. They stopped for a second, trying to get his attention, but he was too far off, and driving too fast. Soon, he was gone out of sight, his voice echoing warnings behind him.
"Well, you heard what's-his-name, there's an Angel approaching, we have to report in immediately," Asuka said.
The three continued though the ducts, trying to figure out which way to go, as Shinji began to consider their current predicament in a larger way.
"Why..." he mused to himself out loud.
"Why what?" sighed Asuka.
"Well, why are the Angels attacking us? What do they have to gain?" Shinji began to think back to some of his lessons from the mercs. "I thought wars were generally fought over resources, ideologies, or in defense from an aggressor, which does fall back to one of the other two I guess, but what do the Angels get out of this?"
"What do they get out of it?" Asuka asked, more then a little surprised. "What type of question is that? Do we need to know what their motivations are to destroy them? Are you gonna try to get inside their heads like you're a shrink or something? Stupid."
Shinji sighed. He would have let it drop right there, but Asuka had heard the sigh.
"And what was that for? Since when does it matter? Why should it matter in fact? They are the ones who are attacking us without provocation. We are the ones caught in a fight to the death, whether we like it or not as they continue to attack us without provocation for no other apparent reason then to destroy us. Now take a left, that'll lead us to the command center."
"I suppose that you're right about the Angels. Unless they start talking, we really have no other choice but to fight them. But the Command Center is this way," Shinji said, indication the other direction and starting down it. "That's the wrong way."
"What do you mean, the wrong way?" demanded Asuka. "What makes your way the right way?"
"That isn't the way to the command center; therefore it's the wrong way! That's the way we have to go," Shinji said pointing in the opposite direction from where Asuka was trying to lead them. The two glared at each other. It took a bit of Shinji's psi power to maintain his end of the staring contest.
After what seemed to be a small eternity, Asuka rolled her eyes. "Fine, have it your way. But when we get lost don't come crying to me."
Shinji mumbled something and took the lead, heading down a ventilation shaft towards where he sensed the command center to be. Asuka and Rei followed, Asuka mumbling in German.
After they had been crawling along for some time, Asuka began to become impatient. "Well, are we there yet? This certainly doesn't look like the command center."
"We should almost be there, Asuka," he said, turning to face the girl.
She suddenly yelped, as Shinji's eyes, like any normal, healthy boy's would, strayed to the front of her blouse for a split second. A blouse with the top few buttons undone from the heat.
"Ahh, Shinji, you pervert!" Asuka screamed as she twisted back around and began to kick at him, unintentionally giving him a brief view of her panties.
Shinji tried to defend himself and withdraw from the attack, but Asuka pursued him, feat flashing out at him almost as quickly as German insults. Suddenly, the grate that the two had crawled onto gave way beneath them, depositing the pair on the floor of the command center; Rei lightly leapt to the ground next to them.
Dr. Akagi looked down at them and smiled. "The ventilation ducts? We should really fix that," Akagi mumbled to herself as Asuka and Shinji sorted them selves out. "Thank God you made it though, there's an Angel approaching, we need to get you three to your Eva's immediately!"
"We know, we heard Makoto announcing it when he drove in. But how are we supposed to launch the Eva's without power?" Asuka asked, standing up.
"Commander Ikari is overseeing that right now. He's prepping them for manual launch." Dr. Akagi said as she began to lead them to the cages.
"My father?" Shinji asked, surprised.
"Yes, he knew that you'd find your way here, and that we'd need them ready to launch. We don't have much time, but we think we know where the Angel is going to try to direct its assault." Dr Akagi continued as she hurried down the corridors towards the Eva cages.
Sure enough, when they arrived, they found that the three 'bots had been outfitted with additional batteries, and their restraints were already removed for the most part. The entry plugs waited patiently for their pilots.
"All right, suit up in those rooms there," Akagi indicated a pair of small offices. "There are already plug suits there for you." The three children ran to the indicated rooms and after only a little bit of confusion on who was supposed to go in what room, they emerged in their plug suits, and got in the entry plugs.
The plugs were moved into position with a series of jury-rigged pulleys, and were slid down into place. With a satisfying whir of hydraulics, the plugs spun down, and the back-plate covers moved into position. Within the Eva's, the synchronization sequence began. The three mechanical giants came to life.
"All right, there are some rifles in the access ports next to the door, grab them and head towards the fifty-sixth surfaces access ports. Remember, the battery pack will allow for about thirty-five minutes of power, so don't waste time." Dr. Akagi boomed over a megaphone.
Unit 02 gave a thumbs up, and the three mechs headed towards port fifty-six amid the cheers of the work crews that had readied them.
After only a few minutes, they reached the access port, and smashed in a door to allow entry. As they began to climb up the tube, a large eye was suddenly staring down at them.
"Shit. It's the angel!" Asuka yelled as something orange began to ooze out of its eye and poor down onto the three robots. It burned on contact.
"Acid!" Shinji yelled.
"No, really?" Asuka said as she swung her Eva into one of the side corridors off the access port. Unit's 01 and 00 followed.
"Now what do we do?" Shinji asked as they watched more acid fall cascade down just outside their shelter. "We dropped our guns and I don't know how well we'd do trying to get up there and go hand to hand with it."
"Simple, we need a better plan." Asuka replied calmly. She thought for a moment, and then continued, a triumphant grin on her face. "OK, here's the plan. One person will be defense, one person offence, and the third will be back up. While defense shields the tunnel with their Eva, back up will jump down the access port to retrieve one of the rifles and hand it up to offense. When offense gets the rifle, defense will move so that the offense can get a clear shot. Since it's using some sort of physical secretion as an attack, it probably doesn't have carp for an AT field, so the rifle should be enough to take it down. Any questions?" Asuka concluded. The other two pilots shook their heads in unison. "Good, Shinji, you're offense. Rei..."
"I will take defense," Rei interrupted.
"Sorry Wonder Girl, my plan so I'll take the most dangerous position. You've got back up." Asuka said.
"Confirmed," Rei replied.
"All right then, next time the acid stops, we go." Asuka said.
They didn't have long to wait. In less then a minute the acid stopped its intermittent flow and Asuka swung into position. Rei jumped into the shaft and landed next to the rifles. Two were destroyed by the acid, but lucky one was untouched by the acid. She passed that one up to Shinji. As soon as he got it he yelled "Clear!" and Unit 02 moved aside. Shinji fired the rifle up, and heard a satisfying crunch as they struck the Angel. It spidery legs collapsed and it fell lifelessly to the ground. Shinji didn't have time to enjoy his victory as Unit 02, having lost its grip, fell onto Unit 01. This in turn caused Shinji to lose his grip and fall, crashing into Unit 00.
"Damn it, why does this have to happen to me?" Asuka said.
"Ahh.... I have to get out of here..." Misato whined. She was currently on Kaji's shoulders, trying to open the emergency hatch in the ceiling. "I really have to pee."
Kaji almost looked up in alarm. "I hope you can hold it a little longer, Katsuragi."
"Hey, you're not looking up my skirt are you?" Misato suddenly asked.
"No..." Kaji said in a long-suffering tone.
Misato was about to say something else, when the regular lights replaced the emergency ones in the elevator and it began to suddenly jerk into motion. This deposited the both of them on the floor in what could only be called a compromising position. The elevator came to a stop, and the doors opened, revealing Ritsuko and Maya. They looked shocked for a moment before Maya simply mumbled, "Sex fiends..."
"So, any idea on whom the culprits are yet?" Fuyutsuki asked the Commander.
"None yet, but it is being looked into. I still believe that this was as much a test of our security as a way for someone to observe the Magi's restart process," Gendo said calmly. "I will not allow it to upset the scenario though."
"So, do you think the people who hacked the system earlier had anything to do with this?" Fuyutsuki asked.
"That is still my belief, yes. But it would be foolish to lessen our observation on the suspects for that act. Increase the observations on them, and attempt to tap into their modem. I want to know where they go, and when. This might answer the other questions we have about them."
"Very well sir."
The power in Tokyo-3 had come back on by about six in the evening, and Kyle, Ferris, and Alister decided to celebrate their young student's victory by going and drinking in his name. Ferris and Alister left a little after two, explaining that they had to get up early to help Shinji with some tactics training (they were going to start working various supernatural elements into it, courtesy of Alister). Kyle, not planning on doing anything in particular the next day, stayed until they kicked him out. He wasn't the only one. Tai and some of his pals were also doing an all night bender. However, as they left Club Freak, the banes back in their Façade, in the grey light before dawn, Kyle excused himself, joking that he was getting a little too old for these all night things. Really, their next stop was just a Karaoke bar. With some jovial shouts and barbs from the 'banes directed at the 'old man,' the two groups parted ways.
As Kyle walked, his steps became less and less staggered with every passing block. All too soon, he was walking without a sway. Shortly after that the last traces of his headache were gone too. Kyle sighed heavily; he missed those first few hangovers sometimes. He continued along his way home, enjoying the night air and the pleasant stillness. However, it wasn't long before he realized he was being followed. A flicker of motion out the corner of his eye, the reflections of glowing eyes seen for moments in a shop window, and the absolute silence told him that it wasn't section two. He dropped into combat mode. He turned down the next ally he came to, and went about halfway down, certain that his pursuer was behind him. Then, for him, the world seemed to slow down a hair as he moved with quick and precise movements, one hand seeming to blur into his armored trench coat (a Branaghan) and wrapping around the Q1-02 'Stopper' ion pistol he carried there, the other hand removed his mirror shades. In the same liquid movement he spun and sighted his stalker. It was a thing of shadows and rage, claws and a bestial head set with angry, crimson eyes. Those eyes didn't even have time to blink in surprise as a crackle of accelerated ions hit it full in the chest, followed by a second. The third was overkill, but it was a wide street with another ally opposite, so the ion beam dissipated before it could cause too much collateral damage. As time seemed to take its normal pace once again Kyle walked over to examine what was left of his stalker.
["Shadow beast? What the hell....."] then it dawned on him. ["Shit, we were followed."] With a quick check to make sure he wasn't seen, and to make sure the thing didn't have any friends along, Kyle ran into the coming dawn, the shadow beast already fading into the nothingness that gave it form.
... to be continued.
Author's Notes: Ahh, ok, it has been a hella long time. I really have no good excuse for how long this took, and can only offer my apologies to you for it. Hopefully I'll be able to get the next few chapters out in a more timely fashion. I think that this is not too unreasonable as the next few parts I have some really strong ideas for, so that should motivate me to get them done fast, or at least faster. 'Thanks' goes out to my prereader/editor Annie, who will soon be getting hitched, as well as to the other a few other people who saw bits and pieces of this along the way and gave me on the spot feedback (thanks Javs). And of course, thanks to the readers who, every now and again, send me the "get off your lazy ass and write foo!!" emails, that really do prod me along. I'd like to also direst my readers to the fanfic I am co-writing with Lord Deathscythe, Forgotten Warriors, and Eva B5 crossover. It's hella good and I'm pretty sure you can find it right here on ff.n as well as on Evafics.org, go take a look. See ya'll next time!
An Evangelion/Rifts Crossover
Neon Genesis Evangelion is used without permission. It is copyright by Gainix (wonderful folks!). Rifts®, Palladium Books®, Mechanoids® The Mechanoid Invasion®, Rifts®, Megaverse®, RECON®, and After the Bomb® Are registered trademark owned and licensed by Kevin Siembieda and Palladium Books, Inc. Cyber-Knight(TM), Coalition States(TM), Triax(TM), Nightbane(TM), Nightlands(TM), Heroes Unlimited(TM), Villains Unlimited(TM), Beyond the Supernatural(TM), Boxed Nightmares(TM), Ninjas & Superspies(TM), Mystic China(TM), Palladium Fantasy RPG(TM), Triax(TM), Mindwerks(TM), Vampire Kingdoms(TM), The Juicer Uprising(TM), Phase World(TM), Wormwood(TM), Psyscape(TM), Mega-Damage(TM), S.D.C.(TM), I.S.P.(TM), P.P.E.(TM), SAMAS(TM), Splugorth(TM), Cyber-Knight(TM), Glitter Boy(TM), Juicer(TM), Mind Melter(TM), Psi-Stalker(TM), Coalition States(TM), Northern Gun(TM), Erin Tarn(TM), Naruni(TM), ... and other names and titles are trademarks owned and licensed by Kevin Siembieda and Palladium Books, Inc."... and are also used without permission. Please don't sue me; I am a poor college student! If you sue me I won't be able to waste my money on your wonderful products! 8^)
Chapter 9: The Day Tokyo 3 Stood Still/What Comes From Shadows
For Shinji, the next week was definitely one that he would file under the 'pleasant' category. While his training and school load were both back in full swing he now had the return of Touji and Kensuke, both in high spirits after the class trip. He was even beginning to find Rei's constant silence not quite as eerie anymore. In fact, they had almost had two conversations, and had succeeded in having one on the way to HQ for synch tests, and the reactivation test for Unit 00 on Thursday. All in all, it was a good week. Right up until Friday.
Shinji was standing at a pay phone about halfway to HQ, with Asuka and Rei waiting close by. They were on their way to another series of long synch tests, the third day in a row of them in fact. Asuka wasn't happy. However, Shinji was trying not to be concerned about that as he waited nervously for the phone to be answered.
He was about to hang up when his fathers voice answered. "Yes, I'm busy."
"Fath... father..." Shinji forced himself to calm down. He could do this. "There's a parent teacher meeting at school next week. I was wondering if you were going to attend."
"I have no time for things like that. Besides, I have delegated all such responsibility to Captain Katsuragi. She's the one..." Gendo was saying, when the phone line died.
Shinji blinked, and jiggled the receiver a few times. Nothing. He stared at it for a moment. "That's odd." He finally said.
"What is?" demanded Asuka.
"The phone line just went dead." Shinji answered, hanging up the phone and joining the other two pilots.
"So what? It happens. Let's just get to HQ..." Asuka said before she strode off towards the nearest entrance.
Meanwhile at NERV HQ, the second disaster of the week was occurring.
"Sir, we've confirmed that we have lost all backup generators except for two." Lt. Aoba said.
"Transfer all remaining power to maintaining the Magi core systems and critical dogma." Fuyutsuki said from the command tower.
"But sir that could compromise life support," said one of the other bridge techs.
"Just do it!" The former professor said sternly, his command voice ringing across the chamber.
"YES SIR!" All three on-duty techs said in unison.
As they rushed to work, Fuyutsuki turned to the commander. "This could be bad. Do you think that the same 'group' as before is responsible?"
"Perhaps, but something tells me no. This feels different somehow." Gendo replied calmly.
"I can't believe I'm stuck in here with YOU," Misato said to Kaji as she desperately tried to get the elevator to move.
"It could be worse. The elevator could be full of people, instead of just the two of us." Kaji said mischievously.
Misato just glared at him in response.
"Why isn't this door working?" Asuka said as she swiped her access card for the forth time.
"Mine isn't working either," said Shinji.
"Nor is mine," Rei said calmly. "It seems that the power is out."
"Well, this is defiantly no time to panic. We need to plan out a strategy. To do that, we need a leader. Naturally, I'm the most logical choice," Asuka concluded defiantly.
Rei had already taken a seat and was opening her emergency procedure handbook. Asuka blushed slightly, realizing that Rei was beating her to the punch and quickly took out hers as well. Shinji looked between the two with some confusion, before he remembered his own emergency procedure booklet.
"We must report to NERV central, in case there is an attack." Rei said calmly into the silence.
"Exactly my plan Wonder Girl," with that Asuka stood up and began to lead them towards an emergency exit.
"Well Shinji, time to be of use." Asuka said, indicating the manual crank for the door.
Shinji looked at her blankly for a second, before he sighed and began to slowly crank the door open, muttering under his breath until he was silenced by a glare from Asuka.
Maya and Makoto were heading for NERV when they heard the announcement from the plane flying overhead. An Angel was approaching. They quickly commandeered a car rigged with external speakers, campaigning for a mayoral candidate. Surprisingly enough, they even made it to HQ, despite the best efforts of physics and Makoto's driving.
Lacking power most of the internal systems in NERV would no longer function, including things like security doors. Now, while a prepared task force, rescue group, or military unit could probably make short work of such minor setbacks, for the three Children, these were fairly substantial obstacles, so they took the only other route that made any sense for them, the ventilation ducts. Shinji, after a little fast talking, was in the lead, followed by Asuka, and having the honor of rear guard was Rei. As they were heading along a slightly more open area, they heard Makoto as he drove by in the PA-equipped van. They stopped for a second, trying to get his attention, but he was too far off, and driving too fast. Soon, he was gone out of sight, his voice echoing warnings behind him.
"Well, you heard what's-his-name, there's an Angel approaching, we have to report in immediately," Asuka said.
The three continued though the ducts, trying to figure out which way to go, as Shinji began to consider their current predicament in a larger way.
"Why..." he mused to himself out loud.
"Why what?" sighed Asuka.
"Well, why are the Angels attacking us? What do they have to gain?" Shinji began to think back to some of his lessons from the mercs. "I thought wars were generally fought over resources, ideologies, or in defense from an aggressor, which does fall back to one of the other two I guess, but what do the Angels get out of this?"
"What do they get out of it?" Asuka asked, more then a little surprised. "What type of question is that? Do we need to know what their motivations are to destroy them? Are you gonna try to get inside their heads like you're a shrink or something? Stupid."
Shinji sighed. He would have let it drop right there, but Asuka had heard the sigh.
"And what was that for? Since when does it matter? Why should it matter in fact? They are the ones who are attacking us without provocation. We are the ones caught in a fight to the death, whether we like it or not as they continue to attack us without provocation for no other apparent reason then to destroy us. Now take a left, that'll lead us to the command center."
"I suppose that you're right about the Angels. Unless they start talking, we really have no other choice but to fight them. But the Command Center is this way," Shinji said, indication the other direction and starting down it. "That's the wrong way."
"What do you mean, the wrong way?" demanded Asuka. "What makes your way the right way?"
"That isn't the way to the command center; therefore it's the wrong way! That's the way we have to go," Shinji said pointing in the opposite direction from where Asuka was trying to lead them. The two glared at each other. It took a bit of Shinji's psi power to maintain his end of the staring contest.
After what seemed to be a small eternity, Asuka rolled her eyes. "Fine, have it your way. But when we get lost don't come crying to me."
Shinji mumbled something and took the lead, heading down a ventilation shaft towards where he sensed the command center to be. Asuka and Rei followed, Asuka mumbling in German.
After they had been crawling along for some time, Asuka began to become impatient. "Well, are we there yet? This certainly doesn't look like the command center."
"We should almost be there, Asuka," he said, turning to face the girl.
She suddenly yelped, as Shinji's eyes, like any normal, healthy boy's would, strayed to the front of her blouse for a split second. A blouse with the top few buttons undone from the heat.
"Ahh, Shinji, you pervert!" Asuka screamed as she twisted back around and began to kick at him, unintentionally giving him a brief view of her panties.
Shinji tried to defend himself and withdraw from the attack, but Asuka pursued him, feat flashing out at him almost as quickly as German insults. Suddenly, the grate that the two had crawled onto gave way beneath them, depositing the pair on the floor of the command center; Rei lightly leapt to the ground next to them.
Dr. Akagi looked down at them and smiled. "The ventilation ducts? We should really fix that," Akagi mumbled to herself as Asuka and Shinji sorted them selves out. "Thank God you made it though, there's an Angel approaching, we need to get you three to your Eva's immediately!"
"We know, we heard Makoto announcing it when he drove in. But how are we supposed to launch the Eva's without power?" Asuka asked, standing up.
"Commander Ikari is overseeing that right now. He's prepping them for manual launch." Dr. Akagi said as she began to lead them to the cages.
"My father?" Shinji asked, surprised.
"Yes, he knew that you'd find your way here, and that we'd need them ready to launch. We don't have much time, but we think we know where the Angel is going to try to direct its assault." Dr Akagi continued as she hurried down the corridors towards the Eva cages.
Sure enough, when they arrived, they found that the three 'bots had been outfitted with additional batteries, and their restraints were already removed for the most part. The entry plugs waited patiently for their pilots.
"All right, suit up in those rooms there," Akagi indicated a pair of small offices. "There are already plug suits there for you." The three children ran to the indicated rooms and after only a little bit of confusion on who was supposed to go in what room, they emerged in their plug suits, and got in the entry plugs.
The plugs were moved into position with a series of jury-rigged pulleys, and were slid down into place. With a satisfying whir of hydraulics, the plugs spun down, and the back-plate covers moved into position. Within the Eva's, the synchronization sequence began. The three mechanical giants came to life.
"All right, there are some rifles in the access ports next to the door, grab them and head towards the fifty-sixth surfaces access ports. Remember, the battery pack will allow for about thirty-five minutes of power, so don't waste time." Dr. Akagi boomed over a megaphone.
Unit 02 gave a thumbs up, and the three mechs headed towards port fifty-six amid the cheers of the work crews that had readied them.
After only a few minutes, they reached the access port, and smashed in a door to allow entry. As they began to climb up the tube, a large eye was suddenly staring down at them.
"Shit. It's the angel!" Asuka yelled as something orange began to ooze out of its eye and poor down onto the three robots. It burned on contact.
"Acid!" Shinji yelled.
"No, really?" Asuka said as she swung her Eva into one of the side corridors off the access port. Unit's 01 and 00 followed.
"Now what do we do?" Shinji asked as they watched more acid fall cascade down just outside their shelter. "We dropped our guns and I don't know how well we'd do trying to get up there and go hand to hand with it."
"Simple, we need a better plan." Asuka replied calmly. She thought for a moment, and then continued, a triumphant grin on her face. "OK, here's the plan. One person will be defense, one person offence, and the third will be back up. While defense shields the tunnel with their Eva, back up will jump down the access port to retrieve one of the rifles and hand it up to offense. When offense gets the rifle, defense will move so that the offense can get a clear shot. Since it's using some sort of physical secretion as an attack, it probably doesn't have carp for an AT field, so the rifle should be enough to take it down. Any questions?" Asuka concluded. The other two pilots shook their heads in unison. "Good, Shinji, you're offense. Rei..."
"I will take defense," Rei interrupted.
"Sorry Wonder Girl, my plan so I'll take the most dangerous position. You've got back up." Asuka said.
"Confirmed," Rei replied.
"All right then, next time the acid stops, we go." Asuka said.
They didn't have long to wait. In less then a minute the acid stopped its intermittent flow and Asuka swung into position. Rei jumped into the shaft and landed next to the rifles. Two were destroyed by the acid, but lucky one was untouched by the acid. She passed that one up to Shinji. As soon as he got it he yelled "Clear!" and Unit 02 moved aside. Shinji fired the rifle up, and heard a satisfying crunch as they struck the Angel. It spidery legs collapsed and it fell lifelessly to the ground. Shinji didn't have time to enjoy his victory as Unit 02, having lost its grip, fell onto Unit 01. This in turn caused Shinji to lose his grip and fall, crashing into Unit 00.
"Damn it, why does this have to happen to me?" Asuka said.
"Ahh.... I have to get out of here..." Misato whined. She was currently on Kaji's shoulders, trying to open the emergency hatch in the ceiling. "I really have to pee."
Kaji almost looked up in alarm. "I hope you can hold it a little longer, Katsuragi."
"Hey, you're not looking up my skirt are you?" Misato suddenly asked.
"No..." Kaji said in a long-suffering tone.
Misato was about to say something else, when the regular lights replaced the emergency ones in the elevator and it began to suddenly jerk into motion. This deposited the both of them on the floor in what could only be called a compromising position. The elevator came to a stop, and the doors opened, revealing Ritsuko and Maya. They looked shocked for a moment before Maya simply mumbled, "Sex fiends..."
"So, any idea on whom the culprits are yet?" Fuyutsuki asked the Commander.
"None yet, but it is being looked into. I still believe that this was as much a test of our security as a way for someone to observe the Magi's restart process," Gendo said calmly. "I will not allow it to upset the scenario though."
"So, do you think the people who hacked the system earlier had anything to do with this?" Fuyutsuki asked.
"That is still my belief, yes. But it would be foolish to lessen our observation on the suspects for that act. Increase the observations on them, and attempt to tap into their modem. I want to know where they go, and when. This might answer the other questions we have about them."
"Very well sir."
The power in Tokyo-3 had come back on by about six in the evening, and Kyle, Ferris, and Alister decided to celebrate their young student's victory by going and drinking in his name. Ferris and Alister left a little after two, explaining that they had to get up early to help Shinji with some tactics training (they were going to start working various supernatural elements into it, courtesy of Alister). Kyle, not planning on doing anything in particular the next day, stayed until they kicked him out. He wasn't the only one. Tai and some of his pals were also doing an all night bender. However, as they left Club Freak, the banes back in their Façade, in the grey light before dawn, Kyle excused himself, joking that he was getting a little too old for these all night things. Really, their next stop was just a Karaoke bar. With some jovial shouts and barbs from the 'banes directed at the 'old man,' the two groups parted ways.
As Kyle walked, his steps became less and less staggered with every passing block. All too soon, he was walking without a sway. Shortly after that the last traces of his headache were gone too. Kyle sighed heavily; he missed those first few hangovers sometimes. He continued along his way home, enjoying the night air and the pleasant stillness. However, it wasn't long before he realized he was being followed. A flicker of motion out the corner of his eye, the reflections of glowing eyes seen for moments in a shop window, and the absolute silence told him that it wasn't section two. He dropped into combat mode. He turned down the next ally he came to, and went about halfway down, certain that his pursuer was behind him. Then, for him, the world seemed to slow down a hair as he moved with quick and precise movements, one hand seeming to blur into his armored trench coat (a Branaghan) and wrapping around the Q1-02 'Stopper' ion pistol he carried there, the other hand removed his mirror shades. In the same liquid movement he spun and sighted his stalker. It was a thing of shadows and rage, claws and a bestial head set with angry, crimson eyes. Those eyes didn't even have time to blink in surprise as a crackle of accelerated ions hit it full in the chest, followed by a second. The third was overkill, but it was a wide street with another ally opposite, so the ion beam dissipated before it could cause too much collateral damage. As time seemed to take its normal pace once again Kyle walked over to examine what was left of his stalker.
["Shadow beast? What the hell....."] then it dawned on him. ["Shit, we were followed."] With a quick check to make sure he wasn't seen, and to make sure the thing didn't have any friends along, Kyle ran into the coming dawn, the shadow beast already fading into the nothingness that gave it form.
... to be continued.
Author's Notes: Ahh, ok, it has been a hella long time. I really have no good excuse for how long this took, and can only offer my apologies to you for it. Hopefully I'll be able to get the next few chapters out in a more timely fashion. I think that this is not too unreasonable as the next few parts I have some really strong ideas for, so that should motivate me to get them done fast, or at least faster. 'Thanks' goes out to my prereader/editor Annie, who will soon be getting hitched, as well as to the other a few other people who saw bits and pieces of this along the way and gave me on the spot feedback (thanks Javs). And of course, thanks to the readers who, every now and again, send me the "get off your lazy ass and write foo!!" emails, that really do prod me along. I'd like to also direst my readers to the fanfic I am co-writing with Lord Deathscythe, Forgotten Warriors, and Eva B5 crossover. It's hella good and I'm pretty sure you can find it right here on ff.n as well as on Evafics.org, go take a look. See ya'll next time!