I don't own Xenogears or Evangelion. They belong to Squaresoft and Gainax respectively. This work is for non-profit reasons: fun for me and my readers.
Eye of the Tiger
Chapter One - The Red Baron and the Tiger
"So, the Americans hane finally decided to tip their hands."
"Yes Fuyutski. They have decided to send us their ace in the hole, the Host to the Slayer of God. Not only has our force has doubled in size,but now, I will be able to watch over the pilot."
"But Commander, does Weltall not pose a threat to the Eva project?"
"No Dr. Akagi, because it cannot be duplicated. Weltall is one of a kind, and so," Gendo Ikari added with a grin, "is its pilot."
Fei Fong Wong pushed the errant strands of hair from his feild of vision / damn things refuse to be put into the ponytail.../, as he looked out the window of the cargo copter he had spent the last hours of his employment to the SCOUTS in. But he was not alone. Besides the pilot, a form that redefined the term huge lay under a tarp. It was Humanoid in shape, but defied this definition with its sharp metal corners, and relative lack of natural curves. It was the reason Fei had to leave the anti-terrorism business. It was the unique being that had been his father's before his. It was Gear Unit-00, Weltall, Fei's Mech, and his weapon against the monsters deemed The Angels. The teen stared at the form beneat the thick tarp, still amazed after all these years at the power one person could posses with this machine.
/ Not that I need Weltall to be powerful. I guess its almost time to transfer. I'm gonna miss the team /
The landing gear shuddered as it touched down, and the copter groaned as it settled. Fei looked ou the window, to see, not too far off, a group of children about his age. One was a red-haired girl, in a yellow sundress, slapping the hell out of s ome guy in a jogging suit.
/ The second Child, Asuka Langley Sorhyu, Pilot of Eva Unit-02. I guess one of the others must be the Third Child, Shinji Ikari. I hope thats not him getting the crap beat outa him. /
His attention was caught by the pilot of his ride, "Alright Private Wong, depart, and contact Captain Misato of NERV. She has your final transfer documents. I'll get the crew to unload this beast."
"Thanks Bear. See ya later!," Fei waved as he hopped out onto the flight deck.
Kensuke was in heaven. Not only had he gotten to ride in one of NERV's cargo copters, seen all these cool jets, and was currently standing on a vintage Super-class aircraft carrier, but one of theUS's newest long-range cargo copters, the Bahumet-class cargo carrier had just landed nearby. Never mind it had kicked up the wind that had inderectly led to Touji's current beating. He was so enamoured that he hardly registered the lone figure jump down from the passenger hatch, without waiting for the ladder, or that said figure was heading strait for his group. Misato however did notice.
"Oh," the NERV capitain began, "Looks like we can get all of our introductions over with."
"So," the firey red head began, "Where's the famous Third Child? Ach nein..." she groaned.
"Don't worry Asuka. This," she said while gesturing to the introverted child standing next to her," is Shinji Ikari, the Third Child."
Fei was close enough to here this exchange, and once again brushed the errant lock of hair from his face as he closed the distance between himself and the group in front of him.
"Capitain Katsuragi," the Gear pilot greeted as he stood at attention next to Asuka.
/ Mein Gott! I didn't even hear him step next to me! / Asuka thought as she whipped around, standing to face this boy. A small bit of surprise broke through to her eyes as they widened. He wore the off-duty uniform of some paramilitary group from the US, black slacks, black turtle-neck, and a leather jacket which bore the SCOUTS logo. He wore his long hair in a ponytail, except for a clump thathung bin front of his face.
/ How does he move so quietly with those thick dress shoes on? Hey he seems familiar.../
"Asuka, Shinji, This is the pilot of another mech that is joining our attachment," misato smiled, as she had seen him sneak up on Asuka with no effort.
/ Not an easy feat, considering she has had NERV training. /
"Private, first class of the Special Counter Operations Urban Terror Section, pilot of Gear Unit-00, and the Tiger's Child. Fei Fong Wong."
"Pleased to meet you," Fei stated with a smile as he extended his hand to Misato.
As she shook his hand and he exchanged pleaseantries with Shinji, Asuka interupted as only she could. "What do you mean Gear Unit 00, and whats this 'Tiger's Child' business?"
"I am not an Evngelion pilot, so I don't get a number. The title was assigned by the Marduke institute. I assume it was just to keep the 'Child' theme going... "
"Huh," Shinji shrugged, "so whats a Gear?"
"Yeah, and if it's not an Eva, how can it fight the Angels?" Asuka added smugly. / If its not an Eva, it can't produce an AT feild. /
"Trust him," Misato said, " it can. Ritsuko will be breifing us on it at HQ. C'mon, lets get the admiral to sign these transfer papers.......Oh shoot! Sorry Fei, but I must've left yours at my office."
"No worries, we'll just sign em on land. Now, can you two," Fei said turning to the 'children' , "tell me about your Evangelions?"
Asuka smiled proudly as she began to speak, "Well MY Unit-02 is the...."
"I must thank you Major," an old man with a robust mustache grumble to Misato, "for allowing me to baby-sit even MORE.....children." The last word was said in disgust.
"Thank you admiral for your help in the marine transport of Unit-02 and Weltall. If you could just sign these transfer papers..." she said, holding out a rather thick stack of printouts.
"Not just yet, Major."
"Then when?"
"Once your toys are safely unloaded from my ship. And don't you think over half of the pacific fleet is too much for such playthings?"
"No. Its not enough when you consider the value of your cargo. The Eva and Weltall are valuable to the futer of mankind."
"Wow," Touji whispered to no one in particular, "She's awesome..."
"Yeah....."Shinji Added, "She sounds Like Ritsuko.."
"Hello their Admiral!" an unshaven, but handsome man greeted as he stepped onto the bridge.
"Mr Kaji! If you could please stop inviting yourself onto the bridge!" the admiral replied grumpily.
Misato looked as if she were going to be sick, as she muttered, "Kaji..?"
"KAJI!!" Asuka squealed in delight, rushing to give the eternaly unshaven NERV agent a hug.
"Hey there princess. Hows it going?"
"Better now that your here Kaji.."
"Hey, ya old perv! Tsk Tsk.... they just keep gettin younger, eh?" Fei called out as a big grin spread on his face, "How ya been?!"
Misato looked blue in the face, and her eye twitched as her teeth ground. Asuka Looked mortified at Fei's comment
Kaji turned his rougish grin from the fiery red-head attached to his arm to the long-haired pilot grinning right back at him, "Ah, the 'Wild Child'! How've you been Fei? beating the ladies off with a stick?"
"Hardly, well except for those techie girls. I don't get to go out much..."
"Kaji, lets get something to eat!" Asuka squealed as she drug said man out of the bridge.
/ Wow, she sure can put on a cutesy act. I'da thought that that woulda gotten me a slap from what I saw her doin' to whats his face...oh yeah Touji... / "Yeah," Fei said, "Food sounds good, eh Shinji. Major, how bout it?"
"(grumble.......)I guess...(damn Kaji....)."
"C'mon Guys. I don't know about you, but MREs aren't my cup'o'tea."
The group sat around a lunch table in the ship's mess hall, chatting non-chalantly. Misato looked quite perturbed at the fact that Kaji was currently running his foout up and down her leg.
"So, Major, do you.... Have a boyfreind?" Kaji smoothly asked.
"I don't think thats any of your business," she replied as she pulled her legs under her seat.
" Shinji," Kaji said, turning his gaze to the Third Child, "I hear your living with major Katsuragi."
"Um, yeah."
"So tell me, " Kaji asked slyly, " is she stil so.." Kaji paused dramaticaly, "wild in bed?"
The occupants of the table were shocked to say the least. Misato slammed her fists on the table so hard, the cups of cofee jumped, and the plates shook as if an earthquake had hit.
"You jerk! Where do you get off saying something like that?!?!"
"No, still the same, eh Shinji?"
Fei's shocked look turned to laughter,a s he saw the smug look on Kaji's face.
"I guess.....but, how'd you know my name?"
Fei piped in, " Know your name? Your the famous 'Third Child' that took down an Angel untrained in his first ride in an Eva!"
Asuka's look finaly shifted from surprise to anger as Kaji threw in is two cents, "Your an important name in the defense biz these days ya know."
Misato was blue in the face, muttering something along the lines of, " This must be a nightmare...."
Overlooking the flight deck, on a walkway around one ofe the command decks, Asuka and Ryouji Kaji looked ou toward the sea.
"So," Kaji began, "What dou you think of the Gear pilot?"
"Fei? He seems like a jerk. How could you let him talk to you like that?"
"Oh, He was just kidding around. Iv'e known him for quite some time. He's a nice guy at heart, and has a pretty high sense of honor too."
"Pff. If you say so."
"What about Shinji?"
"The Third? He's just Boreing."
"And yet, his sync ratio in combat was well over forty percent with no prior training.."
Asuka's eyes grew large with shock as she responded, "Mein Gott!"
Shinji, Misato, Fei, Touji, and Kenuske rode the escalotor from the decks below.
"Wow...Cool.." Kensuke's mantra since boarding the Over the Rainbow continued as he caught every miniscule detail on tape.
Fei looked troubled. The feeling that something would go wrong began nagging the back of his mind. Like an annoying bug bite, the feeling would not leave him. He ran a hand through his pony-tail as Shinji spoke up, starting a conversation for the first time since Fei had met him. / Must be a shy guy. /
"That Kaji seems.....Interesting." The third Child ventured.
Misato replied with a venemous retort, "He hasn't changed a bit, the shouvanistick pig!"
"Oh, he's not so bad, Major, just a big kidder," Fei sighed.
"Yeah, and pigs fly, she spat."
Sudenly, a voice boomed from the landing above, "Hey Third Child and Tiger boy, Your coming with me!" It was Asuka, standing proudly with a hand on her hip and a condescending look on her face.
Asuka led the two males to another ship, via a small transport helicopter. Little was said during the breif ride, which did not help Fei's uneasiness, and the fact that he felt like he had met her before.
/ Boy, I hope I'm wrong, but I can't shake the feeling that somethings happening. And what does Red here want with us? And have I met her before? /
The group of pilots finally arrived at the red-head's destination. A canvas tent large enough to park a private jet under. The entire stern of the transport ship was occupied with this cargo.
"This," she began as she lifted the canvas from the ground, "is what I wanted to show you."
Through the opening of the tent, a large red, almost human form could be seen. It lay on it's stomach in a vat of coolant, with it's head to the side. The Evangelion was painted a red color, with white and yellow to accent it. Fei was awed by the sight. Never before had he actually seen a completed Eva, and its more natural curves contrasted Weltalls more sharp Angles. Not that Weltall was all corners, but The Eva definately looked more organic in nature. Asuka nimbly climbed onto the Eva's back, and stood proudly over the Termination Plug.
"Units zero and one were the prototype and test type, respectively. But My Unit two is the world's first Evangelion made for actual combat. Its the final production model. And its also not just some stupid big robot-"
Asuka's gloating was cut off by the sound of an explosion, followed by the subsequent rocking of the ship. Amazingly, the fiery red-head was able to maintain her balance on her perch atop the Eva.
"Undersea shock wave!" she cried.
"And it sounded close!" Shinji shouted, as his head turned to the direction the sound had come from.
"Shit, lets check it out!" Fei called running to the wall created by the canvas covering. Asuka and Shinji rushed out under the cloth Fei held up for them. The three pilots rushed to the side of the ship, and gasped at what they saw.Plumes of water shot into the air as an unbeleivably large, yet swift form glided through the ocean.
"Angel!" Shinji shouted.
"A real one?" Asuka asked in a worried tone.
"We gotta find Misato." Shinji said.
Asuka's face turned towards the temporary struccture behind her. "Vundabar.."
"I'm headin back to the 'Over the Rainbow'!" Fei called as he headed toward the bow of the ship./ I hope Bear's getting Weltall Prepped.../
Asuka could be seen retreiving a large duffel bag from her Eva's place of rest, and dragging Shinji off towards the crew quarters.
To Be Continued
