Disclaimer: Evangelion belongs to Gainax, Sonic belongs to Sega.
Author's note: I'M BACK BABY!
Many thanks to GameJay for beta reading. Unfortunately he's been saying he's got other stuff to do besides being my beta reader, and it turns out he might stop beta reading for me, so this second book might lose its beta reader… Can anybody be my new beta reader if that happens? I'd appreciate it.
Anyway, Sonic Genesis Evangelion is back in its second book, 'Outburst', and the time off I took between books allowed me to finish not only chapter 1 but also a great deal of chapter 2. I should be able to make a few fast updates!
We kick off seeing how Japan dealt with the swine flu epidemic without using vaccines and if they managed to stop the 'Angelic Zombie apocalypse'. All the while the remaining Angels and another threat looms in the horizon.
What threat you ask? Read on my friend!
Chapter 1: Chasing shades and lights
Yoshida thought he was crazy for sure. This day just kept getting weirder even though he was already thinking it couldn't possibly get any weirder. Weirder still, there it was, standing before him, victorious, with a victory sign held high up. There he was.
Did a blue hedgehog wearing a scarf just save my life from a zombie?! A zombie that attacked me at work?! Really?!
"Are you alright?"
Scruffy voice, slightly whiny, dripping with attitude. However the oddity of that was lost to him because right then all Yoshida processed was that the thing spoke; and to him, no less. He now honestly thought he'd lost it
"Did… did you just speak?"
The creature sighed and face palmed shaking its head, making its blue quills waver from side to side, "Oh great, this again…"
Yoshida blinked, "L-look, I'm just a nurse here in Kyoto's general hospital! What-"
The creature cut him off by jumping right in front of him, causing him to recoil slightly, "Look, I speak, I'm a hedgehog and I'm from a different universe. Now that we got all that out of the way, answer me; are you alright?"
Yoshida blinked, still trying to process everything the 'hedgehog from another universe' said. He finally managed "Y-yes."
The blue hedgehog looked to the sides, his quills swaying, his general movement was so alien for Yoshida that he couldn't help but still keep staring in awe.
"Who are you?" was all he managed to ask.
The creature looked at him again, his green eyes extra focused now for some reason, "Call me Sonic. Sonic the Hedgehog. This hospital used the new specs for the flu vaccine right?"
Yoshida blinked, "Yes-" but his answer was cut short by another zombie like suit and tie, enraged and with a foaming mouth, the same black goo as before oozing out of his lips.
There was a blue blur of motion, coupled with a swift sound of fast sweeping, coupled with a swooshing wind.
The 'zombie' was falling on the ground, a blue spinning ball had just bounced on his head, causing nose and eye bleed
"That's what you did wrong! The vaccine was actually a virus!" The hedgehog said after landing from having bounced off the zombie's head, as if nothing had happened.
Yoshida blinked. "Who… what are you?!"
"I told you! I'm…"
(SGE)
"…Shadow the Hedgehog. And we have to tell your bosses the flu vaccine specs you received are actually a deadly virus."
Carol blinked, still unable to close her hanging mouth. I mean… Oh my god! Coming to Japan to escape the impact wars in the US seems like a bad idea for the first time in thirteen years… A zombie attacked me and a black hedgehog saved me?!
ZOMBIES and BLACK HEDGEHOGS?!
The thing that identified itself as Shadow the hedgehog narrowed his red eyes and turned away, "I don't have time for this."
"Wait!" Carol finally found her voice again.
Shadow half glanced at her, without saying anything.
"Um… you… said the batch we received today of vaccines is contaminated?"
Shadow fully turned to her to nod. "The schematics sent out from the capital earlier altered the manufacture process for it to be a deadly virus instead of a vaccine."
Carol gulped. Dad was Japanese, it was easy for him to bring me and mom all the way from home, but I never thought… I mean I know the news talk about what's happening in Tokyo 03. We're at war. But Tokyo 03 is on the other far end of Japan from Asahikawa! I never thought-
"Are you gonna say anything?" Shadow narrowed his eyes as he cut her train of thought.
"I-I'm sorry, it's just that… this is as far away from normal as it gets for me…"
He rolled his eyes and once again she was weirded out at how his anthropomorphic form mimicked even the slightest expression. She gulped again when his red eyes completed the motion and stared into her again.
"Um… I… The chief nurse… Harumi-senpai, she… has access to the vaccine batches."
Shadow's face finally soothed somewhat, "We have to find her, find a way to stop the distribution and the applying of the vaccine. In this hospital and any other health station!"
(SGE)
"Are you sure this is the right way Yumiko?"
Yumiko was amazed at how she could truly and simply interact with the creature holding her hand, leading her towards her office. She was also amazed at how everybody else around, staff and patients, would stop what they were doing to stare at her and the creature holding her hand.
"Y-Yes… S-Silver-san, um…"
It didn't seem to notice her confusion and all the attention they were drawing. His strange big golden eyes still focused on the path before them, dead set on reaching the cabinet where the truck load of vaccines had been delivered. She remembered before the outburst of patients that received the vaccine, just before all the madness started. How many people had a bad case of the flu.
"Are you sure the entire vaccine and flu shot batch is contaminated? We need swine flu medication BADLY!"
Silver half glanced at her, without stopping their walking, "You said the batch here in Nagano's general hospital was produced and received today right?"
Yumiko nodded, again without stop moving.
"As of 18:35 yesterday, every batch produced, whether it was in a small factory or by any big pharmaceutical company, was infected by an altered blue print for the swine flu vaccine. That caused the vaccines mass produced to become tainted with the plague infecting some the people of this hospital."
Yumiko widened her eyes, "You mean those… patients that went rabid…?"
"Yes. That was caused by the swine flu shots! We have to hurry before more are infe-"
Silver stopped talking suddenly and his head snapped to the side, his quills wavering as fast as his head moves. There was a loud thud…
"AAAAAAHHHHH!"
…and someone screaming, in a voice that Yumiko recognized.
"Yukina?" she asked as her head snapped the same direction Silver's head had snapped.
Sure enough, one of the nurses, one that she knew, that she had ordered around and even eaten with in the past, Yukina Sagiri, was holding a syringe in one hand, while fighting off a patient that, like the one that attacked her just before Silver saved her, had red eyes and was drooling black goo with his saliva. Panic and shock were tingeing her face with wide open eyes and mouth as the now 'zombified' patient attacked her.
Then, as suddenly as the attack happened, it stopped when one of the medical trays flew from where it was standing and hit the patient on the head, opening a nasty red gash on his forehead and rendering him unconscious.
Wait, the medical tray flew from where it was standing?!
Yumiko then noticed Silver had just gestured with his gloved huge hand, a strange eerie blue glow on it. She could have sworn the same glow briefly enveloped the tray that moved by itself. Silver turning to look at her again snapped her out of her wonderment reverie, "Yumiko, if the vaccines are already being applied, that means they are already out of storage and in the open, ready to be applied right?"
"A-Ah… Yes, I mean…"
He narrowed his big golden eyes, "That means it's no use going for the storage section," He looked at her again, "Where is the PA announcement system of this hospital?"
(SGE)
"W-What do you mean 'you can move that fast'?!"
Sonic groaned as the male nurse, Yoshida or something was his name, was still being rendered shocked by every bit of information about him.
All I did was homing attack another zombie… I never thought I'd get tired of having my ego stroked. I don't have time for this.
"Look, I'm in a hurry, can you tell me where they are keeping the flu shots or not?"
Yoshida still looked shocked. He worked his mouth silently for a while.
That did it, "HEY!" Sonic smacked the nurse on the forehead with his gloved palm, "Flu shots!"
Yoshida shook his head as if to clear it, "B-bottom floor. Storage."
They resumed running. Sonic thought it was a pain keeping up with the slowpoke.
How do people move so SLOW?!
As if sensing his rude thoughts, Yoshida spoke again, "I hope you can still fight off anybody we meet on the way. I also hope you know a LOT of people are going to stay bed ridden without those vaccines…"
Sonic shrugged, "Beats turning into one of those things that attacked us."
Yoshida winced, and then he gulped, "What are those things anyway?"
(SGE)
Shadow groaned, now officially annoyed at this foreigner nurse, "They are infected ones of a very dangerous virus, Carol. A virus made by the Angels. Now please shut up and let's keep going."
Carol gulped and, even though he was thoroughly annoyed, Shadow couldn't help but notice the young woman seemed to be thinking about something important. More specifically when he mentioned the Angels.
I heard the outside world still think of God as the 'boss' of the 'Angels'.
She's not Japanese.
Maybe she's thinking about the messengers of God, Angels, and their actions to end her species as something good…
As his thoughts ran their course, they finally arrived at the Asashikawa's general hospital PA system. Shadow didn't waste any time, he just pressed the button and started speaking…
(SGE)
"Attention everyone in the staff of Nagano's general hospital! Do NOT use the flu shots! I repeat, do NOT use the swine flu vaccines under ANY circumstances!"
Silver swallowed, licked his lips after glancing at Yumiko one more time (she still looked shocked, eyes and mouth wide) and resumed his announcement, "Yesterday the Angels, the entities attacking your world, contaminated the manufacture process and current batches of anti-flu medication! Anti-flu medication will turn you-"
He hesitated. 'Will turn you into a monster' might make humans laugh. This is serious.
"…will kill you!"
He turned back to Yumiko, who finally managed to close her mouth and blink when Silver addressed her again, "Make sure the people with flu remains with the flu! That they remain sick. They absolutely CAN'T get flu shots or vaccines. Not until it's a different, safe batch of vaccine…"
He ignored how Yumiko still looked bewildered and started walking out of the PA system room.
"W-wait um… S-Silver-san…"
Silver glanced at her and blinked.
"Um, I mean… w-where are you going?"
Silver pointed outside, "I need to go to the next hospital, Yumiko."
Yumiko blinked, her mouth still hanging open.
"It was a country wide distribution of these contaminated batches, Yumiko. Just like the swine flu epidemic… The Angels are ruthless…"
She seemed surprised again when he took the Chaos Emerald from his pouch.
(SGE)
"Well I'll see you, Yoshida."
The blue hedgehog surprised him one last time by apparently focusing on the strange green jewel the size of a fist he had just got out of his backpack and vanished into a blue blur of motion, followed by a very loud bang that sounded like a sonic boom, even if Yoshida couldn't possibly recognize a sonic boom.
Yoshida observed, in mute contemplation. That… 'blue hedgehog' runs faster than sound…
(SGE)
"Um… Carol-san…? Did that black hedgehog just teleported away holding that red emerald?"
"Um… I think so Harumi-senpai, yes…"
Carol couldn't utter anything else anymore, just keep staring at the spot Shadow was just on, having disappeared right after saying 'chaos control' or something.
(SGE)
Yumiko finally shook her head and slapped her forehead, "Focus Yumiko! You know he moves with his mind. You saw him doing it."
She turned to return to the hospital, "I have to take care of the flu patients without flu shots… Also gotta talk to someone from the news after this."
(SGE)
Ritsuko had done it. As she glanced once again at the screens of every communication tech in Central Dogma, all of them were supervising the administration of every health station in Japan. They were complaining of course, saying a lot of people needed the anti-flu medication, but it didn't matter. The communication effort, going on straight since yesterday, coupled with the armed effort of the JSDF and the hedgehogs running around, the small sprouts of infestation were contained and stopped. The contaminated flu medication, both the batches that were made with the virus thanks to the blueprints altered by the Angel and the batches contaminated by the virus through its molecular telekinesis, had been confiscated.
She rubbed her rugged eyes, rugged of course only because of the dreadful one nighter she had been pulling, then she reached for the coffee mug. After a bitter swig at it, she saw Maya approaching and set the mug back down.
Her protégée sighed, "Can't this day end already?"
"War state, Maya."
"And I shouldn't downgrade how horrible the situation is just because I'm on the administrative side of things, but still," She rubbed her eyes again, "I don't know how many more times I can say 'do not apply this particular flu medication, it's contaminated'…"
Ritsuko smiled and noticed Maya kept stealing glances at her as they worked. Maya was always focused on her work so that was unusual. Ritsuko knew there was something else in there, maybe she was even lucky so that it would be what she thought it was. But if she knew Maya well, the lieutenant wouldn't be able to say it without help.
"Is something on your mind Maya?"
The tech jumped, then just blinked at her, mouth slightly open.
"Well?" Ritsuko smiled at her.
"Um…." Maya straitened her posture and looked her in the eye, "Senpai- Ritsuko. I… I just wanna say that…"
Ritsuko thought she looked unbelievably adorable all fidgety like that and the time she spent time with Maya had been wonderful, not only their little dates but also the time at work. But she still felt rather reserved about this situation, she bit her lip thinking of a way to help Maya say what she wanted to say.
And then Sonic's voice whispered in her head. I know you. I've talked to you. You're better than you think you are…
Ritsuko smiled, "You wanna come with me to the wedding?"
Maya blinked, "Huh?"
Ritsuko straightened her eyes and grinned, "It's two weeks from now, one of the last friends of mine and Misato's to get married. Since we've managed to pretty much fend off this outbreak, I think it's still on."
Now Maya looked at her genuinely confused, "Um…"
"Then maybe later we could go up to my apartment. I'd show you my pussies."
"Excuse me?!"
"My cats, Maya. I got three of them."
Maya just stood there dumb folded for a while. She blushed furiously and blinked, "Oh… um…" she calmed down, her flush lessened. She swallowed, "I'd love to. Go with you to the wedding, I mean. And to your-" she shook her head panting, "your apartment too."
Ritsuko closed her eyes and grinned again, a slight pink tone on her cheeks, "We'll take this slowly, once we get through this 'Angelic Zombies' thing. I just thought I'd make my intentions clear."
Maya was still panting and blushing slightly, "I-I understand, Senpai… Ritsuko… It's all clear- consider them clarified…"
Ritsuko grinned at her again. "Show you my cats."
"Your puss-" Maya blushed crimson again as she cut herself off, "Your cats, yes."
(SGE)
Shinji didn't think he could feel this much bliss. It was something as simple as waking up. How did it feel this good? As if the sudden question made him brave, he wrapped his arms around the girl snuggling with him right now. It was enough for her to realize he was awake.
"Good morning stupid."
Her smile was also very beautiful, "Good morning Asuka. Hm. Best way to wake up ever."
She flashed her teeth slightly before just getting closer to him. A while longer passed with them just caressing each other, mostly on shoulders and backs, while she even ventured across his chest. Eventually words invaded the moment again, much to Shinji's discontent.
"We should get up."
"Hm, no."
Her smile gained a hint of surprise, "You're gonna taint your perfect school record if you're late."
"Hmm. I don't care. I don't care even if Misato finds us here either. Let's just snuggle like this the whole day…"
"Idiot, don't even try."
Now that both of them were wide awake, having exchanged a lot of energy and also slightly distant from each other because Asuka edged away slightly when she told him not to try, he saw it. Her face. Her perfect face. Her face without a scowl of hostility, that he felt he was the only one that knew. Her face, her eyes, her lips, they seemed so inviting that he was kissing her before he processed something was happening.
Again, like previous times, he closed his eyes and enjoyed every sensation. He thought something was different, something was better this time around. That's why it was extremely weird for him when Asuka broke off the kiss and stared at him with a scowl of disbelief, keeping him away from her with both hands on his chest.
"Did I say you could touch me there?!" This was the first time in a long while Shinji heard hostility in her voice. Actual hostility and not the rehearsed one from when they were in front of other people.
"Huh?" Shinji was surprised his confusion suppressed his usual 'apologize reflex'.
Again, to surprise him even more, her scowl was accompanied by an amused smile after a while, "I don't believe it…"
"Um… what?"
She smirked "You really are a pervert aren't you? You didn't even notice where your hand went?"
Shinji widened his eyes when he realized his left hand that was caressing her back had gone downwards and touched upon some curvaceous territory.
He recoiled from her instantly, almost falling off his own bed, "Oh my god! I'm sorry, I-"
Asuka rolled her eyes before cutting him off "Shh, it's okay. I was just surprised is all." She smiled again, "And we both know you're not sorry…"
Shinji blushed. He looked away from her, feeling slightly ashamed of himself. She didn't say anything else, apparently thinking about something.
Finally she smiled mysteriously at him, "Tell you what, why don't we have another, ahem, study session later? That way you can justify your… 'subconsciously wandering hand'."
Now Shinji blushed crimson, remembering what study meant, what the way they studied together meant at least. I teach her Japanese, she teaches me physics. Our rewards to each other are… His face became even redder as he thought about it.
"Mein Gott!" Asuka snapped him out of it, "You're thinking about it aren't you?"
Shinji scratched the back of his head and looked away from her eyes, again making an effort to not apologize, "I… I can't help it Asuka. You're…" He looked at her again, "You're awesome!"
Asuka rolled her eyes smiling before finally leaving his room, "Pervert."
They got up to get ready; Asuka just went back into her room. And the day went on; School was cancelled because of the entire 'contaminated flu medication' spiel, so after a quick call to Kensuke and Toji and a herculean effort to not blush in front of Misato just because he was looking at Asuka across the table (keeping his relationship with her a secret was a bit of a pain sometimes). Except for the fact Misato left really early for some reason, the day went on normally and he getting inside NERV was also as it was all his other days here.
However he didn't expect some different work related stuff to happen today, because of the whole 'risk of Zombie Apocalypse'. He usually just complied with his orders but this time he really needed to ask something. So he turned on the com unit inside his entry plug.
"Doctor Akagi," Ritsuko was surprised by the boy calling her all of a sudden. "Is this really necessary at a time like this? There may be a plague outbreak happening right now…"
Doctor Akagi smiled at his com unit, at him, "We need to be ready Shinji. Cross compatibility is an important factor in the controlling of the Evas. That's also why we're testing all of you at once. Besides," Shinji heard her flicking a switch, "Major Katsuragi is taking care of the fall out of that."
Shinji blinked, "Is that why I haven't seen her today? She did leave very early…"
"Yes," Shinji swore he could hear the doctor turning away from his com Unit to address a different com unit, "How are you doing in there, Rei?"
Shinji couldn't hear Rei's response on her com unit or through his own. He really didn't care one way or another but usually there was more pandering than this, with a lot of people asking how he was doing, talking over the communication channels the technicalities of what was happening, but this time not only were the three pilots working at the same time, but Misato was out, dealing with the viral outbreak doing whatever. Hell he even expected Asuka to tease him about how it felt being in a different Eva. That didn't happen either.
So he just kept focusing on the task at hand. He focused on syncing.
Am I crazy or does this whole entry plug smells like Rei?
…
I can't say that out loud, Asuka will kill me. I'll just tell doctor Akagi it… feels different.
It was then that he felt a sharp pain in the middle of his forehead, as if something was intruding the very center of his being. As if something was entering his head. As suddenly as the pain began, it subdued, and his vision went black and then to Rei.
Yes, Rei. He saw, he was seeing Rei Ayanami.
Several images of her, several memories of him and memories that weren't his. They seemed to belong to someone else.
Are… are these Ayanami's memories?
His question, his train of thought, but even more than that was cut off by what he saw next. It was worse still, it was like his very being had been cut off by the images. The last image he saw was an eerie image of a deformed Rei, smiling creepily and 'flying' towards him.
(SGE)
Of course Asuka was slightly annoyed with all the techs saying there was no problem.
Of course there's no problem you morons.
She was also slightly annoyed about how Misato wasn't there.
Of course she wouldn't be here just because I have a question…
Granted, she could have asked Ritsuko why she wasn't taking any part in these cross sync tests but she knew the woman only by reputation and work, so she didn't bother. Then she groaned.
Let's just get this done shall we…
She went back to focusing on her sync test but her concentration was immediately broken by the sound of alarms blaring. Her quick mind immediately kicked in and she turned on every single spec of communication channel in her entry plug.
"Something is wrong with the syncograph!"
It was only the first sentence out of some random tech outside and right off the bat, the blood drained from Asuka's face and she cancelled her immersion, initiating procedures for opening the entry plug hatch.
She was that fastin figuring out something was wrong with the stupid piece of garbage that was the Evangelion prototype. Only one thought crossed her mind as she ruined her own Sync test of the day.
Stupid Shinji! I have to do everything!
She didn't pay any attention or heed to everyone telling her she shouldn't be doing what she was doing her entire way the moment she left her entry plug all the way to the booth that gave way to the testing chamber of Unit 00. She spared one glance to the insides of the abyssal chamber holding Unit 00 and, sure enough, the blue monstrosity was already out of its restraints, having torn them away from the wall, bolts and cables in tow.
Asuka made a tremendous effort to not override the emergency procedure and just go inside the abyssal chamber holding the berserking Eva. She knew better than that, she knew doctor Akagi and her techs were already implementing the shutting down sequences, even the energy plug on the Eva's back had already fallen.
The thing must have switched to internal batteries…
She thought her heart would leap out of her throat when the thing punched the glass of the observation deck repeatedly until it started banging its head against the adjacent wall. It was like every time the indentation above the only eye it had hit the wall was a needle in her chest.
Eventually the thing stopped and the entry plug ejected. The plug propelled itself against the wall before going to the ground. The emergency lockdown was no longer in effect and Asuka lunged herself through the door that opened.
Please be okay. Don't you DARE be hurt in any way you idiot!
Within seconds she reached the plug. She burned her plugsuit clad hands slightly getting the handle to open it and see inside. She sighed in relief. He seemed uninjured, even though he was unconscious.
(SGE)
Shinji awoke with a start. He could hear some sort of children's show playing somewhere in the background, something about a dog that could do math. He looked at the ceiling above him and it was like shrapnel was being spread all over his body when he recognized it as the ceiling of NERV's medical ward.
"I hate this ceiling."
"Ah, Already whining. I guess you're okay then."
He turned to his left, the source of the familiar voice he liked hearing so much. Sure enough, Asuka was there, smiling at him.
"Asuka… Wh-what-?"
She fidgeted a little and blushed slightly suddenly, "I was NOT waiting for you to wake up! And I did NOT save you when your plug ejected!"
Shinji blinked, "I was, um, just wondering what happened?"
Now it was Asuka that blinked, "You don't remember?"
Shinji shook his head, "I was inside Unit 00 and… that's it…" he narrowed his eyes slightly at the ceiling.
Asuka sighed. When he looked at her she seemed to be thinking about something.
"Asuka?"
"Shinji, what kind of girl is the First?"
Shinji blinked, "What do you mean?"
She scowled slightly at him, the scowl that meant she was more annoyed than angry. Oddly enough he was a little happy he could recognize her scowls. "Never mind. Kaji and Misato never told me much about her either." She dusted herself off while getting up from the chair next to his hospital bed. "Come on idiot, get dressed and let's go home."
Shinji blinked.
Asuka smiled at him, winking, "We still have to do today's homework, remember?"
Shinji returned the smile.
(SGE)
"I'm starting to judge this as unacceptable, Ms. Katsuragi." Misato bowed her head slightly, "Just what exactly is your role in this organization?"
"I… am the tactical operations director Madam Secretary."
The old woman groaned, "That doesn't help me."
Misato straightened her posture. She had forgotten how being in these formal clothes for so long in an environment like one of the main offices of the UN could be so damn restricting. "I coordinate the battles against the Angels. Think about the strategies to beat them."
"And you are the best officer NERV could think of to tell me about this?" she tossed a edition of a newspaper, the most credible and famous mainstream news of Tokyo-03 in front of her desk and pointed at the first page article. The photo of the article showed three separate pictures of Shadow, Silver and Sonic. "And about this?" She pointed at the headline in another paper that actually read 'Hedgehog creatures help with contaminated swine flu vaccine that caused viral outbreak', "Shouldn't they have sent me someone from the science division?"
She made extra effort to maintain her posture. Oh how I wish Ritsuko was here instead of me. Gosh, why do I have to tell everything that happened to the secretary of the UN?
"Yes Madam Secretary. As we discussed before the creatures referred to as hedgehogs, Sonic, Silver and Shadow are actually with NERV. That's why they knew everything we knew, that's how they also did the work we were doing against the flu epidemic and the contaminated medication. However information about their origins are still classified…"
Tomoe Yamada, the freaking secretary of the United Nations, actually narrowed her eyes at her. Misato gulped. With Shinji back at her house to clean up after her and the success of the last three days of operations, success in stopping a zombie apocalypse, Misato was considerably happy. However she did wish the current official meeting would end already, or at the very least go better than it was. Not only that, because she was here dealing with UN crap, she was missing a lot of things back at HQ.
Unit 00 went berserk with Shinji-kun inside. She thought as she made an effort to keep her expression neutral.
"So they are not part of some super soldier program from NERV."
Now Misato had to stifle a laugh. Why would super soldiers look like colored hedgehogs shorter than Shinji?
"Their abilities, their skill have also been deciphered and are also being put into consideration during the battles."
Miss Yamada's eyes softened somewhat, "And the latest incursion from the Angels also concerns the… creatures?"
"Mobians, Madam Secretary. Yes, we believe the Angels have changed some of their patterns to adapt to the three of them."
"The same three creatures that helped you in the past three days?"
Misato nodded, "Yes, we had to be fast and furious, some of the times we stopped the distribution just on the nick of time, stopping trucks on their factory exits. And even if it was just suspicion of carrying vaccines, but we stopped almost it all. The areas where there were outbreaks were also contained, thankfully."
"Also with the help of these so called mobians."
Misato swallowed, "I understand how this looks like Madam secretary-"
Now Tomoe narrowed her eyes again, "It would appear your organization withheld crucial information from us, Major."
Misato closed her eyes for a second, "Yes but you see, the circumstances around their appearance and their sudden cooperation were very peculiar. Can I be frank?"
"Go ahead."
"Bear in mind, this information is also classified… You see, Madam Secretary, the mobians…"
"Yes?"
"They're from a different universe."
There was a silence for that information to be digested. Misato wished she could have phrased it better, but honestly there was no way around it. 'Different universe' was the only thing to be said in that situation. She actually had to say the words 'different universe' to the official secretary of the United Nations…
When she noticed Tomoe Yamada wasn't going to say anything else, she sighed, "That's why no one knew about them or had ever even seen them up until now. They arrived here… in our universe, just a few months ago… "
The secretary blinked. "I… see. That also explains their appearance…"
Misato simply nodded.
Tomoe cleared her throat while putting together the news and the papers scattered across her desk, some of which she consulted as she spoke to Misato, "I guess we can call this meeting adjourned…"
Misato released a sigh of relief as she got up from her chair, getting away from the big desk of the big office as if they were toxic.
"Major, if possible… I would like to review the information about the mobians myself. Even speak with them if possible… the… news stories are true right? They… speak?"
"Yes they do Madam Secretary, but as for your request, well… like I said, that information is-"
"Classified I know," Tomoe sighed, "I guess I will keep the pressure on the channels to your commander and to the UN committee."
Misato nodded as she stepped back, wanting to get out of there badly, "Madam Secretary," She said before finally turning away.
(SGE)
As he walked into his gigantic oval office, adorned with the tree of life, he saw his sub-commander playing Shogi with himself and reading a magazine. His work phone buzzed and, as he made his way to his chair he picked it up from his pocket to look at the message he just received. He read it out loud.
"The hedgehogs have gone public." Then he read who it was from, "Robotnik."
He sat down and crossed his hands in front of his face, but said nothing.
"So, the world knows about the mobians now…" Fuyutsuki didn't stop reading the magazine to make his move on the Shogi board.
Gendo didn't move from his position "It was inevitable. There were small sprouts of the virus all over the country. Of course they would save everybody they could."
"Are we going to do anything about it besides offering Major Katsuragi to the lower dogs of the UN?"
"No. She handled the secretary of the UN well. We have bigger concerns at hand."
"Ah, yes. The Committee knew about the Angel invasion and accused you yes? I'm assuming they also blamed you for this Angelic Zombie 'near' outbreak?"
Gendo didn't even flinch at his colleague rightly guessing how his earlier meeting with SEELE went. "Irrelevant. We have all the trump cards. Even their pawn Robotnik can't be triggered by them at the moment. They can't do anything to us."
"It still wouldn't be wise to incur their wrath."
"Everything is following our scenario. There's no problem."
"And the incident with Unit 00? Was that part of the scenario?"
"Unimportant. Unit 00 resynchronized with Rei. Akagi got enough information for us to initiate the dummy system program."
Fuyutsuki glanced at him as if thinking something and changed the subject, "What about Project Adam?"
"That's going fine as well. Thanks to Robotnik giving us the lance earlier, bringing us forward two percent ahead of schedule."
None of the two old men said anything more afterwards. Their Shogi game began.
(SGE)
"…home…" She uttered to herself as she got out of her car and was about to go up to her apartment. Shinji and Asuka were also already home too and she smiled thinking about how she'd see them.
Maybe they'll be fighting. Even that will be interesting to see. What a day… can't believe the commander threw me to be the chew toy of the UN… Can't wait to get out of these clothes…
She nudged the collar of her formal coat, looking for relief again. Wanting to breathe. Her wait for the elevator and her going up to her floor never seemed so long taking and dreary. Her relief upon finally opening her door was never so great. Her smile vanished and she blinked when she heard Asuka giggling in a way she never heard Asuka giggling before. Misato became completely quiet as she approached the edge of her door and peered into the living room.
What the…?
Asuka was on Shinji's lap.
The hell…? What?!
She was smiling, wearing her sun dress, in a dangerously loose fashion, one of the shoulder straps was down. There was even a dangerous amount of her chest exposed. There was a math book of school in her hand while her other hand was around Shinji's neck. She was looking at the book while Shinji was exchanging glances between her and what she was reading.
"Okay. A bicycle… travel? Travelling! Traveling at constant veloc- speed, hits a bump and stops over a… period of time. Considering that the… Map? Graphic! Considering that the graphic below shows the decreasing speed of the bike, calculate that period of time."
Shinji smiled at her, even closing his eyes, warmth all over, "You did it! That was perfect!"
Asuka smiled smugly at him, "Of course! Well, almost perfect." She put the book down and laid her head against his shoulder, "Where's my reward?"
Misato had to stifle a gasp when Shinji leaned in on his own shoulder as if to kiss her. She had to stifle another one when they did kiss. This was no peck on the lips either. The way their heads moved and the way their cheeks wobbled, this was clearly something they had done before. It was clearly something they were used to. Misato could have sworn she saw a string of saliva connecting their lips when the kiss broke. Shinji was gasping for air and blushing. Asuka wasn't doing that much better, even though she was still smiling.
"Your turn now."
"Hm. Can't wait for my reward."
Asuka giggled, "That's only if you solve the problem as perfectly as I read it in stupid Japanese. Now…"
She pointed at the book again. Misato smiled. Well I'll be dammed. Has this been going on since Matariel?
Misato then took two steps back, threw her shoes in the ground as hard and loud as she could, yawned theatrically and announced, "I'm home."
Upon entering her living room again, Asuka was sitting on one end of the couch, her dress was all straightened up and there was an almost scowl on her face. Shinji was in the coffee table right in front of the couch, math book in hand, still blushing slightly, his gaze alternating between Misato and the book.
When Misato smiled and cocked her head, it was like Shinji remembered something suddenly, "A-Ah, w-welcome back Misato-san!"
Misato took two steps into the living room and was still smiling at them, "The two of you have, I don't know, anything you wanna tell me?"
Shinji widened his eyes, "A-ah…!"
…while Asuka narrowed hers. "No." Shinji winced, Misato noticed Asuka secretly and subtly pinching his back, "I'm going to my room," then she got up and went away.
Misato kept her smile at Asuka's receding form, then at Shinji. He still looked at her nervously, "W-what?"
"Nothing," now Misato grinned, "You're just… glowing."
Shinji blinked.
"Anyway," Misato started walking away towards the bathroom, "Carry on."
Need a shower. Need to tell this to Rits. Need to tell her they wanna keep this a secret.
(SGE)
Robotnik was pleased. And not just because the Zombie Apocalypse had been stopped. It wasn't worth listening in to the latest meeting of SEELE and the commander, nothing but a bunch of old men recapping what has already happened, pestering one man about the budget and how he shouldn't have tried to hide the fact an Angel hacked HQ and how it almost jeopardized the entire project. However, Robotnik was amazed Ikari clung to his lie to the very end, insisting there was no proof an Angel invaded HQ and also at how Ikari played the old men for fools, not revealing Unit 00 going berserk.
Of course… they will probably ask ME about all of that later on…
As he enjoyed his hacked channel some more, like a rat skulking through sewer pipe filled with moldy cheese, he collected data not only of the core of the fourth Angel, something he hadn't done before but also from the molecular remains of the hacker Angel. Using an algorithm from the core of the previous Angel, the information he already had about the Dead Sea Scrolls and the molecular structure of a microscopic scale angel (along the same lines of the Angelic Zombie virus) he deciphered information left at the very base of the reality he was currently in.
At the very… 'entrance' that the Angels use to attack this place. A shame I don't have all the Chaos Emeralds. With the right amount of energy, I could make a Dimensional Warper to go directly to the… dimension the Angels dwell in… the possibilities regarding that could be interesting.
He stopped typing to scratch his chin.
As long as I'm here… might as well see if there's anything of note… let's see, if I dodge the barriers set by this reality, and the MAGI is a strong enough computer for that, I can simply…
He resumed his furious typing. Something in the back of his head nagged him about major Katsuragi.
Hmm… she is indeed confronting me whenever she can. If there's nothing to stop her, she might plough me to find out what my sources are, regardless of the political immunity SEELE granted me…
He shivered as he typed, thinking about the previous times the woman cornered him about how he knew so much. He couldn't tell anyone he had gazed upon the same information the instrumentality committee and the Commander had gazed upon.
And I can do nothing but avoid her, hope she won't confront me about it and hope that I will always have a way out. Well, no matter. Once my work is complete-
He cut his own train of thought off as he came across what he was looking for.
Um… that was easy… Hacking isn't usually like this. Not even for me. Especially hacking to see inter dimensional things. How could I just find information like this? Almost like…
…
Like whoever left it here WANTED me to find it…
He stopped and looked upon the green screen with lots of numbers that only he could comprehend. One hit on the enter key and the algorithm would be deciphered and he would see what something, possibly the next Angel, left there to be found by whoever was looking.
And the next Angel, Leliel, controls space through a Dirac Ocean according to the scrolls… Maybe he could attack me, even though he's not here yet and even though I'm here, in a forgotten computer office inside NERV HQ… Would a trap from the Angels be this obvious?
With a trepidation that was very unlike him and with foreshadowing that usually didn't affect him, he hit the enter key. Sweat beaded all around his wrinkled face. His heart beat in a way it hadn't for a long time. Relief flooded him when the results of the computer made calculations were in and the algorithm was deciphered.
"Phew! Wait, algorithm deciphered into… letters? Is this a message?"
He couldn't help but state it out loud, even though he was alone in that dark office. It was like his relief was replaced with surprise. That surprise became even greater when he realized what was there was indeed a written message.
Robotnik blinked behind his dark glasses and once again couldn't help but talk to himself, "What?" He couldn't believe as he read it. Surprise was mixed with disbelief. "That… doesn't make any sense…!" He read the message again just to be sure, "A… a poem…?! Really? A poem?!"
(SGE)
The three hedgehogs walked about the corridors of HQ, already totally used to the stares and head turns they got from literally every employee of NERV passing by.
"Well, guys we did. Zombie Apocalypse: Cancelled! AND, we've gone public! Man, Kensuke is gonna go berserk with all this."
"You know, I've actually been meaning to ask about that. How come you get to live with one of the engineers here of NERV and Shadow and I have to live in the Geofront?"
Still smiling, Sonic shrugged.
Shadow grunted, "More importantly, why do you think Robotnik called in this emergency meeting all of a sudden?"
Sonic shrugged again, this time in a questioning manner, "Who knows what goes on in that egg head."
The hedgehogs reached the same debriefing room of before, the one they had been on talking about the Angel that was falling from the sky and before that about the properties of the Angelic Zombie virus and before that when they found an Angel in the Magma. Sonic glanced at Silver first, remembering how Silver wasn't present yet on that first occasion, before his gaze swept the whole room, seeing everyone present.
Robotnik and Ritsuko were once again holding the floor, up front by the presentation table. The same one where they showed all their sciency stuff. Robotnik seemed to be explaining something to Ritsuko. There was major Katsuragi and a few techs and security guards Sonic had seen before around the base.
Robotnik glanced at their direction. He gave them the knowing grin Sonic hated so much. He spared him a scowl. A scowl his fellow hedgehogs mirrored. When everyone in the room was done sparing a bewildered glance at them…
Gosh. Seriously, when are NERV people getting used to us?
…Robotnik cleared his throat, "Now that everyone's here, we can begin." He put his hands behind his back, smugly prostrating his belly, "Everyone; good work on stopping the Angelic Zombie Apocalypse. However, our work, including my own, here on base didn't stop nor was it focused solely on the possible Angelic Zombie Apocalypse."
He made the typical gesture to get everyone even more focused on him. Sonic rolled his eyes. What a douche…
"I have uncovered essential tactical information about the next Angel." He straightened his glasses and twirled his huge mustache, "As I just explained to the lovely doctor Akagi there was more left in the alien algorithms left inside of the MAGI then the alterations of the swine flu medication. There were numbers and equations inside the interlaced frames of the hacking done by Iruel. We initially thought it was noise because of the alien nature of the numbering and where they were placed at."
"And they weren't just noise?" asked Misato.
"No. I ran them through a series of algorithm solving, reordering and reorganization procedures because… of certain factors."
Sonic narrowed his eyes at how Robotnik hesitated and looked at Misato before finishing that sentence. "What are you hiding from Misato, Eggman?"
Misato looked at Sonic, then back at Robotnik. She just narrowed her eyes.
Robotnik gulped, "Because of the next Angel."
Misato still had her eyes narrowed at him "What about it?"
"It will be a while before it comes but… it can control space. I thought maybe it had something to do with algorithms hidden within computer space of its… first brother."
Now Misato crossed her arms "And let me guess; you know this because of your sources?"
Sonic loved how the gaze of the younger woman left the old man in shambles. He fidgeted around with his equipment before finally displaying, on the debrief screen, a series of very confusing numbers.
Robotnik cleared his throat, "Anyway, these are the equations and numbers as I found them primarily, in their most brute form…"
Sonic saw how Misato visibly acted upon being ignored by the old talking egg. She hated it. In fact he'd say Robotnik was lucky Misato focused on how the numbers and equations changed, forming less complicated patterns and even a few letters.
Akagi spoke up this time, "Through a series of search algorithms and search of wavelength variations in the numbers, doctor Ivo actually found the source of this transmission to be from a different dimension, probably the one the Angels come from, and deciphered an actual message within the layers."
Robotnik nodded, "A message I couldn't have found unless whoever left it there meant for me to find it. But that's only one part of how disturbing this is…"
And then he typed some more on the laptop in front of him. The debrief screen showed more of the equations being deciphered; more of the algorithm or whatever it was being shown. Sonic would have grown bored if the screen hadn't finally shown a message. It read 'Beneath the darkness that is to blame, besides the smoldering hot flame, off the coast where the lost beast came.'
Robotnik cleared his throat again, after giving his audience a moment to take this in, "You see, this is just the first… verses, but what I saw was a whole poem. That in itself is still very disturbing. Not only are the verses dark, and warning of impending doom through a 'great hungerer' but… Well, you see, why a poem? Why would a message given by the Angels, on purpose in fact, be only a poem-"
"Look, just tell us what the message- poem is!" Misato snapped.
Robotnik winced slightly but cleared his throat again nonetheless and read off of his computer. He read it perfectly, pausing, separating each verse with comas and each stanza with periods:
"Beneath the darkness that is to blame,
Besides the smouldering hot flame,
Off the coast where the lost beast came,
The Great Hungerer is singing.
Its booming voice is not its own,
Its being of vileness is not to be shown,
Its wicked mouth is a fiery foam,
The Great Hungerer is singing.
And my diseased soul screams:
'Will you be my walker of dreams?',
Our funeral of Euphoria will ring,
The Great Hungerer is singing.
Reality itself crashes down,
Roaring in agony and with a frown,
Crying as an infant that drowns…"
He then looked at the people again and finished threateningly, "The Great Hungerer is singing."
It didn't take a literature genius to see that was some serious stuff, so Sonic expected ominous silence…
"Oh no…"
…and was surprised when he didn't get it. Sonic looked at the source of the voice and he was not the only one who notice how shocked and terrified Silver looked upon uttering that. His golden eyes were wide, his mouth was twisted as if he was wincing and his brown was creased in fear.
Sonic blinked at the sight, "What's up, Silver?"
The still wide eyed Silver declared, "That's the song of Solaris…"