Chapter 1
Summons
"It can only be a matter of time before they start showing up again. What if Ayanami hasn't healed in time?"
Gendo Ikari looked out across his massive, blood red-tinged office. Unlike his esteemed professor, Gendo had at least a small amount more knowledge about the timeline that had been laid out by SEELE and the Human Instrumentality Committee. Soon would not be the proper term to use to describe the return of the Angels. He would have rather used the word 'today.'
"We need not worry. A replacement pilot has been summoned," Gendo deadpanned.
Kozo Fuyutsuki barely even blanched. The Commander's one word missive to his own child was hardly anything that would pass as a reasonable explanation of what was expected of the Third Children. "And if he refused to come?"
Gendo remained silent. There was no room for discussion on this matter.
"Of course he'll come, Kozo," a third voice purred. "In fact, he should be arriving in Tokai any moment now." Appearing out of nowhere, a voluptuous, pale woman in her early twenties stepped forward. Long, crimson hair framed a scarred face as her ruby-red eyes focused on Gendo. "And don't bother with the intercom, Ikari. No one would be able to help you in time were my intentions hostile. Oh! I almost forgot!" The woman tilted her head as a warm smile crossed her face. "Hello!"
Kozo was the first to clear his throat. "Then why are you here, Miss…"
"Adramelech," she smiled. "But please, just call me Adra. Or not, it's really all the same to me."
"Nor does it matter to me," Gendo growled as he drew his Walther PPK and fired… only to have the bullet smash into an array of orange hexagons.
"An AT-field. But, that's impossible," stammered Fuyutsuki.
Adra let out a soft, pearly laugh. "Not really, Kozo. I did mention I was a Demon, didn't I? Oh, I guess not… But really, I can tell Gendo here is quite busy, so I'll be brief." Her entire expression turned grim in the blink of an eye. "You can forget the scrolls. They've returned, and they're aware. This time at least, things should be quite different."
With that, she turned and started walking back into the shadows, stopping only for the briefest of moments when Gendo inquired of her reason for helping them. Looking over her shoulder with the same warm smile as before, she just said, "I'm bored. I figured a little change-up would be fun. Just run with it, Gendo." Then, as silently as she entered the office, she disappeared.
The two NERV commanders remained still as they processed what had just occurred. Only one thing was clear. There was at least one new piece in this game of fate that they were playing against SEELE and the rest of mankind. The question was, whose side was the piece on?
"All hands, an unidentified object has been detected approaching the Japanese seaboard. I repeat, all hands, an unidentified object has been detected approaching the Japanese seaboard."
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"As of 12:30 today, a special state of emergency has been declared for the Kanto and Chubu regions surrounding the Tokai district. All residents must evacuate to their designated shelters immediately. Repeat…"
"Due to the state of special emergency, all lines are currently unavailable."
"No…"
The sounds were too real, too vivid. Shinji Ikari hoped, begged, that this was a dream as he felt the receiver slip out of his hand. It just hung there, dangling on the cord and swaying gently as the automated messages repeated themselves. But the growing knot in his stomach told him that this was real. Somehow, for whatever reason, he was back in Tokai waiting for Misato to come pick him up and take him back to that hell known as NERV.
"Why…"
A flash of memory caused him to look down the road. If the world was repeat itself, then maybe she would be there. Maybe she could help him make some sense of everything that was going on.
Sure enough, standing in the middle of the haze upon the road was the figure of Rei Ayanami. But, this time, she wasn't alone. Beside her stood Kaworu Nagisa, the downturn of his lips and heavy eyes evident even at this distance. Shinji had to blink back his surprise, even stumbling off the lip of the sidewalk and tumbling onto the street. Looking back to where he has seen the two, they had vanished, just as he had suspected. And, if the world was repeating itself once more…
An earth shattering quake rumbles through the city, shaking telephone poles and shutters alike. He didn't need to look to know what was coming, but the desire to know turned his head anyways. Shinji watched in horror as first the UN VTOLs, and then Sachiel himself, passed the mountainside.
"Well, are you just going to gawk at that monstrosity, or are you going to get in!"
Idling beside him, passenger door wide open, was Misato Katsuragi with her beloved blue Alpine A310. Shinji's mind started to reel a bit once more. Misato wasn't supposed to arrive until he was nearly crushed by a falling VTOL wreck. But then, realizing that said wreck was mere seconds away, he snapped his mental facilities back into high gear and got into the car. Slamming the door shut behind him, Shinji was about to tell her to get moving. About, however, was the operative word. Before he could even open his mouth, Misato was already spinning the car around for a quick getaway.
"Thank you, Misato," Shinji mumbled, before panicking slightly that she had yet to actually introduce herself. However, his words were drowned out by the roar of a cruise missile screeching overhead toward the Angel.
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"Looks like I made the right choice sending you that picture, eh Shinji-kun?" Misato asked with a laugh as she barreled down the highway.
Shinji didn't even realize he'd been holding the 'Lookie here' picture she had send him ever since he got into the car. "Umm… Captain Katsuragi…"
His driver let out a sigh. "Don't you remember? I told you to call me Misato."
"I'm sorry…" Shinji thought back, trying to remember when she'd said that. But, then again, most of the ride so far he'd spent in silent brooding. With each passing second, it was becoming more and more clear to him that this wasn't some kind of horrible nightmare. This was his greatest hell. He was back at the beginning, back when it all started. And, worst of all, he'd have to go through it all over again without –
"HOLD ON!" Misato screamed, breaking Shinji's concentration. Everything that happened went by in a blur. Looking out towards Sachiel, he watched as the UN VTOLs started to scatter. And then he felt the lurch in his stomach as Misato slammed the wheel hard right and yanked up on the emergency break. Her car started skidding down the street, smoke belching off the tires as they were forced to grind against the road perpendicular to their idealized rotation. Then, the engine abruptly died as Misato pulled out the keys.
"GET DOWN!" Her car finally skidded to a stop behind a small hill as she practically fell on top of Shinji to shield him. Then, it happened. The UN's N2 mine detonated.
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"We did it!"
"Well well," a smug UN general started to say, watching the static of the main view screen in front of him. "It looks like your little toys won't be needed after all, Ikari."
The offended commander, however, remains calmly seated and silent.
"Current status of the target?" the general asked. Something about Gendo demeanor has him slightly unnerved. It was almost as if that man was hoping that their strike had failed.
"Unable to confirm due to electromagnetic interference."
"You saw the size of that explosion. It must have been finished!" called out the other UN commander.
"All magnetic field ratios have fallen by seventy eight percent."
"Sensors restored," called Aoba.
"We've got an energy reaction at the explosion's hypocenter!"
"What the hell?!" shouted the UN commander, fists slamming into the table as he bolted upright.
"Visual image restored!"
The three UN generals fell back into their seats, looks of resignation dancing across their faces. The scorched body of Sachiel remained, beaten but still very much alive, even after taking the worst that the more conventional UN military had to offer.
"That was out last resort…"
"I don't believe it."
"Goddamned demon!"
"Observation of the target resumed."
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Half the world away, NERV-Berlin was being 'treated' to the rarest of sounds. About half an hour ago, the great Asuka Langley Soryu, Second Children and designated pilot of Unit-02, dropped down onto her knees and began the most painful, sorrowful wailing that anyone had ever heard. It had continued even after there was no more moisture available in her eyes to create tears. She didn't stop when her voice finally broke and the wailing took on a far more raspy aspect.
It was in this severely compromised, at least in terms of her image, position that her guardian, Ryoji Kaji, found her.
"Asuka…" His heart broke as his young charge looked up at him through bloodshot eyes. "Asuka, they've detected a massive explosion on the outskirts of Tokyo-3… It was most likely an N2 mine."
A look of realization flashed across Asuka's face. "The Third?"
Had she not been crying, Kaji might have allowed himself a laugh at the double meaning behind her question. Yes, the Third Angel was most likely even now marching upon the great fortress city of Tokyo-3. But also, yes, the Third Children was just as likely to be getting moved into position to defend the city from harm. All he could do was nod.
"I…" Asuka sniffed. "I have to get out there, Kaji."
"Tokyo-3 has both the Prototype and the Test type. And they should have a pilot for each soon, if not already. They can hold…"
"NO!" Asuka yelled. "I HAVE TO GET OUT THERE!"
Kaji back wheeled. He knew his charge would want to get into the midst of the action, but he didn't expect her to be quite so forceful about it. "Alright, Asuka. Alright. Calm down, I'll see if I can't get you stationed in Tokyo-3."
"Danke, Kaji," Asuka whispered. Then, as soon as her beloved guardian left the room and she was alone once again, she collected her thoughts. It wasn't fair. She was the most trained of all the pilots. If anyone should be stuck in on the front lines, it should be her. Of course, if there was ever a worthy partner to fight alongside…
"I'm coming, Baka. Just hold on."
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Kaji was walking the halls of NERV-Berlin, debating his next course of action. He's just promised his charge that he would find a way to get her out to Tokyo-3 as soon as possible. The trouble was, how? The transfer would only be requested by Gendo as a cover for him to get ADAM transported as well. But, just now, Kaji didn't even have the embryo in his possession yet.
"I'll find us a way, Asuka. Trust me, I want to get out there as quickly as you do…"
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"From this point forward," began the UN general of station, "command of this operation is entrusted to you. Show us what you are capable of."
"Yes sir," said Gendo, a telltale smirk beginning to form across his lips.
"Ikari, we must admit that our weapons have no effect on the target," admitted the more obnoxious UN commander.
"However, are you certain you can defeat it?"
Gedo raised a gloved hand, pushing his glasses back up onto the bridge of his nose. "Nerv exists for that very purpose."
"We expect much from you."
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The various crisscrossing escalators, moving people ways, and winding corridors made NERV HQ a veritable maze to navigate, even in the best of circumstances. But, for a map-less Captain who had just been transferred to NERV-Central a week prior, it would be downright impossible. Up escalators, down the wrong shaft, a right when it should be the next left. Shinji painfully remembered spending far too long being shown the drab grey concrete walls of the facility until Ritsuko Akagi met them in the elevator. Of course, if he really wanted to, Shinji could likely find his way to the EVA cages blindfolded. After all, it was just right this… way?
He had been so lost in the memory of the last time he'd walked these halls with Misato, it never even occurred to him that they weren't making the wrong turns. There was no hesitation or confusion in her directions, she was bee lining directly to the cages. Even now, they were ascending the escalator past Unit 01's LCL-filled cage.
"Mi- Misato, how did you-"
"Get us to the cages without getting lost?" she asked without turning around. Misato's voice was barely louder than a whisper. "Or are you going to ask how I knew about the N2 mine before? Or how about how I was actually on time for the pick-up?"
Shinji stood slack-jawed.
"Let's just concentrate of beating Sachiel for now," she continued in her hushed voice. "We'll talk when we get home."
A/N: So, it's time for me to jump on the Peggy Sue train! Why? Well, there's actually a few reasons. The first is that I've hit a minor knot in Dein Vater. I'm trying to work it out so that I can actually get the story to progress. It would be quite a bit easier to just go full OOC on the main characters in order to move forward, but that's not what I want. But, I don't want to ignore my writing altogether. Hence the second story. Another reason is simply that this plot bunny just kind of jumped into my head and I wanted to run with it. Rather looking forward to seeing where it takes me. The third reason is dear Adra. She's actually an intended semi-OC for Dein Vater a ways down the line, but I really want to start fleshing her out. Props to those that can figure out who she's actually based off of, though I hope she'll start to come into her own as time progresses.
So, as I've at least implied. Dein Vater fans, do not fear. This story is not meant as a replacement piece. I'm hoping to run them both side by side. If I can finish getting this knot out, my hope is to have DV starting up again next week. Then we'll have an alternating once-a-week release schedule between DV and TTtC, just so I can keep my writing fresh. If a one doubles up, it's because I hit another knot in the other.
Hope you all enjoyed this first chapter. I know I loved writing it. See you (hopefully) next Saturday with a new DV!
JaceSterne