Episode 1: Tumbling Down
My feet
Are asleep
My hands
Chained to clouds
I'm stuck in the sky
I'm never coming down
The clattering gutters dripped rain onto the thin rooftops, aluminum and tin barely containing a population explosion no one had ever quite predicted in the famed fortress megapolis of Tokyo 3. Built with no expense spared to defend against any outward threat, the restless blood running through its asphalt veins festered and rotted into an underworld that beckoned a new breed of justice. The city was not without its heroes, the infamous Janitors, always arriving just in time to wipe the bits of gray matter off a store window. Young souls, the lot of them, most eager to escape the life above. Below the earth, in a glittering pyramid, a girl with blue hair awoke, flinging the entirety of her sheets away with the flick of a wrist and clicking her tongue. An artificial glow creeped through the curtains and a knock on the door snapped her neck to attention.
"Rei?" Came the gentle tone of a woman's voice. "Are you awake? I'm coming in."
The door slid open with a hiss revealing a pretty woman with short hair and eyes of chestnut brown, her physique obscured by the thick shouldered and blood red jacket she wore zipped shut. Many in the staff questioned the… sanguine colors of the jacket but Maya Ibuki, among many others, couldn't deny that they looked rather snappy. Maya's bottom half was a little more military in style and color, but no less chic, her black pants and small boots well cleaned. Maya entered carrying the usual into her work: the datapad at her side and the wide and friendly smile on her face.
"Good morning Rei-"
Maya's smile shrunk and her eyes widened, face blushing to match the tone of her jacket.
"R-Rei! You shouldn't really sleep naked, you'll catch a cold-"
Maya stopped herself, realizing how stupid that sounded given who she was talking to. Rei Ayanami was called an ice queen for more reasons than one. Maya pretended to pull something up on her datapad as she tried to remember why she was here, brown eyes skirting the casually nude beauty before her. Maya, eternally grateful and even something of a closet super fan of the girls and their escapades, still had to realize that each was rather odd in their ways.
"Ah yes, here it is!" Maya eventually remembered "Time for the early morning press conference, regarding um… your last mission results. I'm sure there will be some questions from the press, do you want to answer them? You can just read the prepared press statement and leave if you want."
Rei floated upwards, not caring much for modesty as the sheer pink sheets clouded around her form before dropping back down onto the bed.
"Thank you."
Rei considered adding the woman's surname, but as it escaped her she left her gratitude dangling, furthering her air of mystery. The doors of the boudoir adjacent to her bedroom snapped open, and into its depths she disappeared, re-emerging in her trademark white and blue suit. She decided on a regal blue cape to accentuate the class of the outfit, which some felt was negated by the presence of the boob window that had been cut out in front. Nevertheless, she wore it with equal amounts stoic pride and demure femininity, as if to remind the rest of the bugs in NERV's glittered anthill under the city who kept them all safe.
Maya caught herself staring again, finding herself eerily calmed by the grace and regality which the younger woman bore. Maya's chest surged with admiration, among a tangle of other thoughts and feelings.
Rei's crimson eyes glowed under the low light, catching and reading those idle thoughts and private desires as one might read a sign tossed loose by a breeze.
"Maya, my eighteenth birthday is not for another few months. Did you plan to get me something?"
The barest phantom smile graced Rei's lips.
"What?" Maya blanched paler than Rei "Oh yes! It is after all a very special birthday!"
"I am fond of books. Please inform the commander of my imminent arrival."
"Certainly Rei!" Maya almost tripped into a bow, gulping and trying to hide her embarrassment.
Rei kept a pale and placid face, nodding and parting with a cool breeze.
Maya held her tongue, and her thoughts until Rei was out of sight and hopefully out of mind. Incidents like this aside, Maya was still grateful that it wasn't the red haired girl's press conference today.
Cameras flashed and microphones vied for attention like the last buffalo at the watering hole as the media fed their addiction to the city's premier heroine. Rei ignored most of them, instead making a beeline to the green room, where Misato and Kaji awaited her.
"Taking our time with the beauty sleep, eh?" The latter grinned, leaning back into his chair. "Glad to see at least one of us isn't out drinking every night."
Earning a burning glare from his on-again, off again paramour, the two rolled eyes at each other as a pair of makeup artists began dolling Rei up.
"Ugh, like you weren't there telling me to take another shot."
The purple-haired woman rubbed her temples.
"Look Rei, today's really no different from any other media day. Talk to the people, Smile at the people, tell them how great we are and what we do for the community. Make sure to add in that bit about the Commander building that joint animal hospital and orphanage."
Rei turned her head to the side to allow for the sunny faced woman on her right to apply more blush.
"Consider it done."
Misato nodded. "That's my girl, and what do we say if anyone gets too nosy?"
The attendants wheeled Rei around to reveal Wonder Girl in all her splendor.
"I'm only here so I won't get fined."
Maya peeked her head in through the door.
"Hey everyone, we go live in five minutes!"
Through the flashing cameras and din of reporters, each voice had their agenda. There was the press representing big business, the press representing conservatives, liberals, there was even the press lobby for Animal Rights, and then of course the usual troupe of tabloids. Which depending on the news of the day, meant that this was a circus like no other.
As Rei approach and the press conference officially began, the raucous tumult became an almost frothing frenzy as reporters bumped and pushed closer, hands and voices raised.
"CAN'T YOU MELT ALL THE SNOW WHEN YOU'RE DONE SAVING THE DAY? WE LIKE SUMMER AS MUCH AS THE NEXT CITY!"
"YOUR ICE POWERS ARE OFFSETTING THE REGIONAL BIRD MIGRATIONS!"
"HOW'S THE LOVE LIFE?"
"JUST WHAT IS THE UNDER AND OVER ON ALL THE COSTS YOUR FIGHTS LEAD UP TO? WE'LL GO BANKRUPT AT THIS RATE!"
"REI AYANAMI HAVE YOU EVER CONSIDERING COVERING SOME SONGS FROM THE MOVIE FROZEN!?".
So rang just a small sample of questions, all yelled out at once, with a few being more statements then questions.
The dizzying volley threw Rei for a loop and she found herself momentarily envious of her redheaded partner, who had a certain presence that demanded the spotlight. She conjured a rush of air, literally stealing the breath from the jabbering mouths below her to silence them, however briefly.
"I have not yet seen Frozen." She began. "Next question."
The hounds barked again, and Misato pinched the bridge of her nose from behind a thick black curtain.
"Jesus, Kaji. She's getting eaten alive out there, I thought Gendo only approved one-on-one interviews with her?"
The scruffy man shrugged, looking at the scene with no small amount of derision and already conjuring ways with which to spin and sell it the following day.
"This was actually supposed to be a panel with Rei and Asuka, who I was counting on taking most of the heat. She's out doing some 'undercover' work though, so tough luck."
"Asuka? Undercover? Who the hell thought that was a good idea?"
"You did, otherwise your signature wouldn't have been on the authorization sheet."
The woman frowned.
"I've really gotta cut back on the drinks, you're a horrible influence."
"Oh you know you can't resist."
Misato's muscles tensed, and the veins in her arm flashed green for a second.
"Oh can't I?"
Outside, the mob pressed on in their relentless dressing down of the wide-eyed girl.
"WONDER GIRL, WONDER GIRL! MISS TEEN JAPAN HAS TO KNOW, ARE YOU A VIRGIN?"
"IS THERE ANY TRUTH TO THE RUMORS ABOUT A RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN YOU AND THE HERO TABRIS?"
"I LOVE YOU WONDER GIRL!" A portly man in his thirties ripped open his trench coat, revealing a stained white tee with the words "I'm Going to Marry Rei Ayanami" emblazoned in bold red lettering.
The girl sighed and leaned back into the microphone.
"You know why I'm here."
There was really nothing else to say on the subject that hadn't been tread and retread elsewhere.
The circling vultures had little shame for the nature of their own questions or the young woman's obvious disinterest.
"EXCUSE ME! REI AYANAMI!" A decisive voice carried strongly through the crowd, loud but just as even and eloquent, easy to hear even amongst the hysterics.
"Mack Thomers, foreign press" Spoke a tall and brown bearded man, as handsomely featured as he was dressed, his tone quieting as the crowd hushed around him.
"There are rumors of freakish incidents involving people in other countries, rumors of other supers out there. Are you or your organization at liberty to discuss the probability of other people with powers existing in the world? What if other supers don't have the public's well being in mind like you do?"
The crowd quieted down even more, some ashamed to be so outpaced in their journalism while most sat genuinely curious for any answer. It was a taboo rumor, of people with powers existing outside of NERV. A handful of super heroes doing public services for the public good was something people could easily accept, no matter how fantastic it was. But groups of supers, living outside of the law, with who knew what kind of powers? That was scary. The crowd, oddly still, turned its gaze upon Rei with bated breath.
Rei's eyes scanned the far wall, meeting the glossy sheen on Gendo Ikari's amber-tinted sunglasses. He nodded, and she cleared her throat.
"Tokyo-3 is not the only site of heroes in the world, that is a fact, nor is it possible even with NERV's vast resources to document each and every case as it arises. I sleep soundly because of my faith in my work, my country, and more importantly, my fellow man."
The crowd seemed taken aback for a moment, not having expected to wring so much out of the notoriously cold fish that was Wonder Girl. They looked to the man named Thomers in a mixture of awe and envy.
"Rest assured, Mr. Thomers that any individual harboring ill will towards this city will have myself among others to answer to, powers or no powers."
Gendo nodded again and turned to leave, a movement she mirrored amid the raucous hubbub of questions left unanswered.
The crowd stood slack jawed, surprised not just by the lengthy response from the young woman, but the charisma and gentle strength with it. Hope and safety stirred in each heart and mind. It took only 30 seconds before the usual torrent of questions came crashing back, the press shouting after the girl's shadow. Short or not, the press conference was over.
"Thank you Miss Ayanami!" Mack Thomers called out over the din once more, his smile private and gleeful as he sat back down, his right eye taking in the scene with easy bemusement. As fun as this circus was, things were about to get even more interesting.
"Hey, great job out there Rei."
Misato attempted a hearty clap on the back before being restrained by the girl's wiry but rock hard grip.
"Haha, sorry. Forgot about the whole no touching thing. But I don't think I've ever seen you handle a crowd like that before."
Kaji lit up a cigarette from over her shoulder.
"Now you didn't go and use your powers to alter the room's mood did ya?"
Rei shook her head.
"I didn't have to. Their line of questioning, though tiresome, was not leading anywhere until that man spoke up. His probing will be noted, and his background thoroughly checked, I merely gave the standard politically neutral response dictated by the commander."
Misato voiced her displeasure in the form of a tch, but couldn't deny its effectiveness.
"Well, we got something more fun for you lined up anyway. Turns out Asuka's cover in this underground fighting ring got blown. She's a tough girl, no doubt, but I don't want any surprises. We're sending you in with a Section-2 team for extraction."
Kaji blew a cloud of smoke out the window.
"You mean the Janitors? Hell, trying to make those stone-faced assholes look good is the hardest part of my job." He turned to Rei. "Good job on the media front, Rei, those bloodsuckers are no joke. I'm not one to tell ya how to do your job, but I'd like it if we didn't have any more blood on our hands than we have to."
The three nodded, then broke.
Tokyo 3 was the greatest and worst city in the world. Post 2nd impact it helped to rally humanity, serving as a beacon of progress, technology, knowledge, culture and wealth. A once rural and marginally industrial part of the Japanese countryside grown and raised to be the best city in the world in only two decades. But like any great person a great city had its fair share of secrets. Those who helped fuel the city's early and expedient growth were the criminal syndicates, the cartels, the corrupt corporations, all of them stepping quickly and easily into the vast power vacuum that developed in the region post 2nd impact. With the original Tokyo sunk it was criminals and the dodgy with the resources and the willingness to move their organizations somewhere new and develop it. The city was so built so quickly and affordably because the criminal element had an iron grip on cheap and plentiful labor, as well as substantial connections with several financial and technological companies which soon flocked to the city. By the time the world's governments had stabilized and NERV moved in, accelerating the city's growth even further, the criminal element was firmly entrenched in Tokyo 3.
With supers and powerful connections all its own NERV could theoretically wipe out all crime in the city, but to take out crime down to the root would risk the whole city's ecosystem. For public appearances crime was tackled when someone caused too much damage or overstepped their boundaries. And even then it wasn't often the bigger more "formal" crime groups targeted but those which dominated the slums.
For each posh or beautiful neighborhood in the city there were defunct and dangerous slums where violence held sway, the worst slum being the lower city which occupied the vast buried space between the city's shiny surface and its heavenly geofront deeper underground. A rough place of steel and grime hidden from the sky. It was here inside a seedy joint of the lower city that a raucous company held court amongst heavy smoke and the smell of liquor. Tattooed and shifty gang members looking to each other as they harangued each over bets and rules.
"Do we go ahead with the fight? What about the bets? If we call it off the clients might not come back and-"
"Go ahead? And just throw our money away? Don't you know who that is?"
"BAH! Stories, just stories man, Chang could take her."
"He's right. I ain't never lost a match, let me fight" The calmest of their group took a drag on his cigarette past a cocky smile. A giant of a man, Chang stood 7 feet tall with change, with ornate kanji tattoos inked black over wide shoulders and head sized biceps, his chiseled body free except for the gold boxing shorts and thick chain on his neck.
"I'll stomp the bitch, business then proceeds as usual." Chang sat up, flicking aside his cigarette.
Dusty halogen bulbs sent cockroaches skittering across the grimy floor. She opened one of the creaky lockers, depositing her windbreaker onto the shelf and attaching a pair of cherry red synchronization clips to her head, lending the teen a diabolic air.
"You're up." A gruff voice wanted from the doorway, watching the golden red tresses run down the girl's back. "What didja say your name was again?"
She whirled around, hands propped defiantly on her hips.
"They call me The Succubus!"
Out in the arena, the chants grew in tandem with the drunkenness of the crowd, the loyal patrons fully expecting Chang to beat another hapless clown into the dust. Hiding in the gutters of the city, they never quite expected anyone to go out of their way looking for trouble here. They would soon find out just how differently the German work ethic viewed such a conundrum.
"YEAHHHH HAHAHAHA!" Chang roared with outstretched arms as he stepped into the chain linked cage, the crowd roaring with him. With a strong fist bump against his chest the man's massive frame jostled as he spun and closed his eyes, taking in the crowd, intoxicated on the attention, their bloodlust and his own. Chang was eager, superhero or no, he just thought that the girl's powers would make for an even match. Chang's arrogance and confidence were not entirely empty, the man was a grotesque extreme of human physique, a freak of nature who had trained in countless fighting styles and practiced them just as often, first as muscle for the gangs and now in the ring against other seasoned fighters. The roars and drunken slurs came to a fever pitch, the second wave of sound revealing that Chang's opponent was here.
"Ho?" Chang chuckled as he saw her approach "An interesting getup, so you like wearing red huh?"
Chang stretched his open palm forward before theatrically pulling it into a tight fist "Well you'll be wearing a lot more when I'm done with you bitch."
The girl felt a chill run up her spine, resisting the urge to cringe at the man's macho histrionics. She spread her arms apart, hands held level with the nonchalant grin on her lips. Fireworks shot up like dragon's breath behind her, showering the dirt arena in sparks.
"Shouldn't let your mouth write a check your ass can't cash."
She adjusted the gloves on her suit, flexing and cracking her knuckles.
"C'mon lightweight," a playful wink "I'll let you get the first swing."
Above, the tuxedo-clad announcer bellowed over the cheers.
"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, BOYS AND GIRLS! IT'S TIME FOR THE MAIN EVENT!"
His leathery hand swung towards Chang.
"IN THIS CORNERRR, A MAN WHO NEEDS NO INTRODUCTION, OUR RETURNING UNDEFEATED CHAMP, MANSLAYERRR CHAAAANG!"
The crowd drummed on tables and every other available surface, clearly anticipating another quick smackdown on the lithe but outmatched girl.
"AAAND IN THIS CORNERRR, A CHALLENGER APPROACHES. SHE MIGHT BE SUICIDAL BUT SHE LOOKS LIKE SHE COULD SUCK A GOLF BALL THROUGH A STRAW, GIVE IT UP FOR THE SEXY SUCCUBUS!"
A mix of jeers and cheers this time, out matched in her mind by the sheer roar of the fire within.
I'm going to pulverize all of these fuckers.
Chang smiled wider and wider as everything built to the crescendo, only able to hold back because he knew he could cut loose so soon. The din of the place raised in his ears, and he had to give the girl some credit, for being this brave or this stupid, there was no hesitation in her eyes, not a hint of sweat. Yet that incensed him the more he thought about, she should be afraid-she would be afraid! Chang crouched, hunching his massive shoulders and adopting a typical boxing stance, tensing his body, he grit his teeth waiting for that sweet call of-
"LET'S GET READYYY TO RRRRUUUUUUMBLE!"
DING!
Chang moved surprisingly fast for his size, faster than almost any man.
"RAHHHHHH!" He erupted, sending a right hook at the girl's face with his whole momentum and body weight, clearly not keen to waste time. Chang might have been a thug but he was also a part of a business, and money made quick was just as good.
Chang would have been master, a born fighter, a tour de force on two legs... in his own league. Asuka saw the telegraphed blow blinking its headlights at her from a mile away. In her world of heightened perception, two steps to the right were taken in the blink of an eye. Another might have admired the raw power in the savage charge he made, meant to obliterate slow opponents. She settled for tripping him, allowing the dirt in his mouth to make up for her lack of one-liners.
Chang's eyes went as wide as his punch, his speeding fist meeting only open air as he toppled forwards. All those years of fighting experience instantly helped Chang realize how screwed he was, his palpable fury cast aside as easily as one would shoo a house fly.
The patrons looked taken aback, not decreasing in volume but not quite sure what to do with themselves either. Chang himself spun around on the spot, back on his feet in a second, forehead veins pulsing violently. Asuka smiled, flames licking the inside of her palms as she ran up to the man, clutching and holding him up by the searing flesh of his throat.
"Men are all the same" the teen yawned as he clutched uselessly at her iron grip. "So eager to start, so quick to finish."
Chang gasped, coughed and began to yell shrilly as he felt the heat rise. The crowd which had not recognized the girl beforehand was even more shocked by this sudden turn of events. Those who did now begin to understand the girl's true identity quietly and quickly began to amble out of the establishment, trying not to be noticed by their fellows or start the panic too early.
They didn't have long. Seconds later the large doors at the back of the room flew upon as a crowd of more thoroughly inked men rushed forward, Uzis loaded, shotguns cocked and pistols drawn, steel sights and hard gazes fixing to turn the arena into a shooting gallery. That was enough for the rest of the frozen crowd to now shatter into panic and run after the rest.
A grim looking man strode in lackadaisical behind the armed goons, his eyes lost behind thick sunglasses as his teeth worked at a toothpick. Going off the amount of ringed and missing fingers, Asuka could presume he was the boss of the joint.
"Well, seems you take round 1, how about you forfeit the match and we won't forfeit your life?" He cut through the screams with a rough voice.
Asuka turned to the gasping man in her hand, tilting her head derisively.
"Now it's time for goodbye, Muscles."
Her grip tightened and the man choked again, sputum and rivulets of blood splitting his lips.
"I don't know what I'd ever do against Shades and his big scary guns."
She threw Chang down into the dirt, his chest heaving for air among the stench of charred flesh.
"Tell you what. Put the pea-shooters away right now and maybe you'll get to spend some more quality time with all your limbs."
A fuzzy patch on her suit fluttered away, revealing a stenciled red fig leaf underneath. A nearby goon raised a shotgun to his shoulder.
"I told ya, Boss! I knew she was a fuckin' Janitor all along!"
His head was knocked back in a red mist, and chaos erupted. Seeing as how she had been right in the thick of it when the gunfire started, more than a few goons clipped or blew away their own partners in an attempt to get a bead on the heroine, slipping through the cracks like water. In the eye of the storm, she brought down her fist to meet the earth, crying out as a plume of fire cascaded around her, tossing back her assailants. The boss, his sunglasses and eyebrows gone, reached for his trusty .357 Magnum when a hand stayed his path. Asuka snarled and headbutted him, tearing away the gun and cracking open the cylinder, it's contents tinkling out before his eyes. She blew on her nails, surveying the heap with a spring in her step.
How's that for Rank 2, eh Wonder Girl?
As if on cue, the outer doors sprang open and the city's darling rode in on a breeze, floating over the feeble mass Asuka had managed to apprehend.
"Decided to be fashionably late, eh?"
The German teen chuckled, putting her foot into a man's back as she zip-tied his hands together.
"I had it covered, you know. Tried to keep it quiet and low key."
Rei looked around at the glowing embers of the arena. "Low-key." She repeated in a deadpan, her foot nudging a groaning goon.
"Were there any casualties? The Commander would be most... displeased if an unjustified death were to tarnish NERV's image."
"Unjustified my ass, Rei. You know just as well as I do these asshole's have been funneling drugs, guns, and who knows what else through this shit hole for years. Nobody's gonna miss 'em."
Rei's red eyes were as still as her face as she considered the fierce girl's words. Rei valued life, to the point that she even disliked eating meat, so hurting or taking that precious thing was always the last resort. But what if it was like Asuka said? And taking a little of life meant saving more? A slight frown crossed Rei's face, although she faced Asuka it was clear that she may as well have been looking past her, mind waxing philosophic and drifting out of focus.
Rei's focus soon returned as she felt the simmering roar of frustration festering in Asuka's mind like a red strobe light.
"My apologies, you raise an interesting point. I will have to consider it further. I believe we are done here" Rei said, casually floating a foot off the ground as NERV agents began to fill the street, a few running inside the establishment.
In true Janitor spirit, a few had brought mops and fire extinguishers among other things to help keep the building in some semblance of shape until the city's joke of a police force could bumble onto the scene. Asuka looked up at the retreating girl, grimacing at the icy reception. Though she thought herself something of a people person, the Soryu gal had never even gotten more than slightly upturned lip in the way of emotion from Rei. Be it armed gunmen or others with villainous aspirations, nothing had ever convinced Wonder Girl to break character. Still, it wasn't her job to be best friends.
They dredged up what they could of Tokyo-3's interminable stores of shit, locked them away, then patted themselves on the back to do it all again the next day. The fame and prestige didn't hurt, and neither did the money, but truth be told she'd rather work with some of the shiessekopfs in the B and C tiers than Ayanami. She shrugged, rocketing into the sky herself to find an entry point to the Geofront where she could dump the after action report and find a hot shower. Her hand rubbed a part of her rib where one of the goons had clubbed her with the butt of a gun, her skin feeling grimy under the too-tight creases of the suit.
"I need a shower." She told a passing bird, leaving it spinning in her wake. "A hot one."
Used to be princesses got towers, but penthouses worked just fine too. Being part of the privileged class one was granted access to NERV's housing in the Geofront, ironically being a damn sight safer and more well secured than the slums above the cavernous ceiling. Asuka spoke little and listened less to the Section-2 goon debriefing team. Of course, the undercover operation had gone off more or less as planned, and with the criminal elements scattering like roaches under flashlight now was a ripe opportunity to go stomping.
Maybe tomorrow.
She boarded the mostly deserted monorail back to her housing sector. Flight wasn't much more tiring, but her eyes were bleary from so many days spent assuming the identity of "The Succubus" and she'd not yet mastered the art of flying with one's eyes closed. If was far too long before she was finally under the steaming flow of a shower head, rubbing away the kinks in her bones. Bottles of imported conditioner and shampoo floated around her, the strawberry aroma flooding the small apartment. Makeup and dead skin and knots and worries clung to the drain before being whisked away. A sigh broke the silence as she observed her pert body in the full length mirror opposite the shower. Her skin was a little tan, but not an Okinawa brown, her filling chest distinctly lighter in color when compared to her arms, a attribute borne of a penchant for sleeveless tops. This is not to say it was not perfection, as she demanded no less of herself each day, and she looked away with a harrumph before fetching a towel and her phone.
No less than five or six different pick up lines and pleas for dates crowded her screen, ranging from the hilariously hopeless to the downright creepy. In the end all they wanted was a foreign girl on the side while on the prowl for their perfect domesticated wife. Some demure flower of Japanese femininity meant to dispense manners and sex and children with a Stepford grin. The towel came off and the pajama pants came on, blue eyes lingering on the depressingly long list of male contacts before scrolling down to Hikari as the TV provided background noise. Deciding not to bother her normal friend and risk breaking her from her perfectly normal life, Asuka flipped dramatically onto the couch, drifting away in dreamless sleep.
Rei relished in leaving the cold dark of the sublevels and going up into that wide blue sky. From there she took her time getting back, rather enjoying the view from up here, where she could see and hear most things, be open to the world and all its people while being completely alone. It was a curiously oxymoronic existence but one Rei rather enjoyed. People were interesting but they would suffice in books, she needed little else as she made her way back to her room. Returning Rei began pulling off her clothes just as she approached her door, the clothes being more a consideration for others than herself, she cared little what anyone thought of her state of dress. As the clothing hit the floor Rei stretched a little, alabaster skin flawless and with not a single goosebump to be seen in the cold air. Rei's thoughts lingered not on her body but her mind itself, still contemplating the path of violence vs. non-violence. Doubtless there would be many books upon the subject, but first: she needed to clean. Rei closed her eyes and outstretched her arms, the air in the room beginning to stir as a thin and light sheet of ice formed over her body. The room sat quiet for a moment as Rei's form rested statuesque, before the fresh mold cracked and shattered to the floor, a sheet of water dripping off of her pale flesh. Rei reached for a towel and sat down to her bed, making sure to thoroughly dry her hands first.
With NERV's extensive resources she could easily get almost anything ever written by man on a computer or tablet screen, but she enjoyed the distinct touch of paper on her fingertips, the smell of the pages. That profound privacy as she could fall into countless worlds and stories all by herself. So she reached for a new one, the many and varied colors of her library being the only touch of color or really anything scattered across her sparsely furnished room. Curling deeper into bed with some John Stuart Mill the hours passed quickly until her eyes began to drop, bit by bit. It was a troublesome hurdle, sleep, but a necessary one. With a long breath the girl simply laid her head back on the soft pillow, sheets half covering her body. Her pale fingers moved, closing both her book and day to gentle sleep.
The nightlife of Tokyo 3 was often busy, even this late, but tonight the streets were eerily empty, a chill wind and low fog filling the streets. On this lonesome night a young couple gave their goodbyes, chuckling and kissing each other in earnest parting. Sharp eyes watched the pair split with silent and casual regard, the small light of a match held to a cigarette illuminating a face a few days past its last shave. With a long sigh and blow of smoke Kaji took a moment. It was rare for the city to be like this, private, empty. It was terrible for his sideline of work, there were less distractions to capitalize on, no crowds to blend in to, but he did enjoy a change of pace. With no one out to tail Kaji got up from his park bench, figuring for once he would just go home and sleep a full night.
Pitter patter, pitter patter, the noise fell close, a few drops of water hitting a nearby car. Seconds later a vast downpour unloaded, thunder clapping as thick sheets of water came pouring down. Kaji sighed again as he threw aside his now useless cigarette. Instantly soaked Kaji put his hands into his pockets and reached for the silver lining: Least he didn't need to worry about taking a shower tonight. He began the long and peaceful walk home. Strange though. The weather reports had said clear skies all week.
When Tokyo 3 woke up the next morning, it was still raining, on and on until the next morning too. By this point the streets were lightly flooded, but only just. Below the earth, a meeting of minds took place, altering the very course of history.
"Gentlemen, I'll be brief with you." General Okajima, commander of the US forces stationed in Japan, put down the red telephone and nodded to the men joined around the table. "At around 1900 hours our wire array in the seabed picked up movement off of the Eastern coast. The contact is described as enormous, roughly the size of a nuclear submarine."
"Have we received word from any other country in these waters? Tensions with the Chinese are still simmering even after the Cruel Summer." A JSDF commander piped up, earning solemn glares at the mention of the nuclear tipping point the world came to after 2nd Impact.
"No," Okajima shook his head "we have received reports that the contact is in fact biological."
His gaze turned to the all-too-often silent member of their coterie, one Gendo Ikari. Behind him, infrared images taken from drones showed a clearly humanoid figure underneath the waves somewhere out to sea.
"I have already asked all units to be on high alert as we call in our tank battalions from the north. Any... aid provided on part of NERV, should the situation become too much to bear, will be strictly off the record."
Gendo brought his hands down for the first time during the meeting.
"I'm afraid I will be too busy receiving my son to personally see to this matter, but rest assured a close eye will be kept on all proceedings."
He stood up, shifting his chair away and nodding to Fuyutsuki.
"I wish the best of luck to you and your men, General."
The military mind was a proud one and most of the higher ups narrowed their eyes and grit their teeth at this man who treated them as if they were mere civilians. Some bristled more with annoyance than others but most would agree: Let the armed forced prove their worth and show that heroes were only good for stopping purse snatchers and druggies. The force and strength of mankind's technology and men would prevail.
The target was moving at a leisurely pace but its destination was obvious: Tokyo 3. So the military personnel moved quick to scramble their forces, they would hit it as soon as it neared the coast. The plan was to drown it in a crossfire between land and sea where collateral damage wouldn't be as much of an issue. Just incase the populace was being evacuated in the many miles of distance between coast and city. Throughout Tokyo 3 sirens began to blare, as people shuffled quick and close to transportation and shelters. The rain kept pouring.
Gendo couldn't be bothered with small men thinking in smaller boxes. If his eyes and ears built into walls across the country served him well, then the time of the Angels was upon them. It was not a matter to be taken lightly, but he felt some sense of fulfillment knowing that his life's work would come to fruition at tomorrow's battle. The First and even the Second proved formidable against even the most well equipped military in the world, surely with their training the first Child of God would meet its end at the hands of Lilin. There was still the matter of the trump card, the boy in white currently touring Europe, but when Rei triumphed over the Angel tomorrow it would surely show the old buffoons just where they could shove their complaints about being over budget.
He wondered briefly what he would do with Shinji, the boy's imminent arrival coming at an inconvenient time. The Katsuragi woman would do for the job, he was sure nobody could screw up simply picking the boy up from a train station.
The military poured onto the coast as thick as grains of sand on the beach, with reserves flanking the entry corridor towards Tokyo 3. They were as ready as they could be, even at 3:00 AM in the morning, the sky pitch black between the night and the storm, stymied only by another army of search lights pointed out to sea.
"Lieutenant! Get those damn tanks in line! If we gotta move we gotta move together! A single tank an inch out of line will cost us the whole damn company on this narrow road!" Captain Briggs barked from atop his tank. Assigned a long way from home Briggs was the kind of barrel chested American military man you expected in a movie, his mouth tearing for an R rating. "What is with this goddamn fucking rain!?"
Behind the foul mouth was a shrewd tactical mind, taking note of the sparse road space on the narrow coastline, growing that much narrower against the downpour. The one thing Briggs could thank at this moment was military tech, the best night and thermal vision ready to peer through rain and night for whatever was on its way.
"Captain! It's here!" The cry went out, and almost on cue a distant eruption of water with it, as a large humanoid figure arose, green bodied with flesh of pure white that fell over large shoulders and long arms. A face, or something that might be called one, rested in its chest. Large as it was the thing was a mile out-which left plenty of time to grind it to paste. Briggs pulled on his headset with a shout "Fire!"
It looked like dawn came early as a wave of flashes erupted all along the coastline and out to sea as well, the distant booming of cannon and missile fire revealing the navy ships out there. The thunder of the storm became a quiet whisper as shell upon shell and missile upon missle belted the Angel with a fantastic series of explosions and smoke. The fire continued for a solid minute until the call came to hold. With military precision it all stopped on a dime as even the storm seemed to fall quiet, the silence of the night and the pitter patter of the raindrops being the only thing anyone could hear.
Briggs leaned forward a little, straining his eyes. "Status report, what does the thermal say- Awww crap" Briggs exhaled, military gruffness filling with fear as the smoke began to part. The creature stood in just the same spot as before, seemingly untouched, offering only a blink before moving forward.
"Damn!" Briggs slammed his fist on the tank below him. "GIVE 'EM EVERYTHING TIL WE'RE SPENT!"
With his roar the night filled with light and noise once more. The creature strode forward, unimpeded by and careless of man's downpour, its wake leaving a sea that churned even more violently than before. Those churning waters suddenly rushed up around the ships at sea, shooting high past their decks and guns until all four were lofted like toys into the sky, held in perfect spheres of water. With the slightest cock of the creature's head the spheres flew forward with surprising speed towards the beach.
"FALL BACK! MOVE UP THE LINE!" When the boats came ashore they did so with a rain of metal and terror.
They woke her up at four on the dot, and in another half hour she found herself under the clinical fluorescent light of the NERV women's lockers. She glanced at her partner's form silhouetted against the curtain between them. Ayanami cared little for privacy, adopting an au naturale look on what occasions she had seen her outside of work, but Asuka would be damned if she let herself become used to the girl's eccentricities. Command insisted that they board a VTOL on the way to the front line, mostly to make sure they were both deployed with efficiency. Though they both had experience in flying and fighting during night time, Gendo was evidently taking no chances with the wanton fire being put out by the desperate tank crews on the ground. Asuka pressed the release valve on her wrist and the suit squealed, air rushing out until every contour of her body was wrapped in a crimson second skin.
They were, in some ways, the first and last line of defense. The spearhead. The black heel of vengeance coming down on whatever jackass decided he wanted to start shit in their town.
"So Rei, You ever get scared thinkin' you might die today?"
Rei strode down the hanger, blue cape fluttering behind her, without the barest hint of hesitation or shake in her step. The girl's head did however turn at the remark, red eyes burrowing into Asuka's blue.
"You are surprisingly more talkative with me than usual Asuka" Rei did not often call people by their first name but if someone was giving her the courtesy she would return the favor.
"Not that I mind, your conversation is welcome." Rei paused for a moment as she stepped up into the VTOL.
"And no, I do not intend to die today. Might you be concerned? I would think you excited to meet a new and strong foe with which to match your strength. No mere man with a gun but a being from the stars." Rei sat down with perfect poise in the VTOL as the large engines thrummed to life.
"I am a little curious to see what they are like myself." Rei commented in an even and relaxed tone, as if she was discussing merely the poor weather. The VTOL left the ground and zoomed forward "I will protect you Asuka" Rei said with flat expression and tone, the barest hint of protection somewhere in her voice.
"You're pretty chatty yourself."
The surprised retort left an unspoken bitch dangling in the air, not willing to antagonize the girl who would quite literally have her back throughout all this.
"Figure they must not be too different from us. They come to our planet, breathe our air, swim in our water."
The girl mused, settling into the troop bay of the VTOL as the engines began their slow whine.
"We're both big girls, Ayanami. Been through worse days than this."
Part of her simmered at the mention of being protected, like she was some green thumbsucker who didn't know her ass from her elbow.
"Just do me a favor and don't die."
The rain rattled away at the sliding doors, now slammed shut by a NERV Operative clad in black armor and HALO jump gear. Boots on the ground were useless when fighting something on this scale, but even heroes needed a complex support structure when tackling what by all accounts had steamrolled tanks into dust. The craft rose into the murky sky, the faint aura of sunrise not quite visible on the horizon.
"Overlord, this is Little Bird, the kids are in the backseat and we're late for the party, over" Battle-net reports crackled from over the radio.
"I read you, Little Bird. You're being escorted by friendly fast-movers on loan from the UN. Our armor is high-tailing back through the main thoroughfare of the Old City so civvie presence will be limited. Be advised, you got one shot at this before you are danger close for an N-2 strike. Overlord, out."
The target, designated Sachiel by now, had kept a casual almost disinterested lumbering pace, ignoring half its attackers while blasting the other half with waves of water or cross shaped beams of light. Sachiel's choices of destruction either random or undecipherable to human sense. On its path to Tokyo 3 the mute giant only slowed as two small figures descended from a distant speck of a VTOL. The giant's body tensed, the area around it humming with energy, its eyes narrowing in front of it. It could tell, amongst the sea of gnats there were two, only two who could present difficulty. Two lightning bolts amongst the sea of mere rain drops. Sachiel burst forward with wild speed and a mouthless shriek.
Two hours later eager blue eyes looked out a airplane window only to find a blanket of dark grey clouds in all directions, and the reflected smooth skinned face of a brown haired youth. Shinji Ikari gave a sigh as he leaned away from the window, he had heard such tales of Tokyo 3's splendor that he only wished he could catch a glimpse from above as they approached. The ongoing storm clearly objected.
Oh well. Shinji reasoned, he would be there to see it all firsthand soon enough. The youth, halfway through 17, was more interested in why he'd been called out here, by him no less. Shinji stretched away his sleep, sitting up to look around the airplane cabin. It was almost a private flight, the only other passengers being a modest handful of men dressed in expensive black suits and one rather bosomy blonde woman in a halter top reading a book. Shinji craned his head ever so slightly to catch a better glimpse of the blonde, his head ducking back down the moment she began to look up from her reading. Finally leaving that small town there was maybe more to look forward to than just museums and skyscrapers. Hopeful prospects and bountiful pastures aside, Shinji's mind had to wonder.
A commercial flight, in the middle of the day, to Tokyo 3, with this few passengers? That was odd.
"Hello passengers this is your captain speaking, we have a bit of a storm kicking about down there but we'll be landside in ten minutes don't you worry."
Shinji tried the window once more, thoughts roaming where his eyes could not. Tokyo 3, city of heroes, perhaps a rough place for a naive civilian such as himself, but perhaps he could find something worthwhile to do, something like-
"Prepare for drop. Prepare for drop. Prepare for drop" A feminine computer drone filled the cabin as loud as an alarm.
"What the-" Shinji stood up instantly as red lights began to flash throughout the cabin. The now empty cabin. Shinji did a double take as he realized that the doors in and out of the cabin had been shut.
"Hello?" Shinji called out, his polite tone crumbling frantic.
The computer voice finally paused "Distance to target achieved".
With a hiss the middle of the cabin floor split open, a wild gust of wind and water rushing into the cabin. With greater reflex and speed than Shinji had ever known he jumped backwards, grabbing onto his seat, as the two halves of the cabin began to lower and open like a cellar door, chairs still strapped to the floor as they moved.
"No! No! No!" Shinji became increasingly frantic, his hands tearing holes into the seating as the floor was now opened entirely, leaving him dangling above the abyss.
"No! No! NOOOOOOO!" Shinji screamed hysterically as his grip slipped on the now wet seating and he fell. Shinji had never been much of a poet, and he didn't like to write too much, so it was that as he descended through the clouds he could only manage a rough draft of some last words: "AHHHHHHHHHHHHH !".
As Shinji plummeted he wide eyes could glimpse flashes of light that illuminated the clouds below, not the expected white-blue color of lightning, but bright yellow.
Shinji was not a thrill seeker, not one for roller coasters or skydiving any more than dancing or spicy foods. He didn't have much time, however, to process the abrupt shattering of his comfort zone before biting cold wind and rain tore at his face and withered his vision until a blurry miasma remained. Thoughts of prayer entered his mind but were quickly let go. Never having been the religious sort, any pleas for salvation would have rung hollow. He hoped his father wouldn't be too distraught after receiving what remained of his son in a bucket.
Grim thoughts aside, there was a beauty among the deafening chaos. Shells and bombs exploded in ashen clouds, reverberating off of a faintly visible hexagonal shield below. The sun crested on the horizon like the head of a newborn infant, showering the view below in amber light. Twin blurs twirled around a massive beast, a horrid parody of man sporting comically wiry limbs that cleaved through skyscrapers and helicopters alike. The light blue blur stopped in mid air, saving a VTOL in an out of control spin before dodging another blow from the behemoth. It was only natural that heroes would be here to deal with the threat, though Shinji thought it oddly cruel how literally the universe had granted his wish to see them up close before he died.
The red speck rocketed towards the thing's "face", a ghastly ivory mask dotted with infinite black voids. A conjured conflagration raged across the formless buffer between hero and beast, the flames licking in primal hunger just beyond the barrier. A more concentrated gout of bluish flame beamed from the figure's chest, only to peter out before reaching the inky blood red sphere lodged in the alien's chest. With a sound that could have been interpreted as annoyance, the Angel plucked the speck from the sky with the analogues of its thumb and forefinger, sending it flying with a disinterested flick before it crashed into the other speck flying above. Shinji gulped, but figured it wasn't his problem anymore. Yes sir, the world might end today, but Shinji Ikari wouldn't live to see it. Shinji Ikari's last sight before he left this world wouldn't be his family and friends or a vision of celestial light. The only sight waiting to take him into the afterlife was the emotionless white gaze of abomination below, a faint purple twinkle in its make believe eyes. A warm flash of pink blinded the boy, answering his desire for warmth but unfortunately tearing away and atomizing his clothing. He didn't have much time to dwell on it though, his head had a date with the spinal column of the ink black monstrosity at terminal velocity.
Another flash lit up the sky as the loud roar of an explosion pierced another skyscraper, the effigy of a cross searing through it. Shinji could at least be glad that it was raining and his clothes were gone, he didn't want urine stains showing up on the autopsy. With such simple last thoughts and closed eyes Shinji placed his arms in front of himself in some insane instinct of self defense.
Shinji felt it quickly: like punching a wall, but with his face, chest and body, and amazingly little pain. In a microsecond Shinji thought it was only so painless because he was already dead, but in another microsecond the wall gave in around him and admitted him into something that felt like a pool of wet and warm jello as he fell through it. Wherever the afterlife was the road there sure was weird. Shinji grunted as something large slammed into his gut and the jello ride continued. He felt another wall appear with another hard but brief smack of resistance, before that too gave way.
With a rush of sound and open air he slid free of the jello and opened his eyes, dark blue something raining down with him towards a cracked and ruined city street just below him. It was maybe now only a hundred feet from the ground, but still plenty enough for-"AHHHH!" Shinji resumed briefly, now riding a red orb almost as big as he was.
"Guh!" Shinji grunted as he crashed into the street, red orb first, feeling like someone had punched him in the gut and knocked all the wind out of him. Shinji gasped for air as he slid down the orb, trembling knees slowly feeling solid ground once more. Shinji slowly peeled himself away from the orb, eyes wide, he could smell, hear, see the world around him. It looked like shit but it may as well have been heaven. He was alive! Sore, but alive! "Ha, ha, HAHA!" Shinji began to roar with laughter as he stood up, he didn't feel any broken bones, his legs only feeling like jelly from so long a flight. Shinji relaxed and laid against the red orb, still laughing, screaming louder than he ever had in his life, adrenalin filling his existence.
"I'm alive! I'M-!" The red orb exploded. Sound vanished as Shinji saw the most brilliant light before everything went black.
Later that day, Gendo sat in his signature pose again, staring down the three of the four major players in today's events. Topside, a gargantuan black body bled rivers of dark blue ichor into the streets, but that there was still a city left to clean up was enough for the Janitors.
Rei said nothing, a sullied cotton eye patch covering a mangled eye. She would recover in time, though the scars of failure ran deeper. The same could also be said of Asuka, still fingerling the insides of her ear trying anything and everything to stop the incessant ringing. The burnt away fingertips of her suit spoke for her efforts, and she had long since exhausted any capacity for her usual theatrics. Finally, Misato sat straight up, covering her mouth in still apparent shock at being alive, knowing that they all could have just as easily died today. The scar bisecting her chest seared with a flash of pain again, and she bit back tears in front of her boss.
The elder Ikari dropped his hands to the table, standing up and snarling.
"I want to know everything."
Rei strained her ears, trying to genuinely test if she could hear the paint drying on the freshly coated walls, wasn't that how the saying went? Rei's lone open eye slowly looked from left to right, seeing both fellows still silent she began in her casual tone.
"At approximately 5:34 AM we reached the drop point, after which the target immediately detected our presence and attacked. Conventional arms as theorized accomplished little but as we closed with the target it was evident that we could affect it. Regardless of our potential the target was strong and agile for its size. Furthermore it seemed to have a large degree of control over water, thus being able to negate most of Miss Soryu's flames. My own ice abilities found similar difficulty, the very water molecules in the air seemed to rebel against my influence and any ice that I could form was destroyed by the targets beam attacks. Any attempts at probing the target's mind also proved futile, further experience and practice against Angels is required. Bereft of most of our powers Miss Soryu and I tried to use close quarters combat, some damage being done to both ourselves and the target. We were pushed from the city outskirts when Captain Katsuragi initiated 'Improvised plan: Screaming Youth Bomb'. The plan succeeded as Shinji Ikari punctured the target, ripping out its core. The core then exploded, knocking Shinji Ikari unconscious, after which I dragged him to the medical team."
Rei let it all out in a long but perfectly paced and relaxed speech, allowing herself a small one eyed blink as she finished.
She had said the one called Shinji Ikari had ripped out the core, which was true- in a fashion. Rei and Asuka had both seen the screaming young man, his surprise and confusion evident. Nevertheless Rei was a little curious, another hero, and the son of the commander no less, and he had saved them- technically.
There was a noticeable drop in room temperature at the mention of Shinji's name. Word around the base was that the relationship between the Ikari men was distant at best, the boy's arrival proving fortuitous for the city if not the careers of certain others who had been tasked with keeping an eye on him. Gendo wasn't an idiot, he knew there was bound to be some potential for powers in the boy considering his... parentage. However, the endless litany of tests run on him during his early childhood yielded nothing, and his involvement in the Marduk initiative was scrapped as the boy was sent away to live a quiet life in the country with a teacher paid to not ask questions. Where on Earth Katsuragi had attained any sort of Intel regarding his own son having powers, let alone enough strength to carve a hole in God's messenger in one fell swoop, was beyond him.
In truth, Shinji's deployment had played out due to what could have been called the world's most dangerous game of telephone. Misato had radioed the Air Squadrons, telling them to protect Shinji's flight on its approach beyond the target and towards the Geofront freight elevators. Air command understood the garbled message as her wanting them to direct the plane over the target itself, and the Section-2 goons inside understood it as a clandestine way of dropping the boy in for a surprise attack. Why else would they have put a single passenger on a plane through a war zone when the metro system was already in place for the safe transport of VIPs? It just clicked, and Misato sat trying not to give away her terror and began regurgitating a joke she'd told one of the pilots on the way back as if it were an actual military plan. The commander nodded, about to speak again, when a certain blonde doctor barged into the office.
"Sir, I have urgent news about your son. He's come to."
Shinji dreamed he was falling again, though it wasn't wet or dark this time, the sky was blue, the clouds white, and he could hear a distant whispering voice. Shinji couldn't make out a single word. Shinji strained his ears, just as suddenly realizing that he was falling up, not down. Shinji's breath caught as he tumbled upwards into the black void of space, that distant voice slowly getting louder until he could make out one word:
Shinji.
Blue eyes widened into a stare at the ceiling as Shinji Ikari gasped awake. Sitting up straight, he looked around, finding himself in a lone bed in a large hospital room. Shinji wasn't strapped into anything but he did have a white hospital gown thrown over his frame. He took some time to catch his breath before crashing back down to the bed.
"Thank goodness."
There was a brief knock at the door, and a woman strode in, chasing away a pair of armed guards who insisted upon their presence. She wore a form fitting dark dress, complimenting the lush purple locks that splashed down her bare shoulders. He couldn't place it right now, but something about her echoed the crumpled photo that had gone with the blastwave.
Shinji quickly sat up as she drew closer, his heartbeat speeding for two reasons. The first? Shinji thought he actually might have died anyways. Why? Because of the second reason. The woman who came towards him had to be one of the most beautiful and...shapely women Shinji Ikari had ever seen in person. Maybe she was an Angel and this was-
"Hello, Shinji." The woman began, assuming a casual tone in what the boy suspected would not be a normal conversation. "My name is Misato Katsuragi and I work for your father."
No lies just yet.
"We've all been worried sick and just wondering how you were doing after your... fall."
"Oh" Shinji responded, realizing he was still alive as soon as he heard mention of his father.
Nevertheless Shinji couldn't help but find it easy to smile in front of this woman.
"Hello Misato, I'm Shinji but I guess you know that. It's nice to meet you. I guess you could say first class isn't what it's cracked up to be, I think I'll take the train into town next time."
Shinji chuckled, a thin vein of nerves in the laugh as he briefly recalled the experience.
"I feel bruised but pretty good for skydiving without a parachute. I'm more confused than anything, maybe a little nauseous,I hope I don't have a concussion-I don't have a concussion do I? I wasn't in a coma for years was I? Am I still young?" Shinji began to hyperventilate.
Misato brought her hands up and laughed, hoping to ease the boy away from hysterics.
"You've only been out a couple of hours. No permanent damage, thankfully."
No damage at all was more like it, aside from a light smattering of dirt and Angel innards the boy came out as fresh as a spring morning.
"Shinji, I'm going to be frank with you, and I expect the same in return. Though the details of your fall are fuzzy, to say the least, do you think you could tell me a little bit about how your powers came to be?"
Surely his father and the rest would run through this line of questioning in their own way, but Misato supposed that a defter, feminine touch would be best with the traumatized boy.
"You don't have to say anything right now, this is strictly off the record."
The first of many lies. Ever since the realization of Shinji's abilities dawned on the Commander, the boy's every breathing second were being catalogued under watchful electric eyes. She doubted he would ever experience anything other than a carefully sculpted illusion of privacy ever again.
"I just wanted to take the time to thank you for saving us."
She took off her beret, a genuine gesture of gratitude.
"The city of Tokyo 3 is in your debt."
Shinji sighed out a little, her melodious laugh tickling his spirit. The boy's jitters faded as he sat still and calmer, his look of anxiety being surpassed by one of confusion and curiosity as Misato spoke.
"Powers? What powers?"
In Shinji's rapid descent he had little time to realize exactly how and why he had survived. His eyes widened, sheer shock superseding most emotion.
"So I'm a super" He almost whispered in amazement.
"I had no idea, I have no idea now, I just lived a normal life. As far as last summer I felt physical pain as much anyone else".
He considered mentioning the odd dream he just had but he figured that after surviving a surprise death fall one would have strange dreams. Shinji also realized by now that he must have fallen through that giant thing that was destroying the city. A smile slowly crept onto Shinji's face.
"Well I don't think I did that much intentionally, but thank you. I'm happy to help, Misato".
Misato stood, silently bewildered by how easy the boy was taking the realization that he just happened upon the genetic lottery of superpowers and walked away a demigod. Or perhaps he just didn't understand the full extent of the implications. Part of her trembled thinking of what someone who knew what they were doing could accomplish if they slayed Lovecraftian leviathans with the same nonchalance as spilling a glass of milk.
"And we appreciate it, the Hero's Association could use someone like you."
She smiled, hoping to have him volunteer before his father conscripted him into the life.
"Killing an Angel in one punch would be a hell of a stat to have on your trading card."
More like I fell on it.
Shinji's relief at living superseded any realization of what having powers meant. He slowly looked down at his hand, clenching and unclenching it, it was strange, he felt normal, like he did on any other day. The threshold of power before him a curious development more than anything, though a small bud of excitement did begin to grow in his heart.
"You mean sign up here? Become a hero?"
"I mean, you're already gonna be a legend around here, seems only natural."
Misato sat at the foot of the bed, jerking her head towards the window.
"The only reason there isn't a crowd outside right now crowning you as their new god is that your father wants to keep this under wraps until you two... catch up."
Estimates ranged from a few years to a decade in terms of the amount of time that had passed since the Ikari men had spoken face-to-face. Many personnel were not even aware that Gendo even had a son. Misato knew from personal experience the rush of discovering one's powers, but considering how it backfired on her she both wanted and hated to be the one to quell some of the fire in his young eyes.
"Stay..."
'Safe' would have been laughable, she wasn't sure what could harm the boy short of shoving an N-2 mine down his throat.
"Stay vigilant, Shinji. All eyes are on you now."
She bent down and took his hand.
"Don't screw up."
Shinji flushed a little as she touched his hand, eyes going wider as he heard all this, the weight of responsibility dawning easier with a kind and smiling face here to help him.
"Thanks Misato, again. What do I do now?"
The moment of levity and slight excitement tinged a little dark as Shinji thought of his father. Shinji didn't hate him but he wouldn't call their relationship warm. Did a person like or dislike a stranger?
"Get ready. You can come in now!"
Misato sighed, releasing the floodgates. Immediately a gaggle of stone-faced men stampeded into the room, practically flinging a dress shirt and tie at the boy.
"Get dressed." They ordered, the two officers flanking them warily gripping their assault rifles.
"You guys really have to pick a side here." The lone woman shook her head "Are you taking him to prison or a job interview?"
The men bristled, but remembered their chain of command.
"The Commander specifically requested an audience with his son as soon as he was ready." He turned to the gulping teen. "Well boy, are you ready?"
"Yeah, yeah, I'll go."
Shinji relented with a quick wince, beginning to get dressed and dreading the awkward encounter to follow more than even these men with their guns. Shinji knew that there were more than physical ways to hurt someone, words and emotions could cut through steel, and Gendo Ikari always cut deep.
Indestructible, unbreakable, that's what they called him. But he sure didn't feel like it.
I'm stuck in the ground
I'm never getting out
"Hey, Misato here!"
"A long awaited reunion, fresh faces, and a new home await Tokyo 3's newest hero!"
"More challenges stir on the horizon as an aura of determination takes shape!"
"If you keep looking back, you'll trip going forward!"
"See you next episode!"
"Oh, and there'll be plenty of fan service too!"
"Eventually."
(Mines of Salmon: The RP that this fic was borne out of has been running since mid 2015, and through it and our mutual appreciation for Eva I became good friends with Imagine Wind, who offered to help with the sisyphean task of editing after writing half of it with me. Astute readers will note that the seed of this idea was also present in my previously abandoned fic, All You Need Is One, which I took and expanded upon in our shared universe, Super Eva, into a completed story, albeit one spread across many chat logs and emails. Given that taking all those posts and compiling them into something palatable for the fine people of this site required significant amounts of time and restructuring, the change in title seemed appropriate. Taking Shinji Ikari and giving him ridiculous powers has always been one of my favorite subgenres on here next to "Shinji Ikari goes back in time and fixes everything", so it feels good to do right by it with the right team. Our tentative update schedule is weekly from here on out, though that could change depending on how much free time we have between us. Either way, one of us will bully the the other until the next chapter comes out.)
P.S. The opening and endings of each chapter have lyrics from a song we believe best captures the tone we were going for. This song is: Wavves - Linus Spacehead
(Imagine Wind: Hey everyone! I'd like to give much thanks to my talented and good friend Mines of Salmon, for providing the fine impetus for this fun adventure and growing it with me! I hope that we can carry it over with as much fun to whoever reads it. Plenty of a little bit of everything to come! Please do let us know what you think!)
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