Asuka tore her way through the fabric of reality and stepped through the gate she had created. Welcome to Dirac Asuka, she greeted herself as she felt the fabric of anti-space wrap around her body.
Rei looked up from where she was working as she heard Asuka open the gate. Rei had been in Dirac Space for a week now as she tried to build an interuniversal tracker. A device that would detect openings in Dirac Space, record where they opened from and where they went. "How are you Asuka?"
Asuka looked at Rei and smiled, "I'm fine Rei, hows the tracker coming along?"
Rei smiled, "It's almost finished. After this I want to build some new weapons for the EVA's."
Asuka nodded and walked over to the Cage they had salvaged from their original world then brought to Dirac Space. Walking up to EVA 01 she was amazed to see that rather than struggling to get free as it had since Shinji's death was now relaxed and motionless. "Open." She ordered. Over at her workbench, Rei was amazed to see the back of the EVA's neck open and eject the Entry Plug. "Rei, I'm going to return to universe 002 and assist with the testing of the weapon system." Rei nodded and Asuka got into the EVA and activated it. Rei blinked and the EVA was gone.
In a undiscovered universe Shinji Ikari the deceased third child was learning. Shinji had been learning since his fabricated death. While he had made plans, Kaoru's appearance had worked to his advantage. Everyone believed him to be dead so he was able to move around the universes freely. He had decided that until he knew that the girls were ready then he would continue to study. Adding to his abilities with the ATF he had included an obscure branch of science known as Alchemy. Shinji knew that he would have to find a new way to travel soon because Rei was about to finish her Tracker.
Asuka appeared in the middle of the sky and immediately unfurled the AT Wings that Shinji had used before. Flying low so she could avoid aircraft Asuka made her way to the Tokyo Military Base where she had scheduled to assist with the testing of a new weapon system to intercept enemy missiles and any rogue Angels that found their way through Dirac Space. At least this time I don't have to put up with that arsehole Ikari, and I don't have to put up with a drunk bimbo and stupid doll. I even have a mother in this world. Asuka landed and open up a channel to the Base.
"Base this is Red Demon in Behemoth 01. Am reporting in to tell you that I am ready for the testing."
"Roger that Red Demon, we are preparing the weapons now." Asuka sighed in relief, then smiled as she thought about her new name as well as the EVA's. Rei had decided that since they were going to be working alongside the military in general then to protect themselves and their loved ones then they would have to take up false names. It also meant that anyone from their original universe, 001, heard them talking then they wouldn't get a memory update unless Rei or Asuka wanted them to remember.
Shinji packed up the last of his belongings with a sigh, his teacher Edward Elric, the Fullmetal Alchemist had just died to bring his younger brother Alphonse back from the afterlife. Now that Ed was gone Shinji had little left in this universe. Ed had taught Shinji as much as he new about alchemy, how to draw arrays, the Laws of Conservation and the rules Alchemists had to follow. Now he had to leave, he had learnt all he could. Shinji clapped his left hand and left leg together and placed a finger on his Pocket Watch and received the blue glow wanted as his Watch suddenly grew words inside the lid. Shinji put the watch in his pocket and lifted his bags before going downstairs to say goodbye to his friends. At the table sat, Al, Winry, Roy Mustang, and Rose. Winry looked at Shinji and saw his shoulder. Shinji had faced an Angel without EVA and won, but he had had to sacrifice his arm to get the Alchemy he wanted to work. Winry smiled and walked over to him.
"Shinji you may not be from this world but we want you to have a life where ever you go, you cant have a life with only one arm so we want you to take the Auto mail I built."
Half an hour later Shinji was clenching his teeth as the nerve endings in his severed arm were attached to his new bionic arm. Winry looked at him when they were done and handed him a rag to wipe the sweat off his face with., "You are just like Ed, he never made a sound when we connected the nerves."
Shinji shrugged and stood up then flexed his arm. It worked! Shinji turned to the people who had gathered around to see the arm, smiled and clapped his hands together then placed them on Winry's shoulders. Her pink cover-alls warped and changed until they resembled a dress.
"May I have this dance?" Shinji asked politely.
Winry looked at her dress and nodded, to stunned to speak. Shinji clicked his organic fingers and Rose clicked play on the S-DAT Shinji had brought with him. Slow peaceful music came from the speakers Shinji had crafted as he and Winry danced around the room. Shortly afterwards Al walked up to Rose and bowed then asked her to dance.
When the music faded Shinji and Winry bowed to each other and Shinji inverted his ATF opening a Dirac Sea. Everyone but Shinji covered their eyes at the wind that blew forth from the gate. Shinji turned to everyone and said, "Thankyou for everything you have done for me while I was here." Just as they were about to speak Shinji stepped through the Gate and disappeared."
Rei looked up, she could feel a gate opening. Getting up she went to investigate. Looking around EVA 02 she saw Shinji standing behind her looking up and smiling. "Shinji is that you?" Rei asked uncertainly.
Shinji turned to face her and said, "Yes Rei it is me, how are you?" Rei gave a heartfelt sob then rushed forward into his arms before losing all control completely. Shinji wrapped his arms around her and felt her stiffen as she felt his Auto mail.
"Shinji what happened to your arm?"
"I had to fight an Angel without my EVA and I lost it. One of my new friends is a human mechanic so she built this for me."
Rei looked like she was about to faint as she saw how far up his arm the metal went.
"I lost everything from the shoulder blade down. I had to have my shoulder surgically removed and replaced with this metal. I had to learn some new tricks to fight the Angels. The EVA's are getting weaker outside their own universe so until an Angel attacks our home again we wont be able to use them against a powerful Angel. I now know how to use a power known as Alchemy."
Rei nodded and just then a hole tore through Dirac and EVA 01 marched in covered in soot and sporting several large dents and gashes along its armour. Asuka looked down from the open Plug and saw Shinji standing before Rei. "SHINJI!" She screamed when she saw him. Shinji looked up at her and smiled.
Hours later Shinji, Rei, Asuka, Kouya, Touji, Kensuke and Hikari sat around a small table each with a drink sharing a large bowl of chips.
Touji, "So what's it like to able to use powers?"
Shinji, "First tell me how you three got your memories back."
Hikari, "Asuka came to us in Unit 01 and used it's AT Field to give us back our memories."
Shinji, "Thank you Hikari. Now to answer Touji's question, I have always had power, I have never tried to live without power, I have increased my powers by travelling to different worlds to learn new abilities. Here is one thing I can do."
With that Shinji clapped his hands and placed them on the table, transmuting it so that in its center a statue of their little group rose in the center showing every tiny detail. "That is a simple thing for me to do." He told them, "I can do many things with Alchemy."
They continued talking for several hours more about trivial things until Shinji looked at Asuka and asked Touji, "Do you remember the change you gave Asuka on the Over the Rainbow?"
Touji blushed and began to laugh, "How can I forget, my face hurt for days and I think my teeth may have been rearranged from then on."
Asuka was looking at them and decided to ask, "Touji do you wish you could do that for my friend Hikari here?"
Asuka watched as Touji and Hikari both blushed at the sudden thoughts confirming her thoughts. "Why don't we leave you two alone for a while so you can talk." With that she stood motioning for Shinji and Rei to do the same, Shinji bent and shook Kensuke lightly to wake him up. "Ken we gotta go." Kensuke looked at him bewildered before seeing Asuka's angery face and nodded.
Shinji stood outside the take away and flexed his Auto Mail arm. This Auto Mail is brillent. Shinji thought absently then focused his ATF so he could see into the building. I am the oldest here so I should keep an eye on the children. Inside Shinji saw Touji and Hikari talking while holding hands. Hikari was wrapped up in Touji's arms and had her eyes closed. Shutting down his AT Field Shinji grinned and turned to Asuka who was running around after her Gear. Kouya could be seen with his new Gear, Garuda Spirit. Shinji grinned as Kouya activated his Gear and launched it at Asuka's Gear, Zeruel. Asuka jumped as Garuda Spirit hit Zeruel. Shinji watched as both gears went into a spin and flew at each other. Just as they were about to hit they both veered off and flew away from each other.
Kouya jumped as his gear began to grow a shining tail of feathers then yelled out his special attack, "SHINING SWORD BREAKER!" Shinij watched as Asuka yelled out her attack as well, "ABSOLUTE TERROR FIELD!" Shinji jumped as Zeruel spread an AT Field and collided with Garuda Spirit and resulted in a large flash and both Gears flying at Shinji. Shinji lifted his hands and caught both gears in them. Asuka and Kouya ran over to him to check on their gears and make sure that neither were damaged. Sadly both had been badly damaged. Shinji lifted up the Gears so that neither could reach them andd said.
"Hang on one second and I'll give you your Gears back in perfect condition." Placing the gears on the ground Shinji bent down and clapped then placed his hands on the ground. Both Gears were covered in concrete and then revealed again both glowing with power and looking as though neither had ever been used.
"Shiese Shinji if I knew you could do that I wouldn't have held back." Asuka said surprised.
Kouya looked at her and muttered, "I gave that everything I had." Shinji smiled and said, "Kouya Asuka has a strange personality, she refuses to give up no matter what the costs, plus her gear's got a S2 power core." Kouya looked at Shinji and grinned, "Shinji, self restoring power sources are banned from Crush Gear." Shinji grinned and looked towards Asuka, who was checking her Gear in case Shinji had missed something, she was totally oblivious to the fact that they were talking about her.
"Kouya I need to ask you something, what did Asuka do after I disappeared?" Kouya was about to answer when Shinji, Rei and Asuka all stiffened and began to tear their way into Dirac. Kouya was about to turn and run for a shelter when Shinji reached through and grabbed him, "I need you to pilot Unit 1so I can use my Alchemy." Kouya nodded and let him self be dragged into Dirac.
Kaji lifted the new weapon Rei had made, it was a miniture of the UN's Positron Rifle. Designed to run on a millionth of the originals recommended power input and still do the damage. He looked through the telescopic sight and targeted the Angel then fired. Kaji saw the beam of light fly off then a suddedn blinding flash and then a sream before blackness.
Kouya sat the Entry Plug of Unit 1 and fidgeted. Shinji had assured him that the EVA was under his complete control. "Kouya?" Rei face appeared in a pop up window, "I just though you might like to know, you Synch rate is currently at 63 and rising. That is a shit load better than even Shinji's startup score."
Kaji opened his eyes and knew something was wrong. He was floating along on his back looking up as something flashed above him. FLASH-FLASH-FLASH…
Kouya watched the Angel with Unit 00 and 02 on either side of him and Shinji standing on his Units shoulder. They watched as the Positron Beam flew towards the Angel and hit the Angels AT Field and reflected back towards the source. Lets go you three we have an Angel to fight. The three pilots nodded and the EVAs ran at the Angel. Looking down Kouya saw Shinji running along the ground at the same speed as the Evangelions.
Kaji could see people around him. Doctors, Nurses more doctors. Each one was looking at him trying to fix him. Kaji passed out, but the last thing he saw was Misato come in carrying one of his legs.
Shinji clapped his hands together and put his left on his Auto Mail arm. Out of his wrist grew a two and a half foot long razor blade. Jumping Shinji landed on Eva 02's arm and jumped at the Angel. Asuka watched amazed as Shinji effortlessly cut the Angels arm off and jumped back on to the EVA again.
Kaji woke up in a bed with Misato on one side and the Children on the other.
"Hello Kaji, I see you have woken up again."
Christ that was Shinji standing there with Asuka, Rei and Kouya. Kaji looked at Shinji and saw that he was blood splattered and had a robotic arm., "Hello Shinji, I see you have come back from the dead." Shinji shrugged then opened a Dirac Gate. "Asuka get the bed moving into the Dirac Gate, We'll get Winry to build hima new leg." Misato nodded and helped Asuka wheel the bed into the Gate.
Winry sat on the balcony from her workroom and thought about Edward. He had come back just one week ago with the original Auto Mail arm she had made him five years ago. Shinji had left one year ago and since then nothing had been the same. Ed had made her life worth living again. The moment he had woken up in their house he had reached into his pocket and and pulled out a ring then proposed to her. Al ha come back the moment he heard. Everyone was happy again. She was about to go back inside when she heard a rushing sound from under the balcony and a familiar voice.
"Shit I always forgot about that pole there." Shinji was back!
"SHINJI WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING BACK HERE?" There goes Ed.
Jumping off the balcony Winry landed in Shinji's arms which he'd held out ready to catch her as he had done whenever he had visited with Ed and Al before.
"Hello Winry, Hi Ed, did ya miss me?" Shinji asked playfully.
Ed and Winry wrapped their arms around him and hugged/strangled him until he begged for mercy.
Looking at the three friends Asuka smiled and looked at Rei who was wiping a tear away. Just then Al came out and saw Shinji's friends. "Hey love birds knock it off Shinji brought guests."
Winry looked over her friends shoulder and saw the stretcher and group of girls around it.
An hour later Shinji, Rei and Winry sat in the workroom designing the Auto Mail that would replace Kaji's missing leg. Almost finished Shinji came up with an idea, "Lets incorporate an artificial S2 battery into the leg to supply power. That way we can pack it full of factory extras. Rei and Winry nodded and Shinji set to work building an S2 Battery.
Kaji screamed as the nerves were connected to the metal of his new leg. Misato tried to support him as Rei prepared an anithetic to put him to sleep. She was about to administer it when Kaji stopped screaming and looked at his leg. He had a leg again. Bending it at the knee he was surprised to see a small barral poking out from the joint. Out of the side of the metal thigh popped a missile rack with three missiles loaded onto it. Shinji grinned,
"We gave you a few factory extras to play with. The machine gun and missile rack are just the beginning." Shinji stood up and looked around, "Asuka, Rei, Kaji, Misato, we will be staying here for three weeks. We all have something to learn whilst here. Misato follow me and we'll unlock your past, the rest of you get the tents we brought and set up out the back." Shinji looked around and saw Winry fingering a ring around her left ring finger. "Congratulations Winry you too Ed." Then he turned and Misato behind him walked away.
Asuka ran while ducking missiles and dodging machine gun fire. On her left hand was a red glove with a black Alchemy Array stitched into it. Shinji came up behind her and unsheashed his wrist blade. Asuka knew that it was about to get interesting, hand to hand combat was used frequently whilst piloting EVA but she had rarely needed it any other time. Shinji lunged and she dodged, picking up a rock and transmuting it in her hands using her new found abilities in Alchemy. Now she held a rock sword. Shinji lunged, she dodged and countered, Shinji parried her attack and cut her sword off at the hilt. sweeping her legs out from under her he pushed the tip of his sword into her neck until it began to form a dent in the skin. Shinji grinned then grunted and fell to the ground clutching his stomach. Asuka stood up and rubbed her knuckles. Ouch! Then she continued on her way. When she reached the finish line she found Ed and Winry helping Shinji to the ground and Rei being patched up by Al. She was the only one not hurt. Misato looked at the stop watch she was holding and wondered how Asuka had finished at the time she had. Seventeen seconds to do a four kilometre obstacle course with gunfire and explosions to dodge as well as the other competitors. Shinji stood up and walked over to Asuka,
"Well doen Asuka you beat my score at a light jog. That's not bad but it can still do with some improvement. Rei that was good until you began to get over confidant. Alchemy can only get you so far. I only use it for combat and removing obstacle I cant with brute force. Kaji you aim has improved but you have to remember they may be dummy weapons but they can still hurt. Aim close to people but not at them. Misato you have to learn that Alchemy wont recoil like a gun when you use it. I was watching you at one point and you flinched every time you used Alchemy. It wont hurt you unless you're careless."
Ed sat back and watched his ex-pupil giving orders. These people Shinji brought with him seemed to have no problem using Alchemy. Indeed the younger girls had the same powers Shinji had just not as powerful. The albino Rei seemed particulary powerful but Asuka seemed as though she was holding back. Ed thought this was strange but didn't think about it too much, Winry had just walked out to help Kaji adjust his auto mail. Ed lifted his Auto Mail arm and inspected it. When he had returned from his fathers land. He had the arm he had gotten when he first lost his arm. Winry had removed it and reattached a new one. Wrath had turned up now and again when he needed repairs. Now and then if their Sensei was around he would stay and they would spend the time talking. Ed remembered the first time he had seen Wrath, that was when they had been faced with the problem of the Homunculi and the Philosopher's Stone.
Shinji lifted his head, Asuka had just beaten him into the ground with her Alchemy, literelly, she had used the Alchemy to form an outcrop above his head then collapsed it on top of him.
Asuka looked at the pile of stone covering Shinji and grinned, "Shinji I know you can hear me so answer me, do you think I should wear the yellow dress or the denim jeans and midriff top?" From under the pile she heard a grumbled reply that sounded a lot like 'Drunken Misato' for jeans. Asuka grinned and drew an Array on the ground and placed her hand on it.
Shinji was about to break the surface of the rubble when it all turned to a liquid like form and solidified with no holes in it. He was trapped by Asuka!
Asuka watched as a sword poked it's way through the rock bubble she had made around Shinji and began to cut its way through. "Not so fast Shinji." Asuka said and placed her hands back down on the Array she had drawn before and watched as the Sword fused with the rock bubble. She knew the sword was infact Shinji's Auto Mail arm and knew that she had just trapped him indeffinetly. Only she could get him out now. "Take that Shinji!" She yelled then turned and finished the track.
Somewhere in a different universe a beast opened it's eyes and growled. It already knew what it had to do, it even knew its targets name: Rei Ikari.
To be continued…
Authers notes: Ha didn't see that coming did you now? Well maybe you did but who cares. For those of you who don't know, the Alchemy comes from a show called Full Metal Alchemist, that's where I got Ed, Al, Winry and all the others from. See you next chapter.