Brain Dead 12 ½ studios presents:
Eva Hulk chapter 2
Misato's quest
Or
Rei's gray area
(Once again I own nothing except the bad guys...well kinda.)
Far away from Japan, in a dimly-lit blue chamber with a huge mural of a bat gripping the earth, the letters NSO written on the globe depicted on the far wall. In the center was a large conference table a holographic display in the center. The table was set for six but only two seats were currently occupied; one with a white-haired, heavily scarred woman in a business suit, her face just lit by the cigar dangling from her lips. The other figure was shrouded by the darkness of the room, but no shadow could conceal his immense size. The other four seats were empty, but black obelisks floated above them, and each was inscribed with a name.
"Well?" came a feminine voice from one of the obelisks, which was marked Kappa. "Shall we begin?"
"Indeed," came a rumbling male voice that seemed to fill the room but didn't have any identifiable source. "It seems our little friends at NERV have decided to diversify a bit."
"Begging your pardon, sire," rumbled a growling, male voice from one of the other obelisks, this one marked Fenir. "It seems a little excessive to call for a conclave about NERV at this stage."
"I agree," stated the white-haired woman in a raspy voice. "Ikari couldn't find his ass with a flashlight and a map, much less our moles, and it's still way too early to be talking about attacking them."
"Yes, but take a look at this!" As those words were spoken, the display in the center of the table activated, showing footage of Misato's little temper tantrum, and her resulting transformation.
"They're actually fool enough to mess with Dr. Banner's legacy?!" asked Kappa.
"You'd think having the Evangelions would be over compensation enough," agreed Fenir. "This is most definitely cause for concern."
"Yes," came the voice of the apparent leader. "This is a most unexpected development. Your thoughts?"
"Isn't it obvious?" piped up a female voice from another obelisk, this one marked Nagaii. "If they're fucking around with gamma rays over there we need to move our time table up."
"Yes, and why not invite the Angels to tea?" muttered Kappa. "As much as we all hate sneaking around, we aren't in a good position right now. There are still several Angels to deal with, NERV's the only ones with anything close to a reliable method of combating them. Besides, we've only got a lock on four of the twelve members of SEELE, moving too soon will tip our hand completely."
"Agreed," declared a bizarre sounding voice coming from the final of the placeholders, this one marked Blood Eagle. "Running in with our pants down isn't advisable. However, if I may be so bold, perhaps we should move up our little demonstration?"
"No, that would be showing too many of our cards," countered the white-haired woman. "I say we just continue as is."
"I second that," said Kappa.
"I agree," declared the leader again. "Still, we're going to have to monitor the situation much more closely. And on that note, how go our other projects?"
"It looks like our predictions about the Second Child and Adam were correct," said Kappa. "If I had to guess, I'd say they'll use the transfer of Unit Two and its pilot to cover the delivery. Nagaii and I are working on the details, but it shouldn't be too much of a problem to hitch a ride."
"Things in Nevada are going about as planned as well," said Fenir. "The contracts for Unit Three and Four went through, though I've heard rumblings their trying to get permission to use the experimental S2 Engine."
"Well, we already know the chances of that little pipe dream panning out," deadpanned Blood Eagle. "Really, thinking they could replicate the S2 Engines that easily…"
"Yes," came the leader's voice. "Very well, we will continue according to our original time table for now. All of you keep in touch, however; we may need to move our operations to the Pacific quicker then expected."
"Yes sir!" chorused the others.
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Back in Tokyo 3, Misato was leaving her apartment, knowing that it might be some time before she returned. Shinji had already left for school, and Misato had called Ritsuko and asked her to tell Shinji that she was going away on business, and that she might not be back for a while.
Damn, I wish I had some idea where I can start looking for something that could help me control this thing, Misato fumed as she got into her Renault Alpine. Guess all I can really do right now is pick a direction and hope for divine inspiration to strike!
A couple hours later, Misato was looking for said inspiration in a glass of beer, having decided to stop for a drink, if only to help her forget how little idea she had as to what she should do. Slowly sipping her beer instead of chugging it down, Misato knew very well that this was as sure a sign of her mood as any. If Shinji saw me now, he'd be more worried than usual… Misato thought humorlessly. Damn, I wish I could get really plastered, but if do that and something makes me blow my stack, they can kiss this part of the city and probably a few of the people in it good-bye!
"Problems?" came an unexpected voice. Looking over her shoulder, Misato saw a man of about her age with a boyishly handsome face and black hair done in a pigtail. He wore a black overcoat over a red silk shirt and black pants.
"Maybe," Misato finally said, realizing that she had to be really broadcasting her mood in order for this guy to pick up on it so easily. "Nothing you'd be likely to be able to help with."
The guy smiled humorlessly at this. "I might as well just say this now; I'm not trying to come on to you. I've had enough girl troubles for one lifetime."
"Didn't say ya were." Misato paused to let out a slight hiccup. "I've just got…a really unusual problem."
"Oh, I've dealt with a lot of those," her impromptu companion replied. "I grew up in some pretty interesting places."
"Really."
"Yeah. Let's just say the Chinese consider may you live in interesting times a curse for a good reason," he stated. Then his face turned somewhat grim. "Course they've got plenty of worse ones."
"If you say so," Misato shrugged. "But since I've really got nothing better to do, I'll tell you a little about this."
"I'm all ears."
"Well, it's a little temper problem. Basically, I get mad, bad things happen."
"You sound like half the people I know. How bad?"
"You wouldn't believe me."
"I might. If you don't want to talk about it here, we can head to my place."
Misato smiled at this. "I thought you weren't trying to pick me up."
"Ha ha," the guy laughed without really meaning it. "Seriously though, I run a dojo, I knew a few tricks that are really good for keeping yourself calm."
"Really?"
"Yeah. Could help," he shrugged.
"Sounds good. I'm not getting anywhere on my own," Misato replied as she stood. "Oh, by the way, name's Misato Katsuragi."
"Ranma Saotome," the guy replied, extending his hand, which she took. "Pleased to meet ya."
"Likewise. Shall we?"
"I'd say so."
As the two left the bar, they remained completely unaware that they had been watched. Their observers were a man and woman who looked to be about twenty-six, and both had strange, white hair. The two of them both pulled out cell phones.
"Hello," came a female voice on the other end. "I take it we were correct?"
"Yes," said the male of the two. "Your orders?"
"Follow them for now. Don't bother trying anything till Katsuragi goes back to NERV, we don't need any gamma-charged grief."
"Yes, Lady Shrivanzella." With that the two slipped off, following Ranma and Misato.
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In the depths of NERV, Ritsuko and Gendo were discussing their current situation. "Excellent work Dr. Akagi," oozed Gendo. "Though I'm amazed you agreed to watch the Third Child."
"What can I say?" the doctor responded. "I do feel a little guilty about this one. Then again, I only lied about not knowing how she could get control of it, and knowing her she'll find a way eventually."
"Yes. I would say we're ready to begin with Rei. Have the chamber set up."
"Yes sir. But if I could speak freely a moment?"
"What is it?"
"One of the techs told me about that theft from the storage facility. It worries me, particularly after that accident at the gamma reactor in America. Knowing what I know, I get the feeling we might not be the only ones doing this."
"Irrelevant," Gendo relied simply. "Really, Akagi, it's not like you to be so paranoid."
"We've had six barrels of radioactive material from a secure bunker you'd need an N2 mine to break into just disappear, under full guard. And the fact that the guards were all killed…it strikes me as odd."
"The Angels are still our main concern," Gendo insisted. "Even though I myself would like to know how that robbery was accomplished. Whoever was responsible has made no move since then."
"Yes, sir. I just think we should be cautious. Well, more so than usual. Anyway, I'll go get things ready, we should be able to go in about five minutes."
"All right. Let me know when all is in readiness."
"Of course."
A few minutes later, in one of NERV's many hidden laboratories, a nude Rei Ayanami stood in a cylindrical chamber designed to hold something that far exceeded her own slender frame. The chamber was hooked up to several containers of gamma-energy conducting material.
"Alright," announced Ritsuko. "Everything's ready."
"Good," Gendo muttered. "Rei?"
The albino girl gave a quick nod. "Ready."
"Alright, begin," Gendo ordered. With that, Ritsuko flipped a few switches, and Rei became the focus of a gamma ray storm. She cried out briefly as she clutched her head, her eyes in shock. Agony as if her brain had a red-hot branding iron slammed into it held her in its grasp.
Rei Ayanami had been created by Gendo Ikari, a hybrid of human and Angelic DNA. Though the two genetic codes were very similar, the differences that remained were extremely significant. In the depths of her brain, many subtle, unseen changes were occurring. Parts of her brain that had lain dormant since her birth suddenly exploded with activity as the gamma energy surged through her.
No sooner did Rei start to regain her bearings then the physical changes began, starting with her hair, which grew longer, wilder and darker. She groaned loudly as her pale skin began to darken and she started to grow, her muscles twitching and spasming as the gamma energy flowed into them, causing a slow but sure expansion. Briefly, a slight fog threatened to settle on her mind, but she shook that off, looking in awe at the rising masses of muscle on her arms.
The power in her refusing to be restrained, Rei soon shattered the door to the chamber off with one mighty blow and stepped out, now a dark gray-skinned, seven-foot titan. Feeling a strange satisfaction at the display of power, at the raw, seething energy that now coursed through her, she found herself filled with the desire to roar in satisfaction. But…I shouldn't, she chided herself, checking the impulse. She knew they expected her to still be emotionless, and letting on how wonderful she felt at the moment would make them suspicious. Make them want to…replace her. Breed a new Rei Ayanami, erase her memories of this moment. A moment she wanted to last forever.
"Odd. I wasn't expecting her to be gray..." muttered Ritsuko as she walked over to the gamma-charged girl, giving her a quick exam. "It seems she's fine," the doctor concluded a moment later.
"Good."
Like you give a damn... Rei found herself thinking before blinking in surprise at the thought. Quickly analyzing her condition, she realized that the transformation had unleashed a torrent of emotion that now swirled inside of her. She found herself wanting to go up to the commander… and smash him. Break him to pieces. Why am…I feeling this way? she wondered momentarily. Then a strong surge of resentment answered her own question. Probably because he treats me like a tool... After a moment, she realized Ritsuko was speaking to her.
"Yes ma'm?"
"Something wrong?" the doctor wondered.
"No," Rei answered simply.
"Hmmm...well, you're probably a little disorientated...anyway, as I was saying, now we'll see if you can change at will."
"Yes." With that she focused on willing herself back to normal. A moment later she began to shrink, feeling a pang of disappointment as she returned to her original physical state. The changes to her mind, however, remained.
"Alright. We'll continue testing on your new form after today's synch tests," Ritsuko declared. "Anything you want to add commander?"
"No, that will be all."
"Yes, sir." And with that Rei quickly got dressed and headed off to ponder her new situation.
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"Nice place," Misato commented. She and Ranma had arrived at his dojo, and she was giving the place a look. The place looked more-or-less like what a person would expect of a dojo, although the fact that there was a mallet, a bamboo umbrella, and a giant spatula hanging on one of the walls confused her a bit.
"Those belonged to some friends of mine," Ranma commented, noticing Misato's reaction. "We had kind of complicated relationships, but friends weren't something I had a lot of."
"Oh," Misato replied. "I don't know much about the arts but those are pretty usual weapons..."
"They were unusual people," Ranma sighed.
"Sorry."
"Not your fault. They just all came to pretty bad ends. Anyway, that's not important right now."
"You sure?"
"Yeah," Ranma assured her. "Okay I get the feeling I know what the problem is but..."
"I get a real feeling I'm not going to like this..." Misato commented just before she got hit, albeit softly in the face, several times. Ranma was a long-time fighter, and knew exactly how power to add to his blows for the desired effect. The hits that landed on Misato's body weren't enough to seriously harm her, but more than enough to sting her very badly. "What the hell did you do that for?!" she demanded as she recovered from the unprovoked assault, her eyes lighting up with green, her voice deepening.
"Yep...that's what I though...lot of that going around these days..." Ranma commented knowingly even as Misato changed, her clothes being torn to shreds as muscles exploded from her frame. "Really wish she could have just come out and said it, though."
The instant Misato's transformation completed itself, the green giantess drove her huge fist at Ranma. She missed, the martial artist having easily dodged the clumsy blow, leaving the dojo a nice floor pit if the need for one would ever arise. Moving nimbly about, Ranma led Misato to a special refrigerator, knowing exactly how to handle the out-of-control titan he was dealing with.
Smiling sadly, he recalled how his fallen friends had picked up a taste for beer during their lives. As such, he kept large supply of it handy, as a reminder of happier times. Now the stashed away beer was saving his life as Misato was led to smash her way into the fridge, her face changing from rage to delight as she discovered the bounty that she had found.
A few hours later and several six-packs later, Misato woke up in a bed in the main house, wearing nothing but her blanket.
"Still getting used to it huh?" Ranma noted as she groggily sat up.
"What the…?" Misato wondered, blinking her eyes in realization. "You mean…you've seen people with this…condition before?!"
Ranma nodded to this. "Yeah. It's…kind of a long story."
"I'll bet," Misato decided dryly, finding herself wanting to hear this story. "So…do you still think you can help me with this thing?"
"Actually, yeah," Ranma smiled, though he seemed unsure of himself. "Well, it worked for the last one anyhow; it's an old technique, called the Soul of Ice. She was eventually able to control it using that."
"Oh?" Misato wondered, curious as to her predecessor in this case was.
"Yeah. I get the feeling you probably don't have time to stay here long enough to learn it, but I've got it recorded, along with a few other techniques you might need."
"Ummm, I'm a little confused," Misato replied.
"Somebody followed us here from the bar," Ranma informed her, something that threatened her with another case of the greens. "I'm pretty sure it's one of the ones that killed my friends. I also noticed you had a NERV ID when I got your wallet out of…what was left of your clothes in the dojo, and I figure you and whoever pilot those whatever-they're-called are going to need this stuff a lot more than I'm going to." He rose from his seat by her bed. "The stuff in that closet there should fit you. Come downstairs and I'll give ya the scrolls."
"Right," Misato replied as her host left. Once he was gone, she discovered the clothes indicated; a white exercise outfit that did fit for the most part, though it did pinch her chest somewhat. Oh, well. Beggars can't be choosers. I knew I should have brought more clothes with me.
A few moments later she returned to the dojo proper where Ranma was waiting. "Alright," he said, handing her a box. "Those have all the information you'll need, shouldn't be too hard to figure out."
"Alright. I still don't think I understand what's going on. Then again, you were right, I am on a time budget," Misato admitted unhappily. "Of course, I wasn't expecting to find anything this fast, so I've got a couple extra days."
"Probably would be better spent reading the scrolls. I'm really not that good of a teacher," Ranma admitted with a measure of shame. "Well, not anymore."
"If you say so," she replied, knowing some hurts were too difficult to talk about. "So shall I just head back?"
"Probably be a good idea," he shrugged. "Hope this stuff helps you a bit more than it helped me."
"Right. Oh, and Ranma?" Misato started. When he looked up, he saw brown eyes filled with compassion. "Once I get this thing under control, would you mind if I stopped by to visit now and again? Just as friend?"
"A friend?" he repeated, seemingly surprised by this development.
"Right, a friend," Misato answered, looking at the unusual weapons on the wall. "You're not the only whose lost…people who were important to them. And I figure…it's no good, being alone all the time."
Ranma blinked several times, before a genuine smile appeared on his face. "No…I guess you're right about that." Then, crossing his arms behind his head, his gave her a look of almost boyish charm. "Thanks."
Misato nodded to this. "You're welcome," was all she said before leaving the dojo behind.
While Ranma was thinking thoughts he hadn't in a long time, Misato was getting back to her car. Speed dialing Ritsuko, she was glad that she quickly got a response. "Hi. Yeah it's me. Well, you might not believe this, but I found something. Yeah. Well he said it worked for someone else with my problem...well, I might be crazy but somehow I believe him, I've seen enough weird things, so I'll be coming back earlier than I thought. You guys done the tests for the day? Huh? Okay if you say so...right. See you in a bit." With that she hung up and began her trip home.
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While Misato was scaring people half to death with her driving, Shinji was at NERV, having arrived at the pribnow box for the daily testing. He looked at Rei, who seemed very unsettled, and almost disturbed by Shinji's arrival.
"Rei?" Shinji wondered, who was a bit confused to see her apparently waiting for him.
"Hello," she replied. What is going on? she wondered, the unleashed emotions shaping in her mind, I feel as if I should be spending more time with Pilot Ikari.....why am I so concerned about the distance between us suddenly? Once again, an unexpected answer came from the emotions now loosed within her. Because, from a genetic standpoint…he is my brother... This thought struck Rei as odd at first, but then she pondered it for a moment, and found that it did make sense. Though she had been bred in a cloning lab and he was born in the traditional manner, they still technically had the same human mother. The main difference was that Rei happened to have a second one, instead of a father.
But…why do I care about that so suddenly, Rei wondered, only to find herself being talked to without realizing it. "What?"
"I asked if you're alright. You seem a little....distracted," Shinji said, finally deciding on a word. Frankly seeing Rei like this made him a little uneasy, more than was normal even for him. First Misato goes nuts, now Rei? Just what's going on around here anyhow?
Shinji didn't have the chance to continue those thoughts, because it was then that he and Rei were called upon to begin their synch tests. Rei's distraction continued to show, resulting in her worst score to date. Ritsuko put this down to her still adjusting to her mutation, though she still wasn't aware of just how far those changes extended.
When everything was done for the day, Rei decided that she had to talk to someone about her current situation. After a few moments of thought, she decided Misato would be a good choice. Rei knew that the captain was also dealing with the "Hulk effect", as it was often called by the few people who still knew about it. Misato might be able to offer her some insight, although her limited knowledge on the subject and Ritsuko's reaction to her transformed state both seemed to point to her being a unique specimen.
After Shinji left for the day, Ritsuko ran some tests on Rei's mutated form, tests which consisted mostly of her lifting and being hit with large objects, all which pleased Ritsuko. Rei was displaying the kind of results they had been hoping for from their own Hulks, despite the differences in skin coloration.
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Taking a deep breath as she returned to her home, Misato thought about how relieved she was that she had found something so quickly. Taking time out to feed PenPen, Misato sat down on her couch and began looking at the scrolls she'd acquired. After skimming through the various contents, she decided to focus on the Soul of Ice and meditation techniques at the moment. A quick glance at some of the other stuff made her make a mental note to give them a good read later, some of the fighting techniques sounded useful. Some of the scrolls seemed pretty farfetched, concerning chi-focusing and other things that seemed more mystical than practical.
Of course, turning into a super-strong monster when you get mad isn't much better, Misato decided as Shinji entered the apartment.
"Oh, you're back," he got out, looking as surprised as he got.
"Yeah," Misato smiled at her ward. "My little mission didn't end up taking as long as I thought it would."
"Okay," Shinji responded hesitantly as he glanced of the collection of scrolls. "I didn't know you were into that kind of thing."
"Just found a reason to be," she replied with a shrug, still not ready to give out all the details just yet. This sort of thing would push anyone over the edge, let alone a quite kid like Shinji.
The night continued normally enough from there. However, shortly after dinner, Misato ended up getting one last surprise for the day. As she sat in the couch, going over the scrolls again, she was suddenly interrupted by her cell phone.
"Hello?" Misato answered.
"Captain Katsuragi..." came Rei's voice. "We need to talk."