Remember what I said about monkey wrenches and Life?

Well, Normal just got its ass handed to it, then was tossed out a window.

Teen Titans: The Chosen

Red… eyes…
Bright red eyes… eyes devoid of emotion…
Almost as if they didn't have a soul behind them…

They frightened me… her eyes frightened me…
I remember looking into them and losing myself…

Heh… since when did I become afraid of a pair of eyes?

I guess, in a way, they reminded me of Trigon. However, they weren't completely red.
No, they were normal shape and all… but her eyes were red.

Red. The color of blood.

God… blood! Blood, everywhere!

Oh God!

Oh God!

I crossed my arms over my face and screamed as I felt the hexagon slam into me. The wind was knocked out of me, and somewhere in my mind I knew that my left arm had just been snapped like a twig. I was tossed back some thirty feet at least, but thanks to a window my rapid departure from the battle area was softened. I heard a distinct crack as my back met the window, and before I could wonder if it had been broken, I fell toward the ground.

But I never hit the ground. Instead, I felt something grab me by the collar. Hoisted up by my shirt, I groaned in both annoyance and pain as I looked to my left so I could look at the face of who had me by my shirt. I caught a flash of black and copper, along with an axe the size of the man wielding it, before I looked ahead and sighed defeat… and winced.

Of course, it was Slade. As usual, it always turned out to be Slade. My life must hate me.

"What… do you… want…" I managed to get out, blinking slowly. I looked at my arm and saw that it was bent unnaturally a little beyond halfway. I resisted the urge to vomit and looked ahead as the shimmering hexagon disappeared, leaving nothing between the girl… and my captor.

"Beast Boy!" I heard, and a thought in my head registered that the voice belonged to Raven. I didn't bother trying to look up – it hurt too much – and instead listened to the happenings. "…Slade…"

"Who else but me?" asked the cold villain. His arm twitched, sending a shiver through my body, but I tried my damndest to ignore it. Not that it did much good; it still hurt, and I wasn't exactly what you'd call pain-tolerant. In fact, it was quite the opposite with me.

"What do you want here?" Raven shouted/asked, and I could hear the familiar hum of her energy crackling through the air as she prepared to fight a battle she couldn't hope to win alone. Part of me was sad; everyone knew that it took the five of us together just to drive Slade off. However, another part of me was elated; after all, Raven was saving me… as if she cared for me! I felt the slight twinge of a smile at the thought.

"Just the girl and boy," Slade pointed out, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "Your friend here is just a bonus I'm giving to myself,"

Oh great… I'm not important enough to be the trophy, just the bonus thrown in. You know, like holiday pay or something.

"You can't have him!" Raven shouted. The hum grew louder as the girl began chanting the words of power that she always did before she cast a spell. I closed my eyes, knowing that the next few seconds were probably going to hurt.

"Please," Slade said, and his arm flicked again. This time, he hurled me through the air, off to the side, sending me crashing into a row of chairs. If I had the energy, I would have screamed. But I didn't, so I wouldn't. Instead, I just tried to sit up and groaned when I realized that I could barely sit up.

See? I told you the next few seconds were going to hurt. And they did; bad.

-

Episode: 02
The Children

A black energy field hurled toward Slade, but the villain was too good for a simple attack like that. He dodged out of the way in a blink, sending the energy blast through the window, shattering it into a thousand pieces. Glass shards flew everywhere, and some bounced off Slade's armor. Grunting, he picked up his axe and charged Raven. I watched as Raven put a black shield around herself almost a second too late; the axe met the shield barely an inch from Raven's nose.

A battle of wills started. Raven's shield pushed against Slade's axe, keeping the two locked into a duel that would more than likely end with Raven split down the middle. I tried to get up, to fight Slade and save Raven, but my body wasn't having it. I moved barely an inch before my back spasmed and sent waves of pain through my body. I collapsed and groaned, too hurt to scream.

I became suddenly aware that I was being watched. Looking up, I saw the pale, blue-headed girl looking down at me. Her expression betrayed no thought or emotion as she knelt down and put a hand on my cheek. For the briefest moment, I thought I saw regret in her crimson eyes, but then just as suddenly it was gone.

"…Gomen," she said. I realized that she was speaking Japanese, but part of me seemed to understand her. It seemed to me, at least, that she was apologizing. For a second, I wondered what for, until another spasm coursed through my body.

Oh, right; that. The blast of whatever it was that put me in this condition in the first place.

The girl stood up and looked at the heated duel going on. Slowly, she lifted a hand and pointed at Slade. From my position on the ground, I could still see her eyes as they flashed a bright red. About five feet in front of us, another hexagon of light shimmered into existence before launching forward, twisting in shape to fit Slade's general height.

If I could have, I would've grinned as Slade twisted his head, his eye widening before the hexagon slammed into him, launching him back several feet and slamming him into a column, shattering it. Slade quickly recovered, and stood up with his axe, ready to fight back. However, a dozen green motes of light appeared from outside the window, streaking toward our enemy. Slade deflected a few with his axe before leaping out of the way, his dive sending him further back into the airport.

Starfire flew in and landed nimbly, launching an eye blast at Slade. Forced suddenly on the defensive, Slade was backed up against the far window on the floor. As Starfire cut the beam off, however, he set up another fighting position.

Robin glided in a split second later, ditching the glider and drawing his Bo staff in one swift roll. He stood up and glared at Slade, quickly shifting into a counter-stance to Slade's stance.

"Cavalry's here," he said to us, never taking his eyes off of his rival.
"You're late," Raven deadpanned. "Beast Boy went and broke some vital bones,"

"He will be okay," Starfire growled, arming two more bolts and standing next to Robin. "Right, Beast Boy?" Briefly, the girl turned and smiled at me as the blue-haired girl helped me get into a sitting position, leaning against a chair leg. Slowly, I gave her a thumbs-up.

"Alright, BB, stay with the girl," Robin ordered. "Raven, you ready?"
"Yeah," Raven returned, grabbing hold of some poor sap's luggage before moving forward. "Let's do this,"
"Cyborg is still five minutes away," Starfire said as the three closed in on Slade. "We must fight carefully until then,"

Suddenly, the three charged, sending bolts, suitcases, and shuriken at Slade. As they moved out of vocal range, I could only guess at Robin's orders and the girls' replies as I watched them engage in a classic Slade vs. Titans fight. A part of me regretted being able to help them, but what could I do? Right now, I could stare Slade to death; I wasn't exactly in perfect fighting form.

Wincing, I looked at my broken arm before twisting my head to look at the girl sitting next to me, watching the fight without the first hint of emotion in her eyes. I wondered if she was going to join them and use her freaky hexagons on Slade, but dismissed it; this girl didn't seem like a fighter to me. All of her actions seemed to be based purely on impulse and instinct, not a desire to actually fight.

"…H-hey," I croaked. It hurt to speak, I realized, but then, it hurt to do anything. "…What's your name?" Slowly, the girl tore her eyes away from the battle and looked at me, her head slightly sideways as she considered me. Briefly, the girl looked into my eyes, and I looked into hers, before she turned and continued watching the fight.

"…" she opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out. Instead, she stood and walked over to the other one; the boy that she was with, I noted. The girl bent down and lifted him up, putting an arm around her shoulders and walking him over next to me. The boy stirred and slowly opened his eyes as the blue-haired girl sat him down next to me.

"…A-arigato," he stuttered, wiping his nose and staring disgustedly at the blood. The boy wiped off his hand on his pants and looked at me, as if suddenly noticing I was there. I looked at him as he looked at me; short black/brown hair, quiet disposition, and sad, deep blue eyes. He half-grinned at me before leaning back against the chair. "Konnichiwa," he said to me, though he wasn't looking at me.

"H-hello," I got out, wincing as my lungs ached with pain. "What's… your name?" The boy looked back at me in an eerie reflection of the blue-haired girl before returning his eyes to the fight. I also watched as Robin ducked a swing and came up hard with the staff, almost shattering it against Slade's helmet.

"My… name?" the boy said in English. "My name… is Shinji Ikari,"

"Shinji… Ikari?" I echoed. The boy nodded, and gestured toward the girl, who stood next to him and stared out at the fight as well.
"She is… Rei Ayanami," he said. Upon hearing her name, the girl – Rei – looked down at us. She looked at Shinji and for more than a moment, a look of deep concern was in her eyes. Shinji just shook his head, and as if she understood, the albino girl started walking slowly toward the battle, raising an arm into the air as she walked.

"Watch this," he said to me. Rei brought her arm down in one sweep, and a piercing echo came from her body. A hexagonal bolt of light shot forward, passed through Raven and Starfire, and slammed right into Slade. Instead of disappearing like the previous ones, this one held as it pushed Slade backward, up against a window. Behind him, the glass started to crack.

I gaped at the sight, but Shinji just smiled.
"She's good at that," he mused. I looked at him slowly, but the boy just shook his head. "She's special… like that, you see,"
"What… what do y-you mean?" I said, wincing.

"Like… me, she's a Child," he explained. "However, unlike… me, she can control… her own Field," I opened my mouth to continue asking questions, but I heard the sound of shattering glass. Looking over, I saw Slade's body disappear from sight. Rei simply turned around and started back toward Shinji and me. Robin and the others looked down as Slade and the Boy Wonder exchanged words, but then just as suddenly they turned around and started back toward us. I looked up and smiled at my companions as they approached us.

"Well, thanks to some unexpected help," Raven began. "Slade's run off for the day and took his robots with him. It seems he's not given up on these two, though," she gestured toward Shinji and Rei. "So… are these them?"

"Them?" Shinji echoed.
"We were sent to retrieve and protect you under Miss Katsuragi came," Robin explained.
"Katsuragi?" Shinji said. "You mean, Misato-san?"
"Yes," Raven said. "So you're definitely the kids we're looking for,"
"Yes, I am Shinji Ikari," the boy said, pointing to himself. "My companion here is Rei Ayanami. You can call me Shinji, if you wish, but please refer to Rei as Ayanami,"
"Very well," Robin replied, understanding Japanese culture and its emphasis on names. "Shinji, Ayanami, would you accompany us until Miss Katsuragi returns for you?"
"Yes," Shinji said, standing up. Rei simply nodded. They then bowed low, and Robin returned it. "Thank you, Robin-san,"

It was strange, I realized, as I heard Shinji speak Robin's name. Everyone knows us, but we don't know anyone.

"Don't mention it," Robin replied, smiling genuinely. It was rare we got to interact with kids around our age. "So… just why would Slade – that was the bad guy – be after you guys?"

"Probably something to do with the people we… work for," Shinji said, his countenance darkening slightly. Rei suddenly looked alive and stared at Shinji, but he just looked at her and said, "It's okay," Stopping dead, Rei just nodded and went back to her original neutral stance.

"So… will you tell us about this… Gehirn?" Robin asked. "Katsuragi wasn't exactly forthcoming with information," Shinji nodded.
"I understand," he said. "As protectors of this city, you should have a right to know, more than anyone, I guess," Raven quirked an eyebrow as Shinji sat down, while Robin took a seat on the floor.

"We are… special," Shinji began. "Like you guys, but on a different degree," he smirked. "Me and Rei are a product of, well, fate," he looked up at Robin. "Have you ever heard of Second Impact?"

"…yes, I think so," Robin said after a moment. "In the year 2000, a scientific expedition – the Katsuragi expedition – went to Antarctica to research… something… but a meteor hit the continent and wiped out everything there. I remember that the government still has it under wraps,"

"Well, that's because your story isn't true," Shinji said. Rei put a hand on his shoulder as he continued. "The real story behind Second Impact is something else entirely," he paused. "In the year 2000, the Katsuragi Expedition found something down there, all right. They found… the first human," he looked Robin in the eye. "They found Adam,"

I blanched at the words while it was Robin's turn to quirk an eyebrow. "Adam?" he asked.

"Yes," Shinji affirmed. "Adam… and there, they performed… I think Misato-san called it a "Contact Experiment"… either way; they tried to tap Adam's power, but ended up almost destroying the world. You see, the test awakened Adam and unleashed his energy across the world… or would have, if they hadn't aborted the test,"

"The result was the destruction of the Expedition… however, the greater result was that it awakened something that had been sleeping in the earth for billions of years,"

"…shito," Rei whispered. For some reason, that name alone feared me and the others with dread; Robin shifted on his feet, Starfire shuddered, and Raven stared impassively – or she would have liked you to think, but I had known her long enough to see the quiver of emotion that shook her body.

"Messengers?" Robin translated for us.
"That's what Misato-san calls them," Shinji explained. "They and the rest of Gehirn have code-named them the Shito, but… I guess in English you would call them… "Angels","

"I'm well-aware of how to define it in English," Robin said. Shinji flinched as if he had been slapped, but otherwise did nothing. Movement out of the corner of my eye drew my attention to the pale blue-haired girl as she walked over to the edge of the terminal, looking out to the runway… almost picturesque…

"I'm not entirely sure how to explain it otherwise," Shinji told us. "In fact, all I know is secondhand information from Misato… and I only met her a week ago," he nodded to the girl. "Ayanami knows more here than anyone, but she's under orders to not divulge information," he chuckled. "I don't even know how I'm supposed to use what I have to stop them, or what they look like, or anything like that… so I'm only a little more in the light than you guys are," he offered a sad smile. "But I guess that's okay, right?"

"Not really," Raven replied suddenly. "Not knowing your enemy is dangerous," she paused. "Especially when the enemy can destroy the world…"
"It's not like I choose to not know," Shinji said quickly. "I just- Akagi-san told me it's on a "need-to-know" basis, and I don't need to know," he searched for the words. "Only four people know what's going on, I think,"

"Who's that?" Robin prodded, kneeling.
"Ayanami over there, as I've said," Shinji said. "Doctor Akagi knows… so does Sub-Commander Fuyutsuki… and…" looking down, Shinji almost mumbled the last part. "…my father…"

"You… don't like him?" I rasped, then regretted it. Raven walked up to me and started too slowly and silently cast a spell, in an effort to both heal me and understand what was going on. Shinji just looked down at a spot on the floor and said nothing for a moment.

"It… it's not that I don't like him," he said slowly. "I mean, I don't hate him… though I really should…" he paused. "Nevermind… Misato-san is here," Looking up, Shinji offered a weak smile as the sound of heels clacking against tile met our ears, followed by a pair of boots.

"Damn, what happened?" Cyborg asked as he looked around, and I felt his eyes lock on to me. "Slade beat the dirt out of you, didn't he?" Misato, meanwhile, walked over to Rei and asked her something… I think. Either way, the girl nodded before walking over to Shinji and checking on him. The boy shuddered at the touch, closed his eyes, and let the girl talk to him. She was so quiet, I couldn't even hear the words.

Not that I could understand them, but you get the point.

"There, all done," Raven said suddenly. I had completely forgotten she was there, and when I turned to face the voice that had spoken to me; I had also run my head right into Raven's. Both of us flinched in pain, and after I blinked, Raven was giving me that "disappointed" look… you know, that blank, empty-looking stare, but you really know you've just hurt her feelings or pissed her off. Yeah, that one.

"Sorry," I muttered, avoiding her gaze and staring at a ruined stack of chairs. "I didn't mean to bean you with my bean."
"Very funny," Raven said. "Stand up, you should be okay now," she stood and offered a hand, which I took. It was nice when Raven wasn't being totally mad at me for no reason. At least, that's what I think she looks like.

I stretched my bones and grinned. I could feel them, and it didn't hurt, which, you know, is always a good thing. I walked up to Cyborg and nodded at my giant friend. Cy looked down and grinned at me. "You alright?"

"I'll live," I said. "Dunno about the airport, though; looks like its screwed, and bad," I looked around the airport terminal and sighed. As usual, we caused a massive mess in the area, meaning the only people happy were the poor guys hired to clean up and make some quick cash over our mistakes. "What about you?"

"Robin'll probably give us a hard time for letting Slade go," Cyborg told me as we watched Misato approach Robin.
"Thanks," she said gratefully. "The kids are alright, and that man's been driven off."
"Now what about our agreement?" Robin asked her, quirking an eyebrow. "Tell me what I want to know." Misato's lovely smile faltered for but a second, but she quickly caught it.

"…What do you want to know?" she inquired. Robin jerked his head toward Shinji and Ayanami.
"Who are they… more specifically, what are they?"
"They're children,"
"I can see that,"

"No, you don't understand," Misato said, shaking her head. "They are Gehirn's First and Third Child, Ayanami Rei and Ikari Shinji-kun, respectively," she gestured. "They are the Chosen, and pilots of mankind's last hope against the greatest enemy we have."

"The… Angels, right?" Raven said, approaching Misato as well. "That's what Shinji said." Misato nodded.

"Yes, the Angels," Misato confirmed, a hint of venom in her voice. "The most vile creatures on the planet, hell-bent on destroying mankind in an event known as Third Impact. Shinji-kun and Rei-chan – they're the only two capable of stopping it," Looking over at the two who talked quietly between themselves, it was my turn to quirk an eyebrow. Those kids, saviors of the planet? What were their hero names, Albino Girl and Normal Boy? I shook my head in confusion.

"And how do you suppose…" Raven began. "That mere kids save the world?"
"You do it all the time," Misato said, smiling.

"That's different," Raven fired back. "We're super heroes. Other than the blue-haired girl, I haven't seen them do anything particularly spectacular, and even that was minute compared to what even Beast Boy can do."

"Hey!" I shouted indignantly.
"Stifle it," Robin said, and I stifled it. "Misato, explain," The woman only smiled that beautiful smile, though.

"Our secret weapon," she said. "The Evangelions." Robin opened his mouth to ask what I was thinking, but a gasp knocked us out of the conversation.

"Friends, look!" Starfire shouted, and for a moment I wondered how long she had been standing next to me. I almost recoiled in shock, but dropped it and walked up to the window, looking out… and gasping as well.

It was something out of a giant robot anime. Two behemoths kneeled on the runway, their hands resting on the ground on either side of them, except for one, which had an arm resting on a knee. One was purple and green and looked positively evil and badass at the same time, and the other one was orange and seemed to stare at us with its one eye.

"What the hell are those?!" Cyborg shouted.
"Those," Misato replied, obviously proud of herself. "Are the Evangelions."

Oh. I guess that's how they'll become heroes of the planet.

I looked at Robin, who simply stared at the monsters. Under his mask, his eyes were wide… with shock or fear, I couldn't tell. Cyborg's mouth hung loosely open. Starfire had a hand up to her mouth as she stared at the machines, and I know that my eyes had to be boggling. Only Raven seemed unimpressed; actually, she snorted.

"Those things?" she said, gesturing. "Giant walking toys? How do you expect to fight anything with those ugly things?" Misato frowned at Rae, but kept her cool (I ignored the twitching eye).

"Rei, Shinji-kun," she called over her shoulder. "Show them the power of Eva!"
"Ryoukai," Ayanami said quietly.

"Hai," Shinji agreed. Taking Shinji by the hand, Rei walked up to the window, looking out at the giant monsters. I stared at the two, wondering if two kids – almost more childish than us – could really be the master pilots of those things. Shinji looked slightly nervous as Rei lowered a hand to her side, palm open… and activated one from here.

The five of us saw the orange one come to life. Its single eye – red, like Rei's – began to glow, and the machine looked up toward the sky and stood… and man, was it tall. It towered over the airport, and as it reached its full height I heard Misato gloating something about the monsters being 60 meters tall. I don't have a clue how much 60 meters is, but these things were definitely as taller than Cinderblock or any of those big things we've fought, save maybe Trigon himself.

It was human in shape; very human, in fact. It was a giant human wearing shoulder blades (that's the only way I can describe them), a one-eyed helmet, and orange/white armor. Two huge battery packs connected to the shoulder blades, and on the shoulder itself was a lit phrase that read something like "EVA-00 PROTOTYPE"… I wasn't sure, because its upper half almost went out of sight as we watched the thing walk toward us.

Part of me wondered if I could morph into that.

The rest of me just cried.

"Ikari-kun," Rei whispered, and Shinji nodded. Holding her hand tighter, us five Titans watched as Rei lifted herself into the air. Flying isn't something normal, but she didn't it so suddenly it was unreal. Coupled with the fact that her clothes and hair didn't move made it all the more surreal, and Shinji hanging from just one arm was also… strange.

The pervert in me snickered; I could see up Rei's skirt.
Raven sensed this, apparently, and smacked me on the back of the head.
"Hey!" I said.
"Pervert," Raven muttered, but I noticed that a slight flush was on her cheeks. I laughed.
"Ah, you were looking up her skirt, too!" I joked. "Raven's a les-"
"You won't finish that sentence if you want to live."
"Uh…"

Shinji and Rei disappeared, and soon we heard something like a hissing sound. There was some sort of quiver as the machine did something, and Cyborg guessed that the two entered the cockpit. Misato smiled at him, and for a minute I felt jealous.

"Half-right," she told Cy. "Rei is within Unit-00s entry plug, but Shinji is probably riding on the shoulder."
"Evangelion Zerogoki," A voice whispered; Rei's, from the quiet tone. "Douji sei, no hiritsu, Fifty-Six,"
"Synchronization Ratio, 56," Misato translated. "Rei, switch language interface to Japanese and Translation Algorithm to English/Japanese!"
"…done." Came the reply, in English. "Captain Katsuragi, orders?"

"Take Shinji-kun to Unit-01," Misato shouted. "Shinji, synchronize with it and take both to the coordinates listed!"
"Roger," Rei whispered.

"Yes, ma'am!" Shinji shouted from his invisible perch. Unit-00 turned around and walked off, leaving the five of us slightly stupefied. Well… except Raven.
"Congratulations," she deadpanned. "You've activated a giant robot. Yay." Raven twirled a finger in the air. "You've proven absolutely nothing."
"She's right," Robin admitted. "It's impressive, no doubt, but you've still not shown us the capabilities of the machine."
"Well, to be truthful," Misato said slowly. "…I don't know the capabilities of the Evangelion Units."

There was a pause.

-

Teen Titans: The Chosen

Episode: 02
Evangelion

"…what." Robin said between gritted teeth. Misato gave an embarrassed laugh.

"I'm sorry!" She said. "But when the First Angel attacks Jump City, it'll also be the first field test of the Evangelion Units," she held up a finger. "We know they work, and other than that one time, both Units have functioned admirably in synch tests, among others."

"…At least tell me they have battle experience," Robin whispered. In the distance, we heard Eva Unit-01 activating.

"Nope," Misato said with a smile.

Robin groaned.
Raven smacked her forehead.
Cyborg sighed.
Starfire stared out at the Eva Units.
And I…

"So… let me guess, another reason you came to us," I said. "You want us to babysit these kids and teach them how to fight, right?"
"H-how did you know?" Misato asked.
"Lucky guess," I replied, smirking.
"But all the papers say… that you're not the smart one," I dropped my jaw.
"She got you there," Cyborg said.
"Shut up, dude,"

Eva Unit-01 stood. Unlike Unit-00, this one was like ten feet taller, fifteen or more if you counted the massive horn coming off of its face. It was definitely human in its movements, as well, as the purple/green/black machine as it joined Unit-00 in walking. I paused, stared, and gasped.

"Wait a minute!" I shouted. "That's the direction of the Tower! You don't expect those things to… to swim there, do you?!"

"Actually, they can swim there," Misato iterated. "The Evangelion units are perfectly capable of running and swimming, and once the Mass Production Units get underway, they'll be able to fly as well." Something wasn't adding up in my head as Misato talked; why send kids to do a man's job? Granted, none of us were adults either – hence the name Teen Titans – but as Raven said, we're also super heroes. We're kind of above the average regular human being… well, except Robin, who's the only one of us without special abilities, just, apparently, luck and the ability to kick ass.

"Whatever," I said to myself. Robin glanced at me but turned back to Misato.
"And how come you didn't ask us earlier to take care of them?" he asked her. Misato flushed.
"Well… I forgot," Misato admitted, eliciting another groan of annoyance from Raven. "Hey, it's not my fault! Besides, Gehirn will pay you guys really well to-"

"Captain Katsuragi!"
That voice came from none of us.

Turning about, we stared as a tall man walked the stairs up to the terminal. The Evangelions had since walked around the building toward the Tower, I noticed, so I wondered who this guy was. He wore no markings, only a black uniform with a green top clasp and a zipper, similar in a way to Misato's but nowhere near as cute. He wore white gloves, and as I watched him walk up he pushed up a pair of tinted glasses that hid his eyes.

Misato saluted him. "Commander Ikari!" she barked. "What an unexpected arrival! I thought you were back at HQ…"
Commander Ikari… Shinji's father. Taking one glance at the fellow, I didn't like him at all. I took a quick glance; the rest seemed pretty neutral.

"I was, but I heard of an attack," was the hard reply. "I came to see if the Children were alright." Misato nodded and gestured toward the five of us.
"No small thanks in part to the Teen Titans," she said approvingly. I felt my ego soar. "They came and fought off their enemy, who had attempted to capture Rei-chan and Shinji-kun. He managed to escape, but the Children weren't harmed," she paused. "They've boarded the Evangelions and are on their way to the predetermined coordinates, as per your orders, sir."

It was a full status report. Now all that was left was for the dude to ask about his kid.

"How's Rei?" he asked her.
"She was unhurt, sir,"
"And the Third?"
"…Shinji is fine as well."

So I wasn't the only one who noticed. I looked to Robin and the others again, but they were doing a pretty good job at hiding their emotions. Which was stupid; I didn't like the guy and I was about to prove it.

"Hey," I said. "Shouldn't you show at least a little concern for-"
Interrupted again. This time by Cyborg's fist on my head. Commander Ikari glanced at me.
"It is none of your business," he told me curtly. "They are both nothing more than soldiers in a war, and they'll stay that way until the war is finished, in either victory or defeat," he turned around. "Captain Katsuragi, I trust you'll handle the rest."

"Yes, sir!"
"Good, see to it then," he began to walk off but paused. "I'm holding an assembly of the bridge crew tomorrow at 0900 in HQ. You have the access plates memorized."
"Yes, sir, I do. I'll be there."
"Very good. You've learned, Captain."
"Thank you, sir."

With that, the old man was gone.
I waited until I was sure he was out of earshot.

"What an asshole," I said. "Didn't ask about his kid, just the Third. Man, how terrible."
"It's just how it is, BB," Robin told me. "Stay out of it."
"But he asked about the girl!" I half-shouted. "Personally! Shouldn't it be the other way around?!"

"That's just how it is, Beast Boy," Misato whispered, staring still in Commander Ikari's direction. "To him… we're all means to an end." I shot a glare at Misato, who until now seemed so sure of herself. I saw her unravel in front of the Commander, turn into a meek little girl who did what she was told, with no question, and yet, at the same time, hold a rebellious streak.

She gave me a smile. "Did I mention that Shinji's under my guardianship?" she asked me. "The bastard can't even be bothered to take care of his son."
"I see…" we all heard Raven mutter.
"I don't mind," Misato said quickly. "It was a bit inconvenient at first, but it's okay. I like the kid, and learned a lot about him," she gave us a sly grin. "You know, if he was older."

Robin blanched, but mine and Cyborg's grins multiplied.
"I'm older!" I told her. Misato laughed.
"Sorry, kid," she said. "As much as I like the ears, I've got more important things to do… like look for my car." She walked off, leaving us Titans alone in the ruined airport terminal.

"See, I told you," I said to Cyborg, nudging him in the side. "Chicks dig the pointy ears."
"Right, BB," Cyborg said, rolling his eyes. "Whatever you say."

"Look, let's just get back," Robin told us. "Beast Boy, you and Raven watch the Evangelions. The rest of us will go on ahead and figure out where we're going to put those damn things."

"Right-o, fearless leader!" I said, grinning and flashing a smile. "Just leave it to Raven and Beast Boy, the Dynamic Duo!" Robin shot us a glance. "Well, it's not like you and Bats are using it anymore."

"Whatever," Robin said. "Let's move out, Titans."

-

I was floating in mid-air.
Well, not really.

I was standing in a bubble Raven had provided the two of us for transportation. I don't know why she was, but it was okay. The thing was that I was really close to her. Don't get me wrong, I like the girl; but it was still kinda… close.

"Um," I began. "About earlier…"
"Don't," Raven responded. "I dug too far. It's my fault."

"Still, I shouldn't have yelled at you," I countered. "That part is my fault." Raven looked at me, and for a moment I thought her concentration wavered; the bubble around us shimmered.

I didn't tell her I felt like an ass about it.
For the tiniest moment, I wondered if I should kiss and hold her or… or something.

"Bad idea," Raven said. I blinked; was she reading my mind? I peered and realized that she wasn't talking to me. Instead, looking ahead, I realized that we had caught up with the Evangelion Units… as they made their way through the middle of the city. I gaped.

"They're crazy!" I shouted. Raven flinched, but I ignored it. "Why don't they go around the city?"
"Maybe there's not enough power," Raven wondered. "Don't know how long those batteries last." She shook her head. "Still, people might get hurt. What are they thinking?"

The bubble sped up, and soon we were at eye level with the Evangelions. These things were huge. I didn't know things could be this tall and still be mobile. It was impressive, to say the least. We were watching Evangelion Unit-01, Shinji's EVA, as it plodded along, its mere footsteps causing the ground to quiver. The giant machine paused, and for a second I thought the worst; that he had stepped on someone. But instead the giant machine turned and looked right at us.

For the first time in many years, I considered pissing myself. I fell to my knees and gaped at the monster as it seemed to stare right through me. I shivered involuntarily, absently grabbing onto Raven's cloak as the monster and I had a stare down. Soon, though, the Eva turned and continued on with its own path, right through the center of the city.

"What… was that about?" I whispered as I stood up, letting go of Raven's cloak before she decided to fry me. "Was he trying to give me a heart attack?"
"Maybe…" Raven intoned as we continued to follow Unit-01. "Or maybe you're just a wuss, and he was laughing at you." I gaped at her.

"I… I just about wet myself!" I shouted at her. "And you're laughing about it!"
"Oh, calm down," Raven muttered. "Don't be so uptight, Beast Boy." I gawked at Raven, who had just made me look retarded for the past thirty seconds. "Look, just calm down and it'll all work out… we just have to follow these monstrosities to the Tower, and let Robin handle it from there."

"C-calm down?" I shrieked. "Do you see those things? You could destroy the city with one of those!"
"We've fought worse," Raven said. I bit my tongue; if there was worse, then I really didn't want to know about it. Like, ever; no, not even Slade was this bad. Don't look at me that way, I know what I'm talking about. "Wait a minute…"

"What is it?" I asked, noticing the way Raven seemed to almost glare at the giant purple unit in front of us.
"…There's two…" she muttered, rubbing her temples.

"Two what?" I prodded. She wasn't being very forthcoming with info, and it was getting kind of… well, annoying.
"Two sets of emotions," Raven replied. The bubble shimmered, and I was halfway into hawk form by the time it resolidified; I reversed the transformation and looked at her.

"What?" I asked.
"You heard me,"
"You said 'two sets of emotions'. I don't know what that means."
"It means that I'm feeling two different people's emotions coming from the Evangelion," Raven explained. "Meaning… I… I don't know."

"You don't know?" I echoed. This was stupid; obviously that meant there were two people in the cockpit of that thing.
"I feel… a nervousness and fear," Raven went on. "I think that's the boy… but…" she paused. "There's a feeling that's much larger than his. It's not afraid… kind of… bestial?"

"Like an animal?" I suggested, confused. Raven was in 'empath' mode, so only God knows what would be spewing from her mouth.
"No, bestial… like a human who's acting more on instinct." She suddenly gasped. "Oh dear Azar…"

"What?" I growled.
"It's the machine…" she looked at me, her eyes wide. "The Evangelion… I'm feeling Unit-01's emotions!"
It was then, for the first time, I realized that when Shinji paused and looked around, the monster's chest was slowly moving up and down… as if it were breathing.
I noticed a low hum from its head that sounded like an engine… but maybe it was growling.
I looked at the Eva's face as it turned to look down a street. I looked closely at its eyes, and saw in the right one… an eye. A decidedly human eye was behind what may be a helmet.

Raven was right… those machines were alive.
I felt woozy and sat down in the bubble.

"What the hell have we gotten into?" I asked no one.
"…Something wicked this way came…" Raven said, and when I looked up at her, I noticed, to my own fears, that Raven was visibly shaking.

-

To Be Continued

-

Raven and Beast Boy come to the horrible realization that maybe the Evangelion units are more than machine. They once again confront Misato about it, as well as the Chosen, and also meet a new character: A bleach-blonde scientist named Ritsuko Akagi. As the first of the Angels bear down on Jump City, Beast Boy and the other Titans struggle to find answers. However, the organization known as Gehirn is deeper than what anyone could have imagined. Next on Teen Titans: The Chosen – Ritsuko/Angel Attack