The Package: Second Barrage!
Three
"Tell me the route again," Asuka grumbled as the heavy armored truck bounced a bit on the rough road, near the German border with Poland.
Kaji shrugged, "It changes depending on what information we get on local wars and other circumstances. But so far it looks like this."
He brought a map of Europe and Asia up on the heavy duty tablet he held. Asuka leaned forward, studying it intently.
"We're going through Poland, Belarus and into Russia," Kaji said as he traced their path. "We'll follow this route, stopping in Moscow for a visit with the NERV branch there, then follow the highway across southern Russia. After that we drop through China hitting Beijing, head to Korea then across the sea to Japan."
"You mentioned local wars?" Asuka had to ask.
"Well, the original plan was to go south through Turkey, Iraq, Iran, Pakistan then through India, but there's been a increase in tensions both between Iraq and Iran, and between Pakistan and India." Kaji made a face, "I don't KNOW if things are going to actually flare up again into war, but I don't really want to chance it."
"Especially since India still has nuclear weapons," Asuka noted, going slightly pale. "Is this going to cost us time?" she asked.
They hit a especially nasty bump and Kaji had to grab the door to steady himself. "A bit, but the roads are supposed to be better and the weather won't be bad, so we should make up some time with that," he said optimistically.
"Let's hope," Asuka said.
They had made their way almost to the Polish border, and thankfully hadn't been attacked again. But Asuka had been shocked at how bad things were away from the cities, how chaotic and lawless things were. She knew things had been bad after the impact wars, but she had thought things had settled down. Apparently not.
Worse was all the beggars that streamed out whenever they stopped. The men and women got driven off by the guards, which Asuka had protested at first. But... what could they do for them, other than handing out their own supplies? And there was the question of one of them being a assassin in disguise, too.
"Coming up on the border," Jamie noted, the former engineer taking a turn at the wheel. "Do we have the bribe money for the border guards?"
"Bribe money?" Asuka squeaked.
"That is the way of the world, young lady," Jamie shrugged.
"Yes we do, and please don't piss off Asuka unnecessarily," Kaji said with a sigh.
"Right," Jamie sighed.
They reached the border, and Asuka watched in disbelief as, indeed, money changed hands and the gates were open. She wanted to curse her countrymen for doing such a thing, but a glare from Kaji kept her silent until they were off up the road.
"We should turn them in!" Asuka growled out angrily.
"We could," Kaji agreed, "but they're making minimum wage and have families to feed. Assuming they eve got paid at all."
Asuka felt her righteous rage ebb a bit at that piece of news. "I hate you," she muttered sullenly, crossing her arms over her chest.
"I get that alot," Kaji said pleasantly.
Jamie hid a smile. Briskly he said, "We're probably going to be on the road until sunset... think there'll be trouble?"
"Probably," Kaji sighed.
Meanwhile in the second truck, a modified RV large enough to fit most of the gunslingers, Revy was going over her guns, making sure nothing had been damaged in the last fight. "What do you think of the kid?" she wondered aloud.
"Reminds me of you," Shen-Hua noted, "all bluster, no edge."
"Ha!" Lotten snickered at that as he sat nearby the usually quiet Sawyer.
Revy rolled her eyes, "She sure seemed surprised when I capped those bandits."
Rock sighed quietly as he sat with his lover. "She's a kid, and a pretty sheltered kid at that," he pointed out. "I don't think she's even left Berlin much."
"Asuka-san is in for a education," Yukio noted mildly as she sat near Ginji on one of the couches. Under her breath she muttered, "Hopefully not too harsh of one."
"Our job is to protect her," Ginji noted mildly, "not to shield her from the world."
"Damn right," Revy agreed as she finished reassembling her twin pistols that she liked to call 'cutlasses.'
"So we're heading into Poland," Lotten noted, "any idea what we may be facing?"
Eda popped her gum, the Church of Violence nun looking amused. "Pretty much the usual," she noted, the striking blond continuing, "pretty settled down around the larger cities, but there are some active gangs out there. And of course whatever idiots go after the bounty on Asuka."
"Where's your shadow?" Revy wondered, referring to Rico, a gunner from the Church who appeared to look up to Eda.
"He's helping Adam with something," Eda shrugged, "hopefully more bombs, considering how useful they were..."
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0
Hotel Moscow was always busy. As the lead power in Roanapur there was much business to discuss, as well as reminding other forces that they were top dog. These days that very rarely required violence, but sometimes you just HAD to lay down the law.
"You know, I was TRYING to be nice about this. Really," the Russian, Vasili noted mildly, his blond hair falling into his eyes, "but you just couldn't cooperate." He nodded to the woman beside him, "Break his arm."
"Wait, wait!" the weasily man yelped as the black haired woman advanced.
Ignoring his pleading she calmly grabbed his wrist then the upper arm. In a sudden, brutal show of strength she twisted the arm and there was a wet, snapping sound.
"AAAAAOOOWWWW!" the man screamed.
Aya Iseshima stepped away, her expression coolly dispassionate. "Shall I break the other arm?" she asked mildly.
"Let's see what he tells us now," Vasili said as he slapped the screaming man, shocking him back to his senses. "Now," he addressed the whimpering man, "tell me who you sold the data to. Or I'll let HER have you."
"I'll talk!" he stammered, visibly cringing away from her.
A few hours later they were back at headquarters, reporting in. Balalaika listened calmly as Vasili told her, "Looks like Greenback Jane is freelancing again." Aya stood behind him, allowing her superiors to deal with the situation.
Balalaika made a face, "Prodigies are so troublesome."
"She apparently hacked NERV for the data, then subcontracted selling it off to keep her hands mostly clean," Vasili said. "Her minion, Charming Jack, sold the data on Asuka's travel plans to at least two parties before we shut him down."
"Lovely," Balalaika made a face. "Contact Eda privately, let her know their security is compromised. And we'll need to punish Jane a bit, too. I have no problems with her freelancing, but interfering in one of our ops must be discouraged."
"Nothing too extreme, ma'am," her loyal Sargent noted, "we do need her skills."
"True enough," Balalaika agreed, drumming her fingers on her desk thoughtfully. "Aya-chan?" she murmured.
"Yes?" Aya answered calmly.
"Break a few of her fingers, but NOT on the dominant hand. We still need her able to work," Balalaika ordered calmly.
"Ma'am," Aya nodded.
"We'll attend to it immediatly," Vasili promised then the two left.
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0
Misato Katsuragi was still getting used to her young charge. Shinji telling off his father as he arrived had been fun, but they had managed to talk him into the Evangelion. And whatever had happened on the way to Japan had left the young man willing to engage a Angel, engaging it in combat and destroying the core.
He had guts, clearly, and a certain degree of confidence. Tho she had found he was easily swayed by womanly charms, since Misato had been able to get Shinji to both cook and clean for her. Not that she invited him to stay with her for cynical reasons, but she figured there was less chance of Shinji shooting Gendo with that gun he came back with.
Speaking of guns...
"Do I HAVE to practice with this dumb knife again?" Shinji complained from within the simulator cockpit.
Misato fought back a laugh. "Yes, you do," she told him, "you can't just rely on the rifle."
"Why not?" Shinji asked as he deployed the knife and charged a simulated Angel.
Misato snickered. "If it helps any," she offered, "Ritsuko is developing a improved rifle, and I've asked her to look into a Evangelion scaled pistol."
"Nah," Shinji said as he boxed with the Angel, "I like pistols, but I don't think it's really practical for a Evangelion."
"So what would you want?" Misato had to ask.
"I dunno," Shinji admitted as he successfully destroyed the virtual Angel's core, "a Evangelion sized rocket launcher?"
To be continued...