Leviathan

by Thuktun Flishithy

The Age of Monsters ended in Second Impact, or so everyone says. When Mankind finds itself besieged by the otherworldly Angels, Shinji Ikari will accept a destiny thrust upon him and rise to protect the Earth. He will not be alone, as old guardians -and their enemies- of a bygone age return. A fusion of Evangelion, the Godzilla Mythos, and Ultraman. Rebuild of Hail to the King.

10. Chapter 10

My creation was never meant for war. But like all things Man creates, it can be used for great evil. When we discovered fire, we used it to cook our food and warm our homes, while burning villages and idolaters alike. Steel allowed us to build wonders, and also to better slit our enemies' throats. The power of the atom used to be the newest double-edged sword, but now I fear I have discovered something even more dangerous. I had only good intentions when I created it; it could've revolutionized countless forms of science, but now I am forced to use it to kill something born out of our earlier follies. All of my notes have gone to the fire, but someone may be able to replicate what I have learned.

And woe to the world when that day comes.

- From the private journal of Dr. Daisuke Serizawa.

---

==/*\==

---

Commander Ikari's Office

"The Sixth has been slain," SEELE 01 wheezed. "All is not yet lost, despite our fears."

"Yes, someone managed to kill the Angel, and it wasn't either Child who did it," SEELE 04 retorted. "The interloper, this so-called 'Ultraman', was the one to strike the killing blow. Belief in the Evangelion program is faltering even as we speak."

"A gross exaggeration," Gendo said, finally speaking up. "As far as the public is aware, the Angel was slain by the Second Child. And those in the military who witnessed the battle are convinced that the Evangelions are still essential, considering how vital they were to the operation."

"Yes, that is true," SEELE 03 admitted. "Nonetheless, it seems that we need to improvise, lest we lose our advantages. The Leviathan has proved to be more stubborn than we realized, and now more of its ilk have revealed themselves to the world once more. We know for certain that the Behemoth and the Ziz are alive, along with the Golem; it would not be a stretch to assume there are even more still alive."

Gendo shifted slightly. "What can be done about it? The lesser beasts are certainly slain; there is no reason to worry over them. The Leviathan and the others are indeed strong, but I believe that we can work around them, steer them in the direction that we want them to."

"And of the Ultraman?"

A pause.

"Its existence is indeed problematic," Gendo finally replied. "Not only is it powerful, but it is intelligent; it even communicated with Major Katsuragi."

"Communicated?" SEELE 01 inquired, curious. "How so?"

"By speaking. The Major tells me that it has the voice of a male, but of indeterminate age. It shifted its size somehow to speak with her, almost in deliberate defiance of our expectations."

"What of the blood type?"

Gendo paused again before replying. "Pattern Orange. We are unable to determine the true nature of the 'Ultraman', unfortunately."

"How comforting," SEELE 02 deadpanned. "An unknown variable that keeps getting worse and worse."

"We entrust you with handling the situation, at least for now," SEELE 01 rasped. "This interloper must be disposed with as soon as possible, Ikari. Do not fail us on this."

A nod. "Understood."

One by one, the monoliths faded away, and Gendo let out a low sigh as he leaned back slightly into his chair.

"Lying outright to the old men like that may backfire," Fuyutsuki said. "Especially concerning what you lied about."

"The less they know, the better," Gendo retorted. "This interloper may prove to be our key piece in the game."

"And yet, they expect you to kill it."

"True enough. If it becomes more valuable to me dead than alive, then it wouldn't be too difficult to manufacture a swift end for 'Ultraman'. Its corpse could provide what we need to complete the Scenario."

He rose from his seat, gathering his papers. "I'm leaving early, tonight. Have Dr. Akagi continue research into Project O."

Fuyutsuki nodded. "Understood, Commander."

---

==/*\==

---

Research Division

"Bullshit."

"I saw it with my own two eyes, Rits," Misato exclaimed, holding up her hands for exaggerated effect. "Godzilla saved Toji and Unit-01 after the Angel blew up."

"Are you sure he wasn't just moving him out of the way?" Ritsuko inquired, lighting another cigarette. "He might have been searching for something else."

"I think you're in denial," Misato said, folding her arms. "It's even been shotgunned all over the internet, thanks to cameras on the fleet. He deliberately went back for Toji, picked him up, and carefully put him down before swimming away. Why would he do that, if he was just a dumb animal?"

"Animals have been known to misplace protective instincts." Ritsuko took a long drag, letting the smoke wisp past her lips. "Happens more often than people think. Lone gorillas protecting hapless children from others, hippos defending tortoises... all sorts of cases. There was even this lioness that took care of an oryx for a few months-"

"Do you really think that can apply to something like this? It's not even the first time he's done it."

Ritsuko sighed. "Maybe you're right. It's just... it's terrifying to consider. I know that kaiju don't really fall into the natural order of things, especially the big four."

"And King Ghidorah."

The room became deathly silent. Technicians passing by stopped to glance their way, then kept on walking with quickened pace. Misato's face reddened, and she let out a long sigh.

"Shouldn't have said it so loudly..." she muttered.

"That's one thing we didn't lose after Second Impact," Ritsuko finally said. "It's been sixty years since he showed up, and we're still terrified to the core at the mention of his name."

"I don't think we came as close to extinction as that day," Misato muttered with a shiver, gripping her cross tightly. "We would've survived Second Impact; it was just a matter of how messed up we'd be. With him, there wouldn't even be a memory of us left if he'd won."

"Such discussions are always pleasant," Ritsuko deadpanned. "Care to talk about something else?"

"Sounds good. What are you working on?"

"Oh, just some minor research regarding ocean farming. The Commander hopes it will improve PR after how badly the Fifth's attack was, and it'd help with recovery efforts."

"Oh," Misato said. "No secret weapons to use against the Angels?"

"Aside from the ones we already have? No," Ritsuko replied, chuckling. "I'm also doing some private reading on mythology."

"What kind?"

"The legend of Yamata no Orochi, and its slaying at the hand of Utsuno Ikusagami. Many kaijuologists believe that the legend was inspired by an actual event in Muuan times."

"Huh," Misato said. "Actually sounds pretty boring."

Ritsuko shrugged. "I like it."

Misato rose from her seat, stretching. "I have to go, anyway; my shift's ending."

"How's living with Asuka?"

"She seems to be mellowing out, actually," Misato replied. "I tease her that Shinji's the reason why."

"Teenagers," Ritsuko muttered.

"Remember how awkward we were at that age?" Misato retorted as she left the lab, not bothering to shut the door after her.

Ritsuko waited until she couldn't hear her friend's footsteps, then turned back to her reports. The latest tests with Project O were promising; all of the aquatic subjects were growing, though some had yet to meet their predicted rates. Arthropods had actually exceeded her predictions, which indicated a factor she needed to look further into.

It still left the question of how well she could reverse the effects, however.

Sighing, she gathered her papers and left the room. It was graveyard shift, now, and the halls were practically deserted. She turned left, heading to the lab she had sequestered solely for the project. It was a rather nondescript room; if she hadn't seen the Roman letter 'O' neatly stenciled on the door, she could have easily missed it.

The doorknob was a special design; a relic of better times. Grasping it, she let it read her genetic signature, then heard the soft click as the lock disengaged. Opening the door, she stepped inside the dimly lit room, then shut herself inside.

The aquariums were just as she had left them. Shoals of fish, many of them thought to be extinct by the outside world, swam about in their tanks, while crabs and other invertebrates crawled along the bottoms. She had set aside some tanks for plant life, but those were rarely attended to; their applications during research were rather limited.

After giving the tanks a cursory glance, she turned to her workshop table, neatly in the center of the room. Various beakers and phials were carefully arranged and labeled, along with powders and salts. It resembled something out of a science fiction movie, a cliché chemistry set for mad scientists to work with and produce frothing serums.

It was a silly idea. Most serums didn't froth.

Stepping out of her heels, she slipped into her hazmat suit. It was a bit much, especially considering how the forefather of the project didn't even use gloves when he started his experiments, but she couldn't be too careful. Pulling the hood over her head, she made sure there were no possible leaks in her suit, then set to work.

Pulling the base powder out of its case, she began to mix together the required salts, adhering to a mixture she had been working on for the past week. When made into a liquid and boiled, it could produce remarkable results with fertilizing ocean life. If the liquid was allowed to evaporate, however... it did something far different.

Shining a lamp over the phial, she waited until the lasts wisps of steam had wafted up, then peered down at the new powder within. It was a nondescript white, and very fine; it varied between mixtures, depending on a number of factors. Sometimes, it would look almost like flour, and other times like talcum. Thankfully, it had evaporated with the natural sealing around each grain, which saved her a lot of trouble.

Gathering the powder into something like a pill container, she walked over to one of the tanks. Turning on a nearby camera, she pointed at the fish within, then stepped into sight.

"Mixture number 68, test one," she said. "Aquarium Gamma."

Then, with nary a flourish, she dropped the container into the tank.

At once, the seal began to dissolve in the water, exposing the powder. Bubbles began to form at the point of contact, and in a matter of moments the entire tank began to froth. There was a white effervescence, which began to fade, and Ritsuko fought the urge to gasp as she saw the reaction's completion.

Death reigned in the aquarium. The fish had been reduced to skeletons, their bones slowly falling to the bottom of the tank and crumbling into dust. Tiny white flakes swirled around in the water, the remains of all the microbes and algae that had been killed, and began to settle. The entire aquarium had been starched of color by the reaction, leaving it a graveyard; if she hadn't seen it with her own eyes, she wouldn't have thought there used to be life in it.

"Experiment successful," she said. "The micro-oxygen seems to have a near complete success rate in this mixture; we should be able to move to larger-scale tests within the week. After that... we may have a functioning Oxygen Destroyer."

Shutting off the camera, she got out of her hazmat suit and put her shoes back on. Her mind raced with the possibilities, the things that could be done with it, the wonders it could usher in...

The horrors it could unleash.

She shook her head. There was no use getting ahead of herself; there was no telling that it would actually work on kaiju yet. And besides, it wasn't like there was enough time for it to be weaponized against people. Dr. Serizawa could continue to rest, unworried.

Gathering her papers, she took time to reapply her make-up before leaving the room. There was still much work to be done, but it seemed as though things were going to go smoothly from hereon out.

Had she stayed for a few extra moments, she would have noticed the slight movements in the dead tank, which couldn't quite be explained by leftover currents from the test.

---

==/*\==

---

Rei's Apartment

Weekends were a quiet time. It would appear suspicious if she never had a single off-day, and so she was given every Saturday and Sunday 'off', though she was still expected to call the commander every hour to report anything unusual. Aside from that, however, there was almost nothing to do.

Well, normally.

She put down another one of Chujo's notebooks, pausing to gently run the tips of her fingers over the cover. Already she had read everything the Professor wrote regarding Mu and Infant Island, from the empire's humble beginnings to its horrific end in cataclysmic battle. Much of it was speculation and theory, especially where the legend of Utsuno Ikusagami came into play, but it nonetheless provided a great deal of knowledge.

She glanced back at the photo of the etching. Just what was Ikusagami? Even the professor hadn't been able to determine its nature, if it even existed. Some believed it to be the very spirit of humanity, channeled somehow by the lost magic of the time in order to stave off extinction, while others thought it to a guardian like Shisa. The fact that it had never appeared since only made things more complicated.

Rei glanced down at her own notes, neatly jotted down as she studied. Professor Chujo believed that she could continue his work, but to what conclusion? There were so many rumors, whispers; how could she determine which ones were true?

A jolt of pain interrupted her thoughts. Gritting her teeth, she pressed the ball of her hand against her temple, trying to alleviate the dull throb. Her headaches were getting worse, now that Godzilla was active, and she suspected there was more to it than just mental contact. There was something at play, and she didn't quite know what. It was almost like a pull, trying to draw her somewhere...

Glancing at the clock, she saw that it read 12:41. Plenty of time to go on a walk, and start looking for whatever was drawing at her. Even if she found nothing, it'd keep her mind off the headache, and perhaps even alleviate it.

With that in mind, she packed the notes back into the bag, along with some books, and slung it over her shoulder. Rising to her feet, she gently padded over to the door and slipped on some shoes. It was raining again; she could hear the drops gently patter against the windows. After a half-moment's pause, she grabbed the umbrella Chujo had given her, then opened the door. Tokyo-3 loomed in the distance, a silhouette through the gray gloom ahead of her, and she suddenly wondered if the commander would approve.

Taking a deep breath, she stepped out into the rain.

---

==/*\==

---

Tokyo-3 Arcade

"You can't be serious."

"Honest ta god, I'm serious, Ken. Godzilla saved my ass, then I got to meet Ultraman."

Kensuke shook his head. "Unbelievable. Unbelievable. Seriously, you got to see all that, and not me?!"

Toji chuckled. "Heh. Maybe you'll get the chance ta pilot, eh?"

"Kinda weird how many are in one class. The Red Devil's a pilot, along with Ayanami, and Shinji was a candidate before he washed out. Now, you."

"What's that supposed ta mean?" Toji narrowed his eyes at the otaku. "You're not spoutin' that conspiracy crap again, are ya?"

Kensuke shrugged. "Just saying it's weird."

Toji glanced at Shinji. "You've been awfully quiet during this talk, man. Somethin' up?"

Shinji shook slightly, as if coming out of a daze, and looked away from the rain.

"Huh?"

"Ken and I were just talkin' about what happened on the boat."

"Oh." Shinji shrugged. "I heard Godzilla saved you."

"I thought ya saw it?" Toji said, frowning.

"I was on the lower levels, since they didn't want me in a combat zone."

Toji's brow furrowed. "Coulda sworn I heard ya on the flight deck... eh, probably just my imagination."

Shinji shrugged again, then glanced at the clock. "Aw, nuts. I have to go."

"Already?" Kensuke asked.

"I have to go back for testing tomorrow, and I need to be ready." Shinji scratched the back of his head, and averted his eyes. "Besides, Asuka wanted me to pick up some more of that tea."

"Good god," Toji breathed. "The Red Devil's sunken her claws into ya."

"Don't do it, Shinji!" Kensuke pleaded. "She's like those siren things, luring you to your doom!"

Shinji blushed. "It's not like that. Just... you know, she's still recovering from the concussion, but they're making her do some testing. And she seems pretty lonely, so I thought I'd be nice to her."

Toji shook his head. "There's no bein' nice to someone like her, Shin-man. She'll chew ya up even if you kiss her feet."

"You just go to school and work with her," Shinji said. "I live with her. She's not as bad as you might think, and just because she's rude doesn't mean I should return the favor."

Kensuke snorted. "Whatever, man. Nice knowing you."

Shinji sighed, then walked out of the arcade. Toji watched him go, then returned to his game.

"Ya think he's got a crush on her?"

"Is Gorosaurus under-appreciated?" Kensuke replied.

Toji shook his head. "Seriously, you need a life outside of giant monsters."

They continued playing at their game, paying no heed to the sound of the door opening. They still didn't pay any attention to the squeaking of wet shoes on the linoleum floor, even as they swiftly approached.

"Pilot Suzahara."

Toji nearly jumped out of his skin, then turned to see Rei staring at him. She was still dressed in her school uniform, for some reason, and had a still-open umbrella clutched in her hand. A waterproof bag was slung over her shoulder, with the edge of a book sticking out.

"Uh... yeah?" Toji said, wary.

"You frequently go on sojourns throughout the city with your friends, yes?"

Toji nodded. "Uh huh."

"Do you know a quick walking route to the mountains?"

"Well... I mean, ya could walk on the bike path. It's a few blocks down from 'ere."

Rei bowed slightly. "Thank you."

"Is that the legend of Nidhoeggr and Jormungändr?" Kensuke suddenly asked, pointing at the book.

"Yes," came the simple reply.

"That's a bad translation you have there," Kensuke said. "Adams didn't have a good grip on the language. Tolkien's translation is the best; you can borrow my copy if you need."

Rei seemed to consider it. "Perhaps at a later time."

"You should also close it," Kensuke said. "The umbrella, I mean. It's bad luck to keep it open indoors."

"Oh." Rei blinked, then closed the umbrella. "Thank you for your suggestion, Classmate Aida."

With that, she calmly swiveled on one heel and made for the door, pausing to open her umbrella, and calmly stepped out.

Kensuke blinked a few times, as if to convince himself that the conversation had indeed happened, then turned to Toji.

"That was..."

"Weird," Toji finished. "Ya sure she ain't a robot?"

"Kinda?" Kensuke said. "Why did she have a bag full of books, anyway?"

Toji shrugged. "Dunno, man."

After a moment's contemplation, the two went back to their game.

---

==/*\==

---

Outskirts of Tokyo-3

The bike path was getting slick with mud, and getting uphill at even the slightest incline was a struggle, yet she continued on relentlessly. The trees themselves were drenched; their branches, normally lively, were drooped with the weight of the water. At some points the puddles washed against Rei's ankles, but she never felt cold. She'd felt the freezing bottom of the ocean, and the howling winds of the polar lands; a cold rainstorm was trivial in comparison.

The throbbing in her head had disappeared, now replaced with the strong pull she'd felt earlier. The closer she got to the source, the less forceful it became, and she let it guide her off the path and through the forest. The soil was damp with moisture, and she nearly lost a shoe once or twice, but she still pressed on; she couldn't give up now, when she was so close.

At first, she had thought it had something to do with Godzilla, and her link with the beast. Yet, as she got closer, she realized it had nothing to do with the old king; it was not of the same nature. It seemed to tug on all things with a mind, but only hers was susceptible enough. She'd felt it before, on a more passive scale, when she was in the depths of the base.

The trees began to give way, and the mud gave way to gravel and stone as she entered a clearing. Mount Fuji loomed in the distance, and she found herself wondering if there was a connection. Many historical events had happened at the iconic mountain; perhaps whatever was pulling at her had been placed there. Yet, as she stepped closer, the sensation began to weaken significantly.

Something caught her eye, almost hidden away in the gravel; the rains had most likely unearthed it. The object perfectly spherical, and paper white; if she had to guess, it was around the size of a grapefruit.

Kneeling down, she began to dig at the gravel with her bare hands, near frantic. Her fingers should've scraped themselves bloody, yet there were no scratches as she pulled away the earth. In a few moments, she'd pulled the sphere from the ground, clutching it close to her chest like a prize.

There was something else beneath the sphere. A small piece of orihalcum, shaped almost like a curved teardrop. Picking it up as well, she noted that it was not cold to the touch, but almost warm.

Planting the umbrella into the ground, she grabbed a notebook out and opened to a dog-eared page. Sure enough, the professor had made a sketch of a similar shape, with the label 'Kusanagi' scrawled beneath it. There was nothing else, however; evidently, Chujo had been unable to learn anything else about it.

Pocketing the object, she rose to her feet, and began the walk back home.

---

==/*\==

---

Rei's Apartment

That night, she found herself sitting in a lotus position on the floor again, studying the white sphere.

Just what was it? It seemed to be made out of stone, yet it was not heavy at all, and there were no identifying marks etched into it. The curved teardrop was obviously linked to it, considering how they had been buried, but how?

Letting out a small sigh, she went to make herself a cup of tea. The stove crackled to life as she turned on the flame, and she tiredly went to get the leaves, forgetting that there were some bandages nearby.

The smell of smoke alerted her of her mistake, and she turned to see that the paper wrapping had caught fire. Instinctively, she brushed it aside-

-where it landed on the sphere.

As soon as the fire made contact with the smooth white surface, it disappeared, as if sucked in. Rei stared, delicate brow scrunched in confusion, then became aware of a soft orange light coming from her pocket. Fumbling inside, she pulled out the piece of orihalcum, and realized it was glowing.

At that moment, the sphere cracked in two, and a small shape began to crawl out. Rei stared at it, and realized that it was a turtle. There was nothing unusual about its appearance, even in the slightest.

The turtle crawled towards her, and Rei knelt down to scoop it up. It didn't struggle as she lifted it, and in fact seemed to enjoy being held by her. Tentatively, she scratched beneath its chin, then smiled when it closed its eyes.

Yet, she could sense something else about the turtle in her hands. Something powerful, strong, wise... old. Not as old as the king himself, but she could sense the years behind the façade the turtle put up. Despite its appearance, it was far from normal.

Still, it'd need a place to sleep for the night. There was a shoebox nearby, and she gently placed it in there, along with some water and a blanket. Placing it on her bedstand, she then plopped down on the mattress, willing herself to get some sleep.

There was a lot to do, tomorrow, and she needed to get answers.

---

==/*\==

---

Misato's Apartment

You're pouring the water improperly, Hayata said. I thought the temperature was important?

It is. That's why I'm doing it like this.

But won't the thin stream make the water colder than it should be?

Well, that's how everyone pours it, Shinji retorted, reaching for the bamboo whisk.

Very well, Hayata conceded.

Sighing, Shinji began to stir the matcha, avoiding circular motions as he used to the whisk to make a fine froth. Once the bubbles were more or less even, he gingerly put the cup onto the tray with the rest of the meal, then carried it over to the living room.

Asuka was lying on the couch, watching a documentary about Xilien integration. Her lips were moving silently, and Shinji realized she was trying to practice her Japanese some more. He didn't understand why; she seemed to speak it well enough.

Perhaps she doesn't share your confidence, Hayata provided. I've seen it before in a few individuals, who were fluent in a different language, but felt they were still amateurs.

But why?

Well, we don't want to seem as fools by making an error, I suppose. Even if they would not be judged for it.

Shinji considered it for a moment, then gingerly placed the food tray before taking a seat in one of the chairs. Asuka's nostrils twitched as she smelled the food, and she slowly began to sit up, only to wince. Shinji rose to help her, only for her to gently swat his hand away. Taking a deep breath, she managed to get in an upright position, propping the pillow behind her.

"Did you make that tea again?" she asked, reaching towards the tray.

"I had to go out and get some more," Shinji replied.

Asuka took the cup in both hands, and took a long sip, eyes closed. Placing the tea back down, she let out a long sigh.

"That's the good stuff. How do you get it all frothy like that?"

"I just stir it with a bamboo whisk."

Asuka let out a little huff. "I thought you just shook it up a little."

Leaning forward a little, she simply grabbed the bowl of gyoza and poured the sauce over them, then stabbed one with a chopstick. Shinji winced inwardly at the blatant display of improper eating, then focused on his miso soup.

For a few moments, they ate in silence. It was still raining out, a downpour that pattered against the windows, hiding everything in a grey haze. Shinji closed his eyes, listening to the rain.

"I hate this weather," Asuka muttered.

Shinji cracked an eye open. "Hm?"

"I'm talking about the weather here." Asuka waved a hand lazily towards the window. "It's either scorching outside, or it's just... blecch. How do you deal with it, washout?"

A shrug. "You just get used to it, I guess."

Asuka leaned back, sighing. "The weather's nicer in Germany. It's always a crisp autumn there, you know; the leaves change, but it's never too hot, or too cold."

Shinji took a sip of his soup. "That sounds nice."

"It is," Asuka said, nodding slowly. "I wish I was there right now, having a nice lunch at my favorite cafe in Berlin. Mein Gott, I hate it here. Everything's different; the food, the writing, the customs..."

She chewed another gyoza, then sipped more of her tea. "And maybe I'd be less upset about leaving everything behind, if I actually did something."

Shinji frowned. "What do you mean?"

"Oh, come on." Asuka's voice had become harsher, tinged with bitterness. "Do you know how long I've been training to be an Eva pilot? Since kindergarten. Kids in class were always talking about what they wanted to be when they grew up, but it was always half-assed. 'Oh, I want to be an astronaut', or 'I want to be Prime Minister'. But even then, I knew what I was going to be. It wasn't a maybe, it was certain. I was going to go out there, and save the world."

She sighed, and looked down at her bowl. "And when the time comes, I get showed up by some dumb animal that everyone said was dead, and some silver weirdo. It's... it's almost like someone pulled out the rug from under me, you know?"

"Don't you think you're being a bit hard on yourself, Asuka?"

Careful, Hayata warned.

"Don't try to flatter me, washout."

"I'm not. Asuka, that silver weirdo didn't kill the Angel that attacked the city last time, and Godzilla didn't either. You did. And what about that craziness just yesterday? Misato told me if it wasn't for you, we'd all be at the bottom of the Pacific."

Asuka narrowed her eyes. "What got into you all of the sudden? I was just kinda expecting you to just mumble something."

Shinji blushed, and rubbed the back of his head. "Heh... sorry about that."

"See, now there's the baka I know." Asuka put the bowl of gyoza down. "I gotta admit, you can cook pretty good, washout."

"Was that a compliment?" Shinji asked.

Asuka smirked. "I'm feeling generous today, since you were kind enough to make me that tea. Don't expect this to be a recurring thing, though."

Shinji managed a smile, then felt his phone buzz. Looking down, he sighed.

"I gotta go in for more testing," he said.

"Why the hell are they still making you do that? Do they think you're gonna randomly get a sync ratio after a month of static?"

Shinji shrugged. "I still have to go."

"Then just go; it's not like you need my permission or something, baka."

Shinji sighed, then threw on a poncho, and stepped outside. It was raining heavily, and he toyed with the idea of just hovering over the ground, as to avoid puddles.

That would be irresponsible, Hayata chided.

I wasn't seriously considering it. Shinji stepped down to the floor level, squinting as the wind blew some droplets into his eyes. And was it me, or did she seem... nicer?

Well, you were the one who said she just needed time to adjust to living here.

Yeah, but she wasn't like that yesterday... maybe it's just the concussion talking.

Hayata was silent for a moment. What do you mean? She's just about recovered from it.

Shinji blinked.

What?

---

==/*\==

---

After a few minutes had passed, she got up, stretching. There was still a slight headache, but the soma had done its job magnificently. It was a shame they were nearly out of stock, if Dr. Akagi was speaking the truth.

She glanced at the clock, then gently padded down the hall, towards Shinji's room. For once, she was glad about how strange Japanese culture was; the washout didn't have a lock on his door. She quietly slid it open, then crept inside.

Shinji's room was practically Spartan in comparison to her own. There was a sleeping mat, with his SDAT player neatly put by the pillow, and a bookshelf. Looking around a little more, she saw his book bag, along with his chest drawer and a cello case.

That made her double-take. She didn't even know he played cello.

She went over to the bookcase first, peering at the spines of Shinji's neatly-packed books. There were a lot of them, to her surprise, and really high-brow stuff. Quantum Mechanics and You, a few history books by Steven Martin, the entire collection of Dr. Ontonashi's kaijuology papers...

Huh. She gingerly removed a thick volume, making sure to take note where it'd been, and glanced at the cover. Her knowledge of the myriad of confusing Japanese writing systems was a bit lacking, but she could tell it was a German-to-Japanese dictionary. Skimming through it, she was surprised at how dog-eared the pages were, and at the number of notes the washout had written in the margin.

"Wark."

She spun around, and looked down to see Pen-Pen standing in the doorway. Despite being a penguin, the judgmental look in his beady little eyes was evident.

"Why are you acting so highty-tighty? I was just looking around a bit. Get lost, bird-brain."

Pen-Pen stayed where he was.

Asuka scowled, then put the book back in its spot. Scooting over to the sleeping mat, she picked up Shinji's SDAT, studying it. It was a pretty old model, but a good one. She hovered an headphone close to her ear, and hit PLAY.

Seemed like he was a Classical fan, if the cello wasn't a big enough hint. She laid down for a few moments, listening to the music, and tried to pretend she was the washout, as if in the vain hope that'd give her sudden insight into his character.

She gave up in a few minutes, and carefully put back the SDAT. Pen-Pen was still in the room, occasionally flapping his wings, as if hoping it would drive her off.

"Wark."

"It's not like he'll care. Hell, I don't think he cares that much about anything."

"Wark?"

"Oh, don't try to flip that back onto me."

She went over to Shinji's book bag, and hesitated at the zipper.

"Wark," Pen-Pen repeated, nibbling at her finger.

She brushed him away, then opened the bag. Aside from the usual textbooks, there was a thick journal wedged between notepads. Grabbing it, she saw that it was fairly new; the washout must've gotten it after he came to Tokyo-3.

Opening it up, she began to read a little. Shinji's handwriting was actually better than a lot of people's, but it was still written in those stupid Japanese systems. It made her grit her teeth; who the hell thought it'd be a good idea to have squiggly loops for some things, sharp angles for others, and those ridiculous Chinese characters for the rest?

"Wark!"

She tried to look for anything suspicious, anything off, but there was nothing. It was pretty mundane, actually; just a little blurb for each day, with maybe some musing about stuff.

-isn't as mean as Toji likes to say-

-I wish Misato didn't drink so much-

-she can be nice sometimes-

Asuka sighed, and closed the journal.

"Wark," Pen-Pen said.

"I don't feel guilty for looking in his journal."

"Wark?"

"Yes, even if I would throttle him if he did the same."

"Wark."

"Don't you-" Asuka paused, then rubbed her face. "Why the hell am I even talking to you? You're just a penguin, for crying out loud; you're not actually saying anything."

Pen-Pen blinked at her, then calmly waddled out of the room. Asuka followed, making sure to shut the door behind her. Sighing, she walked back over to the couch and plopped down. The tea'd gone cold, but there was still some warmth in the gyoza Shinji made. She chewed one thoughtfully, turning the TV back on.

Way to repay him, she thought. He tries to learn German, and makes me food when he thinks I'm sick. And what do I do? I go snooping around his room and read his diary.

And for what, exactly? A vague hunch, from when she was concussed? It was crazy-talk.

Yet, there was something about the memory, of hearing Shinji calling her name when she was in the plug. It was easy to dismiss it, and yet...

She tried to watch some TV, to take her mind off it, but found that she couldn't. Sighing, she curled her legs against her chest, and looked out at the grey haze of the rain.

"Pathetic," she murmured.

---

==/*\==

---

The Geofront

She made the walk to the pyramid in silence, glad that the city above her blocked the rain. The air was cooler down in the Geofront, especially on rainy days such as these, and she enjoyed the gentle breeze as it ruffled her hair.

Her small companion seemed to be enjoying it, too. He'd managed to nudge the lid of the box open, and poked his head outside, looking around at the lush landscape that surrounded them. Thankfully, he hadn't tried to climb out, but seemed content with a view of the ride. There was something about it that made the corners of her mouth twitch, but she didn't know why.

What she did know, however, was that she needed to do something about him before she went in for testing. Leaving him at home wasn't an option, not when Section II might chance upon him during a routine security check-up, but she also couldn't risk an official at NERV chance upon him, either. She was, as the Americans said, between a rock and a hard place.

She gave it thought for a few minutes as she walked closer to the pyramid, only to have her musings interrupted by the sound of someone humming. Turning to the source of it, she saw Mr. Kaji working his watermelon garden nearby.

After a moment of hesitation, she walked over.

Kaji looked up from his watermelons, a fleeting look of surprise on his face that gave way to his usual relaxed expression. Beneath it, however, she could feel his wariness. Not fear, but a healthy sense of trepidation.

"Something up, Rei?" he asked. He glanced down at the box in her hands. "Say, is that a stone turtle?"

"Yes," she lied.

"Pet?"

She nodded. "I found him near my home, and took him in."

A pause.

"Mr. Kaji, I would like to make a request of you."

"Okay, shoot," the inspector said.

She extended the box towards him. "Could you watch over him, until I return from testing? I do not know if the Commander would approve of me bringing him, and I do not yet have the proper set up for his terrarium."

Kaji blinked, then glanced back at the turtle.

"I... suppose so," he finally said. He took the box, then set it down. "Does he have water?"

"Yes," Rei replied. "Thank you, Mr. Kaji."

"No problem, Rei. Can I ask what's his name?"

Rei hesitated for a moment. She was sure of the turtle's real name, but though she trusted the man before her to take care of him, she was not ready to reveal possibly vital information.

"Toto," she finally replied. "Thank you again, Mr. Kaji."

She turned around, and continued heading towards the entrance. Briefly, she brushed her finger over a bump under her shirt, where the stone was. She was keeping it hidden as a necklace, close to her heart; it felt right, though she couldn't tell why.

Perhaps, she felt, it might come into handy.

---

==/*\==

---

Kaji let out a sigh of relief as he watched Ayanami disappear into the NERV headquarters. He had no idea just how extensive the abilities of the commander's pet psychic were, but he didn't want to find out.

Glancing over at Toto, he let himself smile. "I can trust you. Right, little guy?"

Toto replied by climbing out of the box, and landing on its shell. It flailed for a moment, before Kaji gently flipped it back on its feet, and offered it a leaf from his watermelon plant. Toto munched on it contentedly, eyes closed.

"Heh. Try to stay out of trouble, little guy," Kaji said, and returned to watering his plants.

---

==/*\==

---

The Eva Cages

"Any results?"

Maya shook her head. "It's still static, sempai."

Ritsuko pursed her lips, and took another drag of her cigarette. "Adjust the core data to initial settings, then increase interface sensitivity by ten percent."

A few moments passed as Maya typed out the command. Ritsuko glanced at one of the camera feeds, where Shinji was sitting uncomfortably in the plug. So far, the boy was still defying all of their (admittedly sparse) knowledge of applied metaphysics.

She tapped the microphone, getting a jump out of the boy, then spoke. "Alright, give it a try again. Remember to try and clear your mind, and just go with the flow. Think of it as riding a bike."

The boy seemed to try and do as told, and pulled at the controls. Once again, nothing happened. Ritsuko shook her head, and looked over at the telemetry coming in from the plug. To the untrained eye, it would be a meaningless scrawl of equations, graphs, and numbers, but it was practically a second language to her at this point.

"It's still static," she murmured. "That just doesn't make any sense."

"Shall we try again, sempai?" Maya asked.

"No," Ritsuko sighed, shaking her head. She activated the microphone again. "Shinji, we're pulling you out of the plug. You can go shower, then come to my office for a blood sample."

Shinji simply nodded, obviously still uncomfortable with being in the LCL. Ritsuko watched as he exited from the plug once it was ejected, then lit another cigarette.

"What do you think could be causing it?" Maya inquired.

Ritsuko blew a little smoke ring, watching it disperse as it hit the ceiling.

"Normally, I'd chalk it up to a malfunction, but there's no way the malfunction could happen several times in a row like that. There's two slightly possible explanations for static like this, and we can dismiss one right off the bat, considering that Shinji's obviously human. Hell, theoretically speaking, if you got an Angel small enough to fit in the plug, they could get a sync rate. So that leaves the other possibility."

"What is it?"

Ritsuko sighed. "Well... it could just be that the Eva's rejected him."

---

==/*\==

---

Shinji sighed as he walked out of the locker room, hair still damp from the shower. The medical wing was on the other side of the Eva cages, which meant having to walk across the narrow gangplank that spanned the cage, right in view of Unit-01. There were a few technicians milling about, but for the most part, the massive chamber was empty.

I don't understand why you're so nervous, Hayata said. It's an inert contraption; why worry?

It's hard to explain, Shinji replied. It's just so... unnerving. Don't you feel a little uneasy when you're near it?

Hayata paused, then slowly said, Well, now that you mention it... there is this strange sensation whenever we're in the plug, one that I cannot explain. All that I know is that it feels wrong, like how you must feel when in a cemetery.

Shinji sighed, then began walking across the gangplank. Another figure was walking towards him, and he realized it was Toji. The jock seemed a lot more upbeat than usual, and Shinji had a feeling he was going to hear why.

"Yo, Shin-man!" Toji exclaimed, going for a fist-bump. "How's it goin'?"

Shinji shrugged. "Another test. Same thing as before."

"Ah, that sucks, man."

"How about you?" Shinji asked.

Toji puffed up his chest. "The class rep asked me out to a movie tonight, man!"

"Really?" For some reason, Shinji found himself thinking of someone else.

"I'm still freakin' out over it, dude. I gotta tell ya, I think she digs me."

Shinji smiled, then spared a glance over at Unit-01. The silent beast hadn't moved since he'd last looked, but there was still that nagging instinct.

Toji interrupted his thought with a clap on the back. The jock leaned a bit over the railing, looking over at Unit-01.

"Sorry ya can't pilot the thing, man. I know ya wanted to do something ta make your dad proud, or somethin' like that."

"It's alright," Shinji said. "I don't think I'd even want to pilot it, anyway."

"Ah, it isn't as sucky as Ayanami makes it look like, with her constant mopin'. Sure, it's a bit scary, but at least you're doin' a good thing, right? I mean, I was always scared that one of them Angels was gonna hurt my sister, but now I can actually do somethin' about it. I can look at that Angel in the eye, or whatever it has, then deck it in the face."

That elicited a chuckle from Shinji. He had to admit, the jock's enthusiasm was infectious.

"So what's it like, piloting the Eva?" he decided to ask.

Toji scratched his head. "Like, the details? Well, I mean, it feels kinda funny. You know that feelin' ya get when ya sit on your hands for half an hour? It's like that all over."

"Do you think it can, well, reject someone?"

"Huh?"

"I mean, do you think it can dislike a person and not let them pilot, kinda like a stranger trying to ride a horse."

"It ain't a horse, dude," Toji said simply. "It's a giant robot. A giant meat robot, but just because it has meat doesn't mean it can think or feel."

Shinji stood straight. "I guess that's true."

"Told ya. Anyway, I gotta go due the test. See ya later." The jock walked past, leaving Shinji alone on the gangplank.

Once again, Shinji was alone, save for the unblinking stare of Unit-01. Trying his best to ignore it, he hastened his pace, focusing on the floor. The sooner he was out of the cage, the better.

Suddenly, he heard something creak.

Jolting, he looked back at Unit-01. The Evangelion was still motionless, staring at the opposite wall. There wasn't even a ripple in the LCL below, which meant it couldn't have budged.

And yet, he couldn't help but feel that it'd tilted its head, ever so slightly, to follow him.

It's probably nothing, Hayata assured.

It didn't feel like nothing, Shinji retorted.

A shiver ran up his spine, and he hastened out of the room.

---

==/*\==

---

At first, there was chaos, mindless swarming. A thousand thousand motes, each one without a modicum of awareness or thought. It is almost completely by accident that some begin to bond with each other, their infinitesimal minds clinging together like swimmers caught in a storm.

Slowly, however, chance gives way to agency. The small clusters are still less than even insects, but their unique biology allows change. The ones that are clustered together begin to actively bring in the less aware motes, crude instinct delegating functions.

Hours pass. Eventually, all are brought together, or devoured, but the single creature is still smaller than a fingernail. Now, however, its aggregate mind has expanded, the instincts becoming more refined. It scrambles up the glass of the tank, searching for sustenance.

There is plenty around. Before it can lose hydration, it scurries over to the next tank, and immediately attacks the nearest fish. It releases a small amount of its lifeblood, and dissolves the flesh of its quarry. It metabolizes the released oxygen, then devours the bones.

The process is repeated, until all the life in the tank has been devoured, and yet the world's newest species is not satiated. The life in the other tanks are devoured as well, but the hunger endures.

It must continue to feed, but to find sufficient food means it must cover more ground than possible. The problem is swiftly solved, as the billions of specialized organisms split the main body in several smaller ones, with a shared consciousness.

Its bodies knock down the door with some effort, then scatter along the hallways. Already it can sense potential food sources, and prepares its natural weapons accordingly.

With a shriek that echoes down the halls, Destoroyah begins its hunt.

---

==/*\==

---

The Eva Cages

Misato leaned back in her seat, slowly spinning the swivel chair back and forth as she did so, and sighed. Despite getting a good night's sleep -or what passed as such- she still felt drained.

It was just one of those kinds of days, she supposed. There was something about the rainy, overcast sky that just seemed to suck the life out of you. Vaguely, she recalled asking Ritsuko why, and received the answer that lack of sunlight interfered with melatonin levels.

Whatever that meant, she was definitely feeling it. The others were, too. Hyuuga was just making daily check-ups on the monitoring equipment, occasionally glancing down at a manga he was 'discreetly' reading, and Maya was doing the same with a romance novel. Aoba looked like death warmed over, but then again, he always looked like that.

Misato considered getting some more canned coffee, then finishing the rest of her paperwork for the day. There was still some more files she needed to close, about the reported encounter with Ultraman; the commander was especially curious about that.

She rose from her seat, stretching, then started for the doorway. Before she was even halfway across, the door suddenly slammed shut, and an alarm began to blur.

It seemed she didn't need to coffee to wake up, after all. Straightening, she hurried over to her station, feeling an icy coolness wash over her mind.

"I need a status report!" she said, voice firm.

Hyuuga was already on it, shaking fingers running over the keyboard. "No blue pattern detected, major."

That gave Misato pause. Glancing over Hyuuga's shoulder, she saw that was indeed the case, but that didn't answer why the base was on lockdown.

"Major, we're detecting foreign contaminants in levels B-15 and B-16, near the Eva cages," Aoba announced, voice steady. "It seems to be what initiated the lockdown."

"Do we have visual?"

"Putting it on now."

A trio of camera feeds came the main screen, showing some of the hallways near the Eva cages. Misato sucked in a gasp as she watched countless crustacean-like creatures skittering over the floors, some crawling up the walls. It was like watching an old documentary about army ants, and she had to repress a pang of nausea at the thought of what would happen to anyone unfortunate enough to be in the way.

"Have all non-essential personnel evacuate immediately!" she barked. "I want the locations of the Eva pilots! They're highest priority; we cannot afford to lose them!"

"Understood, ma'am," Hyuuga replied. "Security teams are standing by; should they proceed?"

Can they even do anything? she thought to herself.

At that moment, her emergency phone rang, and she looked down to see that it was Ritsuko. She answered the call, putting the phone in the crook of her neck as she studied the security feed.

"Rits, what the hell's going on?!"

"Misato, I think these are mutated Cambrian-period creatures." Ritsuko sounded terrified, in a manner Misato had never heard. "Do not have security teams engage them without full MOPP-4 gear; they might pose a severe biohazard."

"Any idea on how to kill them?"

A pause, then, "Extreme temperatures would work best. I believe there are flamethrowers available for security personnel."

Misato relayed the information to the bridge crew, then focused on the phone again.

"Where are Rei and Toji?"

"Toji's in the safest place he can be; he was in Unit-01 when the alarm rang. But Rei's still in the locker room, and I don't know if these creatures can get into the cages."

"Understood." Misato paused, then her eyes widened. "Where's Shinji?"

"I think he was just leaving... oh, that can't be good."

Misato hung up, then walked over to the weapons locker, almost robotic. There was a NBC suit in a case at the bottom, and she quickly put it on, making sure the air supply was secured over her chest. There was a faint hiss as filtered air flooded into her mask, then she grabbed the flamethrower, grunting at how heavy it was. The fuel tank alone was nearly half her weight, but she managed to keep a good pace as she walked back over to the bridge crew.

"Major?" Hyuuga asked, eyes wide.

"I can still relay orders via the headset," Misato said. "We're going to need and handle this problem as quickly as possible, so an Angel doesn't catch us with our pants down. Hyuuga, think you can handle the smaller decisions and tell me the big ones?"

The technician nodded, still almost in a daze.

"Good." She turned back around, and made for the door, opening it with an override code. She stepped into the hallway, trying to ignore the din of the alarm as she looked around. The door slammed back shut behind her, but she managed to suppress the jolt.

Now, where could Shinji be?

---

==/*\==

---

A few floors above

Shinji glanced up at the flashing red light, hands clamped over his ears. He understood the importance of getting people's attention, but did it need to be that loud?

Is it another Angel attack already?

No, Hayata replied. This alarm is different. I think there may be trouble in the base itself.

What could happen inside of NERV? Shinji asked. Everyone says this is the best fortress on Earth!

That was when he heard a soft chittering behind him, like the sound of countless tiny feet on the linoleum floor. Before he knew it, the capsule was in his hand, materializing from out of nowhere. He hesitated on pressing the cap open, however. It probably wouldn't be a good idea to transform in the middle of NERV, wouldn't it?

The chittering suddenly grew louder, and he turned around in time for something massive to slam into him, bowling him off his feet. A pincer grabbed his foot, nearly drawing blood as it drew him closer. He got the impression of sickly yellow eyes glaring at him, and chitinous black skin that made him think of some horrific crustacean.

Shinji resisted the urge to scream, and instead pressed the cap open.

"My choice," he whispered.

The flash of light as he transformed was enough to make the creature relinquish its grip on his ankle. Shinji rose to his feet, and crossed his hands, firing a spacium beam at the crab-monster's head. There was a small explosion, and the creature's upper body splattered against the nearby walls, staining them a greenish yellow.

Shinji wiped some of the gunk from his helmet, then flicked it onto the floor, noting with disgust that it was still moving.

"I feel sick," he mumbled.

We still have trouble, Hayata warned.

Sure enough, Shinji saw that the bits of the creature that hadn't been outright vaporized were now clumping back together, reforming crude appendages. One was already moving again, trying to scurry back the way it'd came.

Any ideas?

Specialized organisms that can regroup? Hayata seemed to consider it. They may be susceptible to cold.

Shinji nodded, and raised his hand, remembering some of the lessons Hayata had given him. Focus on the effect, visualize it, connect it to a body movement...

He splayed his fingers outward, and a cone of white gas expanded from his palm, enveloping the hallway. With seconds, the walls and floor began to ice over, and a screech reached his ears. Satisfied, he shut off the flow of frozen gases, and made sure he'd gotten everything.

All of the creatures were frozen in place. Already, some had begun to crack into small pieces, spilling no blood, since even that had become frozen.

We should be in the clear, Hayata said. I think I can find the other creatures.

There are more?

As if to answer, he heard more chittering, farther off in the distance.

I believe we have an infestation, now.

Shinji groaned. And I thought this was our day off.

Sighing, he ran down the hallway, following the sound of hungering beasts.

---

==/*\==

---

The Geofront

Kaji turned to look at the entrance to the pyramid, eyes narrowed. The building seemed to be under lockdown, considering that the doors were slammed shut, but why? If there was an Angel attack, he'd know; there wasn't the usual alarm, or the familiar rumble of artillery moving into place.

Warily, he reached for a spot in his garden, and unearthed a small box. Flipping it open, he slowly pulled out a small pistol, and turned off the safety. He made sure to make his movements beneath the suspicion of anyone watching, and looked around with an air of forced casualness. There wasn't anything going around in the rest of the Geofront, which only unnerved him even more.

He forced himself to take in a deep breath, and exhaled slowly, loosening his grip on the pistol. If there was a problem inside, there was little he could do, other than make a cryptic report to his superiors.

Digging up one of many disposable phones he had laying all around Tokyo-3, he texted a message to a certain number, then broke the phone in half, burying the pieces where they'd been before. Tightening the grip on his pistol again, he looked around, trying to see if there was a possible entry point.

It was then that he noticed Toto was nowhere to be found.

Muttering a curse, he looked around for the turtle. It couldn't have gotten far; even in an age of impossible creatures, turtles weren't breaking any speed records. There was a set of tiny footprints in the fine soil, and some crumpled leaves, but nothing else.

"Nuts," he murmured. "Where the hell could it have gone?"

---

==/*\==

---

The Eva Cages

When the alarm began to blare, and the door to the locker room slammed shut, she simply sat down on the floor in a lotus position and closed her eyes. In such situations, a mind clouded by fear was a useless one. Fear was the mind-killer, as that old story went.

There was no Angel coming, that much was certain. She could not sense their familiar presence, like a dark cloud in the horizon that threatened to bring a storm. Nor was a kaiju nearby; Godzilla was still on Chichi-jima, slumbering peacefully in his lagoon. Yet, there was an emergency, and she could not discern why.

Her eyes snapped open when she heard something moving in the vent above her.

She got to her feet quickly, backing away from the source of the sound, and watched the vent. Something was crawling through it, large enough to make it bulge and twist in places, and she heard some sort of chittering, like that of an insect. Rei clenched her fists, and waited.

She didn't need to wait long. The vent gave way, and a dark shape fell to the floor, quickly getting back up as it glared her way. If she had to estimate, the thing appeared to be the size of a large dog, though its appearance was more like that of the small, rudimentary creatures that filled the seas during the Cambrian period. Two tendrils sprung from its back, and poised themselves over the shoulders, like a scorpion's stinger.

The creature let out a sharp hiss, and lunged.

Rei calmly stepped to the side, and grabbed the monster by its throat, using its own momentum against it as it smashed into the wall. Before it could recover from that, she delivered a strike to the side of its head, then backed away, considering her options. The creature didn't seem too perturbed by the impacts, and certainly posed a threat. Perhaps-

Her thoughts were interrupted by the monster lunging at her again. This time, there was less space to maneuver, and she let out a small cry as one of the claws managed to catch her on the upper arm, cutting through the thin material of her plugsuit and drawing blood. That seemed to galvanize the monster even further; before she knew it, she was on the ground, trying to keep its face away from hers. A second jaw began to protrude from the creature's mouth, snapping at her, and she could feel more cuts forming with each movement of the thing's pincers.

In that moment, she felt something uncharacteristic building up within her, almost like there was a hot coal in her chest. She felt anger, yes, and there was something else, something prideful. How dare it draw blood from her, in the hopes of a meal?

With surprising strength, her hand wrapped itself around the monster's throat, cracking the exoskeleton, and she forced it off of her. The sensation was only growing stronger, and she belatedly realized her teeth were bared, like some enraged animal.

She could ponder that later. The thing was still snapping at her with its second jaw, dangerously close to her face. Snarling, she grabbed the second jaw, ichor dripping as she crushed it in her grip, then tore it free, reveling in the pained shriek of her foe.

Letting go for a moment, she grabbed the creature by the shoulders with both hands, then hoisted it into the air. The monster flailed, but could not escape her grip as she brought it smashing into the floor, repeating the process several times, then swung it into the nearby wall. The creature slowly slid to the floor, painting the wall with its ichor, and Rei saw that the concrete had cracked from the impact.

Her foe was still alive, twitching feebly as it tried to recall its missing limbs to itself. She didn't give it the opportunity. Leaping over, she brought her foot down on its head, smashing it to pulp. She did it again and again, crushing more and more of the creature with each stomp, until the entire thing had been reduced to a thick paste on the floor and wall.

Rei pulled back, panting. Part of her still wanted to continue, to destroy every last trace of it, but once more she was clamping down upon her feelings, restoring the sea of her mind to its tranquil state.

Or, at least, trying.

A pang of disgust washed over her. It wasn't what she'd done that elicited feeling, she realized, as she stared down at her blood-soaked hands. No, it was the joy she'd felt in that moment.

Her attention was drawn back to the creature. Even after everything she'd done, it was still alive. Parts of itself were wriggling towards each other like worms, blood rippling. Some of its body had been abandoned, she noted, but that was still going to be problematic.

There was more skittering in the vents, too. She took a deep breath, then clenched her fists, steeling herself for another fight.

Warmth blossomed over her chest, but this was different from before. It wasn't as if it was coming from within, but without, like a warm cloth pressed to her skin.

Looking down, she realized that the stone on her chest was glowing a dull orange, as if fire was swirling within. She took it in her hand and studied it, trying to figure what was the reason behind it. She could almost feel a presence in her mind, one different from what she was used to.

That was when the commotion started in the vents. She heard a few shrieks echoing through the narrow passageway, followed by muffled explosions. Before she knew it, something flew out of the vent, like a spinning disc of blue flame. It landed between her and the creature, and ceased its rotation, obscured in a puff of smoke.

It was the turtle. She stared, wide-eyed, as she realized that Chujo's research was true after all. The stone in her hand was glowing even fiercer than before, like a white-hot piece of iron, but she felt no pain as she held it.

The remnants of the monster was trying to retreat, but the turtle gave it no such reprieve. Opening its mouth, it blasted a cone of flame that engulfed the creature, reducing the beast to ash on the wind.

Turning away from the smoldering corpse of the creature, the turtle crawled over to Rei, nuzzling her ankle. Stooping down, she picked it up, a sense of awe washing over her.

"It is true," she breathed. "It's all true... Gamera."

She heard a commotion outside, and realized that the others needed her assistance. Already she could sense the presence of other minds growing near, including one that seemed painfully familiar, and not in the way she knew it.

"We must go," she said, and set Gamera down.

It seemed he understood. Tucking in his legs, the reborn Guardian of the Universe flew into the vent once more. Rei walked over to the door, worming her fingers into the edge, and forced it open, warping some of the steel panelling in the process.

Taking a deep breath, she stepped outside.

---

==/*\==

---

Outside the Eva Cages

For some reason, Misato found herself thinking of some American horror movie as she walked down down the dimly lit halls, flamethrower at the ready. It was a faint memory, but the blaring alarms and flashing lights definitely brought it back to the surface, exacerbating the growing sense of dread in her gut.

She heard something approaching from around the corner, countless feet clattering over the floor. Tightening the grip on her weapon, she cautiously inched forward, and put her finger on the trigger. A bead of sweat began to trickle down her forehead, and she licked her dry lips.

They appeared in droves, some of them scurrying over the walls and ceiling if they were big enough. She got the impression of a hundred eyes, all with the same ravenous glare behind them, all focused on her.

She stepped back, and pulled the flamethrower.

Pained shrieks filled the hall as she sprayed them with the burning napalm, backing up as she did. The smaller ones burned instantly, but the bigger ones were still struggling, parts of them shriveling away and breaking off as the flames scorched their flesh. The largest one even sprayed some gas from its mouth, dissolving a part of the wall, but the flames seemed to do something to dilute the effect.

She didn't hear the one approaching from behind until it smashed into her back, knocking her off her feet. She managed to turn around in time to avoid getting a pincer in the side, but it still managed to tear a gash in the side of her flamethrower tank. Pressurized gas hissed out of the tank, and Misato realized she was swiftly losing pressure for the weapon.

It was still good for a short spray. The creature was still attacking the tank, and she used the distraction to pull the trigger. A wide gout of flame shot out for a moment, then petered out, but that was enough to send the monster reeling. It backed up, feet clacking against the hard linoleum, and began to shed parts of its skin where the napalm was burning into the flesh.

Misato got to her feet, weighing her options. The hallway behind her was still burning, and the creature in front of her was swiftly recovering from the napalm. Would she rather slowly burn from the napalm, or take her chances with the monster that'd most likely eat her?

Thankfully, she didn't need to make the decision. A silver fist suddenly punched out of the monster's chest, prompting a squeal from the Cambrian horror. It flailed for a moment, then was flung down the hallway, further from Misato. Her eyes widened as she realized just who her rescuer was.

"Ultraman?" she whispered.

The silver figure didn't answer, instead focusing on the creature. He extended his hand, then enveloped the monster in a cone of white gas. It took a moment for Misato to realize that the creature was becoming frozen, parts of it already shattering from the sudden change in temperature.

When that was done, he turned back to her, eyes shining in the dim light.

"Are you alright?" he asked.

She nodded, then straightened her posture. "How did you get here?"

Ultraman cocked his head. "...I teleported in."

Misato didn't buy that for a moment, but she decided to brush it off for now. There were more pressing matters at hand.

"Did you happen to see a fourteen year old boy around?" she asked. "Japanese, around your, uh, height..."

"I saw a kid like that," Ultraman replied. "I put him in a supply closet, where the things can't get at him."

Misato breathed a sigh of relief. Shinji was safe, for the time being. Grabbing her flamethrower again, she checked the gash in the side, then dropped the weapon with a sigh.

"Well, so much for that." She shook her head, remembering the objective, then activated her radio. "Hyuuga, any more activity?"

The radio crackled. "More of them are gathering at the doors to the Eva cages. Security is being deployed to their position."

Sure enough, Misato could hear heavy footsteps in the distance, and the faint hiss of active flamethrowers. She started running that direction, beckoning for Ultraman to follow.

"I know command has a ambivalent attitude to you," she said, "but if you want to prove them wrong, now's a good opportunity."

She had to repress a yelp when Ultraman grabbed her by the waist, gently lifting her off the ground. Regardless of whatever he was, she noted, at least he was a gentlemen.

"I thought it might be faster," he said, and Misato could've sworn he sounded sheepish.

---

==/*\==

---

The Eva Cages

More were coming, Rei knew. The ones that had attacked from one side of the cages had been wiped out, reduced to smoldering pieces of shell by Gamera, but there were others trying to enter through the other side. Even now, she could see the heavy steel doors dissolving, dust billowing as they gave way. The first of the creatures began to stick its head through, only to receive a fireball to the face.

Closing her eyes, Rei reached out with her mind, sensing. The security teams were approaching from the doors behind her, and she could feel the presence of something else, something familiar and different at the same time.

She looked at the turtle in her hands, then set it down. Gamera turned around, looking at her with beady eyes.

"You must go, before you are discovered," Rei said, voice soft.

Gamera seemed to hesitate. He craned its neck over to where the creatures were breaking through, then back to her.

"The others can handle this situation," she said, pushing it gently. "Go."

Another moment passed, then Gamera took off in a puff of smoke, flying through the air vents above. The stone in her hand began to dim, but she knew they would see each other again soon enough. Rei stood back up, then stepped to the side, watching the other door, where she could feel the others gather.

---

==/*\==

---

Shinji couldn't help but feel a bit of trepidation as he arrived at the door to the Eva cages, and set Misato down. Already he could see the security approaching, all garbed in biohazard gear, flamethrowers casting a flickering light down the hallways. They skidded to a halt when they saw him, and he could see their eyes widen.

"Major, is that..." One of the guards trailed off, mouth agape.

"He's helping us, and that's that," Misato said, sternly. "Now, get ready. We need to secure the First Child, and keep these things from possibly threatening the integrity of the Units."

A guard glanced at the steel-plated door. "Do you have an access card, Major?"

Misato patted herself, then swore. "I can't get to it without opening the suit and risking exposure."

I believe that is our cue, Hayata said.

Shinji nodded, then stepped towards the door. Working his fingers into the edge was a bit tricky, but once he had it in his grip, it was easy to force the doors open, metal warping in his grip.

After a moment's silence, he heard Misato gesturing for the men to rush in, barking "Go, go, go!"

Shinji let the guards run inside, then followed after them. Already a few of the monsters were skittering through a hole they'd made in the opposite doorway, their hissing shrieks filling the air. Rei was to the side of one of the walls, taking cover behind a generator. Two of the guards rushed to her, while the others began spraying napalm across the cage, striking the creatures.

There was only so much fuel in the tanks, however, and flamethrowers burned through them all too quickly. At first pushed back by the flames, the creatures rushed forward with renewed vigor, more numerous than they should've been. The larger ones began to spray some kind of gas from their mouths, and Shinji saw that it dissolved almost everything it touched.

We should be fine, Hayata assured.

Nodding, Shinji swooped down, landing in front of the men. One of the creatures rushed forward, only to be sent back with a kick that caved its chest in. It landed in a heap, crushing its smaller brethren underneath, but more were still coming.

Shinji raised his hand, and fired the freezing gas from his palm, the surface of the LCL on each side of him icing over. The closest creatures froze and shattered, while the ones further back began to recoil. Some tried to swim into the LCL, only to get picked off by a few wide spacium beams.

That was when the larger ones began to spray the dissolving gas, aiming right at him. There was something about it that seemed to mitigate the freezing effect of his own attack, and that galvanized them into action. Some of the gas began to wash over him as they redoubled their efforts, and he realized that the outer layers of his armor was beginning to oxidize.

Any new ideas? Shinji asked.

A weak protective field should do the trick, though-

They were interrupted by a shadow falling over them. Shinji looked up in time to see Unit-01's palm slap down on the bridge, crushing nearly all of the creatures in one fell swoop. LCL splashed over his face, and Shinji washed it off in time to see Unit-01 lift a handful of surviving creatures into its massive fist and squeeze, crushing them to paste.

Looks like Toji's decided to help out, Shinji thought.

Extending his hand again, he fired the freezing gas, and froze the squirming remains of the creature.

That seems to be all of them, Hayata said. I cannot detect any more.

Shinji breathed a sigh of relief. Glad that's taken care of.

That was when he heard the cocking of pistols behind him. Turning slowly, he saw the guards had discarded their flamethrowers, and were all now pointing their sidearms at him. Some appeared reluctant, but all of them were nervous.

"Ultraman," one of them said, "you are under arrest."

Misato was walking towards him, pushing some of the guards aside, and she began to say something in an angry tone, though he wasn't really paying attention. Instead, he was trying to think of a way out of this, without risking exposure.

Uh, any ideas? Shinji asked.

I do have one, now that you've mentioned it, Hayata replied. It's rather difficult to pull off, however...

---

==/*\==

---

"What kind of bullshit is this?" Misato demanded, shoving over to the lead guard. "I didn't give that order!"

The guard looked over, a morose look on his face. "I'm sorry, Major. This is coming straight from Commander Ikari."

Misato glared. The guard wilted a little under her gaze, but kept his sidearm trained on the silver figure.

"Is this how NERV show's gratitude? By arresting someone that averted a potential disaster?"

"Major, I'm sure the Commander just wants to know more about him," the guard replied, uneasy.

Misato snorted, then glanced back at Ultraman-

-just in time to see him disappear.

It wasn't like something she'd seen before. It looked like something out of Star Trek, with the figure fading from top to bottom, thin blue lines arcing around him. In half a second, Ultraman was gone.

For a few moments, everyone stared in silence.

"Did that just happen?" a guard asked.

Misato shook her head slowly, as if to dislodge something, then let out a chuckle. Seemed like he wasn't lying after all. If only she could pull that trick; it'd make living with Asuka a lot easier.

Suddenly, her eyes widened.

"Shinji," she muttered, and started running back.

---

==/*\==

---

There weren't that many supply closets within range of the Eva cages, and she had all the guards searching alongside her. Still, the facility was a big place, and her sense of direction -or lack thereof- didn't make things easier.

Stepping into one of the hallways, she became aware of someone knocking against a door, and she rushed over. Sure enough, she could see a panicked Shinji inside the closet, pounding a fist against the door. It was a simple matter of swiping her card, and the lock disengaged. She swung the door open with more force than necessarily, and pulled the boy out.

"Shinji, are you okay?" she asked, checking his face for any cuts. "Did anything hurt you?"

"I'm fine," the boy mumbled in reply. "What happened? There was an alarm, and then that Ultraman guy suddenly tossed me in a closet."

Misato let out a relieved sound that was half laugh, half sigh. "Long story, kid. C'mon, let's go over to Ritsuko for an examination."

She grabbed the boy by the hand, ignoring his protests, and marched towards the medical wing.

---

==/*\==

---

NERV Medical Wing

Shinji stepped out of the office, absentmindedly rubbing the crook of his elbow. The tiny puncture Dr. Akagi made when she drew a blood sample had already healed, but he had to keep the bandage on for a while, and it itched.

What the hell were those things, anyway? he found himself wondering.

I'm not sure, Hayata said, lost in thought. Perhaps... no, the physiology doesn't match. All I know is that it's some clonal organism. Let's hope we got all of it.

And if we didn't?

Hayata didn't reply.

Shinji suppressed a shiver, then started down the hallway. There was a line of people waiting for entrance to the examination ward, stretching nearly all the way down. It seemed Dr. Akagi had her work cut out for her.

"Yo, Shin-man!"

Shinji turned to see Toji hurrying up, a grin on his face. The Eva pilot seemed none the worse for wear, save for the same bandage over his elbow, and his personality was as boisterous as ever.

"That was crazy, huh?" Toji asked, clapping a hand on Shinji's back. "Bunch of giant bugs... how da hell did they even get in?"

Shinji shrugged. "I got shoved in a closet by Ultraman as soon as the alarm blared; I'm just as clueless as you are."

Toji's eyes seemed to practically pop out of his sockets. "Wait, Ultraman was here?! Why didn't anybody tell me that?"

"Wait, how don't you know? Misato told me you helped him out."

"Pffft. I fuckin' wish."

Shinji frowned. "She told me Unit-01 smashed the bugs. Weren't you piloting it?"

Toji chuckled. "Guess Misato decided ta mess with ya. I was inside of it, but I wasn't pilotin' or anything; they turned off the access."

The jock looked down at his watch, then muttered a curse. "Ah, I gotta go see Hikari for the date. See ya around, Shin-man."

With that, he ran down the hallway. Shinji watched him go, then stared at the wall.

If he... does that mean... He looked through one of the plexiglas windows, where Unit-01 was still visible. Oh, god. It was actually looking at me.

I'm sure your friend was just making a joke, Hayata assured.

That didn't feel like a joke, Shinji thought.

He looked at Unit-01 again, then began to make for the elevator. Just as he pressed the button, he felt a shadow over him.

"Pilot Ikari."

Shinji turned around to see Rei standing uncomfortably close by, a box in her hands. The girl's stare was impassive as always, though there was something new this time, something he couldn't put a finger on.

"Uh, hi," he said awkwardly. "What's in the box?"

Rei opened the lid, then extended it for him to see. Shinji peered over, and found himself staring at an average-looking tortoise, contentedly munching on a leaf.

"This is Toto," she said. "He is my new pet turtle."

"He looks kinda cute," Shinji said. "Where did you get him?"

"I found him." Rei's gaze seemed to intensify. "Pilot Ikari, I do not yet have the proper terrarium for him. Could you take him for the night?"

Shinji blinked. "Uh... sure, I guess?"

As soon as he'd said it, Rei practically shoved the box into his hands, then began to walk away. He finally knew why Rei seemed more off than usual; she was in a rush. Breathing out a sigh of relief, he stepped into the elevator, and the doors closed.

I can't believe I actually agreed to that. What if Misato doesn't approve? And where am I going to keep him?

Hayata didn't reply. In fact, he seemed like he was trying to restrain himself, like a tension in the mind.

Hayata?

Finally, the tension relaxed, and Hayata began to chuckle. In that moment, Shinji realized he'd never heard the passenger in his mind laugh before. He wasn't sure if he should be laughing with him, or panicking.

What's so funny?

Oh, it's nothing; just a funny surprise. I'll tell you if I need to.

That did little to assuage his concerns. He looked down at Toto, then hesitantly scratched the top of its head with a finger. Thankfully, the tortoise seemed to enjoy the attention, and leaned into the finger.

"You'd tell me if you were trouble, right?"

Toto replied by chewing on the leaf.

---

==/*\==

---

Misato's Apartment

Asuka paused the TV when the door slid open, and looked over to see Shinji walk into the room, carrying a box in his hands. She watched as the boy took off his poncho, then walked over to Pen-Pen's little room.

"What's that?" she asked.

"Nothing," Shinji replied.

"Doesn't seem like nothing." She got up, stretching, then sidled over to where Shinji had set the box down. "Is it some pervert thing your friends gave you?"

The boy shook his head. "Just don't tell Misato, okay?"

He took the lid off, and Asuka was taken aback as he removed a turtle from the box, gently setting it down on the linoleum. It looked at Asuka with small beady eyes, then started crawling towards the door to Pen-Pen's room.

"You got a pet?" Asuka hissed.

"He's Rei's pet," Shinji replied. "His name's Toto. She asked me to take him in for the night, until she could get a terrarium. I don't think Misato would be upset."

"Well, I'm not telling her." Asuka folded her eyes. "If she finds him, I'm not getting in trouble for it."

Shinji simply shrugged, and opened the door to Pen-Pen's room. Toto crawled forward, then stopped when an indignant Pen-Pen emerged, looking down at the tortoise.

"Wark!"

"Don't worry," Shinji said. "He's just rooming for the night."

Toto looked up at Pen-Pen, blinking innocently.

Pen-Pen narrowed his eyes, then seemed to almost shrug. "Wark."

Turning around, he waddled back into the room, gesturing for Toto to follow. The tortoise glanced at Shinji, then crawled inside. Asuka could've sworn, just before the door closed, that Toto was starting to watch TV with the penguin.

"I never thought I'd see something like that," she muttered. She looked back to Shinji. "Anything happen while I was out?"

Shinji shook his head. "No, not really."

Asuka leaned forward, grinning. "Really? No other secrets you're hiding?"

Shinji blushed, eyes on the floor. "Uh..."

She smirked at his discomfort. Maybe getting him to spill any juicy details was going to be easier than she thought.

Suddenly, the boy's expression changed. He looked up at her, and she realized he had a bemused look on his face.

"Now that I think of it, I was in Dr. Akagi's office for a check-up."

Uh oh.

"I asked her how you were doing, and she told me that you'd already recovered from the concussion. And that made me wonder..."

Asuka pulled away, standing straight. "What are you talking about, washout?"

"Why were you acting like you were still sick?"

A moment passed, then she stuck her nose up. "Maybe I wanted to see if I could get a good lunch from a baka like you, huh?"

Shinji frowned, then rose with a sigh. "I'm heading to bed. Good night, Asuka."

"See you in the morning, washout."

The boy walked over to his room, and shut the door. Asuka stood there for a few moments in the kitchen, fists clenched.

Did that really happen? What the hell was I expecting to happen?

The washout had managed to get the better of her in that argument, she hated to admit. But why wasn't he mad that she lied?

She decided to watch some more TV, hoping it'd take her mind off it. It managed to work for half an hour or so, then she turned it off and threw the remote on the table, holding her head in her hands.

For a few moments, she just listened to the rain, eyes closed. You're just getting yourself worked up over a whole bunch of nothing.

"Hallo," she heard faintly.

She sat up straight, and realized it was coming from Shinji's room.

"Hallo," he said again. His accent was atrocious, but not the worst she'd heard. "Mein name ist Shinji... wie hießen Sie?"

Silently, she got up and padded over to the door. She listened to his practice for a few moments, then raised her hand to knock.

A few heartbeats passed, then she lowered her hand.

Stupid. She walked back to her own room, and plopped herself on her bed, forcing her eyes shut. Maybe things would be better in the morning. Maybe.

---

==/*\==

---

Shinji put the dictionary away, then slowly got up. It was close to midnight; Asuka was usually asleep by now. Taking care not to creak the floorboards, he walked over to his cello case, knelt down, and undid the latches. He greased the hinges everyday, and so it made no sound as he swung the case open.

I still wonder why you're doing this, Hayata remarked.

Isn't it obvious? Shinji asked.

He took the slim journal out of the case, along with a fountain pen. Unscrewing the cap, he blotted the nib, then opened the journal, flipping through pages of detailed entries and illustrations.

You could be discovered, Hayata warned.

Who's going to read my diary? As far as anyone's concerned, I'm just a washout. He found some fresh paper, and laid flat on his stomach, writing in the date. Years down the line, when none of this matters, people should know about this, don't you think? A record of this important time.

With that in mind, he began to write his journal entry, guided only by the moonlight.

---

==/*\==

---

Commander Ikari's Office

"The creatures have been disposed of?"

Ritsuko nodded. "The last samples have been burned. Barring something incredulous, there should be none left."

"Good. The less the old men know about this, the better. You also erased the MAGI's recording of this Ultraman's blood pattern?"

"They won't suspect a thing."

Gendo shifted slightly. "Good. This was too close a call, Dr. Akagi. We cannot afford another incident like this."

"True. Thankfully, at least this disaster yielded some results."

She slid the files his way, and he opened them, eyes darting as he studied the diagrams within.

"The mixture was imperfect. Those dead microorganisms are found in all manners of sedimentary rock, and were only revived by such a specific mixture. Otherwise, Tokyo Bay would've been overrun by those things..."

"Destoroyah, you've labeled them."

"It's a placeholder name."

"Very well. Do you think you could refine this?"

Ritsuko cleared her throat. "I'm not entirely sure. That would require further testing, and the Destoroyah ate my supplies."

"Along with a guard's leg, and all the pests on the level."

"And if I do manage to refine it, what if we wake something else up? These creatures nearly managed to get to the Evangelions; imagine if they managed to infest the bloodstream, or absorb the LCL?"

"Very well. For now, Project O is suspended, until you can get your supplies and better testing equipment."

Ritsuko got up from her seat. "Thank you, commander."

"However," The commander's voice hardened. "I will have an Oxygen Destroyer in time."

Ritsuko nodded. "Of course, commander."

Gendo leaned back. "What is the status of the First Child?"

"She was exposed to the microbial Destoroyahs, but the G-cells made quick work of them. However, she's now low on them."

"Increase the dosage, then. Her immune system can handle a small addition."

"Understood, commander."

"You are dismissed."

Ritsuko nodded, then stepped out of the room. Once outside, she slumped against the wall, fumbling for a cigarette. Lighting it, she simply held it between her fingers, watching the orange cinders.

Oxygen was the driving force of the natural world. It bonded with hydrogen to make water, and bonded with other chemicals to make the building blocks of all life on Earth. The metabolism of animals depended on it, and the metabolism of plants provided it, in a beautiful balance that was too complex for one mind to take in.

But like all things, it had a more dangerous side. Just as it was the foundation of life on Earth, it had nearly spelled its doom, more than two billion years before even the dinosaurs' time was up. The Great Oxygenation Event, she recalled. It was the first ever mass extinction event, and had nearly wiped out all life on the planet, save for cyanobacteria.

It wasn't the last event. There was the Ordovician-Silurian extinction, the Late Devonian, the Permian... and now, the Second Impact.

Oh, the world had worse than Second Impact. Even the Triassic Extinction had been worse. But it wasn't a matter of whether Earth would survive, but if the world would.

She took a long puff, letting the smoke wash over her lungs, then exhaled, watching it waft up. Would oxygen once again spell the next doom, when the planet was still struggling to recover from Man's last mistake?

I wonder if this is how you felt, all those years ago in that tiny little lab, Doctor. When you saw the skeletons float to the bottom, and realize the magnitude of your discover. You'd probably know more about it than any of us, and yet the world loved you for it, sung praises of your weapon, just because it'd cleaned up the child of our last mistake.

She squashed the cigarette on the floor.

What would you say, if you saw what we'd done now?

---

==/*\==

---

You have been reading:

Leviathan, Chapter Nine: The Folly of Man