Demon City Tokyo
Chapter 14: Christmas
It hadn't snowed in Japan since the Event, and there was no sign of any this year either. It had gotten a bit cooler as the year came to an end, but that was all really. Tokyo was quiet as a chill wind blew through the city, stirring up garbage and sending rodents scurrying to safety.
"Yui Ikari. A pleasure," Rally Cheyenne said with false cheer, the other woman looking a bit warily at the elder.
Yui smiled back wryly, "No, the pleasure's all mine.
The mayor of Tokyo grunted, the older man clearly amused by the greetings. "I'm sure," Koichi Hashimoto said dryly. He continued, "You're welcome to use these meeting rooms. Try not to kill each other." With that he left, shutting the door behind him.
There was a beat of silence as the women studied each other. The brown haired, slightly older Yui and the almost silver blue haired Rally, both driven, powerful women with their own agendas.
"As I requested this meeting," Rally broke the silence, "I suppose I should put my cards on the table first."
Yui tilted her head to the side, as she mused "I would think I'm reasonably well informed. You are a wealthy European heiress, you are founding a private police firm to hunt demons and you want to open up shop in Tokyo."
"All correct," Rally conceded willingly. "But I suspect you do not know why."
Yui raised an eyebrow, "Oh?"
"My father was Lorenz Keel. I am the inheritor of his coven, SEELE, and I have dedicated myself to destroying his legacy," Rally said evenly.
THAT was a surprise, Yui had to admit.
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0
Much later that evening, a pissy cool rain had begun to fall. A figure hunched in the rain, trying to keep a battered umbrella in place. He hammered on the unmarked door, "Yo!"
Roy opened it, looking the man over disdainfully. "Come on," he moved, letting him inside.
"How do you think she took the bombshell?" Kiddy asked as they stood watch over the underground bar.
Nami gave her a look, "Don't act like you enjoy this so much."
Kiddy snickered. "Well, it's nice to see Ikari get shocked."
Lebia Maverick was watching the bar, the tall blond serving drinks with her usual efficiency. They had also decorated up the bar for Christmas, tho that wasn't saying much. There were some tinsel decorations, some garlands, and at the end of the bar someone had set up a small, fake tree.
The rest of the team was back at the station. Someone needed to guard their pet demon, after all. They were confident in their restraint technology, but still...
"I still don't like the idea of allying with NERV," Lebia admitted to Kiddy quietly. "We KNOW Yui is dirty..."
"We don't know that," Kiddy noted equally quietly. "Yes we're reasonably sure they lied about the guns effectiveness, but it takes heavy weapons to kill demons. And damn it, even our tests show swords DO work better really."
"Yeah, yeah..." Lebia made a face.
Nami rather suspected that Lebia was envious of the great computer tech NERV had. Her own system back at base was puny in comparison.
"Hey," Old Man Suzuhara staggered up to the bar, "you serving or just chatting?"
Kiddy stepped up to visibly loom over the older man. "Have you got a problem, sir?" she asked him mildly.
Suzuhara looked up at her and gulped. "No, ma'am," he said weakly.
"What'll it be?" Lebia asked mildly.
"Beer," and mug in hand he retreated to his table.
With a wry smile Nami noted, "Please don't make the customers piss themselves in terror, Kiddy. Mopping up the floor is troublesome."
"Yeah, yeah..." Kiddy laughed.
"Getting near midnight," Lebia noted as she poured them each a shot of rum.
"Merry Christmas," Nami toasted, and they all clinked glasses together.
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0
The sword clanged against a hard shell as Mari cursed loudly. "It's armored! That's fuckin' cheating!" she yelled.
"Yeah, yeah," Asuka said as her Rei charged in to grapple with the huge demon.
If they had to guess the thing was about seven feet tall, and broadly humanoid. It's body was more like a large wedge than human shaped, with long, snakey arms and short stubby legs. Despite the legs it moved quickly, and it could half curl up to use it's armored back to shield itself.
Asuka manoeuvred as Rei tried to come to grips with the bigger monster. "We need larger Reis," she muttered as she looked for an opening.
"I'm sure Yui will approve of giant Rei copies," Misato noted over the communications net.
"Heh," Asuka grunted as she chopped at an exposed arm. The thing yelped in pain, but that was about all.
"Mayumi HAD to take a day off," Mari muttered as they circled the thing. Her own Rei was out cold in a corner of the room, caught by a back hand blow by the creature.
"Unlike some of us she has a family she'd like to see over the holidays," Asuka noted dryly.
Mari snorted at that. "Fuck Christmas," she growled.
"Language," Rei scolded mildly.
Mari blinked at her. "Da fuq?" she asked.
"I think Mayumi's been a bad influence on her," Asuka said, visibly amused.
Mari shook her head even as she nimbly dodged another arm lashing from the demon. "Rei, can you grab it from behind so we can skewer the damn thing?" she asked.
Rei looked questioningly at her partner, Asuka.
"It's a good plan," Asuka agreed, "Do it. Just be careful."
"Understood," Rei nodded. As Asuka and Mari attacked it from the front to try to keep the demon's attention, Rei carefully slipped behind it. Creeping up near silently she waited until it reached out to attack, then grabbed it from behind.
"Urhh!" the demon roared as it struggled in her grip.
Both Asuka and Mari lunged forward, swords biting into it's soft guts. The thing arched back, then shockingly it's innards... exploded outwards.
"AWK!" Asuka yelped as she and Mari were doused in dark purple demon ichor.
Mari was purple head to toe. Worse, she had been yelling when gooped. "Pfft!" she spat out a stream of purple blood.
"You all right?" Asuka asked as her Rei began to tear bits off the demon to eat.
"Just dandy," Mari spat again, even as bells rang out in the city. "Merry Christmas," she growled as she pushed her soaked hair back.
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0
"Showers. Now," Misato ordered briskly as the two sodden hunters returned.
"This is revolting," Mari sighed as the two nearly purple young women, and two Reis, walked down the hall.
"And Ritsuko wants you all in her lab after!" Misato called after them.
"Tell her to warm up the instrument trays," Mari answered tiredly.
Misato snickered softly as she walked back to the main command center. Luckily there was little demon activity tonight, and she and her staff were mostly just keeping an eye on things.
"Everything's quiet," Maya reported. "How are the girls?" she asked.
"Slimed," Misato answered with a little laugh. "Fine otherwise, and Rits will check them over just in case."
"Heh," Maya smiled. "Did you get my gift?" she asked quietly as they stood by Misato's desk.
"I did, thank you," Misato said. She winked, "If you like we can try it out together...?"
Maya went amusingly pink. "I'd like that," she agreed, "let me know when."
"Will do," Misato agreed as the younger woman hurried off.
Yui Ikari ambled over, drinking from her cup of coffee. "Merry Christmas," she said, smiling faintly. "Should I continue to pretend you two aren't sleeping together?" she asked mildly.
"Probably a good idea," Misato shrugged, "while there's no official rule against it, the boss likely wouldn't want to know."
Yui gave Misato a look. "Not to judge, but it's not the most psychologically healthy relationship," she added dryly.
"I'm aware she's using me to try to get Ritsuko's attention," Misatio said calmly, "and I'm okay with that. It's not serious on my end."
Yui was clearly skeptical but decided not to push.
"What did Rally and her ADP cohorts want to see you about?" Misato changed the subject.
"She's interested in ending the infighting and making a partnership of some kind," Yui said, leaving out the revelations of Rally's parentage.
"What's in it for us?" Misato asked wryly.
"Hmm," Yui nodded wryly.
To be continued...
Notes: Not really in a Christmas mood this year, as you can guess. So this is pretty much my official 'X-Mas fic' this year.
In Silent Mobius canon Rally is the daughter of a demon. I wanted to kind of bring that over, so her biological dad is Keel. Which will tie into his body turning up in Tokyo, eventually.