The following incorporates characters, situations and settings which are derived from the copyrighted works of Studio Gainax/Khara and DC Comics, respectively. No infringement of copyright or trademark is intended. This work will be removed from the internet at the request of the owners of the aforementioned intellectual property.
Last Child of Krypton
Chapter 21- Great Red Dragon
After a long, heavy silence, the man beside Fuyutsuki spoke in a dulcet, aristocratic whisper. "He has chosen you. It is a great honor."
Fuyutsuki turned slightly, glancing at the other man. There was something inhumanly calm and focused in his mere presence, as if the weight of great age had settled on his shoulders despite his apparent youth. The old professor had heard men spoken of as ageless before, but this was the first time he had seen it in truth; he could not have guessed the age of the person standing next to him based on his physique, but his eyes spoke of age, a deep resonant well of experience that even Fuyutsuki's own did not match.
"Who are you?"
The slap sounded like a gunshot in the quiet room. Fuyutsuki jerked at the ropes binding his wrists as he reflexively tried to reach for his stinging face. He turned back to the man in the cape and licked his lips. His upper lip had split again and oozed blood into his mouth, harsh and metallic.
"You are not given leave to speak in his presence." he turned to the door. "Bring him."
Two men rushed silently into the room, their eyes reverently cast downwards. They were dressed in simple tunics that had a distinct religious feel, giving Fuyutsuki the impression more of acolytes than thugs. They roughly took him by either arm and led him away from the bed. The caped man followed, pulling the door shut behind him with a soft click.
The acolytes led him down the hallway to an elevator. A short ride later, they drug him out into a long corridor, nearly lightless with featureless gray walls. The well-dressed man's heels clicked on the smoothly polished floor behind him, made of some indiscriminate stone. At the end of the hallway was another set of doors, much larger than the hallway itself. When they opened outwards, light spilled in from between them, and Fuyutsuki squinted involuntarily as he was pushed inside. The light was still weak, but stronger compared to the twilight of the hall passage.
He recognized a document storage facility immediately; he'd been in enough of them to feel instantly at home when he tasted the tang of utterly dry, odorless air, cooled and heavily filtered to prevent the inevitable degradation of documents. The room apparently doubled as some sort of sanctum or temple. It was large enough to have served as an auditorium, and ringed by artifacts displayed under columns of dim light. In the center was a round display, designed to permit one to walk its circumference and view ancient looking scrolls preserved under glass and backlit softly. The well-dressed man walked around them and the acolytes remained utterly silent, their gazes still focused on their feet.
"Do you know what these are? You are given leave to speak."
"I would guess they are the Dead Sea Scrolls."
"Just so." He ran a finger along the glass. "Though they are not the documents that are usually associated with that term."
Fuyutsuki looked at them levelly. "I am aware of the scrolls. If you mean to impress me with them, try something else."
"You are defiant," he smiled, "You will serve our purposes well. Tell me, do you know who wrote these scrolls?"
"They are traditionally identified with a Jewish sect. The Essenes."
"Indeed. Do you know who translated them?"
Fuyutsuki sighed. "Is this a quiz? A variety of scholars, they-"
"I did."
Fuyutsuki rolled his shoulders, chafing at the rope bindings on his wrists. "What?"
"I began translating them in 1883, when-"
Fuyutsuki started. "What? That's impossible, you-"
"I am nearly seven hundred years old. Give or take. Perhaps it is five hundred. I forget so many things, having lived so long. As I was saying," he folded his hands behind his back, "I began the translation in 1883. It was not until the remainder of the scrolls were recovered that I was able to complete it, however."
"I know that SEELE had some use for the scrolls, but in the end, they're just another version of the scriptures."
"Not these scrolls, professor," the man drew closer, his lips parting into a thin smile that revealed tiny, perfectly white teeth. "These are a different scripture entirely. They speak of the coming of messengers from on high, of trials and tribulations, of the end of the world."
"So does every scripture."
"This one is right. It holds the key to my grand design, the driving purpose behind six hundred years of planning."
Fuyutsuki looked around the room. "If you mean to detail your nefarious plan to me, shouldn't we be eating dinner? Or did you plan to aim a laser at my crotch?"
"I am telling you because it is the beginning of your ascension, professor. The Entity requires a strong host to root himself in this world. The fool Katsuragi was weak willed, yielding. Merely the first available vessel. We had intended the honor to fall upon Ikari, but he has betrayed us. You will stand in his place. Then, he will be among us. We will have the New God."
Fuyutsuki barked out a bitter laugh. "You think you can control this?"
"Before we begin, however, I should rectify my rudeness. Allow me to introduce myself. I am called Ra's Al Ghul."
SSSSS
Shinji didn't know much about construction, or engineering, or schematics. He did know, however, that if he carried the I-beam in his hands to the top of the damaged skyscraper, it would save a lot of people a lot of trouble. A line of construction workers in hardhats and coveralls cheered and gave him a wave as he headed up, the length of steel balanced on his hands. He reached the top and slid the beam into place as a pair of workers moved gracefully along the exposed superstructure to secure it in place. Just as he was able to release it, Asuka appeared next to him. Where he sort of occupied the air, she flitted through it, always moving, lazily circling around him and rolling onto her back as if she couldn't contain the sheer joy of flying. It was infectious, and he found himself smiling back at her.
"Hey." She said.
"Hey."
"Ka-err Batman wants to see us," she said, then rolled into a dive. "Race you!"
He sighed, gave her a ten second head start, and made sure he was a fair distance away from the building before he broke the sound barrier. He skidded to a stop at the Geofront entrance a good fifteen seconds before Asuka dropped lightly to her feet beside him, panting.
"Showoff," she muttered.
"I work out," he shrugged.
"Do not," she scowled, waving to the guard in the booth beside the turnstiles that led down into the Geofront. The man stared at them for a moment over his paper, shook his head, and muttered something about teenagers.
Once through the security checkpoint, Asuka took off at a fast clip, leaping off the top stair. Shinji yelped in surprise and went after her, diving down the tunnel faster than the escalator would have permitted. The space was narrow, meant for a few people to stand abreast on the escalator, but neither of them minded. Shinji matched her pace and the slipped one arm around her waist. They landed in each other's arms and it took Shinji a moment to remember he was going somewhere.
They walked the rest of the way, down into the pyramid, which was now crawling with men in blue UN coveralls, high clearance workers from around the world who were rebuilding the exterior of the structure. Most of the remaining glossy black surface had been pulled up and replaced with white panels, at Misato's insistence. She'd somehow wheedled enough budget to, in her words, make the place a bit brighter, more befitting of its purpose. Fuyutsuki had helped her write her speech. It was Kensuke's idea to redecorate. In his words, the place looked like Mordor.
They found Kaji, in full Bat-regalia, standing in Gendo's office, near the ruins of the former commander's desk. He'd insisted on going through every inch of it before it was repurposed into the conference room for NERV's new command structure. Fuyutsuki had retained his position as sub-commander, per his own request, and his last act after relieving Gendo had been to appoint Misato temporary commander, and he was currently vigorously lobbying the United Nations to confirm the appointment despite her age, in light of her battle record.
Kaji looked around the room, then at Shinji. "You can see through things."
"Yes?"
Asuka's eyes widened. "Wait, what?"
He scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "Yeah, actually, I can see through most stuff."
Her eyes narrowed dangerously. "Did you-"
He blushed furiously, "No, I mean, I wanted to but I didn't, besides-"
Kaji cleared his throat. "Do you mind?"
"Okay, what did you want me to look for?"
"Just look around. Tell me if you see anything."
Shinji shrugged and swept his gaze around the room, focusing-unfocusing his eyes. As he'd noticed before, the inside the room was coated with something, probably in the paint, that his sight couldn't actually penetrate. Except the floor, interestingly enough. There was actually a double layer, a perfectly transparent one over a coated layer. Roughly where the desk had been, there was a box of the same impermeable material, mounted in the floor. Shinji pointed to it.
"There's something in the floor. I can't see into it."
Kaji nodded and knelt down, roughly at the spot Shinji indicated. "Here?"
Shinji nodded, and Kaji drew a small glob of a waxy substance from his belt, stuck it on that spot, and inserted something like a small digital alarm clock into it. He immediately darted back against the wall.
Shinji let out a yelp and jumped in front of Asuka as the material exploded, sending up a small column of debris. Behind him, she crossed her arms and let out a huff of irritation.
"Oh please."
Kaji returned to the spot, cleared away some of the debris, and pulled out a small strongbox, and a rather nondescript one at that. He set it aside and peered into the opening, retrieved a flashlight, and looked around inside, then turned his attention to the box, slipping a set of lock picks out of one of the pouches on his belt. The lock proved to be only momentarily resistant and he slid the end away from the box and pulled out a worn looking journal, then stood up, thumbing through it.
"A book?" Asuka said. "That's boring. He didn't have a secret lair or something?"
"This whole place is his secret lair," Kaji said idly as he thumbed through the book. "This isn't his."
"Then whose is it?"
"Katsuragi," Kaji said curiously, folding the cover closed.
"What?" Misato said as she stepped into the room in her formal uniform. Kaji slipped the book behind his back and secure it there. She didn't seem to notice.
"What is it?"
"The new pilot is arriving in an hour. We've just gotten the airport open again."
Kaji headed towards the door. "I should change. It's better if Ryoji Kaji shows up for this." He glanced at Shinji. "Don't you have an intern?"
SSSSS
Rei Ayanami's concentration wavered as her eyes flicked open and she fell to the floor about a foot beneath her with a thump and a squeak of annoyance that most who knew her would not have expected in the slightest. Since she reawakened on Themiscyra she had been experimenting with the ability to generate AT-Fields, which she was always dimly aware she had possessed but was expressly forbidden from using. She had been reluctant to even consider it at first, having obeyed the Commander's orders for so long, but as Commander Katsuragi pointed out, she was now "the Commander" and Rei had "better follow her orders", and so she ended up sitting in the locker room. Or hovering, rather.
It was Pilot Makinami's entrance that disturbed her. She steadied herself on the wooden bench between the rows of lockers and bounced gracefully to her feet, then flipped her towel over her shoulder.
"Rei," Mari said, "you can fly! And you're naked! But you can fly!"
"Yes," Rei said warily, opening her locker to retriever her clothing.
"Can I fly?"
"No, Mari. You cannot fly."
"What if I'm naked? Does that help?"
Rei slipped into her uniform shirt and let out an annoyed sigh. "My nudity and my flying are not connected. Also, in a technical sense, I was hovering."
"That sucks," Mari said sullenly as she pulled out her plugsuit. "First I have to do this stupid synch test, and now everyone can fly except me."
"Technically," Rei shrugged her uniform jumper over her shirt, "only Shinji, Asuka, Toji and myself can fly."
"Oh. Well it's still not fair," Mari's plugsuit hissed as it retracted onto her body, "see you later!"
Rei shrugged as she stepped out into the hallway and immediately froze.
Standing in a black plugsuit was a slender boy with chalk white skin, silver-gray hair and dark crimson eyes that mirrored her own. She let out a tiny almost-gasp and blinked in surprise, until the boy bowed politely and she responded in kind. They stood in silence for a moment before she continued on her path, or tried to.
"Excuse me?" the boy almost whispered. "Are you Rei Ayanami?"
"Yes."
"I am Kaworu Nagisa. I have looked forward to meeting you."
"I see."
He cocked his head to one side. "You do not speak much, do you?"
"I speak when it is necessary."
"I must go. I am scheduled to perform a synchronization test. Will I see you later?"
"There is a high probability of it."
"Very well," he smiled. "I shall see you later, Ayanami."
Rei blinked, turned, and continued on her way. When she reached for the button for the elevator, a sudden snapping pop of static electricity made her fingertip tingle, and she let out a tiny, almost inaudible squeak of alarm.
/\../\
One of the conveniences of being the acting Commander of NERV was access to a private suite and shower on base. At Kaji's advice, Misato hadn't taken the one that Ikari himself had actually used, on the off chance that it had some sort of trap or monitoring device in it, but it was one of several- in the days before the Angel war began in earnest, there had been a great deal of funding flowing into NERV, and some of what was built under Tokyo-3 was quite ostentatious. After spending the entire day in her stupid dress uniform, Misato desperately needed a shower.
The new pilot was weirding her out. There was something up about that kid. For one thing, his records were like Rei's- a date of birth, the day after Second Impact in his case, foster parents' names, an address in Berlin. He'd apparently been raised there even though Asuka had never heard of him, and no one she knew had ever seen him before, either. If that wasn't enough, the kid was a red-eyed albino, again like Rei. That implied something strange, and led Misato not to trust him.
She let the water run cold for a second to wake herself up, desperately wished she had given up beer (stupid Shinji, stupid heat vision) and slipped into a robe. The suite she was using lacked some of the comforts of home and the familiarity of a bedroom piled with junk, car magazines and recyclables she was going to throw away eventually, but it had a bed and she needed a few hours of sleep.
Unfortunately, Kaji was there. She was about to deliver a serious tongue lashing when she realized he'd broken the door down and was huddled against one wall in the fetal position, clutching an old book against his chest. He hadn't changed out of the deliberately sloppy suit he'd had on when they went to receive Nagisa at the airport, and was rocking back and forth, lightly tapping his head against the wall.
"Kaji?"
He didn't answer her. She crouched down beside him.
"…Ryoji?"
"H-help me," he stammered.
She reached for the book. "What's that?"
His hand seized her wrist in a grip like a manacle. "Don't touch," he said, voice wavering, "don't read. Never read. Need a quiet place. Need quiet. Help me. Please."
She slid down the wall beside him and put an arm around him. "What's the hell is the matter? I've never seen you like this."
"Y-y-your father's journal," he stammered, his eyes unfocused. "Promise you'll never read it."
"What?" she sat up and reached for the book again, then drew back. "Why? What the hell is wrong?"
"Starts normal," he sounded a little calmer now. "Starts normal," his voice suddenly went high, "gets crazy. Experiments. Antarctica. He didn't write the last pages, someone else did, with his hands."
"C'mon," she said softly as she pulled the book from his hands and set it on the floor. "It's okay. It'll be okay."
"No, it won't," he whispered as he buried his face in her shoulder. "There's an equation. An Anti-Life Equation."
SSSSS
Ritsuko sat back from the microscope and rubbed at the bridge of her nose, sighing as she did. Hyuga walked into the lab, carrying a stack of reports, staring at the floor all the while. He set them down and took a step back, out of her field of vision.
"How long has it been since you slept?"
She took a sip of cold coffee and waved him off. "I have work to do."
"What is that?" he said, indicating the microscope.
"A circuit board. Shinji found it at the UN, he said the delegates were all wearing them around their heads."
"What's it do?"
"I'm not sure yet. It has some sort of transmitters built in to it, one to receive and one to broadcast, but not on the same frequency. I've only ever seen anything remotely like this in the A-10 clips the pilots wear."
She took the stack of reports started thumbing through the first one, a detailed diagnostic of Unit-02. It took her a moment to notice that Hyuga wasn't leaving.
"What?"
"Maya wants to see you."
"Why?" she said, more harshly than she'd meant to. She could practically feel him shrink back. When had she started thinking of her subordinates as kids? She felt old.
"It's not your fault."
She let out a long sigh. She was expecting this sooner or later. "If I'd just given it up when he'd asked, they wouldn't have had to amputate her foot. That sounds like it's my fault."
"You can't blame yourself for-"
"She looks up to me. She's here because of me. I recruited her into this insanity. What the hell was I thinking?"
"I-"
The warning sirens cut him off. The MAGI had detected a blue pattern. An Angel was coming.
SSSSS
Commander Katsuragi virtually erupted onto the bridge, dressed in a tightly bound terrycloth bathrobe and a pair of slippers. At almost the same time, Ritsuko, breathing heavily, wheeled her chair to Maya's station, wordlessly taking a position beside Hyuga and Aoba. Her hands trembled slightly as she logged in to the terminal and she visibly strained to control it.
"Status report," Misato demanded, crossing her arms over her body.
"The object is in a geostationary orbit above Tokyo-3," Hyuga reported. "Section 1 reports 91% of civilians accounted for in shelters. The Angel has not acted aggressively yet."
"What's our status?"
"I suggest making Unit-02 primary for this mission," Ritsuko turned around slightly. "Keep Unit-01 on standby. Nagisa in Unit-00, if we need a third. The Prototype has been buggy lately."
Misato nodded, and looked at the screen. "Pilots?"
"Mari and Kaworu are already in place for a synch test. We're moving them to the cages now. Asuka is on her way to Unit-01."
"Superman? Green Lantern?"
"Here," Shinji appeared at her side in his costume. "Sorry I'm late. To… umm, the Green Lantern was attending to personal business. He's on his way."
"Your orders, Commander?"
Sub-Commander Fuyutsuki entered, looking at his watch. "Sorry. I got a bit lost."
"Ideas, Professor?"
"Well," he said nervously, we could-"
Ritsuko looked up at her. "We need to be careful. Sending an Eva up to see what happens hasn't been our best strategy in the past."
"I could go up and take a look at it," Shinji suggested. "They usually don't attack me unless I hit them first."
Misato nodded. "Wait," she pulled a lump of flesh-colored material out of her pocket. "We made this for you. It'll allow you to talk on the same frequency as the Evas."
He nodded, took it in his ear, and darted off, heading out the rear of the command center and out the nearest exit.
"Put it up on the screen," Misato ordered, hoping it would actually work. The repairs had been a bit hasty.
Thankfully, the massive screen flickered to life, displaying the afternoon sky and, in the distance, the creature itself, spread across the sky like stationary lightning, formed into a pattern not unlike a pair of wings centered on a single, central point. It looked almost like an error in the display until the overlay confirmed it as the source of the blue pattern. Shinji appeared on screen, a tiny blue dot against the reddening sky.
"I see it," he said, his voice oddly distorted through the speakers. "It's… tubes, a bunch of tubes all attached to a core. Should I go after it?"
Misato tapped her finger against her chin. "We don't know its capabilities yet, is there anything you can-"
The Angel suddenly grew a hundred times more luminous, like a second sun in the sky. A beam of light, like an enormous floodlight, shone from its center. Where it struck, the buildings and cars shone brightly, as in the middle of the day, but there was no other apparent effect, at least until Shinji started to scream.
"Unit-01 Launch!" Asuka shouted, her voice breaking over the speakers. "Put me up there! Now!"
Ritsuko shook her head. "The risk of contamination is too great. Send up Unit-02."
"Shut up!" Asuka snapped, "Launch me!"
"Launch Unit-02," Misato said, her voice even and flat. "Mari, raise your AT-Field to maximum and get him back down the launch tube as fast as you can."
"But-" Asuka started.
"Calm down, Asuka."
"I'm on it," Mari broke in, her voice surprisingly grave. Her face appeared in the lower corner of the main display, and beside it the readings on Unit-02 as the launcher carried it skyward until the machine sprang forth from a launch tube about six blocks from where Shinji hung in the air, and immediately broke into a sprint as Mari leaned forward in her seat in concentration. The Evangelion crossed the distance in a few seconds, put one huge hand around Shinji and raised the other in a gesture of defiance.
Shinji's scream, reduced automatically to a smaller, tinnier sound by the MAGI, died away to a sort of agonized gurgle.
"I've got him," Mari said. On screen, her head snapped to her left, towards the Angel. "Wait, something's happening."
"Get back here. Now." Misato replied, unconsciously tapping her foot.
"Roger, I…" Mari trailed off as her eyes went wide, and a light filled her plug. The internal view on the screen went to snowy static just as she began to scream. "No! Get out of my head!"
"Launch me, please," Kaworu said quietly, his face appearing on screen.
"I don't know-" Ritsuko started.
He cut her off. "I can help. Please launch me."
"Do it," Misato snapped.