Taming the Beast

Summary: An error in the Space Bridge Project sends Coby, Lori, and the Convoys into the Eva Universe. Why are the Rumbles that Coby and Lori pilot so similar to the Evas? Is there a connection between the Angels and the Transformers? Will they survive?

Disclaimer: I don't own Evangelion or Transformers Galaxy Force, but they are interesting stories.

Chapter 18

"O-kin-a-waaaaa!" Asuka happily sang as she walked home ahead of the others, as usual. What was unusual was her singing, not to mention she was bad at it.

"She needs to stuff a sock in it," Coby muttered under his breath.

"You said it," Toji said. "I think I'm loosing my hearing, and it has nothing to do with colliding heads during gym." The two of them had quickly become friendly basketball rivals.

"I just don't see how Kensuke can handle it," Lori said. Then she noticed the ear buds in the nerd's ears. "That explains it."

"What do you mean I can't go?!" an enraged Asuka demanded.

"NERV pilots need to be on standby in case of an Angel attack," Rei stated from the couch where she was sitting on Shinji's lap reading.

"But with the Cybertron Army here, why can't we take a day off?" Asuka asked.

"A single Angel has enough power to overwhelm us," Coby answered.

"Think of this as a good time to catch up on your grades," Misato said. "Or did you honestly think I didn't know about these." She held up a few disks. "Your grades are forwarded to my terminal at HQ. Coby and Lori I'm not worried about, seeing as they've already been through junior high once, so they practically test out of every class. Rei has top grades in everything, but you and Shinji have some work to do."

"I know, I need to work on my physics," Shinji said.

"Don't worry," Coby reassured. "In spite of being a good mechanic, I couldn't pass junior high to save my life."

"Yeah, your mom had to threaten to stop you from dating me unless you got your grades up," Lori chuckled, remembering.

"The grading system here sucks!" Asuka complained. "I don't see why I have to go to school anyway, since I've already graduated from collage."

"So have we," Coby said. "But, Lori and I can still pass junior high because we actually do the stupid homework instead of standing around flashing people and letting boys drool all over you as they take pictures."

"You guys just cheat and get help from your Symbio-watsits!" Asuka yelled before storming into her room. "And I don't FLASH People!!"

"Yea right," Misato chuckled, reaching for her beer.

"What troubles you in Physics, Shinji-kun?" Rei asked.

"Rei, we're supposed to be asleep," Shinji said. "It's nearly midnight."

"I wish to help you," Rei said, and Shinji heard the underlying plea.

Talk to me. Make me feel wanted. I do not wish to be alone anymore.

"Thermal Expansion," he replied. "I guess I normally work best with examples." He didn't hear her reply, and assumed she had gone asleep, but then felt her familiar weight beside him. "Rei, do you want Asuka to start rumors about us again."

"Let her think what she wants, it means nothing to me," Rei said. "I am going to give you an example of Thermal Expansion."

"What?" Shinji asked, turning towards her. His answer was her removing her shirt, taking his hands, and placing them on her bare breasts. He blushed redder than his eyes, but didn't move.

"As your hands warm my breasts, do they get larger?" Rei asked seductively. He looked her in the eyes and noticed that they were starting to glow as her pupils vanished. He could also feel himself becoming aroused, both his Human and Angelic instincts.

"Yes," he answered softly and began to massage her breasts. She moaned in pleasure, a moan that quickly turned into a hiss as he kissed her collarbone. He released one of her breasts to put a hand on the back of her head and pull her towards his neck. She wasted no time in sinking her fangs into his soft flesh, sucking greedily until he stopped caressing her. Pulling away as the twin holes vanished, she placed her shit back on and snuggled up to him on his bed.

"Does that answer your questions?" she asked.

"It answered enough," he replied.

"The Angel is inside the volcano. For now, it's dormant, but it could awake at any time. This is the one chance we have of capturing one alive, so we're going to dive in and get it," Ritsuko explained.

"Let me do it! I love diving!" Asuka yelled happily, jumping up and down.

Please let her do it so she'll shut up! Shinji mentally pleaded.

She needs a zapping dog collar, Rei thought.

How does she get so hyper about these things? Looks like Eva is still her drive, Misato thought.

She's going to get burned. That was thought simultaneously by Coby and Lori.

"I was going to say that you'll dive for it while Shinji backs you up," Ritsuko said. "Afterwards, we can all go to the hot springs nearby to make up for you guys not being able to go on the class trip."

"And me?" Rei asked.

"You and I need to run some tests," Ritsuko said. "We'll join them at the springs later. We also need you here, just in case."

Rei nodded, "Understood." To everyone but Ritsuko and Shinji, she was monotone, but those two caught the hint of disappointment in her voice. She wanted to go, not to fight, but to go to the springs.

"Can we count on backup from the Cybertron Army?" Misato asked. Commander Ikari still tried to keep them from helping, but with Misato as operations director, she was entitled to get all the help she could if it was offered.

Coby nodded, "Certainly. Flame Convoy will probably dive and act as a backup in the lava."

"I don't need help from that animal!" Asuka insisted.

"Have you ever been volcano diving before?" Lori asked. When Asuka didn't answer, she nodded. "I thought so. Flame Convoy has. He grew up doing it as a test of strength on his homeworld. It's like trying to swim through jelly, so take the help he gives so you can survive. There is a certain depth at which nothing can survive, not even an Eva. Unless you can keep yourself up, you will sink, and you will be destroyed."

Flame Convoy scratched at the brimstone with his claw. "What's taking them so long?"

"They can't warp," Galaxy Convoy reminded him.

"I know but…" Flame Convoy growled in frustration. "I haven't gone volcano diving in far too long. I want to dive."

"Don't worry, you will soon," Galaxy Convoy said, pointing to some planes that had appeared. "In fact, here they come now."

"So, what's so different about this plugsuit?" Asuka asked.

"Press the switch on your wrist," Ritsuko answered. She couldn't help but grin as the spectacle unfolded. I am so evil! I wish I had my camera! I wonder what she'll do when she sees the D-Type Equipment.

They didn't know that a certain dragon was now laughing loudly, as he had seen what had happened through the window.

As Unit 02 was lowered into the lava, Flame Convoy jumped in. Even without the bibulous D-Type Equipment, the Eva would have been a slow mover in the magma. Flame Convoy had already thrown his jibes at how ridiculous Unit 02 looked, and swam around it tauntingly like a fish in water.

Asuka was fuming, "It's too hot in here."

"I don't know what your problem is," Flame Convoy said as he lazily swam in circles around her as she was lowered into the volcano. "I'd do this mission on my own, except I'm too small to maneuver that cage."

"Stuff it, Dragonbreath!" Asuka snarled.

Flame Convoy transformed into his dragon mode and swam where he knew she would see him, "Roar! I'll eat you right up!" Misato, Shinji, Galaxy Convoy, and several others laughed, in spite of the seriousness of the situation."We're at maximum depth. It has to be there somewhere."

"I see nothing but red," Asuka whined.

"Obviously," Shinji snickered.

"Stuff it, Third!" Asuka yelled. "Why don't you do something useful and tell me where the Angel is?"

"I can't sense it," Shinji answered. "It's just like I can't sense an inactive Eva. The Angel is asleep, so it isn't sending out a strong enough signal through its S2 organ for me to detect."

"Useless as always," Asuka growled. Shinji ignored her.

"Pay attention to the mission, Second Child," Flame Convoy reprimanded her. "I found the Angel. It's over here."

Asuka swam over, "Got it. Deploying cage. Got it!"

"Way to go, Asuka!" Misato yelled. "Pull her up!"

But as they were doing so, Shinji felt it. "Asuka! Look out!"

Rei floated in her tube again, feeling herself united once again. She smiled, knowing that it was a feeling that was easier to have when she was with Shinji. She knew he would be okay during the mission.

Gendo entered the room, "Dr. Akagi, I want you to contact the Major and see how the operation is going." She sent him a confused look, but did what he said. Once she left, Gendo turned to Rei. "Why are you dating the Third Child?"

"Isn't that my decision, Commander?" Rei asked, knowing far well that he had found out due to several people mentioning it in school. She knew she had struck a blow as Gendo stepped back in shock. His doll, disobeying him? Questioning him? She smirked, only for it to fall as he got back his composure and glared at her, his eyes no longer always concerned for her welfare.

"I could replace you, First Child," he stated.

"It would do you no good," Rei told him. "Coby and Lori would know that something was wrong, and then they would find out about this room. The only reason I have not told them is out of what little respect I have left for you."

"Being in a relationship with Pilot Ikari is distasteful. You will stop it immediately," Gendo ordered.

"Why?" Rei asked. "I am happy with him."

It was Gendo's turn to smirk, "You know what is behind those walls, correct?" Rei nodded. "You also know that you and they were created, and not born, correct?" he asked. She nodded again. "Then you know you are a clone, as are they?" She nodded again. "Do you know the one you are a clone of?" This time, she shook her head. Gendo's smirk became wider and he placed a picture in plain view. She looked at it, confused. Then she noticed that the woman in the picture looked much like her, almost a perfect match, and then she saw the name.

Yui Ikari.

Rei recoiled. No, it couldn't be true! It just couldn't!

"You are a clone of Yui Ikari."

Now she understood why she had been taught the way she had, and why Gendo always came in when she was inside this tube, completely in his view. "Is that why you created me?" she asked. "Were you trying to recreate her, so that she would be completely submissive to you?!"

"No," Gendo answered. "To get her back, and you will do that. End your relationship with the Third Child, or I will." He then turned and left, leaving Rei sobbing in the LCL.

Should I do as the Commander asks? Rei wondered. Should I tell him? After a minute of thinking, she realized that she had to be honest with Shinji at least, as she loved him. Not because she was a clone, but because she was Rei Ayanami, her own person.

I must tell him, because it is the right thing to do.

Shinji waited until Ritsuko, Coby, and Lori showed up, and then took them toward the springs. "Where's Rei?"

"She didn't want to come for some reason," Coby said. "She locked herself in your room and wouldn't come out."

Ritsuko had a sneaking suspicion that the Commander was behind it, but said nothing about that. "Don't worry; you'll see her when we go home. How about telling me what happened. I didn't hear it all from Misato."

"Well," Shinji began, "Flame Convoy found the Angel and Asuka locked it up. But then it woke up and broke free. Asuka tried to fight, but ended up loosing her knife and getting her coolant cables slashed. Flame Convoy realized his attacks weren't working because the Angel's hide was too thick due to the fact that it was surviving in magma, and asked for another plan while trying to keep the Angel away from Unit 02. I told him to try shoving the coolant into the Angel's mouth, and it worked! Thermal Expansion!" Shinji was excited that his plan worked. "After that, Asuka's line broke, and she would have sunk if Flame Convoy hadn't have grabbed both sides of the line and held on. He's still at the volcano, I think."

Shinji was right.

"Cannonbaaaallll!" Flame Convoy splashed into the lava yet again. Nearby, Galaxy Convoy shook his head.

I'll never understand why he prefers molten magma to water. That fiery stuff is going to burn him one of these days.

Author's Note: Don't worry. Shinji and Rei are not breaking up. I have a good twist coming (or half of it at least), so you're just going to have to wait for the next chapter to find out how they overcome this.

Oh, and Gendo's not lying, by the way. But he's not telling the truth either.

Can anyone guess? Anyone?