.hack//EVA: Catharsis: Fateful Encounters
Disclaimer: In this universe in the quantum foam, I do not own or in any way shape or form hold a claim to the .hack series or Neon Genesis Evangelion.
" " denotes speech
'italics' denotes thought
'bold' denotes location names
'bold italics' denotes skill use
NERV Headquarters, Tokyo-3
To put it mildly, training in the virtual room was…not terribly easy. Previous simulations had been comparatively, as they had just involved an almost mindless repertoire of "Center the target, pull the switch. Center the target, pull the switch." This one, on the other hand, involved the possibility of pain, embarrassment, and enemies that actually fought back…in other words, its what the pilots should have been trained on since the beginning. I mean, its fine to know how to point and fire the nigh-useless pallet rifle (which in battle…what? Kicked up smoke against the fourth angel?) or to synch with a biomechanical war machine, but unless you know how to handle it in a combat situation, one must rely solely on berserker instincts or following orders to win…not the most effective strategies, by any means.
After a day of these training sessions, even the Invincible Shinji (or perhaps especially him, as he had had no combat training save The World) would be worn out and weary, and in such a state of mind would be either extremely docile or irritable, depending on how the simulation had gone. Well, as it so happened, there was some news for the Third Child, though he wasn't sure how to take it.
"The Second Child is arriving tomorrow," Misato had said to him after one such test. "And you get to meet her, since she's heard so much about the mighty Third Child." She winked at him, and continued. "You may bring a few friends with you, if you wish, just meet at the docks in the morning. And no, not Ayanami, even if you do have a crush on her. She has to stay behind and guard Tokyo-3."
Misato waggled her finger suggestively and Shinji's face lit up like one of those anime characters who had just consumed way too many Habanero chili peppers. No, steam did not erupt from his ears, and he did not end up breathing fire, but the resultant glow did give a little more warmth to the corridors of NERV, while contributing to the heat death of the universe.
Shinji was both stunned and worried. He had just gotten used to working with Rei in close proximity, and she seemed tolerant enough of his mistakes. What if the next person wasn't as tolerant as Ayanami was? Worse, what if she turned out to be the over-aggressive type who would tease him, or worse, find any excuse to put him down?
Another Child…am I that inadequate that they need to bring in someone else? Ayanami almost died because of me last time. Maybe it's true that I am nothing but a failure…that I'm going to be replaced. I never wanted to pilot, anyway. I pilot because others tell me to, because they need me, but the pain…but somehow its easier with someone to protect.
The slightest of smiles tugged at the corner of his lips as Shinji walked home in silence, a strained mask of nervousness covering up the turbulent mess inside his mind.
And who will I bring? Kensuke and Touji? Reimeiki? Maybe Hikari? She's been nicer to me lately, and nicer to Ayanami, too. Ah, decisions, decisions…
Aircraft Carrier USS Over the Rainbow, Flagship, UN Pacific Fleet
One of the things that most frustrated Askua about sailing on the open ocean was the lack of network connectivity. Yes, there were satellite uplinks and sophisticated communications gear, but as far as anything she could use for more mundane purposes, such as, oh, playing The World and getting a savage glee out of showing one of those annoying newbies why it was bad to trust anyone higher level than they. Sitting in her cabin of bare metal walls, there was really nothing to do except look out the window at the rolling waves of the sea, reminded bitterly of those blue-haired dastards who had dared to impugn her honor and skill.
When I find a chance to log in, I will bring discord back to The World, reminding those there that rewards go only to the strong, that the weak have no place there…they're all just useless dolls.
In some moments, the Second Child even wished that an Angel would attack, so that others would treat her as she should be – as someone important, as a powerful young woman in her own right. She had been chosen as an EVA pilot when she was only four, a remarkable achievement, or at least she had thought so until she went home and her mother killed herself.
Why? Why did Mother do that? She must have been weak; as I will never be…she abandoned me and taught me that only strength is enough in this world. I will never cry or need anyone else…I will be strongest, in this world or any other. In that way, I am doing the trusting a favor by showing them how life should be lived…right?
Why do they always have to resist so much and treat me like someone trying to bring evil? And that girl-man called me a "doll", an ugly useless doll, when he himself is the ugly one.
Asuka harrumphed, making a strangled half-hiss to show her displeasure with the term. She was alone, after all, and could afford to be angry. Anger kept people away, and when people were kept away, they couldn't hurt you anymore. Without anything else to do, and unable to sleep, the fiery redhead found herself looking out the porthole again, towards the rolling waves.
Why did this ocean have to be blue? Blue…the color I hate. The color of ugly, useless dolls that only follow orders and don't have any common sense. The color of the naïve, of the verdammen peace loving fools who don't know the glory that is Asuka Langley Soryu…
The Second sighed, irritated with her virtual confinement to this floating prison on the seas. While she could roam around if she chose, the officers had warned her to stay out of their way, and she had heard derisive remarks about this being a "babysitting mission", and mutters about "carrying a brat and her toy." Those had stung, and it had been hard to resist the temptation to smash in a face or two, but the fact that the men who had spoken were higher in rank than her, and that she didn't want to be thrown in the brig had kept her from doing anything too rash.
So many people saw her a child, even her beloved Kaji, who resisted her even after she had become so much more…developed. Was it a wonder then that preferred being inside her cabin for now, where the whispers would not follow, even if it were more boring than she would normally put up with?
I hope the Third Child and the others from Japan will come soon, to give me something to amuse myself with.
MIG-55D Transport Helicopter, En Route to Pacific Fleet
"A MIG 55D transport helicopter! I never thought I'd get a chance to fly on one! It's great to have friends, isn't it, Shinji?" shouted Kensuke excitedly. No matter what else happens in the EVAverse, there was still one constant: the bespectacled geek would continue to be a military otaku, fanatical about his love of anything related to the military or NERV.
For that reason, the other occupants of the helicopter were beginning to become quickly irritated with him. Granted, Touji and Shinji has acquired a weak resistance to the maniacal enthusiasm being produced (and that might have been enough to puncture an AT field with sheer volume of annoyance), but the others had not. Hikari and Lycoris were also on board, as Shinji had decided to bring them along too…the former partially to embarrass Touji, who had the sense to remain rather quiet when next to her.
"Eh?" asked Shinji, only half listening to Kensuke. He, like everyone else, was rather paying more attention to Lycoris, who was telling a story about a sickened fallen angel. A real angel, not like the ones humanity faced, captive and imprisoned in a place like Cocytus, the 9th Circle of Hell in Dante's Inferno, its location shrouded by a blinding snowstorm and guarded by an almost unstoppable foe, that which was humanity's One Sin.
"Damage done to the evil-shaped one, too massive to compare…"
Like one of the angels humanity fought in the modern day, The One Sin was indeed an evil shaped bring, though instead of sallying forth to assail its victims, this one sat atop an icy spire from which it commanded the field below. Further, it seemingly took no damage from the blows of any warrior, while dealing lethal damage in turn. Many adventurers had quested to destroy it and free the angel trapped within the land, but all had failed, until one day a certain duo came along and ridded the world of its bane.
"…Balmung of the Azure Sky, Orca of the Azure Sea, together they gallop at full speed…"
Two sword masters had joined together to face what they knew would most likely be fatal, leaping into battle against their foe and striking again and again to no effect. The one-sided battle raged, with the blade users using what magicks they had at their disposal to sustain the intensity of their assault. But The One Sin was not about to be defeated so easily, countering every arcane assault with one of its own, using powers much greater than a mere mortal could summon. A single breath from the drake and one of the warriors lay critically wounded, revived only by an elixir blessed by the strongest of mages.
Orca defended until Balmung was able to fight again, upon which they renewed their onslaught against the spectral beast. Again and again they struck, blades smashing into what seemed the unprotected flesh of Sin, only to glance off harmlessly of a nigh invincible foe.
"Hope fails. Power – now all to droplets turned…returns to nothing…"
Even the strongest warriors in the land had been no match for the might of the Spectrum Dragon, and so the same was true here, when in despair, Orca and Balmung tired, stepping away from their foe and unable to continue. But it was then, in the darkest moment of the battle, when the brave challengers had resigned themselves to defeat that they discovered the key to victory: that The One Sin was truly a reflection of the wrongs of humanity—or specifically, that it mirrored the attacks of its opponent, never striking unless they did first.
A shared look, and a surge of renewed vigor with the realization that the foebeast was not invincible. One launched a wave of fire, countered by one like it from the dragon, and it looked as if one of the warriors would fall, before the other attacked with a freezing gash of waterborne sorcery that sliced through the wave of flame, critically injuring the dragon for the first time as it howled in rage.
Now that the enemy's secret was known, it became almost a game to see who could whittle down more of its health, and who would be the one to land the deathblow. Slowly but surely the fell creature staggered backwards, until with a final strike ended with a sword lodged in its side. A shriek sounded as if from the depths of pandemonium as the One Sin reeled, plummeting from its icy spire to shatter into a thousand shards of magic.
"…And then what happened?" asked Touji, who was actually pulled in by the story that Lycoris was weaving. As it turned out, he was quite a sucker for fantasy stories involving strength, for he understood power, or at least, liked to think he did.
"All around the warriors, the field flared with light, as a land blighted by snow was healed, restored to rolling green," the silver haired girl replied. "And the spire itself melted away, setting the two brave souls who had fought the dragon gently onto the ground as an angel ascended to heaven, feathers falling all about, including one which gave an ancient goddess sight. The world was safe from the ravages of the beast at last, thanks to two who worked together."
"…the descendants of Fianna…together with the warrior who wears the eyes of the stars."
Throughout her story, Lycoris has quoted liberally from a poem of W.B. Yeats (also known as Hokuto in The World), as she described the epic struggle of two challengers fighting against seemingly insurmountable odds, winning at last by teamwork. Then at last it ended, and most everyone had a thoughtful look upon their face.
That is, until the age old question was asked: "Where are we going?"
"We're cruising the Pacific on that gorgeous ship," Misato said offhandedly, gesturing to a rapidly approaching battle group.
Needless to say, a certain otaku responded very enthusiastically to this.
"Wow! 5 carriers and 4 battleships! What a cool fleet! Yeah, it's good to have friends..." he moaned, seemingly on the edge of ecstasy.
"That ship's "gorgeous"?" asked Touji with a bit of incredulity. He really didn't see what all the fuss was about when it came to military hardware, much preferring to express interest in "wetware", that was to say, other people, particularly of the female variety.
"You bet it's gorgeous!" shot back Kensuke, eyes shining with excitement. "That's the supercarrier "Over the Rainbow," the pride of the U.N. Pacific Fleet!"
"That ship is pretty big," acknowledged Hikari, who was hoping that the helicopter would land soon so she would not have to deal with Kensuke's immaturity any longer. "But I wonder why a relic like that is still afloat?"
Now the bespectacled geek looked affronted, blustering: "Its not a relic…its vintage!" while a couple of people thought in their minds that it was all the same to them.
Then the helicopter came in for its final approach and landing, and even Kensuke shut up at the sight of fighter jets lined up perfectly on the flight deck and anti-aircraft guns.
"Its so…Wow! Too awesome!" he exploded, tearing up at the perceived beauty and grandeur of Over the Rainbow. "If you're a man, you have to weep at such a sight!
Flight Deck - Aircraft Carrier USS Over the Rainbow, Flagship, UN Pacific Fleet
Kensuke's state of euphoric bliss did not wear off upon setting foot on the deck of the aircraft carrier, and though even Touji was mildly impressed by what was essentially a floating city of steel around him. Physical power was one of the things that he knew and understood very well, and though he did not go gaga over guns and steel, he had a healthy respect for it. That and the presence of Hikari was enough to keep him in line, even when the wind whisked his hat away.
"Hey, wait! Wait! Stop, damn it! Stop!" he cried, but to no avail. The mischievous zephyr has a mind of its own, and like its mother the wind will not be dissuaded from its course. So the jock watched helplessly as his new cap was blown along the deck…and smashed under the heel of a young woman in a sundress.
The first thoughts to cross his mind were 'HOT DAMN, SHE'S FINE!', though in the next moment, he took an involuntary step backwards, as his mind made a rather unpleasant association: 'Wait…dat foreign girl looks like dat PK…exactly like the PK.'
Suffice it to say that Touji would not have run forward to claim his cap, even if a slender hand had not dropped onto his shoulder at that moment.
A similar thought pattern crossed Kensuke's mind, though that went more long the lines of: 'Sukhoi Su-33 fighters. Yakovlev Yak-38 VTOL fighters. EA-6 Prowler electronic warfare craft. Eris the PK in a yellow sundress. E-2 Hawkeye airborne early warning craft. Wait…what?'
Hikari reserved judgment for now, but she had her suspicions. With the lessons that Aranami-sensei had been giving about the Epitaph, psychology, and each of us playing roles, she had become quite good at picking her way past masks. That, and if one is going to spend any significant amount of time around Rei Ayanami, one needs to learn to read subtle clues to mood and personality.
"Hello, Misato. How are you?" the German redhead was saying, causing the Idiot Duo to double take. This nubile young foreigner knew the babelicious major?
"As well as ever," Misato replied, looking over her former ward appreciatively. "You've grown tall, haven't you?"
"That's right!" Asuka responded with a cheerful smile. "And not just taller--my figure has filled out, too."
Misato nodded, and then gave Asuka a quizzical look before turning to the rest of those who had come along to observe.
"Let me introduce you to the exclusive pilot of Evangelion Unit Two, the Second Child, Asuka Langley Soryu."
It was then that Shinji chose to look up and meet Asuka's proud gaze, finding himself transfixed by a pair of curiously familiar blue eyes that sent a chill down his spine.
'I feel like…I know her. But from where?'
Meanwhile, somewhere in The World
Kazumi, a tall, curvaceous Steam Gunner dressed in finely woven chain mail, cursed as she ducked behind a boulder to evade an attack from a Solid Eye, a slow but powerful creature that hid its face under a shield: A face with an eye on top of another. Just when he thought he was clear of the dungeon, he had to run into this boss monster, nearly impenetrable due to its armor, which had to be worn down before the enemy would even begin to take serious damage.
It didn't help that it was flanked by two of its predecessors, Gaze Knights, which like it, were also immensely powerful and heavily armored. In fact, the only discernable difference between the Solid Eye and the Gaze Knight as the shield that the former hid its face between.
Boom! A massive metal fist slammed into the rock that she had been hiding behind, and she only barely rolled out of the way in time as the monsters lumbered towards her position, their limbs waving about threateningly as their eyes fixed themselves upon her.
This is not good…especially not for me, since I'm a solo player…
Kazumi snatched up her bayonet, the level 66 Gun Bead, and decided that it would be worth it to expend some SP on a skill.
"Tempest Blast!" she shouted, unleashing a hail of bullets against his enemies, whittling away their armor with his piercing area attack.
In the moment of confusion that resulted, one of the Gaze Knights crashed into the Solid Eye, immobilizing it for just long enough for her to pull out a Fire Stormscroll and call out "Vak Don!,"as great balls of fire rippled into existence and converged upon the ponderous beasts. They roared in pain and tried to turn to face her, but as long as Kazumi kept moving, she could evade them…which was good, because if they connected, she was dead.
"How's that for pink eye?" she taunted, dancing in close and bringing her weapon up to her shoulder again. A quick succession of shots, and the monsters fell back to her Thunder Spark skill, further knocking down their armor. Just a little more and she would be ready to attack, but not quite yet.
She drew out two more scrolls, Warrior's Blood and Earth Spike, and activated them before her opponents could recover. A glow appeared around her, and the Steam Gunner's physical attack stat was raised, as the skill "Gan Bolg" was cast, causing spires to rise from the ground and impale the trio of enemies.
Now was the time to strike, as Kazumi leapt backwards to avoid a swinging blow, but didn't manage to dodge all of it. With a sickening thud, her avatar was slammed into the dungeon wall, her bayonet clattering to the ground between the monsters.
The Steam Gunner felt sick. Has she spent so much time getting to the bottom of a dungeon, just to be defeated?
No…that I refuse to accept. I will not lose after sacrificing so much in The World. I must…become…stronger!
With that, Kazumi sprang from the wall into the air, her path describing a perfect arc as she pulled an older weapon out of inventory and opened fire.
"Flak Cannon!" she barked, as a veritable maelstrom of lead shot from the muzzle of her weapon, seriously damaging her foes and sending them staggering. She landed in the midst of them, put away her old weapon, and snatched up her Gun Bead in one smooth motion, before launching herself away from the monsters, skidding on her back towards the entrance to the chamber.
As the three demonic creatures stumbled towards her, a fierce grin lit up her face as she brought her bayonet up and unleashed hell. With unholy screams of agony as each piece of shrapnel carved its way into their unresisting flesh, the trio of monsters fell, vanishing from the dungeon in an explosion of data.
Breathing hard, Kazumi rose shakily to her feet. She had done it. She had gotten to the bottom of a—
"That was an impressive battle," intoned a coolly musical voice.
The Steam Gunner whirled, the muzzle of her weapon pointed at the speaker, who was by all appearances, a Shadow Warlock clad all in black, with flowing purple-black tresses and dark violet eyes. But the most curious thing about the mysterious new arrival was a silver infinity symbol that served as a brooch, gleaming out in the darkness of the dungeon.
"Who are you?" Kazumi hissed, wary that this might be a PK out to get her. There was no name floating above the other character, and that had her slightly worried, especially as she didn't remember the infinity symbol existing as part of legal character costume.
But the Shadow Warlock only looked amused, her violet eyes glinting dangerously as she whispered just loudly enough to hear:
"I am…The World."
Kazumi had a feeling something bad was about to happen, and even as she was looking at the Warlock, a ripple in the fabric of the dungeon caught her attention. A haunting sound like whalesong was heard as a golden dumbbell monster simply appeared above the Shadow Warlock's head. She opened fire, but this new creature simply extended tendrils from its two conjoined spheres and knocked her weapon away.
"Call off your creature. What do you want?" Kazumi asked, hoping to distract the Shadow Warlock for long enough to get to her weapon and hopefully eliminate the player who had summoned the monster.
"I want…that which you carry within," was the cryptic reply.
As the Sorceress in Black was answering, the Steam Gunner took her chance to dive for her weapon, but just as she seized it, a single needle of solidified jelly shot out and impaled her character, raising her up into the air.
"Data Drain" was the last thing that Kazumi heard before her world dissolved into pain, ending at last in perfect darkness.