By A.Womack with additions by N.Clamppit.
Tennyson found NERV a remarkable place; remarkable in that it looked like every other installation he had ever visited. With a mental sigh he admitted that this was the fate of all postindustrial structures. Metal metal and more metal…
"Mr.Tennyson? The commanders office is right over this way."
The office bunny now leading him thru this giant ant farm pointed toward a large black metal doorway. 'Meant to intimidate comers to hells gate' however far from his reaction Tennyson chuckled.
The office of one Gendo Ikari was a Freudian exercise en grand, the extent and purpose of compensation was up in the air though. Analyzing the room Tennyson came to the conclusion that the correct interpretation was the Commander was a dick. So he stood, standing before the mighty desk of the Ikari. Rather uncomfortably. You'll find Immortals are surprisingly impatient. Ten quickly grew tired of the pissing contest with the dick.
"If you are indisposed Mr. Ikari, then I will gladly leave and stop wasting yours, and what is infinitely worse, my time. " Always wanted to use that…{Me too XD}
Slowly and deliberately the coldest (so he thought) man on earth raised his eyes from the report in his hands.
"Your prices, Mr.Tennyson are quite high, as I might add. Do you foresee some reason why we should purchase from you at such uncompetitive rates?"
"Because Mr. Ikari, there is no competition. No one offers the services we do in the time frames we do. As you should be well aware we helped NERV get over several very difficult hurdles in bringing 'Project E' online. We have information and expertise on many matters you don't want spread any further then possible."
The Commander gave pause at this; he knew everything the man had said to be true and intended to give him the contracts; but he wanted to give at least token resistance as well gain some level of dominance. With his eyes going down once more and his hand going up, he took Tennyson's offered contracts, which he signed with practiced ease. He handed them back without looking up, returning to his reports. Tennyson however, was not finished. He stood another five minutes before Gendo acknowledged him again.
"…What?"
"I will be spending quite a bit of time here you understand, as well as need some 'observers' to make sure our products are not accidentally misused or serviced.
"Your saying you want to spy on us?"
"Do you feel we should?"
The Commander thought about this for a moment, given who he was dealing with it was better to know at least was doing the spying. He pushed his glasses up his nose.
"So be it, Section 2 will arrange it with you. The computer link ups will be available within 48 hours."
"Thank you ever so much Commander Ikari, I shall be leaving then."
"Indeed."
Turning around and walking toward the door, Tennyson spoke with his hand on the handle...
"Do you know Ikari, how you tell angels from demons? The looks in their eyes…"
"…"
Blood.
So much blood…
I bled upon the ground.
I bled all my hopes and dreams.
I bled all my fears and nightmares.
I bled all my soul.
I bled all the world down my veins.
And then I bled some more.
Drained of life.
Drained of death.
Drained of time.
The words seemed to come of their own accord, seeing he would rather have saved his breath. A trail of crimson splotches and hand printed walls marked his passing and stood silent witness. With a final, desperate effort he worked the mechanism nearly fell thru the door.
"I'm home…" he said as stepped over the threshold the empty home. Three steps he took and collapsed onto the couch… What was he doing here? What could he possibly accomplish like this? Slowly at first, then in pained, long blood foamed gasps he laughed, alone in the room and his world.
"And such is the thinking of men…"
"So how is the steak Asuka?"
Shinji would never have guessed she would order extra large porterhouses from a mail catalog. What he did guess was she expected him to cook them.
"Not bad Shinji, though I've had better but its not like you've had practice." Any compliment at all, from her was not a small miracle.
"You know, these must have cost a lot…."
He looked over to where she was sitting, and the Cheshire cat himself would have called a lawyer.
"You know all those medical forms we go thru each angel attack?"
"…Yes?" The pilot medical plan was as clandestine as the rest of the organization.
"Weeeeell…these are 'protein supplements'."
Shinji gave her his ultimate face of disbelief, which he was rather proud of, being it took a lot to cause him disbelief. Asuka however was not one to be thrown off her game so easily.
"…You know (burp) your face is going to stick like that one of these days."
When he recalled this moment later in life, he couldn't quantify just why that comment got under his skin. It was easily the least of what she had said to him. Shinji however, suddenly felt it worthwhile to risk life and limb on his next words.
"And your going to get fat eating like you have the last few days."
The fork, as he found later, was embedded rather deeply into the wall. His roommate took his stunned lapse to retreat to her room. When he made for his refuge he noticed something slightly out of place.
"When did she get locks on her door?..." He thought as he slipped under the covers.
The blood on the walkway didn't disturb Tennyson. As one who had traveled beyond the sunset, he had been there and done that. Seeing it lead into his new abode got a raised eyebrow and a right hand in his pocket, finger on the butt of Wolfgang's toy.
"Val?" he said aloud as he walked thru the door. He took in the situation with practiced ease.
"You bled on it, you bought it …"
"(Cough) Go to hell Ten…"
Sitting down on the coffee table beside the couch with a smug look he felt well, jovial about it. "Probably, who did it?"
"That overzealous bitch."
"The red head?"
"No the blue haired one."
"Oh really? The blue cutie you say? I must shake her hand."
"Remind me to arrange a long stay in Gorbaddon for you after this."
"Don't even kid about that!"
"…"
"?"
"Do I really have to ask for bandages?"
"Oh, sorry, forgot."
"…"
All in all it was a lousy evening in Tokyo-3. Pain imagined and real, external and internal and all consuming owned the night. Some ached after lost loves, others over their own sense of self. One spent the night with a gut shot.
Early the next morning, Tennyson and Val waited in a clearing outside the city. It was still twilight and the cicadas had not yet begun to sing (if it can be called that) Tennyson looked to Val (who was still in a notable amount of pain) …
"How much longer?"
Valthalion looked up, opened his mouth to speak, then stopped. For just then a change came upon the clearing. A white, glowing fog seemed to materialize upon the ground and leap up before them. With only the softest of sounds, a 'World Jumper' class 8 craft (roughly the size of a large fishing boat, but looked nothing like one) appeared and settled down. 'Corenta' was its name. A landing ramp came down and figure appeared in the doorway.
"Ho to the fire!" Cried the cloaked and silhouetted form.
"What fire? And just what are you doing here Sabin?"
The medium sized and built man was dressed in a well made but worn from use cloak. Still bearing a sword at his hip he looked like the fantasy world character he was.
"Wolfgang sent me, said this would help pay for the Corenta so here I am! Anyhow where you want this stuff?"
Tennyson pointed over to a still empty part of the clearing. "Ok." A set of automated moving drones started mag-leving the crates down the ramp while Sabin walked down his friends. "So what have you guys been up to eh?"
Val started to talk but B.T cut him off. "Getting gut shot by blue haired beauties."
Sabin blinked, then looked Val over a closely, noticing the bandages under his t-shirt.
"By the blade! Are you all right?" Valthalion only groaned in response.
"Oh right, well lets get you up to the physical station then."
As they helped the their wounded friend up the ramp, Tennyson spoke.
"So how is the old Valerath? "
"Oh it hasn't changed for some time, after Grokahn's forces broke off we have reclaimed many old places of strength. Arimas has withdrawn his support of the Gro Dynasty. We hope in a few more years to reestablish the leaguer of Gorbaddon."
As they Placed Valthalion into the medical chamber, Sabin continued.
"And thanks to Val's discretion, we don't think Arimas will be giving them support in near future. Oh ya, Kesa sends her salutations."
"Just how is that old battleaxe?"
"Depressed actually, she hasn't been getting her personal kill quota with the drop in action. Plus you know if she was here she would have run you thru for that!"
"And poor Val would have to make room in there, ya ya."
"Oh, um… HE sent these as well."
Sabin withdrew a large, hardbound book from under his cloak. Tennyson, stunned at this, reached out for it reverently as if it would disappear.
"…He, he truly thinks the time has come? That there will be new pages to fill… how long Sabin, how long did we wait? Val doesn't realize, he simply can't. But wait what am I saying, even between you and me the flows have been different. Our chronology, our tenses and beings are forever disturbed by the journeys."
Tennyson held the book in his hands, 'Chronicle of Valthalion Pallar, Lord of Powers, The Incomplete'
"He almost never realizes it when he lapses. Sometimes, sometimes he can hardly keep himself within time. In the early days, before he learned control, he would fade from one realm to the next without warning or conscious decision. The first age of himself. One time, one time he sat before a river. He sat and before him the river carved a valley of great splendor, all in moments. Caught in the experience he didn't perceive the eons passing, the sun rising and falling. Whole races rising and falling. He sat, on that spot for forty thousand years Sabin. Forty thousand I held my pen stroke from the book! "
Age immeasurable lined his face as he gently brushed his hand on the cover…
With the sadness of one who should never have had to endure it.
"And so, Tennyson became caretaker of shadows."
They looked into the healing chamber to the slumbering child, the child who had come before them, and would certainly outlast them. A child who bore such an inhuman weight that he could never be whole or complete. All that ever was, is or could be was his to command. But he forbids it. For every person it saved, every hurt and shadow it erased, it made countless more. Like trading all hope of possession for a sword, only to find it couldn't kill. The 'Lord of Powers' was tragedy given shapeless form.
"Where does he go from here Sabin?"
"That question is no different for
the rest of us Ten."
"Perhaps so… but its not for me I worry."
"Ten….Tennyson, just what is happening on this world makes calls for all this?"
"…"
One again looking down to the book, he felt something he hadn't for a very long time. Tennyon felt alive, because he didn't know what lay ahead but great things were afoot. "I don't know" You never knew everything, and hope sprang eternal. Coincidence? "I hardly think so" and so he smiled, and spoke words he had penned to the very first Chronicle in another life.
" So it begins, a notion, thought, quest. As it must be, but in the end is where variation begins. For as such all things start alike, outcomes are disalike. In all the realms of creation there are countless beginnings, bringing forth mirrors of inferior quality. All is unique, no doubles, no seconds or perfect copies. Only masquerading realities trying to imitate one another in perfect failure."
The feeling in his chest swelled with them, for this was something new and wonderful! A part of him thought long dead stirred within him, Tennyson felt young.
He sincerely hoped his friend felt the same.
Back in Tokyo-3 Rei Ayanami was feelling old. He had participated in the killings of angels, and she had died herself. She had not though, ever killed another person. The dilemma of it all concerned her. She was home, sitting on her bed, looking at the gun she had been given long ago for 'protection'. 'Why am I so upset? He was a threat, the Commander would have authorized it'. The posttraumatic stress (yes she felt it!) of it all was taking its toll. Falling back onto her bed, she closed her eyes and began to sleep. School could wait.
Well there's another short chapter for anyone who bothers to read it. =)
I know things are still boring but the angels will fix that don't worry. We had some more new faces and names in this chapter but theirs is another story. There was mention of the 'Chronicles' volumes, namely the 'Chronicle of the first age of himself' There are many others with names such as 'Chronicle of mirror war' ' Chronicle of the lost' ' Chronicle of the dark' 'Chronicle of shame' 'Chronicle of wrath' and "Chronicle Arimas'. Each represents a written account of Valthalion's existence by Tennyson. By now I am sure you are wondering where the EVA fic is in all this new material, but I assure you it will be there. Seldon I thank you for your notes and I would love to get some more if you oblige (sends a hyperspacial impression your way) And anyone else's comments I would love to hear (it would be nice to know someone reads it).
P.S naturally I don't own EVA.