Reprisal 0:8
MAGI
"Eh? A message from the MAGI?" Misato asked herself. She had locked herself in her office, and plowed through paperwork all through the afternoon, eventually falling asleep at her desk. What time was it, she asked herself. She glanced at her watch, then her computer screen.
MAGI GUEST ACCESS
ACTIVE LOG
"Oh, my God," she said to herself in a mixture of shock and horror.
OPENED B12 B13 SUB C 10 SUB C 22
DOGMA L23 L24 DENIED
"Damn him! Damn him! Damn him to hell!" Misato shrieked in her office. She angrily punched her desk. How could she have been so stupid? She had given the guest card to Logan, and now not only was the card unreturned, he had actually used it. Worse still, his failed attempts to open the secured doors in the Dogma was logged, and it was a matter of time before someone, Operations, Security, Intelligence, anyone, noticed. The trail would lead straight to her, and she had no excuse whatsoever. She typed hurriedly, recalling a detailed map of the Central Dogma and the lower levels, marking the doors that Logan had successfuly opened.
"But why? He doesn't need it.. " Misato mumbled to herself. It was obvious to her that he had a way of opening most of the unsecured doors, using the card only to open certain doors, and ultimately, the failed attempts in the Dogma. She marked the doors he had opened, trying to figure out a pattern, which did not take long. Whether by chance or design, she saw that he had left a clear trail across the Geofront and Dogma.
R-10-20
Pretty impressive, he thought despite himself. A gigantic humanoid robot 60 feet tall. It was like living in one of the afternoon cartoons. He pushed the cartload of small machine parts towards a work station where technicians were busy welding on armor plates to the giant robot's foot. The stolen uniform worked wonders. No one had even given him a second glance since the second he stepped past the door. He caught a glimpse of something that looked like .. skin? flesh? under the metal plates. He blinked involuntarily. What kind of robot was this?
He marveled briefly at the technological marvel they were building. He had expected robots to be boxy, but this Evangelion, as they called it, was wiry, thin, like a basketball player,even succesfully duplicating a human- looking musculature . The workers have been working 24 hours a day to finish the robot, called Unit Zero. He had been here almost five hours, disguised as a lowly technician, moving things from one place to another. He was slightly disappointed. Was this the agency's greatest secret? What did this thing have to do with the Weapon X program? There was no logical connection that he could see. Deep inside, he was wondering if he had done the right thing. The very fact of his being here meant he just burnt whatever bridges he had with Misato. Both of them had tried hard, in their own awkward ways, to reach out to each other, and he had destroyed all of it in an instant, the first time he used the stolen card.
He continued his work, trying to catch snippets of conversations, only to be confounded most times by the incessant engineering technobabble. He grew angrier with himself for taking this bet, and losing. Suddenly, work came to a brief halt as an elevator door opened. He turned to see two women enter, both looking upset. He noted the white lab coat and red jacket, and immediately knew who it was that had just entered the huge construction bay, and why they were here. He lowered his cap to cover his face, and tried to move toward the shadows as inconspicously as possible.
Misato and Ritsuko strode into the huge room, eyes glaring at every face they saw. Both women were incredibly angry, at Logan, and each other. Ritsuko found a foreman, and exchanged words with him, and Logan saw how he scurried towards a loudhailer. This isn't good, he thought. He noticed too, that Misato was now carrying a submachinegun instead of her usual pistol. She's really pissed, he thought to himself.
"All personnel report for roll call! All personnel report for roll call!" He bit his lip. They knew. He quickly mingled with the other workers, then as soon as he had the chance, he slipped away from the group and hid in the shadows of the huge scaffolding that encased the robot.
Both Ritsuko and Misato quickly sorted out the assembled workers and stared at each and every face, sometimes even tugging at beards and taking off caps. As they went through the workers, each became more agitated and sometimes yelled obscenities at the men, while casting angry glances at each other through tired, bloodshot eyes. As they finished, they ordered the workers to remain standing at attention. Not good, Logan thought to himself. The two women then did a terrible mistake. They had both simultaneously turned to face each other, causing their mutual pent-up aggravation to be released in a sudden burst of verbal violence. From his hiding place, his sensitive ears caught out snippets of the argument.
"I can't believe your incompetence!" shouted one of the women. Ritsuko maybe, he thought.
"You're not much help to anyone!" Misato shouted back at her. He strained to hear the rest.
"Incompetence way beyond covering up.."
"I should just have you shot and save time on the court martial!"
"If you hadn't provided such lousy information maybe he wouldn't need to.."
"For this... this! I had to beg Fuyutsuki not to send you to Aichi to die for that adamantium..."
"You have no right to interfere in millitary matters!" Misato shouted.
"You have no competence in millitary matters!" Ritsuko fired back, full of venom.
The assembled workers stood there dumbly, but inside they were enjoying the catfight. There would be much talk at the NERV cafeterias for a few days.
"Oh just stop nagging, you old hag!" Misato shouted at the top of her voice.
"Hag?!" Ritsuko yelled back. She suddenly stopped yelling, her shoulders slumped, as if the word have struck a sensitive nerve center. Almost for the first time, she noticed the assembled workers, who still stood at attention, but were probably laughing at them inside.
"Back to work," Ritsuko said tiredly, waving her hand at the workers. As she turned to leave, she stared daggers at Misato, who stood there, arms crossed across her chest, breathing hard in anger, blowing stray strands of hair away from her face. Her submachinegun lay at her side, hanging from its nylon strap from her right shoulder.
"The Jasmine Falls briefing will be at 1200 sharp," Ritsuko hissed.
"I know that," was Misato's curt reply.
"I don't want to see you there," Ritsuko said, and immediately spun on her heel, her shapely legs striding away from the scene as fast as she could without sacrificing dignity. Misato walked away, using a separate exit from Ritsuko. Several hours later, as the outside world was about to see the dawn, he felt that it was time for him to continue his mission. The women had mentioned Aichi, adamantium and Jasmine Falls. He resolved to buy a detailed map of the Aichi province as soon as he got to the city above. Then it was just a matter of getting there first before they assaulted the place. He would need some fast transport, though.
He slipped away as innocently as he could manage, away from the main body of workers, carefully making his way to a little-used elevator marked R-20. He had no idea where the elevator led, but he took his chances. The elevator went straight down, to his disappointment. He listened to the hum of the motor mechanism and the clicking of the instrument panels to break the boredom. Without so much as a jerk, the elevator perfectly stopped, its door opening with a slight whoosh. He stepped out quickly, lest his ride was discovered by that damn computer that seemed to run everything here. He saw a large, empty storage area, crates and boxes arranged with precision and care. The elevator door opened to an elevated walkway above the storage area. The thin metal railings could easily be jumped over, but he felt that the door on the other side of the room might have more promise. He quickly made his way to the door, his nose noting the faint smell of lavender.
That was the first sign of trouble. The second was when the cold barrel of the gun was pressed against his back. Distracted, he chided himself. He silently raised his arms in the gesture of surrender.
Misato's eyes narrowed as she pushed the barrel of the gun deeper into his back. "You disappoint me," was all that she could say, her voice masking her other feelings of rage, betrayal and even sadness. "No sudden moves. Point your hands straight up," she commanded. He did so without saying a word. "Extend your claws," she continued. He hesitated, wondering what was she thinking. "Do it!" Misato hissed. He extended his claws, the sharp adamantium piercing through the skin of his hand with a silent snickt sound.
"Why, Logan, Why?" Misato asked in an entirely different tone of voice, almost pleading with him to help her make sense of his actions. "Ritsuko's told you everything you wanted. Why did you have to get greedy?"
He snorted contemptuosly. "Huh. Some help. How can anyone trust what she says? She doesn't care for anyone, anything, least of all the truth. Least of all, you," he said. "Shut up," Misato snarled. "Walk where I tell you to. No heroics." She twisted his arms back, far enough to hurt a little. His extended claws cut into his arms, drawing thin trickles of blood with the slightest movement. She handcuffed him, then nudged him forward. "Better walk slow, `Wolverine`," Misato warned. "Any sudden moves, or try to retract those claws, and you'll sever an artery or two." She definitely knows her stuff, he noted. Under other circumstances, he'd be impressed.
"Move." Misato issued the simple command. He obeyed. They slowly made their way across the elevated walkway. Misato's grip on her weapon was steady, she did not tremble or hesitate. Misato herself felt a deep chill the longer she stayed in the room. She had felt the cold hand of death touch her heart when she first stepped in this room. She saw flashing images of herself lying on the cold steel platform in front of the elevator, her blood rapidly flowing from underneath her. She saw herself looking at the R- 20 elevator, saw it move up, back to the construction bay, and she saw herself managing to smile weakly, mouthing something before dying. It had played in her mind for almost three hours while waiting for him. She had a gut feeling he would take this elevator, so she just stood there, alone, for three hours while the visions tormented her mind. She grimly pressed the barrel of her gun harder into Logan's back. Maybe she was destined to die here, she thought, but she'll give him several new holes in his body before she dies.
"Faster," she said.
"You wanted me to walk slow, darlin' " was his reply.
"Shut up, walk faster," she snarled, losing patience. "Illegal entry, resisting arrest, spying, personal use of NERV property, possible sabotage.. And after your little sight seeing trip in the Eva bay, I should just shoot you now and save money on putting you on trial," she said, as they finally left the room. He heard her sigh with relief, for some unknown reason.
"Darlin', would you blame me?" Logan asked as they made their way along the endless corridors.His claws cut thin lines into his arms. A thin trickle of his blood ran down his arm to his hands, making them slick. It'll heal, he knew from experience. "Walk a mile in my shoes and tell me I don't have the right to find out?"
"No. But I must perform my duty," she answered back. "I'm sorry, really. If I was in another department, like Tactical, or Science, or Operations, I'd have turned a blind eye.But I'm not," Misato said. "So please, Logan. I know you're probably faster than I am, but let's not make it any harder." She paused. "For either one of us."
They continued to walk in silence.
Holding Cells
No windows. No visible ventilation, just one light source. Just a bed and a toilet bowl. He walked into the cell, his expression betraying nothing as Misato shoved him into the holding cell, then he watched as the three-inch thick, solid steel door slid shut. He could slice his way out if he really needed to, and he knew Misato knew his capabilities, so he took the opportunity to use the bed for some much-needed sleep. She'll come crawling back, he thought.
"You are not to talk to him, feed him or give him any medical attention whatsoever until I clear it, or I do it persoally, is that understood?" She ordered the guard.
"Yes, Lieutenant," the guard answered. "In the event that he requires anything, says anything, or even breathes strangely.."
"I report to you posthaste, ma'am."
"Good. Remember that. He's a tricky little bastard," Misato said. "I'll be in briefing room 12D." She turned to leave, gritting her teeth in anticipation of what was about to happen.
She stepped into the room, her eyes scanning the room. She saw various personnel from various branches of NERV, Investigations, Tactical, Intelligence, even one or two techs that she recognized. She stepped inside the room, looking for a good chair with a view, shrugging off the knowing stares of some of the men. She found a nice metal folding chair that was exactly front and center. It was occupied.
She laid her hand on the sargeant's shoulder, moving her lips close to the woman's ear. "Move, Denise," she hissed.
"I was here first, Misato," was her reply. Misato's voice dropped into a conspiratorial whisper. "Don't make me distribute those photos from the security cameras, Denise."
The woman's face went pale. "Misato! You wouldn't! You're not kidding ....are you?" Misato shook her head, her hair lightly brushing against Denise's shoulder. She got the message, immediately standing up and making her way to the back of the room. Misato smiled.
The door opened behind her. Misato could tell it was Ritsuko by the tapping sound of her heels on the floor as she walked. Ritsuko walked right past her, briefly glancing sideways with a blank expression on her face. She stood in front of the room, a large display screen flickering to life behind her.
"I am Doctor Akagi Ritsuko, Chief Scientist," she introduced herself, unnecessarily. "I will brief you on the non-millitary aspects of this operation." Misato stared intently ahead. "First of all, this action would involve unsanctioned activity on Japanese soil, so any Japanese citizens who might feel uncomfortable with the operational plans are welcome to back out now," she said calmly, as several people got up and left quietly. Misato stayed.
"Three days ago, a sample of a rare metal called adamantium was stolen from the Project E labs," Ritsuko said, to some slight murmurs from the assembled people. There had been talk. "This metal is the hardest known on Earth, and is a vital component in the development of the Eva weapons systems,"
Ritsuko's eyes narrowed as she continued. "The people responsible are members of a fringe lunatic cult who have been actively engaged in acts of random terror towards agency personnel in the past and present." Ritsuko paused, taking a quick sip from a mineral water bottle. "We have every reason to believe our adamantium is being hidden in one of the old Gehirn lab complexes in Aichi, at a place known as Jasmine Falls. Intelligence has indicated that these people are heavily armed and are receiving material support from an unknown benefactor." Misato nodded slowly as Ritsuko continued to read out her memorized speech.
What Logan would give me to be hearing this, she thought to herself. She made plans.
"That concludes my briefing. Tactical will give the operational briefing after a five minute break," Ritsuko said, immediately stepping outside the room, probably heading back to her labs.
"I have a plan. It's risky, but I don't think you have a choice," Misato said to him in the darkened holding cell.
He looked up at her, expressionless.
"You're going to help us retrieve the sample. I'll give you a head start to sneak in, soften up the opposition, and get the hell out of our way when we move in," she said, her gaze fixed on his silent form on the bed.
"And afterwards, I'll buy you a beer," Logan said with a hint of sarcasm, his eyes still staring at the ceiling. "What's in it for me?" he asked, feigning disinterest.
Misato unlocked the door, which slid in with a silent whoosh. Her shadow darkened the doorway, adding to the darkness already in the room. Logan got up from the bed, surprised that she didn't feel the need to try and hide behind the thick steel. With the door opened, it would only take seconds for him to maim her and escape. What was she up to?
"I don't know. Isn't this enough? Isn't this what you wanted?" Misato asked him.
"Why?"
Misato looked away. "With those claws, you can kill quietly. Your healing factor makes you last just a little longer than the rest of us. And you have no connection to the agency. There'd be.." She paused.
"No liability," he said, cutting her off. He had heard the phrase often enough.
Think fast, Kaji mentally reminded himself as he sat in the back of the confessional service. Ritsuko would have figured out the location of the adamantium pretty quickly and there could be truckloads of NERV agents on their way even now. Brother Pierce trusted him to look after the adamantium, which was good. He also entrusted Creed, the feral guy that calls himself Sabretooth, to look after it. That was bad. Then there was also the matter of the metal itself. The sample was pretty heavy and it'd take a strong man to move it around, which he was not.
Kaji now wished he had been a real journalist, instead of just using it as a cover for his activities. Brother Pierce was in front, laying his hand on the head of a new initiate. Kaji unconsciously tapped the leg holster where he secretly kept his gun. The faint metallic tapping reassured him, unlike Brother Pierce. Pierce was beginning to disturb even him.Lately, Pierce was talking more and more about Mother Diana. Mother Diana, according to Pierce, would take the souls of the chosen when the Angels came to Earth and triggered the Third Impact. While the unworthy would die in the Impact, Mother Diana would save the worthy and take them into herself and away to Heaven.
It was very strange theology, Kaji knew that much. There was no mention of this Mother Diana in the Scrolls. He shrugged it off as just another heresy. Now, if Pierce was saying that it was now time to join with Mother Diana, he'd be worried. He shrugged to himself while quietly leaving the service. It wasn't comfortable, listening to the cultists confess to a murder, and Brother Pierce issuing forgiveness. He feared that he would snap and go on a rampage if he were to hear a certain name mentioned. He walked past empty, whitewashed corridors to one of the old storage rooms, unconverted by the cultists. It still had some old Gehirn equipment untidily stacked in a corner. He opened the makeshift wooden door, only to be greeted by a low, animal snarl as he stepped inside the room.
"Whoa! Down, boy!," Kaji exclaimed, used to the barely masked hostility.
"Runt," snarled Creed. "What'cha want?"
Kaji shrugged, as nonchalantly as he could. "Nothing important."
"Then get lost, runt,"
Kaji calmly lit a cigarette, showing no emotion other than the cheerful carefree facade that he cultivated. "Don't think so. Brother Pierce said we both look after that lump," he said, briefly nodding in the direction of the precious adamantium that they were charged with guarding. "Listen, I say we move this somewhere else."
Creed's eyes gleamed coldly in the dim light. He was the mutant killer Sabretooth, and the idea of putting up with a little dishevelled annoying pest like Kaji was beginning to get to him. Still, Mystique told him to play nice with these religious loonies until they could figure out a way to make money from the adamantium, and playing nice with Kaji was a pretty explicit order. Until she showed up again, he played his role of obedient flunky to Brother Pierce. "Keep talking, squirt," he said.
"Here's how I see it. I don't think Chairman Lorenz is playing it even with us. NERV's coming. I don't care how many laser rifles we stole, this storeroom is the lousiest place to put something so important. Don't you think so?" he asked with a knowing smile. Creed's eyes bore a hole through Kaji's skull. The little man was a master of doublespeak. He might be genuinely concerened the metal could be stolen. Or he could be testing his loyalties. Perhaps Kaji wanted the metal for himself, and was trying to trick him. Creed hoped Mystique would come back from Tokyo-3 soon so he can get her permission to slit Kaji's throat and be done with his little games. He let a low growl escape his lips. Kaji took the hint, gave him some excuse and walked off, but not without a parting shot.
"You know, I heard Wolverine was skulking around Central Dogma. So it's either NERV, or him.." Kaji's voice trailed off as he left the room.
MAGI
"Eh? A message from the MAGI?" Misato asked herself. She had locked herself in her office, and plowed through paperwork all through the afternoon, eventually falling asleep at her desk. What time was it, she asked herself. She glanced at her watch, then her computer screen.
MAGI GUEST ACCESS
ACTIVE LOG
"Oh, my God," she said to herself in a mixture of shock and horror.
OPENED B12 B13 SUB C 10 SUB C 22
DOGMA L23 L24 DENIED
"Damn him! Damn him! Damn him to hell!" Misato shrieked in her office. She angrily punched her desk. How could she have been so stupid? She had given the guest card to Logan, and now not only was the card unreturned, he had actually used it. Worse still, his failed attempts to open the secured doors in the Dogma was logged, and it was a matter of time before someone, Operations, Security, Intelligence, anyone, noticed. The trail would lead straight to her, and she had no excuse whatsoever. She typed hurriedly, recalling a detailed map of the Central Dogma and the lower levels, marking the doors that Logan had successfuly opened.
"But why? He doesn't need it.. " Misato mumbled to herself. It was obvious to her that he had a way of opening most of the unsecured doors, using the card only to open certain doors, and ultimately, the failed attempts in the Dogma. She marked the doors he had opened, trying to figure out a pattern, which did not take long. Whether by chance or design, she saw that he had left a clear trail across the Geofront and Dogma.
R-10-20
Pretty impressive, he thought despite himself. A gigantic humanoid robot 60 feet tall. It was like living in one of the afternoon cartoons. He pushed the cartload of small machine parts towards a work station where technicians were busy welding on armor plates to the giant robot's foot. The stolen uniform worked wonders. No one had even given him a second glance since the second he stepped past the door. He caught a glimpse of something that looked like .. skin? flesh? under the metal plates. He blinked involuntarily. What kind of robot was this?
He marveled briefly at the technological marvel they were building. He had expected robots to be boxy, but this Evangelion, as they called it, was wiry, thin, like a basketball player,even succesfully duplicating a human- looking musculature . The workers have been working 24 hours a day to finish the robot, called Unit Zero. He had been here almost five hours, disguised as a lowly technician, moving things from one place to another. He was slightly disappointed. Was this the agency's greatest secret? What did this thing have to do with the Weapon X program? There was no logical connection that he could see. Deep inside, he was wondering if he had done the right thing. The very fact of his being here meant he just burnt whatever bridges he had with Misato. Both of them had tried hard, in their own awkward ways, to reach out to each other, and he had destroyed all of it in an instant, the first time he used the stolen card.
He continued his work, trying to catch snippets of conversations, only to be confounded most times by the incessant engineering technobabble. He grew angrier with himself for taking this bet, and losing. Suddenly, work came to a brief halt as an elevator door opened. He turned to see two women enter, both looking upset. He noted the white lab coat and red jacket, and immediately knew who it was that had just entered the huge construction bay, and why they were here. He lowered his cap to cover his face, and tried to move toward the shadows as inconspicously as possible.
Misato and Ritsuko strode into the huge room, eyes glaring at every face they saw. Both women were incredibly angry, at Logan, and each other. Ritsuko found a foreman, and exchanged words with him, and Logan saw how he scurried towards a loudhailer. This isn't good, he thought. He noticed too, that Misato was now carrying a submachinegun instead of her usual pistol. She's really pissed, he thought to himself.
"All personnel report for roll call! All personnel report for roll call!" He bit his lip. They knew. He quickly mingled with the other workers, then as soon as he had the chance, he slipped away from the group and hid in the shadows of the huge scaffolding that encased the robot.
Both Ritsuko and Misato quickly sorted out the assembled workers and stared at each and every face, sometimes even tugging at beards and taking off caps. As they went through the workers, each became more agitated and sometimes yelled obscenities at the men, while casting angry glances at each other through tired, bloodshot eyes. As they finished, they ordered the workers to remain standing at attention. Not good, Logan thought to himself. The two women then did a terrible mistake. They had both simultaneously turned to face each other, causing their mutual pent-up aggravation to be released in a sudden burst of verbal violence. From his hiding place, his sensitive ears caught out snippets of the argument.
"I can't believe your incompetence!" shouted one of the women. Ritsuko maybe, he thought.
"You're not much help to anyone!" Misato shouted back at her. He strained to hear the rest.
"Incompetence way beyond covering up.."
"I should just have you shot and save time on the court martial!"
"If you hadn't provided such lousy information maybe he wouldn't need to.."
"For this... this! I had to beg Fuyutsuki not to send you to Aichi to die for that adamantium..."
"You have no right to interfere in millitary matters!" Misato shouted.
"You have no competence in millitary matters!" Ritsuko fired back, full of venom.
The assembled workers stood there dumbly, but inside they were enjoying the catfight. There would be much talk at the NERV cafeterias for a few days.
"Oh just stop nagging, you old hag!" Misato shouted at the top of her voice.
"Hag?!" Ritsuko yelled back. She suddenly stopped yelling, her shoulders slumped, as if the word have struck a sensitive nerve center. Almost for the first time, she noticed the assembled workers, who still stood at attention, but were probably laughing at them inside.
"Back to work," Ritsuko said tiredly, waving her hand at the workers. As she turned to leave, she stared daggers at Misato, who stood there, arms crossed across her chest, breathing hard in anger, blowing stray strands of hair away from her face. Her submachinegun lay at her side, hanging from its nylon strap from her right shoulder.
"The Jasmine Falls briefing will be at 1200 sharp," Ritsuko hissed.
"I know that," was Misato's curt reply.
"I don't want to see you there," Ritsuko said, and immediately spun on her heel, her shapely legs striding away from the scene as fast as she could without sacrificing dignity. Misato walked away, using a separate exit from Ritsuko. Several hours later, as the outside world was about to see the dawn, he felt that it was time for him to continue his mission. The women had mentioned Aichi, adamantium and Jasmine Falls. He resolved to buy a detailed map of the Aichi province as soon as he got to the city above. Then it was just a matter of getting there first before they assaulted the place. He would need some fast transport, though.
He slipped away as innocently as he could manage, away from the main body of workers, carefully making his way to a little-used elevator marked R-20. He had no idea where the elevator led, but he took his chances. The elevator went straight down, to his disappointment. He listened to the hum of the motor mechanism and the clicking of the instrument panels to break the boredom. Without so much as a jerk, the elevator perfectly stopped, its door opening with a slight whoosh. He stepped out quickly, lest his ride was discovered by that damn computer that seemed to run everything here. He saw a large, empty storage area, crates and boxes arranged with precision and care. The elevator door opened to an elevated walkway above the storage area. The thin metal railings could easily be jumped over, but he felt that the door on the other side of the room might have more promise. He quickly made his way to the door, his nose noting the faint smell of lavender.
That was the first sign of trouble. The second was when the cold barrel of the gun was pressed against his back. Distracted, he chided himself. He silently raised his arms in the gesture of surrender.
Misato's eyes narrowed as she pushed the barrel of the gun deeper into his back. "You disappoint me," was all that she could say, her voice masking her other feelings of rage, betrayal and even sadness. "No sudden moves. Point your hands straight up," she commanded. He did so without saying a word. "Extend your claws," she continued. He hesitated, wondering what was she thinking. "Do it!" Misato hissed. He extended his claws, the sharp adamantium piercing through the skin of his hand with a silent snickt sound.
"Why, Logan, Why?" Misato asked in an entirely different tone of voice, almost pleading with him to help her make sense of his actions. "Ritsuko's told you everything you wanted. Why did you have to get greedy?"
He snorted contemptuosly. "Huh. Some help. How can anyone trust what she says? She doesn't care for anyone, anything, least of all the truth. Least of all, you," he said. "Shut up," Misato snarled. "Walk where I tell you to. No heroics." She twisted his arms back, far enough to hurt a little. His extended claws cut into his arms, drawing thin trickles of blood with the slightest movement. She handcuffed him, then nudged him forward. "Better walk slow, `Wolverine`," Misato warned. "Any sudden moves, or try to retract those claws, and you'll sever an artery or two." She definitely knows her stuff, he noted. Under other circumstances, he'd be impressed.
"Move." Misato issued the simple command. He obeyed. They slowly made their way across the elevated walkway. Misato's grip on her weapon was steady, she did not tremble or hesitate. Misato herself felt a deep chill the longer she stayed in the room. She had felt the cold hand of death touch her heart when she first stepped in this room. She saw flashing images of herself lying on the cold steel platform in front of the elevator, her blood rapidly flowing from underneath her. She saw herself looking at the R- 20 elevator, saw it move up, back to the construction bay, and she saw herself managing to smile weakly, mouthing something before dying. It had played in her mind for almost three hours while waiting for him. She had a gut feeling he would take this elevator, so she just stood there, alone, for three hours while the visions tormented her mind. She grimly pressed the barrel of her gun harder into Logan's back. Maybe she was destined to die here, she thought, but she'll give him several new holes in his body before she dies.
"Faster," she said.
"You wanted me to walk slow, darlin' " was his reply.
"Shut up, walk faster," she snarled, losing patience. "Illegal entry, resisting arrest, spying, personal use of NERV property, possible sabotage.. And after your little sight seeing trip in the Eva bay, I should just shoot you now and save money on putting you on trial," she said, as they finally left the room. He heard her sigh with relief, for some unknown reason.
"Darlin', would you blame me?" Logan asked as they made their way along the endless corridors.His claws cut thin lines into his arms. A thin trickle of his blood ran down his arm to his hands, making them slick. It'll heal, he knew from experience. "Walk a mile in my shoes and tell me I don't have the right to find out?"
"No. But I must perform my duty," she answered back. "I'm sorry, really. If I was in another department, like Tactical, or Science, or Operations, I'd have turned a blind eye.But I'm not," Misato said. "So please, Logan. I know you're probably faster than I am, but let's not make it any harder." She paused. "For either one of us."
They continued to walk in silence.
Holding Cells
No windows. No visible ventilation, just one light source. Just a bed and a toilet bowl. He walked into the cell, his expression betraying nothing as Misato shoved him into the holding cell, then he watched as the three-inch thick, solid steel door slid shut. He could slice his way out if he really needed to, and he knew Misato knew his capabilities, so he took the opportunity to use the bed for some much-needed sleep. She'll come crawling back, he thought.
"You are not to talk to him, feed him or give him any medical attention whatsoever until I clear it, or I do it persoally, is that understood?" She ordered the guard.
"Yes, Lieutenant," the guard answered. "In the event that he requires anything, says anything, or even breathes strangely.."
"I report to you posthaste, ma'am."
"Good. Remember that. He's a tricky little bastard," Misato said. "I'll be in briefing room 12D." She turned to leave, gritting her teeth in anticipation of what was about to happen.
She stepped into the room, her eyes scanning the room. She saw various personnel from various branches of NERV, Investigations, Tactical, Intelligence, even one or two techs that she recognized. She stepped inside the room, looking for a good chair with a view, shrugging off the knowing stares of some of the men. She found a nice metal folding chair that was exactly front and center. It was occupied.
She laid her hand on the sargeant's shoulder, moving her lips close to the woman's ear. "Move, Denise," she hissed.
"I was here first, Misato," was her reply. Misato's voice dropped into a conspiratorial whisper. "Don't make me distribute those photos from the security cameras, Denise."
The woman's face went pale. "Misato! You wouldn't! You're not kidding ....are you?" Misato shook her head, her hair lightly brushing against Denise's shoulder. She got the message, immediately standing up and making her way to the back of the room. Misato smiled.
The door opened behind her. Misato could tell it was Ritsuko by the tapping sound of her heels on the floor as she walked. Ritsuko walked right past her, briefly glancing sideways with a blank expression on her face. She stood in front of the room, a large display screen flickering to life behind her.
"I am Doctor Akagi Ritsuko, Chief Scientist," she introduced herself, unnecessarily. "I will brief you on the non-millitary aspects of this operation." Misato stared intently ahead. "First of all, this action would involve unsanctioned activity on Japanese soil, so any Japanese citizens who might feel uncomfortable with the operational plans are welcome to back out now," she said calmly, as several people got up and left quietly. Misato stayed.
"Three days ago, a sample of a rare metal called adamantium was stolen from the Project E labs," Ritsuko said, to some slight murmurs from the assembled people. There had been talk. "This metal is the hardest known on Earth, and is a vital component in the development of the Eva weapons systems,"
Ritsuko's eyes narrowed as she continued. "The people responsible are members of a fringe lunatic cult who have been actively engaged in acts of random terror towards agency personnel in the past and present." Ritsuko paused, taking a quick sip from a mineral water bottle. "We have every reason to believe our adamantium is being hidden in one of the old Gehirn lab complexes in Aichi, at a place known as Jasmine Falls. Intelligence has indicated that these people are heavily armed and are receiving material support from an unknown benefactor." Misato nodded slowly as Ritsuko continued to read out her memorized speech.
What Logan would give me to be hearing this, she thought to herself. She made plans.
"That concludes my briefing. Tactical will give the operational briefing after a five minute break," Ritsuko said, immediately stepping outside the room, probably heading back to her labs.
"I have a plan. It's risky, but I don't think you have a choice," Misato said to him in the darkened holding cell.
He looked up at her, expressionless.
"You're going to help us retrieve the sample. I'll give you a head start to sneak in, soften up the opposition, and get the hell out of our way when we move in," she said, her gaze fixed on his silent form on the bed.
"And afterwards, I'll buy you a beer," Logan said with a hint of sarcasm, his eyes still staring at the ceiling. "What's in it for me?" he asked, feigning disinterest.
Misato unlocked the door, which slid in with a silent whoosh. Her shadow darkened the doorway, adding to the darkness already in the room. Logan got up from the bed, surprised that she didn't feel the need to try and hide behind the thick steel. With the door opened, it would only take seconds for him to maim her and escape. What was she up to?
"I don't know. Isn't this enough? Isn't this what you wanted?" Misato asked him.
"Why?"
Misato looked away. "With those claws, you can kill quietly. Your healing factor makes you last just a little longer than the rest of us. And you have no connection to the agency. There'd be.." She paused.
"No liability," he said, cutting her off. He had heard the phrase often enough.
Think fast, Kaji mentally reminded himself as he sat in the back of the confessional service. Ritsuko would have figured out the location of the adamantium pretty quickly and there could be truckloads of NERV agents on their way even now. Brother Pierce trusted him to look after the adamantium, which was good. He also entrusted Creed, the feral guy that calls himself Sabretooth, to look after it. That was bad. Then there was also the matter of the metal itself. The sample was pretty heavy and it'd take a strong man to move it around, which he was not.
Kaji now wished he had been a real journalist, instead of just using it as a cover for his activities. Brother Pierce was in front, laying his hand on the head of a new initiate. Kaji unconsciously tapped the leg holster where he secretly kept his gun. The faint metallic tapping reassured him, unlike Brother Pierce. Pierce was beginning to disturb even him.Lately, Pierce was talking more and more about Mother Diana. Mother Diana, according to Pierce, would take the souls of the chosen when the Angels came to Earth and triggered the Third Impact. While the unworthy would die in the Impact, Mother Diana would save the worthy and take them into herself and away to Heaven.
It was very strange theology, Kaji knew that much. There was no mention of this Mother Diana in the Scrolls. He shrugged it off as just another heresy. Now, if Pierce was saying that it was now time to join with Mother Diana, he'd be worried. He shrugged to himself while quietly leaving the service. It wasn't comfortable, listening to the cultists confess to a murder, and Brother Pierce issuing forgiveness. He feared that he would snap and go on a rampage if he were to hear a certain name mentioned. He walked past empty, whitewashed corridors to one of the old storage rooms, unconverted by the cultists. It still had some old Gehirn equipment untidily stacked in a corner. He opened the makeshift wooden door, only to be greeted by a low, animal snarl as he stepped inside the room.
"Whoa! Down, boy!," Kaji exclaimed, used to the barely masked hostility.
"Runt," snarled Creed. "What'cha want?"
Kaji shrugged, as nonchalantly as he could. "Nothing important."
"Then get lost, runt,"
Kaji calmly lit a cigarette, showing no emotion other than the cheerful carefree facade that he cultivated. "Don't think so. Brother Pierce said we both look after that lump," he said, briefly nodding in the direction of the precious adamantium that they were charged with guarding. "Listen, I say we move this somewhere else."
Creed's eyes gleamed coldly in the dim light. He was the mutant killer Sabretooth, and the idea of putting up with a little dishevelled annoying pest like Kaji was beginning to get to him. Still, Mystique told him to play nice with these religious loonies until they could figure out a way to make money from the adamantium, and playing nice with Kaji was a pretty explicit order. Until she showed up again, he played his role of obedient flunky to Brother Pierce. "Keep talking, squirt," he said.
"Here's how I see it. I don't think Chairman Lorenz is playing it even with us. NERV's coming. I don't care how many laser rifles we stole, this storeroom is the lousiest place to put something so important. Don't you think so?" he asked with a knowing smile. Creed's eyes bore a hole through Kaji's skull. The little man was a master of doublespeak. He might be genuinely concerened the metal could be stolen. Or he could be testing his loyalties. Perhaps Kaji wanted the metal for himself, and was trying to trick him. Creed hoped Mystique would come back from Tokyo-3 soon so he can get her permission to slit Kaji's throat and be done with his little games. He let a low growl escape his lips. Kaji took the hint, gave him some excuse and walked off, but not without a parting shot.
"You know, I heard Wolverine was skulking around Central Dogma. So it's either NERV, or him.." Kaji's voice trailed off as he left the room.