I don't own anything.

An Assassin's Memories:

Eighteenth Shot: Adjusting

"So that's an Evangelion."

"That's it," Ritsuko said as she stared at Unit Zero-One. "What do you think?"

"I don't like that color," Michael stated flatly. Ritsuko quickly covered her mouth to cover a laugh. She had to admit that the robot's purple color wasn't exactly appealing.

"This doesn't help you at all, right?"

"Right," Michael said, "no memories."

"You don't seem too trouble about that," Ritsuko commented.

"Should I be?" Ritsuko frowned. "Would Shinji Ikari be happy living with what I've done?" Ritsuko couldn't claim a close relationship with the Third Child, but she had known him well enough to know that he wouldn't survive those memories.

"I don't think he'd be living at all," she said. "One way or another." Michael nodded and tucked his hands into his pocket. "So you're never going to try?"

"I've killed more men then most dictators," Michael said. "What's one more? Even if its not physical." Ritsuko nodded her understanding.

"I doubt Colonel Katsuragi and Pilot Sohryu will be pleased at that news," she said.

"Frankly," Michael began, "I don't care Doctor."

(:ii:)

Kari watched as her housemate drummed his fingers across the table. She had never seen him look so uneasy. "Are you alright Mike?"

"I'm fine ma'am," Michael said automatically. Kari frowned. The younger man had already taken his gun apart and clean it three times. Then he had done hers.

"If you're bored you could always go to the shooting range," Kari offered. "I could still use some pointers, you know?"

"I spent the whole mourning there," Michael said.

"Oh." Kari sat down. 'Apparently,' she thought, 'free time is a new concept.' She frowned and looked around again. She didn't exactly have much to do either. With no official position at NERV there was nothing to occupy her time except for the various soap operas. "So," she said rather loudly, startling both herself and, to her surprise, Michael. "What are you going to do after all this?"

"I will stay with NERV," Michael said. "It is best to put my skills to use."

"Best for you or them?" Kari asked. As she expected there was no answer. She frowned and then smiled. "Hey Mike!"

"Yes ma'am?"

"Let's go out to night," Kari said brightly. "There's a really cool place a couple of kilometers away. Its supposed to be like a Dave and Busters."

"What's a Dave and Busters?" That stopped Kari in her tracks. She paused and tried to collect her thoughts.

"I think its supposed to be a restaurant and arcade or something," she said finally. Michael's eyes narrowed slightly. "You're not going to get shot for Pete's sake!"

"Who's Pete?" Again Kari's line of thought shuddered to a halt.

"You know what? I have no clue."

"Let's just go."

"Just let me grab my purse."

(:ii:)

Kari sighed as the prize fell from her claw's grasp. "This game is impossible." She looked around for Michael and spotted him standing in front of another video game. "Time Crises?" Kari pushed her way through the crowd and watched as Mike continued to blow away ever NPC that got in his way. "We're here to have fun Mike."

"I'm having fun ma'am," Michael said as the blue gun in his hands jumped again. On the screen another character fell dead. Kari watched as something new scrolled on the games screen.

"You got the high score!"

"It's not very difficult," Michael said as he punched in his initials and slid the plastic pistol into the holster on the side of the game.

" Just M?" Kari asked.

"Just M," Michael said simply. "Have you been having fun ma'am?"

"No," Kari said. "That stupid crane game keeps dropping this really cute plushy."

"I see," Michael said as he stepped through the crowd and paused in front of another machine.

"I guess its only natural that you'd be really good at shooting games," Kari said. "What all have you been playing?"

"Silent Scope, Ghost Squad, Time Crises, House of the Dead, and a few others," Michael said.

"Isn't House of the Dead the one with zombies?" Kari asked.

"What's a zombie?" Michael asked. Kari frowned.

"It's a dead person who was brought back to life," she explained.

"That's impossible," Michael said.

"It's for entertainment," Kari said in exasperation. "They're really popular in movies. One of the first horror movies I ever saw had zombies in it."

"I see," Michael said. "Here ma'am." He placed something in her hands and turned to find another game. Kari frowned and glanced down at what Michael had given her. It was the puppy plushy she had spent nearly half of her credits trying to win. "Aw. Hey Mike! Wait up!" Kari cuddled the plushy in her arms and ran after her anti-social housemate.

(:ii:)

"Hi Michael."

"Good mourning ma'am," Michael breathed as he continued to pummel the punching bag in front of him.

"Time out," Ginji said. Michael stopped and Ginji rubbed his wrists. "Don't you think we've been going at this long enough?"

"No," Michael said simply.

"Well I'm going to go find something to drink," Ginji said. "I'll be back in a few minutes." Misato frowned and followed the young man.

"I heard that you've been spending a lot of time here," she commented. Michael nodded and stripped off his large punching gloves. He walked over to a speed bag and began to hammer it with a speed and precision that Misato knew Shinji would never have had. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine ma'am," Michael said over the steady rhythm of the back striking the backboard.

"I talked to Yuji," Misato said. "He said that you've been spending all of your time here or in the shooting range."

"What else would I do?" Michael asked.

"Well you could always relax," Misato said.

"I'll relax when I'm dead," Michael answered. Misato frowned and leaned against the wall as the young man picked up his water bottle. 'Looks like Ritsuko was right,' she thought, 'he is having trouble adjusting to a slower paced life.'

"I want to apologize," Misato said. "For what I was doing before. I didn't even think of the risk."

"I see," Michael said flatly. Misato winced at his tone. He didn't sound angry, but he didn't sound like he gave a damn at all.

(:ii:)

Ritsuko frowned as information scrolled across the computer screen in front of her. "Interesting."

"Do you understand it?" Ritsuko asked curiously. The young man leaning over her shoulder nodded without taking his eyes of the screen. She noticed, with some alarm, that his lips were twitching slightly into a small smile.

"It means that they're sending a number of assassins here," Michael explained. "There are at least eight and at most twelve. That's the most I've ever seen mobilized for a single target."

"Are you the target?" Ritsuko asked.

"Yes," Michael said.

"You don't seem worried," Ritsuko commented.

"Should I be?" Michael asked.

"Yes," Ritsuko said. "Does it mention a time or date?"

"No,' Michael said. "We're in an opportunistic business. The others are probably already in the city. When they get the opportunity they'll take a shot at me."

"What are you going to do?" Ritsuko asked.

"Personally? I'm going to go to the armory and find a nice compact sub-machinegun."

(:ii:)

"I heard we're having trouble."

"Not we." Yuji frowned and watched as Michael continued to check a series of weapons laid out in front of him.

"Just you then?" he asked.

"That's right," Michael said as he picked up one of the weapons laid out in front of him. He unfolded the sub-machinegun's stock and checked the holographic sight fixed to the top of the weapon. "This'll do."

"You really want to go this alone?" Yuji asked. "I've got nothing better to do."

"You have a little girl to watch grown up and a wife to watch grow old," Michael said.

"Well, other then that," Yuji said. "What about Ginji?"

"Well there's still the problem of not knowing when an attack will happened," Michael said. "The most I can hope for is a old fashioned gunfight."

"What's the worst?"

"Sniper bullet through the head," Michael said with a shrug. "I don't think I've ever disliked snipers until now."

"I've always hated them," Yuji said.

"Aren't you a sniper?"

"Well. . .yeah," Yuji said. "That doesn't mean I have to like other snipers. I like myself because I'm not trying to kill me."

"Good point," Michael said with a nod. He stood up and looked around. "I'm taking this one." The armory officer waved dismissingly without looking up from his magazine.

"Friendly guy," Yuji commented.

"I like him," Michael said. "He doesn't waste time on meaningless conversation." The young man picked up a long double-edged knife. "This one to."

"Go right ahead," the man said. Yuji stared at the knife.

"Isn't that a. . ."

". . .a Fairbairn Sykes dagger," Michael finished. "Yes it is. I've always been good with these. I was rather disappointed when I found out that I couldn't use one in my area of operations."

"So what did you do about it?"

"I found a Russian machete," Michael said smugly. "Not exactly precision, but brute force has a place in my field."

(:ii:)

"No." Kari glared defiantly at Michael and put her hands on her hips.

"You will," Michael hissed.

"I am not moving into the Geo-Front," Kari retorted. "Give me one good reason."

"You won't be shot in your sleep." Kari's defiant glared faltered. "Or have your throat slit." Kari's defiant glare blinked out of existence.

"What about the others?" she asked weakly.

"I've already requested the same of Ayanamia, Sohryu, and Katsuragi," Michael said. "They have agreed and the Commander has already given his approval."

"What about you?" Kari asked.

"I am going to end this threat," Michael answered simply.

"Are you going to try and ambush them in this building or something?" Kari asked.

"That's right," Michael said.

"Don't other people live here?" Kari asked.

"No," Michael said. "This building was purchased by NERV a short time ago and all tenants were relocated."

"An ambush isn't a good plan," Kari argued. "Didn't you say that in an ambush as long as they can shoot you, you can shoot them?"

"That's correct," Michael said, "but they won't be able to shoot me. They won't know I'm even there."

"What makes you think that?" Kari asked.

"I'm the best," Michael said simply. "With Twenty-One gone none of the others even come close. That's why they're sending so many after me."

"Why do you want me gone?" Kari asked.

"I would prefer to avoid distractions," Michael said. Kari sighed. 'At least I've graduated to a distraction.'

"So, what if I say no?" she asked.

"You don't seem to understand ma'am," Michael said. "I was not asking whether or not you would move into the Geo-Front. I was asking whether or not you would prefer to be conscious at the time."

"Uh. I think I'd prefer to be conscious."

"Are you sure?" Michael asked as he popped his knuckles ominously.

"I'm pretty sure."

"Good."

(:ii:)

"The operation is underway." Keel nodded. "This had better yield the desired response Keel."

"It will," Keel said. "The plan cannot fail."

"It can," one of the monoliths said. "That is why a secondary initiative of my own has been initiated." Keel scowled at the floating monolith.

"Very well," he finally managed to grind out. "There will be no need for it."

"Most certainly," the monolith said, "it is simply a precaution."

End

(:ii:)

Author's notes. Because I have nothing better to write about the next chapter will be a long drawn-out gunfight with a surprise. By the way, the name change is coming. The new one is Mister Cynical, a name my friends started calling me after I introduced them to underpower. They say it suits me because I'm a cynical asshole.