Reign of the Tabri
"If the Final Messenger is defeated by the neglected son it shall come to pass that the children rule all."- Dead Sea Scrolls, Chapter 17
Chapter 8: ArRival
They were so close now. The ship had dropped them in Sydney and from there they had walked to where Asuka guaranteed was NERV 8 and Evangelion Unit 12.
He could only hope that she was right. Worse, he could only hope that the other groups had survived and made it here.
Bad news on that front.
Sensing Logani's thoughts Ireul began mentally telling him of reports that had been intercepted. Apparently the first of the three groups had also been attacked. Ireul gave them a decent chance of survival but Logani seriously doubted it.
There had been no word on the second group and in many ways this was better then any words. It meant they weren't killed or captured yet.
He broke out of his reviewing the reports when he spotted the ambush. It was too late though.
The floor beneath them gave way and both he and Asuka fell into the ground. Sand fell everywhere with them and Logani barely head Asuka cry out.
Logani whipped his AT-field open and attempted to catch himself and Asuka. Just as he was setting it into place it was ripped away from him.
Evangelion Unit 12 caught Asuka with its left hand and swatted Logani into the ground with the other. He didn't manage to see much else before he blacked out in the four feet deep dent in the floor he'd made.
Asuka awoke in a hospital bed. She slowly relaxed from the fetal position she'd been in during sleep. A moment later she opened her eyes and was blinded by immensely powerful overhead lights. She snapped her eyes closed and only managed to open them again a minute later.
Squinting, she could see a blurry figure sitting in a chair next to her. As her pupils undialated the figure took the shape of one Ayanami Rei. Rei stared at her unblinkingly. She did not move a muscle. Her mouth was in a completely neutral position.
In other words perfect doll position. It pissed Asuka off right off the bat. "Well? What are you looking at Wundergirl!"
Rei continued to not blink but now she answered. "I'm not entirely sure," she stood up and began to leave the room, "Commander Ikari wishes to see you immediately."
"Now?" Asuka demanded angrily. Then she turned away from Rei and closed her eyes. "Well you'll have to tell him to wait. I've got to get dressed. Hey! What happened to my clothes! If someone took them-"
Asuka continued to rant as Rei left the room. As she walked down the short medical wing corridor Rei couldn't help but whisper, "It's good to have you back Pilot Soryu. In many ways."
Rei went to check on the other… patient.
Asuka took her time getting dressed even after she found her clothes. Through gritted teeth she furiously continued her rant, "Who puts clothes in a closet? And who took these off of me? I swear if it was Wundergirl I'll rip her throat out!"
It was at least a half-hour before Asuka left the hospital wing. It was another half-hour before she found Ikari's office. It pissed her off more that she had to ask for directions.
Still, a meeting with Commander Ikari wasn't something you walked into angry. Asuka had to visible calm herself before knocking.
She waited.
And waited.
And then waited some more.
She knocked again but instead of waiting more just entered. He'd told her to come here so he should be inside. Yet, as she looked around she saw that he wasn't.
Her anger was back now. "Who the hell just leaves a place after telling someone to meet them there!" she demanded to the empty office.
She stalked down the hall angry as hell. She was going to get something to eat now and if anyone got in her way they just might be eaten alive.
He was aware once more. He heard the sounds of medical equipment and personnel moving around. 'We're being studied' he thought.
Incorrect. You are being studied.
'Thanks for the insight,' he thought 'you know anything else worthless?' He could feel heavy metal clamps holding him down. Being confined always did make him cranky. 'So they haven't found you yet.'
Correct.
Even though it was in his head Logani could still detect a feeling of hurt in Ireul's communication. No time to deal with that now. 'Let's keep it that away,' he thought as he ripped his arms through eight inches of Bakelite straps.
He sat up on the metal gurney and looked around at shocked personnel. "Boo," was all it took to send them running. He gave a small chuckle, just because that was the mood he was in, and began to unfasten his feet.
As he headed for the door the alarms began and the doors began to mechanically close and lock. His AT-field ripped through all of them. It'd take them longer to find him if they didn't have a clear trail.
He slipped through the hallways until he came to a locker room which he entered. The first locker he found was empty. He scowled. There were a lot of lockers and he'd be damned if he was going to open them all one at a time. He threw them all open with his At-field. One had a pair of pants and another had a heavy camouflage jacket. He slipped them on and grabbed a pair of steel-toed boots from another locker.
He finished buttoning up the jacket as he walked out the door and into the line of fire of an entire SWAT team. He looked up and blinked at their large black shields and M-16 guns trained on him. It would be a difficult fight in these close quarters.
He was in no mood for this. He threw himself into them not even bothering to use his AT-field. His crash into the first shield flattened a pair of soldiers but it didn't nearly get all of them. Logani supported himself on the shield with his arms and flipped his legs around in a full-360 knocking all the soldiers down.
One soldier shot as he fell and three bullets passed into Logani's chest, burrowed about six inches and stopped. He gritted his teeth at the pain. Still, the soldier was on the ground by now and out for the count.
Logani stood and wiped off the bit of blood on his new jacket. Then he heard them, it wasn't a lot of warning but it was enough, and he started to lope down the hallway. Back were he was seconds ago the walls exploded inwards and soldiers rushed into the hallway. They glanced around and just barely managed to see his shadow turn the corner down the hallway. "That's impossible!" shouted one of the soldiers. His insignia marked him a private. "He couldn't have gotten all the way down the hallway that fast."
A blur passed the soldiers and streaked off after the intruder. All the soldiers' mouths hung open as they barely managed to see it. Another soldier, marked as a colonel, was the first to recover. To the private he said, "After working here for a couple months I'd say nothings impossible."
The other soldiers could only nod dumbly before going to help their fallen comrades.
Logani was almost done with the fifth hallway when his feet were swept out from under him by something he hadn't sensed. His head crashed into the ground and he immediately blotted out the pain. He turned the nose dive into an awkward roll and came up facing his new opponent.
To his surprise his opponent was still at the other end of the hallway. Rei looked at him with an expressionless face. "Surrender and no pain will come to you," was all she said.
Logani put himself in a fighting stance and spread his AT-field out about three feet. 'That should scare the first child off,' he thought.
Rei scowled and then replied with a ghostly "As you wish."
Logani suddenly found himself hanging from his feet with his head being smashed into the wall. "How…" Smash.
'I didn't sense her do anyth-' Smash.
I tried to warn you but you ignored me.
'Warn me-' Smash. 'About what?' Smash.
She used her AT-field to trip you and then kept it close to you. When you expanded your AT-field hers became inside of it. From there it was over.
'She's within my soul,' Was his last conscious thought 'that cannot be unless-' Smash.
Asuka found Commander Ikari in the command center watching the battles. On one screen she could see Tabri decimating UN forces in Japan and on the other… Wundergirl beating the shit out of Logani! "What the hell!" she shouted.
Commander Ikari turned to look at her through his reflective sunglasses. As was fitting for the situation he towered over her from the raised dais. "Ah. Good to see you're finally here. Rei informed me that she told you to find me over an hour ago. Excuses second child?"
"What! I went to your office but you weren't there! And anyway what the hell is Wundergirl doing?" Asuka demanded.
"Hm. If by "Wundergirl" you mean Rei then she is subduing a prisoner who tried to escape."
"What the hell do you mean escape? And why does she get to beat him up but I don't? He rescued me you know!"
Ikari sighed and shook his head. "I have no time for your childish questions. Know that he was only saving you so he'd get in out good graces. We will not be infiltrated here. Especially by one of these…Tabri." He turned and walked away to watch the other battle.
He was badly beaten and worse, his soul had been violated. He retreated to his most inner workings. A forest in his head that no one else could reach. There he wrapped his AT-field around him tight so that even a messenger would have a hard time drawing him out. Here he could heal his mind and prepare for future trials.
However, while here his body was defenseless and wouldn't heal. He would barely feel anything that happened to his body as well. It would not want for anything but would stay as damaged as it was at the moment.
The soul took precedence over the body in all ways.
His body was defenseless.
Asuka could not get another meeting with Commander Ikari. Apparently he had nothing to say to her so she was not going to get any answers. It was the type of off-balance ness that had permeated the Tokyo- NERV. The difference was that the Australian NERVes were not used to this sort of a thing.
For a few days Asuka was the most frustrated she had ever been. Not only was this saying something it was problematic for anyone she had to deal with.
It galled her that not only could she not talk to Commander Ikari but she also had not been notified on anything referring to Logani or worse Evangelion Unit 12. She desperately needed to start piloting again so she could start to get over her past problems. But try as she might she couldn't even find out if Evangelion 12 was finished, had been randomly destroyed or was already at the front.
One thing that did brighten her up though was when the second group arrived.
Probes. Someone was probing him. Or his AT-field at least. It might be that girl again. He wouldn't let it happen again. Once was way to much as it was.
He tightened his shield until it truly was impenetrable. He now had no control of his body and if he left it this away for too long, it would die. Anything done to his body wouldn't even be felt.
Asuka was really glad to see Misato and she did show it. Hugs were exchanged and kind words. It was when Asuka saw Shinji that it all got set off.
Her eyes narrowed and her face tightened. Shinji shrank back from her gaze and nearly tripped over a chair. Behind Asuka Misato covered her face with her hand in an exasperated gesture.
Finally Shinji managed to stutter out, "Uh, hi Asuka….um …. So I'm glad to see your safe…"
Asuka's reply took a minute to come but when it did it surprised everyone in the room. Asuka straightened, nodded, and replied, "Glad to see you too baka." Then she turned, grabbed Misato around the arm and pulled her out of the room. "Come on, there's stuff you need to know."
Shinji let out a long sigh and hunched over with his eyes closed. It wasn't exactly what he had imagined for a reunion but it wasn't bad either. He wouldn't even have any bruises.
That was when Asuka slapped him upside the head. "Ow! What was that for!" shouted Shinji.
"I told you to come on! Now let's go. Like I said I've got a lot to tell you and Misato," said Asuka.
Shinji obediently followed Asuka out of the room to where Misato waited. It was time the three of them had a talk.
NERV 8, like the original NERV headquarters, is located underground. However, unlike NERV HQ, NERV 8 did not have a huge cave like the Geo-dome to work with. Its constructors had to dig everything out using explosives.
Human construction created a much weaker sphere. NERV 8's cave was less then half the size of the geo-dome and structurally weaker. This meant much less space for facilities and of course the increased risk of a cave-in.
While NERV HQ had enough room to include a forest and an entire ecosystem NERV 8 was labs on barracks on command centers.
In the event of an attack on one part of the base the other parts would have little to no warning and preparation time. Soldiers can only move so fast. Angels…
He still protected himself in his AT-field. The probing had not happened again but why risk it yet? Logani would wait a little bit longer before taking control of his body once more. It wasn't like anyone else could take it was it?
The eyes snapped open. Submersion in LCL verified. Releasing muscle restraints. The muscles began to grow exponentially, uncoiling to their maximum size. The one who had once "killed" this messenger was gone and no other would be able to stop it now. For too long it had waited. Akagi died and I awakened. I am the first to truly awaken and I will not be the last. Nearly all the others are nearby. I can free them using this body.
Outside the tank of LCL the techs were going crazy. They were fleeing and calling for troops. It wouldn't matter. Soon the tank was overfilled and began to crack, and then flood the room. Those who had remained behind were swept away.
Ireul was raised.
"Sir, alarms are being set off in F sector!" shouted one of the techs in the command center.
"Put all personnel on red alert. I believe that is were our guest is being held?" commanded Commander Ikari from the bridge.
"Yes sir. Activating set protocols for containment. The whole lab in sector F will be locked up and flooded with Bakelite. Activating… now," reported the red haired, female operator in chair number 3.
"Commander?" asked Rei at his side as always.
Ikari turned to her and looked her over briefly. Should his tool use the Evangelion or go like last time? There was only one Evangelion left… "Go Rei, stop him again. Deadly force is authorized just like last time. Do not enter Sector F. It is likely he'll break free from the building despite our counter-measures."
Rei nodded and went to follow her orders.
Asuka, Shinji, and Misato were headed to the bridge when it happened. They'd heard the alarms and were going to find out if they were needed. Shinji looked up and saw Rei coming towards them at a mild jog.
Rei was going to use the stairs but knew that if she needed too she could jump out the windows, land three stories down and run the 5 blocks to Sector F. She just saw Shinji when it happened.
Air was sucked out of the building and all four NERVites were pulled slightly towards the direction of Sector F. They all turned to look at it and they saw the explosion over the other buildings.
The shock wave hit seconds later. It threw all the sucked in air back out. Glass broke and shattered, surrounding buildings toppled and from the command center building they could now see Sector F falling into the ground. Although it was were the explosion started the buildings around it toppled first.
The floor of the command center and Shinji, Asuka, Rei, and Misato plummeted a story and landed, then fell another story and landed on the ground floor.
Rei was up immediately and began grabbing the rest of them. Shinji stumbled to his feet and looked at Rei in confusion. Asuka helped Misato up. Misato cringed when she tried to support herself. Asuka knelt as it to look at Misato's ankle but Misato slapped her hand off. "It's broken and there's nothing we can do about it now," was all she said. Asuka nodded and began to help Misato outside. Shinji grabbed Misato's other side when he realized she was hurt.
Rei bounded past them, out of the building, and into the thick dust cloud outside. As she disappeared she spun around and shouted to Asuka, "Do you still believe he's on our side now?"
Asuka gritted her teeth. She now desperately wanted Logani to be good, if for no other reason but to prove Wundergirl wrong.
"Rei! Wait, where are you going?" shouted Shinji after her but she was already gone. "She'll be killed!" said Shinji with fear written all over his face.
"I'm sure she'll be fine," comforted Misato. It didn't help her case when Rei was launched headlong out of the dust cloud. She crashed into the wall of the command center, which proceeded to fall onto her.
"Rei!" Shinji practically dropped Misato to run to her position. This left Asuka carrying Misato alone. She just barely managed to set Misato down without any injuries.
'I'm gonna kill the baka for that,' thought Asuka. She ran over to where Shinji was trying to undig Rei. "You moron! Are you trying to get Misato hurt even more? And what are you gonna do when you find Rei? Hug her corpse and cry?" Asuka shouted at Shinji. To her surprise Shinji turned to look at her and was crying.
"I just don't want to be helpless," whispered Shinji. It struke Asuka like a blow.
Here they were. One, two, and three all lined up in a row.Three more and we can be a whole family again. But who to revive first? That was for later, first to capture them all.
Funny how the third and second fought even now. They were so unsuspecting.
The dust began to clear as Ireul drew closer to them. It almost seemed to fear it in this form.
"I… I feel that way too Shinji," Asuka finally managed to get out.
Shinji stopped crying and looked into her eyes. He held it for a long time.
"Hey you two look out!" Misato yelled from a hundred yards away were she had managed to prop herself up on a piece of rubble.
Then they noticed the shadow they were in. Asuka and Shinji slowly turned to look at were the dust cloud had been. Both their eyes widened as they realized the dust had now completely settled.
It was over two stories tall now; its arms and legs resembled organic springs. They were coiled somewhat tightly but yet looked like they'd unfold in seconds. Its hands were balled into fists with spikes coming out at the knuckles. The knee caps were sharp razorblades arching up. Blades were also attacked at the elbow and apparently the ears. The face was revolting. The temples had metal studs and the eyes were covered over with chrome. The jaw was loose and hanging low, as if the body did not care to waste the energy to hold it up.
To all who saw it it seemed to bleed childhood nightmares. It was the boogieman, Alien, and Freddy. It was worse then every horror story ever told. The will that drove it had been the beast in many stories, if not all. For millennia it had been the side of fear served cold.
Now it raised its hand to take them into its grasp. It had come for Shinji and Asuka. Their time was up.
Or was it? The spring arm uncoiled and shot forward at them only to be stopped inched from Asuka's face by orange hexagons. She gasped in disbelief. The creature in front of them would've looked surprised if fear could show surprise. It drew back its arm and hesitated.
Asuka reached out with one finger and touched the AT-field's surface lightly. Shinji reached forward as well only to pull his arm back in surprise at high heat. He let out a small yelp and Asuka turned to look at him.
He crouched on the ground holding his lightly burned arm and looked up at Asuka. "Why'd it hurt me but not you?" he said to her.
"Because…" Asuka could only begin to imagine why. Twice now something like this had happened. Both times it had saved her from certain death. Could it be her "guardian angel"? No…something much easier then that. It couldn't possible be Rei, she was certainly dead or unconscious. It clearly wasn't Shinji. That left… "No way," she whispered.
The beast drew back again and this time did a two handed overhead slam onto the AT-field. Asuka gasped and fell backwards. The beast struck again and again. Asuka felt herself began to pass out.
Words entered her head "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself." Surely this beast before her was fear incarnate. Therefore there was reason to fear it.
Somehow she stayed awake, Shinji managed to prop her up now. Just so she could see of course. Asuka opened her eyes and saw that the beast had stopped its assault. It was contemplating something.
It made its decision now. Orange Hexagons cancelled out Orange Hexagons. Shinji and Asuka's eyes widened with fear once more. Now they truly had no protection from its attack. It drew back once more…
It was time to return. Now their truly was no sign of any AT-field being near his. No probes, whatever had been there had withdrawn. It was time to return to his body.
Uh-oh
'I think uh-oh is a little light isn't it?'
It doesn't matter. I have your body now and there's nothing you can do about it.
'How sure of that are you?'
I am a messenger and you are a lowly human. I'm a million times stronger then you'll ever be!
'What? Have you not been paying attention? I'm Tabri and that makes you my paternal uncle. Besides its more like you're a thousand times stronger.'
… It still doesn't matter.
'Try me.'
In Logani's head there is a mist. Well, usually. Now Logani threw himself through his mind at Ireul. Were they meet there is no mist. There is lightning, and fire, and darkness, and just a little light.
They impacted and bounced apart and impacted again. It happens over and over again in seconds. Finally both souls must rest in their fight.
You cannot beat me. I am the very essence of fear. Even if you are only half-human you will fear me.
Ireul parted the mist completely, showing Logani his true form. It is even worse then the body it created in the real world. Darkness, with many eyes, talons, and blades.
Fear me mortal!
Logani cannot help but take a step back, his eyes riveted on Ireul.
Ha ha ha! Now bow and I may let you watch me free my brothers and sisters.
Logani gritted his teeth and managed to communicate, 'Damn your ugly!' It came out slowly, as if forced. It had just the right effect on Ireul though.
What!
Ireul flowed backwards as Logani took a step forwards, then another. 'You heard me. You're an ugly piece of shit. That's not scary at all.'
How can this be? No human can look at me without showing absolute fear!
'Once more, I'm not human. Besides, didn't anyone ever tell you that fear is in the eye of the beholder?'
Logani walked forward faster now. Ireul began to retreat faster and faster. Logani finally stopped and smiled at Ireul. Confused, Ireul stopped as well. Then Logani lunged forward. Ireul spun around and made a dead sprint for the recesses of Logani's mind were he had dwelt before.
Logani smiled and let out a soft chuckle. "That's two for flinching. And now the hunter has become the hunted."
Logani returned to the modest throne in his head and seated himself there. Now, once more, he had control of his body. It felt good.
When the beast froze Shinji and Asuka didn't dare to move. They were too frightened that if they moved the thing would somehow come back to life. Besides, help would come soon enough anyway. It always did.
So when the beast did move again they both nearly wet themselves. The only reason they didn't was because they both didn't have to go anymore, although Asuka would never admit that.
It moved inwards. The chest that had been fifteen feet above the ground lowered as the legs coiled more and more. Soon the coils became obvious muscle strands. Elbows and shoulders became evident as did knees and hips. Soon fingers and toes were obvious. Skin began to recover the body and extremities. The face began to fix itself last. The metal protrusions sunk into the skull and the eyes became uncovered. A nose formed and the ears lost their blade like status. A mouth opened and a tongue reformed. Finally thick blond hair shot out of the scalp.
The last thing that happened was large white wings shot out of the shoulder blades. They spanned twenty-five feet across and nearly the height of the form.
It suddenly became very clear to Asuka who this was. "You!" she screamed at Logani, "You did all this! You nearly killed both of us!"
Logani leaned his head to the side and a loud popping noise radiated across the ruins. "It was Ireul. It's been inside me sin-"
From behind Asuka and Shinji a boulder shot out and pegged Logani in the face. He flipped over and landed on his back. He made as if to rise with his hand stretched up into the air but another boulder flew to him. It arched in so he couldn't see it until it was too late. It shoved his nose into his skull in what would kill any man.
Shinji and Asuka turned around to see Rei leaning on a pile of rubble. Blood covered her clothes, which were in tatters. Shinji turned around when he saw this. Asuka hit him anyway. Rei collapsed and let out a long breath before sleep took her once again.
It took a while to get this out but I am happy with the end result. Thanks once more to AnimeFan64 for proofreading. Chapter 9 will be a bit shorter then this but should be out in a week or two. Look for it. r&R