Reign of the Tabri

Chapter 10: UnAwakening

Shinji was checked out of the hospital last. For some reason it always seemed like he was. 'I'd rather be the last out. At least that means everyone else is ok. At least it means we all get out of the hospital,' he thought. He figured that after yesterday things could only get better.

During his travel from Japan to Australia Shinji had muscled up a bit. On the ship they'd taken to Australia there hadn't been much to do but go to the gym. Surprisingly it hadn't scared him to work out. Lately he'd noticed a lot of changes in his personality as well. Shinji Ikari was on the fast track to becoming a pessimist.

Of course, he couldn't even so much as think the name. He had come a long way but not that far, not this fast.

He decided to go look for Asuka. He needed to talk to her about some things. When he'd heard her talk before the incident she'd sounded really uptight. Shinji figured spending a week in a base were you only knew Rei and his father would play havoc on anybody. Even his German friend. Especially his German friend.

'So were would Asuka be?' he thought. Probable with someone she knew. It was obviously not Shinji, probable not Rei, and definitely not Shinji's father. That left Misato as the only person Asuka would know. 'Unless she's made some new friends, but judging from her tone the other day she probably hasn't,' Shinji thought.

Shinji decided to check the barracks where they'd been given rooms. Already the overhead lights were beginning to dim and Asuka was sure to be tired. Shinji knew he was.

The destruction caused by the previous day's events had cut facilities down severely and corpses were still being found. Shinji didn't know the exact number of deaths or that the base was at 63 capacity but he knew it must be staggering. Fortunately for him the destroyed part of the base that he'd have to pass through was already cleared. It would be a quiet walk where Shinji could gather his thoughts.

As Shinji walked among the rubble he was more and more consumed with thinking. He realized that he wanted to talk to Asuka so he could find out how she knew that man. He decided he wanted to meet his attacker. He wanted to look him in the eye and ask him why he had done it. Shinji burned for answers.

"I give these promises to my departed father."
Shinji's thoughts were interrupted when he heard speaking ahead. Shinji stopped and looked around. Apparently his wanderings had taken him to a canyon of sorts. On either sides of him rubble mountains blocked him in. His choices were limited. Go back or go forward. Most of Shinji urged him to go back the way he had come but a little piece of him urged him to go forward. The little piece told him to hope there was something ahead. 'It'd be safer to go back,' he thought. He turned to go back the way he had come from.
"On my honor I will never allow your ideals to be betrayed."
Shinji heard the voice again. He turned once more. 'What if it's someone in trouble?' part of him asked, 'What if they need your help with something?' Shinji began to walk towards the mysterious voice.
"On my honor I will protect his life so that your sacrifice was not in vain."
Shinji turned the corner and came across a strange site. In front of him was a shallow pit, about four feet deep and bowled. In the evening light he could just make out a man on one knee. In front of the man a small fire burned. Because of his angle Shinji could see little of the man.

As Shinji watched the man spoke again in that all too familiar voice, "On my honor and my life I will never allow you or your siblings to be released once more. Should I fail in this I swear to not rest until you are all laid to rest once more." As the man finished the fire roared up to nearly ten feet in height. Shinji let out a small gasp and involuntarily took a step back.

The flames peaked and then leapt outwards. Underneath the umbrella of flame the man calmly stood.

At first Shinji thought he was imagining it but as his eyes adjusted more and more to the fiery glow he realized it was true. The man standing in the pit had wings. Shinji now recognized him as the man from the day before.

Slowly the man lifted his hands above his head. In each hand he held a knife. Slowly recognition dawned on Shinji.

At Misato's apartment there had never been a lot to read. Therefore, after reading every book in his collection several times, Shinji had read a little bit of the Bible. At the time he'd just wanted to try to understand why their enemies were named angels. Looking at the man in front of him Shinji could only think of one thing. One of the chapters on angels had explained how they were immortal except in one way.

An angel who cuts off his own wings willingly is as mortal as any man. That's what it had said. Shinji felt a chill run through him and then watched as the man stabbed over one shoulder and then another. He made the cuts perfect. In an instant both wings were falling to the ground and the man let out a roar.

Shinji gasped as the man picked up his wings and threw them into the fire. Then he stretched out his hands at the fire. Now the fire seemed to be alive. It drew back into a great beast and prepared to lunge.

Somehow Shinji knew he had to do something.

Logani focused his AT-field around the fire and attempted to crush Ireul. Ireul produced its own AT-field and managed to hold out against his attack. Not only that but Ireul managed to manipulate the fire into the shape of an ancient dragon, the original sign of fear.

After a few promises Logani had managed to use his AT-field to push all of the nanobots in his blood into his wings. He'd sealed Ireul into his wings and managed to cut them off but then Ireul had counter-attacked. He broke Logani's hold on him and managed to get free of the wings. Logani had just barely managed to prevent another intrusion into his body by throwing the wings into the fire.

Now they had evolved to not only survive in the fire but also thrive in it. They could now control the air flow and direction of the flame. Logani was in trouble.

It seemed a world away in his struggle but from only ten feet away someone yelled, "Look out!" Logani did it just quick enough. He managed to throw himself out of the way of the flame-created dragon. He somersaulted and landed on his feet. Once again he attempted to seal Ireul in his AT-field but it didn't work.

Ireul was about to pounce again when it suddenly stopped. It whipped around and looked at the person who had yelled at Logani to move. Logani saw him too now. 'Ow shit,' he thought to himself for the first time in a long time.

Ireul threw himself at Shinji. Logani threw himself at Shinji. As Logani flew time seemed to slow down. He could tell he wouldn't make it to Shinji in time. Yet, still he tried. As he flew the buzz that had come with shrugging off Ireul left him. His reflexes told him he'd be late by microseconds. If only Ireul's reaction had been slower he might have made it.

Fire washed over Shinji and stopped.

Time froze absolutely.

Logani's expression was surprise. Ireul felt astonishment. Shinji was scared and had his eyes closed. Had he left them open he'd have seen orange hexagons protecting him.

Time started again but slowly. The fire surrounded Shinji, raging all around him. Logani threw up his AT-field around himself as he entered the inferno.

Logani passed through the shield protecting Shinji, grabbed him and continued out of the angel. Logani barely held Shinji above himself as he crashed into the ground. Logan and Shinji skid to a halt against the rock wall.

Behind them Ireul contemplated the most recent turn of events. It understood what had happened. It has seen it in Logani's mind although Logani himself has not realized it quiet yet.

Logani stood up and looked at Ireul. He wiped blood off of his face. Behind him Shinji begins to stand but Logani beckons him down. Ireul began to launch itself forward once more. It's AT-field leading in order to crush any opposition. Seconds behind it is the flame.

'This'll take careful timing,' thought Logani, 'but I think Rei's little trick will work.'

Logani dove aside. Shinji gasped and stood. In front of him the hexagons crash into the ones protecting him. They canceled out in under a second. Meanwhile Logani bounced off the rock wall and went through the hole in Ireul's AT-field created by the cancellation.

Ireul shrieked as Logani began to systematically tear it apart from the inside out. The flame engulfed him, but by then the nanobots had all been destroyed. The fire melted away with nothing else to burn. This left Logani standing in front of a trembling Shinji.

Shinji gasped and stood up. "W-w-who are you?" he managed to get out. He never heard the answer because he passed out moments after finishing his sentence. Logani caught him.

Logani looked at the unconscious thirteen year old in his arms. As far as he knew there was only one viable reason for this. Logani just muttered one name, "Leslen."

Half an hour later Logani returned to the HQ with Shinji over his shoulder. Logani passed Shinji off to a group of nurses and then began to climb the steps. Halfway up he stopped and locked eyes with Gendo Ikari. Gendo nodded, "One down and only fourteen more to go."

Logani shook his head, "No. No more. From here on no more will be awakened. I'll stop them."

Gendo nodded calmly, "Yes, yes. And if they are?"

Logani began walking again. When he was even with Gendo he said, "Then they'll die. But I won't let that happen." Logani walked the rest of the way up to the command center. He managed not to slam the door.

Thanks to AnimeFan64 once more for the proofreading. Also thanks to everyone who continues to read and review this. It means a lot to me. Look for Chapter 10 very, very soon. Surprise.