Neon Genesis Evangelion: Altered Destinies
Launch Thirty Five
The 'meeting' was virtual, and more private than usual.
Normally Gendo appeared before the Human Instrumentality Committee via hologram, and was surrounded by Monoliths with numbers on them. Gendo theorized those numbers represented rank in the organization, but he could be wrong. Might be region. Could even be alphabetical! There were many things he just didn't know.
This time, however... the simulation was a normal looking office. And Lorenz Keel was just sitting behind a desk, looking tired. Or at least that was the impression Gendo got, considering the man was half cyborg by now.
"Ikari," Keel said flatly.
"Sir," Gendo said warily. "This isn't the normal meeting..."
"Two of the members of the Committee committed suicide shortly after the latest Angel attack," Keel cut him off flatly, "Germany and France are both dead."
Gendo's eyes widened in surprise. "I'm sorry," he said reflexedly.
"I rather doubt that," Keel noted dryly. He continued, "The divergence from the scenario was too much for them, it seems."
Gendo could sympathize with that, at least. "It appears the ordering is as we expected," he said diplomatically, "but there are clear differences in the Angels themselves."
Keel cut him off, "We have determined the earliest divergence, in fact."
"Oh?" Gendo asked warily.
"From indications from the Dead Sea Scrolls," Keel said flatly, "we think that Shinji was intended to be a boy."
Gendo kept his face mostly blank.
Keel narrowed his eyes, leaning forward slightly. "You knew?" he demanded coldly.
"I have looked over the Scrolls as well," Gendo reminded him. He sighed before addinf, "However, there is nothing we can do about it."
"You don't think a substitution is possible?" Keel asked.
"Unit-01 won't accept another pilot, and without it, we can't carry through with any of our plans," Gendo reminded him.
Keel nodded reluctantly. "Damn Yui Ikari and her stubbornness," he muttered.
Gendo chose to just ignore that.
Keel sat back with a groan. "It seems all we can do is carry on," he conceded. He gave Gendo a thoughtful look, "Do not betray me, Ikari. I can still take away what you most want."
With that the virtual meeting ended, and Gendo found himself back in his office once more.
The brisk knock on the door was followed by Kozo walking in, the older man studying Gendo thoughtfully. "The Committee?" he asked.
"Just Keel," Gendo said flatly. "He's starting to figure out how deeply we are all screwed."
"Well, misery shared is misery lessened," Kozo quipped.
Gendo just gave him a look.
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0
Maya, Ritsuko and Misato were surveying the wreckage of the outer defense line. Gun emplacements, armor walls and radar posts were all completely trashed, along side multiple casualties in NERV and UN staff.
"Zeruel went through this like a hot knife through butter," Misato noted dryly.
"Agreed," Maya nodded as she examined a wrecked section of armor, "rebuilding all this is going to be hard."
"Is Gendo authorizing rebuilding?" Misato asked, surprised.
"He and the UN," Ritsuko offered, having seen the official paperwork. Mind you it had likely passed over Misato's desk too, but she had been busy dealing with the fallout in the city itself.
"Of course, how quickly we can get it done is anyone's guess," Maya added. They had taken digital photos to document the extent of the damage, as well as collecting reports and witness statements collected from many minions.
"Can we head back to town?" Misato asked as she dropped a piece of wreckage. "I need to see how bad the exodus from the city is."
Maya and Ritsuko both gave her sympathetic looks at they headed back to the jeep.
The Bardiel attack and the mass casualties pretty much gutted the population of Tokyo-3. The only comfort the remaining civilians had had was that there likely wasn't going to be anything as bad as that happening AGAIN.
Then Zeruel hit.
NERV managed to get the city buildings retracted under the armor, but they still took heavy damage. With all the expected civilian loss of life. Now it appeared that, unless you worked directly for NERV, no one was willing to stick around Tokyo-3.
"How bad is it?" Maya had to ask as Misato drove them back.
"Let's put it this way," Misato shrugged, "later today I have a meeting with the High School to decide if we should consolidate the remaining classes, or just close the school and educate the remaining kids at NERV HQ."
Ritsuko made a choking noise. "There's THAT few kids left?" shge managed.
"And most are kids of NERV staffers. So...," Misato shrugged eloquently.
"I see," Maya said, already considering the logistics of teenagers running around NERV. She looked at Misato, "Security is going to be a bitch."
Ritsuko rolled her eyes, "Let's not be concerned with putting kids in a strange and unhealthy situation. Let's worry about security issues."
"It's my JOB," Maya said flatly.
"Now, now..." Misato sighed.
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0
"Schools out for summer! Schools out forever! Schools been blown to pieces!" Ken and Toji sang cheerfully.
"PLEASE stop singing that," Shinji sighed as she walked along with the others.
Toji grinned at her as he noted, "Hey, considering how few students showed up today, they may close it entirely."
In the aftermath of the Zeruel attack the city was trying to go back to normal. Well, as normal as they could get, considering they were still recovering from the LAST attack. And the huge line of civilian cars that were heading out of town. But at least the pilots had shaken off the effects of Zeruel 'wounding' their Evangelions...
"Do you really think it'll close?" Hikari asked, frowning.
"It is more likely they will simply move classes to NERV HQ, as most remaining students are related to NERV staff," Rei noted.
"That's not really comforting," Hikari sighed.
"Hey! About time you got here," Asuka waved as she waited by the arcade. Her shifts at NERV were timed to be close to school hours, in theory to promote socialization. In reality she usually showed up just to beat the guys at games at the arcade...
"How's working with Ritsuko?" Ken asked just a bit enviously. YES she was a lesbian. She was still HOT.
Asuka gave him a look indictating she knew exactly what he was thinking. "She's a good boss, actually," she teased, "except for when Misato comes by and they neck on her desk."
"WHAT?" Toji yelped.
"Joking, you idiots." Asuka rolled her eyes.
"Heh," Shinji chuckled as she and Rei competed in a mecha combat title. Rei had been dubious about gaming at first, until Misato convinced her it was valuable hand eye coordination training. Now, annoyingly, she tended to kick her ass...
"How long can you hang out?" Ken wondered.
"About a hour, then I need to head home and start dinner," Shinji admitted.
"Misato and Ritsuko are SO lucky having you as live in maid," Asuka teased. She shrugged, "Can Mana and Rei and I crash the party?"
"I'll make extra," Shinji promised. She looked over at Toji, "How's Sakura doing?"
"She's staggering around the hospital halls already," Toji noted. "She may need a cane for a bit, but..." No one finished with, 'it could have been much worse.'
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0
Maya Ibuki was DEEPLY glad to be away from NERV and at her favorite bar.
Things at NERV were tense, right now. She strongly suspected Gendo was drinking his lunches, so to speak. She wasn't getting along with Ritsuko and Misato, still. Her attempts to dig into the secrets at NERV had hit a brick wall. AND there was the looming threat of what they thought might be the final angel.
"Maya! Haven't seen you for awhile," Leona grinned, the tank jock sitting down beside her.
"Work's been crazy," Maya admitted.
"Damn right," Leona agreed, "we were on the lines delaying Zeruel. That was nuts."
"Good job. You and the tank teams bought us enough time to launch," Maya agreed.
Leona dropped her voice as she told her, "That Military Police that was giving you come hither looks is in tonight."
"No match making," Maya hissed, blushing.
"Hey. She is hot," Leona said.
"Coming from the world's only tank-sexual," Maya grumbled.
"My love for Bonaparte is deep and pure," Leona grandly declared. "Go get the woman a drink," she encouraged.
Maya sighed. Yeah, the woman WAS gorgeous. Besides, you only lived once. She ordered another drink from the bartender, as well as the beer she remembered the other woman liked. Summoning up her courage, she walked over to the side table.
Motoko Kusanagi looked up, pleasantly surprised to see her. "Well, hello again," she smiled.
"Buy you a drink?" Maya offered, putting the beer down.
"Please," Motoko grinned.
To be continued...
Notes: Yes, I'm not dead.
Thought it was about time SOMEONE addressed in fic that events are no longer following canon and that things are potentially going to hell. Heh.
I will need to think about what to do with the 13th Angel. As I've already tossed canon out the window, will probably not follow the episodes...