Neon Genesis Evangelion: Altered Destinies

Launch Fourty-One

Arael searched the Earth for ADAM

Where where is it he that is was will be the completion

Arael was once a bundle of wings hovering around a central core. Then it was simply light... a diffuse power that cut through intangibles. But it SAW the Evangelions destroy Angel after Angel. It realized it could no longer be what it WAS. It had to become something more.

Evolution change growth BECOMING remaining transforming what was and could be

Arael saw a world infested with humanity. It wondered why... why had these scurrying things become the masters of this world? They were frighteningly weak, with no protective shell or internal weapons. Yet somehow they, as a species, had survived and prospered.

Hate them hate the pink weak things cluttering choking polluting burn the vermin away

Arael sensed TABRIS in North America. WHY was it there, of all places? And piloting a Evangelion of all things? Had it joined the enemy? Was there something else going on? Arael was profoundly confused by the whole situation.

Reaching out, feeling HUMAN minds and HUMAN thoughts and confusion! Seperate! Painful! Conflicted! Angry! HURTS!

And it sensed Lilith. Mother of humanity, mother of monsters. It hungered in a way that Arael did not understand... it was confused. Understanding seemed just beyond Arael's reach. Something had to change. Fundamentally.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

"Well, at least the nightmares stopped," Visha noted optimistically as they had breakfast at the suite NERV rented for them.

"This may just be the calm before the storm," Tanya noted to her wife.

"Tanya" Visha scolded.

"You know me," Tanya said with a casual shrug, "hope for the best, prepare for the worst."

Visha snorted as she poured them both orange juice. "Are we going to be based here," she asked, "or tour the other NERV facilities?"

"Here, it's where the action is," Tanya said firmly.

"Except for whatever is going on in the US," Visha noted, having seen the same 'secret' reports as Tanya.

"Okay, if I could go to both I would," Tanya admitted. She frowned as she muttered aloud, "What is Kaworu doing?"

"Maybe he's just being a pilot?" Visha suggested.

Tanya gave her a look.

"Well, it's possible," Visha defended herself cheerfully.

"I wish we knew what Keel and Ikari were planning," Tanya added.

"They both want to control instrumentality," Visha offered. "I expect that's why Keel was keeping Kaworu, and why NERV Tokyo has Rei. Both of them want to be in the driver's seat when it all comes to a head."

It was days like this Tanya was happy she had told Visha everything. Well, Tanya had not told her everything about SEELE, but she had revealed the details on Instrumentality and so on.

"And then there's the wildcard of Yui Ikari in Unit-01 and whatever she intends," Visha added thoughtfully.

"I've often wondered if she's conscious in there," Tanya sighed.

"I hope not. It can't be pleasant in there...," Visha mused.

"Remind me to ask Akagi about it," Tanya added thoughtfully.

"I've set up a tentative agenda for the day," Visha noted passing over the tablet.

"Oooh, watching the Evangelion training is going to be interesting," Tanya noted. "Is Asuka as aggressive as when she was in Germany?"

"You need to ask?" Visha chuckled.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Asuka scowled. This simulated 'Angel' was being very smart as they hunted it through Tokyo-3. She suspected Misato was running it, again.

"Rei, do you see it?" Asuka asked.

"No," Rei answered shortly. "Shinji?"

"There's movement... ACK!"

Asuka cursed as Shinji's status changed. His power cord had been severed... there was only three minutes until his Evangelion shut down. On the other hand, they now knew the 'Angel' HAD to be near him.

"Advancing!" Mana in the Jet Alone declared.

Shinji was grappling with the humanoid 'Angel'... then the 'Angel' used a complicated throw to put Shinji flat on her back with a loud thump. 'That was martial arts... whomever this is, they're trained,' Asuka thought grimly.

Jet Alone opened up with it's machine guns, bullets bouncing off the AT Field. It did seem to confuse the enemy though.

Rei got in close, and tried to restrain the 'Angel'. Once again it used leverage and training to get free, this time slamming her into Shinji and leaving both dazed.

'Whoever this is, they're going to take us out one at a time,' Asuka though. She closed cautiously with the 'Angel' as they circled each other. Asuka deliberately left a opening, then as the 'Angel' attacked she got it in a wrestling hold.

"Nice," Rei managed as she tried to rise.

"Mana! Use the positron canon!" Asuka ordered as she hut down the AT Fields.

"You're in the line of fire," Mana argued.

"Trust me! Do it!" Asuka ordered.

Jet Alone took position, the shoulder mounted canon swiveled, and the beam punched through the 'Angel' core. And Asuka, which hurt like HELL.

ANGEL DEFEATED, the computer declared as the scenario ended.

"All right, WHY did you do that?" Misato demanded as they filed in for debriefing.

"Because the Angel was winning and the longer the fight dragged out, the worse it would go," Asuka answered her briskly.

"Was that you piloting the Angel sim?" Mana had to ask. She was a little shaken over shooting Asuka... especially how willing Asuka was to BE shot.

"No, we had a guest do it," Misato smirked.

"Well, THAT was a thing," Tanya admitted, the silver/blonde older woman walking in on cue. "Well done," she added, the woman dressed in a slim jumpsuit, similar to the team's plugsuits.

"Aunt Tanya! I should have known," Asuka grumbled cheerfully.

"Ma'am!" Shinji and a few others tried to stand at attention.

"Relax, we're not military," Tanya waved.

"You kicked my ass," Shinji said admiringly. "That was judo, right?"

"Correct," Tanya agreed. She looked over at Misato, "No martial arts training?"

"No time," Misato admitted willingly, "we've been focusing on drumming in basic piloting skills. Unlike Asuka, most of our pilots only joined NERV recently."

"Point," Tanya conceded. She looked over at Asuka, "Would you like to show the others some basics? With Visha supervising, of course."

"With permission," Asuka nodded to Misato.

"Ah," Tanya made a face, "chain of command. Sorry."

Misato nodded slightly. "What did you take away from this training session?" she asked Tanya curiously.

"I'm mostly satisfied," Tanya admitted. "Normally I'd suggest more long range weapons, but with AT Fields...," she shrugged.

"It would be SO nice if we could just snipe them," Mana agreed.

"Or Rocket Powered Grenades," Asuka grinned blood-thirstilly.

"Ha!" Tanya smiled.

Just then every alarm in the facility went off. LOUDLY.

"SHIT," Misato yelped, and they all rushed out.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Misato sent the kids to their Evangelions even as she and Tanya rushed to the bridge.

"Well, this is exciting," Tanya deadpanned. "Isn't that the proximity alarm?" she asked as they crammed into the elevator.

Once again Misato was impressed with how well informed their new boss was. "Yes," she agreed, "it's only supposed to go off if an Angel is nearly on top of us."

"And every other alarm should have gone off first," Tanya mused as the elevator stopped.

"REPORT!" Misato ordered as she pushed onto the command deck.

"The sensors have all tripped, but we don't have a visual," Aoba said.

Makoto added, "Guards are calling from the main gate. Something's there."

The main screen lit up, where... a blonde girl stood, engulfed in shimmering lights. "I am Arael!" it declared, "Take me to your leader!"

"WHAT." everyone yelped.

To be continued...

Notes: I assume Gendo didn't train up Rei because with added training and skills she might develop more self confidence. And, therefore, be more likely to turn on him.