Disclaimer: I do not own Evangelion or anything associated with it. I have written this story solely because I enjoy writing.

Disclaimer: I do not own anything belonging to Marvel Comics or anything associated with it. I have written this story solely because I enjoy writing.

Superwomen of Eva: Emerald Fury

Chapter 17: War Within

Damn! Chiron thought feverishly as he stood in the armory, his muscles still burning and heart pounding from the sheer amount of effort he had put forth to reach it. Felt these things...and ignored them. Blast it all! I don't have time for this!

Pausing in his efforts, Chiron looked over his shoulder at the other Section 2 agents that were present. All of them having responded to his orders, orders that had hastily been barked out as he had made his way to the armory. All of them currently strapping on ammunition belts and other equipment, and gathering up rocket launchers, assault rifles, grenades. Every high-end ordinance that they could carry, they were strapping on. All in preparation to kill an Angel given human form.

Processing the sounds of clips of ammunition being slammed in place and body armor being snapped together, Chiron found himself appreciating the fact that NERV was presently in a state of emergency. Not only had the D-Class personnel been evacuated, thus substantially reducing the number of random elements that could interfere with him, but as was standard operating procedure in such a situation, all of the higher end Section 2 personnel were on full alert and had been awaiting orders from him. And thus had been ready and waiting when he had contacted them via his cell phone, ordering them to report there and to prepare for action.

"Alright, men," Chiron announced as he finished snapping the lightweight body armor on, "our target is Captain Maya Ibuki. She has been infected by the Angel that has invaded the base, and is to be considered extremely dangerous." Bristling somewhat at being forced to categorize a woman as such, the Section 2 head looked up at the men standing before him, all of them alert and ready for action. "Current intel indicates that she's attempting to escape from NERV, and perhaps the Geofront itself. Our objective is to terminate her before she can do so. With extreme prejudice. Is that understood?"

"Yes, sir!" the Section 2 men before him responded in unison. Their voices crisp, clear, professional, and military to the core.

Pausing for a moment to think of what he wouldn't give for more troops like that, Chiron donned his headset before continuing, "Be advised to keep your distance from her. If the Angel's nanites could infect her, there's a strong chance that they could infect us as well. So avoid contact with her at all costs." Hefting up an assault rifle, he pumped the action on it, savoring the sound it made. "If anyone comes in contact with her, assume that he or she has been infected...and terminate them. Understood?"

"Yes, sir!" the Section 2 men answered without hesitation.

"Also, be advised that Katsuragi has managed to escape her enclosure," Chiron added, trying very hard not to choke on this admission. "She is injured, and there is a chance that she has either transformed or is unconscious." Letting out a mild snort as he thought back to when he last seen her, a pained grin of triumph on her face as she retreated to a nearby elevator, his gun in hand. "If she's unconscious, then the Commander will want her treated for her injuries before being returned to her enclosure. However, if she has transformed, then you are not to engage her. We'll let the big brass deal with her later." His men nodded quickly to this, giving the Section 2 head a rarely experienced sense of satisfaction. "Now, any questions?" Chiron asked, expecting there to be none. To his surprise and annoyance, one hand promptly shot up. "What is it?"

"What if our weapons prove to be ineffective, sir?" the agent in question asked, still using that same, professional voice.

It was a reasonable question, Chiron was forced to admit. Especially given Section 2's disastrous encounters with She-Hulk in the past. "If that happens, then we will have no choice but to contact the JSSDF, and arrange for an airstrike. In that situation we will have to lure Ibuki outside of the Geofront, to an open area...so they can napalm her straight to hell." Glancing from face to face, checking for any negative reactions the men under him might have to this, pleased when he saw none. "Are there any other questions?"

A moment passed but no further hands were raised. The men before him stood tall and ready. Ready to fight to the death at his command, as they should be.

Satisfied, Chiron nodded and ordered, "Very well, then. Everyone, stay on my six." With that order, the Section 2 started forward. The footsteps that he heard echoing behind him as they headed out into the hallways of NERV making it clear that his troops were following close behind in perfect formation.

Excellent. Everything's going as it should, Chiron thought, a feral, excited smile curling his lips as he imagined what was to come. A chance to rid himself of the stigma of disgrace suffered as a result of Section 2's utter failure to stop She-Hulk. You might as forget about Ibuki right now, slut! he thought, picturing the woman he despised of all others. Because she'll be nothing more than an ugly stain on the ground before you can even get to her! Assuming you haven't already passed out, you dumb bitch!

Chuckling mildly to himself as he and his men marched along, Chiron imagined himself after the battle, visiting Misato in her hospital room, doped up on tranquilizers as they stitched up the hole she had blown in her side. He pictured the horror on her face when he told her that her attempts to stimulate her freakish transformation failed, and that while she was lying on the floor, half-dead because of her own stupidity, he and his men had blown Ibuki straight to hell, saving the world from an Angel in the process. Yeah, that sure would serve her right, he thought before reluctantly putting those delightful images to the side. But first things first. After all, I can't celebrate my little victory until I've won it. Still, that shouldn't be too -

Chiron was brought to the present when his cell phone sounded for his attention. Wincing and groaning and giving himself a mental kick for tempting the fates, even in silence, he brought forth his phone and flipped it open in one easy motion. "Chiron here."

"Fuyutsuki speaking," came the familiar voice of the Sub-Commander. "Chiron, I have an update on the situation."

"Speak quickly then, sir," Chiron responded, speaking more freely than he would have dared with Commander Ikari. Unlike Gendo, Fuyutsuki didn't understand the need for brutality, and more importantly, he wasn't the true voice of power at NERV.

"Dr. Akagi has been analyzing the nanites that infected Captain Ibuki, and she believes that it is possible that they can be safely neutralized without harm to her." Clenching his teeth at this revelation, Chiron felt his insides twisting with suspicion as to the Sub-Commander's next words. Suspicion that was promptly confirmed when Fuyutsuki went on to say, "Ibuki is presently on Level A-1, and is making her way towards the main entrance. I want you and your men to take up station on Level B-2, and then standby for further orders."

The Sub-Commander's words hitting him like a ton of bricks from above, Chiron strained to maintain his composure. "Sir, with all due respect, that is not your call to make. I was given my orders by Commander Ikari himself, so until he countermands them himself, I'm staying on task."

"Commander Ikari is presently unaware of these developments, Captain!" Fuyutsuki countered, an added note of desperation to his words.

"Then it is my recommendation that you make him aware of these developments, sir," Chiron retorted with an air of triumph. "Because until I hear otherwise from him, Ibuki's still a target. Chiron out." Not giving Fuyutsuki a chance to say anything more, the Section 2 head snapped his phone shut. "Damned bleeding hearts..." he muttered beneath his breath, a comment that was met by a muted laugh from a couple of his men. "C'mon, men! We've got a job to do!"

With this declaration, Chiron accelerated, his men easily matching his pace. Determined to get the job done before the senile old fool that was Gendo's second-in-command did something to foul everything up.


Grunting at the sound of the line being disconnected, Fuyutsuki lowered his cell phone and shot a poisonous glare at it. As he found himself wishing he was still young and foolish enough that taking the wretched thing and smashing it to pieces would make him feel better, he heard Ritsuko asking, "I take it Chiron wasn't willing to cooperate."

"An excellent guess, Dr. Akagi," Fuyutsuki grumbled, setting aside the phone for a moment. "What progress has been made with Ibuki's laptop?"

"Not much," Ritsuko admitted as she glanced over to where Makoto, Shigeru, and Chihiro were working. "The laptop was hit badly by the EMP, and the operating system was scrambled. They're using the MAGI to try and access its data and reconstruct it, but we still need some time to work."

Nodding to this, Fuyutsuki replied, "Then you better not waste any time. Keep working with the Major and 3rd Child, and I'll try and get through to Ikari."

"Yes, sir," Ritsuko nodded before returning her attention to her own duties.

Pausing to admire the intensity with which Ritsuko and the others worked, Fuyutsuki looked back down at his cell phone and hit the appropriate speed dial. When it started ringing, he put it back to his ears and hoped that his former student hadn't turned his own phone off or anything else.

After ringing five times, there was a clicking sound, followed by a labored voice saying, "Commander Ikari here. Report, Fuyutsuki."

"Ikari?" Fuyutsuki blankly responded, taken aback by the heavy, strained voice with which his former student had spoken. Flashing back to when the mutated Captain Ibuki had struck him with her mace-like gauntlet, he narrowed his eyes in concern. "Are you alright?"

A beat passed before Gendo answered, "My condition is none of your concern, Sub-Commander. Now, what it is you want?"

Again given pause, both by the swiftness with which Gendo had responded to his inquiry and the way he had dismissed it, Fuyutsuki required a moment to recover before explaining, "Dr. Akagi has made an important discovery. According to her, there's a chance that we can reprogram the nanites infesting Captain Ibuki, rendering them harmless." Pausing just long enough for Gendo to say something to this if he were inclined, the Sub-Commander took his resultant silence as a sign to continue. "If she can do this, we can stop the 11th Angel without killing Captain Ibuki as well. She and the rest of the bridge crew are working on that, but we need time -"

"Captain Ibuki is of no importance, Sub-Commander," Gendo retorted with more heat than Fuyutsuki had heard in his voice in more years than he cared to remember. His use of the old professor's rank a rare and frightening thing in this case. "I will deal with her. Your job is to get the MAGI back online and to monitor the remnants of the 11th Angel. That is all."

Fuyutsuki's mouth opened in protest, but even as it did so, his tongue fell flat in his mouth in defeat. Gendo had made his decision; there would be no chance of talking the Commander out of it, no matter how hard the old professor tried. And after so many years of attempting and failing to sway his old student, Fuyutsuki lost the will to even attempt it. "Very well, sir," he answered. Pausing to glance at Ritsuko, he sighed as he saw the realization in her eyes. The knowledge that their Commander had condemned Maya without so much as a second thought. "There is, however...one other thing."

"And that would be...?" Gendo wondered, sounding as if he was asking from between clenched teeth.

"Major Katsuragi has escaped from her enclosure, and is attempting to intercept Captain Ibuki before she can escape," Fuyutsuki went on, his own voice sounding bland and uninteresting to him. As if they were discussing a boring story from the newspaper or something of that nature, not a life-or-death situation. "Also, the 3rd Child is here on base. Do you wish him taken into custody?"

A couple seconds passed, Fuyutsuki practically hearing the wheels in the Commander's mind turning as he processed that particular development. "The 3rd Child is not your concern, Sub-Commander," Gendo replied in the same tense voice. "I will - arh - contact Chiron. He will handle this. Is that...understood?"

"Perfectly, sir. Fuyutsuki out," the old professor muttered distastefully as he lowered the phone, automatically folding it back up.

As the old professor turned to look at the others, Ritsuko looked him, her disheartened expression speaking her mind. "I take it the Commander's orders stand," she spoke in a flat voice, utterly devoid of hope. "Correct, sir?"

Pausing to consider Ritsuko, as well as the faces of the rest of the bridge crew, faces that were as disheartened as hers was, Fuyutuski looked from one caring person to another, each of them wanting nothing more than to help a friend who had been made a victim by forces beyond her control...and smiled knowingly at them. "The Commander's orders are for me to ensure that the MAGI are made operational once again, and to monitor the condition of the 11th Angel," he told them in a level, militaristic voice. "Lieutenants Hyuga, Aoba, what is the status of the MAGI?"

"The MAGI?" Matoko wondered, glancing over at the other male bridge bunny before looking back at Fuyutsuki. "Well, it's like Dr. Akagi already said. They came through the EMP without any trouble."

"There's no sign that the Angel is trying to manipulate them in any way, sir," Shigeru chimed in, an edge of confusion to his voice.

"Indeed," Fuyutsuki replied in that same disinterested voice. "And what about the Angel? What's its status?"

Frowning uncomfortably, Chihiro hesitated before answering, "The majority of the nanite collective has become dormant, sir." Then she pointed up to the holographic display that marked the 11th Angel's progression throughout NERV. "As you can see, there's been no sign of activity from it since the EMP."

"Except, of course, for the portion currently inhabiting Captain Ibuki," Fuyutsuki noted. "Is that correct?" Chihiro gave a quick nod in response. "I trust you will inform me if that should change, won't you, Lieutenant?"

"Uh, yes, sir. Of course, sir," Chihiro promptly answered.

"Very well," Fuyutsuki muttered as he sat back in his seat. "In that case, it would seem that we have carried out the Commander's orders. Wouldn't you agree, Dr. Akagi."

Furrowing her brows somewhat, Ritsuko hesitantly answered, "Well...yes, sir."

"Then it seems that, barring any unexpected activity from the Angel, we have nothing especially urgent to do right now," Fuyutsuki decided with a bit more feeling. "So...until Ikari contacts us again, feel free to do whatever you want to."

"Sir?" Ritsuko gaped, raising a questioning eyebrow.

"You heard me, Dr. Akagi. You all can do...whatever it is you feel like doing," Fuyutsuki instructed them, feeling rather pleased with himself. "Read a book, take a nap...work on whatever little projects you wish?" Unable to keep the smile from his face, the old professor folded his arms behind his head. "As for myself...today's been a bit too exciting for an old man like me. I think now would be the perfect time for a little nap."

Fuyutsuki closed his eyes just enough to look the part of an old man settling in for an afternoon doze. And thus left them open enough to see a miraculous smile spread across Ritsuko's face. "That sounds nice, sir. But...if we have free time, then there's a...certain project that I would like to get to work on." Turning back to look at the rest of the crew, she asked, "What about you?"

"Oh, yeah. Same here, Doc!" Shigeru replied as soon as he got the picture.

A moment later, Makoto got it as well and grinned infectiously. "Right, right! We've got to get going on that...project of ours, don't we?"

As the rest of the bridge staff quickly chimed in with their agreement, Fuyutsuki shrugged nonchalantly. "Suit yourselves, everyone. And don't mind me; at my age, I think I could sleep through Third Impact." Ignoring the chuckles this elicited from the people before him, he added, "Just be sure to let me know if the Angel starts acting up again, Lieutenant Mifune. We don't want Ikari thinking that we're slacking off, now do we?"

"Understood, sir!" Chihiro replied, snapping off a salute as she and the others returned their efforts to salvaging the data from Maya's laptop.

Chuckling quietly to himself as the people around him returned to their efforts, working with all their might to save the life of a friend, Fuyutsuki slowly shook his head. It would seem that the teacher has become the student, he thought with wicked amusement. And I've learned from you the art of manipulating a situation to my advantage very well, Ikari. Very well indeed...


Pain. Hateful, burning pain. That was Gendo's companion as he rode the elevator down to the depths of Terminal Dogma. Every breath he took made his ribs cry out in protest, and he could practically feel his body swelling up and blackening where Maya had smashed him with mace-like gauntlet. Even the wound inflicted on his right arm by the Rhino was hurting much more, like it had been reopened when he had been sent flying into the wall.

Gendo didn't care about any of that. He didn't care how much he had to struggle, how much sweat rolled down his head as he forced his body to obey his will. What he cared about was making sure that his will was obeyed. Both by his own body...and by others.

Sensei... he gritted inwardly as he placed his cell phone back in his pocket. Disgusted by the way his hand trembled with even this tiny effort. Even now...you don't understand. I will not allow anything...or anyone...to interfere with my plans. Heaving a pained breath, grunting at the pain and effort something so simple took on him, Gendo looked upwards. If I cannot control an element that could be a threat to my scenario, then I will destroy it. It is as simple as that.

Closing his eyes, Gendo shut out the rest of the world, shut it out to give him the time he needed to regain mastery of his body. To take the pain he was in and push it off to the side where it wouldn't interfere with him. And as he did so, he found himself flashing back to simpler, brighter times, times when he had been known as Gendo Rokubungi. When he, Yui, and Fuyutsuki had been in college, with their futures shining brightly before them.

Sensei... Gendo thought as he pictured himself back in Fuyutsuki's college classroom. The old professor looking at him, as if preparing himself for one of the many debates and arguments that they had had back in those times. Except...there's no time for that now.

"Isn't there?" the Fuyutsuki in his mind seemed to ask, smiling in a knowing fashion. "You're not going anywhere, Ikari. Until that elevator reaches Terminal Dogma." Narrowing his eyes keenly, he went on to say, "And that gives us lots of time, my old student. More than enough for another debate."

Snorting at this, Gendo thought back, There's nothing to debate.

"Isn't there?" Fuyutsuki wondered, arching an eyebrow at him. "You're making a very rash decision. Having Ibuki terminated when there's still the chance of saving her? I thought I taught you better than that."

Heh. You taught me fine, sensei, Gendo thought, smiling as he lost himself in this imaginary debate with the Fuyutsuki that had found his way into his mind. But why would I want to save her? She's an Angel now. She's a threat, to us, and the scenario.

"Because of her transformation?" Fuyutsuki wondered rhetorically. "By that logic, you should have Major Katsuragi terminated. After all, her condition makes her just as much a threat as Ibuki, doesn't it?"

She is a threat, but a threat I can use, Gendo immediately countered. Her hatred of the Angels blinds her to my goals. And her mutant cell samples have already proven valuable.

"Are you saying that human tissue fused with Angelic nanites couldn't be similarly useful?" Fuyutsuki asked in a more pointed manner.

Of course not. But NERV has been infused with nanites. We have all that we could ever need. All we would need to do is extract them at our leisure, Gendo retorted. We don't need Ibuki for that. She can be replaced.

"Ah, but at what cost?" Fuyutsuki asked coyly. "Putting yourself to the trouble of finding another Director of Operations, the damage to staff morale, not to mention finding additional subjects to experiment on with the nanites when you already have a perfectly suitable specimen." Shaking his head in slow dismay, the imaginary professor muttered, "I'm ashamed of you, Ikari. You're many things, but I would never have thought that wasteful was one of them."

I realize that. But in order to fulfill the scenario, I have to live. I have to defeat the remainder of Adam's children, Gendo protested, grinning despite himself. And if Ibuki stands in the way of that, then she will die.

"Such blunt thinking, Ikari," Fuyutsuki muttered in low disapproval. "Didn't you once tell me that you could turn any situation to your advantage? Are you in such a hurry to discard a tile as useless when it could be every bit as useful as the winds and dragons you've worked so hard to collect?"

This prompted a low, pained chuckle from Gendo. Touché, sensei, he thought, as always impressed by Fayutsuki's skill at these debates. Alright, then...perhaps I will allow her to live. But only if her continued survival doesn't compromise the scenario.

Nodding his approval, Fuyutsuki answered, "I can accept that, Ikari." A moment later, the elevator doors dinged, causing Gendo to open his eyes, to leave the imagined classroom and the professor within it behind.

With a heavy grunt, Gendo started forward into Terminal Dogma, almost sorry that he had to leave the little world within his mind behind. His debates with Fuyutsuki had always proven so informative, and even now helped him refine and improve his plans more than anything else. And it had been a long time since he had had such an intense debate with his mentor that he actually found himself missing them.

But all the same, there was no time for that now. The situation above continued to unfold without his hand to steer it in the proper direction, and that could not be allowed to continue. So Gendo pushed himself onward, moving as quickly as his injured body could, passing by the familiar sights of the underground portion of NERV, the dumping ground for the failed Evas, their skeletons a grim reminder of the many attempts to forge the quintessential elements to the scenario. The labs and quarters where Rei had lived before he had decided to have her moved into Tokyo-3 itself, and the cloning lab where her replacements swam mindlessly about. He passed them by, ignoring them and remembering all at the same time. Remembering everything he had done to reach this point, memories that kept him moving. Made him refuse to be stopped by something as minimal as these injuries as he reached the room that was his goal.

The door parting for him of its own accord, Gendo entered one of the many labs in Terminal Dogma. But unlike the majority of them, which had fallen into disuse, this one had been updated and upgraded with new equipment. DNA sequencers, computer mainframes independent of the MAGI, biological processors, and much more filled one end of the lab. But the Commander wasn't interested in them, or any of the other primary apparatuses that were to be found there. His focus was on the small, efficient office that he had had set up in there when it was first refurbished for his purposes...and the girl sitting at one of the desks there.

"Commander," the girl spoke in a familiar monotone as he approached.

Gendo couldn't help but be pleased by her reaction. She gave no mention of his obvious injuries, showed no visible reaction to his condition. She simply sat where she was, waiting for him to give her orders. "You've been monitoring the situation above," he asked in a way that made it clear that he wasn't asking a question. When she nodded, "What is Ibuki's position?"

"Captain Ibuki is on Level 3, proceeding to the exit," the girl answered, still using the same monotone voice. Pressing a button at her desk, she brought up several holographic displays, a smaller version of the displays up on the bridge, showing the complete tactical situation, including Ibuki's location.

Nodding as he studied the map and blips on it, Gendo tried to turn the chaos that had enveloped NERV into a logical pattern. In one display, he could see Shinji standing near a com-panel, fidgeting nervously as if he were waiting for something. In another, he could see Major Katsuragi exiting an elevator, clutching at her side as if injured. And in another still, Chiron and his people were seen on Level 3, making their way towards where Ibuki was staggering forward, trying to escape.

"What is Major Katsuragi doing?" Gendo wondered, glancing between her and the anxious 3rd Child. "Have either she or the 3rd Child been in contact with the bridge?"

"Yes. Both have made contact with the bridge," the girl reported. As quickly and efficiently as possible, she reported the communications between them and the bridge. "Major Katsuragi is planning on intercepting Captain Ibuki as She-Hulk. It is her opinion that she will be able to delay Ibuki long enough for Dr. Akagi to bring the nanites inside of her under control."

Pressing his lips together into an uneasy frown, Gendo glanced at the display that showed the bridge and the people busily working away up there. So, sensei, it's not just in my mind that you attempt to defy me, he thought, surprised and mildly disappointed by this act of rebellion. I guess you need another reminder as to who is the master now.

Pleased that he had had the foresight to keep certain aspects of this lab a secret, including the systems that allowed him to monitor the entirety of NERV from there, Gendo brought forth his cell phone again and hit the speed dial. A moment later, and Chiron was bringing out his own cell phone and saying, "Chiron here."

"Captain Chiron, this Commander Ikari speaking," Gendo intoned, keeping his voice even as possible, lest he betray his injuries. Render himself weaker in the eyes of others. "Status report."

"Yes, sir. Per your orders, I've mobilized a team to terminate Ibuki," Chiron reported easily. "We are currently making our way to Level A-1, so we should be able to intercept her shortly after she exits NERV."

Making sure not to give any hints that he could see all of this for himself, Gendo responded, "Very well. Keep me posted and alert me the instant you overtake Ibuki." Chiron visibly nodded in the holographic display, at which the Commander, "However, you are not to engage her without my authorization. Is that clear, Captain?"

For an instant, it appeared that Chiron might actually consider protesting this order. But only for an instant, though he still looked irritated when he responded in a crisp, professional voice, "Perfectly, sir."

"Excellent. Proceed as ordered," Gendo instructed him, not giving him the chance to respond before he closed his phone up. To Chiron's credit, he didn't react to his orders with muttered curses or anything that people tended to do or say when they thought that their boss couldn't see or hear them. It was a sign of loyalty, a sign that Chiron knew his place in the scheme of things, and perhaps most importantly, he knew enough not to risk Gendo's wrath falling upon his head.

Fear and respect. They were everything in this sinful world. A hard lesson that Gendo had learned a long time ago, and he had learned it well.

Still, these things didn't necessarily mean that Chiron would succeed. Especially given Section 2's poor track record against the superhuman beings that had risen up in Tokyo-3 as of late. And with this thought in mind, Gendo focused his attention on the girl before him. "Are the MAGI operational?" The girl quickly nodded to this. "Tactical analysis of Ibuki's present capabilities."

Instead of explaining it to him, the girl worked the controls of her table, bringing up another holographic display, the tactical display Gendo had requested. As quickly as he could, read the facts and figures that resulted of the MAGI's analysis of this latest potential thorn in the Commander's side. Hmm...her cellular structure has amalgamated component elements of the metal used in NERV's construction, and now has a consistency almost identical to it. And she's also capable of using her gauntlet to absorb electrical energy to sustain the nanite collective inside of her. Frowning in thought, Gendo considered this for a time. So, it would seem that total adaptability is still this Angel's greatest weapon. Then he narrowed his eyes and added, And possibly still it's greatest weakness.

With this thought in mind, Gendo continued to study the analysis. Substantially increased strength and durability, owing in part to Ibuki's current organic metallic cell structure, as well as the ability to absorb energy and potentially take on the properties of anything her nanites could absorb. These abilities were certainly impressive, and potentially worthy of further study in a controlled environment. But not at the expense of the scenario, Gendo reminded himself. Then he frowned as another possibility occurred to him. However, if she also has an Angel's other abilities...such as the AT-Field...

Again, Gendo studied the tactical data before him. At the moment, there was nothing to indicate that Ibuki could generate an AT-Field of her own, but at the same time, nothing to show that she couldn't. And she may not need to, he reminded himself. The Major's She-Hulk form has no AT-Field, and yet has proven to be impervious to even an N2 explosive. So I can't afford to rely on Chiron alone for this.

It was then that Gendo allowed himself a slight smile. For he didn't have to depend on Chiron. Not when there greater resources at his command.

With that in mind, he looked squarely at the girl before him and asked, "What's the status of the Genesis Chamber?" Turning about, Gendo looked squarely at a door leading out of the lab proper. "How many functional subjects do we have available?"

"Of the twelve subjects in the maturation chambers, seven of them have reached adolescence. DNA analysis shows them to be genetically stable, and bio-readings all show them to be in perfect condition," the girl reported, saying more in that sentence than she would normally say in a day. "Of these, five have completed the final stages of their subliminal programming."

Pausing to consider this, Gendo then instructed, "Awaken those five, and prepare them for combat."

Nodding to this, the girl rose from her seat and started towards the door. As he did so, Gendo staggered towards his desk, and with a muted sigh of relief, allowed him to sink into his seat. "Do you require assistance, Commander?" Starting at this, Gendo looked up at the girl and saw a muted gleam of concern in her eyes. "You appear to be injured, and -"

"It is nothing," Gendo cut her off, annoyed that he was allowing his injuries to be so visible. That he was showing weakness to anyone. "Just do as I tell you."

The girl didn't inquire any further. She simply nodded and entered the door and began carrying out his orders. Leaving Gendo to work the controls at his desk, his command table. Ignoring the growing pain in his right arm as he studied the many moving pieces on the chessboard that was NERV Headquarters. I will not lose control, he told himself, taking this thought and ramming it into the pain that was attempting to overwhelm his mind. I will fight this, and I will remain in control.


I can't fight this! I mustn't! Misato told herself time and time again as she staggered through the hallways of NERV, her teeth gritted in pain. I have to let it happen! I have to let her out...or Maya's finished!

And yet, as much as Misato told herself this, not fighting what was happening to her was proving to be one of the hardest things she had ever done in her entire life.

When she had shot herself in order to trigger She-Hulk's emergence, it had been a spur of the moment act of desperation, the only thing Misato could think of doing to offset the tranquilizer in her system. And it had worked, but only up to a point. She was transforming, but slowly. Very, very slowly. Her muscles were somewhat larger and more toned than normal, and the blood that spilled from the gunshot wound in her side was green, not red. Her veins were glowing with power, and she could sense the beast within struggling to the surface.

But at the same time, the beast's thoughts were addled and confused, and Misato could feel her own thoughts being jumbled. And while the adrenaline in her system was fighting the sedative, it wasn't an easy battle. All she would have to do was fight back against the beast, and she could send it tumbling back into the darkness. Remain a human being, remain in control.

But I can't! Misato reminded herself once again. I can't do anything for Maya, not like this! She-Hulk is the only one who can stop her! Grunting as she continued forward, supporting herself with her free hand, the Major pictured what would happen if she were to fight back against the beast within; between the tranquilizers and blood loss, she'd be out like a light in no time flat. Leaving Chiron and his band of idiots to do whatever they pleased. Allowing them to kill Maya. C'mon, Greenie! What the hell is taking so long?! Hurry up and take me over already!

The beast responded to this invitation sluggishly. The simple-minded creature was a thing of sharp, quick rage, and reacted to it in kind, like a child throwing a tantrum. But the initial rage that had started the transformation had long since faded, leaving the creature disoriented, without anything to actively incite its wrath. To encourage her to come forward and deal with what was happening.

Dammit! Chiron's going to kill Maya! Doesn't that make you mad?! Misato shouted herself, conjuring images of the male chauvinist prick and flinging them down into the abyss the beast was trying to free herself from. What, are you just going to sit back and watch that bastard get away with it?! Grunting with frustration, the purple-haired woman snorted as loudly as she had the strength for. If he could see us right now, he'd be laughing his ass off right now! In fact, I can practically hear him laughing right now!

This sparked a bit more interest in the creature, a bit more green in Misato's blood. But only a bit.

Dammit...dammit, c'mon! Misato egged her other self on. Change, already! Change!

"Misato!" came Ritsuko's voice from seemingly out of nowhere. Jumping at this, the purple-haired woman looked wildly about, momentarily unable to tell where it come from. "Misato, listen! Maya's reached the main entrance! She's almost out of NERV!"

Her eyes going wide at the is, Misato gritted her teeth before asking, "Wh...what about...that porker, Chiron?! Where...?!"

"He and his people have reached Level A-1! They're closing in on her!" Ritsuko promptly reported.

This report sent a fresh wave of anger and frustration shooting through Misato's veins. Knocked off balance by it, she fell against the wall, her wound meeting unyielding metal and screaming in further pain as a result. Lost in the sudden haze, Misato slammed her fist into the wall, sparking even more pain, more anger, more adrenaline. Things that her mutation slowly responded to, the bones of her spine crunching and expanding, the muscles of her back swelling up somewhat beneath her medical gown.

Instinctively panicking as her savage alter-ego gained greater ground, Misato fought back for a moment, fought to push her back down. No, stupid! Don't do that! This is what you want, remember?! she screeched at herself, smacking herself in the forehead with her free hand. C'mon, Greenie! That's it! Keep on coming! Take this body and do your thing with it!

Panting heavily, Misato hovered there for a time, feeling the changes picking up somewhat. A bone cracking apart and rebuilding itself, a muscle slowly swelling with new power. Nodding shakily to this changes, at the beast that was still climbing her way to the surface, the Major growled, "Rits...how much further...until the next elevator?"

"You're almost there!" Ritsuko urgently informed her. "It's around the next turn, on your right!"

Forcing herself to look up, her vision swimming for a moment, Misato spotted the hall that branched off from the one she was in. "It's about time..." she muttered wearily. "I could have just...ridden the elevator I was in...all the way...but no...!" Heaving breath after heavy breath, Misato rolled her eyes as she forced herself to start forward again. "Stupid architects...think they're so clever...when they can't even design elevators...that reach each floor...!" Her annoyance causing one of her thigh muscles to bulge unexpectedly, Misato was almost sent crashing to the floor before she caught herself. Panting wearily as the change continued, the Major asked, "Alright...what about Shinji?"

"Shinji's on Level A-1. But we warned him away from where Chiron and his thugs are heading, so he won't be spotted," Ritsuko tersely reported. "Do you want us to have him meet you at the elevator?"

"The elevator..." Misato replied, trying to focus on her friend's voice. To ignore the way her body was being taken over. To keep from fighting it. "Yeah...have him...go to the elevator." Then she rasped out a low, broken chuckle before adding, "But...it won't be me...that he'll be meeting there...Rits. Okay?"

A beat passed in which Misato could almost see her college friend nodding her understanding. "I'll let him know."

"You do that, Rits..." Misato gasped, the muscles on one side of her neck bulging, forcing her to look off to the side. "Arrgh...ugh...! Aw...!" Clenching her jaws shut, the Major rode out the sudden spurt of growth, her neck muscles slowly evening out again. "So..." she tried again, determined to stay focused on her friend's voice. "Have you got any...bright ideas on how to...cure Maya?"

"Let's just that we're onto something that looks like a winner," Ritsuko replied instantly.

"No...let's not just say that," Misato pleaded as she finally rounded the bend. Her heart pounding a bit more as she finally caught sight of her current objective. "C'mon, Rits...tell me! You know...you're always looking for chances to...show off that big brain...of yours!"

A sound of hesitation was heard over the PA before Ritsuko finally answered, "Well, we think the nanites in Maya have absorbed an incomplete version of a program we developed to force the Angel to work as one with its host. So we're working on a way to complete the program inside of her. Now, if that works, the nanites will be forced to work as one with Maya, allowing her to control them, instead of the other way around."

Snorting loudly, Misato shook her head as she made her way up to the elevator doors. "That's...an awful lot of 'ifs' and 'thinks', Ritsuko Akagi," she sniped as she hit the 'up' button. "What, haven't you...figured anything out for certain?"

"Unfortunately, no," Ritsuko admitted as Misato leaned against the wall, listening for the telltale dings that signaled the elevator's approach. "In fact, we aren't even sure how to load the modified program into Maya."

"Oh, c'mon! There's...got to be a way!" Misato protested, gasping sharply as her armed jerked about, her bicep bulging and forcing her arm to bend of its own accord. "Wait...didn't you say...she took that...thing you used to...fry the Angel?

"You mean the EMF generator?" Ritsuko answered as the elevator dinged one more time before the doors slid open. As Misato made her way into the elevator, the doctor added, "That's right. She grabbed it, shoved her arm into it, and then - she took off."

Nodding shakily as she slid against the wall, painfully aware of the bloody smear she was making in the process of getting over to the little buttons next to the door. Misato asked, "Any idea...why she took it?"

"We think she's using it as a life support," Ritsuko responded as Misato carefully lined her finger up with the appropriate button. "The nanites' S2 organs must've been disrupted by the EMP, and now need an alternate energy source to sustain them. Also, Shinji reported seeing Maya using the generator to absorb electrical energy. So she needs it in order to feed on any given power source."

"So...she needs the generator, huh?" Misato asked as she finally succeeded in pressing the appropriate button. "Any idea what would...happen if...Greenie yanked it off?"

"Don't even think that, Misato! It's too dangerous!" Ritsuko told her, her voice rising with urgency. "If the nanites have fully integrated with Maya's cellular structure, then the reason she was getting weaker was because the nanites were literally starving to death! Those nanites need the energy the generator provides in order to survive, which means that Maya does, too!"

Nodding to this, Misato allowed herself to fall back to the floor, the changes coming more quickly, more easily. "So...the generator...it's linked to Maya...and the nanites?" she rasped out, keeping her mind focused. Distracted from the creature that was rising up in her. "They're all linked and - and everything?"

"That's right. We even saw the nanites reconfiguring the generator, adapting its physical structure to their purposes," Ritsuko reported in a somewhat calmer voice.

"Then...why not - use the generator?" Misato wondered, a feral grin spreading across her face. "Hook a computer up that...and load the program into her through it?"

"Wha - Misato, are you crazy?!" Ritsuko demanded impatiently. "How are we supposed to hook a computer up to the generator?!"

Snorting a laugh, Misato retorted, "Aw, hell, Rits! Do I have to...figure out everything...for you?! I thought you were supposed to be the one with the br-arrruugghh!"

"Misato!" Ritsuko cried out as the Major's vocal chords crunched and expanded, practically swelling out of her throat as their growth forced her head back. "Misato, are you alright!"

Breathing haggardly as more bones reconstructed themselves and muscles grew, Misato looked up at the control panel for the elevator, and the speaker inside of it. "Almost...outta time...Rits!" she reported, looking at the device almost as if she could see her friend through it. "Greenie's...almost here! I can...feel her, comin', and -!"

Then Misato broke off, her eyes and mouth popping open. "And?" Ritsuko asked after a few seconds of silence. "Misato, what is it?"

Misato didn't hear her friend. Nor could she hear the growls of the eager creature that was reshaping her body in its image. Her conscious mind was completely overwhelmed by sudden inspiration, conjured up by her jumbled thoughts and confused brain. "Ritsuko! That - that's it!"

"What?! What's it?!" Ritsuko demanded sharply. "Misato, what are you -?!"

"Can you - record me, Rits?!" Misato feverishly demanded, her heart pounding with excitement.

"Wh-why, yeah, sure!" Ritsuko sputtered out. "But why -?!"

"No time - to explain! Just - do it!" Misato ordered, hoping against hope that her friend would respond to her demands. For she didn't have time to explain to Ritsuko that they had just been handed the opportunity of a lifetime, and all because of Chiron's interference.

Each time she had transformed in the past, Misato had been too overwhelmed to make sense of what was happening before she lost consciousness. Even when she had been changed for the various tests they had run before or when she had been gearing up for her confrontation with the 10th Angel, she had been overwhelmed either by pain or anger or the pressure being exerted on her human mind by her savage other self. But this time, the transformation was happening slowly, giving her a chance to take stock of everything that happened as she changed. This time, the beast within wasn't rushing to the surface, it was slowly climbing, giving Misato ample time to analyze what was happening, the thoughts and feelings running through her mind.

I might not ever get another chance like this! Misato realized as she lay back, trying to distance herself from what was happening to her body. To observe and remember everything that happened. If I can just hold on, stay awake through the change, I might be able to figure out why I keep blacking out! Why I keep losing control to her!

Heaving several excited breaths, Misato was jolted by a sudden burst of growth. Her back arching, she cried out as her abdomen throbbed and hardened, a steely six-pack emerging. "Ritsuko...keep t-talking to me!" she gasped. "Have to - stay focused - for as long as - possible!"

"Uh...o-okay, Misato!" Ritsuko replied hesitantly. "Um...Shigeru! Contact Shinji and tell him where to meet Misato!"

"You got it, Doc!" NERV's resident guitarist answered a moment later, his voice barely audible over the cracking of bones and snapping of cartilage that was filling Misato's ears.

"Alright, then," Ritsuko answered nervously. "Misato, Shinji's on his way. And...I'm making a note in the communications time logs! Everything that happens is being recorded to the lab computers and the MAGI!"

"Great! Th-thanks, Rits, I - aaahhh!" Misato cried, her heart jumping into her throat as the transformation continued to progress. Her entire body convulsed like someone had shoved an electrical cable in her mouth before she finally settled down.

"Misato! Misato, what happened?!" Ritsuko cried out as the purple-haired woman lay there, her conscious mind barely holding on after that jolt.

Misato couldn't answer. All she could do was lie there, heaving breath after ragged breath as her heart continued to pound away, sending what felt like molten magma pumping through her veins. Pure, unstoppable power flowed through her, tempting and tantalizing and terrifying her all at once as it coursed through her body, remaking it into something more suitable to host such monstrous energies. "Aw, damn...!" she gasped as she felt her body shifting about. Her arm flexing of its own accord, Misato turned and gazed in amazement as a mammoth bicep exploded before her, her veins pouring more and more power into her swelling, eager muscles. "Rits...this is...incredible!"

"Misato?!" Ritsuko demanded. "What is it?!"

"Feels...whoooaa!" Misato cried out as she witnessed her bizarre metamorphosis with her own eyes for the very first time. Swinging her eyes this way and that, trying to take in everything that was happening, her gaze was drawn by a large crunching sound. Forcing her head up, her eyes bulged as her legs bent at the knees, layers of solid muscle bulging beneath her skin, rippling through her. "It feels...so damn good!"

"What?!" Ritsuko yelped in disbelief.

A giddy laugh slipping free of her lips, Misato continued to watch her body shift and change. Her feet slid across the floor as she continued to grow, finally running into the door. But she barely noticed it. She could barely notice anything as the change continued to hasten. The pain from the gunshot wound was gone, as was likely the wound itself, and as her body continued to jerk about, her every muscle seeming to dance on its own, Misato noticed something else dancing beneath her medical gown. What the -?! she wondered, her mind becoming more and more addled. What are...?

"Misato, talk to me!" Ritsuko cried out, breaking through the waves of power and pleasure that were cascading across the Major's mind. "Are you still with me?!"

Her friend's voice breaking through, snapping Misato out of the pleasurable daze that was fogging her thoughts. "R-Rits!" she gasped out, again focusing on the control panel. "Aw, damn...keep talking! I - I -!"

"Of course! Just stay with me!" Ritsuko told her, urging her own. "Hold on for as long as you can, okay?!"

"I-I'm trying, but...g-getting hard to th-think!" Misato reported as she stared stupidly at the front of her medical gown, where two huge mounds were rising up beneath the blue fabric. "Feels...feels so good...like I'm drunk...and...and...aw, damn!"

"What?! What now?!" Ritsuko demanded, caught between irritation and fear.

"Omigod! Would you l-look at these things?!" Misato giggled uproariously as she realized what exactly was filling up the front of her shirt. "B-beach balls...for twin p-peaks!"

"Beach balls?! What are you - oh," Ritsuko returned, going from cry of dismay to groan of annoyance in less than a second.

Ignoring her friend's grumbling, Misato just grinned as she watched the Best Assets at NERV truly live up to that title. That's it! Keep on growing! she thought giddily as they filled out the fragile gown, the fabric creaking as it tried to keep them constrained. C'mon! That's it!

"Look, Misato, whatever's going on in your head, please, just keep it together!" Ritsuko told her in a fearful manner. "Dammit, we're out of time here! Chiron and his troops have reached the main entrance! Do you hear me, Misato?!"

Misato could hear her, but it was getting harder and harder to care. She was adrift in an ocean of overwhelming pleasure and incredible power, an ocean that was battering away at her conscious mind. It was all she could do to stay afloat, stay aware in the maelstrom of emotions and primal energy that inundated her. At every second that passed made it that much harder, her body changing more and more. On some level, she was aware that her hair was getting longer, locks of it falling before her eyes, and that her skin was getting darker, going from a pale yellow to a light green before finally shifting to the dark green of her bestial self.

The beast. The savage creature that resided deep within her subconscious. Misato could sense it drawing closer, rising up through the ocean of emotion and power, completely unhindered by it. The forces that overwhelmed Misato's conscious mind were the very things that She-Hulk thrived on, the things that spurred her instinctive thoughts onward, unhindered by fears or concerns. And it was these things that were propelling her closer, and closer...

"Misato, I don't know if you can still hear me, but Shinji's standing by and waiting!" Ritsuko reported, the doctor's voice painfully distant now. "He'll guide you or She-Hulk or whoever's driving that body to the entrance, and then -!"

Shinji. A simple, single word. No, more than a word. A name. A name that struck a chord in both Misato's conscious and savage selves. Both of them pausing at the same time, processing the image of the small boy that they cared so much for, and both reacting in different ways. The angrier, instinctive persona, on the verge of sending Misato's conscious self down into the darkness so that she could take control, hesitated. Wondered why someone was speaking Shinji's name, suffering a jab of concern at the possibility that the boy was somehow imperiled.

For Misato herself, however, that name was like a lifeline. It gave her something to focus on, to hold tight and remain afloat. The power, the emotion, the ecstasy, they were all still there, but now there was something else. The smiling face of a boy that she had come to depend on, who had cared for her and encouraged her. Who had entrusted himself to her, despite everything she had done to him in return.

Shinji...Shinji needs me! Misato thought feverishly, looking up at the elevator display. Her eyes responding to her will, not someone else's. Seeing the numbers there, numbers the creature didn't understand and didn't care about, she realized that she was within a few floors of Level A-1. Very close to where Maya was. Where Chiron was. And where Shinji was.

Realizing that she had to get up, to be ready to move, Misato instinctively reached out and grabbed hold of the elevator wall. Gasping as she felt the metal plating buckling in her grip like it was nothing more than tinfoil. Still afloat amidst the ocean of power and pleasure and emotion, she looked over to her side and saw a large, green arm and hand. Her arm and hand, holding onto the side of the elevator. Transformed with Angelic and gamma power, but still her arm and hand, heeding her command as she used this handhold to help her rise up to her feet. Her body tensing, readying itself for battle.


As much as Chiron knew how little it took to send a mission south without any warning, he couldn't help but be pleased with his current situation.

So far, everything had gone like clockwork, the way a precision operation was supposed to. He and his troops had made their way up to Level A-1 without incident. They hadn't encountered either the missing 3rd Child, Katsuragi, or her brutish other self, which were all good things. Though Chiron had a low opinion of women who didn't know their place in general and Misato in particular, even he was forced to admit that he was not looking forward to another battle with She-Hulk.

As a result, he and his men had quickly reached the main entrance, and even better, they had almost immediately sighted the mutated creature that Ibuki had become. The metal-skinned woman was wandering a short distance away from NERV, apparently confused as she looked this way and that. Not even noticing Chiron and his men as they took up station around the entrance.

So, that's the freak Ibuki is now, Chiron thought as he surveyed his target. Though nowhere near as heavily muscled as Katsuragi's bestial other, she was still infused with Angelic nanites. And after the disastrous engagement that was still remembered by all as the Day of Destruction, the Section 2 head wasn't willing to underestimate a mutated aberration like these, even if it happened to be a woman.

There would be no mistakes. No tempting fate. Chiron was determined that this operation would go down by the book from start to finish. And that meant heeding Commander Ikari's orders to the letter. "Everybody, get into position, and be ready to fire on my command," the Section 2 Captain ordered even as he took position near the wall. As his men nodded the understanding, all of them quick to heed his words, Chiron drew forth his cell phone and hit the speed-dial.

Narrowing his eyes at his target, who was still wandering away from NERV, Chiron soon heard the Commander's voice ring in his ear. "Ikari, here."

"This is Captain Chiron, sir," the Section 2 head reported tersely. "We've sighted Ibuki and are ready to engage, sir."

"What is Ibuki's status?" Gendo asked in a terse manner, his voice strained just enough to be noticeable.

Frowning but knowing better than to mention it, Chiron looked out at his target. "She appears to be heading towards one of the tram stations, sir." Pausing to study Ibuki's movements, he added, "But it doesn't look like she'll be getting there anytime soon. She's wobbling about like a drunk about to pass out, sir."

"I see," was Gendo's response. And then there was silence.

Chiron wanted to say that now was a perfect time to attack. There were no civilians anywhere nearby, no valuable equipment at risk. Nothing between them and Ibuki. And of more importance, their target appeared to be sick, weak. Vulnerable. Not at all like the situation they had encountered in dealing with She-Hulk. So unless Ibuki was feigning or exaggerating her condition, there was no reason why they wouldn't be able to deal with her right then and there.

But Chiron didn't say that. For unlike Fuyutsuki, Gendo's voice was the voice of authority at NERV. Furthermore, he was not a man who believed in forgiveness or coddling the people under his command. Failure and disobedience were things that Gendo didn't tolerate in the slightest, something he had made clear on more than one occasion, with punishments that made even a hardened soldier like Chiron cringe just thinking of them.

So he waited. And wondered what was going through Commander Ikari's mind as Ibuki continued to slowly wander away.


Chess was a game of strategy, a game in which the chess master's skill was put to the ultimate test in terms of his ability to effectively utilize the pieces on the board, as well as anticipate the movements of his opponent's pieces. And the true mastery of this art came when a chess master couldn't move his pieces directly. He had to anticipate their actions and manipulate the situation accordingly in order to achieve the desired result.

That was the situation unfolding both in and outside of NERV. Chiron and his forces were pieces under Gendo's direct control, and they were in the perfect position to be of use to him. The enemy piece that remained in play came in the form of Captain Ibuki, and according to the images relayed to him by the external security cameras, she was in no hurry to engage his pieces in battle. And while he couldn't afford to let her escape the Geofront, it did give him more room to plan out his next move.

In the next room over, more pieces under Gendo's direct sway were preparing to join the situation. But at the same time, given the current circumstances, he was hoping that he wouldn't be forced to deploy them. There were too many rogue elements appearing on the board, too many possible witnesses. And too many things that could go wrong if he was forced to unveil the pieces that amounted to his queen in play at this stage in the game.

Fortunately, there were other pieces in motion, pieces that weren't under his direct control, but that could still prove useful. Pieces such as those on the bridge, with Gendo's old teacher and current lover the most active amongst them. And as he watched them and the others there work, NERV's Commander found himself somewhat conflicted. Defying my orders, all for the sake of one person, he thought, his brows furrowed at this concept. Either the people on the bridge were more foolish than he thought, or he had not yet made it entirely clear that he would brook no disobedience, no matter the circumstances. That he was the master. I'll have to do something about that.

But even as he was making a mental note that a demonstration of authority was in order, Gendo had to admit that their current project did, in fact, look promising. If things play out, Ibuki's life may well be of value after all, he thought as he watched Ritsuko come over to where the other bridge technicians were, telling them of what needed to be done.

And then there was another set of pieces in play, pieces that he had not expected to appear in this particular game. The first of which was Unit 01's pilot, who was standing next to the elevator that was relatively close to the main entrance, waiting for the second piece to arrive in the form of an eight-foot-tall green Amazon. And one of the few beings capable of reining in Ibuki, should things take a turn for the worse, Gendo knew before glancing at the next room over. And it would certainly be a much more preferable situation, compared to the alternative.

The question, of course, was how exactly to make sure that happened, especially in light of She-Hulk's unpredictability. And the answer began with the cell phone that was currently in Gendo's hand, and the voice on the other end reporting, "She appears to be heading towards one of the tram stations, sir. But it doesn't look like she'll be getting there anytime soon. She's wobbling about like a drunk about to pass out, sir."

"I see," Gendo responded almost absently as he turned his attention to the two most potentially devastating pieces in play. The savage she-beast that was currently disembarking the elevator, and the frail boy who was one of the few, if only, people capable of commanding her. "Very well. Chiron, have your men open fire."

"Yes, sir!" Chiron replied, a bit too eagerly, but that was to be expected.

Now, to see just how worthy a specimen Ibuki has become, sensei, Gendo thought, recalling the illusory debate he had had with unexpected amusement. And whether or not she is worth sparing.


Well...I guess this is the right elevator, Shinji thought as he stood watching the indicator that showed the elevator car itself rising up to his floor. Feeling his heart pounding away as he waited for its arrival,

In the time since Shinji had first come to Tokyo-3, he had seen more than his share of dangerous situations and impossible battles. As the 3rd Child of NERV, he had faced death more times than he could count, and as much as he didn't want to admit it, he had actually gotten more-or-less used to that. What he wasn't used to was wandering into a situation where death and danger seemed to appear out of nowhere, leaving him helpless to do anything but to try and survive the experience. And what he was quickly growing to hate was being effectively useless on the battlefield, unable to do anything or help anyone, not even himself.

First Jet Alone, then that battle with She-Hulk, then the mess with the 10th Angel and Rhino...and now this, Shinji thought somberly as he watched the indicator draw closer. Is...is this what it was like for Misato, before she...?

His train of thought collapsing on his, Shinji sighed lowly as he let his gaze fall to the floor. I hate this... he thought bitterly, scuffing his shoe on the floor as he waited. Why...if I only I had powers like Misato or - or Horaki-chan, then...maybe I could...do something, I...

Once again, Shinji's thoughts deteriorated. There was no point in thinking about what could be, especially in a mess like this. Ritsuko and the others on the bridge had given him a hurried explanation as to what was happening, so he knew what had to be done. He knew that Maya's life, her entire future hung in the balance and that the doctor and the people were presently working frantically on a way to save it. And that there was only one person that could buy them the time they so desperately needed.

And that's another thing, Shinji frowned unhappily. Thinking of the emerald Amazon that they were all counting on.

He wasn't overly concerned about Misato in this case. After seeing her brutish other survive the best efforts of Spirit, the explosive force of an Angel, an N2, and a fall from thousands of feet up, and come through a battle with the Rhino completely unharmed, he was basically certain that there was nothing that Maya could do to hurt her. However, Shinji wished he could be so certain that it worked both ways.

Maya looked so sick before, Shinji thought worriedly as he recalled her staggering about the interior of NERV. And...well, she might be a little stronger, but...she didn't look that strong, and... With that, he found himself flashing back to the disastrous battle between She-Hulk and Spirit. His mind replacing the image of the winged girl with the frail, human form of Maya. An image that shook Shinji with horror. No! There's no way! Misato wouldn't do that! She's never hurt Maya! Never!

As the boy tried to ram this certainty into his mind, Shinji's subconscious quickly went to work, trying to undermine his forced confidence with fear and concern. Things that found fertile ground in what he knew to be established fact. After all, She-Hulk's thought processes were simplistic at best, a far cry from the keen mind Misato normally possessed. The jade giantess dealt with her problems brutally, and even if she didn't intend to hurt their transformed friend, there was always the chance of her doing so by accident. Assuming she could even recognize the creature that Maya had become as a friend.

But that's why I'm here! Shinji hissed inwardly, doing his best to stave off his inner demons. All you have to do is tell Misato - She-Hulk - that she has to stop Maya without hurting her!

Even as his self-doubts and fears gnawed away at him relentlessly, Shinji realized to his considerable relief that the elevator had finally arrived on his floor. Grateful that he wouldn't have to wait any longer, that he would soon be too busy with the situation at hand to give the nagging voice of doom in his head a chance to reassert itself. And so, pausing to make certain that he was a safe distance away from the doors, he looked up and watched as the elevator slid open, revealing roughly half a ton of gamma-powered muscle garbed in a badly torn medical gown.

Well, at least she's not naked this time, Shinji thought, for while he knew that She-Hulk certainly didn't mind being seen in the buff, he really didn't need a case of raging hormones on top of everything else at the moment. "Misato, thank goodness you're here!" he spoke aloud as he approached her, trying to focus on the task at hand. "Listen, I need your help, and -!" His eyes going wide, he cut himself off when he noticed a large, round hole in the medical gown. And an even larger dark stain in the fabric, on that he instantly recognized. "Omigod! Are - are you -?!"

Seemingly startled by this outburst, She-Hulk furrowed her brows before following Shinji's eyes to the damaged area. After surveying the massive stain of her own blood, the green beast-woman looked up at the boy, a tiny smile playing about her lips. "She-Hulk - I - okay...Shinji-kun," she rumbled hesitantly as he came up to her, trying to see how bad the wound was. "I...better, now."

His panic-stricken mind unable to take her word for it, Shinji quickly examined the large opening in her gown, trying to see the bloody hole that he knew had to be there. Somebody shot her! When she was still transforming! That has to be it! the boy told himself as he peered about, only to see nothing but perfect, unblemished green flesh. But, where is it?! Where -?!

"Shinji! Is...okay, now," She-Hulk told him in a gentle manner that one would have thought impossible with a voice as deep and powerful as hers. Feeling her place a tender hand on his shoulder, Shinji looked up to see his Misato's kindly visage looking out from the green gammazon's emerald irises. "Wound...healed. Is...better, now." Blinking perplexedly, Shinji just stood there, only to start when the sound of fabric tearing made him jump a short distance. Looking about, he watched as She-Hulk slowly tore the hole open even wider, giving him a better view of the skin beneath. Skin that was blotched with blood, but was perfectly intact with no sign of injury.

After a moment, realization hit and Shinji very nearly smacked himself in the face for being such an idiot. "Uh, I - I'm sorry, Misato!" he babbled out, unable to understand how he could have forgotten her ability to instantaneously recover from injury. "I just...!"

Nodding to this, She-Hulk answered, "I...understand, Shinji-kun. You...worried."

Gulping loudly as his heart continued to pound away, Shinji then gave a fierce shake of his head to bring himself back to the moment. "Uh, look, Misato! We don't have any time! Maya, she's been infected by the Angel, and -!"

"She-Hulk...I know," the green savage told him, bending down on one knee to look him in the eye. Still smiling tenderly as she added, "I...remember."

"Oh, good! Then -!" Shinji began, only for realization to strike once again, this time sending his jaw plummeting to the floor.

It was impossible. What he was thinking, it was completely impossible. There was no way it could be happening, just like that. But even as Shinji thought this, he continued to stare dumbstruck into a face that was smiling more and more broadly. A smile that he knew so well. And her speech patterns were still broken, but they were cleaner, more intelligent than even the last time. Even so, it was impossible, but at the same time...

The inner conflict building up more and more, his mind racing and heart pounding at what he was thinking, Shinji could only stand there, his mouth opening and closing on its own. "Mi..." he tried, only for his throat to tighten, his inner demons telling him that what he suspected simply couldn't be so. "Mi..." he tried again, desperate to believe that it could be, pleading for it to be true. "Misato? Is...?"

The monstrous, brutish woman before him nodded slowly, happily. "Yes...Shinji-kun."

The moment she said that, everything else, Maya's plight, Chiron, Ritsuko and her plan, everything faded away as a joyous grin exploded across Shinji's face. "Misato!" he cried out in absolute delight, jumping forward and wrapping his arms about her thick, heavily muscled neck. "I - is this really happening?! Are you -?!"

"Yes," She-Hulk - Misato - told him. "I - it's...me."

"Then - you're in control now?!" Shinji gasped, barely able to wrap his mind around what was happening. "Wh-what about She-Hulk?! Is she -?!"

At the mentioning of her savage other, Misato's smile faded somewhat. "She's...here," she rumbled, bringing her hand to her temple. "Both...in here...we..."

Whatever else Misato might have said was suddenly drowned out as a maelstrom of noise echoed down the hallways of NERV. Starting at this, Shinji looked about, peripherally aware that the jade giantess with him was doing the same, trying to process what was happening. "Guns..."

A moment passed as Shinji realized that Misato was correct. "Section 2!" he gasped as the roar of rockets being launched reached them as well. "We're too late! Maya, she -!"

"Not...yet!" Misato growled lowly, her voice more one of determination than rage. Wrapping her arms about Shinji's frame, she effortlessly hefted him up off the ground and started forward. "Shinji..."

"Yes?" Shinji spoke up, the gunfire momentarily forgotten as he met Misato's eyes with his own.

"I...so hard...with her..." Misato rumbled, her voice strained by her more primitive emotions. "Hard to...hold on...I...need you."

Initially perplexed by the notion of her needing him, Shinji then furrowed his brows and nodded determinedly. "I...I'll do whatever you want, Misato!" he vowed with as much strength as he could muster. "What do you need me to do?"

"Hard...keeping focus..." Misato explained, her words slipping somewhat. "Might...lose myself. Need you to...keep me...awake."

"Keep you...?" Shinji repeated before realizing what she meant. However Misato was remaining fully conscious while in her She-Hulk form, it was obvious that she was doing so only with considerable difficulty. While she was speaking more intelligently than before, the words were strained, as if speaking were somehow unnatural for her. And she had already mentioned that the She-Hulk mentality as in there with her.

Vying for control, Shinji realized with a hushed gasp. They're...they're fighting each other! She-Hulk wants to be in control, and -!

With this realization came a pang of sorrow. The idea of Misato was essentially at war with herself hit Shinji hard, ruining his earlier hopes of her being in control of what she had become. But at the same time, he realized that what had happened was likely Maya's best chance at survival. She-Hulk's indomitable power wielded by Misato's keen intellect. Sheer brute strength working in tandem with strategic genius. It would be the best of both worlds, and the perfect thing to keep Maya delayed and stop Section 2 at the same time.

Besides...if Misato can be in this much control, then...maybe she'll be able to come home soon! Shinji thought hopefully as she accelerated, holding him tightly and gently to her powerful form. I mean, the only reason they keep her locked up is because they're afraid she might hurt someone, but if she's in control, then...that won't happen, right?

The demons of uncertainty that lived in Shinji were quick to send wisps of fear and doubt into his consciousness. But he promptly shoved them aside. Because whatever happened later, Maya was in danger now. And if Misato needed his help to save her, then he would help her in any way he could.


"Get ready, men," Chiron muttered beneath his breath, determined not to alert his target to her peril. Determined to make sure that this operation went perfectly.

So far, Ibuki remained oblivious to their presence and continued to stagger towards the nearest tram station. But Chiron knew that could and would change the instant they started firing. If we don't bring her down with the first round, then we'll have to scatter. Catch her in a crossfire. Make sure that she can't infect any of us, he thought, knowing that he had to be one step ahead of her, ready for if and when the fight turned ugly. As long as she doesn't have an AT-Field or the same kind of hide as the green freak does, we should be able to take her down.

Satisfied with this, as well as his backup plans in case things went south on them, Chiron took careful aim at Ibuki. "Take aim," he muttered as he targeted her neck. If her body tissues had been augmented by her transformation, then the lack of muscles in the neck would make it the easiest point for a bullet to penetrate and cause some serious damage. As the rest of his men cocked their weapons, certainly picking out vulnerable spots of their own, Chiron allowed his lips to curl into a tiny smile before he uttered two of his favorite words. "Open fire!"

Before Ibuki could even react to the sound of his voice, Chiron and the rest of his people let loose a hailstorm of bullets at the freakish female, followed closely by an onslaught of rocket-propelled grenades and missiles. Round after round poured out at her, ripping into her tattered NERV uniform. The first rocket that hit struck her in the middle of her back, scorching the cloth and leaving tongues of flame licking at the tatters. A grenade struck her on the head, knocking her forward.

That's it, keep it up! Chiron thought feverishly as the bombardment continued. She might not have an AT-Field, but she's still probably thick-skinned! Don't give her a chance to retaliate! Though he didn't say this aloud, Chiron's men still heeded his thought. More missiles and grenades shot forth, each and every one of them striking home. The freakish creature Ibuki had become cried out but was unable to fight back.

Eventually, one of their weapons clicked on empty, and was soon followed by another one. To Chiron's satisfaction, the men in question stopped trying to fire and promptly discharged their emptied clips, already fetching replacements. As he himself did when his own weapon was expended. That's it, men! Reload! the Section 2 head thought as the rest of their weapons were emptied. We've got her right where we -!

"Aw...damn..."

Freezing just as he was about to slam a fresh ammo clip into his weapon, Chiron quickly looked in the direction the despairing moan had come from. He looked just long enough to see one of his men turn a deathly pale, another's jaw fall open, and a third's eyes pop out of their sockets before following their horrified gazes. It was all he could do to maintain his composure when he saw Ibuki still standing there, her tattered uniform reduced to little more than rags. And not so much as a single blemish on her metallic skin. The only thing they had done that could even come close to qualifying as damage was the way the rockets and grenades had mussed up Ibuki's hair.

Sneering, Chiron still remained in control of his emotions. "Reload!" he ordered even as he did so him. He hefted up his rifle just as Ibuki turned and looked. Just looked at him, her face tired and her eyes free of malice...before turning away and starting forward again.

Of all the things Chiron could have imagined happening, this had not even come close to being one of them. Ibuki was walking away, acting like nothing had even happened.

As he watched Ibuki continue away, Chiron just stood there for a long time before his entire body began to quake with anger. This was even worse than what She-Hulk had done to him. The thing Ibuki had become was ignoring him, completely dismissing him as a threat. As if there was one thing that Iwao Chiron would never abide by, it was being dismissed by a woman.

"Alright, bitch. You want to play it that, then fine!" Chiron snarled hatefully. "Fan out and take flanking positions, men! We're bringing this bitch down no matter -!"

"No, stop!" came another voice. A familiar voice. A voice that took Chiron's fury and fanned it to even greater levels of anger.

"Pilot Ikari, you are not supposed to be here!" Chiron growled as he slowly turned around to face the impertinent young punk that had the gall to interfere with his operation. "Get back to safe distance before I -!"

"Before you do what, Captain?" Shinji wondered, a smug smile curling his lips. A smile that grew broader as Chiron and the other Section 2 men looked up...and realized that he wasn't alone. Her brows furrowed with barely constrained rage, the freakish manifestation of the slut Katsuragi glared for a long time at her fellow monster before turning her baleful gaze on the Section 2 personnel.

But even as his men backed away from the ugly green freak, Chiron narrowed his eyes contemptuously at the little punk. "Listen, Pilot Ikari, I'm here under direct orders from the Commander," he informed him in a voice heavy with authority. "Now, either you tell that damned whore of yours to back off, or I'll have you charged with insubordination and -!"

"And nothing...you...porker," She-Hulk growled vehemently, a strained grin appearing on her face.

"I'm not talking to you, whore, I'm -!" Chiron started, only for his conscious mind to suffer the equivalent of a Blue Screen of Death as it attempted to process the import of what she had just said.


Despite the situation, Misato couldn't help but smile at the look of consummate horror that currently defined Chiron's face. The Section 2 head could only stand there, looking at her in stupefied silence as she glared at the rest of his team. "As of...this moment...I'm taking...charge of this...operation," she gritted out, speaking in a voice that wasn't her own, her words coming only with great difficulty. Then she snarled slightly and raised her fist up at them, adding, "And anybody that...don't like it...will answer...to this!"

This quickly garnered the reaction Misato had been hoping for. "No problem, ma'am!" one of Chiron's men squeaked out and was quickly followed by several others.

Good. You see? Misato thought, a thought she directed to the other persona rattling about in her mind. We won't have to smash them.

Want to smash them, the She-Hulk mentality shot back with obvious anger. Anger that Misato could feel poisoning her, battering away at her. Causing her heart to pound that much harder, her free hand to curl into a fist. Stupid men in black hurt She-Hulk, hurt Shinji, hurt Spirit! Hurt them back!

No. We might need them to protect Shinji, Misato returned as she fought to withstand the primal forces her other self represented. The ocean of emotion and power that they still floated in, an ocean of which She-Hulk was the master. An ocean that Misato could easily drown in. Someone has to protect Shinji while we deal with Maya, remember? Shinji's safety has to come first.

The She-Hulk mentality didn't like this answer. But at the same time, Misato knew that, like her, it cared deeply for Shinji. And it was this commonality that allowed her to win this minor debate. That allowed her to remain in control just a little bit longer.

Ever the transformation had been completed, with Misato still aware in She-Hulk's body, she had been struggling with her brutish alter ego. Even when she had been talking with Shinji, accepting the boy's happy greeting and delighted hug, she had been grappling with a primal force of raw emotion and instinct. A mentality that was effectively the culmination of millions of years of survival instinct combined with pure rage and hatred for the Angels, and it was a mentality that didn't take kindly to having someone try to give it orders. And it was a constant struggle for Misato to not give in to every single surge of emotion, every basic impulse that occurred to her. But struggle she did, for she knew that to give in once would be to give her savage persona the opening it needed to brush her aside and send her flailing into the darkness.

And I can't let that happen! Maya's counting on me! Misato declared inwardly.

On She-Hulk, her other self snorted back.

On us both, Misato concluded.

Fortunately, her other self was apparently satisfied, the perpetual rage and emotion she flooded Misato's consciousness abating somewhat. And just in time, for Chiron was recovering and reacting to his men deciding to heed their common sense. "Now, wait just a moment!" the male chauvinist prick howled, utterly outraged. "I take orders from Commander Ikari, period!"

Smash stupid man! She-Hulk snarled hatefully, her free hand balling up into a ham-sized fist.

No time. Better idea, Misato answered, focusing her mind on that fist, and forcing the forefinger and the thumb of that hand into a somewhat different position

"Now, you listen, and you listen good, you damned whore!" Chiron continued to rant. "Because I -!"

"Shut...up...!" Misato snarled as she leveled her free hand with Chiron's face. Before he could say anything to this, she flicked her finger at him. The result was the Section 2 Captain flying backwards like he had just taken a cannonball to the face. The egotistical bastard flew at least two or three yards, unconscious before he even crashed to the ground.

Satisfied that Chiron wouldn't be bothering them again anytime soon, She-Hulk's anger subsided somewhat. Allowing Misato to focus on the rest of the Section 2 nuisances as they looked from their flattened boss, then to each other, then towards her. Each of their faces went pale as the jade giantess narrowed her eyes at them and growled, "Now...does anybody else...have anything...to say?"

"Nope!" yelped one agent.

"Not me!" another one gulped.

"Nonononono!" a third one whimpered.

Misato nodded to this, smiling in satisfaction. Just like a pack of wolves. You deal with the leader, you've dealt with the pack, she thought at her other self. Fortunately, this was a very basic reality, one of the laws of the jungle, and a concept the savage mentality could accept without difficulty. Allowing her to move on. "Alright, then...you're...gonna look...after...Shinji..." With this statement, she carefully set the boy down on the ground next to her. Then she rose back up and drove her fist into the palm of her other hand. "He...gets hurt...you get hurt. Bad. Got that?"

"Yes, sir!" the Section 2 agents responded as one, each of them snapping off a crisp salute.

Not wasting the effort needed to acknowledge them, Misato turned to her ward and cupped his cheek "Shinji...wait here..." she told him, her tone softening considerably. "And...stay safe..."

Placing his own tiny, tender hand on her own, Shinji replied, "I will, Misato. And...please, be careful."

Smiling broadly, Misato nodded before returning her attention to her fellow mutant. Her fellow victim of the Angels' evil, and started forward. Remember, this is still Maya we're dealing with! What's happened to her, it isn't her fault! she told herself. And more importantly, told the rampaging force of destruction that was struggling to take over their shared body. We have to be careful.

Unfortunately, the She-Hulk mentality was having trouble focusing on what Misato wanted. The Maya she knew was a good person, the savage knew, and she did want to help her. But at the same time, she couldn't see the Maya she knew. All she could see was the metal-skinned woman with the heavy gauntlet about her right arm. and more importantly from her perspective, she could sense the energy that the nanites contaminating her radiated. That same poisonous feeling of danger and evil that she had felt in her nightmares, as well as when they had tracking the 10th Angel. A hateful, monstrous force that caused her features to twist with loathing.

I know! I sense the Angel, too! But that's because it's inside of Maya, Misato pleaded her other self. Remember what Ritsuko said before! The Angel infected the base, as well as the MAGI! So it could infect Maya, too!

The She-Hulk mentality considered this briefly. She remembered Maya's hasty briefing regarding their situation as well as Misato did, and she had heard Ritsuko's explanation as to how the young Captain had been infected as Misato did. But unlike Misato, the savage persona wasn't very capable when it came to understanding such explanations. She was a creature of action, not cerebration, and such concepts were difficult at best for her to make sense of.

Come on, we both know this can happen! Misato snarled with mounting impatience. The Angel transformed Maya like Jet Alone and Adam transformed me! And Maya's got that Angel controlling her like you want to control this body! This argument enjoyed a bit more success, but it still didn't end She-Hulk's frustration. She didn't want to stand around debating things. Her focus was on the Angel, the enemy. A monster like all the other monsters they both so hated. And this hatred was already building up with greater and greater intensity, and Misato knew it was only a matter of time before it overwhelmed her and found expression. Look, Ritsuko's coming! And as soon as she gets here, she'll take care of the Angel! That's her job!

Smash Angel... her savage other snarled.

No, we can't! We have our own job to do! Misato protested desperately, trying to find an argument that would sway her other self. An argument that fell in line with her aggression. We have to stop Maya from leaving! If the Angel gets her into the city, then it could possibly infect other people! That Angel will be able to ruin all their lives, possibly kill them if we let it!

Then...smash Angel? the savage persona asked.

Grunting her own frustration at the single-mindedness with which her other self pursued that goal, Misato replied, No, we stall Maya and keep her here until Ritsuko gets here and deals with the Angel herself.

Stall?! the savage persona grated, truly not liking the sound of that.

Yes! We keep her busy! Misato shot back, putting forth all her mental strength into this attempt to reason with her other self. No matter what it takes, we don't let her get outside the Geofront! And if that means that we have to knock her around a bit, then fine! But we're not killing Maya! We're saving her! Got that?!

The She-Hulk personality considered this for a moment before the pressure it exerted on Misato's own conscious mind eased somewhat, apparently satisfied that physical action was part of the plan, that it would have somewhere to channel its aggression. With this minor victory, Misato continued forward, unwilling to take the chance of her other self trying something else.

Fortunately enough, while the battle with her more primitive self had been grueling, it had lasted only a couple seconds in the real world. And during that time, Misato had kept moving forward, placing one of her massive, green feet in front of the other. Wishing that she could let herself relax, and actually enjoy the obvious power this body possessed, she kept her focus on Maya. The mutated woman was apparently oblivious to the jade giantess's presence and was still staggering towards the tram. And more importantly, she had yet to make any violent moves.

Which means that...maybe the Angel is still screwed up from the EMP, Misato thought with some difficulty, the power and rage flooding her conscious, making it that much harder to plan out her next move. So...maybe Maya's like how She-Hulk is. Heaving a determined breath, she narrowed her eyes at the mutated woman. And if that's the case...maybe I can reason with her the way Shinji can with She-Hulk.

It wasn't much of a plan, but it was plausible. And it was much better than just going in and starting swinging at her. And perhaps best of all, if Misato could talk her down, then maybe her She-Hulk persona would see that she wasn't evil, the same way she had finally realized it with Spirit. So pausing to breathe, to steady her mind as much as she could, Misato called out, "Maya!"

The result was instantaneous. The creature Maya reacted to the sound of her own name by stopping in mid-step, almost stumbling forward in the process. Taking a moment to stabilize herself, make sure that she didn't lose her balance again, the metallic mutant turned to look at Misato. Her mouth popping open, she frowned in confusion, clearly surprised by the emerald Amazon's presence. But there was no reaction beyond that, and certainly nothing that would provoke a violent response from the She-Hull mentality.

Aside from the fact that she's sending out Angelic energy, Misato thought, knowing that they were a long ways away from being out of the woods. Fighting to make certain that her other self didn't assert itself, she gestured at herself and asked, "Maya...do you...know...who I am?"

Maya didn't respond. She simply stood there, her head slowly rolling from one side, then the next, her eyes narrowed as she studied the other superwomen. There was no anger in her expression, nothing to indicate that she was preparing to attack, something even Misato's other recognized. "I'm...Misato," the jade giantess spoke as gently as she could, gesturing at herself. "I'm here...to...help."

A long moment passed as Maya looked at Misato, her expression softening. "He..." she started, her voice clumsy, unwieldy. "He...help?

"That's...right," Misato replied, slowly making her way forward. Trying not to provoke her friend or her other self. "Me...Shinji...we just want...to help."

Maya just kept looking at Misato querulously. She wasn't responding to the beast-woman's pleas, but she wasn't running or attacking, either. She just kept looking at the green woman, like she wasn't sure what to make of her until at last she took a step forward. Upon seeing this, the She-Hulk aspect caused her body to tense in readiness, anticipating an attack. It was a motion that caused Maya to gasp and pull back.

Misato was sorely tempted to roar at other self, to take the rage that was flowing through her and send it squarely at the thing that was trying to co-opt her body. But at the same, she knew she couldn't give into her anger. She couldn't give into the beast. And so she sucked in a heavy breath and doubled her efforts. This is still my body! she told herself, forcing herself to stand still, to raise her arm up. To extend her hand to another person that had become a prisoner in her own body. And Maya is still my friend!

Taking this thought and repeating it, Misato stood as still as she could manage, and said, "Come on...Maya. Let...us...help..."

Glancing down at the proffered hand, then into Misato's eyes, Maya frowned uncertainly before finally starting forward again. Her knee wobbling as her gauntleted right arm pulled her slightly off-balance, she then compensated and practically staggered into the emerald Amazon. "Help..." she moaned almost desperately as she placed her left hand on Misato's shoulder.

"Of course...we'll help," Misato assured Maya even as she wrapped her right arm about her muscular neck. "We'll - aaccck!"

"Help...!" Maya moaned again, but Misato barely heard it as her body was jolted. A strange sensation rippled through her body, stealing her breath away and leaving her trembling with shock and confusion.

Startled by the sudden attack, Misato was helpless to do anything. Her conscious mind simply couldn't comprehend why her friend would attack without provocation. But her savage other was a creature of instinct and didn't bother to wonder. It simply reacted by pulling back her free arm and lashing out, sending her forearm flying into Maya's side with such force that it created a mild sonic boom. The mutated woman was sent flying away, tumbling about through the air before crashing on her back.

"Angel!" Misato's voice snarled, her lips pulling back into a hate-filled grimace as her body settled into a battle-ready stance, her hands balling up into fists. But Misato wasn't the one doing these things.

No! Misato gasped as she looked out through her eyes, unable to control the way they furrowed with hatred. Once again a prisoner in her own body, her savage other having shoved her to the side as easily as she had Maya. Dammit, dammit, no! Not now! Not when we -!

Now we smash! She-Hulk snarled back, bending down slightly and flexing her arms as she unleashed a monstrous, devastating roar. A roar that echoed about the Geofront, stirring the leaves and rippling through the grass. And at the same time, prompting Maya to regain her feet, the metallic woman now moving with much greater strength and agility.

Only she wasn't metallic any longer.

Still able to make use of her body's senses, Misato watched as Maya stood up upright, grinning deliriously as glowing green circuits appeared along her gauntlet, as it sent the energy it had stolen from She-Hulk into its bearer. The metallic gray faded from Maya's skin and was quickly replaced with a light green. Her muscles bulged tremendously, her bones cracking and shifting, becoming bigger, sturdier. Her pants split even further up the seams as her breasts swelled up, splitting her front completely open. The mutant woman flexed her arms, watching in obvious delight as her biceps doubled in size. Then she looked at the generator on her right forearm, and watched as the spheroid object at the end broke into circuit line as well, and then began to change form. Flowing like liquid as the Angelic nanites reformed into a large, armored hand, a hand that Maya clenched into a fist before falling into a crouch.

"Help!" Maya grinned eagerly as she lunged forward, hands outstretched and ready to seize their prey.


"There!" Ritsuko grinned in triumph as she pressed the 'Enter' button. Heaving a relieved breath as the results of her hard work scrolled by on the screen. "It's ready, sir!"

Bending forward to look over her shoulder, Chihiro wondered, "Are you sure this will work, Dr. Akagi?"

"As sure as I can be, sir," Ritsuko replied, trying to project confidence while admitting that there were no certainties in what they were doing. "Judging from the data we gathered from Maya's laptop, this modified program should complete the one that was absorbed by her nanites. And if it works the same with her as it did with the MAGI, then her nanites will start working in synch with her natural physiology, allowing her to control them."

"What about the generator?" Makoto wondered nervously. "Will she be able to take it off?"

"One thing at a time, boys," Ritsuko replied, not having a clue how to answer that particular question. "Right now, we still have to figure out how to upload the program into Maya's nanites." Glancing about at the technicians surrounding her, supposedly the best of the best, she asked, "So if anybody's got any ideas on how we can do that, now's the time."

"What about Maya's laptop?" Shigeru suggested, eyeing the device that was still connected to the MAGI. "It's still got lots of her nanites inside of it, and if they're all connected, then maybe we can use it to send her the program from here!"

"Unfortunately, we don't know what range the Angel's nanites have, how close they have to be in order to communicate with each other," Ritsuko countered in an even voice. "When they infected the MAGI, they were using the existing circuitry and other elements within NERV to spread from one place to another." Then she glanced down at the contaminated computer and admitted, "Still, that laptop is likely the best possible method of loading the program. Maya's nanites are more likely to accept it if they receive it from other nanites."

"But if we can't broadcast the program to Maya, then how are we supposed to help her?" Makoto wondered, glancing from one face to another.

"Assuming that the nanites need to in a physical network in order to communicate, our only option would be to physically connect Maya to the laptop." Pulling off her glasses, Ritsuko thought of the advice given to her by Misato, then turned to look at her current understudy. "Chihiro, that generator's your baby. Is there any way of hooking it up to a computer?"

Nodding, Chihiro answered, "Of course there is. All you have to do is hook the laptop to one of the USB ports on it, and you're good to go." As soon as she said these words, however, the Lieutenant made a face and added, "That is, assuming there are any USB ports left on it, with all the redesigning the nanites have done."

"We better hope there are, because right now, that sounds like our only chance," Ritsuko decided, rising to her feet and starting over towards the laptop.

"Doctor?" Chihiro murmured as the other techs looked on. "What are you doing?"

"It's like I said before, Chihiro. This laptop is likely the best way of feeding Maya the modified program," Ritsuko explained as she bent down and unplugged it from the MAGI. "And if we can't bring Maya to it, then we'll just have to bring it to her."

"But - wait, Doc!" Shigeru protested as she took the device in hand. "What if - that thing's lousy with nanites! What if they infect you?!"

"I've already loaded the complete program onto this thing, boys. Which means that whatever nanites are in it, they're working with it and won't be infecting anybody," Ritsuko replied, hoping that this statement was correct. The scientist in her knew just how well they didn't understand the Angels and their capabilities, and even if the program was making the nanites docile, she knew that there was a chance that they could still migrate to another host. That there was an element of risk in what she was doing.

Of course, doing the right thing is always risky, isn't it? Ritsuko thought, recalling a day not all that long ago when her best friend risked everything she had, her entire life because she thought she had to in order to save lives. And she thought of other people who had put their lives on the line and lost, all to stop the man who operated from the shadows, pulling the strings of everything in NERV. But then, what do I know? she asked herself, her mental voice holding an edge of bitterness to it as she thought of someone else. Someone who never risked anything, because of her scientific mind, a mind that said that there was no point in risking her life, only to fail and die. It's been a long time since I've risked anything. Or done the right thing.

With this thought ringing in her mind, Ritsuko held up the laptop and tucked it securely under her arm. "Makoto, call Shinji and let him know I'm coming with the program."

"You're coming -?!" Makoto sputtered out, his voice rising with his surprise. "Wait, are you saying - you're going to deliver the program?! You?!"

"That's right. I'm the one who helped design the program, and I know the Angels as well as anybody else," Ritsuko decreed with increasing heat. "That means that I'm the one best-suited to deliver it!"

As the technicians fell back in surprise, another voice was heard. "Are you sure about that, Dr. Akagi?" Fuyutsuki intoned, the old professor no long pretending to be asleep. Standing there, his eyes narrowed slightly as he studied her. "Don't forget that you're also our Head Scientist. If anything were to happen to you, it would be a serious blow to NERV, as well as the war against the Angels."

Meeting Fuyutsuki's gaze, Ritsuko stood there for a time, the scientist in her ready and waiting to sit out very scientific, logical reasons why she had to be the one to do this. That it only made sense that she was the one to go up into the midst of battle and risk everything. But when she finally opened her mouth and started to speak, it wasn't the part of her that was a scientist that was speaking. "Sir...please, let me do this," she pleaded, her voice that of a younger woman, the part of her that had been dominant back in college. The part of her that had genuinely enjoyed her life and the company of good friends. "Right now, one of the best friends I've ever had is trapped in a nightmare because I wasn't able to stop this damned thing, and another of my best friends is fighting her own monster to give me a chance to save her. And I'm not just going to sit around here, waiting and watching while someone else does my job for me!" Wincing at the way she had phrased this, like it was just a job to her, the faux-blonde sucked in a quick breath before trying again. "Please, sir...I have to do this."

The old professor simply stood there, studying her for a time. Finally, his stern expression softened, and the years fell away from him. "I never would have dreamed of stopping you." With a tender smile, Fuyutsuki nodded and told her, "Go. Go and save your friends."

After a moment of looking at the kindly expression on Fuyutsuki's face, one that she would hardly believed him capable of, Ritsuko returned it in kind. "Thank you, sir," she gently murmured before turning and starting towards the door.

Misato, Maya, please just hold on! Ritsuko pleaded with her heart as she left the bridge behind, dashing up the hall as quickly as she could.


"Misato, no! Don't do it!" Shinji cried out in terror as his guardian crouched and roared savagely.

Misato didn't respond to his cry. Instead, she glared hatefully at the woman she had come to save even Maya shot toward her with dazzling swiftness, her body flooded with new power. Determined to take even more of the energy she needed to survive, the mutant woman leaped forward, her metal hand stretched out towards the jade giantess. Eager to absorb even more power.

Misato, or rather She-Hulk, was having none of that. The emerald savage that had shaken free of Misato's control had caught Maya's hand in her own and promptly squeezed. Her metal hand buckled and then was utterly crushed, her fingers splaying out in all the wrong directions. But Maya didn't even seem to notice. She simply grinned even more deeply as her gauntlet again lit up, stealing more energy from She-Hulk. Her muscles swelled even more, her skin turning a brighter green. Crying out in clear dismay, She-Hulk released Maya's mangled hand and quickly grabbed her by the face. But even as she hefted her up, Maya quickly reached out with her good hand and wrapped her fingers about She-Hulk's throat.

"Stop it! Both of you, just stop!" Shinji cried out, practically in tears as this disaster unfolded before him. Misato had asked him to help her, to make sure that she had remained in control of She-Hulk's body, and he had stood there in silence, doing nothing. Afraid to say anything, lest he panic Maya, provoke her and ruin Misato's attempts to talk her down.

Now it was too late. The savage beast-woman either couldn't hear him or was ignoring him as she continued to snarl her fury, ignoring Maya's choking grip as she drew back her fist. Wanting nothing more than to mitigate his mistake, Shinji darted forward. "Misato, please! You have to -!"

"Hold it right there, kid!" one of the Section 2 men countered, grabbing Shinji before he could take more than a step. "You try and get in between those two, and all you'll do is get mashed into chunky salsa!"

"But -!" Shinji protested, glancing back at the agent. But his protest was cut short by both the look the man wore, and the realization that he was right. So he fell silent in defeat and looked back towards the disaster that was in the offing. Maya's metal hand was transforming once more, turning into a spiked version of the spheroid from before, but this time, it was connected to her gauntlet by a thick metal cable. As She-Hulk lifted her up into the air, the mutant woman rapidly spun the orb about like a morningstar and swung it at her adversary.

The spiked orb crashed down on She-Hulk's shoulder with devastating force, the spikes burying themselves into her skin and muscle, sending blood spraying outwards. Crying out in pain, the emerald savage furrowed her brows and countered, firing off a massive punch into Maya's stomach. The mutated woman cried out in pain, the air cruelly driven from her lungs, breaking her grip on She-Hulk's neck. Taking full advantage of this, the jade giantess drove her opponent into the ground while at the same time plucking the morningstar of her shoulder. Her wounds instantly healing, she took a firm hold of the connecting cable with both hands and pulled hard, yanking Maya back up off the ground, and started twirling her about.

Howling her protest, Maya morphed the spiked ball at the other end of the cable, the spikes turning into small cables that spread out and wrapped about both of her foe's wrists. She was just in time, for an instant later, She-Hulk released her grip on the cable, only to be very surprised when the mutated woman didn't go flying off into the distance. Taking advantage of She-Hulk's confusion, the metal-armed mutant retracted the cable and pulled herself in, raising her feet as she closed the gap and delivering a clumsy, yet powerful kick that sent the savage she-beast flying backwards. Riding She-Hulk like she was a living surfboard, Maya grabbed her the neck once again, her gauntlet lighting up as it siphoned even more gamma power from her foe.

Utterly helpless, Shinji watched as Maya's body shuddered, growing even more muscular. Her skin turned a darker green, almost matching She-Hulk's, as her muscles swelled and breasts bulged. This spelled the end of her shredded NERV uniform, the tatters of which snapped and fell away from her. If Maya noticed that she was now exposed for the entire world to see, she didn't seem to care. She just gasped in delight every time her muscles grew more, her entire body trembling with ecstasy as She-Hulk's skin seemed to pale somewhat.

Caught between fear and embarrassment, his cheeks burning despite everything, Shinji cried out, "Misato! You have to do something!"

She-Hulk did something. She did what she did best. She acted aggressively. Flipping herself off of her back, she sent Maya tumbling off of her. Scrambling about on the ground, the beast-woman quickly found her feet and stood. Howling as her foe attempted to get away, Maya pulled with her gauntleted arm, attempting to drag She-Hulk back down. The savage woman responded with a roar of her own, digging in her feet as she pulled that much harder, yanking Maya towards her. Her hands still bound, She-Hulk surged forward, greeting her opponent with a headbutt that sounded with a crashing of thunder. Staggered by the blow, Maya was sent tumbling backwards as She-Hulk pressed her advantage, rushing in to deliver a double-fisted punch to her chin. Rocketing up from the blow, her unexpected flight was abruptly terminated when the emerald savage again yanked hard on the cable, pulling it taut and sending Maya arching downwards to a spectacular crash, sending dirt and detritus flying in every direction.

With Maya half-buried in the earth, She-Hulk growled irritably as she turned her attention to the cables binding her arms together. Her eyes furrowed with mounting rage, she snarled hatefully as she struggled against her restraints. Her eyes gleaming with emerald fury, the green of her flesh deepening once again, she finally snapped free of the cables, leaving the rest of the morningstar to fall to the ground. With her hands free once more, she charged towards her downed foe, who was already regaining her feet.

"Stupid Angel!" She-Hulk snarled as she pounced on Maya, wrapping her arms about the other woman, sending them both flying through the air. Hitting the ground again, the two of them tumbled about on the earth for a few seconds before Maya swatted at her foe with her armored forearm, knocking her away.

The two of them quickly stumbled to their feet, with Maya hurriedly retracting the cable, quickly snapping the spiked orb back in place, which just as quickly morphed into a hand once again. A hand that she raised and thrust forward, launching it her emerald adversary. She-Hulk responded by sucking in a quick breath, her eyes flashing before she fired off an Impact Roar. The wave of green power knocked the hand back, sending it down to the ground.

Denied the chance to siphon off more energy, Maya quickly reeled in her metal hand as she launched herself forward with a roar of challenge. This was met by an even deeper, more hateful roar as She-Hulk rose up, raising her fists over her head before smashing them into the ground with all her strength. The resulting shockwaves very nearly sent Shinji and the rest of Section 2 tumbling to the ground, while at ground-zero, the very earth was split apart. Still rushing forward, Maya was brought up short when the earth beneath her was shattered, chunks of grass and earth falling away, revealing metal plating beneath them.

"No!" Shinji cried out in horror as more and more of the ground fell away, revealing nothing but emptiness beneath. An emptiness that Maya plunged into, helplessly windmilling her arms and legs before falling out of sight. Raising his hands up to his face, he stood there and watched, certain that this latest victim of the Angels was gone before something metal flew up over the side of the crevasse, trailing a cable behind it.

Very nearly collapsing in relief as Maya's metal hand landed, her fingers digging into the ground, Shinji quickly glanced up at his guardian, lost in a berserker rage. This is all my fault! Misato needed me, and...and I didn't do anything! he moaned inwardly, cursing his cowardice and indecision with everything he was worth. And now She-Hulk's gonna kill Maya, and there's nothing I can do to -!

At that moment, something in the back of Shinji's mind kicked him in the rear and told them there was something he could do. That an opportunity was lying before him, practically in the palm of his hands. Spurred on by this, the boy looked up and quickly glanced at the Section 2 men. None of them were bothering to look at him. They were all still somewhat dazed and shaken from what had happened to them. All of them showing a healthy fear of the female titans that were battling for supremacy. All of them focused on them, wanting nothing more than to make sure they stayed as far away from the as possible.

Shinji wasn't afraid of the two beast-women. He had faced greater dangers as the pilot of Unit 01, standing at the threshold of disaster every time he'd gone to battle with the Angels. And more importantly, he had a promise to keep. And two people depending on him to keep it.

Not giving himself a chance to start worrying, to start doubting himself again, Shinji launched himself into a flat-out sprint. "Hey, wait!" one of the Section 2 men cried out in dismay seconds later, but it was already too late, and he was likely too scared for his own life to give chase.

I can't let this happen! Not again! Shinji thought, recalling the destructive battle between She-Hulk and Spirit, how the knowledge that she had very nearly killed an innocent had had Misato begging for her own death. I've got to get them to stop fighting each other! Despite not having any idea how to do this, the 3rd Child kept running forward as Maya recovered and pulled herself back up onto the ground, only to be knocked backwards by another Impact Roar.

"Misato! Maya!" Shinji cried out as he approached, hoping to divert both their attention from each other and onto him. "Please, you have to stop fighting!"

Starting at his voice, She-Hulk frowned and looked towards Shinji. A moment later, Maya glanced his way as well, genuine curiosity in her eyes as she watched him continue towards them. Taking advantage of this momentary pause, Shinji poured on the speed until he was situated roughly between the two of them. Stopping a safe distance from the deep chasm She-Hulk had unearthed, he then held out his hands to both of them, trying not to blush as he took in Maya's augmented form, bare of any clothing, and She-Hulk's burgeoning body with a badly ripped medical gown straining to conceal it. "Listen, Misato! You have to stop! Maya isn't the enemy! It's the Angel! Remember?!" Then he swung his head towards the transmuted Captain and cried out, "Maya, look! I know you must be scared, okay?! But please, you don't have to fight anymore!"

"Shinji-kun, go! Not stay!" She-Hulk protested, her guttural speech making it abundantly clear which persona was in command. "Angel -!"

"No, Misato! This isn't Maya's fault!" Shinji protested, his voice filling with greater emotion. "I know what she did to you, but she's just trying to stay alive!" Heaving a heavy breath, he quickly glanced from She-Hulk to Maya and back again. "Don't you remember what Akagi-san told you?! She needs power to survive! That's why she went after you!" Furrowing her brow, the emerald Amazon looked up from the boy to her foe. "Isn't that right, Maya?! You just wanted to live, that's all!"

A moment passed as the two of them looked at the mutated woman. "Help..." she slowly uttered, the words coming with difficulty as she focused on She-Hulk. "Live..."

"That's right!" Shinji nodded enthusiastically before swinging back to look at She-Hulk. "C'mon, Misato! You know Maya wouldn't hurt anyone on purpose! It's the Angel that's messing her up!" The jade giantess frowned slightly, her eyes shifting from one figure to another. "I know how much you hate the Angels, Misato! But I also know there's no way you'd ever hurt anyone just to destroy one of them! Please, give Ritsuko some time! I know she'll get here soon, and when she does -!"

A sudden, tinny ringing cut Shinji off, popping open both his eyes and mouth as he glanced down at his pocket. Belatedly realizing that his cell phone was ringing, he automatically reached for it. Forgetting about the two beast women for just a moment, and sending everything to blazes.

Maya, driven by her and the Angel's hunger for more energy, looked from Shinji to She-Hulk and saw that the jade giantess was focused on the boy, not on her. Realizing that she had an opening, she quickly took advantage of it and fired off her metal hand at She-Hulk.

The emerald Amazon looked up just in time to see the metal hand catch her in the face. But even as it lit up, sending more gamma power down the cable, She-Hulk roared hatefully and grabbed hold of the cable. "No! Misato! Maya!" Shinji cried out, his phone forgotten as he once again tried to cool down the savage females. But it was already too late; tearing off the offending hand, She-Hulk leaped skyward. Shooting past the helplessly protesting Shinji, the jade destroyer pulled hard on the cable even as Maya was attempting to reel her hand back in. The result was the sudden acceleration of roughly a thousand pounds of gamma-mutated muscle as she flew fist first at Maya.

She-Hulk struck dead center, her emerald knuckles drilling into Maya's midriff, driving the mutated woman into the ground, and causing even more cracks to appear, spreading out from the point of impact. And as they spread, the ground the two mutants and Shinji stood upon shook violently, jostling about and slowly collapsing, bits and chunks of falling into the darkness.

"Oh, no...!" Shinji groaned in defeat, staring stupidly at the ground beneath him pitched off the side, forcing him to spin his arms about in a desperate attempt to main his balance.

Hearing his voice, She-Hulk turned from her foe, her face falling in horror when she realized the boy's peril. "Shinji!" she cried out desperately, already turning to come to his aide. But before she could move, Maya sprang up, not even close to out of the fight, and wrapped her arms about the savage she-beast's legs. Screeching in pure outrage, She-Hulk had just enough time to look at her foe before the ground fell out from under the both of them, sending them tumbling down in the gaping chasm.

"No! No!" was all Shinji had time to say as the ground beneath him gave way as well. Leaving him helpless to do anything but flail about helplessly as he fell into the darkness...


Author's Notes: Well, I was hoping to wrap up the entire battle this chapter, but with so much going on, as well as setting the stage for future events, things ran longer than I had expected. So I decided to end it, but don't worry, I don't expect it to be nearly so long before I update this story again. In the meantime, please, read and review! And maybe check out some of my other stories.

As for my reasons for overhauling this story, I felt that there was a fair amount of material that I had simply skipped by without covering to the best of my ability. I just hope that I did a fairly effective job of that. The next story I plan on overhauling is Lilith's Herald. Hope that works out. Also, I want to take a moment to thank Emperor Nescaro, who pre-read this and the other chapters of Emerald Fury.

Zoro50, I'm glad you're enjoying Maya's first steps to the dark side, and indeed, what's happening to her is going to have a major impact on the rest of the cast. And I did have fun with the situation with Chiron. As for Asuka, I think I gave some decent justification for her actions and attitude with the overhaul of this story. In her mind, Shinji is attempting to undermine NERV and make it look bad with his attempts to get to the bottom of the Jet Alone disaster, and anything bad for NERV is bad for her. So she's making his life difficult in order to dissuade him, among other things.

Quathis, yeah, I'm trying to give Shinji a different role in each of the SOE stories, given that he's such a prominent character in Eva canon. I'm just glad it's working out so far with this one. Also, She-Hulk has also fought to protect Rei and Spirit. As for Misato controlling her temper, she knew that the instant she showed any signs of changing, Chiron and his goons would have tranqed her, and she wasn't about to give them that chance. As for Shinji...did you enjoy the bit with him riding up She-Hulk, being all smug about it?

Mike313, what can I say? In my opinion, sometimes turning some of the Eva girls to villains gives me opportunities to explore aspects of themselves that wouldn't normally be available. Of course, some are easier to make go bad than others (and no, I'm not just talking about Asuka there). Indeed, Spirit's confidence has taken as much of a beating as her body. As for Maya, I guess I'm not spoiling it now that a couple people have successfully guessed that she's become the female analog of the Absorbing Man. And okay, you're welcome to your opinion. Though if you ask me, Asuka would likely make an excellent Giganta...

As for your issues with Misato's scar, while I was working the overhaul, I did talk to family who have worked in hospitals and such, and they told me that people who have scars, particularly those with painful memories attached to them, will try to avoid looking to them, especially if they're upset. I realize that I was pushing a bit, but I felt that it would be a good idea to spread things out a bit. Though I'm glad you like the changes I made with Chapter 10. I think those scenes really added to the overall feel of things.

Dark Vizard447, unfortunately, until Misato's finally free to go home, Shinji's simply going to have to live with the red-haired terror. And well, let's just say that I have something in mind to deal with the age-gap, and leave it at that.

Ryuus2, I decided to turn Maya into the Absorbing Woman for a couple reasons. The first of them is that, in Marvel, the Absorbing Man comes off as being one of the less evil villains, being more of a Punch-Clock Villain than anything else. He has a wife that he cares for, and at one time, he tried very hard to go straight so that they could have a normal life together. I can't help but think that if Maya were to become evil, she'd be that sort of villain. Very true, Shinji's situation has forced him to mentally age rapidly, and Misato's been sort of jammed in neutral mentally because Second Impact. So on that level alone, they're very close to the same age, and have a great deal in common. And indeed, I think Misato is most capable of giving him the love he needs and deserves, and vice versa. Your suggestion for the Teen Brigade is funny, and don't worry, I do have some plans for straightening out Asuka eventually. As for Gendo's plans...I think we can safely say you're hearing something about them now.

Dantrag-tc, I'm glad you're enjoying these stories, and hopefully with the overhauls, they'll be even better. And I have had some people requesting that I give Shinji an upgrade of some kind.

Xardion, well, I can't help but think that you don't make the head of Section 2 by being sweet and loveable. Besides, because Chiron's a jerk, it makes it all that much more satisfying when bad things invariably happen to him. And, oh, yeah, some definite possibilities to be had with making the ladies of Eva go to the dark side.

Gundam Kaizer, yeah, I decided to skip past those three Angels, and for a couple reasons. The battle with Gaghiel takes place at sea, so not only was I having trouble figuring out how She-Hulk could battle that thing without assistance, but also how she could suddenly hulk-out without somehow being noticed by everyone on the Over the Rainbow. Similar reasons are why I skipped past Israfel and Sandalphon. And as for Matariel...if Misato had suddenly hulked out there, she would have done so in a small elevator. With Kaji. Anyone willing to bet that the unshaven man would have wound up a stain in the process? As for those other hero possibilities...Bullseye is a villain, and I don't see what solo could do to an Angel.

Whew! I'm glad that's over! But before I move onto the omakes, I'd like to take a moment to thank marcosalazarm, who suggested them. Hope you enjoy!

Omake 1

"Alright, men," Chiron announced as he finished snapping the lightweight body armor on, "our target is Captain Maya Ibuki. She has been infected by the Angel that has invaded the base, and is to be considered extremely dangerous." Bristling somewhat at being forced to categorize a woman as such, the Section 2 head looked up at the men standing before him, all of them alert and ready for action. "Current intel indicates that she's attempting to escape from NERV, and perhaps the Geofront itself. Our objective is to terminate her before she can do so. With extreme prejudice. Is that understood?"

"G-o-l-l-y, sir!" responded one of his men, a slack-jawed specimen with vacuous eyes. "Are you really sure that's necessary?"

Stung by the question, Chiron retorted, "Of course it's necessary, you blithering imbecile! Did you not hear me when I said that she's trying to escape?!"

"Well, sure, I heard that part," the man in question answered. "But I don't see what all the hubbub is about. Why should we be worried about Ibuki, anyways? She's always struck me as a decent sort. Ain't that right?"

"Hmm...yeah, decent," another man responded around a loud, deep yawn. "And she don't yell much, either. Not like Katsuragi did.

"She sure don't have her figure, though!" a third agent quipped, drawing a bunch of snickers from the others.

"That's enough!" Chiron roared, silencing the insipid laughter. Shooting a lethal glare at the morons surrounding him, he brought his hand to his temple, struggled to suppress the urge to blow out their brainless heads. For a moment, he wondered what had possessed him to pick out this particular team before he reminded himself that they had a mixture of professionalism and foolishness that made them unstoppable on the field. And were all-too-likely his best chance to bring Ibuki down.

With this in mind, he took several deep breaths, fighting down his temper before explaining, "As I've already told you, Ibuki has been infected by an Angel! And that means she's now as dangerous as they are!"

"Yeah, I - I heard you saying that part, sir," another moron commented, one eye narrowed at the Captain. "But how the heck did that happen, anyway? I sure didn't see no Angels down here. Did any of you?"

"Nope. Sure didn't," another imbecile agreed with a nod, his eyes covered over completely by his hair. "And how the heck would an Angel fit in here, anyway? Them things are huge!"

Practically feeling his blood pressure skyrocketing as the other morons seconded this assessment, Chiron brought his hand to his face, slowly sliding it down before roaring, "Listen to me, all of you. I don't care what you did or didn't see. I don't care if you think Ibuki is decent or a whore from hell! You! Are! Going! To! Kill! Her! Or I promise, you, I'll make each and every one of you eat your damn guns! Now is that clear?!"

The group of rejects from a mental ward glanced about at each other before one of them commented, "Hey, no need to get all personal, sir! We was just wondering, that's all!"

"Well, stop 'wondering' and start moving already! Before I stop being patient and start blowing your heads off!" Chiron roared, completely out of patience. Then he glanced down at the floor, where one of the agents was apparently napping, and snarled, "And will one of you wake that idiot up?! Before I personally make sure he never does?!"

"Okay, okay now, Captain! You don't have to get all huffy about it," one of them told him. Then he knelt down next to the sleeping agent and told him, "Betta get a move on, Bailey. The Captain's in another one of his moods."

While the sleeping agent blearily pleaded for just five more minutes, Chiron raised his eyes to the ceiling and shook his head in dismay. Why, why, oh why do these have to be the best men I've got?! The only team that's never failed a mission?! And the only group I can't afford to just kill off and put out of my misery?!

Not for the first time, Chiron hoped that this would be the mission that either killed them off or gave him an excuse to do it himself before heading out. The best, the brave, and most incredibly stupid men he had ever had the misfortune of knowing moving a short distance behind him.

Omake 2

Closing his eyes, Gendo shut out the rest of the world, shut it out to give him the time he needed to regain mastery of his body. To take the pain he was in and push it off to the side where it wouldn't interfere with him. And as he did so, he found himself flashing back to simpler, brighter times, times when he had been known as Gendo Rokubungi. When he, Yui, and Fuyutsuki had been in college, with their futures shining brightly before them.

Sensei... Gendo thought as he pictured himself back in Fuyutsuki's college classroom. The old professor looking at him, as if preparing himself for one of the many debates and arguments that they had had back in those times. Except...there's no time for that now.

"On the contrary, I'd say we have plenty of time to talk," the Fuyutsuki in his mind replied with a knowing wink, seeming more like a man in his early thirties. "And it's been so long since we've had a nice, quiet conversation! What with you being so busy with your precious scenario! I would think that you could spend at least a few seconds for a good old-fashioned chat."

Snorting at this, Gendo thought back, And what would we chat about?

"Oh, you know," Fuyutsuki replied, pursing his lips in as goofy manner as he arched his eyes upwards. "Old times...that nice little place on campus where you, me, and a certain Manic Pixie Dream Girl of ours would go to after school to knock back a few cold ones!" The more youthful version of the old professor let out a maniacal giggle at this. "I swear, I never thought Yui would've been able to put all that away if I hadn't seen it for myself!"

Heh. I won't argue with you on that, sensei, Gendo thought, smiling as he thought back to some of the madcap incidents of their more youthful years. lost himself in this imaginary debate with the Fuyutsuki that had found his way into his mind. But still, I don't have a lot of time right now. I still have an Angel to kill if I want to stay alive. And to once again hold Yui in my arms.

"Amongst other things," Fuyutsuki commented in a naughty tone. "True, Naoko and her daughter are excellent company in bed, but they just don't do that little dance that Yui did. You know, the one where she -?"

Uh, sensei? Gendo winced, a drop of sweat rolling down the side of his head. No offense, but I'd really rather not talk about that right now.

"Right, of course," Fuyutsuki nodded understandingly. Then he shot his student a lustful grin and added, "We start into that, and you won't be able to concentrate on your work for hours. Not without a long, cold shower!"

Right. And of course, that's the one thing I forgot to have installed in Terminal Dogma, Gendo confirmed, rolling his eyes at his own shortsightedness.

Omake 3

A giddy laugh slipping free of her lips, Misato continued to watch her body shift and change. Her feet slid across the floor as she continued to grow, finally running into the door. But she barely noticed it. She could barely notice anything as the change continued to hasten. The pain from the gunshot wound was gone, as was likely the wound itself, and as her body continued to jerk about, her every muscle seeming to dance on its own, Misato noticed something else dancing beneath her medical gown. What the -?! she wondered, her mind becoming more and more addled. What are...?

"Misato, talk to me!" Ritsuko cried out, breaking through the waves of power and pleasure that were cascading across the Major's mind. "Are you still with me?!"

Her friend's voice breaking through, snapping Misato out of the pleasurable daze that was fogging her thoughts. "R-Rits!" she gasped out, again focusing on the control panel. "Aw, damn...keep talking! I - I -!"

"Of course! Just stay with me!" Ritsuko told her, urging her own. "Hold on for as long as you can, okay?!"

"I-I'm trying, but...g-getting hard to th-think!" Misato reported as she stared stupidly at the front of her medical gown, where two huge mounds were rising up beneath the blue fabric. "Feels...feels so good...like I'm drunk...and...and...aw, damn!"

"What?! What now?!" Ritsuko demanded, caught between irritation and fear.

"Omigod! Would you l-look at these things?!" Misato giggled uproariously as she realized what exactly was filling up the front of her shirt. "B-beach balls...for twin p-peaks!"


Meanwhile, on the bridge, the bulk of the crew there were watching as Ritsuko monitored Misato's transformation. Though in Fuyutsuki's mind, he somehow doubted that 'monitoring' was an accurate term for what the doctor was doing.

"I don't think I'll ever get tired of this..." Ritsuko moaned lowly, just loud enough to be heard. The faux-blonde hunched over the data displays showing both the Major's transformation as captured by the hidden camera that was in the elevator, along with the more detailed analysis that showed Misato's musculature expanding, along with other aspects of her body. "Oh, yeah, that's it..."

As Ritsuko put one of her hands someplace where a someone ought not to in public, Fuyutsuki turned towards the rest of the bridge crew, who were watching with a mix of fascination and embarrassment. "I guess the Doc..." Makoto began, sounding more than a little disturbed, "likes 'em big..."

"I wonder if Maya knows about this?" Chihiro wondered.

Glancing at her, Shigeru asked, "You think Maya did this on purpose? Got herself all pumped up because...?"

"It's no secret that she's a 'fan' of Dr. Akagi's," Chihiro remarked somewhat nervously.

"Oh, yes!" Ritsuko cried out, just a bit too enthusiastically. At which point the three bridge bunnies looked at each other, their cheeks reddening as they returned to their work.