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 21: Final Flight
Ugh...this has got to be the worst trip I've ever taken in my entire life... Hikari groaned as she made her way through Kyoto. Still garbed in her Spirit costume, she moved about in her human form, doing her best to avoid attention.
While it was true that Hikari had decided to use her powers to help expedite her trip to Kyoto, she hadn't forgotten what Shinji had told her about what might have been NERV's attempt at replicating her. And with NERV's ability to track beings with Angelic blood, she had decided to use a few tricks to disguise her travel plans. Make it a bit harder for NERV to track her.
Hikari had planned things out very carefully. Shortly after taking flight, she had managed to stow away on a high-speed shipping train. After boarding a train car, she had changed back to human and waited for it to carry her close to Kyoto before changing back to Spirit. Then she snuck aboard a shipping truck that was going in the right direction and kept hopping from one convenient form of transportation to another in order to reach her destination.
Which isn't quite as fast as flying, but...I had to do it this way, Hikari thought inwardly as she continued towards her destination. If Shinji's right and Gendo has his own version of me, then - going all the way here as Spirit would have meant giving his knockoff an open shot at me! And then there's Mr. Iesada! I don't want to paint a target on his back!
Sighing lowly, thinking of how this was one of the many less glamorous things that didn't show up in the superhero comics and shows that Nozomi loved, Hikari pressed onward. Scanning the area, she reached into her top and pulled out the paper on which she had written the former Jet Alone security man's address. Hmm...just a bit further. And then - oh, no...
With a heavy groan, Hikari realized that there was a problem that she had failed to anticipate. She had gone to all of the trouble of coming to Kyoto as Spirit and so on simply because she couldn't imagine a former security man who had been in charge of a project that had failed as spectacularly as Jet Alone and had ultimately caused the complete failure of the company that had brought it to fruition being too eager to speak about it. The former CEOs of Japan Heavy Chemicals Industries had probably raked him over the coals before the company had gone bankrupt, the press had likely mobbed him along with everyone else associated with that utter and complete disaster, and he was probably doing his best to move on with his life. In all likelihood, the last thing he wanted to have to deal with was some little girl forcing him to relive that disaster and the loss of his job.
But a costumed hero known for killing Angels, that was a different story. Hikari had been certain that Mr. Iesada would be much more inclined to speak to Spirit.
However, if Hikari transformed, she would generate a pattern that NERV could detect. And if she remained in her human form, the best she could expect to be in his eyes was some crazy girl in a cosplay outfit.
And if I just hang around as Spirit in his home, then NERV's bound to realize that I'm there for a reason! And if they really did sabotage Jet Alone, then them detecting me near him might make them decide to -! Hikari thought, only to cut herself off before her train of thought reached its logical conclusion. So...how do I even do this?! Ugh...the comics make this sort of thing look so simple!
Pausing to wish that her life operated on comic book logic where the good guys always won and could get away with whatever insane reasoning the writers decided that they could get away with, Hikari continued forward. All the while hoping that inspiration hit her when the moment came.
Finally, she reached a small house whose address matched that which she had written down. Well, this is the place, Hikari thought as she glanced between the house and the note she had written and back again. So...now what? Do I just march up to his house like this, or...ugh. I really should've thought this out better...!
Wincing at just how poor a job she had done planning everything out, Hikari sighed and tried to figure something out. Only for the sound of approaching footsteps to catch her notice. Making a thoughtful noise in her throat, she peeked out of the small alley she was hidden in to look off to the side. And to her surprise, she saw a somewhat older man walking towards the house. And immediately recognized him.
I - that's him! Hiroki Iesada! The Jet Alone head of security! Hikari screamed in her mind. I - hold on! I just got an idea!
Acting on sheer impulse, Hikari hurriedly looked around for something small. It wasn't long before she caught sight of a crushed beer can. Deciding that it would do, she picked it up, took aim, and launched the impromptu missile at Hiroki.
The can struck Hiroki in the shoulder, eliciting a cry that was more surprise than pain. Pausing just long enough to glare at the fallen can, he then fixed his gaze in the direction from which it had come. "Alright, I don't know who threw that thing, but somebody sure picked the wrong day to be a wise guy!" he growled in a voice of authority. "You have five seconds to come on out and explain yourself, or I'm coming in after you! One, two...!"
Five seconds is plenty of time! Hikari thought even as she moved back around a nearby corner. Positioning herself so that she would be out of sight when Hiroki entered the alley. Now all I have to do is time this just right...
"Five!" Hiroki concluded with a growl as he crossed the street. "I hope you're in the mood for getting your ass handed to you, because that's what about to happen! In spades!"
Hikari had to give Hiroki credit for courage. Then again, he probably had to deal with his fair share of jerks, delinquents, and more. However, what he was dealing wasn't your average hooligan. So she tensed for action. Waiting and listening as the security man moved closer.
"C'mon, brat, I don't have time for this!" Hiroki growled as he approached. "Just come on out!"
Now to make sure that he comes this way! Hikari thought, giving a nearby chunk of concrete a kick. Just enough to send it flying into a pile of refuse and make sure that the ex-security head didn't lose interest. And once she was certain that he wouldn't, she thought, I have wings.
As this thought became reality, her hair turning silver and eyes red, a figure marched into view. "Look, kid, I don't have time for -!"
"Sorry about this!" Spirit called out as she quickly wrapped her arms around Hiroki's frame and easily lifted him up off the ground. "But we need to talk!"
"Huh - what the -?!" Hiroki cried out, trying to adjust to the fact that he was suddenly flying. Then he looked at the girl who was carrying him and exclaimed, "Wait - you're -!"
"Spirit! That's right! And like I said, we need to talk!" the winged girl informed him. "It's about Jet Alone!"
"Jet Al- Aw, dammit!" Hiroki cried out, giving Spirit an angered look. "Look, I've already gotten enough flak about that -!"
"I'm not here to give you trouble! But I do need to talk to you!" Spirit assured him even as she stayed close to the ground and avoided going high enough to be easily spotted. "But we have to be quick! I don't want NERV finding out about this!"
"NERV?!" Hiroki demanded in an incredulous manner. "What is - how - what the hell is this all about?!"
"Long story short, NERV sabotaged Jet Alone. And I'm hoping to find some clue to prove it! So I need your help to find it!" Spirit tersely replied, painfully aware that she was up against a ticking clock. "And we need to talk fast! Because I have a bad feeling that NERV might already be on its way!"
"Sir, the MAGI have reacquired Spirit's pattern," spoke the girl monitoring the situation on Gendo's behalf. "It's coming from a suburban area of Kyoto."
"Kyoto," Gendo mused in a thoughtful manner. This hunt had been more vexing than he had anticipated, with Spirit apparently transforming back and forth. Hiding her Angelic pattern whenever possible over the course of her trek. Resulting in odd breaks in her path that made tracking her difficult at best. "Hmm...contact Tengu 01 and send her. And initiate a search. See if NERV has any assets there. Or if there's anything else of interest." A few seconds passed before he added, "Spirit has clearly gone to a great deal of trouble to reach Kyoto in this way. I think it behooves us to learn why."
"Oh...ooh, my head..." Shinji blearily groaned, feeling much like someone was using a jackhammer on the inside of his brain. "Asuka...did you have to hit me that hard? I - huh -?"
Even as Shinji was struggling to reach full consciousness, his groggy mind registered that something was amiss. But even as he was struggling to process his situation, an unfamiliar voice announced, "Don't look now, Mana! But our guest just woke up!"
"Uh - thanks, Sid," came the voice of another girl. And again, it wasn't one Shinji recognized.
"Wh...what's going on?" Shinji groggily wondered as his eyes slowly opened. Only to feed him further information that he was nowhere familiar. "Wait - what -?!"
His tongue falling flat from sheer shock, Shinji almost immediately came to full alertness and began looking this way and that. And while he couldn't see much from where he was, he saw enough to realize that the place he was in was a horrendous contrast. The main structure appeared to be a horrendously rundown warehouse of some kind. Filthy to the point where he found himself longing for a bucket of antiseptic water and a mop.
But lining the walls of the warehouse was machinery and more that Shinji suspected that even the scientists and technicians working at NERV would be impressed by. What could only be small robots whirred and moved about as he looked on, carrying odds and ends this way and that. A couple metallic figures lined one of the walls that were in view, like high-tech knights. And as he looked towards one of the speakers, he realized that she most certainly not human.
"Good morning, sleepyhead! Or good afternoon, actually," spoke the first figure, a girl who looked to be about his age. Or would have, if not for the fact that her entire form was made up of turquoise light. "Hope the sedative I cooked up didn't have any nasty side effects. Got a headache or anything?"
"Uh..." Shinji started, absolutely baffled. Without any better ideas, he tried to move towards the strange girl...only to find that he couldn't. "Huh? What the -?!"
"What's the matter?" came the other voice Shinji had heard. "You really thought that we'd just let you run around wherever you wanted?"
Still confused and off-balance, Shinji quickly glanced down at himself. And to his increasing confusion, he realized that he was seated in some kind of chair with metallic bindings securing him in place. "I - wait! I don't understand!" he sharply cried out before he again focused on the energy girl. "I thought - aren't you Toji and Kensuke's friends?! Mana and Sid?!"
"That's right. I'm SIDNEE. Short for Synthetic Intelligence Data-Node Extrapolation Entity," the turquoise ghost girl explained with a smile. "But most people just call me Sid for short."
Requiring a few seconds to process this mouthful, Shinji blinked a few times before asking, "Synthetic In- wait! So...you're...some kind of computer?! Like the MAGI?!"
"Actually, Sid's even more advanced than any of the MAGI," declared the other voice. Only this time, the speaker had moved close enough so that Shinji could see her. It was a girl of about his age dressed in a grubby tank top shirt and shorts, both of which were stained with oil and didn't look to be in her size. Her hair was auburn and cut short. And there was an angry scowl on her face as she studied Shinji.
"And that's Mana," Sid announced with a hapless smile. "Sorry. When Toji contacted us and set up this meeting, well...she wasn't too thrilled about who she was going to be meeting."
Making an uncertain sound in his throat, Shinji turned his gaze towards Mana. "So...you're Commander Ikari's son," she muttered in a low voice, narrowing her eyes as she studied the boy. "Toji told me that you need our help. To get some dirt on NERV." A second later, she asked, "Why?"
Giving Mana a puzzled look, Shinji asked, "I - didn't Toji or Kensuke tell you?"
"They gave us some of the details. That it had to do with that She-Hulk monster and that you wanted to go after NERV," Mana admitted. "But nothing more than that. Said that he promised not to tell anybody and that you would explain everything." Taking a few steps closer to Shinji, she scowled that much more. "So now that you're here, I suggest that you start explaining why I should help you. And don't bother trying to lie. Sid will be scanning you the entire time. The instant you even try to pull a fast one, she'll know about it."
"Huh?" Shinji started before again studying the chair he was secured to. "You mean - this is a lie detector?!"
"That's right!" Sid confirmed with a knowing smile. "So do us all a favor and be honest! That is, unless you want a nasty surprise!"
Shinji sucked in a breath at this, then once more looked down at his bindings. He gave a slight effort to free himself, only to find the metal bindings unyielding. At least they are to me, he couldn't help but think, glancing down at his scrawny body. Exercise having never been a priority for him. If only -
Jumping as he once again found himself daydreaming about turning into a beast, Shinji was soon brought back to the moment when Sid announced, "Alright. First off, what's your name?"
"Huh?! But - you already know my name!" Shinji protested.
"It's just to get a base reading on your reaction," Mana tersely explained. "And I'd answer within the next ten seconds. Unless you want me to send 10,000 volts through you?"
Shinji groaned, and once again the image of a massive green beast erupting from his spindly frame to wreak havoc on his captors danced tantalizingly in his mind. But those fantasies weren't reality, and the reality was that he was in big trouble. So with a heavy sigh, he replied, "I'm Shinji Ikari."
"Thank you!" Sid declared with a smile. "And now that we have the baseline readings...take it away, Mana!"
Nodding to this, Mana then focused on Shinji. "Alright, Mr. Commander Ikari's son. My first question is...why do you want to go after NERV so badly? And remember, you have ten seconds to answer. And the instant you lie, you get a shock. Understood?"
"I - yeah," Shinji groaned heavily. And with that began Mana's interrogation.
Shinji had no idea how long he sat there, a prisoner of those that he had come to see. He quickly lost count of all of the questions that Mana tossed his way. But he did notice that the vast majority of them were geared towards making sure that he wouldn't betray them and that his coming to them wasn't some kind of trap he was setting on behalf of his father or NERV. Also, he had to admit to being discomforted over the intensity of the questions that pertained to She-Hulk and her human alter ego.
"So Jet Alone was sabotaged...and because this Misato was inside when it started melting down, she was irradiated with gamma. And that turned her into a big green monster?" Mana concluded, giving Shinji a dubious raise of her eyebrow. "Sid, are you sure that your sensors are working properly?!"
"Positive! I've already run three diagnostic scans!" Sid confirmed with a nod.
"But - gamma radiation turning people into monsters?!" Mana incredulously demanded. "That sounds like something out of a cheesy old comic book!"
"You mean like everything else we've been through?" Sid wondered with a playful look.
Mana opened her mouth to protest, but before she could utter one word, she groaned and rapidly deflated. "Oh...okay. Good point." Giving a shake of her head, she then turned towards Shinji once more. "And that's what this is all about? You want to prove that NERV is responsible for what happened to Jet Alone?"
"That's right," Shinji quickly nodded. "If Father - if he really is responsible, then...I want to do whatever I can to help Misato."
"And what makes her so important?" Mana wondered. But before Shinji could answer, she turned towards the hologram. "Sid?"
"According to the records, Major Katsuragi is listed as Shinji's current guardian, as well as his commanding officer," Sid reported, bringing up a hologram of the purple-haired woman. Then she smirked at Shinji before adding, "And the fact that she's an attractive woman with a good-sized rack probably has something to do with it, too!"
Groaning deep in his throat, Shinji felt his cheeks burn at this innuendo. "I - it's not like that!" Then a loud buzz sounded, causing him to jump. "What the -?!"
"Uh-uh! You are fibbing, fibbing, fibbing!" Sid declared, wagging her finger Shinji's face. "But...since you've been so honest up until now - and my files indicate that this sort of thing is rather touchy with human males - I won't zap you. This time."
Groaning in his throat at this, Shinji could only sit there as Mana considered this. "Alright. So you care about your guardian. That's fair." Then she scowled and asked, "But why would you turn against your father?"
Again, Shinji winced. And it took him a couple seconds to work up the ability to reply. "I...he - he hasn't been a father to me for...in ten years. The only reason he even wanted me around is because...he needed someone to pilot Unit 01!"
"Then...you don't trust him? Or NERV?" Mana noted with a frown. Pausing to glance at Sid, she then asked, "That seems pretty strange to me."
Frowning in surprise, Shinji asked, "Wh-why is that?"
"Because I can't imagine you being so distrustful of your own father," Mana explained. "Especially since you've been privy to NERV's secrets for so long."
"Huh?!" Shinji started, now even more confused. "What are you talking about?!"
"What I mean is that we...have managed to acquire some of NERV's files. Not much, unfortunately," Mana admitted with clear displeasure. "However, Sid managed to get hold of this."
An instant later, a holographic window like this at NERV appeared before Shinji. And to his astonishment were figures both strange and familiar there. One of them was Sub-Commander Fuyutsuki, though he looked somewhat younger in the image. Another looked somewhat like Ritsuko in her lab coat, only with dark hair and no mole beneath her left eye. There was also a small boy in the shot. And next to him...
"Wait! She -!" Shinji started, his eyes bulging as he took in the woman and the smile she directed at the small boy there. A woman who sparked a strange sensation within him. "She - she looks like Rei! I mean - well, her hair and eyes, and - her skin, but -!"
"I know. Sid noticed the resemblance as well," Mana nodded. "That's Dr. Yui Ikari, Shinji. Your mother."
Shinji felt his eyes bulge at these words, words that felt like they had been driven into him on the point of a pike. "She - my mother?!" he cried out in astonished disbelief. "But - I -!"
"You don't recognize her?" Sid frowned even as Shinji gawked at the picture. "But - how? She is your mother!"
"I - it's been so - she died when I was four!" Shinji cried out even as he took in the gentle-looking scientist being shown to him. The warm smile, the tender eyes. And to his dismay, found them distant to the point of belonging to a stranger. "I never - Father, he threw out everything! No pictures, no - no anything! ! - how did you even get this?!"
"That's our business, not yours," Mana replied in a hard manner. "But I will tell you that this picture was taken inside of NERV. On the day of the very first activation test for Evangelion Unit 01." A beat passed before she added, "The day your mother died."
"What?!" Shinji gasped, feeling like his heart was trying to jump up into his throat.
"Now we weren't able to get any details on how your mother died. But that's not what's important to me," Mana informed him. "What is important is the boy in that picture. And given that that's your mother...I'm pretty sure you can guess who he is."
But Shinji wasn't even listening at this point. All he could do was focus on the image hovering before him. An image that was even now stirring vague memories within him. "That's...really...my mother...?" he whispered, scarcely able to hear his own voice. "I - I don't..."
"Shinji. Focus!" Mana tersely ordered, snapping him out of his stupor. "That picture proves that you've known about NERV for years! And what information we've been able to acquire confirms that you were there for the first activation of Unit 01! That's the whole reason you were there! To see your mother and father's creation being brought to life!"
As these words shot through his mind like a spear, Shinji looked incredulously at Mana. His mind already going into overdrive. "Wait - no!" he gasped out even as he flashed back to that first horrendous day. The day he had first come to Tokyo-3. And had first lain eyes on the monstrous purple horror that was known as Evangelion Unit 01. "That - that can't be! That's impossible! I never - I mean, I knew that - Father, he was working on something! But this - I never even know - any of this before I got here! I'd never been to NERV before, or - or - or saw any of that!"
"He's telling the truth, Mana," Sid announced, causing the auburn-haired girl to whirl about in surprise.
"What?!" Mana declared, scowling incredulously at the hologram. "But - he was there, Sid! He saw a 40-meter-tall purple monster! How the hell do you manage to forget something like that?!"
"I don't know, but he's definitely not lying!" Sid immediately declared. "The specifications for this lie detector were left to me by your father, and I set it up to measure over 90 different variables! And while he's definitely keyed up, all of my readings confirm that he's telling the truth. Or at least believes that he's telling the truth!"
"But - of course I'm telling - I mean, I don't remember!" Shinji cried out even as he continued to stare at the image. At his mother. At his younger self. "I don't - I was four years old! How could I remember -?!"
Even as he sputtered in protest, Shinji tried to dredge his earliest memories. Sifted through them in search of something that would either confirm or deny what was being shown him.
But in the end, all Shinji could conjure up from that time was his father turning his back on him. And a small boy crying his eyes out, standing next to a meager pile of possessions. Waiting to be taken into the care of complete strangers with no hope for the future after losing everything.
"Um, Mana? I know I'm not an expert on human psychology, but...I have seen movies with you and Dr. Kirishima. And some of them had people - blocking out memories related to a traumatic event," Sid pointed out. "And according to the information we acquired, Shinji was visiting NERV on the very same day that Dr. Yui Ikari...died. So...maybe...?"
As Sid's words faded, their meaning exploded in Shinji's mind. "Wait - you think - that I might have actually watched my mother die?!"
"I don't know! I'm just guessing!" Sid hurriedly replied, holding up her hands in a gesture of helplessness. "Without full access to the files -!"
"Look, we can talk about this all later!" Mana broke in, planting a hand to her hip. When Shinji gave her a look, the auburn-haired girl sucked in a deep breath before shaking her head. "Look, I - Shinji, I'm...sorry. You have to understand, I -!" Then she winced, screwing her eyes shut in visible pain as she clenched her hands into fists. Several seconds passed as she visibly gathered herself up before finally relaxing somewhat. "Look...my entire family is dead. My home was destroyed. I have nothing and no one except Sid and what I've been able to build here...and Toji."
"Don't forget about Kensuke," Sid needled her.
"Huh? Oh, right," Mana muttered in a dismissive manner. "Anyway, I - when Toji asked me to meet with you, we dug as far into your background as we could. And most of the things we found indicated that you and your father...don't get along."
"We don't!" Shinji promptly assured her. "I don't trust him, I don't want anything to do with him! I - why would I want to help him do - the things that he's been doing?!"
"We didn't know. But we had to make sure," Sid explained. "Anyway, we did some digging, and then this picture and the rest of it turned up."
"And when we saw that you'd been there at NERV back when you were four...the idea that you weren't somehow in on the things NERV's been doing became a lot harder to swallow," Mana declared. "But - it looks like you honestly don't remember being at NERV that day. And that you're not planning on selling us out to them or your father. And right now, that's what's important to us. So..." Pausing to heave a deep breath, she then turned towards the hologram. "Sid, release the restraints."
"Okay," Sid nodded. An instant later, the binders securing Shinji to the chair slid away. Without hesitation, he rose up away from the seat before anybody could change her mind and restrain him again. "Sorry about that. But -"
"No, it's - it's okay. I understand," Shinji got out even as he stepped away from the chair. "I mean...we've been doing our best to make sure that Father - that nobody finds out about what we're doing. Toji and the others, that is." A few seconds later, a question occurred to the 3rd Child. "Say...how did you and Toji meet, anyway?"
"Uh -!" Mana got out, her cheeks coloring at this. "I - well...Sid? Why don't you tell Shinji how it happened?"
"Okay, sure!" Sid promptly replied. And without further ado, the holographic girl explained how Dr. Kirishima had been killed and how she and Mana had subsequently come to Tokyo-3, determined to avenge Mana's mother and father and bring everyone responsible for what happened to justice. "After we got here, there was a - well, one of our experiments blew up in our face, and Mana got hurt pretty badly. And Toji, he happened to be walking by, and I was able to get him to help." A moment later, she added, "Of course, that was before we built all of these robots. If we had had them before, I wouldn't have needed any help with any of that!"
"I...see," Shinji slowly replied. "But - what kind of experiment was it? And how did you build these robots and the rest of it all by yourselves?"
"It's something my father left me," Mana replied. When Shinji opened his mouth to ask more, she held out her hand. "Sorry. I...I get that you were telling the truth, but...I'd rather not tell you everything. Not yet."
A few seconds passed as the implication of this sank in. "Oh...you don't trust me..."
"Uh - no! That's not it!" Sid promptly assured him. "Mana, I think -!"
"No, no. That's okay. I understand," Shinji weakly assured her. "I mean...we only just met. And...if Father, he - he really did what you say he did, then...I don't blame you for...you know..."
An awkward silence fell upon them all, one that soon left Shinji staring nervously at his own feet. One that was finally pierced by the sound of someone softly clearing her throat. "Thanks for...understanding," Mana finally responded. "And...okay. So...Toji asked us if we'd be willing to help you. So...what do you need our help with exactly?"
As these words sounded, Shinji gasped in surprise. "You mean - you're willing to help?!"
"Sure we are. As long as you are willing to help us," Mana clarified. When Shinji issued a puzzled squeak, she went on to say, "We've made some progress in getting information on NERV. And a few days ago, we were able to break through to the MAGI while that Angel was attacking."
"Huh?!" Shinji started, surprised and confused. "I - you were able to hack into the MAGI?!"
"Yeah, but only that one time. I might be more powerful than any one of the MAGI, but against all three, I'm not able to do much more than keep tabs on their activity," Sid admitted with a scowl. "It was just enough to pick up on some bits and pieces. Not much more than that."
"And that brings us to you," Mana declared in a firm manner. "We'd be willing to help you find whatever information you wanted on NERV. But we'd need you to do something for us first."
Shinji wasn't sure if he liked the sound of that. As much as Mana clearly didn't trust him, he was also wary of the two girls. And if not for the fact that he had so little in the way of options in trying to oppose NERV, he wasn't sure if he would have even come to them in the first place.
But by the same token, he was just that desperate. Shinji had no powers, no real leverage against NERV. Nothing that would help him help Misato. And so little in the way of options that he just didn't know what else he could do.
Pausing to heave a deep breath and consider the matter, Shinji decided to ask a few questions. "Listen, uh...I don't just want to find out if...NERV really is responsible for what happened to Misato. I also want to be able to help her as well. And...well, I know that Dr. Akagi, she says that she...might be able to cure her, but..."
"But you don't believe her," Mana declared in a way that made it clear she wasn't asking a question.
"I - well...I mean, I'm not a scientist. So I know that...I can't help Misato myself," Shinji hurriedly confessed. "But - I would like to be sure that...well..."
"You want to make sure that she isn't doing anything to hurt her, either," Mana nodded. "Well, nuts and bolts are my specialty. Not biology. But Sid has a lot of information on that, and if she could access the MAGI, I'm sure she could get more."
A bit heartened, Shinji then asked, "So...if I were to...get you a blood sample from Misato...could you -?"
"Analyze it? Sure!" Sid confirmed with a nod. "Then we could compare notes with this Dr. Akagi's research and make sure that she's not lying to you."
"But first, we'd have to be able to access the MAGI," Mana reminded Shinji. "And that's where we need your help."
Once more, the air was filled with silence as Shinji considered the matter. The MAGI essentially ran all of Japan, taking on the role of a federal government. If anybody were to take full control of them, then there was no telling just how much damage they could do to both NERV and the entire country. And while he was no hacker and had no real interest in computers, Shinji had heard enough horror stories of hackers draining bank accounts, playing with nuclear missile codes, and all kinds of things that could bring ruin to the world.
But even as these images flitted through his mind, Shinji again thought of Misato. Trapped deep within the depths of NERV, struggling with her other self. And despite the fact that he could no longer see She-Hulk as a monster or some evil thing to be gotten rid of, he knew that Misato had suffered much because of Jet Alone and the sabotage performed on it.
And besides, if we could analyze her blood, maybe we could find a way of...fixing what's wrong with her! Shinji thought, the idea coming to him from out of nowhere. Make it so that Misato's in control! Then she wouldn't need a cure, and then -!
Despite himself, Shinji found his mind veering off in directions that caused his cheeks to burn. As thoughts that were frightening and enticing at the same time flitted through his mind. But even so, even as he realized that this was a gamble, he once again realized that he had little in the way of options. "I...alright," the 3rd Child finally spoke after a lengthy period of consideration. "So - I - what do you want me to do in return?"
Her eyes widening somewhat, as if she hadn't truly expected him to agree, Mana then smiled. "Like I said; in order for us to help you, we need to be able to access the MAGI," she explained even as she moved towards a nearby table and picked up an object. "And in order for us to do that, we need you to get this into NERV."
"Uh..." Shinji started even as Mana handed him the device in question, which looked like nothing more than an ordinary flash drive. "And - what's so important about this?"
"That flash drive contains a powerful virus. Think of it as an electronic doorstop. Something that will open up a small hole in the MAGI's firewalls," Mana explained. "All you have to do is plug the drive into a USP port anywhere in NERV's systems, and it will allow us temporary access to the MAGI."
"It won't last long," Sid quickly admitted. "Just long enough for us to create a backdoor in NERV's systems. Allowing us permanent access."
Shinji frowned at this. "That's...all I have to do? Plug this thing in at NERV?"
"That's right. When we were able to break through to the MAGI during the Angel attack, we were able to confirm that the worst of NERV's firewalls are intended to stop breaches from outside of the Geofront," Mana explained. "But if you can slip this in there and plug it into their systems, the defenses will be much weaker. And easier for us to get through."
"But - what if I set off an alarm?!" Shinji cried out in dismay. "I mean - won't the MAGI be able to detect a virus or whatever is in this thing the instant I plug it in?!"
Mana scowled at this. But even as she was opening her mouth to speak, Sid cut her off. "Mana, calm down! I don't think Shinji's being unreasonable in asking a few questions!" the AI declared. "And besides, we are asking him to take a pretty big risk for us! Right?"
Mana just frowned, and Shinji could just imagine her thinking that they were taking a big risk by trusting the son of NERV's Commander. But before he could try to apologize or reassure them, the auburn-haired girl sighed. "Right, good point," she finally admitted. "And to answer your question, no. NERV's systems won't be able to detect it. While we were inside of NERV's systems during the Angel attack, we were able to analyze some of their systems and computer defenses. So we were able to tailor the virus to match the signature of NERV programming."
"Signature?" Shinji wondered with a slight frown.
"Right. All programming has its own signature. The specific instructions embedded in the program that tell it what to do," Sid chimed in. "Basically, we designed this virus so it can pass itself off as part of NERV's firewall, so it can directly infect it. So there's no way it'll set off an alarm."
"And just to be on the safe side, we set it up so that there will be a time delay in the program's activation," Mana added. "So you'll have an hour between inserting the flash drive and getting clear of whatever you plug that thing into."
"Oh. Okay," Shinji frowned even as he studied the drive for a moment. "But - you said that - whatever it does will only be temporary. So - how will you know when it starts doing - what you want it to do?"
"We'll be monitoring the MAGI's activity. The instant the virus activates, it'll create an opening that we'll be able to detect," Sid assured him. "Don't worry; we know what we're doing! I used to run the International University of Japan's systems! I know my way around hostile hardware and software!"
Shinji was still far from reassured. But once again, he reminded himself that he was powerless to do anything to help himself. And with a heavy sigh, he placed the flash drive in his pocket. "Oh...alright. I'll put it in...the next time I go to NERV. Okay?"
"Fine. The sooner we get into NERV's systems, the better," Mana declared with a quick nod.
"Right," Shinji returned, despite the fact that his insides were less than pleased with this sense of him doing something forbidden. "So...what now?"
"Now we get you out of here," Mana responded. "You've been out of sight of Section 2 for a while now. We don't want them or NERV getting suspicious."
"Oh. Right," Shinji nodded, wincing at this reminder. "So...which way out?"
"Sorry, Shinji. But...we can't just let you walk out of here," Mana informed him, this time with a tone of regret. "If worst comes to the worst, we don't want you being able to tell anybody where to find us."
Sucking in a breath at this, Shinji just stood there for a time, staring incredulously at the two girls. "Huh?!" he finally got out. "Wait - do you mean I have to wear a blindfold?"
"Not exactly," Mana replied. "You remember how I got you here in the first place?"
"How you - hold on!" At that, memories of what happened to Shinji at the rendezvous hit him like a ton of bricks. "Wait - then it was you who grabbed me before?! And then you - you drugged me, didn't you?!"
"Sorry, Shinji. But until I was sure about you, I couldn't take any chances that you would betray us to NERV," Mana declared even as something flew at her. To Shinji's surprise, it clamped onto her right hand and quickly unfolded into a gauntlet. "And even now...I can't take any chance on you being able to tell anyone where -!"
A loud cough cut Mana off, prompting both her and Shinji to look at Sid. "Uh, Mana? Maybe we can go without drugging Shinji this time?" the AI suggested. "Look, I get that you don't trust him completely. But according to my files on human psychology, we want to build trust. Not give him less reason to trust us."
Giving Sid a look, Mana replied, "But we agreed that we wouldn't let anybody know where we are unless we had no other choice!"
"And I still see the logic in that. I just don't think it's a good idea to treat a new ally like he's an enemy. Not when we have other options." Then Sid gave a knowing smile and added, "For starters...I could always get Shinji out of here."
Shinji momentarily forgot his anger at the AIs words. As for Mana, her mouth popped open in surprise. "But - hold on, Sid! You want to show him the armor?! But -!"
"In case you've forgotten, you've already shown him the armor!" Sid pointed out, gesturing at Mana's hand and the gauntlet it bore. "So what's the difference?"
Mana opened her mouth to protest. Only for no words to come out as she lowered her eyes to the gauntlet she wore. "Oh...right," she grumbled, clearly annoyed by the AI's logic. Heaving a sigh, she shook her head and muttered, "Alright, Sid. You fly him out of here. Just make sure he can't find his way back. Or lead anybody else here."
"Got it!" Sid nodded. "And Shinji? Please hold still. This'll just take a few seconds."
"Huh?" was the only thing that Shinji could cay before the gauntlet that had attached to Mana's hand detached and rocketed towards him. Before he could do anything, the mechanical glove clamped down upon his own arm, whirring and clanking as it adjusted to fit him. "What the - hey!"
Before Shinji could do anything, more pieces of metal flew at him. A large section clamped down on his chest while another gauntlet locked onto his other arm. The more sections of what could only be armor shot forth and locked onto his upper arms, hips, and waist.
I don't believe this! I'm being canned like a tuna! Shinji cried out mentally as a few more pieces of the armor appeared and clamped upon his body and locked into place. Completely sealing him off from the rest of the world. And then -
"Hey!" Shinji cried out as he staggered about in the armored suit. "I - I can't see!"
"Sorry! It's nothing personal! But like Mana said, we don't want you to be able to find your way back here!" Sid apologized. "Besides, it's better than getting drugged again!"
While Shinji was trying to come up with an argument, Mana ordered, "Okay, Sid. Cloak the armor and fly him out of here. Send him flying around for a bit, then let him off where we picked him up."
"Hey, wait -!" Shinji cried out, but then he felt himself shooting up like he had been launched on one of the electromagnetic catapults used by NERV. Sending him flying to who-knew-where.
"I'm still not sure about this," Mana muttered even as her Stealth Armor departed. One of the many armors she and Sid had created, based on her father's work. "Letting him see the whole armor..."
"He'd already seen the gauntlet, Mana. And you did wear that armor when you sedated him," Sid pointed out. "He was going to figure out that we have some advanced technology here, anyway! Unless he just decided that you were born being able to turn invisible!"
Mana sighed at the AI's snark, all the while bristling over the fact that someone of Gendo Ikari's blood was now wearing a suit of armor like the kind Gendo had already murdered her family to obtain. I swear, he even had the same eyes! she couldn't help but think, flashing back to her meeting with Shinji. I know they're not the same person, but even so -!
"Okay, I've got him nice and dizzy. He'll be lucky to find his way back home, let alone us," Sid declared with a note of satisfaction. "Now all I have to do is set him down and bring the armor back home."
"Right. You do that," Mana nodded. Then she gave Sid a look. "Also...you did conduct a thorough scan of Shinji's physiology, right?"
"Right. Exactly as you told me to," Sid confirmed with a nod.
"Good. Then assuming that we can trust Shinji to get the job done, then we'll have everything we need to shut NERV down," Mana smirked deviously. "Once and for all..."
"Damn, this collar is uncomfortable..." Misato grumbled as she fingered the infernal device that Ritsuko had just placed on her neck. "Rits, did you have to make this thing so damned tight?! Or do you want it to snap off when I start going green?!"
"Sorry, Misato. But don't forget that one of the functions of this collar is to monitor your vital signs. Your heartbeat, to be precise," Ritsuko reminded her. "And I want to make sure that it doesn't lose contact with your body and isn't able to do its job."
"Uh, speaking of heartbeat..." Hideki muttered as he approached, a glass in hand. "Exactly how high can hers go before...?"
"I'm not sure. The transformation is triggered by anger and similar stress, and those do increase the number of heart beats per minute," Ritsuko admitted as she tinkered with the collar a bit more. "The last time we tested her, her transformation occurred at around 200 beats per minute. So I rigged the collar to sedate her at 190."
"Uh...that's seems a bit close..." Hideki groaned warily. "Her pulse is going to be going pretty high as it is with all of the exercise she's going to be doing. Especially since she's new to this sort of thing. And so..."
Ritsuko chuckled as Hideki trailed off. "I understand your concern, which is why I've made an addition to her collar," she stated before handing the gym trainer a small device. "It's a remote activator. If you see any green in her eyes or it looks like she's going to change, all you have to do is push this button. That'll trigger the sedative instantly. And it will allow you to monitor her beats per minute at all times."
Hideki frowned at this. "Alright, but...I'd rather not go that route. Especially when she's using the free weights like dumbbells and barbells. Tranqing her at the wrong moment sounds like a great way for her to get injured. Or worse."
"I get the idea," Misato chimed in with a roll of her eyes. "So don't worry. If I think that Greenie is about to rise and shine, I'll ease back and give myself a few minutes to cool off."
"Good. And be sure that you don't even think the color green," Ritsuko added, giving Misato a look. "Now I have some work to do. So go ahead. Enjoy all the sweat, stiffness, and soreness you're going to be working up. While I hope that the experience will make you rethink your sure to be short-lived bodybuilding career."
Giving Ritsuko the one-fingered salute, Misato sighed. She knew this was not going to be the least bit pleasant. She had never been one to physically exert herself needlessly, especially since her position at NERV already guaranteed that her daily schedule would be filled to overflowing with needless bullshit. But if she was right and she could turn She-Hulk into something more than a mindless monster, into something that could fight for everyone and defeat the Angels, then she had no choice but to do whatever she could to make that happen.
Assuming I even have the chance, Misato reminded herself, scowling at the thought of Ritsuko's impending attempt at curing her. But...I still have to try!
"Right, see you later," Misato said aloud. As Ritsuko turned to depart the former testing range, she fiddled with her collar once more before glancing down at herself. Instead of a medical gown or some other garb that would barely cost anything to replace if she exploded out of them, the purple-haired woman was dressed in fairly standard exercise clothes. A form-fitting t-shirt, shorts, as well as a sweatband and sneakers. She also wore fingerless gloves t help with gripping, and Hideki brought down some lifting hooks for her to use when it came to the weights. The hooks were essentially wristbands with a sturdy metal sticking out, and would help make sure that she didn't lose her grip on the weights while exercising.
Pausing to glance at some of the other odds and ends Hideki had brought with him, Misato sighed and turned towards her trainer. "Okay, I've taken my vitamins, nitro-stuff, and that isolate shake you gave me," she stated, making a face at the taste of some of the items in question. "So...now what?"
"That's nitric oxide and whey isolate protein shake," Hideki corrected her. "And to answer your question, we start with ten minutes on the exercise cycle."
Nodding to this, Misato made her way to the exercise bike and mounted it. And for the next ten minutes, she pedaled away. "Good, good. That's it," Hideki noted, monitoring both Misato's speed, beats per minute, and her caloric burn. "We want to get your heartbeat up - though not too far up! After all, that heart is a like an engine! And we want it beating nicely and ready for action before you go into the heavy stuff!" Then he gave her a look and added, "And it can only help melt that belly of yours..."
Shooting him a glare out of the corner of her eye, Misato countered, "You know, you're making it kinda hard for me to not to think of the color green..."
"Don't forget which of us can knock you out on a moment's notice," Hideki retorted, pausing to wave the remote in the air. "And don't forget who's also the one who's going to be tracking your measurements and weight!"
At these words, Misato couldn't help but hiss. As part of preparing for her new exercise regime, Hideki had made it clear that he would be keeping track of her weight and measurements. And so he had spent a couple minutes measuring the diameter of her arms, legs, chest, hips, waist, and had put her on the scale. And with each set of measurements he did, he had clucked his disapproval. And had snickered so loudly at her weight that she found herself imagining him running into her bigger, greener other self.
Don't think about it; the instant he sees the green in your eyes, it's off to Lullaby Land! Misato sternly told herself. Just focus on pedaling this damned cycle!
Fortunately, the time on the exercise bike wasn't as arduous as it might have been in the past. Thanks to Misato coming down with cabin fever and taking up exercise biking to distract herself, she was more used to the continuous physical exertion than she would have been otherwise. But that did nothing to change the fact that she had worked up a bit of a sweat during that time. And by the time the ten minutes had passed and she dismounted the bicycle, she was already feeling the effects of it.
And now all of that instant curry and beer I've been downing over the years is coming back to haunt me... Misato grumbled sourly as she braced herself for what she had intentionally set herself up for. Aw, dammit...but still, I have to do this!
"Well, not bad. All things considered," Hideki noted as he jotted down the results displayed by the exercise bike. His mildly patronizing tone making it clear that he was anything but impressed. "So you ready for the next item on today's agenda?"
Pausing to heave a deep breath, Misato nodded. "Bring it on."
"If you say so," Hideki shrugged. "Now as I've already explained, for each day on your exercise schedule, we'll be focusing on a different muscle group. That's because we grow muscle by breaking down the body's muscle fibers and encouraging them to heal back stronger than before. But in order for that to work, you also have to give those same muscle groups plenty of time and fuel to recover and build themselves up to be stronger than before."
"Yeah, yeah, I know. I heard you the first time," Misato grumbled with a roll of her eyes.
"Good Now today, we'll be focusing on your legs," Hideki declared even as he led the way to one of the implements of torture Misato herself had demanded to be delivered to her.
"Fine by me. Plenty of guys say that my legs are my finest attributes," Misato smirked, pausing to stretch out said appendages for Hideki.
Pausing to study said legs, Hideki snorted. "Let's see how proud you are of your legs after this leg press is through with you."
With that, Hideki gestured towards the weight machine that was their objective. It looked like a chair that was angled upwards, mounted on two metal guide bars. Near the top of a metal plate that was clearly intended to be pushed against by a person's feet, and multiple bars that were intended to bear large weight plates. "Since this is your first day, we'll be starting off easy," he declared. "Four, maybe five warm-up sets of about ten to twelve reps each. Then we'll close up with three sets to failure."
At this, Misato gave the trainer a baffled look. "Sets? Reps? Failure?! What are you talking about?!"
Giving Misato a disbelieving look, Hideki muttered, "You've never worked out a day in your life, have you." Scowling at the clear fact that that had not been a question, the purple-haired woman tided herself over by imagining the trainer being introduced to a set of large, green knuckles before he sighed and continued. "Reps is short for repetitions. You lift a weight once, that's one rep. Sets are the number of reps you do at a time, and after you do a single set, you rest for half a minute or so before moving on to the next one. And doing a set to failure means that you push your muscles until you literally cannot squeeze out another rep even if your life depended upon it."
Not liking the sound of that last bit in the slightest, Misato sighed and groaned. "Right…well, let's get on with it," she muttered before seating herself in the leg press. "So how much are we starting off with?"
"Hmm…you're new at this, and this is just a warm-up. So…let's start off with ninety pounds," Hideki decided.
Deciding that this didn't sound too bad, Misato nodded. "Alright, fine. Let's do this."
Without a word, Hideki moved to retrieve two forty-five pound weight plates and slid them onto the leg press. Once this was done, Misato rotated the two restraints that supported the weighted platform. And suddenly, those ninety pounds and whatever the bars and the rest of it weighed were pushing down upon her legs. Those legs immediately bent, but not by much.
"All right, Major! Get pumping!" Hideki declared. "And – here! Let's put on some music!"
"Music?" Misato wondered, her legs still bent.
"Sure! Hasn't anyone ever told you that the best way to exercise is to music! It helps you keep a natural rhythm, keeps your mind busy while your body works – I can't believe I almost forgot to put some on!" Shaking his head at this, Hideki hurriedly started away. But before he had even taken a step, he glanced back at Misato with a look of concern. "Uh, Major -?"
"Relax, I can hold this thing in place for a few seconds," Misato grumbled in response while rolling her eyes. Privately asking herself, Just how out-of-shape does he think I am, anyway?!
While Misato was deciding that she probably would prefer this question to remain unanswered, Hideki moved towards some music player he had brought with him. After pressing a few buttons, an energetic beat filled the exercise area. "There. My personal workout playlist," Hideki declared before moving back to the leg press. "Now move it, Major! I want twelve reps out of you!"
"Yes, sir," Misato shot back to the tune of a roll of her eyes. An instant later, she bent her legs and then pushed up against the weighted platform. Then she relaxed them and pushed once more. And she continued to do so while Hideki kept count. Already feeling her muscles beginning to burn.
Ugh…I've only just started, and this already sucks! Misato grumbled inwardly as she perspiration marking her brow. But – dammit, I have to stay focused! I have to get into better shape! So that Greenie can be in even better shape! Then she pictured the children that it was her duty to send into war. Focused on their images, on the horror that it was her duty to make them suffer through. So she - we! - can put an end to this goddamned war! Once and for all!
"So that's all you can remember?" Hikari asked, somewhat disappointed by the results of her interview.
"Yeah. I know it's not much," Hiroki admitted with a heavy scowl. "I knew that Furuya was acting strangely the day of the demonstration. And after the company went belly up, she -" Closing his eyes, he then shook his head before running his hand up his brow. "Dammit...should've figured something was wrong then! We all lost our jobs, our retirement funds, everything! And yet the only one of who wasn't the least bit worried about any of that was the one of us who gambled and was in debt up to her ears! Shit, I -!"
"Mr. Iesada, please!" Hikari pleaded, standing in the shadows a short distance away. "I know you're angry about everything, but still, I need you to stay calm for a little while longer."
The former security man grunted and again shook his head. Not that Hikari could blame him, given everything she had just revealed. Nor could she blame him for being upset with their current circumstances.
After essentially abducting Hiroki, Hikari had flown a short distance. Just long enough to find an old parking garage that had long since been condemned. The perfect place for them to have a private conversation, and with plenty of shadows for the half-Angel heroine to conceal herself in when she once more regressed to her human form. Just enough to feel safe that the former Jet Alone security man wouldn't be able to identify her if they happened to cross paths again.
"Don't forget that NERV can track my energy when I change back into Spirit," Hikari reminded him. "So the sooner we get done, the more time you'll have to get clear."
Snorting at this, Hiroki then leveled a deadly serious glare at her. "You know, I should be mad at you. If what you're saying about NERV being able to track you is right, then you might have just put me in their crosshairs!" As Hikari winced at this inescapable truth, the security man sighed and lowered his eyes. "But if what you're saying is true, then I'm even angrier with NERV, and that bitch Furuya!"
"I know. And that's why I need to be sure that you've told me everything! Because then I can change and start flying! NERV can track me, not you!" Wincing at this, hoping like crazy that NERV wouldn't be able to get a spy satellite or anything else of that nature into position to track Hiroki's movements on top of everything else, she concluded. "So this Furuya Chinami, she never had much money. And she was -"
"One of the people conducting final checks on Jet Alone's programming right before the demonstration. That's right," Hiroki confirmed. "And last I heard, she had come into some money. Didn't say how. But I do know she wasn't working! Wasn't employed, wasn't anything! And she still had this sweet house down in Tokyo-2!"
"You see it yourself?" Hikari wondered.
"No. But just out of curiosity, I checked it out online. And while she might not be living it up in some fancy mansion, her place is definitely a lot better than what I managed to get!" Hiroki bitterly declared. Then he gave Hikari a look. "You planning on checking her out?"
"I am. Not sure I'll pull a repeat of - well, this," Hikari admitted, once again feeling stupid for doing things the way she had. "But from what you said, she seems like ou- my only lead right now."
"Well if you do drop in on her, don't be gentle!" Hiroki snorted loudly. "And if NERV really is responsible for Jet Alone falling flat on its face, then don't be gentle with them, either!"
"I won't. I promise," Hikari assured him. "Just give me the address so I can track her down."
"Not a problem. Good think I always keep a pen and paper on me," Hiroki muttered even as he pulled out said items. After hurriedly jotting down the needed information, he tore off the sheet of paper and offered it to Hikari. "Here."
"Thanks," Hikari replied, reaching out from the shadowed nook she had hidden in and taking the sheet of paper. Turning it over, she then paused to study the information listed, looking it over and over again. Making sure that she had it all memorized, just in case anything happened to the paper on the way back to Tokyo-3. "Now go on and get out of here. I don't want you getting in -"
Something was wrong.
Jumping slightly, Hikari looked about, turning this way and that. After a few seconds of this, Hiroki asked, "What is it? You see hear something?"
"I - no, but..." Hikari frowned as she continued to look about. She didn't sense an Angel or anything of that nature. But at the same time, she couldn't help but feel like something was nearby. Something dangerous.
A part of her was tempted to write it off as just jitters or something of that nature. But at the same time...
"Still, you better get moving. Get clear of here as soon as possible," Hikari urged him. "I have -"
The ceiling exploded.
Without any warning, a section of the ceiling exploded, sending forth clouds of dirt and debris. And as both Hikari and the security man recoiled, a massive surge of emerald energy shot down and continued to bore through the floor.
"Run! Go! Go!" Hikari cried out, but Hiroki was already heading towards a nearby door. Hoping like crazy that he got out, she then shoved the note into her cleavage. "I have wings!"
As these words became reality, Spirit started an open area leading to the outside. But before she could get halfway there, she caught something moving out of the corner of her eye. And so she slowed to a halt, acting on the instinctive need to see whatever was attacking.
And so Spirit stood there as a figure descended through the hole and came to hover in mid-air. The figure was wearing black armor from head to toe but was clearly female. She was quite tall, definitely taller than Spirit was, and looked to have a bodybuilder's physique. Her helmet had an avian look to it, with a visor concealing her eyes. And to Spirit's horror, she bore wings that were also covered in armor.
Oh, god, Shinji was right...Gendo made his own version of me! Spirit thought, feeling like her heart was sinking into her stomach. But - how come I didn't sense her?! If she's part Angel, then I should be able to - and that green energy...oh, please tell me that doesn't mean what I think it does...!
As Spirit battled this dread feeling, she expanded her AT-Field. Already tensing for battle. As for the armored woman, she continued to hover nearby, her wings slowly rising and falling as she surveyed her surroundings. She paused to study Spirit, but then turned her gaze towards the door. Towards where Hiroki had managed to escape through.
Uh-oh! Spirit winced, realizing what this meant. If she goes after him - I've got to do something to -!
It was then Spirit's body acted of its own accord, doing something that completely defied logic and self-preservation. She cried out, "Hey, stupid!"
The armored woman immediately turned to look at Spirit, who felt her stomach sink some more. But once again, her mouth acted of its own accord. "Yeah, I'm talking to you, tall, dark, and ugly! What's the matter with you, haven't you ever heard of something called doors?! I'm pretty sure that there are plenty of those around! And why -?!"
The sensation of another AT-Field meeting her own and a brief flare of green in the woman's visor was the only warning Spirit had before another emerald blast erupted. Already on edge, she immediately flung herself to the side, but it wasn't enough. Horrible pain blasted through her nervous system, causing her to cry out in torment. And when the blast faded, she looked up to see that one of her wings had been blasted apart. Reduced to nothing more than charred bone and scorched feathers.
Okay - taunting the armored freak - wasn't a good idea! Spirit thought even as she looked from the stump of her wing towards her attacker. And was just in time to see two spheres of emerald energy forming in her hands. And neither was ignoring her!
Without any better ideas, Spirit hurled herself backward even as armored woman launched two green cross-blasts. Resulting in the half-Angel heroine flying out the hole her foe had blasted in the wall, and then falling to the ground below and breaking something in the process.
Ack! This - isn't good! Spirit thought even as her phenomenal healing powers kicked in. Her wing had already been regenerating, though it hadn't been far enough along in doing so to let her fly. And now the injuries that she had just picked up were also mending. I better move quick! Because - oh, no!
The armored woman had just shot out of the parking garage and was already glaring jade destruction down at Spirit. And it was by the narrowest of margins that the winged wonder was able to fling herself out of its path and take to the air. But even as she began pushing her newly recovered wings for everything they had, she looked back over her shoulder...and blanched when she saw the deep crater that she had bored in the ground.
This is insane! Look at the size of that thing! Spirit thought even as her attacker discontinued the ocular assault. And how is she even doing that?! Even if Gendo was somehow able to make his own version of me, shouldn't it only have my powers?! I know I sure don't have phasers in my eyeballs! Then the armored woman looked up at Spirit...and conjured two orbs of green power in her hands. Uh-oh! I think I can compare powers with my evil twin later! Right now I've got to -!
A green cross-blast shot out at Spirit, missing her by inches. And sheer luck was all that enabled her to dodge the second one. But although the cross-blasts hadn't found their intended target, that didn't stop them from finding other things to destroy. One flew off into a distant mountain, while the other impacted on a large building.
And blew it to pieces like a sledgehammer striking down an overripe watermelon.
"What the -?!" Spirit cried out. Only to cut herself off as the sound of rushing air reached her ears. Acting on sheer instinct, she threw herself into a dive.
Just in time to avoid the armored woman shooting past her, swiping at her with something that was green and glowing.
Oh, god, she's so fast! Spirit thought even as her foe began wheeling about for another pass. There's no way I can outrun her! She's also bigger, her attacks are more powerful than mine - I've got to change back to Hikari and ditch her! But how can I -?!
It was then that Spirit had another idea, one drawn from the action and superhero cartoons that she had seen Nozomi watching. It was risky, but at the moment, it seemed like the only possibility for eluding her armored antagonist. And I have to lose her before anybody gets hurt, and - oh, god, was there anybody in that building?! This isn't Tokyo-3! There are probably -!
A flare of movement caught Spirit's attention, and she realized that the armored woman was coming at her again. All thoughts and concerns forgotten, the winged girl immediately went into a dive. She shot down towards the street, pavement and a painful demise screaming towards her even as she erratically veered this way and that. Narrowly avoiding another destructive stream of emerald destruction shooting past her.
Green! Why does it have to be green?! Spirit thought even as the blast drilled another hole in the street. I'm starting to hate green! Green things keep trying to kill me - oh, I hope that she's not -!
At the last second, Spirit flared her wings. She could feel the wind resistance pushing at them, and she groaned at the pain like they were about to be torn from her back.
But they held. They caught the wind and altered Spirit's trajectory. And after sending her zooming over the concrete close enough for her to think that she had scraped pavement, they allowed her to reclaim the air.
Spirit's attacker wasn't nearly as fortunate.
The armored woman was much faster and had been closing the gap between herself and Spirit. And as had many a cartoon and comic book foe, had been so focused on her target that she had forgotten everything else. And as a result had crashed into an unbroken section of concrete with enough force to drill through the surface of the street and ultimately bury her.
As Spirit wheeled about, her first reaction was to blanch at the thought that she might have inadvertently killed someone. Her next thought was a reminder that her foes as of late had taken a lot more abuse than that and home back out swinging. Her third thought was to remind herself that the armored woman sorely outclassed her in terms of speed and firepower and possibly more. So if she had survived and came after Spirit again, it would be in the winged girl's interests to shed her wings in favor of a long walk home.
I don't have wings! Spirit thought as she landed in a nearby alley. As this thought became reality, she hid behind a dumpster and cautiously peaked out towards the massive hole in the streets. Oh, please let that have been enough! Please tell me that she's down! That she didn't survive, and - oh, please, please...!
As Hikari mentally prayed, all the while wishing she wasn't as lapsed and that she was on better terms with all things holy after killing so many Angels, something caught her attention. Movement. And as she craned her head off to the side, she noticed some people filtering into view. Cautiously approaching the massive hole in the street.
Oh, please don't be that stupid! Hikari thought, cursing the human urges that resulted in humans staring at a crash on the freeway and thus creating traffic jams and worse. If that - that thing is still alive -!
A tremendous screech filled the air, one that chilled Hikari to the bone. And an instant later, Hikari realized that she was even more lapsed than she had thought. For the armored woman suddenly erupted from the hole. Her armor damaged, dented and scraped and more, but still somewhat intact. And as she came to land on the street, grunting and growling, it was clear that the wearer was also intact.
"Hey - hey!" a nearby gawker cried out even as the armored woman looked this way and that. "I - what are -?!"
The woman snarled. Hikari saw something green appearing from her hands as she seemed to swat at the nearby rubbernecker.
Which promptly sliced him into pieces. Sending chunks of his severed body flying into the rest of the crowd.
People started to scream. Hikari felt her gorge rising and fought it down.
The armored woman just shrieked her wrath and unleashed her optic blasts on the crowd.
"No, no, nooo!" Hikari screamed even as she once more grew wings. Acting on sheer instinct, she took the air and brought her hands together. Generating a sphere of power even as the armored woman started to look her way. But this time, she wasn't fast enough as Spirit all but landed on top of her and brought the gathered energy to bear. "Take this!"
A massive cross-blast erupted from her hands, sprouting arms that looked more like fiery wings. A ring of energy crowned the front tip of the blast. And every last bit of it struck the armored woman at point-blank range.
The backlash from the Halo Wave was unbelievable. The force of it sent Spirit tumbling through the air, completely out of control until she managed to spread her wings and stabilize herself. And when she did, it was pretty clear that those people on the ground had also been tossed badly by the backlash. While they hadn't been as close to the epicenter of the blast, they had still got thrown against the various buildings, businesses, restaurants, and more that happened to be there.
I just hope that they're all still alive! Spirit thought as she surveyed the area. There was no sign of the armored woman; at the moment, all the Angelic adventuress could see was smoking rising up from a smoldering crater. That building before...oh, god, were there people in it?! Oh, I hope not! Why couldn't this be happening in Tokyo-3, anyway?! Most of the buildings are empty! Just shells to send weapons up to the Evas! I wouldn't have to worry...about...no...
A painfully familiar sensation was now registering in Spirit's mind. A sensation that had been missing up until now. A sensation that she soon realized she shouldn't be feeling.
Even as icy cold claws of fear wrapped about Spirit's heart, the smoke was beginning to clear. A gentle breeze carrying with it the scent of the cherry blossoms Kyoto was known for. And so it also began to carry away the smoke that filled the crater where the armored woman had seemed to meet her end.
Only she hadn't. She was standing at the bottom, twitching erratically as she looked down at her tattered armor. Sections of which had been completely destroyed. And beneath that armor...was green.
Green skin covered well-developed muscles, like those of a female bodybuilder. The armor covering one of the wings had been blasted off, revealing light green feathers. A section of the helmet had been broken off, revealing short green hair and a green eye.
A green eye that was narrowed with rage.
Oh, no...it...I was...it's - not just a copy of me! Spirit breathed, sagging in absolute horror. Gendo - he must've put some of Misato's DNA in that thing as well! Giving it all of my powers with some of She-Hulk's muscle!
And as Spirit continued to hover there, frozen with fear, she realized that it wasn't just a portion of She-Hulk's strength that had been bestowed upon the woman. For as she looked up at the winged adventuress, her visible eye flashed with emerald fury. "You...!" she slowly rasped out. "You - tried...to hurt me...!"
Tried to -?! You mean - she didn't even feel any of what I did to her?! Spirit thought, wondering if she should find a convenient grave and crawl into it.
"You - call me ugly - call me stupid!" the woman rasped, her armored suit groaning as she glared pure hatred at Spirit. "Now I - gonna smash you! Gonna smash - gonna - grrraaarrghh!"
An instant later, the hybrid of She-Hulk and Spirit reached up to her ruined helmet and took hold of it from both sides. Her fingers sinking into the metal, she pulled hard at it. Causing it to shriek in protest before it soon ripped apart. And as she flung both pieces aside, Spirit received another shock.
The green-skinned hybrid's face was lined with circuitry and small blue lights. But those details were secondary to the fact that Spirit immediately recognized the face confronting her.
"Wha- Rei?!" Spirit shrieked in patent disbelief. "Omigosh -! Rei Ayanami, is that -?!"
But even as Spirit was trying to make sense of this latest bit of madness, the woman that looked much like a mutated version of Rei Ayanami continued to rip off her own armor. Heaving breath after furious breath, she eagerly tore off the front of the armor, revealing her bountiful bust for the entire world to see. A bust that seemed to start growing as soon as the metal tore away.
Oh, no...please, god, no! Spirit thought as the green Rei flexed her arms with such force that the armor on them broke apart and fell away. Please tell me that she isn't like Misato! That she doesn't get stronger the madder she gets!
But once again, Spirit's pleas went unanswered. With one final flex of her increasingly muscular body, the green Rei broke free of her remaining armor. Now bare to the world, Spirit was able to see various circuits lining her body and more of the strange blue lights marking her flesh.
However, what truly riveted Spirit's attention was the killing grin of hatred that twisted the twisted version of Rei's face. Followed by precisely one word.
"Smash...!"
Oh, no...! Spirit thought. Right before the green Rei launched herself towards her.
Tumbling backwards out of sheer fright, Spirit just barely avoided the blunt charge. But she was still knocked off-balance by the slipstream left in the green Rei's wake and had to take a few seconds to right herself. As for her transformed antagonist, she was already circling about for another attack.
Now what am I gonna do?! Spirit demanded as she looked to see the green Rei diving towards her. Now she's even stronger than before! And I'm betting that her energy blasts are that much more powerful now as well! How can I possibly fight that?!
As Spirit was again forced to dodge the charge, she recalled her disastrous battle with She-Hulk. And quickly reached the only logical conclusion; she couldn't. She had already hit the green Rei with her best attack, and it had done nothing but make her even madder. And while she didn't seem as large or strong as She-Hulk was, she made up for that shortcoming in flight. Which meant that there was no hope of being able to just hover out of range of her and hope she wandered off the face of the planet.
But I can't just leave her running around here! With all of her powers, she could wipe out this entire city! Spirit realized, watching as the green Rei crashed into a nearby building. And even if she doesn't decide to destroy something on purpose, with all of the power - oh, no...!
The green Rei was getting madder. Spirit could tell from the way her muscles grew. And as if that wasn't enough, she was reaching for the nearest object.
Which just happened to be another building. Something that Spirit knew She-Hulk could easily chuck around like it was nothing.
"No, stop!" Spirit cried out, instinctively slinging a cross-blast at the green Rei. The energy bolt caught her on the side of her head, stopping her before she could do anything to the building.
And prompting her to turn her gaze at Spirit. Just as the strange lights marking her form shifted from blue to red.
Oh, great. I think I just made her even madder, Spirit grimaced, a drop of sweat rolling down the side of her head. Why didn't I just ask her to kill me while I was at it?!
With a savage roar, the green Rei flung herself at Spirit, death spewing from her eyes. Desperately rolling to the side, the smaller cried out in pain as once again one of her wings got caught by the optic blast. But she couldn't waste time focusing on her injury. She knew it would heal. But only if she lived long enough for it to do so.
So Spirit immediately focused on the huge winged rage monster that was coming after her. Coming out of her roll, she looked up just in time to see something glowing a brilliant green coming out of the mutant Rei's hands. With a hateful snarl, the green monster swung at Spirit, sending the girl jumping back to avoid the strike.
A nearby wall wasn't as fortunate. And as Spirit glanced out of the corner of her eyes, she realized that two huge gashes had been cut in solid brick. An instant later, she focused on her attacker...and realized that she had two long, glowing green claws extending from both hands.
Oh, c'mon! Just how many powers did Gendo give this thing?! Spirit demanded as she narrowly dodged another slash from the mutated creature.
What followed was Spirit being forced to dodge an entire litany of attacks from the increasingly monstrous mutant. The green Rei was getting larger, stronger, with each passing second, and her attacks more incessant. But at the same time, the very rage that was giving her greater strength was eroding her fighting ability. Her optic blasts and cross-blasts only came out sporadically as she more frequently employed physical attacks and brute strength.
As for Spirit, she was able to dodge the worst of the attacks. Just enough to avoid being killed instantly. But even the glancing strikes she suffered resulted in severe damage; she lost a portion of a wing and even an arm over the course of trying to keep ahead of the beast she was battling. If not for her phenomenal healing ability, she would have already been dead. And even though she was able to counter with her own cross-blasts, the best they could do was annoy her foe.
And she was getting tired. Having to heal so much damage, having to dodge so much, and the cross-blasts were all taking their toll.
So what do I do?! Just blasting her away with the Halo Wave won't do any good; she can fly! And I can't lead her away from here; she's too fast! She'd be on me in seconds! Spirit demanded, wracking her brain as she tried to come up with something. And if I can get her out of here - what do I do with her then?! If I couldn't handle She-Hulk, then how do I handle - ack!
Spirit frantically dodged another blow, pivoting on the mutant Rei's armor and using her wings to help vault over the blow. But as she did so, she found the green girl's skin to be hot to the touch. So much so that her own skin burned with pain.
What's going - ouch! Spirit thought, only to pay for her distraction when the mutant Rei used one of her own wings to swat the half-Angel heroine away. Tumbling off of the roof, Spirit spread her wings and quickly turned to face her foe. A foe that shot at her, sending forth waves of heated air as she flapped her wings. She's - getting hotter?! But -!
Spirit had no time to think. All she had time to do was try and evade the frenzied charge of her attacker. And unfortunately, she wasn't able to fully accomplish this. Once more, she wasn't able to get her wings out of harm's way, and the mutant Rei was able to drive both sets of her claws into them.
Once more, Spirit shrieked in pain. "Gyyaaaaahhh!" she cried out as the huge glowing claws tore effortlessly through muscle and bone. She cried out again as the mutated Rei rammed her through a wall. A cry that was further intensified when her gamma-enhanced counterpart effortlessly tore Spirit's wings off. But this did nothing to cancel her momentum, and she continued on to crash into a nearby wall while someone nearby screamed.
Wait. I think that was me, Spirit groaned inwardly even as her own body screamed in sheer agony. Oh, crap…I'm almost hoping that she would just finish me off and get it over with! At least then I wouldn't be in so much pain! At least – huh?
A pained groan caught Spirit's attention. A groan made more remarkable because she was fairly certain that she hadn't been the source of it. And as a few seconds passed, she realized something else; that the mutant Rei hadn't followed up on her previous attack. That Angelic adventuress was actually being given a few precious seconds to allow her broken body to heal. For new wings to sprout from her back.
And as she processed these things, Spirit found enough string to open her eyes once more. And was greeted with a surprising sight.
"Orr-arrgggh…!" the mutant Rei groaned even as she fell to her hands and knees. Her teeth were clenched in visible pain and her veins were bulging beneath her skin. And as Spirit continued to look on, the red lights that marked her skin began flashing ominously.
Wha-what's going on?! Spirit thought even as she forced herself back up to her feet. Staring worriedly at her green counterpart, she took a tentative step towards her. Only to wince when she felt a wave of heat coming off of the green Rei.
"Ugh! You – you're burning up!" Spirit gasped, jumping a step away from the mutant Rei. "And those lights?! What do they – oh, no…"
It came to Spirit in a flash. A horrible notion drawn from movies and TV shows and more she had seen over the course of her life. And so with a knot twisting about in her stomach, she darted around the still groaning mutant, spread her newly regenerated wings, and shot out of the building.
"Everybody, run!" Spirit cried out to the people below. "There's a bomb in there!"
"A bomb?!" someone cried out in response. "What are you -?!"
"That girl in there is about to explode!" Spirit cried out emphatically. "You have to go! Now run! RU-!"
Spirit never had the chance to finish her sentence. For at that moment a tremendous blast of blazing heat and thunderous noise ripped through the air. This was followed an instant later by the sounds of brick shattering and glass breaking.
A moment later, a powerful shockwave quaked through the air, slamming into Spirit. And even though her AT-Field remained up, she screeched in agony as it sent her flying, shattering several of her bones as she was sent rocketing through the air. The entire world was rendered naught but absolute agony and chaos as she tumbled about uncontrollably, unable to make sense anything. All the winged girl could tell was that she was hurt badly and that she was moving very fast.
It felt like an eternity had passed before her flight was interrupted, with Spirit crashing into something only to skip off of it and bound even further. As the sound of bones snapping rung in her ears, the winged girl again cried out before she again crashed down. More bones broke and skin was flayed from her body as she tumbled about for a few seconds more. But eventually, Spirit finally ground to a halt and lay still on whatever surface she had ended up on.
Several seconds passed as the miraculous healing abilities that all of Angelic blood worked to repair all the damage wreaked upon Spirit's body. It took even longer for the shock of what had just happened to wear off enough for the battered girl to instinctually begin moving and look around for the source of what had hit her.
The instant Spirit did so, she found herself wishing that she hadn't.
The wind still howled ferociously in the wake of the blast, causing dust to blow into Spirit's eyes. But that did nothing to obscure the destruction of the section of Kyoto. Many buildings had been wiped out, reduced to little more than rubble. A rainbow halo filled the sky above, providing a beautiful contrast to the absolute destruction that still reigned supreme over Kyoto.
And in the center of it all was a tremendous pillar of emerald energy. Arms sprouted from its side, giving it the appearance of a cross. As is it had become a monument to the lives that had just been snuffed out.
Spirit had no idea how long she lay there in the dirt, staring at the perverse spectacle that loomed over that portion of Kyoto. No idea how long it took for the energy to die down, for the wind to stop howling. All she knew was that, when things finally died down and returned to normal, she slowly, numbly rose to her feet.
Painfully aware that things would never be normal again.
No…those people…! Spirit groaned, taking an instinctual step forward. Only to stop in mid-step when she realized that there was nothing that she could do for any of them.
That all of those people that had been there, everyone that had done nothing but be unfortunate enough to be in the wrong place at the wrong time…were now dead.
That – that thing…! It was rigged with some kind of…self-destruct mechanism! Spirit blankly realized, her heart sinking into her toes. Gendo – he must not have wanted anybody to know about it! So he – he blew it up! He…he killed all of those people to keep that thing secret! He…he killed them!
And as Spirit continued to stand there, looking blankly at the spot where so many people had once lived and worked and dreamed, at a place that was now filled with death, one final thought crossed her mind.
He killed them…because of me…
"Tengu 01 has been terminated. And her soul has been recovered," announced the woman operating the controls under Gendo's eye. "However, we are still detecting Spirit's pattern."
"Excellent," Gendo smiled coolly. "Then everything is going as it should."
A voice tickled in Gendo's mind. "No, this mission wasn't a failure," the Commander of NERV declared without hesitation. "It was a learning experience. Not only have we discovered a critical flaw in my Genesis subjects, we also have a means of correcting that flaw."
There was silence in the air, but not in Gendo's mind. "Yes, a flaw. And a serious one. One that I should have foreseen," the Commander admitted. "It's obvious that this form of mutation stimulates tremendous anger and rage in the subject. I had previously assumed that Katsuragi's past was the key factor in her own issues and that anybody lacking such trauma would not have any difficulties retaining control. Especially with all of the effort taken to deaden the emotional capabilities of the Genesis subjects."
A beat passed as Gendo frowned. "However, it would appear that the measures employed with Rei will not be as effective in allowing my latest creatures to manage their own inherent anger. They simply do not know how to cope with such strong emotions. And as their anger overwhelms them, they become uncontrollable. And thus a detriment." The Commander then allowed himself a slight smile. "But once we track down Spirit…I suspect that she will be of critical usefulness in addressing that problem."
Once again, that silent voice sounded in Gendo's mind. "No, I'm not worried about Spirit. She won't dare show herself again in the future. Not after this." Again, the voice spoke in silent words, but sounded more puzzled. "Because I know how the human animal functions. I've spent a long time learning how to press every button, use every emotion, turn everything about them to my own use. And even without being there, I can tell you precisely what is going through Spirit's mind."
Gendo paused to envision the pathetic speck of sand that had tried to work its way into the gears of his machinations. "You see, there are two traditional means by which a human will respond to something going wrong; by blaming another…or blaming one's self." The voice again tickled in his mind. "That's simple. If you blame someone else, then you absolve yourself of responsibility for that failure. But those that blame themselves…that gives them control. It allows them the illusion that all they had to do was act in some other way, make a different decision, and things would have turned out differently."
Pausing to again study the screen before him, the one that showed where Tengu 01 and so many others had died, Gendo then oozed, "Even now, Spirit is condemning herself for her failure. She is realizing that, as long as we are able to track her, that we will be able to send further Tengus and more after her. That this may well happen again. And since she is foolish enough to call herself a hero…that will be something that she will not be able to risk happening. And so…she will not risk showing herself again."
Again, the voice spoke in his mind. "How do I intend to use her? That's simple," Gendo assured his new ally. "The new minds of my Genesis creations are incapable of managing their anger. They don't have the experience needed to reign in their rage. And as this battle has demonstrated, they don't have the wit and battle experience needed to bring out their full potential. Which means that we need something else. We need someone else to use as a template. To help bring out the full potential of my creations."
Leaning back in his seat, Gendo considered the matter for a time. "Still, it might be best to rub some salt in her wounds. To make sure that she is convinced of her powerlessness." When the voice agreed, he turned towards the girl. "Contact Chiron. I have a job for him."
"You sure did a job on yourself, Major," Hideki declared even as he helped Misato stagger into the kitchen. "Enthusiasm for exercise is all well and good, but still –"
"Yeah, yeah! Just shut up and – ow ow ow owwwwww!" Misato grimaced even as she moved a leg the wrong way. "Ugh, how the hell did I even do this to myself?!"
"A novice to bodybuilding pushing herself into it too fast?! I'm amazed that this didn't go worse!" Hideki declared with a roll of his eyes.
Misato hissed in her throat, and then hissed more loudly as her sore legs betrayed her once more. She had been working her fifth set on the leg press when something happened and suddenly her legs were hit by pain and stiffness. She had no idea what had caused it, but it had left her legs hurting. Not enough to keep her from finishing her workout, but enough to make the whole thing much more of an ordeal than before.
And after being given a grand tour of the various leg exercise machines, of doing hamstring curls and hack squats and more, the last thing Misato's legs wanted to do was move. It was so bad that she was keeping her knees as rigid as possible, walking like they were logs.
"Now, c'mon! We're almost there!" Hideki continued to urge her as they approached their destination. "All you need now is a second isolate shake, a post-workout shake –"
"Two shakes?" Misato frowned uncertainly.
"Sure! You need that second isolate shake because it's quickly absorbed and will help your body get a jump on repairing and rebuilding your muscles," Hideki explained. "The post-workout shake isn't absorbed as quickly, but it provides a wider range of nutrients and more to help your body recover from all of that hard work." Then he gave her a smug look and added, "And from the looks of things, your body can use all the help it can get."
Misato wanted to say something nasty to this, but her legs chose that moment to cry out in more pain. And even as she was stifling this, Hideki helped to a nearby seat. "Now why don't you sit back and relax. I'll get you those shakes."
"I won't argue with that. But – ugh!" Misato groaned as she bent her knees the slightest bit. Only for them to scream in agony at her. "I get the feeling that my…legs will!"
It was ludicrous. Just bending her knees to sit down caused Misato's legs to scream in agony every second as she sat down. And even after the purple-haired woman was seated, they cried out in such pained protest that she found herself whimpering as she tried to make herself comfortable. "What the hell did I do to myself?!" Misato asked of no one in particular. "I've got to know so that I don't do it again!"
"If it makes you feel any better, Major, you won't have the chance to do it again. At least not until your next leg day," Hideki informed her even as he approached the table. And as Misato turned his way, she noticed that the gym manager was carrying two glasses worth of brown liquid. "Here you go. First, the isolate shake."
"Ugh…right," Misato grumbled sourly as she accepted the shake. Heaving a sigh as she examined the brown liquid, she shook it gently for a moment before shrugging. "Well, down the hatch."
A second later, Misato upended a liquid that could only be described as vaguely tasting like chocolate. It wasn't bad, but it certainly wasn't good. The 'chocolate' flavor was clearly of secondary importance, designed merely to mask the taste of whatever else was in that stuff. But it wasn't so bad that the purple-haired woman couldn't stomach it, and so she downed it as quickly as possible.
"There, that wasn't so bad, now wasn't?" Hideki asked, sounding much like a parent who was trying to get a stubborn child to eat her vegetables. "Now for the mass gainer. C'mon, Major. Your body needs all the nutrition it can get after all that hard work."
All of this scientific advancement we're sitting on and we still haven't found a way to make healthy stuff taste better… Misato grumbled inwardly as she accepted the mass gainer shake. Finding that it tasted about the same as the other shake, she chugged it down as quickly as possible before setting aside the glass.
"And with all of that out of the way, you've earned yourself a good rest. And then something to eat." With that, Hideki frowned in thought. "Which reminds me…what exactly do you have on hand for food? Hopefully none of that instant junk I heard you live on!"
Making a sound of annoyance in her throat, Misato retorted, "I haven't been having anything instant for a good while now, thank you. And what business is it of yours, anyway?!"
"Because building muscle and getting in better shape takes a lot of work! So your body is going to need plenty of fuel for that work! And some fuels are better than others!" Hideki declared. "Things like chicken breast, eggs, salmon and more are perfect for protein! Oatmeal and sweet potatoes for those complex carbs! Celery, lettuce, and spinach for fiber! Olive oil and peanut butter for healthy fats!"
"Fats?!" Misato squawked out in protest. "Fat is the last thing a woman like me wants in her diet!"
Hideki smirked at this. "And yet, according to the scale, fat is something that you're already well acquainted with. And not the healthy kind, either." As Misato again responded by giving him the one-fingered salute, the gym trainer went on to say, "And healthy fats are an essential source of fuel for both energy and cellular growth. So you can bet that you're going to need those!"
Making a face at this, Misato groaned. "Ugh…this is a heck of a lot more complicated than I thought it'd be…"
"Which is why it's a good thing you have a pro helping you," Hideki pointed out. "Anyway, what kind of things do you have on hand?"
Pausing just long enough to scowl, Misato sighed and muttered, "If you have to know what I've been eating, just look around in the fridge. Shinji delivered a fresh batch of meals not that long ago."
Nodding to this, Hideki made his way over to the refrigerator and began poking around. Wishing that her legs were functional enough so that she could at least loom over his head, Misato sat back and grumbled and waited for him to pull out and be done. "Hmm…not bad. From what I can tell, those were all some well-cooked meals," he finally declared with a slight frown. "But most of them…aren't ideal for bodybuilding."
"What?!" Misato squawked in protest. "But – hold on! Shinji's a great cook! And -!"
"I'm not saying that he's a bad cook, Major! What I'm saying is that those recipes aren't well-suited to building muscle and helping you develop your body," Hideki promptly assured her. "However, I happen to have a great book of bodybuilding recipes on my computer. I can always send him a copy."
Misato frowned in consideration. She wasn't exactly happy about altering her diet that much. And like so many others, she had come to the conclusion that there was a diametric relationship between how good something was for you and how good it actually tasted. So the notion of bodybuilding recipes immediately conjured up a host of tasteless, boring, and all-around unpleasant meals that she would be as enthusiastic about downing as those protein shakes from before.
But at the same time…
"Well, I could call him. Tell him about these recipes and – oww!" Misato cried out even as she tried to stand. An attempt that was immediately thwarted when her legs immediately declared that they were on strike for the foreseeable future. Grimacing at the renewed pain she was assailed with, the purple-haired woman glared at Hideki. "Here's an idea; you get me the phone, and I'll call him."
"Looks like that's the only way this is going to happen," Hideki declared in a derisive manner. While Misato was planning on making him eat his words at some later date, the gym trainer made his way over to the phone retrieved it for the Major. "Here you go."
"Thanks," Misato grumbled even as she picked up the receiver. As she dialed, she frowned, "I'm just glad that the Commander decided to let me be able to call out…finally!"
Placing the receiver to her ear, Misato sat there and waited a bit. The phone rang a few times before a familiar voice asked, "Uh, hello?"
"Hi, Shinji," Misato smiled as she pictured the boy on the other end of the line. "Hope I'm not interrupting anything."
"Uh, no! No, of course not!" Shinji quickly replied. "I – I just forgot that you could call, and – how are you? Today was the first day of your new exercise thing, right? How was it?"
"How was it? Boring and painful!" Misato quickly declared. "But hopefully, the results will be worth it." Pausing to think that they had better be worth it, the Major continued. "Anyway, Shinji, Lieutenant Tama – he says that he has some…suggestions about my diet."
"Suggestions?" Shinji blankly repeated.
"Uh, yeah. He has some…recipes that he would like for you to try out, and…" At this, Misato sighed and held out the phone to Hideki. "Here. I think you can explain it better than I can."
"Yeah, I was getting that idea," Hideki replied as he accepted the phone. "Hello, 3rd Child? I'd like to talk to you about Major Katsuragi's diet."
"Her diet?" Shinji repeated once more, sounding more confused. "Wh-what do you mean? Is something wrong?"
"Well, not exactly 'wrong', but still…" Hideki proceeded, and from there he launched into an explanation as to the dietary needs of someone who was working out and the kind of nutrition needed. Misato just barely paid any attention to the whole thing, hoping that she wasn't dooming her taste buds to a life of pure hell.
"Okay, great! I'll send you the PDF next chance I get!" Hideki declared with a smile. "Now, since I'm done for the day, and I'm guessing that you want to spend some time talking to the Major, I'll put her back on for you."
"Thanks," Shinji replied even as Hideki handed over the receiver.
"Have a nice one, Major! I'll be over tomorrow for your biceps and back workout!" Hideki declared even as he started towards the door. "So be sure to eat right and get a good night's rest!"
"Yeah, sure. Whatever…jerk," Misato grumbled, slipping in that last item under her breath. "And – hey, wait a second!" Hideki froze in place at this, giving the purple-haired woman a chance to fix him with a deadly glare. "The collar?! Remember?! I'm not going to bed while still wearing this thing, got that?!"
"Huh? Oh, right right right, got it," Hideki absently replied even as he made his way over to Misato. Pausing to bring out the remote control once more, he aimed at her neck and pressed a button. An instant later, the small device beeped and fell open before tumbling into the Major's lap. "There. Just be sure you don't 'lose' it before tomorrow, got it? Don't think I've forgotten about those close calls we had in the gym today!"
Misato grimaced at this. Her sore and protesting legs had gone a long way in adding some fuel to her fire. And thus was another reason why that day's exercise regime had taken much longer and had ultimately proven to be more frustrating than she had anticipated. "Relax, I'm not planning on trashing all of that equipment. Not after everything I went through to get it in here," she grumbled sourly. "Now go on! Get lost! I don't want anybody listening in on me, got that?!"
"Whatever you say, Major," Hideki replied. Without another word, the gym trainer made his way over to the door.
As soon as Hideki departed, Misato sighed and focused on the phone. "So, Shinji…be on the lookout for those recipes, okay? And when you get them…do your best to make them edible? Pretty please?"
"I'll…do my best, Misato," Shinji promptly assured her.
"Great, thanks," Misato replied, though she was entirely optimistic. "Uh, listen, Shinji…has anything been happening with you lately? I hope you're not getting into any trouble while I'm away!"
"Wha- ?! No, of course not!" Shinji hurriedly assured her. "I – what kind – why would I be in trouble?!"
At these words, Misato sighed. One of the consequences of being as socially stunted as Shinji tended to be was the fact that he was a truly atrocious liar. "Shinji…I spent some time speaking with Ritsuko. Who happened to spend some time talking with a certain unshaven asshole," she informed her ward. "And…"
At this, Misato hesitated. She recalled Ritsuko's words, that maybe Shinji perceived her as something more than his guardian and commanding officer. As well the possibility that She-Hulk's actions revealed that the purple-haired woman's own feelings were far from innocent.
I – no. This isn't something to talk about on the phone, Misato chided herself with a slight shake of her head. Whatever's happening, I should talk it over with Shinji in person. And I should also plan out how to talk it out with him so I don't screw it up. I…I've already hurt him badly enough without making things worse.
With this in mind, Misato sighed and focused on a more immediate issue. "Ritsuko told me about…what Asuka's been doing. How she made you do her homework for her and how she attacked you at school." After a moment considering how Shinji responded to these actions, she couldn't help but quirk a smile. "Though I can't believe that you intentionally failed that homework assignment of hers!"
"Uh…!" Shinji groaned in hesitation. Several seconds of unintelligible sounds came through the receiver before he cleared his throat. "Well, I just- I was…"
"Let me guess, you were mad at her," Misato intuited. When Shinji again groaned, she chuckled. "Shinji, while this might be a strange thing coming from me, I think that it's a good sign that you can let yourself be angry about something. Sure, you picked a lousy way of dealing with, but…I'd say that this is a good sign."
"Uh…really?" Shinji squeaked out, clearly befuddled.
"Really. It tells me that you're starting to stand up for yourself. And I want you to stand up for yourself! Nobody – and that includes Asuka – has the right to treat you that way!" Misato assured him with a broad smile. "And speaking of Asuka…is she around? In fact, where are you, anyway?"
"I'm at home," Shinji promptly replied. "And Asuka – well, she's here, but –"
"Then put her on the line," Misato instructed him. "I want to let her know what I think about her antics."
A few seconds passed with Shinji making an anxious sound in his throat. "Uh, Kaji – he's right now as well. And – well, he also spent some time talking to Asuka, and –"
"And he should have said something to her long before it came down to what happened. And if not for the fact that I'm already sore and not in the mood for any further aggravation, I'd ask you to put him on the line so I could let him know just what I think about him and his capabilities when it comes to keeping an eye on you two," Misato declared without hesitation. "However, I will ask you to put Asuka on the line for a moment. I've got a message I'd like to give her."
Groaning in his throat, Shinji hesitated before responding, "Well…okay. Sure."
A few moments passed in silence. Silence that was broken when a grumpy female voice demanded, "Misato?! How the hell can you be on the phone?! I thought that -!"
"The Commander decided that I could have phone rights in the wake of what happened. Though he made it clear that he expected me to be responsible about using them," Misato stated firmly. "And as for why I'm talking to you…well, let's just say that I got wind about your bad behavior at school. And at home."
"Huh?! But – hold on!" Asuka heatedly retorted. "That was all because of the Third! He -!"
"Asuka, stop it right there. I've already heard all about it. That you've been forcing Shinji to do all your work for you, and when I finally decided he had had enough, you punched him in the face," Misato declared in a no-nonsense manner. "I don't care that you feel like going to school here is beneath you or a waste of your time! I don't care what led you to think that this was somehow acceptable behavior on your part! The bottom line is that it is not acceptable! And if I get word that anything like this happens again, well…then you can expect a visit from a certain large, green person we both know. I can guarantee that she will be angry. And I can also guarantee that you won't like her when she's angry. Do we understand each other?"
"But it's the Third's fault!" Asuka cried out, clearly upset. "If he hadn't -!"
"Asuka, I am sick and tired of you blaming Shinji for every little thing that goes wrong or trying to foist off your responsibilities on him," Misato declared, wincing at the mild hypocrisy in her own words. "When you and Shinji were doing the synch training, you blamed Shinji when you were the one who lost step! When things went wrong in that battle, you blamed it all on him! When you didn't like the D-Type equipment, you tried to get Shinji to go on the mission because you didn't want Unit 02 seen in it. You've made Shinji your scapegoat for everything that you feel to be wrong with your life, and as much as I hate to admit it, I've been letting you get away with it. But that is over and done with! So the next time you even start thinking about mistreating Shinji, I'd strongly suggest that you think twice about it. Because if I get word about it – well, all I'd have to do is hold my breath long enough for you-know-who to come out. And then we both know whose ass would be on the line. Do I make myself clear?"
Asuka's response was to growl deep in her throat. "I'll take that as a 'yes'," Misato smirked. "Now give the phone back to Shinji. I'd like to say a few more things to him."
Asuka said something nasty in German at this. A few moments later, Shinji's voice was again heard. "Uh, Misato? What did you say to Asuka?"
"I was just making it clear that I wouldn't tolerate any more of her abusive antics, Shinji-kun. So don't you worry about it," Misato assured him a playful manner. "Anyway, I'm sure you're busy with stuff. But – um…well, I do hope that I get to see you soon."
"Uh – okay!" Shinji replied. "And – I'll get to work on those recipes as soon as I get them!"
"Thanks, I appreciate it." Then Misato made a face and added, "But, uh – Shinji? Do me a favor. I know that these recipes are supposed to be healthy and all that, but I would greatly appreciate it if you could avoid sacrificing good taste for good health. If you get my meaning."
"Oh, sure!" Shinji immediately answered. "I'll – have to look at the recipes first, but – I'm sure I can do something."
"Great, thanks!" Misato replied. The two of them spent a bit longer, exchanging idle chitchat before Shinji announced that he needed to get to work cooking dinner. And after pausing to exchange goodbyes and promises to see each other as soon as possible, the purple-haired woman hung up and sighed.
He really is a nice guy. He's still a bit shy, has problems dealing with people, but…he's really made progress since he first got here, Misato thought with a slight smile. And it's not like I can blame him for having problems. Not with the way Gendo treats him and all the rest of it. With this, the Major heaved a weary sigh. Just another reason why I really don't like the idea of confronting him about – what Rits said.
Once again, Misato considered the implications of Ritsuko's theory. About what she could do if it turned out Shinji had feelings for her beyond seeing her as guardian and commanding officer. Setting him down easy won't be easy. The last thing I want is to hurt him more than he's already been hurt. Then she grimaced and added, Yeah, like I'm really gifted when it comes to not screwing up when it comes to people!
Giving a quick shake of her head, Misato sighed. "The hell of it is…if he was a bit older or me a bit younger…this wouldn't be a problem at all!" Pausing to imagine such a situation, the purple-haired woman shook her head. "Seriously, knock ten years off the gap between us, and – well, who knows what would happen? It would sure make things easier." Then she gave a sad smile and added, "And…it sure has been a long time since I've been able to just…do the kind of things Shinji and I have been doing since…this started."
Sitting back in her seat, Misato indulged in pointless fantasy for a while longer before sighing. "Well, there's no point in fantasizing. Right now, I could use a nice, long soak in a hot tub! And then maybe a nice dinner, and…oh, no…!"
With these words, Misato realized that enjoying either a hot bath or a nice meal would involve standing up from her seat and walking. And her legs had already made it abundantly clear that any form of movement was something that they were not in the mood for. Grimacing at this, she began to flex her legs…only to grit her teeth in pain as they burned in protest.
"Ugh – dammit!" Misato cried even as she slowly forced herself up to her feet. "I should've requisitioned a wheelchair while I was at it!" Once she was finally in a standing position again, she paused to heave several breaths. Her legs once again burning from just the effort of standing up. "Argh…I swear, I better get some goddamned results or I'm going to be even more pissed than Greenie!"
"I hate green…" Hikari groaned as she slunk back into her room through the window. Her physical injuries long since healed, but still in agony as a result of what had happened.
Once again, Hikari had been forced to take a slow and roundabout route between Kyoto and Tokyo-3. Hitching on trains, on trucks, on anything that she could sneak into. Doing everything she could to reduce the time she spent as Spirit to the absolute minimum. Even after getting back to the fortress city, she spent a fair amount of time making her way through back alleys and hiding from anything that might hold a camera. As a result, many hours passed between her escape and her finally slipping into her room. And those hours left her even more drained than before…and gave her plenty of time to think about what had happened.
About all of the people that had died. And how it was Hikari's fault.
I knew that NERV could track me as Spirit. I knew that Gendo had probably created his own version of me, Hikari berated herself as she ripped off the tattered remains of her ruined top and tossed it aside. I should've realized that – I should never have even -!
The door to Hikari's room began to slide open, causing her to freeze in place. But before she could do more than panic in her mind, she saw Kodama standing on the other side. "Hikari?!" the elder Horaki sister began, her jaw dropping at the middle sister's disheveled state. "What – are you alright?!"
"Ugh…that depends on your definition of 'alright'," Hikari muttered as she shed her skirt and kicked it under her bed. "I – I'm sorry, Kodama, I – I've just had a really bad time."
"Does it have anything to do with Kyoto?!" Kodama wondered.
This caught Hikari's attention. For while she had informed her siblings that she would be away for much of the day and to cover for her with their father, she had not specified her destination. "Uh…yeah, you – you could say that," she hesitantly replied. "I – what have you -?"
"It's all over the news, Hikari!" Kodama blurted out. "Some kind of bomb was set off in Kyoto! The JSSDF think it was some kind of nuke!"
"A…nuke?" Hikari blankly repeated.
Kodama nodded to this. "The JSSDF sent people to investigate the site of the blast! According to the news, they're reporting high levels of residual gamma radiation!" Then the elder Horaki sister frowned and studied her sibling. "I – Hikari, were you caught in the blast?! You didn't get -?!"
"Uh…well, I…I was. But…I doubt I'm radioactive," Hikari replied, despite realizing the fact that she had no way of knowing one way or another. Pausing to hope like crazy that her AT-Field had protected her from any gamma rays that had been in the blast, she went on to say, "Also, the thing that…exploded? It…it wasn't a bomb." When Kodama's eyes rounded in surprise, the Horaki matriarch held up her hand and sighed. "It's a long story. And I don't want to talk about it right now." Giving this a moment to sink in, Hikari heaved a deep breath and asked, "So has anything else happened while I was away?"
A few seconds passed before Kodama nodded. "Uh, yeah. Something…happened, alright." Already alerted by the grave tone in her sister's voice, Hikari focused on her. "Remember that woman you mentioned? The one who got captured by Rhino and Grey Gargoyle?"
Cold claws of anxiety wrapping around her heart, Hikari hesitantly replied, "Junko Marishima?" When Kodama nodded, she gulped. "Has something happened?"
Pressing her lips together, Kodama then exhaled loudly and nodded. "It was on the news. Somebody broke into her house, and – according to the police, somebody broke into her apartment. They aren't giving out many details, but…apparently, whoever did it…they also – killed her."
With these words, Hikari felt her heart sinking straight to her toes. All she could do was stand there, looking at her elder sister in mute horror. As the seconds dragged out, she felt her knees buckling somewhat even as she staggered back a step.
"Hikari?!" Kodama cried out even as all of the horror the middle sister had been bearing up beneath hit her all at once. All of it brought down upon her shoulders by the final blow leveled by the eldest sister. And as Hikari's legs collapsed, Kodama hurriedly wrapped her arms about her. "What happened?! Are you alright?!"
Hikari didn't say anything. All she could do think back to that horrible moment when that emerald cross hovered over Kyoto, signaling to the entire world all of the death that had been brought to that city. All she could do was think about the woman she had fought to save, a woman whose only crime was to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. And know that she had been absolutely powerless to help any of them.
And as this reality hammered at her, her mind seemed to break down. Raw emotion took over.
And tears began to overflow Hikari's eyes.
"Hikari?!" Kodama spoke again, sounding more perplexed this time. "Wh-what are you -?"
Overwhelmed by everything that had happened, at all of the lives lost and her complete inability to do anything to save them, Hikari lost herself to her pain. And with a wail of pure agony, agony that cried out from the very depths of her soul, she wrapped her arms around her older sister. And began to cry.
"Omigod…Hikari, what…?!" Kodama blurted out, but then fell silent as she wrapped her arms around her younger sister. The one that had taken up the role of matriarch of their family, becoming a surrogate mother to both Kodama and Nozomi.
And was now reduced to sobbing, helpless child. All of her pain and burdens spilling down her cheeks with no end in sight…
"All I want to do right now is cry…" Maya muttered under her breath as she made her way down the streets of Tokyo-3. Feeling physically and emotionally sick to her stomach.
It had only been a couple of days since Maya had been released from NERV and her duties, been put on medical leave. Free from the onerous burdens that came with the title of Operations Director. And if the circumstances had been different, she would likely have been jubilant.
But as much stress and misery being removed from a job she loved had brought Maya, being removed from NERV altogether was proving to be a far greater burden. Because now she had virtually nothing to occupy her time. Nothing to challenge her mind. No means of doing all of the scientific work she had come to enjoy so much.
No true way of distracting herself…from the horrors that now lived in her mind.
I can't stop thinking about it…! Maya thought for what felt like the hundredth time. All of that blood…the bodies…just so much blood!
And even worse than the blood and the bodies…were the memories of ecstasy that still lived inside of her. The sheer delight she had felt at stealing energy from another, just to feel burn through her own veins. The complete destruction of her own will, her very sense of self, and having it replaced with something deep and primal and terrifying. Of having all fear and concern ripped from her mind, leaving no restraints. Leaving nothing to keep her from just smashing everything that stood in her way. No reason to stop threatening the lives of everyone and everything around her.
Is that what – the Major goes through?! Every time she changes?! How can anybody live with that?! Pausing to swallow a lump of bile, Maya lowered her eyes and added, How can I live with that…?!
Maya gasped and shuddered at this. She didn't want to think about these things. The more she thought about them, the more real they became. The more real they became, the more afraid she was. Afraid of all the terrible possibilities that came with what had happened to her. The possibility that she was not truly cured, that she might again become the Angelic monster that had killed without remorse. Or that she Commander Ikari might feel the need to lock her away like he had with Misato. Or that Section 2 might decide to take revenge upon her for the deaths of their fellows.
Or that Maya might actually deserve such a death. That she would even –
"Stop it!" Maya shrieked, bringing her hands to her head. Digging her nails into her scalp, she closed her eyes and froze. Tried to do everything she could to push all that was scary and horrible and terribly real from her thoughts. Keep it from eating away at what remained of her soul. "Please, just stop it…!"
But it wouldn't stop. In the time since she had awoken as herself once more, Maya had been confronted by her memories of her time as a beast. Those things, those memories, they were now a part of her. Those atrocities would live in her forever. Even now, as she struggled to push them to the side, they continued to eat at her. Gnaw away at her heart.
Leaving Maya with just one way of forgetting them, if only for a time. Just one way.
And so it was that the brunette made her way to the Inferno Bar & Grill. A bar that was fairly close to her apartment, wasn't particularly seedy or anything of that nature. And as Maya had learned during her time as Operations Director, was a quiet place she could get herself good and drunk without too much hassle.
Even as she made her way inside, a familiar face took note of her presence. "Wow, Captain Ibuki," noted a stocky man behind the bar. "I know you've been in bad shape these past few days, but whoa! You look like an elephant sat on your face!"
"Ugh…I feel like it, too," Maya admitted as she pulled up a seat at the bar. "I – I think I've caught a cold, or…or something."
Shuddering at this, silently hoping that her lack of physical energy and so on was nothing more than a cold or another effect of the sheer hell she was living through, Maya listened as the bartender shook his head in sympathy. "Damn. First this – whatever-it-was that you can't tell me about that has you off duty, and now the local germs are picking on you as well. Life can sure suck."
Snorting at this, Maya nodded. "Yeah…it sure can…" she concurred, thinking that there was a greater truth to his words than he realized. "Anyway, uh…Minoru…I need something really strong tonight. Bourbon, and…make it a double."
Raising an eyebrow at this, Minoru replied, "I'm not sure if you should be getting drunk while a cold is rattling around that body of yours, Captain."
Sniffing slightly, Maya managed a sad smile. "Well, that's too bad…" she began, tears again appearing in her eyes. "Because the last thing I want right now is to be sober…" A moment later, she silently added, The last thing I want is to remember…any of it…
"It has indeed been a long and boring trip, eh?" Grey Gargoyle declared even as he made his off of the transport truck that had once again brought him to Tokyo-3. "I would sorely love to stop for a drink, maybe some crepes. A pity that our schedule isn't nearly so flexible."
"I would have to agree with you," muttered one of the Grey Gargoyles new associates. "I'm not used to such…low-class accommodations."
"Neither am I, Simon," purred a nearby woman who was wafting her way towards her lover. "But we do what we have to. Just like we did fifteen years ago."
"Yeah! That was pretty far south of a luxury cruise!" chortled another member of the odd group. "All that time, slogging around in Antarctica, freezing our asses off! All for a shot at what Dr. Katsuragi was after!"
"Yes, well, unlimited power is a tempting lure, Jimmy," Simon noted with a sense of ill humor.
"And we got more than a taste of that!" rumbled the last of the odd group as he made his way off of the truck, his footsteps causing the ground to shake."Oh, yeah! A great big taste!"
"And if we complete our mission, there will be even more power to be had! Of that, you can be certain!" Grey Gargoyle smirked knowingly. "Where my former partner failed, I'm certain that you four will be far more…successful!"
"Well, we will certainly outnumber this big, green girl you told us about," the last of their number noted. "Still…it's kinda too bad that we have to fight her. And that she's supposed to be so stupid…"
"What are you talking about, Mike?!" Jimmy wondered with a smug smirk. "Were you planning on asking her out?!"
"Well…there aren't too many girls that can survive all of this muscle, Jimmy!" Mike noted with a trace of chagrin. "I mean, it would be nice to have a gal I can go the distance with without having to worry about snapping her like a twig!"
"Or that would run from you screaming the instant she got a look at you!" Jimmy snarked back.
"Now, hold on, you two!" snorted the female of the group. "You can talk about dating and the rest of it later! We have to set everything up for the mission!"
"Ann's right. NERV's doubtlessly increased their security with everything that's happened! We're going to have to plan things out perfectly if we're going to get inside…and find out what exactly the bastard's got cooking!" Simon declared, clenching his fist.
"Personally, I say we should just smash our way into NERV! Heck with waiting!" Jimmy declared with an eager grin. "It's not like those Section 2 creeps would have a snowball's chance in hell against us!"
"They would not have a chance of stopping you, true. But that doesn't mean that they couldn't alert their masters and slow you down," Grey Gargoyle pointed out. "And that would give them the time needed to both rally Commander Ikari's prized monster and hide the information that we also want!"
"The Grey Gargoyle is correct. We're here to do more than capture this She-Hulk; we also want to obtain any and all information on how Gendo created her in the first place," Simon reminded his fellows. "Besides, we've waited for fifteen years to pay the dear Commander back for what he did to us. What's a week or two more?"
"Especially when it gives us time to plan out his punishment perfectly?" Ann added with a devious smile. "Making it as slow and painful as possible?"
"Yes, indeed," Simon smiled terribly. "And rest assured; Gendo will suffer for a long, long time before we give him the gift of death…"
Author's Notes: And here's another chapter up. Expect some more for my other stories as I slowly get myself into gear. Hope that you all enjoy, and please, read and review! And maybe take a look at my other stories?
For those of you wondering about the gamma-enhanced winged Rei, that was inspired by a Hulk enemy called the Harpy, a winged gamma mutant. And while this clone of Rei doesn't look like the Harpy, the inspiration is still there.
Again, Superwomen of Eva: Emerald Fury has its own TV Tropes page. Please help update it now that I'm getting back in gear.
TheINFERNO95, did we even watch the same anime? Look, I freely admit that Shinji has his share of Jerkass moments. So does the rest of the cast. Selfish brat who had it better than most people? Well, let's see…he watched his mother die in front of his very eyes, was abandoned by his father shortly afterwards, and when he's summoned to Tokyo-3, it's simply so he can pilot a giant monster to fight more giant monsters. And while a lot of what happened to Shinji during his abandonment is up for debate, given all of the evidence that Gendo is personally responsible for manipulating and breaking so many of the cast (Fuyutsuki, Naoko, Ritsuko, just to name a few), not to mention his sick games with Rei, I think it's safe to say that he had a very nasty hand in what happened to Shinji in their time apart. Research I've read about Eva seems to confirm this, as Shinji's mental breakdown is a part of Gendo's scenario. Now does Shinji do some selfish things? Yes. He has a lot of self-loathing and self-pity going on, and so he does some selfish things for his own comfort, such as when he used his SDAT to block out a crying Misato. But given just how much he goes through during the series (nearly getting killed, forced to watch as Unit 01 nearly killed his best friend, finding out the truth about Rei and everything else, etc.) I don't see how it's possible to hate him. The circumstances of NGE brought out the worst in many people, especially towards the end. And it's at the end that Shinji is doubtlessly at his worse.
shadowrunner22, yes, I'm going to be updating more. I'm halfway through some updates for Lilith's Herald, got some more stuff going, so keep an eye out. Hope you enjoy this chapter.
Panther-Strife, hmm…I dunno. That might complicate things more than I'm willing to. Besides, the Mandarin is more of an Iron Man villain than Hulk or She-Hulk foe. Shinji will at least try and get powers, especially as he and Misato get close, because he will see himself as being inadequate and so on. As for Maya and Titania…given the relationship between the canon Absorbing Man and Titania, I think you can guess what will happen.
Quathis, a lot of the reason that it took this long is because A: everybody's had a lot on their plates, and B:, nobody wants to risk aggravating someone with a nasty habit of losing control and turning into an enormous green rage monster. Gendo's got his own problems to deal with at the moment, so Shinji and Misato's relationship isn't even a blip on his radar. At least for now. As for Misato exercising, this is actually a thing from canon Marvel. She-Hulk was badly beaten by the Champion of the Universe, so when she was gearing up for a rematch, she spent several months exercising in her human form to boost her strength. The result was that she became so much stronger as She-Hulk that she could even outmuscle the likes of Hercules and her strength was so much greater that she found herself causing a lot of accidental damage and was forced to wear a special suit to keep her strength in check. (Of course, she was eventually brought back down to her normal figure because the fans didn't want a muscular woman, but that's a story for another day.) Check issues 8 and 9 of the 2004 She-Hulk series for details.
Now that that's out of the way, onto the omakes!
Omake 1
"All right, Major! Get pumping!" Hideki declared. "And – here! Let's put on some music!"
"Music?" Misato wondered, her legs still bent.
"Sure! Hasn't anyone ever told you that the best way to exercise is to music! It helps you keep a natural rhythm, keeps your mind busy while your body works – I can't believe I almost forgot to put some on!" Shaking his head at this, Hideki hurriedly started away. But before he had even taken a step, he glanced back at Misato with a look of concern. "Uh, Major -?"
"Relax, I can hold this thing in place for a few seconds," Misato grumbled in response while rolling her eyes. Privately asking herself, Just how out-of-shape does he think I am, anyway?!
While Misato was deciding that she probably would prefer this question to remain unanswered, Hideki moved towards some music player he had brought with him.
As soon as Hideki pressed a few buttons, a brutal rock-and-roll beat sounded through the exercise area. "I feel it deep within, It's just beneath the skin!" came a distorted singing voice. "I must confess that I feel like a monster! I hate what I've become, the nightmare's just begun…!"
Freezing at these words, Misato narrowed her eyes and shot Hideki an evil glare. "'Monster' by Skillet?! That's your idea of music to exercise to?!"
"Uh – sorry, Major!" Hideki cried out in alarm even as he hurriedly killed the music. "I was listening to it earlier, and – I hit the wrong button!"
"Well you better hit the right button this time! Or I will be hitting a lot of your buttons!" Misato growled, her eyes flashing green for emphasis. "Get it?!"
"Got it!" Hideki immediately assured her.
Omake 2
"You - call me ugly - call me stupid!" the woman rasped, her armored suit groaning as she glared pure hatred at Spirit. "Now I - gonna smash you! Gonna smash - gonna - grrraaarrghh!"
An instant later, the hybrid of She-Hulk and Spirit reached up to her ruined helmet and took hold of it from both sides. Her fingers sinking into the metal, she pulled hard at it. Causing it to shriek in protest before it soon ripped apart. And as she flung both pieces aside, Spirit received another shock.
The green-skinned hybrid's face was lined with circuitry and small blue lights. But those details were secondary to the fact that Spirit immediately recognized the face confronting her.
"Wha- Rei?!" Spirit shrieked in patent disbelief. "Omigosh -! Rei Ayanami, is that -?!"
But even as Spirit was trying to make sense of this latest bit of madness, the woman that looked much like a mutated version of Rei Ayanami continued to rip off her own armor. Heaving breath after furious breath, she eagerly tore off the front of the armor, revealing her bountiful bust for the entire world to see. A bust that seemed to start growing as soon as the metal tore away.
"Wait wait wait! Hold on!" Spirit cried out in dismay. "Is this really in the -?!"
"Dammit straight to hell! Cut cut CUUUUUTT!" Orion roared before throwing down his loudspeaker. "Hikari -!"
"I'm sorry, Orion! I know you're trying hard to get this studio back into full production! But this – what is the point of Rei doing this?!" Spirit demanded as she fixed him with a demanding glare.
"I was trying to invoke the scene with Unit 01 going berserk and tearing off its own armor!" Orion declared in a grumpy manner. "You know, as part of building up the fact that this fight was going to be gruesome and destructive!"
"Are you sure it wasn't just for the fanservice? So you could have yet another girl running around in the nude so that people could stare at her goodies?" Spirit demanded, pausing to glare at Rei's chest. "I think the readers get enough of that as is with this story."
Scowling irritably, Orion muttered, "I'm not denying that there is some fanservice here, Hikari. But the intent was for this scene to be dramatic and frightening, as well as to build up the tension for the final smackdown! Honestly, do you think that I'm the kind of jerk that would sacrifice the integrity of the story just to cram in more T&A?!"
Before Spirit could say anything, Rei stated, "Is it because you're jealous, Horaki-chan?"
"Wha-?! Jealous?!" Spirit spat out incredulously. "Why on earth would I be jealous?!"
"I've heard you mention that you were glad that your transformation into Spirit increased the size of your breasts. For some reason, the fact that Asuka and I normally have larger breasts than you made you feel…inadequate, I think you said," Rei casually explained. "However, my current form is…what I think many would call 'very well endowed'."
As Spirit's gaze involuntarily fell upon the breasts in question, she groaned in her throat before glancing at her own chest. At which she groaned some more.
"I think you hit the nail on the head with that one, Rei," Orion smirked in a triumph. "Alright, we'll take five so that Hikari can spend some time crying into a bowl of ice cream. Then we'll try this scene again."
