CHAPTER 20: SECRETS IN THE SHADOWS

Kaji got on board his train and selected a seat in the back of the rear car. This train would take him back to his apartment. But he had another reason to be on this train. At this hour there weren't that many people on board so it was sparsely populated. However, there was one person, wearing a hoodie with the hood up, in the seat in front of his, holding a phone to his ear. Kaji leaned forward and rested his head in his elbows.

"So," Kaji said quietly but loud enough for the person to hear. "That was certainly interesting what happened yesterday."

"I heard you were stuck in an elevator with a certain female officer," the other person said in reply. To a casual observer it would appear that he was talking on the phone.

"Yes, so that kept it from getting too boring," Kaji grinned. "I wish I could say I planned it to happen that way. I heard you were in some dark hallway for at least an hour."

"Yeah, fun times. But, it wasn't you who arranged the power failure."

"And it wasn't you either. Which begs the question: who done it?"

"I wonder if it was timed to the appearance of the angel. If so, how could they have found out about the angel before NERV? And if they did, how were they able to coordinate the power failure with its arrival?"

"We're getting ahead of ourselves on that note," Kaji said. "In all likelihood the angel's appearance was just a coincidence."

"You're probably right. But, still, who would want to shut down all of NERV HQ? And furthermore, who could have the ability?"

"The Commander has a long list of enemies."

"That supposed to be a surprise?" His contact asked. "A list like that would be too long to be of much help. We'd have to narrow it down." He then let out a sigh. "Brainstorm time: who on his enemy list has both the desire and capability to pull this off?"

"That certainly narrows the list," Kaji smiled as he scratched his chin.

"You really do need to shave. That thing looks like shit."

"Bite me. We've got the Japanese Government…"

"The Commander's bound to have people inside paid off to either tip him off to something like this," the contact shook his head. "Or to influence them to do this favor or that favor for him. Just look at the Jet Alone incident."

"You've got a point. But they are still a possibility."

"A possibility. But unlikely to be effective."

"There's also the UN…"
"Same thing with the Japanese," his contact replied. "Possible but unlikely. Ikari's got strong allies on the Security Council and in other places. More allies than enemies actually. Corrupt snakes."

"There's our group. But they wouldn't try it without letting us know first."

"Plus, it's a big giveaway," the contact said as he shifted in his seat. Kaji shifted his position to looking out the window. "It screams that there's a mole inside NERV."

"You think it's possible that someone arranged it so that the Commander would discover us?"

"To expose us? Kind of an odd way to do that. An anonymous call from a phone booth coupled with a voice scrambler would've sufficed. Cost less, be less suspicious and be more effective for ratting us out."

"Another good point. The only other enemy I can think of is the SEELE Council."

"SEELE," the contact said in frustration, shaking his head. "What's the deal with them? They pop up here and there but it's never been clear what their goal is. But they seem more heavily invested in NERV than anything else. Not even…" He sighed. "I really want to bring those fuckers down. They have so much to pay for."

"Maybe this time we'll be luckier. Operation: Perseus was as much luck as anything else."

"I'd rather rely on being good than lucky," the contact said as he thought back to that black op in Philadelphia.

"You can only play with the hand you're dealt. Nothing more."

"Getting back to SEELE, say they are behind it, we need something more specific. Exactly who on the committee would've wanted this to happen?"

"The two powerhouses on the council are the Commander and Lorenz Keel. Keel's been Ikari's biggest, secret-not-so-secret nemesis slash rival on the council."
"Not to mention that he's the Chairman. Keel's definitely the shady type. He's much like the commander in that regards."

"Attention," the train P.A. announced. "Next stop, Kageryu station. The doors will open on the right side…"

"That's my stop," the contact said standing up. "Listen, I've been feeling a little naked lately. I need a Bug Out Bag."

"You sure that's necessary?" Kaji asked with a raised eyebrow. "Besides, how are you going to keep it hidden?"

"I got it covered. Somewhere where it won't raise suspicion but where I can still get to it. Plus, I won't need a full kit just a basic B.O.B."

"I suppose that could help should an emergency arise. Should we call in a support team?"

"A little premature at this point," he shook his head. "What about Keel?"

"Not much we can do just yet. All we have are suspicions. For now, we keep doing what we've been doing all along. We'll call in the big guns when it's time to raise some real hell."

"Speaking of which," he changed subjects. "You get a chance to check out what I found?"

"Not yet. But I should be able to investigate it in a couple days."

"Something's going on in Terminal Dogma. I can feel it."

"You haven't been wrong yet." The train pulled into the station. "Take care, Ronin." The doors opened and the contact 'Ronin' hung up his phone.

"Later gator," Ronin got off the train.

XXXXX

Later in the week, the kids stayed inside the school since it was pouring sheets of rain outside. "Mein Gott," Asuka grumbled. "This weather we've been having lately has been pissing me off."

"News flash," Kensuke mumbled to Toji. "Everyone stop the presses."

"No kidding," the sports junkie nodded. "However, I do have to agree with her though. Four days of constant rain would put a dent in anyone's exterior."

"Heh," Kensuke elbowed him, "not Rei." The two then looked out the window to see Rei sitting under one of the covered walkways between buildings. As per her usual pass time she was reading a book "Nothing seems to bother her. Except where Shinji is involved."

"Yeah," Toji chuckled. "She and Shinji got the hots for each other. They just don't want to admit it."

"You two are disgusting," Asuka grunted. "Wondergirl and Cowboy? Just the idea of them bumping pelvises is enough to make me hurl. Actually, any thought of Shinji in a sexual way would make me sick let alone that doll."

"Sounds like jealousy to me," Kensuke said a little too loudly.

"What was that!" Asuka shrieked. "You want to die four-eyes!"

"Asuka!" Hikari called out in the nick of time. "Can you come over here real quick?" Asuka moved on to chat with her friend.

"Whoo," Toji exhaled. "That was close, dude. I was afraid I was going to have to mop up your entrails later."

Meanwhile, outside, Rei was soon joined by another pilot. "What're you reading?" Shinji asked.
"The Iliad," Rei replied.

"A classic," Shinji replied as he sat down next to her. "The Odyssey, too. I was always kind of drawn to Odysseus. He was one smart son of a bitch."

"I enjoy reading epics and philosophy. It's a way to calm the soul."

"You ever read the story of Prometheus?"

"I have not," Rei said looking over at him in curiosity.

"It's the story of a Titan who stole fire from the Olympians and gave it to man. For his crime Zeus chained him on top of a mountain and condemned him to having his liver eaten out of him by a giant eagle by day only to have it grown back at night so that it could start all over again the next day. All that over fire."

"Fire," Rei said softly. "It's been called mankind's greatest discovery. Man fears the darkness. And so he scrapes away at the edges of it with fire."

"Greatest discovery, indeed. Without fire, man would never have become more than glorified apes."

"And yet, we still do not fully understand our existence," Rei added looking back out at the rain. "The same with the angels; beings of superior composition and power."

"I wouldn't call them superior," Shinji said. "Sure, they may be bigger and pack more of a punch than a human without the aid of technology. But, as one of my martial arts instructors told me once 'the human body is the most complex, sophisticated and yet efficient weapon system ever designed.' He had a point."

"I don't understand."

"Let's compare them to the EVAs," Shinji said. "The EVAs are bigger, stronger and can generate an AT field. Makes them very powerful, true. However, their ability to operate without a steady stream of external support in the form of electric power is minimal. A human being however, can last much longer. Same analogy can be made with animals. A cheetah is able to outrun a human without even trying, but it can only run in sprints. It has little in the way of endurance."
"Like the tortoise and the hare?"

"Exactly," Shinji nodded.

"And yourself," Rei replied.

"Eh?"

"Soryu and I have been pilots almost our whole lives," Rei said looking out at the city covered by foul weather. "And Soryu possesses a higher Synch ratio than you. She's also received some of the most extensive training in the EVA. And yet, you've proven time and again to be the superior pilot due to your natural abilities. And that is a source of animosity for Soryu."

"I've got…experience outside of EVA," Shinji waved it off but Rei nodded to that. "But, Asuka's just one of those overly perfectionist types. She just needs to keep it in check or it can turn against her and become a liability." He looked out at one of the overflowing rain gutters. "Geez, this rain has been nasty."

"I like the sound of rain," Rei said. "The sound of it is relaxing to me. Same as talking with you."

"We certainly do converse well," Shinji replied.

"Heh, heh," Toji chuckled as he and Kensuke watched the two of them. "Yup, they've got it for each other."

"I wonder," Kensuke thought out loud. "Should we help them hook up?"

"I'm not sure," Toji said. "It might piss Shinji off if he found out we were scheming like this. And a pissed off Shinji is bad for your health."

"Good point," Kensuke said pushing his glasses up his nose. "And I certainly don't want to become punching bag number two."

"Watch it, camera-boy," Toji growled.

Meanwhile, off to the side Asuka and Hikari were also watching Shinji and Rei converse. "Those two are really starting to bug me," Asuka said. "Wondergirl acts so smug and superior simply because she's the Commander's favorite. She just walks past and through everyone because of that. And Shinji acts like he's hot shit because he's got more kills than me."

"You're really taking this too personally, Asuka," Hikari said. "They just seem more reserved to me. And Rei's never acted anything other than anti-social before Shinji arrived."

"You talk as though you think they make a nice couple," Asuka said chidingly.

"And you talk as if you were jealous," Hikari teased.

"Oh shut up!" Asuka snapped. "What makes you think I'd be jealous of Rei having Shinji's attention?"

"I never said that," Hikari giggled.

"What!"

"I was only saying that you seem jealous that they may have found someone they like and you haven't yet."

"Hikari Horaki…are you high!"

"If she is," Toji chuckled, "I'll have what she's having." Smack! "OW!" Toji groaned, holding the back of his head, after Hikari's hand had already accomplished its mission.

XXXXX

Misato was working late again. Shinji had noticed that she'd been doing that a lot lately. There were pluses and minuses to this. On the upside, it gave him more time at home to focus on his hobbies. On the downside, it meant more time at home with Asuka there.

"Shinji!" The resident banshee screamed. "It's six o'clock and there's no dinner!"

"And it's been at least fourteen and a half years since you learned to walk," he shouted back from the living room where he was doodling. "And you've yet to learn to cook for yourself."

"Idiot! I'm not a house maid!"
"And I'm not your bitch!" Shinji shouted back. "Besides. There's leftover casserole from last night in the refrigerator. Just pop it in the microwave for two or three minutes and you're good to go. Your other option is to go get some take out."

"It's stupid to eat the same meal two nights in a row," Asuka said in a condescending tone. "And it's too nasty outside to go get anything. I'm not getting soaked just so I can eat."

"You mean you're too lazy to do it yourself," Shinji said standing up. "Fine. I'll head to the store and get something." 'If only so I don't have to listen to your constant bitching.' "Anything special? Like some caviar or gourmet snails, madam?" He sarcastically added with a bad French accent.

"Something that isn't instant food. Other than that surprise me." And on that note Shinji grabbed his Gore-Tex rain coat and stepped outside.

'Should get her some fucking soy burgers, or some shit like that.'

On his way there he had to jump over half a dozen puddles before he finally reach the small store just down the road. He shook off his coat as he stepped inside. "I must applaud you, young man," the elderly lady who ran the store said smiling. "For walking out in this horrible weather just to come here."

"Yeah well, it's only rain," Shinji replied. "Worst things have fallen from the skies. Plus, this tempest is easier to bear with than the resident harpy back at my place."

"You mean that red headed girl? She looks pretty enough."

"That's just a front," Shinji said as he grabbed a basket. "Peel back the layers and you get the real deal with her."

"That other girl, the quiet one, is here though."

"Rei?" He blinked. He looked further into the store and saw her browsing the aisles. "Hey, Rei."

"Hello, Shinji," Rei said greeting him. "Are you restocking your food supply as well?"

"No, just getting something for dinner. And get away from Asuka's nagging."

"I see," Rei said as she placed a jar of jelly in her basket.

"That's all you're getting?" Shinji asked. Her basket only had a loaf of bread, the jelly she just grabbed, some lettuce, a carton of orange juice, some bananas and peanut butter. "Not very appetizing."

"It's all that I require."

"Well," Shinji shrugged. "Stick around for a little bit." He suggested. "I can make something a little better. Misato's working late." He began grabbing supplies from the shelves. "You'll like it. I guarantee it."

"That would be nice," Rei said. "But I do not eat meat."

"Not a problem. Straight vegetarian for you, then."

"Actually, I'll eat eggs, cheese and fish. I just do not eat red meat or chicken."

"Okay, then. Not a problem."

As soon as Shinji and Rei entered the kitchen came the inevitable, "What is she doing here?" from none other than Asuka.

"She's here for dinner," Shinji replied.

"What?" Asuka snapped. "You're making her dinner just like that?"

"She wasn't a bitch about it," Shinji clarified. "Sometimes it's better not to demand something from people, Asuka."

Asuka left it at that and remained silent. Shinji made up some spaghetti carbonera with some diced onions but left the bacon off to the side for him and Asuka to add on top. "This food is very palatable," Rei said as she ate her meal. "I did not know you were a skilled cook, Shinji."

"I'm not," Shinji replied. "But compared to Misato…"

"Anyone's a better cook than Misato," Asuka added. And Shinji would agree.

"The Major's culinary skills are not adequate?" Rei asked.

"Let's put it this way," Shinji replied. "If Misato had cooked this, it would taste like broccoli and cauliflower and she'd have put instant curry on top."

"That sounds…disgusting."

Meanwhile, at NERV, Kaji was on the lower levels of Central Dogma checking out a restricted area that his contact pointed him towards. It wasn't the back door to Terminal Dogma that he had hoped it was. But, it was still a help; because, on the way here he passed a room filled with servers that weren't connected to the Magi Supercomputers that NERV relied on almost completely. Unfortunately the servers were well protected and firewalled so he couldn't access them to find out what they stored. But it at least told him that he was on the right track.

"Ronin may not have found Gendo Ikari's skeleton closet," Kaji said to himself. "But he did find the right hallway."

XXXXX

Southern Chechnya…

Meanwhile, the Navy SEAL team was flying into Bulgaria aboard stealth equipped MH-60 Blackhawks. They were loaded for bear with SCAR-H rifles, grenade launchers and claymores. Their mission was to help extract a 141 surveillance/sniper team that had been compromised earlier that day. The pair was currently being trailed by a reinforced mechanized infantry battalion of the Ukrainian Army.

Since they were going into Russian-Ukrainian territory they needed the specially modified helicopters. It also explained why there would be no air support beyond the transport helicopters. "Thirty seconds," the chopper pilot announced and the SEALs loaded their rifles and donned their night vision goggles. The helicopters began to descend just south of where the surveillance team was supposed to be.

"Go! Go! Go!" The lieutenant shouted as the team disembarked.

"Trident, this is Falcon," command called out to them. "Bravo-6 is 2.5 klicks due north of your position. They report that Ukrainian ground troops are close-by but have not, repeat not, been engaged as yet."

"Copy, Falcon," the SEAL commander replied. "Let's move, people." The SEALs quickened their pace as they hit the tree line.

"Trident, this is Bravo-6," an accented voice broke the silence as the SEALs climbed down into a creek bed that should bring them to the surveillance team.

"Go ahead, Bravo-6," the Lieutenant replied.

"We show movement ahead of us, three hundred yards and closing. About a half-dozen unidentified foot mobiles in a shallow creek bed."

"Bravo-6, be advised foot mobiles may, I repeat, may be us." The SEAL replied. "Get down, folks," he said to his team. "I just halted my team and I am now walking right down the middle of the creek, heading north-west."

"Roger," the voice replied. "We see the same." The duo, SAS sergeants Woolcroft and Burns, climbed down from a small ridge just ahead of the SEAL team. "Good to see you, mates."

"We're picking up a pair of Limeys?" A SEAL asked the Chief.

"We're on the same side, shipmate," the Chief replied as the two British soldiers arrived amongst the Navy SEALs. "At least they speak the same language as us."

"They do?" Another SEAL quipped.

"Cheeky bastard," Burns grumbled.

"Alright, people," the Lieutenant said. "We've found our strays now let's get back to the LZ before the Crane's find us. Move!"

"Yeah," Burns agreed. "Last time I mingled with that lot was Belgium. Bloody hell of a good time."

The team made their way back to the LZ using a separate route in case any advance Ukrainian patrol decided to try and set up an ambush. "Falcon, this is Trident," the commander got on the radio. "We've found Bravo-6 and are ready for extract."

"Roger, Trident. Choppers inbound. Good work. Out." A few moments later the SEALs arrived at the LZ just as the Blackhawks were touching down. The choppers were down for only twenty seconds before lifting off again. But that was more than enough time for the SEALs plus two Brits to board the helicopters.

They were long gone by the time the Ukrainians and a couple Russian Spetsnaz advisors found the LZ.