Chapter 6: The Exodus part 1
"How do you feel, mighty Megatron?" Starscream said smugly from the Decepticon camp in a large cavern near Mount Fuji.
"I'll kill you once I'm repaired, Starscream …" Megatron groaned as Soundwave worked at repairing the heavily damaged body of the Decepticon leader.
"Talk's cheap, scrap heap," Starscream said in a singsong voice, looking over Megatron's damages. His arm was severed and his body from the chest down was crunched, dinted and compacted from the Evangelion's squeezing fist.
"Soundwave is receiving a transmission, Megatron." The purple Decepticon spoke up, interrupting Starscream's tirade.
"Starscream, go see how the repairs on the Constructicons are coming..." Megatron nodded the egotistical flyer away then turned to his second in command. "What is it, Soundwave, if it's the Autobots gloating I don't want to hear it."
"Negative Megatron, transmission source unknown, tracking programs failure." Soundwave said in his usual monotone voice.
"Fine, lets hear what whoever this is has to say." Megatron sighed as Soundwave transformed into a stereo radio.
"Greeting Decepticons, am I speaking with the commander?" the voice said through Soundwave's speakers.
"I am Megatron …" Megatron growled.
"A pleasure to finally meet you, Commander Megatron, I have admired you since your earlier earth campaigns." The man spoke in a business tone. "But I am well aware of your dislike of small talk so I will get right to the point."
"Then get to it, and don't waste my time." Megatron snapped, glaring at the Soundwave.
"Yes, of course, I observed your assault on Tokyo-3, Commander and I saw you were heavily damaged, and I was merely curious on your physical condition …"
"My condition is none of your business," Megatron cut him off.
"I was merely curious, curious as if you would like a body of greater power? Possibly … an Evangelion body?"
"What's in it for you?" Megatron narrowed his optics.
"We have the same goals, Commander, a wise man always enforces the greatest who travels a parallel path."
"I'm listening," Megatron smirked, "You know my name, what do I call you?"
"My name's Keel, Commander."
The NERV and Autobot Command crew and three Evangelion pilots stood in the med-bay in the Autobot's flag ship the Ark, all gathered around a table where Optimus Prime's broken body laid. "How is he, Perceptor?" Ultra Magnus asked the telescope transformer who was examining the damages. Shinji didn't even realize he was holding his breath till a small hand gripped his. To his surprised he glanced to the side where Asuka was seated in her wheelchair not even looking at him, but her fingers were laced with his.
A moment later Perceptor transformed to his robot mode and glanced around the room.
"Well?" Gendo asked his voice surprised the humans presence with the worry in it.
"Spit it out, Ceptor," Hotrod stated in one of his rare moments of seriousness.
Perceptor took a deep breath before glancing down at the unconscious Prime. "I fear his wounds are …" Perceptor sighed, and turned to type in a few keystrokes on his panel.
"Listen you overgrown tin can, tell us already! Can you fix him?" Asuka snapped, making Shinji yelp when she almost broke his fingers in her grasp.
"His wounds are repairable, but they have caused major damage to almost all his transformation systems. They'll all have to be replaced and his vehicle form reset. He has around a ninty nine percent chance of survival." Preceptor stated, turning to work on his computer.
"Drama queen …" Asuka mumbled as the whole room seemed to breathe a sigh of relief.
"Ha-ha! I knew it would take more then that to get rid of you, Prime," Gendo gave a hearty laugh that stunned most of the NERV personnel present, especially Shinji Ikari.
"So why are all of you gathered around here acting like I'm on my death bed?" Prime said weakly glancing around at the smiles around his bed. "The Decepticons are more then likely preparing a secondary assault. You've got work to do. Spike?"
"Yes Prime?" Gendo spoke up, acknowledging the name.
"You have full command." Prime said, then laid back. "Now if you'll excuse me, I'll be shutting down for my overhaul."
"You heard him people, let's get this base back up and running," Gendo said loudly as they all started to move from the med bay.
Shinji let Ritsuko take Asuka for her own check up and started to walk toward the elevator to Central Dogma when he heard someone calling his name.
Shinji turned and was surprised to see his father approaching him with a package under his arm. "Shinji. You're what? Fifteen now?"
"Um … yeah …" Shinji said in confusion at the strange tone of voice he hadn't heard since he was a small child.
"I'm not going to say things are going to be perfect between us." Gendo stated his face the same blank slate as it always was. "But things will change. I promise you that." He said holding out the shoebox toward the young man.
Shinji stared in confusion before finally slowly carefully opening the top of the box, somewhat expecting a bomb to explode. Shinji's mouth opened in awe as faint tears formed in the corner of his eyes as he saw countless pictures of various sizes of a younger Gendo and a woman who looked a great deal like Ayanami. "Mom …" Shinji whispered before glancing up where his father was before only to find the man walking away. "Thanks dad!" Shinji called out with a smile on his face.
Shinji with a bounce in his step decided to check on Asuka in the medical center of Central Dogma he walked in to see Asuka standing with a cane. "See, bitch, I told you I could do it, but did you believe me? I can walk now, you can go back to your little computer orgy like the commander told you to do like a good little ass licker." Asuka said smugly to the slightly scowling Dr. Akagi.
"I see you're feeling better Asuka," Shinji smirked as he leaned against the door.
"Hi Shinji," Ritsuko said before turning to the redheaded German, "I never said you couldn't, you were the one whimpering and crying about being stuck in a wheelchair."
Asuka blushed slightly and avoided looking at Shinji, "Now actually I believe Asuka was wanting to talk to you," Ritsuko gave a very Misato-like smile toward the now fully glowing red teenaged girl.
"I do not!" Asuka gaped.
"But you just told me …" Ritsuko started but Asuka cut her off.
"That was the drugs!" Asuka said forcefully.
"I didn't give you any, dear."
"LCL THEN!"
"I'll be in my office, and give you two some couple time," Ritsuko winked, as she got up and walked into her private office space.
"So what was it you wanted to talk about, Asuka?" Shinji asked curiously.
"I … uh … well …" Asuka mumbled glancing around the room. "You see … um … I'm still the better pilot. You're still a Baka, remember that ok?" She said, before lowering her voice, "Could you shut the door for a second … ya know … privacy … and all …"
"Asuka, what's wrong?" Shinji asked, as he did as he was told and shut the door.
Asuka let out a deep sigh. "Ok, I'm only going to say this once. Being in a coma I was still pretty much able to think, and well … I got to thinking … about … well … don't take this the wrong way but … I was kind of … in a platonic … nonsexual … nonhentai way … thinkingaboutyou."
"Thinking … about me?" Shinji asked looking around, and finally pointed to himself questioningly with a blush of his own.
Asuka was now full out glowing purple with embarrassment. "Yes, YOU DON'T MAKE ANY SENSE! No matter how much I try to MAKE you leave me alone, you always are there to either save me or cheer me up when you can't. And I … well … you know … um … you know … sorta … Gott damn it!" Asuka finally exclaimed and threw her arms around him. "ThanksforalwaysbeingthereformeevenwhenIdidn'tdeserveit."
"Um … you're … welcome Asuka …" Shinji now was glowing almost the same color she was. "Any time …" he chuckled nervously.
"I … I'm serious, Shinji … I realized I'd be dead ten times over if it wasn't for you backing up my greatness." She confessed avoiding eye contact. And finally on impulse that surprised both of them she moved in to kiss him on the cheek, but pulled back quickly. "So anyway. Thank you, Shinji." She said moving away leaning into her cane. "If word of this gets out to anyone. Anyone at all. You will be murdered. And your body will never be recovered. Understand?"
"Under-understand," Shinji gulped.
"I'm glad we had this talk." Asuka nodded firmly.
"R-Right," Shinji nodded numbly as he turned and left her alone.
Shinji walked out into the hall and a smile grew on his face. It all made sense now. He grinned to himself as he made his way to the central command center.
He made a short trip to the currently being restored command complex and smiled even brighter when spotted Major Katsuragi signing some papers for Maya.
"Misato?" Shinji spoke up as he marched toward her.
"Hi, Shinji-kun what's…" Her sentence was cut short when Shinji grabbed, her swung her downward in his arms and gave her a deep long tongue kiss. Shinji finally pulled away and lifted Misato to her feet. "Shinji …" She breathed with a stunned expression. "Not to sound … ungrateful or … uh… where'd that come from?"
"What's it matter, Misato," Shinji laughed. "This is just a big dream, like the one where everyone was saying congratulations to me! I mean … LOOK AT IT! Giant Robots that talk like human beings, my father's being nice and gave me pictures of my mother, Asuka's friendly and hugged me and kissed my cheek. It's one big dream!"
"The kid's finally cracked …" Ironhide whispered to Maya.
Shinji twirled around and caught his knee on a desk. "OUCH!" He yelped as he held his knee and jumped around on one leg. His hopping finally began to slow as the color faded from his features. "That … hurt … and … I … didn't … wake up …" Shinji said lowering his foot to the ground as he finally turned to Misato and his face showed pure horror.
"That … Asuka … Father … you … not … dream?" Shinji stammered, and it was all Misato could do to keep from sitting down in the floor and roll with laughter.
"Oh yeah, Shinji-chan," Misato said flirtily bending over so Shinji had a plain view down her top. "That was a good kiss, baby, just wait till we get home. I'll show you something to dream about."
Shinji stood there for close to a minute. No movement, barely even breathing till he finally bellowed a loud girl-like scream and ran from the command center screaming the whole way, leaving Misato fall to the floor laughing and crying.
Cliffjumper and Prowl looked at each other and shrugged. "Humans." They muttered in unison before going back to work.
Gendo and Fuyutsuki sat in Commander Ikari's office taking a short lunch break when the buzzer on Gendo's desk chimed.
"Commander Ikari … Commander Fuyutsuki … I think you'll want to see this …" Blaster called from the bridge of the Ark. The two commanders looked at each other before Gendo pressed the send button. "We're on our way."
The two quickly made their way to the Autobot's ship, and looked up at the red radio-based Autobot. "What's the situation?"
"Well, you guys know that the Ark is tricked out with the finest radio, sound, and radar systems the Autobots have available," Blaster said, an uncharacteristic nervousness in his voice, "Well … we picked up some … well … for lack of a better word, some tripped out shit on the last planet of your solar system."
"What is it?" Fuyutsuki asked, as Gendo narrowed his eye.
"I'll just show you." Blaster said pressing a few buttons as a holographic map filled the center of the bridge. "See there's Pluto. Well … watch." He said pointing toward the last planet in the sun's rings.
"What in …" Fuyutsuki breathed when another 'planet' approached Pluto. It was roughly three times the size of the Earth's moon and had a single ring around it in large spikes extending toward the ninth planet of the Milky Way. Gendo and Fuyutsuki both gasped when the invading planet attached itself to Pluto, ripped it apart, and sucked it into itself.
"My god …" Gendo breathed.
"Say hi to the bad guy …" Blaster sighed, staring at the monster planet.
"How long till it reaches Earth?" Fuyutsuki asked, looking physically ill.
"If Unicron doesn't slow down …" Blaster said examining the hologram. "I give him three weeks. But if we're lucky he'll slow down and eat some more of the planets before he gets here."
"So what do we do, Ikari?" Fuyutsuki asked turning to find the Commander already had left the bridge.
Gendo entered the med bay of the Ark and approached Prime who was speaking to Preceptor as he and Red Alert removed his chest plate. "Prime? How are you holding up?"
"Oh I'm fine, but the energon dispensers could use some work." Prime said glancing to his old friend. "I'm glad you finally came around, Spike."
"Unicron's in our system, Prime. It already destroyed Pluto." Gendo stated, tightening his jaw. "Any idea how we can stop it?"
Prime sighed and looked toward the ceiling. "Give Blaster a message for me. Order him to contact Cybertron. Have every warp capable Autobot ship on world and any between Cybertron and Earth to come here immediately. You contact the UN, show them Unicron and show them any footage we have of Pluto's destruction. Tell them the Earth is doomed, I'll record a message shortly telling the people of Earth they will be welcomed on Cybertron as they once welcomed us among them."
"That's it then … huh?" Gendo gave a trembling breath.
"Evacuation's the only available option, old friend …" Prime said sadly, "I'm sorry we couldn't be more help…"
Keel smiled as he looked from his platform at the group of white smiling Mass Production model Evangelion Units. "Almost ready," an engineer said as he approached the chairman of SEELE.
"Wonderful, and what of the new project I instructed?" Keel asked.
"We took one of the Mass Pro Models and reworked it as ordered, replacing core DNA with that of the first three Evangelion Units again as ordered. Project Galvatron is at 45 completion."
"And the hidden dummy plug system?" Keel asked, smiling.
"Installed, and awaiting mental algorithm programming," the engineer nodded.
"You've done well, expect a raise in pay, my friend," Keel patted the engineer's shoulder and smiled as he exited the room.
The engineer beamed and walked away, not noticing the red and black mechanical bird watching his every movement.
To Be Continued