At World's End

S-Michael

Chapter the Seventh

Evas go to War

"This sucks," Asuka said about the siege of Tokyo 3. "We should do something about it."

"What can we do?" Shinji asked.

"Idiot, you, me, and Rei control the most powerful weapons ever created by human kind!" Asuka said.

"Should we really use the Evas against, you know, humans?" Shinji asked.

"These people are putting our friends in danger, not to mention wasting resources which could be better served fighting the angels with this stupid war of theirs. They're risking the future of this planet because they hate democracy, and that cannot be tolerated," Asuka declared.

"You can't force freedom with the barrel of a gun, Asuka," Misato said.

"Yeah? Well, I say it's worth a shot," Asuka said. "Besides, even if you can't force freedom, you can at least remove a lot of the obstacles."

"I like the way you think," Browne said, smiling as he walked up to them. "But we can't send you back to Japan yet, sorry." He held up his hands, "Hey, I don't make the rules." This was only technically true. "You've got to protect the Sahaquiel II satellite on it's journey north."

"Why?" Asuka demanded.

"Because, thanks to full disclosure, the enemy knows we have this thing and know that letting us get the fucking thing into orbit means that we would have the equivalent of a near-infinite number of N2 bombs on an indestructible weapons platform, just waiting for us to drop them on their cities, fleets, and armies. Obviously, they can't have that, so they're going to throw everything they've got at us," Browne explained. "Jose has already given you the report, Misato. Why don't you explain it to your subordinates?"

Misato sighed. "Alright, pilots, this train will have a nuclear generator which will be used to power your Evas. We're traveling by way of the intercontinental railroad because it's too dangerous to travel by sea. The Evangelions work best on land, after all. Shinji will take the day shift, Rei the evening, and Asuka the night. Now, the train has heavy batteries to take care of long distance enemies, so your job will be to protect the train from missiles with your AT-Fields and take care of the odd enemy who actually gets close. Now, no one has ever actually tested to see how fast an Eva can run, as the human pilot can only handle so much, but we don't want to take the chance that it is slower than the ninety miles per hour the train will be doing, so try to stay on top of the train. The cars' roofs and walls are all reinforced to take the weight of the Evangelions, so don't worry about the people inside.

"Mr. Valaskas believes that our greatest threat will come in Central America, probably in Panama," Misato continued. "The intercontinental railroad travels along the pacific throughout South America, jackknifes from one ocean to the other across Central America, and then travels along the Sierra Madre Oriental and then the eastern edge of the Rockies through North America The enemy's best chance of attacking us will be while the railroad is within attacking distance of the Pacific. It is extremely doubtful that the Separatists will be able to get a fleet into the Gulf of Mexico, as they'd have to get past the Americans, the Mexicans, and the Cubans to do so, and once we're north of that, we're in the heart of America, where it will be extremely difficult for the enemy to reach us. That doesn't mean that we'll let our guard down, though. Before the railroad reaches Alaska, and ultimately Asia, we get off at the exit to—" Misato looked at the papers "—Edmonton, a ghost town that was abandoned after Second Impact moved it to within a hundred miles of the north pole. After that, our job will be done, and the train will take us back to someplace warmer so that we can fly out." She smiled. "Hopefully, the siege of Tokyo 3 will be ended by then and we'll be able to go home, eh?"

-

The first few cars after the nuclear engine were filled with HALO's security forces. Then was the dining car, and then there was the car that the ex-NERV personnel would be in. The next held Units 01 and 02, and the last held Unit 00 and the satellite. The pilots and their commander got the four rooms closest to the mechs, of course. Rooms 1 and 2 (counting from the back end) had a door between them, as did rooms 3 and 4, et cetera. Misato arranged it so that Rei got room 1, Asuka got room 2, Shinji got room 3, and she got room 4. This car was first-class, with closet space and even a television in each room. After all, with everything else they were putting into these cars, why not put in a few amenities? People had to kill time on a long journey, after all.

Misato and Shinji were in the bed in Shinji's room, facing the wall it was attached to, the dividing wall between his room and Asuka's, and Misato was spooned against Shinji's back. It was late in the morning, and people would start banging on their doors, eventually. After all, Shinji had the day shift. Nine to five. Still, that was not now, and Misato was enjoying the moment with her lover. Or at least trying to.

"What is it, Misato?" Shinji asked.

Misato jumped. "Oh. I didn't realize you were awake."

There was a moment of silence. "You didn't answer my question."

"It's nothing. Nothing much. Well…you know how it is, with it being easier for me to fuck you than to touch you," Misato said.

"You've been trying to get better at that," Shinji observed.

That obvious, eh? "Only 'trying,' is it?" Shinji shrugged. "Yes, I have been, actually. Because you deserve better than the way I've been treating you. I really am trying not to freeze every time we touch, but damned if it isn't hard."

"It's alright. I don't mind your lack of affection."

"You're lying," Misato observed.

Shinji sighed. "Yes, I am. Every time you freeze, even for a split second, it hurts. It burns my soul like a branding iron."

"You know, that's reassuring—not, you know, that, but the fact that you were able to say it, I mean. You never would have been, just a month ago. It makes me feel less like I'm taking advantage of you, more like you're getting something out of this relationship, too.

"You know, I thought that the reason that I have difficulty being affectionate with you was because you are so young, but now, I don't think that that's what it is. I'm a woman who lives life so lightly as to barely allow the possibility of human touch, but this, what we have…this is the real thing, I think, and that scares me. Tell me, Shinji, you and I both suffer from the hedgehog's dilemma, how is it that you can throw yourself at our relationship at full force?"

"Simple, really: I relent all control and let you be the boss of everything, following wherever you may lead. It is the only way I can be sure I won't screw it up, somehow," Shinji said. "Of course, this strategy has a strict 'one person using it per relationship' limit, and besides, I doubt it would work for you. We may both suffer from the hedgehog's dilemma, but we do so at opposite extremes."

"I always knew you were more than a pretty face," Misato said. "What you said about letting me control you kind of freaks me out, though…"

"You are the shelter which protects me from the storm. You keep me safe and warm in a cruel and cold world. I will do whatever it takes to stay with you."

"You needn't subvert yourself like that. You are the rock which anchors me, which keeps me from floating away in the currents of the tumultuous sea. You are my anchor, Shinji Ikari, and you have been since long before we started fucking."

"I don't think I can change. I'm subversive by nature. I mean—you know what I mean."

"That's really not healthy, Shinji, but the fuck with it. We'll get ourselves straightened out when there are no more angels."

Shinji had never thought he'd ever end up hoping that there would be no end to the angels. They could have lain like this forever…but then there came the knock on Shinji's door. It was go now or miss breakfast, and then he'd have a growling stomach for eight hours. Misato left through the door into her own room while Shinji dressed, and then he opened the door.

"Time to get into your Eva," Ritsuko said.

"I haven't had breakfast yet—"

Ritsuko tossed a paper bag at him. "Eat fast. From now on, get up earlier if you want breakfast." Shinji scarfed down a sandwich as he hurried to keep up with Ritsuko. Then he sat in his Eva and did nothing for eight hours. He had felt many things in while in 01 in the past—fear, anticipation, even excitement—but never boredom. Technically, he supposed that Separatist (who had coined that term? Shinji wondered) missiles could come out of the western ocean at any time, but surely spy satellites would give them plenty of warning if the enemy got close enough to do that, right? Really, until that happened, was there even any need for him to be doing this? Couldn't they predict an attack in sufficient time to retrieve him from at most two cars away and get him into an Eva? He could have opened the communication lines and talked to somebody, but he didn't. Hedgehog's dilemma. Damn it all. Eventually, mercifully, his eight-hour shift ended, and Rei relieved him.

There was a TV in the dining car, but nothing good was on, so it was just on some tabloid show. It was in Spanish, and there were Japanese and English subtitles, which would have meant something if anyone was watching, which they weren't. Shinji and Misato ate lunch together, talking about nothing important. Asuka walked in, grabbed a plate, threw food on it, and sat with them. "I'm not intruding, am I?"

"Not at all," Misato said.

"Good," Asuka then proceded to shovel her food down. "What? Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, you know."

"So, how are things?"

"Boring. I think that this mission is the first time I've ever been actually bored in Unit 02," which was almost exactly what Shinji had thought when he was in Unit 01. "Hey, look, Shinji's on TV."

Shinji and Misato looked, and there was footage from a convenience store Shinji thought he recognized. The words were still in Spanish, but the subtitles said, "As you can see here, Shinji Ikari, pilot of Eva Unit 01, was caught on tape buying condoms. Speculations abound about who his mystery-girlfriend is…"

"What the hell?" Shinji asked rhetorically.

"We're celebrities now, Shinji, remember?" explained Asuka. "Well, you guys are going to have to be extra careful, now that the tabloids have a scent. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to suspiciously change tables after seeing that, hopefully making anyone who is suspicious look in the wrong direction."

"Thanks, Asuka," Misato said.

"Don't mention it," Asuka said, getting up. She saw that Browne was sitting by himself, staring out the window, and so she sat there. "Nice day we're having, eh?" It was darkly overcast, almost twilit.

"Hmm? Oh. Yes, actually. I've always loved overcast days, especially the ones where it's dark and windy and looks like it's going to rain but never does, ever since I was a child. Then I went to an eye doctor, and it turned out that I had photosensitivity due to pressure on the optic nerve. Laser eye surgery took care of that, so now I am no longer blind on bright, sunny days, but I still like days like this one."

"To each their own," Asuka said. "So, I've been wondering about the way you talk."

"What about it?"

"Most people who learn Japanese, even if they lose their accents, never really lose the structure of their mother tongue. The way they speak is not incorrect, but it is kind of odd. I'm half-Japanese, so was raised with the language, and that's why I don't do it. You, however, speak like a normal Japanese person, in spite of the accent."

"I study people for a living, including the way they talk," Browne said, which was a half-truth.

"And you're that good at it?"

"I'm told I'm the best."

-

On the TV:

"Good news in Japan, ladies and gentlemen, it looks like UN forces are on the edge of breaking the Separatist hold on Tokyo 3," the anchor said. "It's a case of besiegers getting besieged, as the occupiers are cut off from their supply lines.

"In other news, the heads of most of the world's nations are at the UN to discuss Unification. When asked why they were doing this, the president of the United States had this to say:"

The shot changed, and the president was speaking, "This is more than a treaty. This is greater than the Valentine Treaty, or even the founding of the United Nations in the first place. This is a constitutional convention. This is the birth of a brand new nation, a world nation, and for it to be strong, there must be no room to question its validity. What if one of the member states decides that they didn't what the Unified Earth to have the power to subjugate rebelling states and to bring the Separatist nations into the fold? It must be done, it must be official, it must be public, and yes, it must be showy."

This elicited a few laughs from the crowd.

The president continued: "We go into the Twin Towers to discuss the creation of a government that can and will work to end all human suffering. A government that can protect the people of the world from the angels, but not just the angels; the Unified Earth will protect its citizens from war, from tyranny, and will work to prevent starvation and famine. Our children will know peace.

"Back during World War One, they called it they called it 'the war to end all wars.' Obviously, it was not. This war with the Separatists, however, truly is the War to End All Wars, because if we win, nay, when we win, humanity will finally be united for the betterment of all mankind! We will truly be the dominant species on this planet, and united of will, and then nothing will be able to stop us!" The president turned from the cameras and walked into the World Trade Center.

-

It was the crack of dawn. In another couple of hours, Shinji would relieve Asuka and she would go to bed. "The Separatists have managed to get through our blockade, and they're headed to intercept the intercontinental railroad in about five minutes," the voice said.

"You're kidding," Asuka said.

"No. They're being intercepted, but, you understand, it's a pretty big fleet, so that won't slow them down much. Shinji, Rei, and Misato are being woken up, but until they get there, you're on your own."

Asuka positioned herself facing the ocean in a fighting stance. It was about time. After a solid week of this, they were a hair's breadth from Mexico and safety. Asuka wanted something to fight, and she had been afraid that this whole trip was going to go off without a hitch. Truth be told, she was beginning to go stir-crazy. The train never stopped. There was never shore leave, no stops along the way. It was as if the train had become their world, like a spaceship or something. The ships came under the rising sun. Someone must have seen them before Asuka had, because the train's weapons were all firing. All Asuka could do was wait. Not long, though, it would turn out, for amongst the barrages of missiles and anti-missiles which canceled each other out and did no real damage other than put on a pretty lightshow, the Separatist ships launched planes. Asuka thought that the planes looked somewhat like the flying fortresses used by the Americans in World War II.

They flew overhead. Too low. Asuka grabbed one and used it as a club to knock two more out of the sky and into the Pacific. She tossed her impromptu club in after them before it leaked too much fuel onto the train. The next planes flew higher. Better, but not good enough. She jumped, managed to grab two of them, and crushed them, getting bathed in their fuel as she did so.

A missile flying for the train hit AT-Field. "Asuka, we're here," Shinji said.

"Yeah, well, stay out of my way," Asuka retorted.

"The surviving planes have dropped something," Rei said.

"WHAT?" Asuka demanded, turning to look. Sure enough, the last two planes had dropped for things which were firing even as they fell, hit the ground firing, and kept up with the train, driving parallel to the tracks and firing. "Tanks!" These were top-of-the-line, state-of-the-art models if they could ride in a plane, get airdropped, and keep up with a train doing 90MPH. Rei was blocking their missiles from hitting the sides of the train with Unit 00's arm, but they were going to get a shot around her AT-Field eventually. Unless…

Asuka jumped from the train. She stomped one tank, and two more crashed into her. Then she squashed the last one with her fist. Now to find out of fast these fucking things can move! She ran after the train.

"What the hell is that idiot doing?" she heard Shinji shout. For a split second, Asuka thought he was talking about her, but then saw him dive, taking a dozen missiles to the back of his AT-Field. Underneath Unit 01, someone was standing on the roof. Kensuke? What the hell does that idiot think he is doing? But her attention immediately went back to her own problem. It didn't look like she was going to make it, but she jumped for it, and landed on the caboose.

Asuka heard Misato's voice: "That was very cool, Asuka. But if you ever do it again, I'll fucking kill you. Have you any idea how close we came to losing you and Unit 02 to the enemy?"

Planes from above continued to rain would-be death down onto the train, but the Evas batted aside missiles.

"Is that…holy shit, send every missile and counter missile we've got at that fucking thing! Evas, get the satellite and hold it up like a shield. Protect the train and as much of the track in front of us as you can with it."

"What's going on?" Asuka demanded.

"Just do it!" Misato ordered.

The three Evas ran to the back of the train and pulled the satellite from its car, using it as a shield. They angled it towards the bomb, but Asuka couldn't see why. It wasn't going anywhere near them—and then it exploded in a white-hot flash. Everything living thing around them, including part of what was left of the Central American Rainforest, was turned to ash. The track behind them was melted, and the train rolled to a stop. The bomb was actually powerful enough to force the air away, creating a temporary vacuum, and then forcing the air back, this effect creating some strong winds, a hail of dirt, and something else common to such explosions, a mushroom cloud. Nearly on top of them. "They nuked us," Asuka whispered. Nobody answered. The coms were dead.