Disclaimer – Don't own Eva or Armored Core, but you know that, don't you.
A/n here's the 5th chapter re-dux
Neon Genesis Evangelion
Quote the Raven
Chapter 5
New Raven
After dinner that evening Rei, Misato, Asuka, Hikari and Requiem sat in the living room talking while Shinji was doing the dishes. Misato had gotten home just after Asuka and Hikari had arrived and was curious about how their mission had gone. Rei and Requiem had already been forced to recount the mission events during dinner but Misato wanted more info
"So what did the other guy have on his AC?"
Requiem just shook his head, she was a persistent one
"Small Rocket launcher, small missile launcher and a laser blade on his left arm, nothing major except a really nice hand weapon"
"What kind of weapon"
Requiem growled a bit
"One my old arms can't carry, one that ripped my right arm joint to shreds just caring it back here"
That got a bit of a laugh from Asuka
"Well you should have checked the weight first idiot"
Requiem shrugged
"There wasn't much of a variance in the weight of what the arm could carry and the weapon, and anyway, there are only 10 Karasawa's in the world, I'm not leaving it behind, thank god I didn't have to shoot it"
Hikari had stayed quiet for most of the evening, not quite comfortable being in the room with two Ravens, even if one of them she had known since 7th grade. Hikari finally decided to speak up
"Umm…do you mind if I ask a question…umm…Requiem"
He shrugged
"Sure why not, what is it"
"You're our age right"
"I'm 16; I guess that counts, why"
"Well, how did you become a raven so young, I thought you had to be older?"
Requiem sighed
"Well, I guess it wouldn't hurt, don't tell another living soul what I'm about to say"
Everyone nodded, Requiem braced himself and continued
"Well I guess I should start with my name, I haven't even told Orchid that"
Hikari tilted her head
"Who"
Asuka spoke up
"He means wonder girl"
Requiem nodded and continued
"Well for starters my name is Joshua Anders, my father and mother worked for Crest on some heavy AC related research. Apparently someone from Mirage didn't like where their research was going and hired a raven to take them out, Nine Ball, the former 1st rank in the arena. The guy showed up in broad daylight and nailed our house with a larger missile launcher. I was outside in the front yard so I saw it coming. I saw him land and turn toward the house, I had started for the front door when he fired. Sometimes I can still hear the sound of the missile hitting the house and exploding inside. I woke up with Agraya and Genobee at a Crest hospital, apparently the President of Kisaragi Inc got wind of the attack and told Crest who sent them to stop it but they were too late. Agraya took me in and when I turned 12 I joined the Ravens. With the help of the president of Crest I tracked down Nine-Ball and took him down. I was only 14 at the time so I just stayed with the ravens after that, they had become like a second family to me. I was usually on my own until I met Orchid; today was the first time I ever went on a mission with a partner"
Everyone was rather sullen after that, hearing Requiem or Joshua, recount his past that way. Joshua looked at everyone and then suddenly got an idea
"What is everyone doing tomorrow?"
Misato looked up
"Well I'm off work tomorrow, Shinji Asuka and Hikari have school, and you and Rei are doing what ever you want…why"
Joshua smirked a bit
"How would you guys like to learn to pilot an AC?"
"Why"
Requiem shrugged
"Gives us something to do"
He then looked over at Shinji
"Hey Ikari, what's your top 2 favorite colors"
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That night, after Hikari had gone home and everyone had gone to bed, Requiem and Misato sat at the kitchen table discussing what would happen tomorrow
"So why offer to show the kids how to pilot"
Requiem leaned back in his chair
"Well they're the next generation of Ravens, plus, Orchid and Shinji are pretty similar personality wise, it'll give him some confidence. Plus I want to see what he can do"
He didn't want to tell her the real reason yet
Both noticed Rei slip from her Futon and silently go into Shinji's room
The guys from crest also started switching the arms from the AC Requiem and Rei had captured with repaired CR-A695's that requiem already had in his parts inventory.
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The next morning everyone was up early, Shinji and Asuka for school, Misato to help with the preparations for the day's activities, and Rei and Requiem to act as instructors. The three of them sat around the kitchen table discussing the days events, Misato looked over the basic instructions Requiem had laid out
"So were going to be trying out that AC you captured yesterday after the crest crews finish fixing it"
"Yeah, they're swapping the arms for good ones after I cut off its right lower arm, and their adding some other things. I decided to call the other AC the Diligence until I decide what to do with it"
He handed her his palm top which had the AC's parts list on it
Head – CR-H81 S4 (H72S3 successor. Improved Energy use and defense)
Core – ECL-ONE (Emeraude mobile battle type. Low Defense)
Arms – CR-A69S (first generation crest design, low end model)
Legs – CR-LH695 (first generation part with average specifications)
Inside - NONE
Extension – CR-E90AM2 (modified version of the E81AM. Improved intercept ability)
Back unit R – CR-WB25G2 (Lightweight Slug Gun, rounds dispersed in wide area)
Back Unit L – WB28R-SIREN4 (heavy weight, but incorporates many different radar types)
Arm Unit R –CR-WR84RA2 (Modified version of the WR76RA, improved fire rate)
Arm Unit L – CRWL69LB (basic model laser blade meant for close combat)
Option parts - none
Hangar L – none (no hangar)
Hangar R – none (no hangar)
Once Misato had read over the list he continued
"Remember how I asked Ikari what his favorite colors were"
"Yeah"
"Well the AC will be done drying in about an hour; it's now green as the primary color with a bit of orange and gray secondary and joint color"
"You had it painted his colors, why"
"Would you pilot it with the vomit yellow color it was?"
"Good point"
Requiem had barely dodged that question, cause if his hunch was right and things went how he wanted; the Diligence wouldn't be his after today. Rei looked over at him and guessed what he was planning when his palm top beeped; it was a message from the Nest. He pulled his cell phone from his pocket and dilled the number the nest had sent him. He stood up and walked into the living room
"Requiem here, did my request go through…yeah…yeah…ok that works…good thanks Larna"
Requiem walked back over to the table and sat down with the others
"That was the Nest, my request for some training MTs and another training AC went through. The Nest is also sending one of its instructors to observe and give basic instruction"
Rei looked over to him
"Who are they sending?"
"Blitz, he's one of the Raven entry exam instructors, he'll be waiting at the abandoned Airfield just outside the city at 3 when they get out of school, we should go a bit early to help with the prep work though"
Requiem called up the Ravens AC on his palmtop and handed it to Rei
AC – Thunder
Pilot – Blitz
Head – CR-H69S (first generation crest head, low performance but lightweight)
Core – RAKAN (Kisaragi core featuring high-power OB function)
Arms – A02-DRILL (exceptionally heavy, but sell defense second to none)
Legs – CR-LH96FA (new Crest Heavyweight model)
Inside - NONE
Extension – SUIGETSU (energy based missile interceptors)
Back unit R – WB87GLL (grenade launcher built for lighter AC units)
Back Unit L – CR-WB82RP3 (Midsize rocket launcher)
Arm Unit R – CR-WR76B (bazooka that can dish out impressive single round damage)
Arm Unit L – CRWL69LB (basic model laser blade meant for close combat)
Option parts - none
Hangar L – none (no hangar)
Hangar R – none (no hangar)
Requiem took the palmtop back and typed a message to Rei
"Don't say a word about what I'm writing
This won't just be a friendly play event, this will see if Shinji has what it takes to be a Raven or not, it's an Entry Exam.
Rei's eyes widened a bit as she read on
The nest already brokered a deal with Nerv, if Shinji passes he can become a Raven and take Missions and Arena challenges when not otherwise needed at Nerv. Nerv also has to allow him leeway for missions and such but when not on a mission he has to be here in Tokyo 3.
This all will work because once his contract is up, the last angel; he's free to take his pay and go, or if he wants he can forgo the contract and just leave. They also have to pay him when ever he fights for them in either an AC or his Eva.
That why I had the Diligence painted in his colors; if he passes today I'm going to give it to him.
The other AC is basically for Soryu and who ever else goes with us not to feel left out; I'll be breaking the news to Misato once his exam begins."
Rei looked at the palmtop, how did the Nest get the commander to agree to this, of course…the Ravens get anyone they want
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Later that day, Misato had just picked up Shinji and Asuka from school, Hikari and Toji had come along as well, Toji because he was the 4th child and new pilot of unit 00 and Hikari because Asuka and Toji were going. Requiem and Rei had already gone ahead with their AC's to meet with the Raven instructor Blitz. The three looked over the final notes for what was going to be happening that day; Blitz looked down at his palmtop them back to Requiem
"So let me get this strait, this kid is an Eva pilot"
"Right"
"And were going to be running him through the Raven entry test, right"
"Yep"
"And the others are going to be playing around with the unarmed test model AC"
By unarmed he meant that all of the ammo was gone and the laser blade was turned off
"Yeah, but I don't want Shinji to know he's even taking the test unless he passes"
"Why"
"It would kill his moral, and apparently from what Orchid has told me, state of mind has a lot to do with piloting an Eva, if he's depressed, he can't pilot effectively and will get killed"
Rei nodded
"It's true,"
Blitz nodded
"I read you, so we run him through it. If he passes we spill the beans and if not we say 'good try' and send him on his way. That about right?"
"Yeah, problem is, one of the other pilots is competitive as hell and will do anything to drag him down to make herself better. If he passes and she starts, let me run her through and be her opponent since she'll rant about her superiority"
"Alright, I hate cocky people, so who's gona give the kid basic instruction"
"Orchid will, she's his sister"
"Will he be using the test model?"
No, it will be in the Diligence, if Shinji passes, I'm going to give it to him"
Blitz was a bit taken back
"Your gona give him an AC of your own, he's gota be good then"
"Well as an Eva pilot he's killed nearly all of the angels himself, so I'd say he has a lot of potential, while Orchid's training him, let the others have some fun and try out the test model and the MT's. Then switch them to AI combat mode once he's ready"
A loud screech of car tires told everyone the guests had arrived
"Well…their here"
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Misato and the others climbed out of her car. Toji and Hikari's faces were ash white while Shinji and Asuka just took it in stride…they were use to the way Misato drove. The AC's and MT's were easy to spot as they were the tallest things on the old air field, the 5 AC at roughly 11 meters and the MT's at about 9 to 10. The 7 test MT's were in the center of the field while the AC's were standing side by side near the fence.
The first thing Misato and co caught sight of was the heavy weight Blitz, beside of it stood the test model in its standard gunmetal gray paintjob, beside of that stood the Wraith and the Lillian beside of it. The next AC in line surprised Shinji, it was the one Rei and Requiem had captured the morning before, painted in green and orange, his favorite colors. Shinji and crew walked up to the 3 ravens standing in front of the AC's, Shinji immediately looked at Requiem, his jaw dropped slightly
"Isn't that the…AC you and Rei captured…the green one"
Requiem smiled a bit
"Yeah it is, why"
"…you painted it…"
He nodded
"Uh huh"
"…my favorite…colors…"
"Well, you're going to be using this one today, Orchid will be instructing you while me and Blitz take everyone else"
Shinji nodded and followed Rei to the Diligence. After they were gone Requiem and Blitz turned to the others, Blitz stepped forward
"Ok here's what were going to be doing today"
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An hour later, while Blitz was going over the basics with Hikari, Toji, and Asuka in the MT's before he let them in the test AC
The combat MT's and AC's used the same piloting system to grant them mobility, the pilot stands, and is locked into, an armature which tracks their movements and allows them to interact with the world as their AC would. The floor beneath the pilot retracts and the armature offers resistance to the user as though the AC's limbs were their own.
At the end of the armatures for the arms are joystick like controls, that when folded away from the hand unlocks the AC's hands and allow the pilot to control them, but when pulled into holding position the hands lock closed around what ever the AC is holding, usually weapons. These hand controls allow the pilot to switch between hand and back weapons and allow the use of all the AC's Equipment.
Requiem stood with the Crest mechanics going over the finalization of some upgrades Rei wanted made to the Lillian with Misato standing watching.
The core, weapons, option parts, and generator all remained the same. However the head had been switched for a Zio-Matrix model ZHD-MO/EGRET which offered better internal Radar than she had. The new arms, Zio-Matrix built ZAN-616/AUR allowed for finer control, as well as being a bit lighter but with the same Armor. Her Radiator and boosters had also been upgraded and the legs were switched with a comparable Zio-Matrix model, ZLN-XA2/FF, which offered better stability. She had opted to remove the Missile interceptor extensions and go for a lighter, but older Emeraude version, the EEX-AM45. Requiem shook his head and looked over at Misato who was standing beside of him watching the whole thing.
"Once the mechanics are done, this thing will just about fly"
Misato nodded and kept on watching, a moment later she turned to Requiem and asked a question that had been bugging her
"Why is Shinji being taught on his own"
Requiem sighed, the looked over and saw Blitz and the others walking back from the MT's toward the unarmed test AC. He looked over to the Diligence and saw Rei walking back towards the group, Shinji was ready, meaning they were about to start. He may as well let the cat out of the bag now.
"Well I may as well tell you before the others get over here, originally I was going to do this as a shameless attempt to give Shinji and Orchid some time to them selves to bond, god knows I wish I had bonded with my sister more. But anyway, when I contacted my controller at the Nest, Larna Reynard, and she passed my request for the 3 training MT's on. Apparently someone in the higher ups got word and want to see what Shinji can do, they brokered a deal with Nerv. This will be a Ravens Entry Exam for Shinji. If he passes, he will be given the option to join the Ravens, if not, he'll never know the exam took place"
Misato was a bit shocked, all this had happened and she hadn't known. She was Shinji's guardian and commanding officer, she should have a say in this
"What if I refuse to allow the test"
"Then you deal with the Nerv commander, I don't know why but he Okayed all of this. Anyway even if and I stress if he says yes, all that will mean is that he can take missions when not on duty"
Requiem pulled up the contract for Shinji on his palm top and handed it to Misato
"here come the others, don't say anything until the test starts, god knows how Soryu will act if she finds out now, and don't worry, Rei and I will be watching in our AC's, if anything goes wrong, we'll jump in"
Misato nodded and started reading the contract. Shinji in the mean time had followed Rei's instructions and activated the Diligence on his own, he strapped himself into the cockpit and waited for Rei to contact him, then he heard her voice over the comm line
"Shinji, are you there"
"Yes sister"
In the Lillian's cockpit, Rei blushed a bit, still not use to being called that by him
"We are about to begin, are you ready"
Shinji looked over all of the interments, still nervous as hell, if not out right afraid
"…yes…I'm ready…I guess"
"Good, remember Requiem and I will be on standby if anything goes wrong"
"…right…I guess I'm ready"
Rei nodded once and her image disappeared from the front screen, Shinji sat back and griped the control yokes, time to see what he was really made of.
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The SEELE committee was in session, they were reviewing the new advancements they had made over the past few months
(This will be in script format, SEELE only though)
SEELE 02 what of the new technologies, was it really worth it to build these instead of the MP units
SEELE 03 yes, these new units will have the same abilities but be able to enter Nerv HQ much more easily when the time comes, their ability to participate in the ceremony does not depend on their size. Also with the miniaturized lances at their disposal the will be effective against Nerv's Evangelions as well as the Ravens.
SEELE 06 yes, with these new AC's we will achieve our goal much more easily, not only that but this will allow us to build more than the projected 9 units
SEELE 01 yes there is nothing that can stop the scenario now, meeting adjourned
A/N there's 5
Now on to 6