Description:

The professional informer has an appointment to keep, but the agenda has changed. Asuka finds herself alone on the battlefield against an Angel with two AT-fields. And Rei is slacking off at home while Shinji is lulled to sleep by a blue-haired Angel. It is time to see how great a small change can be...

I do not own the characters of Neon Genesis Evangelion, nor any other aspects of it. I'm not that disturbed. Or at least I wasn't until I saw EOE.

Rating: T - a fair bit of swearing (possibly should be rated higher)

Initial Perturbation

CHAPTER 17 - Parallels

Unit 02 was hunched over and dry-retching while Unit 01 paced pensively. Then the rogue sat up to howl to the fading sun.

"Asuka?" Misato queried the frightened teen.

(Ja...) she mumbled. Deep rings hung under her eyes as she looked up to the visual pickup.

"Uhm...we need...shit, we need to you subdue Unit 01."

(Ja...Ich verstehe (I understand)...the baka would want me to.)

"We don't know if he's conscious, that probably isn't him..."

(Of course it's not him!) Asuka snapped. (I'll rescue the idiot, you just make sure Ritsuko's ready with some voodoo to get him better.)

Misato nodded on Asuka's screen. "Good luck."

(Wir sind unser Glückes Schmied (We make our own luck).)

The bridge crew could see Unit 02 shake a little as it stood up, facing the disturbed Evangelion. It watched her thoughtfully, chewing the gristle and scratching idly where armour had broken loose to accomodate the enlarged muscles that had recently appeared.

"Shinji." Asuka called resolutely, hoping that her voice was being received inside the purple Eva. She walked slowly toward the beast, arms held wide. "Komm hierher mein verlorenes Kind (come here my lost child)."

Unit 01 stood and took a step back, back hunched and arms at the ready. A low, threatening rumble sounded from its throat.

"Ssh. It's okay, it's me mein liebling."

"Grrrrrrr..." the Eva rumbled uncertainly.

Asuka risked moving closer, and Unit 01 didn't back away. Cautiously, she enfolded the purple monstrosity in the arms of her own.

(Slide the plug cover off and tap the end of the plug. The autorelease should fire twenty seconds after it receives the direct signal from your IFF.) Ritsuko dictated.

"Mmm." Asuka nodded and did so. She held the deactivated god for a moment after the pod was released, then left it wearily to aid the recovery.

Keel Lorenz addressed the holographically assembled council. "I bring news from Tabris."

"Do you indeed? It would be most fascinating to hear the explanations behind the...rumours surrounding Nerv's latest exploits." Seele 03 said snidely.

Seele 05 snorted. "The shit's hit the fan, from what I hear. What's your tame Angel got to say about it?"

"Tabris reports on the Angel of Fear. It seems Iruel has managed to enter one of Ikari's nephilim shells. This has disturbing implications for Nerv's own safety." Keel explained.

"What, they didn't notice?"

Keel sighed. "It seems that Iruel is a microbial life-form. It somehow infected and fouled the Magi's sensors while it took posession."

"What lunacy is this? The MAGI can't be fooled by mere trickery!"

"Even a wise-man can be fooled if he is blinded and a false whisper is all he can hear." said Seele 01.

"Is that why you're sending them Unit 05? To send another Eva against a child nephilim?"

"To replace what they may lose. We may have to adjust their security budget as well."

"Bah. What use is this prattle, when Ikari has acquired an S2 engine!"

A hushed exclamation ran through the assembled.

The cyborged man held a hand up placatingly. "It's true, fellow councilmen. The test-type has acquired the apple of life." (Rahhel: I dunno why but I had to laugh when I read that)

"WHAT! What blasphemy is this!"

"And what was your pet Angel doing while Ikari was building himself a God!"

"This is proof that we have been far too lenient."

"This is unacceptable! Ikari must be brought to heel!"

"Gentlemen." Keel stood up from his chair and stared down at the throng of panicking old men through his visor. "Ikari will be dealt with prior to the Red Earth ceremony. In the meantime, Instrumentality must be shielded from the vengeance of the Divine."

Seele 05 stood up to face Seele 01 directly. "No Keel, Ikari will be dealt with now. The old professor can be controlled, but clearly Ikari cannot."

"Correct." Seele 03 sneered. "Ikari's ruthless nature was a boon when so much was still unresolved, but given the power of God himself surely even that old fool sensei of his can hold off two more Angels."

Lorenz sat back down, slowly to the sound of groaning servomotors. "Remember that only Ikari's son has been shown to be able to harness the power of Unit 01. Ikari has some leverage over the boy, but would Fuyutsuki be able to control him? We just don't know."

"Pah. Unit 01 can't be controlled in any case. Let their tactical officer and surrogate mother control the junior Ikari."

The chairman tilted his head wearily in a sign of reluctant assent. "Very well. I will have my man perform the necessary action."

"We're watching you, Keel." Seele 05 warned gruffly. With that, the chamber was emptied.

Asuka spotted her favorite man, her childhood protector in the Nerv cafeteria. "Herr Kaji! You haven't visited for a while."

He was sitting at an empty table in one of Nerv's lounges, idly sipping from a can of energy drink. "Hmm? Asuka, how are you kiddo? Yeah, sorry about that. Life's been hectic, ever since...well, always." said the Agent with only a hint of his trademark grin.

"What's wrong?" Asuka asked, catching his mood. "Why so glum? Misato still playing hard to get?"

This time Kaji did smile, but not with his usual sincerity. "No, princess. It seems my job has become...more complex of late."

Asuka nodded sagely as she sat down. "Ever since Kasumi came, things have been extra-weird. Or maybe it was when Shinji was kidnapped."

"Speaking of the boy wonder, how is he? The last attack was quite horrifying, I hear."

Asuka nodded slowly, resting her head on her hands. "He's still in Ritsuko's labs. I don't know, he's always getting screwed with, by people and Angels! And now...what if this time, he isn't okay? We were just getting somewhere, and now this...!"

Kaji held out a hand to her, rubbing her elbow gently. "Sweetheart, you'll both be fine. You've been given a special task in life, so you can expect great rewards at the end."

"Like what?"

Kaji beamed. "A normal life."

Asuka rolled her eyes. "No disrespect Kaji-san, but I'm too old to believe in fairy tales."

The Agent nodded his head. "You always were, Asuka-chan. But have a little faith in the balance of the Universe. You've worked so hard, you're sure to attain what you're after."

The girl looked up thoughtfully at her ex-crush. "Maybe not what I wanted...perhaps what I need?"

Kaji stood and slapped her playfully on the back. "That's the spirit. Never lose that, Asuka. You'll need it before long, you and Shinji both."

Asuka frowned. "What makes you say that?" she demanded.

He just smiled, albeit with the dying warmth of a fading sunset. "Goodbye, Asuka." Asuka's eyes followed him as he went, somewhat confused by his tone as he left.

Misato reclined deeply into the officer's lounge seat. Asuka sat beside her, with Ritsuko and Maya facing them having entered the room with their laptops.

"Okay Doctor, what's Shinji's condition?" Misato asked wearily, holding a long-cold coffee cup by reflex in front of her mouth.

Akagi opened her laptop perched on top of her crossed legs. "He used a vacuum created by expanding a conical AT field with an approximate volume of...well, numbers that large won't mean much. The Angel was sucked through a zero-dimensional point at it's terminus. The power of the vacuum exceeded even the positron cannon at point-blank range. That Angel never stood a chance. Nothing would, not even the Evas."

"But what about Shinji!" Asuka snarled.

"Just wait. I'm getting to that." Ritsuko said.

"She's in her professional-scientist mode." Maya explained, embarrassed for her sempai's lack of empathy.

"His ego border was broken by the Angel directly. Unit 01's ego matrix has always been...a bit stronger than usual."

Asuka stood up. "What does that mean? Did you know this could happen!"

"Of course not. No one could have foreseen such an event." Ritsuko said sharply, eyeing the girl in annoyance.

"Verdammt! How is Shinji NOW!"

"Yes, get to the point Ritsuko." Misato said tiredly from her seat.

"We've induced him to sleep for a few more hours. The emotional trauma he's endured is...quite severe."

"But he's alright." Maya interjected quickly. "Well, mostly."

"What does that mean?" asked Misato.

Ritsuko answered after a moment's hesitation. "His normal mental waveform is there, but it sort of blanks-out after an erratic period. We think it's his mind shutting down as it tries to process traumatic thoughts."

"Traumatic thoughts? What do you mean?" Misato asked pointedly.

Maya looked uncomfortable. Ritsuko rubbed her eyes, and closed the laptop. "There are things you don't know about the Evas." she said with a sigh.

Misato stared at her, wide-eyed. "More secrets?"

The Doctor nodded gently. "Maya, close the doors please."

An ephemeral form moved past the attending nurse to stand over Shinji's bed.

"A-Ayanami?" he murmured languidly, not really able to focus on the ghostly frame. His eyes remained half-closed behind heavy eyelids.

Soft white light seemed to emanate as the blue-haired girl placed a hand gently onto Shinji's wrist. "Sleep, archangel."

"Asuka?"

(Yeah?)

"Look, you can probably see him now...but I'm not sure if it's worthwhile. Ritsuko tells me he's still sleeping it all off."

(Fine! Don't worry, I'll just look in on him. I won't try to wake him up...)

"Good."

(Or have sex with him.)

"Uh, well, okay then."

(Hah! That's called a pre-emptive strike, Major Katsuragi.)(click)

"Well, a least she's learnt something from me."

"Well hello. You're a little late, aren't you?"

"This part of the scenario has been too long delayed, Agent Kaji. You are aware, of course, that you have been a thorn in not one but two hides."

"I like collecting loose threads, and trying to untangle them. Imagine my surprise at finding that they were always attached to begin with."

"Indeed. I am surprised you survived as long as you did without knowing that. An outcome I intend to rectify."

Gendo Ikari leveled his pistol at the marked man, expression neutral as always. He pulled the trigger, and watched with satisfaction as the Agent collapsed back into the wall behind him in the dingy Terminal Dogma corridor. He stood over him a moment with his eyes closed, before re-holstering his firearm. The Commander then turned to walk away.

"Well, that's convenient..." the downed-man rasped. Kaji painfully took his own pistol from his coat pocket and cocked it, leveling it at his would-be killer. "Self-defense it is."

Gendo turned sharply, a frown disturbing his jagged features. He inspected the Agent's crumpled form quickly with his eyes. "No blood. Body armour." he growled. At Kaji's nod, he held up his left hand and took the glove from it. "Attempting to assassinate me would be a poor choice, Agent."

Kaji smirked through bloodied teeth. "No dice, old man. Adam can't shield you, and with you dead that poor mutilated creature dies with you."

Gendo clenched his teeth. "The old men are better informed than they should be."

The agent shrugged his shoulders slightly from his position crumpled on the floor. "Seems so." and pulled the trigger.

Ayanami appeared at the doorway to the private pilot's lounge. The room had been given over as a study/social/rumpus room for the three teenagers since the school was so empty, reducing the load on Section 2 and giving the Children a free reign they'd never experienced before. The 'rumble area' had suffered from their unsupervised sparring, and so far no-one had been bothered to build a 'curriculum' for them to follow. But whenever one of the pilots was missing, the room's atmosphere grew somber. Sohryu was reading a novel she'd been meaning to catch up on, but kept finding her thoughts wandering.

Asuka looked up from her juice pack to greet her fellow pilot when the Angel siren blared. Shaking her head slowly, she stood up. "Scheisse, will they never halt?"

She held up a fist and pumped it, steely determination firming her expression. "Here we go..."

"We have to go, Asuka."

"I know! Let's go kick some ass."

"Shinji won't be joining us..."

"Duh. Let him have a break, the lazy baka. It's about time we pulled our weight around here."

"The Angel is hovering over the Upper Kusa precinct, just waiting for us to sortie." Hyuuga grimaced. "It's like it's a guest challenger on a TV show, waiting for the stars to make an appearance."

"It's like it's waiting for a formal challenger. Maybe it intends to handle the Evas first before moving to Terminal Dogma." Maya pondered, not taking her eyes from her readouts.

Misato rolled her eyes. "Sassy thing. What do the MAGI think of deploying the two Evas at different locations in the city simultaneously?"

"The MAGI give conditional support. Caspar is most in favour. We've basically lost the element of surprise, but initiative should be on our side if the Evas are far enough apart that they don't make a single target, but are far enough apart that they can respond to the Angel's attack quickly." Shigeru reported.

Ritsuko grunted sourly. "In other words, we won't know until we try. As usual."

"Section 2 are really dragging their asses, where the hell is Kasumi!"

"Excuse me, shouldn't we use the Lance?" Hyuuga mumbled.

"Orders from above." Misato muttered darkly, casting a significant glare up at the commander's deck. "Let's hope they know what they're doing." 'Wherever they are.'

"The Eva's are ready for launch." Maya stated primly.

Hyuuga spoke up. "I've cleared two gates on the north-east and south sides of the city. There's enough cover at both sites give the pilots a chance to acclimatize. Probably."

Misato stood for a moment, cupping her chin and staring thoughtfully at the tactical layouts on the main screen. "Okay. Rei, use the MkII rifle and have your Bo on standby. Asuka, have your Kodachi ready and we'll send you ranged weaponry if you need it."

(Hai.)

(Ja dozo!)

Misato blinked. "Something about Japanese and German just don't gel..."

"The pilot's have been equipped." Shigeru reported. "Ready for launch."

"Alright. Launch Evas!"

(Come brother, and we will assimilate this abomination together.)

(Our fate is at hand. Let's not quibble over details.)

(Yes. Then we will subdue the vermin, the bastard children of our father. So it shall be.)

Two Evas slid up from the concrete simultaneously, both oriented toward the Angel's spiral form. Immediately, the ring split into a single tendril, straightening out and assuming a rounded form. It's surface was pale, glowing with a cool blue hue.

"Target sighted. Rei, you cover me while I go in for the kill!"

"Hai."

(Careful Asuka! Hold your AT field until we get a reading on that thing. Remember what happened to Shinji!)

"It's moving! Whoa! REI! IT'S ATTACKING REI!"

(Bio-invasion! Eva Zero is undergoing metamorphosis!)

The people of Nerv could only gape as a horrid change took place, dissolving the Evangelion known as Unit Zero into a cancerous, sickly animated Evangel hybrid. "Oh god, Rei!"

(I am not Rei.) said a voice from the communications circuit.

(Rei, what's going on? What's the Angel done to you!)

Makoto looked around in surprise. "I'm reading two AT-fields from Unit Zero, and neither of them are normal! Examining pattern...PATTERN BLUE! UNIT ZERO IS THE ANGEL!"

In a panic, Ritsuko called out, "Cut the power! Eject the plug!"

"Umbilical cable away, but...there is no plug..." Shigeru's voice trailed off.

"What!" Misato demanded.

"Unit Zero no longer reads as an Evangelion! It's IFF has been silenced!"

Hyuuga bit his tongue so hard he drew blood as he yelped, "Someone's hacking the MAGI! Tracing the port...it's Evangelion Telemetry Link Zero-Beta! Unit Zero is hacking the MAGI!"

(Not again! Damn Engel, I will make you suffer...) Asuka said with an oddly guttural growl. Unit 02 faced the misshapen Evangelion, Kodachi held upright from her sides at angles pointed toward the hemispheres of the sky.

Akagi stood over Hyuuga's chair and pushed the tech aside. "Cut the connection! Activate type-13 firewall!"

Shigeru typed commands at a frantic pace until his board cleared. Sighing in relief, he called out, "We've lost Asuka's feed as well as Unit Zero, with only a low-grade audio link to Unit 02 on alternative channels. Somehow we've contained the invasion, though."

"Never mind!" Misato growled. "We need to get the heat off of Asuka! Doctor, is there any chance that Rei is still alive?"

Ritsuko closed her eyes and shook her head slowly. "I suspect that Rei isn't in there at all."

"You mean..."

"I mean that was probably 'Kasumi'...I never did solve that 'instant soul' problem. God, I'm such a fool. It must be that Angel."

"Send a SWAT team and a rescue unit to Rei's apartment, immediately!"

"What's the point?" Akagi said in a soft, lost voice as she watched Asuka's machine being thrown backward into a concrete building with force enough to shatter steel and concrete, scraping away at the Eva's vital protection like paint.

"We need a conscious pilot for Unit 01. She's out best option right now." Misato gave a meaningful glance to the chief scientist, who curtly shook her head; no, Shinji wasn't ready.

Misato continued to spit out orders while keeping Asuka's battle in the corner of her eye, but she was unable to kick the feeling of impotence as the titans battled before them.

(Verboten! Du darfst nicht hier sein! (You may not be here)!)

Unit 02 caught a helical spike that had been aimed at her abdomen with a hand and sliced it off, using the kodachi in the red machine's other hand. It's twin blade lay shattered and charred on the ground, a victim of hitting dual AT fields too fast.

"She can't neutralise both AT fields. We need Unit 01."

Ritsuko stared at Misato. "A dummy-plug! In Unit 01! Are you CRAZY? That monster's got an S2 engine, without Shinji we'll have absolutely no control over it."

"Have you got a better idea?" Misato hissed.

"That doesn't matter, if there's one thing we can't do, it's use that unit." said the scientist, crossing her arms in front of her as she watched the tableau on the main display. "Wait for Rei to be recovered."

"But without internal communications we don't even know if the First Child has been found. Sir, we need the dummy plug!" Misato pleaded upwards. Fuyutsuki shook his head, a hint of an apology in his movements.

"Asuka's getting massacred out there! How about the Lance?"

"Open Heaven's Door with an Angel on our doorstep? No. Think of something else."

"'Heaven's door'? I...shit! Asuka, I'm sorry but you're on your own!"

Asuka's humanoid mount twisted right, slinging around an unconventional roundhouse punch accentuated by the progressive Kodachi short-sword held lengthwise in her armoured fist. The blade vibrated and screamed against the orange fields holding it back from the invader's head, just meters behind the impenetrable screens. Asuka rasped in frustration as once again she had to somersault over backwards to avoid the Evangel's counterattack. Landing in a skid, she earned a moment of respite. Sweat from the girl's brow soaked into the surrounding LCL, creating a haze before her eyes.

"Gott...I can't beat this damn thing. Not alone..." she whimpered as she caught a blow to her Eva's cheekbone, causing battered armour to splinter off.

"Not alone..." she repeated, picking her battered mecha out from the broken rubble on a broken arm and a shattered hand.

"Alone..." she muttered, cradling her head as the Evangel reared up before her dazed form.

The tears started to come. "I'm...not alone. I remember when I wasn't alone."

"I...feel your warmth. I'm not alone. Mama, are you here? Are you here with my Unit 02?"

(Asuka...)

"Mama..."

(Mein...leiebling...)

Kaoru overlooked the tableau with something akin to despair from his vantage point atop a weapons bunker. He shook his head slowly as he heard the voice of Kyoko Sohryu-Zeppelin cry out in the ether. "Family..." he muttered the word like it held a strange yet compelling taste, the taste of mystery and meanings unfathomed.

Author's Rant:
-

A short one this time, but it might have gone on forever without the cliffhanger. Things are getting somewhat complex and serious, so see below for some persocon relief. I don't own a persocon. Honest! Nor do I own Asuka or Chobits.

Will things get still worse before they get better? You'll know as soon as I know...plus a few days. ;-)

Thanks to my patient beta-readers pyramidgirl89 & Rahhel, as always. And to all who review!

OMAKE

(A continuation on the last...)

Shinji sat on the couch watching TV with Asuka beside him.

"Baka."

He let out a sigh. "Okay, Asuka. Here's the remote control."

He watched glumly as the channels flicked around as Asuka struck buttons at random. "Baka. Baka. Baka? Baka." she said in her sing-song voice.

Pen-Pen entered the room and stood poised at Asuka's calf, beak at the ready.

"O-Okay Pen-Pen! Here, give the remote Asuka-chan."

"Baka?"

"Here. Now watch your Attenborough penguin-porn and leave Asuka alone okay."

"Waaarck."

"Baka."

"C'mon Asuka, let's go to the kitchen."

Shinji watched as Asuka slumped to the floor and began crawling clumsily, her graceful body making the baby-crawl oddly appealing.

'Dammnit.' Shinji muttered internally. "Now sit down Asuka." Shinji told the german mean machine, gesturing to a table chair.

"I am not a doll." She replied sunnily.

"What!" Shinji gasped, suddenly hopeful.

"Please press my button to turn me on." Asuka stated helpfully.

Shinji threw his head back and yelled, "GOD DAMMNIT REI, STOP MESSING WITH MY STUFF!"

Pin-Pom

Maya looked up from her book at the sound of her door-bell. She had been considering getting a kitten's meow one like her Sempai's, but in the meantime she was content with the cutsey one she had.

"Who could it be at this time of night?" she asked herself. Opening the door, she stood mute at the sight of Evangelion Unit 01's purple armour glowing against the malevolently dark sky, it's face turned downward to glare at her, . It didn't help that it was tapping it's left palm with the blade of a progressive knife.

"I'll fix her! I'll fix her!" Maya screamed in desperation.

There was a high-pitched groan to her left.

"Oops!" Shinji's amplified voice echoed around the city, "I think I crushed your garbage bin with my little toe. Well, accidents do happen, you know."

"BAKA HENTAI! What, did you think you could take advantage of me just because of a little accident like that? Hah!" Asuka yelled victoriously as she slapped Shinji, almost playfully.

"Uh, I'd never do that Asuka!" Shinji pleaded in self-defense. He lowered his tone, "But now that you're okay, maybe I will try to take advantage..."

Asuka froze.

"FUCKING GOD DAMMNIT!"

Copyright 2006

-fin-