You're standing in a public restroom in front of a urinal, which is considerably cleaner than you were expecting. It's too early in the morning to be drinking. Not really, though. You found a twenty-four hour liquor store and a couple bottles of Scotch. Self-medication is a wonderful thing, you think, as you start to piss.
Then you feel something sharp poking you in the back of the neck, as a hand slowly withdraws the pistol from the back of your waistband.
"Do not move, Agent. I will not hesitate to stab you." You look at the metal handle for the urinal, to flush it. The man standing behind is taller and looks about twenty pounds heavier. Dressed in a casual shirt and jeans, undoubtedly he's been tailing you for a while, as you tried to clear your head from the argument with Captain Kats- Misato. She wanted you to call her Misato.
"Mornin', mate. Is that a knife you're holding or are you just happy to see me?"
"All right, Agent. That is enough of your wit. Now is not the time."
"Well, mate, if now's not the time, when is?" With a sigh of contentment, you finish taking your leak, shake, and zip up. "I'm moving my hand to flush, fella." He takes a step backwards to allow you to flush, and you spin, knocking the hand with the knife aside. He takes another step backwards and you move to fill in the gap, throwing a punch at his head. He moves aside, and steps forward, bringing the knife too close for either of you to use.
Good, you think. You're former fucking SAS and Royal Irish Regiment. The Royal Irish had breached Monrovia in Liberia even before Second Para, and it hadn't been a firefight. It had been close in bayonet fighting, and then, as now, you knew they wouldn't have the stomachs for it. You bring your knee up between the man's legs and he stumbles backwards briefly, and you use the opportunity to slam your forehead into his nose. He swears, in Russian, you dimly recognize, but it's no matter.
He's dropped the knife now, and you seize him by the front of the shirt with one hand and drive him backwards, free hand a fist and pounded into his nose. He stumbles on something and you both tumble through the drywall separating the male's room from the female's. A woman looks up to the mirror from washing her hands, utters a small shriek, and runs out, leaving you alone. Well, with the unknown Russian. Lifting him up as he attempts to struggle out of your grasp, you run his head into the mirror, shattering it and stunning him, and shove his head into the water.
You wait for a moment, and then jerk his head from the overflowing sink, and ram it into the mirror again.
"Who sent you? Wer hat geschickt Sie?" You repeat the question in Japanese, but the man merely grins at your reflection in the cracked mirror. Swearing, you shove his head back into the water.
"Agent Cryan." You turn your head to look to the side and see Rei Ayanami, watching hold a choking, drowning man's head under water. She appears oddly unconcerned. "What are you doing, Agent Cryan?"
"Interrogating a man," you tell her. "He doesn't want to talk." She nods noncommittally and enters one of the several stalls, and you turn back to the man. He surprises you by driving an elbow into your groin, and you stumble backwards, one hand dropping low to try and protect your equipment.
"Agent Cryan. My superiors," the man gasps out around his broken face, "are very interested in NERV and what goes on there." He pulls a pistol, and you feel stupid for not thinking to check him for one, or two, but then a blur passes in front of you and the man yelps and drops the pistol.
You step forwards as Rei steps backwards from the man, and you don't question how she managed to move so quickly. You reach down and lift him up again, before turning him to let him face Rei.
"This, Rei, is how you interrogate a Russian agent. Russia picks her agents generally based on love for the Motherland. Now, can you do me a favor and go find a car battery and connector cables?" She nods, and the agent begins blubbering something about electricity and Treaties or Conventions. You're not sure, it's Russian, and you don't speak Russian.
"We'll start with something small, while the girl's gone. What's your name?"
The agent mutters something about the Rodina, and you're sick of him speaking Russian. Angrily, you toss him into one of the stalls, where his head thumps against the toilet.
"No Russian! Stop speaking fucking Russian or I'll castrate you in front of a fourteen year old girl," you yell, and the combined threats of castration and electricity serve to loosen his tongue.
"Aksyonov. I am Beria Aksyonov of GRU, what you know as Main Intelligence Directorate of the Russian Federation!"
"Is that so? Who's your chief-of station? Are you an illegal?" You're referring to illegal agents placed in country with enough cover to pass muster, and used to infiltrate organizations like the American FBI or CIA, or your own British MI5 and MI6. He shakes his head at your question.
"No, no! I have diplomatic immunity, I am only here for this mission. My chief-of-station is Aleksandr Ivanovich Chesnokov, he will tell you I have immunity!"
You've got a name and an agency that you can hunt down, now. You've worked with less, before.
"What's your mission, Aksyonov? What's Russia's game?"
"The pilots of the Evas- if we can kidnap them, we can force the UN to force NERV to hand the Eva units over to us. We don't want a German armor division advancing on Moscow lead by Unit 02."
You brain the man once more, knocking him unconscious, and sling him over your shoulder. You snatch his pistol, a Makarov, and your own, back up, and then exit the restrooms to wait for Rei.
She arrives, toting a car battery and connector cables.
"Is this what you needed, Agent Cryan?" You nod affirmatively.
"Yup, good girl. Come along, then. We're going to dump this ruddy wanker off at Section Two's cells, and then we're taking a trip to see the chief-of-station for the Russian."
"Chief-of...station?" She asks, and you realize no one bothered to inform her about espionage and what not.
"Head spy in one country for another country. For example, if we had our own two countries, I might be chief-of-station for my nation in your nation, with cover as a minor diplomat or some such job." She's a bright girl, she'll get it. "In the mean-time, you know what makes a man talk? Castration, or threatening it. Beria here sung like a bird once I threatened him with castration AND electricity. Presumably he enjoys sex."
You fish your cellphone from a pocket and dial the Section Two agents supposed to be watching Rei right now. The voice that answers you is bleary and sounds tired, and mumbles something about 'too early in the morning.'
"Oi, cunt, it's six-thirty, I've been up since four, and just did your job for you. I need a ride for the Russian agent I'm toting and you let get too close to the First. So shove your whining or I'll shove a foot up your arses, got it?"
"Yessir," the agent grumbles wearily. A gray sedan pulls around the corner, and you shove Beria into it, along with his pistol and passport.
"Said something about his mission being to kidnap the Children. I'd inform the Commander about this and recommend he jump the Second Child's timeline up by about three weeks or so." Both agents, the driver, and gunman if needed, nod and say they will.
The sedan drives off, and you turn to Rei. "Let's find a train. We've got to figure out where the Russian Embassy is."
Taking your cell phone, you call the switchboard operator. Switchboards are only still a thing because of situations like this- namely, Section Two agents needing to get to someone or somewhere or call them, and frankly it's helpful. These days they're more like glorified help desks, but they've kept the title of switchboard operators.
"Operator here. How may I help you?"
"I need to get to the Russian Embassy. Can you be a darling and look it up right quick for me?" She responds with an affirmative hum. While you shift from foot to foot impatiently and Rei stands impassively, you regret not wearing shorts. It's getting hot out, even though it's only about eight in the morning.
"The Russian Embassy is located in the Central District of Tokyo-2. Hours are from nine in the morning to seven at night. Russian citizens are always welcome. Russia requests that you go unarmed."
"Thanks." Then you hang up. "Tctch. Unarmed? They wish." You call a cab for yourself and Rei, and she's quiet the entire ride to the station, and simply stares out the window at the passing city scape.
"Agent Cryan," she finally says. "Why do you put yourself at risk like what you did earlier?"
"I've been fighting for quite a while, you know," you mutter. Ayanami shakes her head at you.
"No. I did not know."
"Huh. Well, yeah. Twelve years. Originally I joined the British Army to get away from the hunger and devastation following Second Impact. In the Royal Irish I found brotherhood and friends, and we fought for the man next to us, not high ideals."
She's looking at you like she wants you to continue, so you do, feeling uncomfortable with this discussion of why you get up every morning and put on a gun and Kevlar vest. 'Accommodate all reasonable requests from the First, Second, and Third,' standing orders say. This isn't really classifiable as unreasonable, is it?
"Then I wound up in the SAS, and again, it was for the man next to you. I spent from 2011 to 2014 as a mercenary with a German outfit out of Stuttgart, and that wasn't... that wasn't like the Royal Irish and Special Air Service. It was a bad time, for me, I guess"
"But this? NERV? Waking up every morning and stopping a cult or madman from taking over a mall and slaughtering the shoppers? That's worth something, Rei. Hell, you drive a giant robot against things that man wasn't meant to ken of, and you're fourteen. If anyone's a big damn hero, it's you and Ikari."
She falls silent and so do you. The train is empty at this time, between the men out to work and the women out to shop, and there's only the sound of the train and the-
"Goddamned Muzak," you snarl, lips curled into a frown.
"The next stop will be Tokyo-2. Please stay seated until the train comes to a complete halt." Rei frowns at you for a moment. You shrug at her, and stand in defiance of the request from the loudspeakers.
Eventually the train halts, and you realize you're in Tokyo-2 in pursuit of Russia's chief spy, with a fourteen year old blue-haired girl with red eyes. And only one pistol. That last has got to change before you go 'talk' to Aleksandr.
Snapping your fingers, you grin, and pull out your phone once more. Handy things, cell phones. It connects to the number you dial, and a voice that longs desperately for sleep answers. Too bad, Dick, you need guns.
"Dick. It's Dec. I'm fixing to hit the Russian Embassy. You know anyone in Tokyo-2 I can talk to hook me up with firearms? I'll get our Embassy to give me the rifles."
"Declan, Declan, Declan. Next time I see you, your tab is due, motherfucker. I am sick and tired of you never paying, drinking me out of bar and grill, and never actually picking up half the birds you chat up, you bastard."
"Dick," you proclaim loudly into the phone, now positive he's got a hangover, "I love you too. What can your guys hook me up with?"
"7.62 NATO or 5.56 NATO, or 7.62x39. Your choice." You're positive you hear a muttered 'motherfucker' on the other end.
"Guns first, I think, Dick, but gonna go with a tentative 7.62 or 5.56 NATO, first. Have your guys meet me outside our Embassy."
"All right, Dec. Don't forget your tab. Or I will eat you, you son of a bitch."
"On me mother's grave, Dick, I'll remember me tab. Don't get your knickers in a twist, you slag." Then you hang up on him before he can say anything else. Turning to Rei, she's still staring at you, as though the conversation she had just overheard had never happened. That's when you realize she doesn't speak English. Mouth trying to twitch into a grin, you set off for the British Embassy, and Rei follows along.
When you arrive at the Embassy, it's quite quiet, with only muted phone conversations and the clacking of keyboards to indicate the people inside are alive. You manage to avoid the metal detectors, which would have been set off by your pistol, and look for the front desk. You sidle up to it when you find it, doing your best to remain inconspicuous, Rei trailing along behind you.
"Ah, excuse me, miss," you cough in English, startling the girl behind the computer monitor. "I need to speak to the head of security and the Ambassador, please." You slide your passport over the top of the metal and glass desk, and she nods quietly when she sees it.
"Right this way, sir. If your companion would follow me, I'll get her something to drink?"
"Go ahead, Rei. You're safe here. Should be, at least." Rei nods and follows the girl, and you stop to admire the view as they walk away, before a cough interrupts you. It's the Ambassador and head of security, Sir John Langely and Major Donald Kincaid, respectively. You exchange greetings and handshakes with them, and you can tell Sir John saw combat, probably the First Gulf War or Falklands, while Major Kincaid fought in the Impact Wars. Both men have the same set of the shoulders, tilt of the head, and look in the eye.
"Gentlemen, a pleasure to meet you. The Russians just tried to abduct the pilots of Evangelion Units 01 and 02. NERV would very much like to speak with their Chief-of-Station. I'm going to walk into their embassy, find him, and drag him back out. Frankly, I would appreciate any support and weaponry you can offer." Sir John, a tall, languid man with a shock of the gray hair found almost exclusively on redheads, nods slowly. Major Kincaid grins.
"Good God, man. You've bollocks the size of a lion's. Of course we'll help you, won't we, Sir John?"
"Of course we'll help the Leftenant, Major. He's doing the King's work, even without working for the King! I'll contact the Prime Minister and see if we can't move the timeline for the Fourth's journey to Japan up. Having them all in one country would be an aid indeed, wouldn't it? And bugger the Russians. Bastards tried to grab Finland again during the Impact Wars. What have we got in the way of assets the Leftenant can use, Major?"
"Well, there's firearms, of course. And some gear he might find familiar from his SAS days, at that." The grin the Major is giving you is familiar. And that's when you recognize him.
"Captain Kincaid! We thought we'd lost you when you lost your leg! Goddamn, man, how have you been?" He laughs and wards off the bear hug you try to embrace him.
"Well enough, Leftenant, well enough. Now, about that gear?" You shake hands with the Ambassador one more time, and let Major Kincaid lead you out, walking remarkably well for a man with an artificial leg. He leads you to the armory room, where Rei is waiting for you, sipping orange juice. "You've taken care of ammunition for yourself, then?" You nod at his question, and begin shucking out of your current clothing.
"Now then. We've got L85A2s, as well as a few H&K MP5s, or, if that's your game, -416s."
"L85A2, sir. I've spent more time with it than with either of the others, seeing as how most of my time in the service was spent with the Irish."
"No suppressor, then. Just as well, the Russians need to know that this kind of devilry won't be unpunished. Try not to kill anyone, Leftenant. I'll leave you to it. There's a helicopter that'll take you to the Russian's building, and pick you up. From there we'll have a car take you back to Tokyo-3 with your new friend."
"Wonderful, Major, wonderful. Thank you, sir."
"No need to thank me, Cryan. You're the one sticking your neck out once more, after all. Good luck, then." You throw on the black clothing and tactical vest provided, along with a black hood and boots.
"Are you trained on firearms, Rei?"
"Not human sized ones, Agent Cryan. However, the principles should transfer."
"Major Kincaid, can you do me another favor?"
"Watch the First for you, correct?"
"Right, sir. Right, Rei, stay with the Major. He'll protect you and hopefully the UN will look at this like the UK taking her obligations to this whole NERV business serious."
"Good luck, then, Leftenant. Go on, girl, say good luck to the Leftenant," he adds in Japanese, for Rei.
She looks uncertain for a moment, then- "Good luck, Agent Cryan." Shooting her a grin, you leave the armory and move down the hall to another room, where the two men Dick sent are waiting. They look over you once, then cross themselves.
"Christ, Cryan, you look like something out of Da's tales about the SAS coming across the border for him or Uncle Mike," the shorter, fatter one tells you.
"Well, considering I was SAS, Paddy..."
"Christ, Dec, don't remind me." He crosses himself again, then slides a black briefcase across the table. "We knew about your history, so Timmy and I figured you'd want something you were familiar with. Inside that's a bayonet and magazines for your L85, mate."
"Thanks, Paddy." You fill the pouches on your vest with the clips, then the cargo pockets on the side of your pants.
The walk to the helicopter pad is... Familiar. Infiltrating a country illegally, getting help from the criminal underworld or the local American or British embassy, doing something that would cause lots of issues if anyone ever found out what'd been done...
Yeah. It feels familiar as shit, and you don't know if that should scare you or excite you. The helicopter ride, in the meantime, is odd, since it's a new type of bird, one you've never seen before. And before you know it, you're sitting on the edge of the passenger area of the bird as it hovers over the Russian embassy, legs dangling out.
"Drop me through the skylight, Cap'n. I've got a statement to make." The building is a four-story square affair, with one center lobby in the center, a skylight on the roof, and the necessary rooms and whatnot surrounding that center. You take a flashbang and your pistol, pull the pin on the flashbang, shoot the skylight out, and drop the non-lethal grenade.
"Oh my beautiful boy, I'm so proud of you." You look up in haste, and see... Nothing. You look around, and still nothing. But it was your mother's voice. It had to be, only she called you 'beautiful boy'.
"Fuck," you swear. You've got a job to do. Swearing again, you cross yourself, and drop out of the bird on the dangling rope next to you. You descend, and for a moment, it feels like you're sitting in midair, with nothing between you, the sky, and God. Except God's abandoned Earth, and you. Just like Da-
No. You're not going there. There's too much to do, too much on the line. You hit the ground with a thud and let go of the rope, bringing your L85A2 up and to bear on the first armed person you spot.
"Aleksandr Chesnokov!" You scream in English. "Aleksandr! We need to talk!"
To the armed man, you mime dropping a rifle with one hand, and he gets the hint, before slowly backing up. In the center of the lobby, there's a group of eight computer desks forming a square, with gaps in it to allow people to walk in and out of their work station.
You keep your rifle trained on the fellow that had just disarmed himself and head for the nearest door. You turn, kick it open, and barrel through right after the door, and find-
An empty office, probably used for interviews or something of the sort. You head for the next one to the right, and do the same. This time there's someone in there. Asking, "Aleksandr Chesnokov?" gets you a shaken head, but a finger pointing upwards. Nodding thanks, you head for the stairs. No one in the center lobby has moved from where they're either holding their head in their hands, or sitting there watching you in shocked silence. You find the stairs fairly easily, thanking Christ that someone laid this place out intelligently, and receive a phone call.
Reaching into your pocket, you pull out the cell phone and answer, not taking your eyes off the way upwards. You took the stairs instead of elevator because the elevator is an easier chokepoint to hold. But then, really, so are stairs.
"Hello?"
"Agent Cryan. Please explain to me why you are armed, in the Russian Embassy, and clearing rooms on international television."
Oh. Oooooh shit.
"Uh, Commander, I can explain."
"Please, Agent, please explain. I would love to hear this. So would the Subcommander. And the Tactical Commander. And the Head of Project E. And Captain Thierry."
"Removing a high-risk threat to the saviors of humanity's future, sah. Information acquired from Beria Aksyonov, an illegal Russian agent, has lead me to believe the Russians intend to abduct and secure the First through Fourth Children in order to use them as security against the Evangelion program and the United Nations. I also suggest you form a probe to investigate why, precisely, an armed Russian agent was within twenty feet of the First Child. Sir."
There's silence on the line for a moment, and then-
"Very well. Continue. Minimize casualties, Agent."
"Very good, sir." The line cuts off, and you add- "Shall I fetch you some fucking tea, sir?" You receive a text. It's a curt 'No.' Ignoring how horrifying the prospect is that the Commander can hear everything you say, you continue up the stairs, still strangely empty. Then you round the final corner and find yourself face to face with a Russian VDV trooper. You fire, he fires.
His round misses. Yours doesn't. He drops backwards, and you bull forward. There's no one else up there. Turning, you kick the door to the second landing in and see a man holding a revolver of some kind to the forehead of a secretary.
"So, Agent Cryan, we meet. I see you have managed to discover my identity as Station chief. It is not of mattering. You will be dead, soon, I think."
"Right, then. Let the girl go and I won't shoot you, and we can go have a nice talk back at base..."
"No, I don't think so. You will drop the rifle, Agent, and step forward."