Sokila looked...thoughtful.
"You made some interesting Personas..."
She leaned back in the familiar folding chair, staring at the ceiling.
"...but that means you're prob'ly gonna fight soon..."
She curled her legs up, fiddling with her toes.
"...be careful, okay?"
The faint haze of blue suddenly brightened really quickly-!
xxxx
/Wednesday: July 8, 2015/
/Room 23, 2nd Floor, Izanagi Dorms, Hakone Academy/
Shinji Ikari blinked, eyes bleary and WHOA REI WAS IN HIS DORM ROOM. "ACK!" His surprised shout - and why wouldn't he shout, AYANAMI WAS DRAGGING HIM OUT OF HIS BED! - caused Toji Suzuhara to mutter in his sleep, while Kensuke sat up as one shocked. Kaworu Nagisa didn't stir at all. "W-w-w-what-?!"
"We have an emergency to attend to. I will explain on the way," coolly said the blunette as she yanked him to his feet.
xxxx
Kensuke barely got his glasses on (darn it, I need to stop falling asleep with these on) in time to see familiar silhouettes standing in the darkness. Grabbing for his cell phone (what the crap, it's only 1:37 in the morning?!), he turned on its flashlight and took aim, only just managing to observe and perceive static fade into nothingness before his conscious mind fully caught up. "...aw crap," he grumbled. Probably Evangelion stuff...nothing I can do about it. Sighing, he rolled back over.
"...ugh...Ken...?"
"What is it Toji?"
His best friend sleepily called out, "d'ya hear something...?"
"Nothing we need to worry about. Go back to sleep."
"...d'nt have to tell me twice..." he slurred, before snoring quickly emerged once more.
Take care of yourself Ikari, dazedly thought Kensuke Aida before rolling over to try and get back to sleep.
xxxx
Shinji barely found himself capable of clear and concise thought before he quickly fell into a familiar state of mind and soul: a disposition he slowly found was becoming instinctive.
Ayanami was practically dragging him along, phasing through walls before taking to the air; the form of Zerogoki - bearing minute traces of her Persona, Lilith - flickered over Ayanami's form as she seemed to soar through the sky. The landscape of Japan slowly vanished behind them as they moved eastward.
What was going on?
His thoughts must have carried in this strange space between dimensions, because Rei's response echoed through his being: "We are going to backup our peer. Her mission has gone awry in the American Southeast."
Confusion roiled through him, because what peer could she have been referring to?
"I am referring to the Second Child."
xxxx
/Outskirts of Atlanta, GA/
Right now, Sister Mary Makinami (to this day, she still hadn't quite determined whether her superior had been cheeky or simply lazy in deciding that Mari's religious name was to be Mary) was right irritated. We've been at this for hours now, she thought with a grimace, staring at the distant skyline of the American city now littered with smoke. And it feels like it'll never end!
The local time was 12:32 PM...which would have made it 6:32 PM back at NERV-03. It's been...five hours now, give or take? And it had all started so simply-
Her A.T. Field suddenly sizzled, feeling the impending touch of something foreign yet familiar in a way that only her ward had ever done. Turning on her heels, the tertiary watched quietly as two smaller silhouettes phased into tangibility, becoming solid and real. One was immediately familiar, even if it had been months since they had last cooperated on a joint mission; the other was familiar in the way of someone she had only seen by proxy through photos and video. "Ah, hello Miss Ayanami...and I believe you've brought along Mister Ikari with you?"
The blunette released the boy's arm, allowing him to sag; only quick hands to the knees prevented him from collapsing. "Hello, Sister Mary," she said, looking rather cute in her little schoolgirl uniform; the boy, by comparison, looked like he had just been dragged out of bed.
"Is he all right, there?"
"I pulled him straight out of bed to bring him here."
"...remind me, what's the local time in Japan?"
"2:33 AM. We left less than an hour ago."
"Ah, that would do it." She quietly knelt down, adjusting her glasses as she took the boy's measure. "Are you going to be able to fight?"
"...just...give me...a few moments..." murmured the boy.
"What is the situation?" asked Ayanami. "I was informed by Commander Ikari about a development that required the both of us."
"Ah. Well, to be quick about it, there was a large influx of Ghost activity in the middle of Atlanta; the resident Baptists and Evangelicals would have been enough to take care of them...until there were reports of Acolyte sightings in the downtown area. At first it was one...then two...and then ten...by the point the A.T. Task Force was calling for backup from all across the American Southeast, Miss Sohryu received the request from Director Kirijo to come and assist. We quickly got here...but shortly after Miss Sohryu tasked me with protecting the local National Guard command staff," she paused to point a thumb over her shoulder, towards the cleared hilltop that held a number of tents and military vehicles, "we received word that the local MAGI were compromised. Contact was lost with all five of them."
Ayanami frowned. "That would prevent A.T. Agents from entering or exiting the Metaverse at will."
"Indeed; it's been a couple of hours since Miss Sohryu entered the Metaverse. I've not heard or seen anything since, but last I was told, the total Acolyte count was near twenty, not counting the several which have already been defeated."
"...then our course of action is clear." With a quiet whisper, the girl withdrew an orb of blue flame from her abdomen, willing Zerogoki into existence; as the blunette's form became shrouded by a distinctive white bodysuit, she said, "Ikari; I will commence a full assault with Unit-00. You will enter the Metaverse to reinforce the Second Child."
"...but where would she be?" asked the young boy, looking rather timid for someone who had allegedly killed an Angel.
"The local MAGI are located in a secret compound underneath the Georgia Dome." She pointed slightly to the west of the downtown area, towards the domed stadium barely visible above the forests that dotted the land around the city. "Top secret though, so do be kind to not tell it to other people, okay?"
"...understood." The boy looked with solemn eyes (aw, he kind of looks like a little lost puppy) at his fellow Evangelion-user, saying, "Ayanami-san...please be careful."
"You as well, Ikari." With those words, Unit-00 placed Ayanami upon its shoulder, taking off with great leaps and bounds towards downtown Atlanta.
"...excuse me, um..." Shinji frowned, as though belatedly realizing something. "Uh...I don't think I got your name? Sister...?"
"Sister Mary Makinami, of the Third Order of St. Jeanne d'Arc. I'm what you could call Miss Sohryu's assistant. Do be quick, won't you?"
"...how will I know when I see her?"
"She'll be a loud redhead with blue eyes. Just follow the trail of destruction and loud screams in German."
"...I don't know what German sounds like."
"Just imagine words that sound like the rudest and angriest things you've ever heard," she said with a cheeky grin.
"...okay then. Thank you." Slightly bowing, the not-so-sleepy boy focused, slowly fading into static and then into nothingness.
The religious promptly sighed, thankful for the proper backup, even though it did nothing for her tiredness. Feeling right bloody knackered now, she thought, pulling out the walkie-talkie handed to her hours ago by the local commanding officers of the Georgia National Guard. "Gentlemen, be advised, we have the other two Evangelion-users on the scene; one's heading into the real downtown area, while the other's entered the Metaverse to provide backup to Miss Sohryu. Hopefully, you'll be able to divert resources to assist with the civilian evacuation..." Her eyes suddenly narrowed. "...and I'm seeing another contingent of Ghosts approaching the hill. Going dark to take care of them, over." Without waiting for a response, she placed the walkie-talkie back into the satchel hanging over her right hip; breathing deeply, she calmed herself and began to pray. May the prayers of my sisters be efficacious for this holy and charitable endeavor; may all the saints of Heaven intercede for me; for as it is written: 'Behold I command thee, take courage, and be strong. Fear not and be not dismayed: because the LORD thy God is with thee in all things whatsoever thou shalt go to.' With those solemn petitions, her soul was united with the intentions of her fellow nuns, many of whom prayed day and night at her order's abbeys throughout the world for success in combat against their enemies. St. Joan of Arc, pray for us; Our Lady of Victory, pray for us. Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, have mercy on us. "In the name of the Father..." She opened her eyes, focusing on the blue wraiths that were beginning their deathly charge. "...and of the Son..." As she spoke aloud, her soul trembled with glorious synchronicity. "...and of the Holy Ghost..." With a burst of flickering orange, her A.T. Field manifested visibly, forming blocky gauntlets over her fists. "...amen!"
And with that, the spiritually-empowered tertiary charged into the fray, yelling at the top of her lungs as she began whaling on the red-eyed Ghosts.
xxxx
Right as Shinji Ikari finished transitioning into the Metaverse, he briefly wondered if sleep deprivation had any effects on combat ability.
However, his focus was on the cognitive landscape around him; although the red and black waves in the sky were familiar, the other landmarks he had gotten used to - the orange waters of Lake Ashi, the spherical Cognitive Protection Center hovering in the sky, the lingering impression of the Rising Sun always hovering behind Mt. Fuji - were nowhere to be seen. Instead, great trees of maple and hickory wove around the cognitive echoes of the downtown area; a golden peach sat atop a government building; scores of airplanes and jets fluttered around like birds; a gigantic bottle of cola loomed amidst the skyline, spewing forth fountains of carbonated sugar-water; and countless other little bits and pieces that he could barely make out from his vantage point. The only other item of note was a massive tower - a monolith that had not existed in its corresponding place in the real world, far to the east of the city - the stretched high into the sky, imposing its will upon the scenery. He could barely make out the massive impression of the A.T. Task Force's logo in its side. Is that this place's equivalent of the Cognitive Protection Center?
Well, there was nothing to it. He needed to make it to this 'Jōjia Dōmu'...and he had just the Persona for the job. With an act of will, he manifested a part of himself...
(The cards for Jack Frost and Pixie fell into the orange pools; dissolving, they joined into the central cylinder, mixing - bringing along Zio, Bufu, and Energy Drop - and morphing into a taller, more menacing figure. "Whose hatred shall I stoke?" he said.)
...and as his familiar 'house husband' garb phased into existence, he said, "come forth, Andras!" With a burst of blue flames, a masculine humanoid emerged, bearing bronze skin; in spite of his nudity, there were no physical genitalia to speak of (which he was privately grateful for, because that would have been awkward). What marked him as inhuman were the avian wings and owl's head, bearing teal feathers tipped with a golden color; from his perspective, the feathers around the Persona's mouth were so long and uniform that it looked like a golden beard. Staring down at him with piercing green eyes, the bird-man (I wonder what Mister P would say if he saw this?) extended a muscular arm, already knowing what he intended. Shinji quietly let the Persona - over twice his height - hold him in his arms before taking flight.
After all, why battle your way through when you could avoid it altogether?
Still, he couldn't help but gaze at the cognitive landscape around and below as Andras flew onward; certain places had black voids already present, a foul pox upon the very land itself (are all of these new? Are any of them...old?). There was the occasional flash - wait, not occasional, there were actually a lot - of skills and spells as Persona-users clashed with the hulking Acolytes' Shadows with desperate energy. Based on the bulky titans that he could see, Sister Mary's information had been way out of date; he could count at least thirty just from his current vantage point. Are there more that I can't see? It was mesmerizing; what had caused so many incidents of Angel Syndrome? As far as he was aware, there had been no Pattern Blue alert which typically signified the verification of Angel Syndrome. Does it...have something to do with the MAGI being down?
The Beast grinned.
"Does it matter? You would have no choice but to fight them."
His Other kept a steely gaze on the horizon.
"Focus. The Second Child...she takes priority."
Shinji kept his eyes wide open as they neared the Georgia Dome, trying to listen for angry speech. Trying to find an obvious trail of destruction wasn't helping, because every place seemed to have been wrecked to some degree or another. (Right as he was mulling this, there was a distant explosion, followed by an immense cedar - smack in the middle of cognitive Atlanta's downtown - coming down.)
It would seem that he had to focus on finding out what had happened with the MAGI.
As he neared the Georgia Dome, he could see a group of A.T. Agents using their Personas to whittle away at the two Acolytes which were rampaging outside of the stadium's visible structure. (He tried not to focus on the American footballs which seemed to bounce along the dome's top without end, never falling off.) Grimacing, he gripped his shovel tightly as Andras sensed his intentions. "Get ready."
Andras nodded, hooting loudly as he skimmed towards the ground; dropping Shinji in a seamless movement, he quickly rose and took aim with his palms. "Zio!" A bolt of lightning struck the nearest hulk from afar.
Alas, all it did was get the beast's attention. The corrupted Shadow snarled - its beaked, avian mask without flaw or blemish - and smashed the ground, forming ripples along the surface. The force was so immense that a blank tear actually formed, gripping at one unfortunate Agent; the poor man could barely let a scream out before he fell within the blackness.
One of the other Agents screamed with shock at this development; Shinji couldn't quite make out the accented American English, but he could tell they were upset by their comrade's apparent demise. Knowing that trying to communicate wouldn't accomplish anything, he focused on trying to assist the Agents with taking down the Acolyte's Shadow. "Andras!"
"Foul Breath!" The owl-man loosed a noxious blast of purple gas at the Shadow's face, poisoning it; alas, this didn't seem to do much to stop its movements.
"Everyone!" he yelled, trying to let his intentions be known as the A.T. Agents regrouped amongst themselves (this is the Metaverse, formed by human thoughts; I want my thoughts to be understood!). "Don't let it catch you!"
xxxx
From the midst of the woods right at the edge of the Georgia Dome's grounds, a young girl looked with a keen eye. That's Japanese I just heard. How curious...and it sounded young, too.
Her Other chuckled.
"Oh, you silly girl."
The Beast snarled.
"You KNOW that voice."
She frowned, lips contorting into a grimace. "Huh...the Third Child, in the proverbial flesh, huh?" With a determined scowl, she gripped her trusty switchblade tightly. If he can keep its attention...I may be able to get a lucky shot in...
After fighting for what felt like hours - unable to even summon her Persona anymore (should've listened to Sister Mary and brought more items with me, Scheiße) - she could still keep going. Just have to make my shot count.
As an American's Persona - a gladiator in football gear - charged into the Shadow's back, she could see a Japanese boy with a shovel (yeah, that looks like the Third Child) gesture at his Persona, somehow switching it to a Kinnara (okay, that's DEFINITELY the Third Child). The horse-man strummed his harp, unleashing a bolt of fire against the beast's leg. The hulk - losing balance - lurched forward, bringing its face closer to the ground-
CHANCE!
-and at that instant, the girl took off in a sprint, as her right hand burned with red light...
xxxx
Without knowing how or why, Shinji sensed her approach before a young girl's angered shout reached his ears.
"Geh mir aus den Augen!"
He barely caught a glimpse of red hair as a lean yet fit figure burst past him, leaping straight at the Shadow's face! "What the-?!
"IMPACT!" screamed the girl, right as her knife pierced the Shadow's mask. With a burst of concussive power, an unknown force erupted from the blade, partially pulverizing the monster's face. With a pained and dying gurgle, the corrupted Shadow fell backwards, collapsing into the ground; the girl rode the creature down as it fell, standing stalwartly on its massive chest.
Shinji stared with shock at what had just happened. What the...?
The girl gesticulated and pointed at the five A.T. Agents, speaking in English that he couldn't quite make out; however, the other Agents - all of them older than her - seemed to acquiesce, as they quickly bolted off to backup their comrades against the second Acolyte's Shadow. Sighing, the girl turned, finally looking at him eye to eye.
xxxx
Another time. Another place. A sunny day, a windy day.
His first sight of her was a cocky grin, amidst a head that seemed of fire.
And those blue eyes...what was that look? Confidence? Arrogance? Something else?
He didn't have long to wonder...
xxxx
Somehow, it felt strange to see her auburn hair cut short, only going down to her neck (and yet, also proper, and fitting in a way that he couldn't describe). Wearing dirty sneakers and worn blue jeans, her white blouse was covered by a yellow sundress, its skirt fluttering in an unseen breeze. A tiny doll (old-fashioned, like something a child would love) with red hair was hanging limply - by its neck, morbidly enough - from a strap attached to her left belt loop. Though her arms were bare from the shoulder down, he could see that they were lean and toned in the manner of someone who did their utmost to stay fit; nestled atop her head were two red barrettes that were strangely pronounced, almost triangular in shape. However, the most telling feature of her self-appearance within the Metaverse was the black eyepatch covering her left eye, leaving only her right to stare at him.
Her eyes are so blue, he found himself thinking. Why was that the one detail which stuck out to him?
And why did it feel like time had stopped?
At last, however, reality resumed, as the girl opened her mouth. "OY! Don't just stand there like an idiot!"
Shinji jolted where he stood. "Oh, um..." Trying to speak, he managed to stutter out, "um, you're...Sohryu-san, right?"
"What are you, stupid? Did you really not even bother to learn what your fellow Evangelion-user looks like?!"
"Uh, sorry-"
"Oh whatever," she grumbled with an irritated sigh. "Your Kinnara should know Media, right?"
"...yes?"
"Well, what are you WAITING for, an invitation? Make with the healing already!"
"Ah, right!"
(Somehow, despite the brashness of Shinji's first introduction with Asuka Langley-Sohryu...it felt like all was right in the world.)
Right as Kinnara finished strumming his harp, a small wave of green light washed over the Second Child; a satisfied sigh slipped past the girl's lips as she promptly began stretching. By this point, the Acolyte's Shadow had begun to slowly dissolve into stray bits of cognitive particulates. "Ah...that hit the spot..."
Her Japanese has such a cute accent, Shinji couldn't help but think, and where the HELL were these thoughts coming from?!
"Okay! So, judging by your clueless look," as she said this, Asuka hopped off of the dead hulk and softly on the ground, "you don't really have much of an idea of where you are or what you're doing here?"
"...well, in all fairness, I kind of got dragged out my bed by Ayanami-san not that long ago-"
His attempt to defend his 'honor' was promptly shot down. "And I've been fighting all day, but you don't see me complaining about it."
"But-"
"Now I know that you're some kind of Wunderkind who can somehow use multiple Personas," she continued on, ignoring his aborted rebuttal, "but as far as I'm concerned, you're still a newbie. So I'll take point, and you'll back me up. Alles klar?"
"I don't speak German-"
"Then are we clear?"
"I mean, sure, but-"
"Great! Then follow me; we're going to find out what's up with the local MAGI and why they went dark."
Shinji glanced over towards the other Acolyte's Shadow, which was now surrounded by more than ten A.T. Agents. "But shouldn't we help them-?"
"That many A.T. Agents will have no trouble taking that thing down; bringing the MAGI back to proper functionality is more important! Come on, Third."
"Okay..." He said, quietly following the redhead towards the Georgia Dome (because she does have a point) even as she briefly shot an annoyed glare at him (what did I do to get you mad?).
"Hmph...so, what's with the house husband getup?"
"Oh come on, can we not?"
xxxx
Deep within the Georgia Dome, the interloper who had rendered the MAGI inactive frowned; he could sense intruders. "Hmph. It took them long enough." The five cognitive duplicates of the MAGI units - blocky mainframes of white capped with red - seemed to crackle with ambient mental power, yet were bound by spheres of orange light wracked with blue lines, almost like poison. "I wonder how long I can keep them occupied..." Adjusting his slim eyeglasses, he muttered, "Moros. Send some more Archetypes their way."
There was the whirring of metal and electronics, with a robotic chirp acknowledging his wishes.
xxxx
As the Second Child led the Third into the bowels of the Georgia Dome - its interior closely corresponding to the real world, enforced by the MAGI - she asked, "but seriously, why a shovel?"
"I told you already, I don't know! I mean, why do you have an eyepatch?"
"Wow, such a rude and OFFENSIVE boy, asking a lady about a crippling injury."
"...you flipped your eyepatch open to glare at me. With both eyes."
"..."
"You're doing it right now!"
"Whatever." With a haughty huff, she flipped her eyepatch back down.
"...you don't know, do you?"
"That sounds like someone who wants a-" Suddenly, Asuka paused, holding her hand out. "...we've got company."
Shinji (still somewhat reeling from how quickly he had gotten into an argument with a proverbial stranger, where is this coming from?) looked over Asuka's shoulder; almost as if without warning, hairy humanoids with gigantic feet lumbered out of the locker rooms, glaring at them with dead eyes. A strange aura coated their heads, crackling with pink lightning. "What are those?"
"Sasquatch Archetypes. And it looks like they've all been hit with a Marin Karin...heh. Letting the locals do their dirty work, neh?"
"...I guess we'll need to get past them." With a thought, Kinnara dissolved into blue fire, replaced by Hamlet.
"Ah...so this is your true Persona," remarked Asuka with an appraising glance. "Not too shabby...well, since you healed me up, might as well return the favor and show you how a veteran does things."
Shinji blinked as Asuka took one step towards the gangly, ape-like beasts. "Huh-?"
"Time to teach them a lesson..." Resting her hand upon over her heart, Asuka grinned as she shot her hand forward, holding an orb of shimmering blue fire. "...MATILDA!"
Shinji wasn't quite sure what to expect when Asuka summoned her Persona (Matilda...haven't I heard someone in the Literature Club mention that name before?). Given the various Personas he had encountered so far from others - Misato's Tokoyo, Ayanami's Lilith, Mister P's Gryphon, and so many others - he was expecting something grandiose and rather large. Given the girl's personality thus far, he wouldn't have been surprised if that trend kept on.
He most certainly did not expect the fiery wisps to coalesce into a figure even smaller than her. Like...nearly two feet smaller. Is her Persona even a hundred centimeters tall?
The specter solidified into the form of a young girl, a mere child: wearing a navy blue dress - patterned with tiny white fleurs-de-lis all over - that went down to the knees, the Persona quietly brushed at herself with dainty hands, gazing down at her polished black flats and white socks (almost as if to ensure everything was prim and proper). Clad in a yellow cardigan of wool - its back patterned with numerous flowers, mostly chamomiles, edelweisses, hollyhocks, thymes, red tulips, and marigolds - the child struck a colorful figure, matched only by the billowing ribbon of brilliant red tied into a bow atop her head. With a thick head of chocolatey brown hair going down to her shoulders, it was only by shuffling to the side that he realized it was a hime cut and oh her Persona's staring at me. Matilda smiled coyly, yellow eyes twinkling with delight; the colombina mask upon her face was rather minimalist, formed of gilded silver with only a few rubies embedded in the brows and cheeks.
Really, she would have come across as a child playing with a fancy mask if it weren't for the four implements orbiting around her head: a trowel, a cultivating fork, handheld shears, and a thick tome hardbound by aged brown leather. The book's cover seemed to not only change its title with every glimpse, but even the language it was written in, varying between German, English, and Japanese.
...I honestly didn't know what to expect.
"Get these brutes out of our way, Matilda!" yelled Asuka, pointing dramatically at the approaching horde.
The Sasquatches grunted, kneeling down to charge-
"Masukunda." The book settled into Matilda's right hand; flipping to a random page, the girl loosed bolts of green aura that struck the eleven hairy Archetypes. Right as their movements began to slow, Matilda flipped to another page. "Sukukaja." Green light danced around Matilda's form, increasing the speed of her own movements. Finally, closing her book, Matilda let it return to its floating orbit as she grabbed the trowel. "Brain Slapper." In the blink of an eye, Matilda leapt beyond them, thwacking each Sasquatch in the head as she moved by; landing beyond them, the girl spun on her heel, looking back at them with a confident smile. Right as the rosy glow faded from her trowel, the Archetypes all collapsed; most of them had a blurry distortion over their faces, while the remainder had crimson and violent hands looming over their heads. The former were bewildered; the latter looked scared, even petrified.
"Mostly Confuse, with a bit of Fear; nice roll!" Asuka shot a cocky grin back towards him. "Come on, Third; we can't waste time with mooks!"
"...okay?" Lightly stepping over the fallen beastmen, Shinji and Hamlet dutifully followed Asuka and Matilda; the redhead lightly jogged, while her Persona happily skipped along, managing to keep pace. That was...so quick...
His Other chuckled.
"Does it ring any bells?"
He leaned in, poking at his temple.
"That which was lost...can you find it?"
Shaking his head, Shinji took off in a run, wondering why they weren't seeing more Archetypes. "It seems so empty. Isn't this place like a stadium, or something?"
"The presence of MAGI introduce a stabilizing effect on ambient cognition," explained Asuka as they made their way deeper into the stadium. "Though, given all the havoc going on, I wouldn't be surprised if most of the Archetypes went into hiding. These sorts of places always have emergency procedures that people follow; designated shelters, evacuation points, stuff like that."
"Ah." He was privately grateful that the girl didn't seem to mind explaining stuff like this to him. Maybe she's just rough when it comes to being helpful...?
xxxx
Meanwhile, Asuka was trying so very hard not to smirk. Heh, the Third Child doesn't know basic stuff like this? Just another chance to showcase her superiority.
Her Other shook her head.
"You know his record. He's had Evangelion for not even two months."
The girl lightly smacked her on the back of the head...metaphorically speaking.
"Were you any better, back then?"
Asuka knew that she was being unfair, but she couldn't help but feel just a little smug about it. Only a little. A smidge, even!
xxxx
Shinji mustered up the courage to ask another question. "Why do you think the MAGI went down?"
"Well, it isn't due to terrorist activity or sabotage, at least as far as the real world goes. The locals didn't report any problems on their end when the MAGI suddenly went unresponsive. Which means..."
"...something happened to them in the Metaverse."
"Bingo!"
Before long, the Evangelion-users found themselves in front of a big red pair of doors, with the word 'MAGI' painted over them in big white letters. "Pfft, seriously? What piss-poor cognitive engineering. What kind of mental discipline does this place have?!"
"...why is this a problem?"
"It's a sign that the people who work on the MAGI here know that this is where they work on it, and their thoughts made an impression on the entryway into this place. It may look like basic maintenance doors in real life, but this is how they think of it. Sloppy. So eine Schweinerei!"
"...you do know I don't speak German, right?"
"Gee, that sounds like it's not my problem." The Second Child unceremoniously kicked the doors in, walking imperiously inside as Matilda quietly floated behind her.
Shinji sighed, trying to fight off the feeling that this girl was going to be the death of him. Glancing over at his Persona, he couldn't help but feel like Hamlet was...amused. "What?"
His princely Persona simply rolled his eyes, keeping his sword and skull at the ready.
...is it possible for someone to mock themselves without meaning it? Grimacing, Shinji simply gripped his shovel tightly as they followed Asuka and her Persona inside.
xxxx
The interloper sighed; his time here was almost at an end. "We made enough of the Archetypes wreak havoc for the Acolytes to do their work..." Chaos. Frenzy. Delirium. It was strange, how being unable to access the cognitive realm - a place unknown, much less inaccessible, for the vast majority of human history - reduced people to such panic. "...but I guess it doesn't matter. I've done my duty." And he'll have done his. "Moros...prepare to depart on my mark."
His Persona loosed a whirring chirp in response.
"Just one more thing to prepare..." He gazed at the five orange spheres constraining, pulsing as they were with blue veins. "...isn't that right?" he said aloud.
It only took a few moments to make his intentions known.
It was just enough time before the two intruders busted their way into the underground MAGI chamber. "Well, I was wondering what was taking you...the A.T. Task Force must be getting soft." Turning around, his eyes narrowed at the sight of two young children. "...or they're getting younger, these days. Oh well...if you want to treat this like playtime," he briefly adjusted his eyeglasses, pressing them up with his left hand, "then that'll be your undoing."
xxxx
Asuka Langley-Sohryu hadn't quite known what to expect after vaulting down the stairs, finally entering the main MAGI chamber underneath the Georgia Dome.
First: five MAGI units, constrained by orange spheres lined with blue lines (almost like veins...or perhaps mold?).
Second: an Archetype (no, I bet that's a Persona) that looked like a silvery robot with a stereotypical flying saucer for a head, possessing thin legs and only one gangly arm on a rotating ring.
Third: the Persona-user himself, standing in front of a terminal; clad in black cargo pants and an unbuttoned trench coat colored green (like, ew, what kind of fashion disaster ARE you?), the man's dark blue eyes stared at them from behind black, square-rimmed glasses. His blue hair was slicked back, with only a few strands running loose; of particular note was the fact that his chest - covered only by a tank top made of white cotton - showed signs of some kind of corruption: blue veins stretching from his heart and towards his extremities, so close to his skin that they seemed like tattoos.
Listening to him talk, and to see his eyes...yep. No doubt about it. Definitely dealing with a zealot. "Can the crap. Who are you, and what have you done to the MAGI?"
"The name's Jin. Who I am...really isn't that important. All I can say is that I'm here to send the message of Strega."
Great, are we dealing with some cognitive terrorist group? "What have you done to the MAGI?" she asked again. In her peripheral vision, the Third Child and Hamlet were tense, ready to attack at a moment's notice. Matilda, meanwhile, was staring at the MAGI with...concern. (What exactly am I seeing...that I'm not seeing? Damn it, I shouldn't be confusing myself.) "I won't ask a third time," she emphasized, trying not to get distracted.
"Well...it's not what I did, so to speak. I'm simply a messenger...for the Angels."
Asuka's blood froze. Wait, what-?
"Strega's message is simple: we're going to finish what Second Impact started." The man stared briefly at Shinji Ikari before raising his left hand. "Bardiel...whenever you please. Moros, NOW!"
Jin's Persona beeped and chirped; in an instant, the man and his walking UFO wavered and vanished.
In that same instant, the blue veins suddenly surged with bright light, drawing in the space around them like a vacuum-! "Oh Scheiße-!"
In the very next instant, an unusual sensation erupted from her left side; she barely recognized the specter of a horned, purple demon overshadowing Hamlet (wait a second, that looks like Shogoki) before the empowered Persona grabbed the Third Child and her at the same time (holy cow, that IS his Evangelion, how is it appearing in the Metaverse?!). Matilda immediately vanished, returning to her being-
Her Other frowned.
"This power..."
-and then with a defiant roar, Hamlet unleashed a powerful bolt of Psi energy from his skull that shredded through the ceiling, cutting through to the surface-
The Beast snarled.
"...even now, it hasn't changed..."
-and Asuka thought no more before Hamlet leapt through the hole he had made; she just barely caught sight of the five MAGI collapsing into points of light before vertigo took over.
xxxx
Less than five seconds after Jin and Moros had vanished, the veins around the MAGI - extensions of the Angel called Bardiel - constricted; ethereal power was unleashed, forcing the metaphysical and cognitive mass of the MAGI to collapse upon themselves.
At that moment, bereft of their constructs and chains, the sheer river of power that the MAGI had channeled overflowed.
Like a tsunami brushing away everything, the power of the five MAGI erupted in a wave that spread in a radius of a thousand feet: more than six football fields in diameter. (The A.T. Agents and the Acolytes and the Archetypes caught in the crossfire within the Metaverse were overwhelmed.)
The majority of the cognitive overflow was directed upward, spilling into the sky with flashes of incomplete lightning and glitching colors. Unlike the perfectly uniform event horizons that were the cognitive voids, this maelstrom was disordered and turbulent: a living tumult. (At the same time in the real world, all those who stood within the realm overlapped by the maelstrom suddenly went still. Within cognitive voids, thinking itself was nigh-impossible, and those caught within them simply ceased to live after long enough; this maelstrom was not so elegant. Hundreds promptly died from cerebral hemorrhage.)
Within a realm between dimensions, Bardiel witnessed all of this, and was pleased.
xxxx
The One Who Sat Upon the Throne frowned.
What a crude display that had been.
"Well, if you desire to use human implements in your futile struggle...then who am I to stop you?"
They could not help but smile, amused.
"In the end, you will only serve to make Shinji Ikari stronger."
xxxx
Within the real downtown Atlanta, Rei Ayanami nearly stumbled; so great was the sensation of the local MAGI's death throes, her mind briefly went blank.
Fortunately, her soul still retained momentum, as Zerogoki's fist smashed an Acolyte into the asphalt.
That...is unfortunate, she thought, intrinsically sensing the boundary of the chaotic region within the Metaverse. Fortunately, she could still feel the presence of her fellow Evangelion-users. We will have to finish this quickly. "I cannot tarry any longer," she muttered, turning to face the Acolyte that was once more rising. There are...fourteen more Acolytes still active within this region. If that was the case...she could afford at least ten minutes in her Ascended state.
The Beast sighed, eternally grimacing.
"Carving away at yourself for the sake of success..."
She shuddered, from both pain and ecstasy and weariness.
"Such is our way..."
There is no choice. With a stoic frown, Ayanami willed Unit-00 to overshadow her very form. Time seemed to slow to a crawl, as her muscles screamed from the forced synchronization of mind and soul with flesh.
She barely managed to observe the whites of the Acolyte's eyes before her hands began to rip and tear.
xxxx
Within the Metaverse, almost a mile away from the technicolor maelstrom, the empowered Hamlet landed roughly on the soil, knees bending to absorb the stress. The ground seemed to bend evenly, deforming and wiggling like gelatin before bouncing back into proper shape.
Shinji grimaced, feeling an odd sense of nausea, coupled with bile churning in his stomach. Fortunately, he didn't feel compelled to dry heave like he had the last time he had forcefully manifested his Evangelion within the Metaverse. How...how did I...do that...? It had been instinct, driven by need. But had it been just for his own survival...?
"So...Katsuragi's report wasn't exaggerating."
He slowly glanced at the Second Child, who was brushing at her sundress. "Huh?"
The redhead glanced quietly at him, her right eye filled with emotions that...he could sort of identify, but not completely. There was suspicion, confusion, envy...and something else. Maybe multiple somethings. "Katsuragi's report to NERV regarding your rescue op. The copy that Director Kirijo was able to get me was redacted...but your actions were mostly uncensored."
"...ah." So she knows about how I nearly murdered Kirishima-san.
Rather the derision and condemnation he expected, Asuka simply asked, "how are you able to manifest your Evangelion here? It's practically a law of cognition that the soul can't interact with the Metaverse."
"...oh." He didn't know whether to feel disappointed or relieved. "Well...I honestly don't know. It just sort of...happened."
The redhead snorted. "I'm sure."
"But it's true!" he protested.
The Second Child scowled, as if ready to say something else; her Persona Matilda suddenly manifested in a burst of blue fire, prompting Asuka to look at her other self. The spectral child gazed intently at the redhead for what seemed like minutes (but it was only a few seconds, what was with these dramatic lapses of time?)...until finally, the Evangelion-user sighed. "Fine. I won't press you on it. I guess you're a relative newbie still...it's only natural you'd have beginner's luck."
"...thanks?" he answered with a confused blink.
Asuka turned, looking with concern at the roiling fountain of color and mental radiation swirling into the sky. "Well...this is going to lead to one hell of a debrief..." Gazing at the horizon around them, her blue eye narrowed. "Can't see anymore Acolytes either...wonder if there was some kind of feedback...?" She quickly shook her head. "Never mind. Let's fall back to the local command outpost and get a read on our current situation."
Shinji quietly nodded, having no better idea at the moment. "...that man...he said he was working with the Angels..."
"Yeah, ain't that a hell of a twist? Er hatte bestimmt nicht mehr alle Tassen im Schrank."
"...uh-"
"I'm saying the guy must be crazy."
"Ah." He thought of Shamshel, the Angel he had fought almost a month ago; that creature had spoken of humanity with such...disgust, and condemnation. Why would anyone ally themselves with such a being? "He didn't sound crazy though..."
"And I'm telling you, those are the kinds of crazy people you need to look out for."
"...okay, I guess?"
"...you're kind of slow, aren't you?"
"Oh come on..."
xxxx
As the two Evangelion-users quickly made their way back towards the local National Guard outpost, a young man watched with glee from above; sitting casually upon the wing of a cognitive 747 - doomed to fly in loops over and over, just like the other airplanes that reflected the cognition of Atlanta's denizens - this man grinned excitedly, his blazing red hair flapping wildly in the wind. "Well well well...the Evangelion-users are all in one place...bet I could kill em' all in one fell swoop..." There was a thunderous buzzing within his head; he impulsively gripped the handles of his twin katana, which were embedded into the airliner's starboard wing for support. "Yeah yeah, I know the drill...gotta wait for my chance...but waiting is so BORING...it's giving me a bad altitude...heheheheh...HEHAHAHAHAHA!" The boy cackled at his own pun, before he promptly leapt off of the wing with swords in hand. As he fell through the sky, his form wavered and vanished, leaving nothing but confetti, feathers, and embers - all colored a deep black - in his wake.
xxxx
Within the woods to the north of Atlanta, a shrouded figure observed these events with a detached and apathetic eye. Hidden with a black cowl and robe, their features were...indistinct. Yet the nearby Archetypes avoided them, out of nothing more than sheer self-preservation.
They gazed upward.
The One Who Sat Upon the Throne shook their head.
"No. Now is not the time to test yourself."
They quietly smiled.
"Best to let them grow a little, before pruning any...unsightly weeds."
Nodding to themselves, the figure arose, and silently departed. In the blink of an eye, they were gone, as if they had never been.
xxxx
The debrief with the Georgia National Guard - who had operational command over the local A.T. Task Force when it came to declared emergencies, as just one of those little American quirks - had been...tense.
(He and Asuka had been back at the command outpost for not even three minutes when Rei Ayanami walked in, her arms caked with human blood up to her elbows. "The remaining Acolytes have been defeated," she tonelessly said...before falling asleep on her feet. Sister Mary quickly caught her before the unconscious girl fell to the ground.)
Shinji was forced to stand somewhat awkwardly before a bunch of American soldiers and officers, looking way too grim and serious for his liking. It was a small mercy that Asuka - being the only one of the two fluent in English - essentially grabbed the spotlight, answering various questions without faltering or hesitating.
(It had nothing to do with the fact that, outside of the Metaverse, he was once more reduced to his sleeping clothes. Why didn't Ayanami let me at least bring something more appropriate? This was like a stereotypical nightmare, and he was living it!)
Every so often, Asuka would translate one of their questions directed at him, at which point his answer was translated by her back into English. It also gave him quick opportunities to glance at her hair, which had seemingly grown after leaving the Metaverse...or, rather, it had returned to normal.
(I wonder why it shrinks while in the Metaverse...it looks better being this long. Not that he would EVER say that to her face, because he had a strange feeling it wouldn't go over well.)
After what seemed like an hour, it finally ended; the Americans brusquely dismissed them, allowing them to leave as they went about their work. Activity quickly picked up throughout the outpost; it was fortunate that there was an empty tent that Americans allowed them to use for the duration of their stay. "Ugh, so many questions," grumbled Asuka, running a hand through her long hair. No longer clad in her Metaverse outfit, the Second Child was wearing German military fatigues colored in a mottled woodland pattern. "There's only so many ways to ask the same verdammt thing."
"...so, what exactly happened?"
"Sister Mary, can you give him the abridged version? I've spent WAY too long talking as is." The redhead promptly leaned against an empty cot, yawning widely.
"Very well, Miss Sohryu." The nun - who was busy trying to clean the dried gore off of Ayanami's hands without waking her up - calmly said, "essentially: this 'Jin' you ran into, on behalf of this organization Strega, appears to have declared war on humanity itself in light of their alliance with the Angels. There will likely be a worldwide alert sent out for governments to be on the lookout for this group and any association that may be allied with them, especially since they attacked the MAGI directly. The rest of their discussion involved a bunch of logistics related to the battles themselves, which don't really meaning anything as far as you're concerned."
"...I see. Was...there anything else?"
"A little bit of questioning regarding a break-in at the Sullivan Shadow Tower." At his look of confusion, the woman added, "it's what the local government named their equivalent of the Cognitive Protection Center."
"It was that giant obelisk you probably saw in the Metaverse," tiredly remarked Asuka.
"Ah...wait, a break-in?" he asked with a start.
"Someone apparently took advantage of the chaos to to infiltrate the Shadow Tower," answered Sister Mary. "Most of the A.T. Agents on site had deployed to help with everything affecting Atlanta proper, so the staff was shorthanded; they were unable to identify the intruder or what they were after, but they managed to escape."
...that seems concerning.
Asuka, on the other hand, scoffed. "Meh, who cares? It's probably something local that doesn't really affect us...they'd have told us if it did."
"...so...what now?"
"Now?" Asuka slowly rose back to her feet, stretching her limbs. "We've beaten the Acolytes, helped quell the Ghosts, and found out about an Arschloch that's actually allied with the monsters that caused Second Impact. Ain't no way they're gonna let this Strega group catch a break..."
Sister Mary giggled. "A very interesting name; it's the Italian word for 'witch'."
"Pfft, more like bitch for cutting and running," griped Asuka. "Attacking the MAGI put a target on Strega's back as is. Working with the ANGELS is just icing on the cake."
Shinji frowned. "...I sort of meant for us, like right now. Do we go home?"
"Well duh, I thought that would be obvious. We're done here, and I have to catch at least some shut-eye before tomorrow's next slate of missions."
"Yeah...I guess I do have school in...a few hours...?" What was the time right now in Tokyo-3, and why was Asuka looking at him with such cold eyes. "Uh...what did I say...?"
"...you...an Evangelion-user...still go to school? What are you, a boy? Why are they wasting your ability with something so trivial?!"
"Um-" Before Shinji could even begin to defend himself, a quiet voice interrupted them.
"His circumstances...are different...from ours..." Rei Ayanami slowly sat up, her movements practically screaming (in monotone, because it was still Ayanami) exhaustion. "...after all...he has not been awake to Evangelion...for as long as us..."
Asuka, apparently mollified by her 'technical' senpai, still had a retort in her. "All the more reason he shouldn't be bothering with that sort of baby Scheiße. Compared to holding off the threat of extinction, what kind of priority does school have?!"
"Our pace...is not...his to bear...the power he wields would not be helped by it..."
This only served to irritate the girl. "Pfft. Guess that means the newbie has a while to get to my level."
Shinji grimaced, feeling slighted by the put-down (because really, he couldn't exactly dispute her, could he?). "Sorry-"
Sister Mary took that moment to interrupt with a sweet giggle. Too sweet. "Now now Miss Sohryu, just because you kept testing out as a child doesn't mean you should hold it against Mister Ikari. After all, if you tried going to school as you were not even two years ago, I imagine you would have had detention after the very first day~" Asuka's stubborn silence only served to fuel the nun's apparent desire to cheerfully nitpick. "Perhaps you wish you could be going to school with your fellow Pilots? After all, even Miss Ayanami finds some time to still go to school."
"Which naturally attests to my superiority," halfheartedly said Asuka, looking back at him with...less heat than before. "Whatever. I'm heading home." With a brusque bump against his shoulder with her fist, she added, "I bet we're going to cooperate on missions in the future, so you'd better not backslide, Third!"
"...I won't," remarked, looking warily at the Second Child. It was strange, listening to her confident words; why was he getting the impression that they were...hollow? Or at least, not that honest? (Why would I even think that? What reason is there to think that?) Asuka Langley-Sohryu, he thought with a grim expression. An exotic name, yet one he didn't think he'd be able to forget. I wonder what she really thinks of me...
xxxx
And all the while, on a subconscious level, in words he had no way of knowing...a voice - still different, yet now familiar - spoke, within the depths of his being:
Thou art I, and I am thou...
Thou hast witnessed a potential bond.
The seas of depravity are vast,
and the truth is not yet known.
The Arcana is the means by which
all is revealed...but only in due time.
This bond may one day be yours...
xxxx
Sister Mary Makinami lightly bowed at Ayanami and himself. "It was a pleasure seeing you all. Do be careful okay? May the Peace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you," she finished, crossing herself before placing a hand on Asuka's shoulder. Her other hand grabbed her loaned walkie-talkie, which she promptly spoke into. "Gentlemen, be advised, the Evangelion-users are bugging out. Please direct any updates to Director Maruki of NERV-01; any emergencies should go straight to Director Kirijo of NERV-03. Godspeed." Lightly tossing the walkie-talkie over to an empty cot, the older woman lightly smiled at her charge. "Let's go, Miss Sohryu."
Asuka simply settled for a grunt. "See ya." Within a matter of seconds, the duo faded into static, vanishing from sight entirely.
Shinji stared, trying to decide how he felt about his first meeting with the Second Child. There was the sense of being...unfulfilled; there was also confusion, because part of him expected certainty.
"...Ikari...are you well...?"
He glanced over towards Ayanami, trying to figure out the strange knot of feelings in his chest. "I'm...not sure, Ayanami-san."
"...I see..."
"Are you ready?"
"...may I have...a few more minutes...?"
"Of course."
"Thank you..."
"...do you think our teachers will get upset if we sleep in...?"
"Possibly. But it would not be the first time that duty has required it."
He didn't know whether or not to feel amused by how casually Ayanami admitted to cutting class as though it were a necessity...okay, he was more amused than not. Just a little.
xxxx
Sister Mary Makinami held tightly to Asuka Langley-Sohryu as they phased through time and space; the familiar form of Unit-02 overshadowed her young ward, allowing them to skate over contours of thought and spirit.
It was partially because of this that she could get a clearer sense of what the Second Child was thinking. "Miss Sohryu..."
The younger girl did not answer, because she knew what was under discussion.
"Asuka," she said, dropping pretenses of politeness. "Jealousy and envy do not become you."
"...I know," she was forced to admit. "That power to manifest his Eva in the Metaverse...and he doesn't even have to sacrifice like me and Ayanami have...it's not fair."
"And I'm sure he has gone through trials of his own...but none of that changes the fact his power does not invalidate your own." In response to her stubborn silence, she added, "I'm sure you have a lot more in common than you might think."
"...maybe."
Contemplative silence dominated their thoughts and souls as they made their return to Germany.
xxxx
As life continued on in the real world - Europe descending into nocturnal slumber; America trying to make headway in light of the chaos in Atlanta; the Far Eastern nations slowly rising into wakefulness, Japan included - Takaya Sakaki had taken a meandering walk through the cognitive world, passing through voids and desolate places with terrible ease. His path was so haphazard and random, it was almost Brownian; however, the skips and jumps through dimensionals eventually brought him back towards the Japanese mainland, right about the time it was getting dark in real life.
A good thing to, because he was getting rather tired of carrying the sack over his back.
As he traversed the Metaverse of the Japanese mainland, a calm voice slowly echoed through his mind. I was beginning to wonder when he would reach out...
"Takaya."
"Jin...any updates?"
"I've been monitoring chatter in the real world. Those fools are all up in arms now about Strega."
"Good. Mankind should be made aware of their...tenuous position."
"Not that I mind finally making ourselves known...but did you really have to go that far to claim a mere prisoner?"
Takaya rustled the sack upon his back; though it did not appear so to outside eyes, it was heavy with the weight of one man's other self.
"It was an operation that satisfied multiple goals at once. Trying to take a Shadow from Japan would have been...inconvenient."
"If you say so."
"Tell me...who all did you encounter?"
"The Third Child and the Second Child."
The blue veins in his chest - nigh indistinguishable from tattoos - shivered impulsively, a mere shade of the mood that his patron felt.
"I see...and was their power as advertised?"
"The Second didn't seem that special...but the power manifested by the boy was unlike anything I've ever seen. I could sense its A.T. Field even as I phased away."
"...then our patrons' desire for his destruction is warranted, then."
"We might have been able to do it if Minazuki had bothered to actually do anything. He just watched the whole time, letting the Ghosts and Acolytes do the lion's share of the work."
"Calm down, Jin...Sho may be a bit unpredictable, but his patron outranks ours."
"...of course. I understand."
"Do keep me informed about any changes worthy of my attention."
"Understood."
Takaya sighed as he let the connection fade; he briefly wondered about the character of Sho's patron: Zeruel, the Angel of Might. Bardiel has spoken of his kin with caution...like a wary juvenile, fearful of the strength of the alpha. He wondered what would happen if he drew such a being's gaze; then dismissed such concerns, because he would have no say in the matter regardless.
Finally, he eventually arrived at his hideout: a desolate cavern in the midst of the mountainous forests of Japan. Quietly entering, the cognition of the place slowly shifted, taking on a more domestic and...homely setting: a smokeless fire that provided warmth without fumes; sturdy cots with comfortable blankets atop them; stacks of blank notepads that could be used for writing; crates full of non-perishable food; and more. Not exactly a necessity as far as he was concerned...but it was more for the sake of his newest..prospects.
And thus he quietly came into the sight of Musashi and Keita. "I have returned."
Keita jolted, nearly choking on a dried persimmons. Musashi, who had seen him approach, merely chewed on his jerky. "You've been gone all day," he said with suspicion.
"I had to procure something of importance." Unceremoniously he upended his sack; impossibly, out fell a heavyset figure in the orange jumpsuit of a prisoner, his slick black hair frazzled from the experience. His hands and feet were still shackled, and his mouth was gagged. Beady yellow eyes stared nervously at his surroundings, even as he unsuccessfully tried to yell.
"...who's he?" asked Keita.
"A prisoner from a foreign city: John Goldsworth. His street name was Johnny the Cash Man; a title reflecting just how much his fingers had choked the flow of illicit money in the city he had taken root in. Drugs, human trafficking, fraud...he had his fingers in so many things..."
Contrary to protesting his innocence, the man seemed pleased by the rap sheet. "And why's he here?" asked Musashi.
"He is the key to your ability to choose." Without hesitation, he quietly withdrew two daggers from the back of his jeans' pockets, tossing them towards the two. Johnny's eyes widened with shock.
"...you want us to kill him," muttered Musashi.
"I bring you an example of humanity worse than Shiro Tokita...for despite all the pain and torment he subjected you to, his motives could at least be deemed...noble. Not so, for this base and wretched being. If you desire freedom in this world, you must possess the power to determine who lives, and who dies...though I can help you attain such power, I will not do so lightly. Not for those who shy away from the reality of death."
Musashi grimaced, looking rather conflicted. Keita was still silent. "...you said he was in prison," said the former, looking for a possible out.
Takaya would not grant it. "The real man is serving a life sentence currently...but he has managed to finagle his way out before, thanks to such useful legalisms like 'plausible deniability'. He would likely find a way to do so again, in the future. There are many who were victimized by him and his subordinates who would be more than happy to see him die." The rotund Shadow, finally realizing his circumstances, futilely shouted and try to scuttle away; a harsh grip upon his head from Takaya's lanky hands halted that entirely. "Do this, and I will help you both find your Shadows...and teach you how to awaken to your potential. If not...then I won't blame you. But you'll go no further by my side."
Thus was the ultimatum. Musashi truly looked bothered by it, unsure if this was a Rubicon he was willing to cross.
Keita, it seemed, had no such compunctions, as he slowly reached down for the knife.
"...what are you...?"
Musashi's question was interrupted by a timid voice. "Niisan...I'm tired of being weak..."
The desire for strength. The desire to control one's fate at any cost, to live without being bound by past regrets or future concerns. It seems that Keita awoke to this reality calmly...quietly...yet no less truly.
"...then if you're sure...I'll step forward with you." Musashi gulped, the normally blunt and brusque boy rathered terrified by the step he was taking. As he reached down for his knife, he said, "brothers to the end."
Keita grimly nodded.
Takaya kept a tight grip upon the Shadow, despite its struggles; he kept his grip until the overweight man eventually faded, undone and unmade by dozens of stabs.
Inwardly, he could not help but smile at the boys' conviction, youthful and naive as it was.
xxxx
At that moment, in the United States Penitentiary in Atlanta, a certain inmate suffered a mental shutdown.
Given the chaos happening in the city as it stood, it would be hours before anyone realized that Johnny the Cash Man - a Japanese immigrant with the legal name of John Goldsworth, born Junya Kaneshiro - had died.
xxxx
END OF 7/8/2015
xxxx
Author's Note: Well, that was an eventful day.
There may have been a bit of Fr. Alexander Anderson that snuck into Sister Mary Makinami. (I will not apologize for this.)
Anyhow, Persona Origins for Asuka!
A precocious child with the maturity of an adult? A prodigy, smart beyond their years? A child who doesn't exactly have ideal parents? A child who, if you make mad, will completely wreck you with their weapon of choice?
Am I talking about Asuka Langley-Sohryu, or am I talking about Matilda of Roald Dahl's famous book by the same name?
Now granted, there are some differences; Matilda is generally humble and polite and nice, while Asuka is canonically prideful with a fiery temper. What could have possibly bridged the gap? Well...unlike Asuka (who, in canon, desired so desperately to be seen as an adult despite her youthfulness), Matilda - despite all of her powers and intelligence - never lost sight of the fact that she was not a grown-up, but a child...and adapted accordingly. (The details of this will naturally come later.)
Meanwhile, because of the amount of players now showing up, I figured this little summary might be helpful. Here are the current factions at play within the world of SPE:
Humanity (The general population of homo sapiens who are just trying to survive a Post-Impact world; this includes NERV, the A.T. Task Force, companies, government agencies, and the nation-states of the world. Alliances and relationships can be fluid - even to the point of antagonism, as seen with Shiro Tokita - but everyone generally agrees that they'd like to not go extinct.)
The Velvet Room Crew (Igor, the Attendants, the Protagonists for P3/P4/P5, and Ayanami)
Mister P and Friends (Pen-Pen - assisted by Jose, P4!Fox, Koromaru, and Teddie - and Kaji's Shadow, Akechi, and a friendly(?) Angel named Phanuel; Ayanami has a tenuous alliance with this group. Kaji's Shadow is somehow able to contact Arael through Marie.)
The Angels (Zeruel and his kin; they are responsible for the Acolytes and Ghosts, and hence Second Impact. They also are using Strega - currently consisting of Takaya Sakaki, Jin Shirato, and Sho Minazuki as far as we know - as their means to an end; besides a general desire to subjugate humanity, they have a particular animus against Shinji Ikari and someone named the Usurper. There is some manner of disagreement regarding their overall direction, based on the actions of some [see Phanuel, Arael]. Kaworu is apparently keeping a low profile for reasons unknown to this point, but Shinji seems to be a key player in them.)
The One Who Sits Upon the Throne (An unknown figure apparently opposed to the Angels, who also desires Shinji Ikari to achieve his full potential; their agents include the Reaper and the shrouded figure shown in this chapter.)
Gendo Ikari...well, he can be considered a lone wolf at this stage, if only because the sheer animus he has towards Shinji makes it hard to make him a full member of the Humanity faction. (That, and he also seemed to YEET Shiro Tokita to...somewhere. That's probably not a good sign.)
/but clearly
/the biggest development of this chapter
/is the Bigfoot Archetype
/because of COURSE there'd be one in America :D
/also, F's in the chat for Kaneshiro