Vertigo, Part 15


Please Read and Review. I'd like to know what I'm doing right (to keep doing it), and what I am doing wrong (to correct it.

Notes, the parenthesis indicates languages other than Japanese, in this case, English.


Day Eight (Night)
The Dreaming
The House of Mystery
Commander Ikari's Office (facsimile version)

Asuka stretched her arms over her head, yawning ostentatiously. "Hey, Cain. I don't know about you, but frankly, I need my beauty sleep."

An annoyed expression crossed Cain's face, he looked perfectly fresh and rested. Eager to continue. "Hrumph." He said, eloquently. "Kids today, no staying power at all." He shook his head mockingly.

Asuka stood up, and stretched her legs. "I'm human, you d… dark teller of stories. I'm about to fall asleep and I don't want to miss the stories. Those tykes are disgustingly cute, but I'm kinda getting fond of them."

"Hmm." Cain stroked his bifurcated beard. "That's true. Well, if you must, I'm sure you'll find the crew quarters acceptable. You know the way, don't you?"

"Of course." She nodded. "You have a schedule of narratives, or work with flexible hours?"

"Heh." He smirked. "I'm at total liberty to decide my working hours. So, be here at 8:00 A.M. sharp. The mess hall will have breakfast ready at 6:00 A.M."

"Excellent. Now, that's good hospitality." She bowed slightly. "With your permission, I'll retire for the night. Ah! Would it be a problem if I go for dinner now?"

Cain waved a dismissive hand. "Meh, just ask the croc when you get there."

"Don't you mean the cook?" Asuka raised an eyebrow.

"Who does actually live here, girl? I know what I said and I meant to say what I said. This is the Dreaming, anything is possible here."


The Dreaming
The House of Secrets
Entry Hall

"Oh, my…" Abel said, covering the sleeping form of Billy Batson with an old blanket. "Poor b-b-boy."

"You know him?" Kyoko asked, touching Billy's forehead with the back of her hand, as if checking for fever.

"Of c-c-c-course!" Abel wiped his own forehead with a ratty handkerchief. "He is Shazam's protege! Captain M-M-M-Marvel, the mightiest mortal!" Abel pulled a book from a bookcase, in the cover there was a drawing of a strongly muscled man in red tights and a white cape, a stylized descending lightning bolt covering the center of the chest area.

"Could you tell me his story?"

"I w-w-w-would, but it-t-t-t's bad f-f-f-form to do it if he is here but c-c-c-can't consent. Then it's his st-t-t-tory to t-t-ell."


Day Nine
Tokyo-3, Japan
Katsuragi-Ikari Apartment
(After School)

"Toji sends his regards, Hikari." Shinji said as he hung the phone. "They will release him in about five days, if everything goes right."

"Great news! He must be getting antsy!"

Shinji nodded, as he browsed the bookcase. "He needs the exercise. That's how he works things out. Ah, here it is." He pulled a magazine from the bookcase. "Newstime. This issue has some articles about Brainiac attack." He put the magazine in Hikari's hands. There was a big header proclaiming "Panic in the Sky!" (1)

"We can see what happened on Earth. And I think there's an interview with Superman, about what happened in Warworld."

Hikari seemed to want to say something, but changed her mind. "Can we read it after studying?"

"Sure."


Later

According to the Newstime articles, after Brainiac attacked the Lexcorp Building, the heroes captured Brainiac's ship, and rescued Aquaman.

While a group, mostly made of meta humans, used Brainiac's own ship to travel to Warworld to intercept Brainiac and Warworld; another group, mostly made of peak-level human heroes, stayed behind in case Brainiac sent an advance force to weaken or even conquer Earth. Brainiac's ego played in favor of the Earthbound heroes, as Brainiac only sent troops to Metropolis.

The roster on Metropolis was tentatively identified as being under the Batman's leadership. (2) Identified heroes were former members of the recently disbanded Justice League International, plus some street-level heroes. Batman, Aquaman, Blue Beetle and Crimson Fox were positively identified, while Thorn, Nightwing, and Gangbuster were not confirmed officially. They were aided by the Metropolis Police Department, the Special Crimes Unit, National Guard, Team Luthor in their hi-tech armor suits (3), and even some militias organized by the citizens.

The invaders caused a lot of damages to buildings, aiming at demoralizing the humans and capturing slaves. But the heroes seemed to be everywhere. Colin Thornton (4), owner and publisher of Newstime, unabashedly praised the defenders of the city in his editorial.

It took a long time, and many fights all over the city, but almost all of Brainiac's soldiers were defeated and captured. There were reports of some of them fleeing into the sewers or hiding in derelict buildings.

The last article was a brief update, a summary of Superman's account of the fight against Brainiac. It was a very short statement, thanking his fellow heroes' help, both on Earth and in Warworld, and welcoming two new heroines who had fought Brainiac alongside the heroes. Maxima, Warrior Queen of Almerac; and Supergirl, though he didn't add much detail.

Speculation about Supergirl's origin was a very heated debate. Ranging from a psycho kinetic robot, to a female clone of Superman, to a cousin from Krypton (5). Though neither Superman nor Supergirl explained much.

"Well," Shinji said, in the way back to the Horaki house. "I think it's enough for now. Maybe next time the Stranger will show us the rest."

"I'm very curious about how Supergirl figures in that whole mess." Hikari admitted.


Tokyo-3, Japan
GeoFront, NERV HQ
Science Section, Dr. Ritsuko Akagi's Office

Deadman floated right behind Dr. Akagi, looking over her shoulder, as she methodically worked her way through an undescypherable technobabble mess. "C'mon, Doc! Monologue or something! I can't make tails of heads of that! The only thing I got was that it's somehow related to getting Dr. Ikari out of Unit-01. And failing at the attempt!"

She stopped for a moment, leaned back in her chair and closed her eyes. She rested for a few minutes, while Deadman paced around her.

Finally, she pushed the intercom button. "Maya? Send me the logs of all the anomaly instances, please. I need to run several simulated scenarios. Clear the non-essential MAGI functions for sixteen hours, starting at 7: 00 P.M. today."

Maya answered immediately. "Immediately, Dr. Akagi."

"How are the repairs going?"

"10% in walls 7b, 7c and 7d, the closest to the old Central Dogma. The construction teams are working around the clock to patch them, they prioritized them for risk of failure. Once they can rebuild them, the rest will be both easier and less risky to work with." She paused. "The catapult system will be tested tomorrow. The 14th Angel caused a lot of damage to the mechanisms in the walls when Shinji used them to try to unface the Angel."

"What about the synch test?"

"Their scores in the sim bodies are good. Shinji and Rei are well within their average scores, and Hikari could operate an EVA without much problem beyond low sensory input and sluggish response time, which should improve once she gets enough practice. Once the EVAs have been completely repaired, I'll schedule a live test. With minimal energy, just in case."

"Good. How are you planning to do the tests?"

"I want to test all three pilots in Unit-01 first. It's the one that has behaved closest to expected. Then Unit-00. Unit-02 could be a handful, with the functional S2 organ we have no means to cut its energy. If it goes berserk, the other two EVAs would have to neutralize it within their limitations. If you don't mind, I'd rather schedule that particular test in the former Matsushiro site. Um… do you want to try recovery before?"

"Yes. In a week time. That's why I need the anomaly's data and the simulations. We will try to recover Asuka then."

"I hope it works. I can't imagine what's is like to be absorbed into a core."

Akagi took a drag of her cigarette. "Neither do I. Hopefully she's unconscious. Sensory deprivation can be torture." She didn't mention that it was the most probable fate for all the souls in the Evangelion cores, active or in reserve. She shuddered for a long moment.

A Possible XXVIst Century
North of New York Ruins
The Zoomway

Blue Beetle opened the Dig Bug's hatch. A hiss of air punctuating the action. "(Man, that's a really ugly thing.)" He said.

In his ear, Mari's voice said, "(It looks like something out of a 1950s movie based on monsters and custom cars, via Godzilla.)" (6)

On the tunnel ahead, a strange Titan seemed to growl at them. It's looked like a gargoyle crouched over wheels.

Dr. Canus looked at the thing, "(Looks like we found the Mountain of Judgement (7). The fabled mobile city that housed the Hairies.)"

Behind them, Unit-04 settled down. The Evangelion couldn't walk inside the Zoomway. Spacious as it was, the tunnel was not high enough to allow an EVA to simply walk inside it. Instead, it had to crouch like a hunchbacked minion. Though the Evangelion couldn't suffer from posture pains, Mari's own muscles were close to cramp in sympathetic pain.

Kamandi looked around, finding nothing but the smooth and wide floor of the Zoomway, and the colossal Mountain of Judgement, immobile across the wide tube. "(It's blocking the way.)"

"(No, really; Sherlock?)" Mari answered, mirth in her voice.

Booster and Skeets emerged from the Dig Bug. Booster checked a holoscreen in his left wristband. "(Looks like no one's home. Should we check it out?)"

"(Be careful, boys. I'll stay here on guard. See if you can get it to move. If you get it to occupy only one half of the way, I can squeeze Unit-04 next to it.)"

"(Let's see.)" Booster took flight, followed closely by Skeets. The two flew around the vehicle. "(Hey, found the cockpit!)" Booster exclaimed, examining a wide canopy at one end of the vehicle, set right under the snarling maw of the gargoyle on top. "(Skeets? Can you open it?)"

After a few seconds, the small IA answered. "(Not from here, sir. The access is through that door.)" He used a low intensity light to show a door at the back side of the cockpit. "(We must enter the vehicle to get to that door.)"

"(Unless we break the canopy, right?)"

"(I wouldn't suggest that course of action sir. There might be countermeasures still active. I'm getting residual readings of some systems still powered on in the lower half of the vehicle. Ah, found an access door. Follow me, sir.)" And he rose in the air. "(Let's try a 26th Century code breaker.)"

A hatch opened under the front right claw of the monstruous thing, and Booster and Skeets entered cautiously.

Quintessence Plane

"(Things are proceeding according to our plans.)" The Phantom Stranger said. "(Though there's still a lot to do, the main pieces are either in place, or close to be.)"

The other members of the Quintessence nodded. Or at least, their astral projections did so.

Highfather looked up, seeing something else than the black void of space. "(I must go. Darkseid is launching an offensive at Okaara (8), and the Warlords are a key piece to Darkseid's defeat.)"

The Stranger nodded. "(Go. Okaara must not fall.)" And Highfather's image disappeared silently.

Tokyo-2, Japan
Lexcorp, Japan Division
Meeting Room 1

"Are we in schedule?" A heavy set man asked to the board.

"We are, Kiyokawa-San. NERV needs a lot of resources to repair the GeoFront. The 14th Angel destroyed a lot of buildings and structures, both in Tokyo-3 and in the GeoFront itself. Enough to put a big dent in our operating reserves. We will need Luthor-San's authorization to fulfill NERV's needs."

"I'll contact Luthor-San after this meeting is over." Kiyokawa said, writing down a note. "NERV must be at peak operational capability."

New York
USA
S.T.A.R. Labs
Dr. Víctor Stone's Office
(Mental Plane)

"(Dr. Stone?)" Veridium asked. "(We have our preliminary plan of defense. And we would like to discuss it with you.)"

Cyborg appeared in the cybernetic meeting room. "(I have little time. That hag is about to arrive to S.T.A.R. Labs. Send me a code-protected data package, Doc. I'll review your plan as soon as possible.)"

"(Sure. We also need to know who else will be coming. Captain Arsala has added a few more people and gadgets to the roster.)"

"(And if we are lucky, even more will come to our help. I'll get you an updated list later today.)"

Tokyo-2, Japan
Tokyo-2 Population and Migration Department

"Um, guys." A thin, insect-like man hesitated before his colleagues, "um… we have a lot of people from Tokyo-3 coming."

"Yes, I noticed." His boss shook his head. "Who wants to stay in a city under siege? We will have to hurry and approve a couple of new suburban developments if we wanna keep them here."

"Why not simply ask them to go to some other cities?"

"Are you addled? Most of the people coming is highly prepared! Any city would, and will, throw them any incentives available to encourage them to stay! High-tech like NERV uses is not something to scoff at! No. We must try to accommodate them, our own industries need people of that level."

"Well, I hadn't thought about that…"

"Of course not. That's my job. I have to look for opportunities while you look for problems. Now, get to work and prepare your objections, I'll do the same for the chances."

Tokyo-3, Japan
Horaki House
Vestibule

Shinji saw the color change around them, just as they arrived to Hikari's home. She gasped, keys in hand. "Oh, my!" She exclaimed, "A bit of warning next time, please!"

Shinji chuckled, "That's the warning, Hikari. Takes a bit to get used to it, I know."

As expected, the Phantom Stranger appeared as if coming from a think fog. "Good afternoon, Shinji. Miss Horaki."

She tilted her head, "Just Hikari, Please."

"Very well." He tipped his hat at her. "The matter has been… tended to. At least for the moment. It has not been completely solved, but it's not so urgent at the moment. Shinji, have you been cleared for physical activities?"

"Not yet, a couple days more, at least."

"Pity. Wildcat looks forward to continue your training. And he is also eager to evaluate your own fighting ability, Hikari. Now would be a good time for it."

Shinji's eyes sparkled. "Please say, Yes, Hikari. Wildcat's training has saved our lives several times!"

"Um…" she hesitated, "I… I'm not all that comfortable with violence, but…" her hands played with the cloth of her blouse, before she composed herself. "But I'm now a pilot, right? I need to fight."

"Indeed." The Stranger nodded. He opened the door, and a gust of cold wind hit them.

"Wow…" Hikari looked around. "This is…"

A rough voice greeted them. "Welcome to Nanda Parbat, girl. Somewhere in Tibet." A rough looking man jumped down from a column. "Wildcat, at your service." He took the toothpick from his mouth, and stored it in the right ear of his cat mask. "So, another pilot in need of fighting training, uh?"

Hikari almost stepped back. "Um… yes?"

"Speak up, girl. No student of mine gets to be a shrinking violet. Not good for long term survival. Brash and loud is better. Never let your opponent get any idea that yer weak in their noggins. Never. They get uppity and then you must slap them down. Waste of time and effort. Better to have them properly cowed from the start."

Wildcat walked around the two pilots, while the Stranger stood back a few paces. "Kid, you're in sore need of a good spar, but I don't want you to hurt yourself, so you'll sit out this one, go to the bench and be a good helper for now, will ya? You're in charge of the gear for now."

Shinji nodded, "Yes, Mr. Grant."

"Now, let's see what you can do, girl. Your pal Asuka is quite the firecracker, but she has been trained since she was four. So, first thing on the menu, is to see how do you fight. Go change to more appropriate clothes. There's a set of gym clothes your size in the changing room." He pointed at a door, "Shinji! Prepare a set of boxing gloves."

A few minutes later, Shinji was wrapping Hikari's hands in strips of cloth, explaining what he was doing. "These are boxing wraps. To protect your fingers and knuckles." Hikari moved experimentally the fingers of her right hand, while Shinji wrapped her left hand.

"Feels weird…" she said.

"Yeah. It does. Now, let me put the gloves on."

Hikari was a curious sight with the boxing gloves on.

Wildcat waited for her in the middle of the patio, already doing the boxer's dance, bouncing on the balls of his feet, loosening his muscles.

"Ok, Hikari. First lesson. You have to hit me. Face, body, whatever you can hit it's fair play, no hits under the belt, no kicks, just punches. I'll dodge, okay? Whenever yer ready, Shinji."

The pilot hit a gong, signaling the start of the match. Clumsily, Hikari raised her hands and threw wild punches at Wildcat, who had no trouble at all dodging them. "Aw! C'mon! Hit me!" Wildcat taunted her, "Who are you? Western Union? Yer telegraphing everything!"

Five minutes later, Shinji hit the gong again.

"Okay." Wildcat said. "Enough for now." Shinji began to release Hikari's hands from their protective gloves and wraps. "I know what we must work with first. Gimme a few weeks and you'll be a little tiger, girl. Now, hit the showers."

She hesitated, looked at the Stranger, then to Wildcat, and finally to Shinji. She closed her eyes, took breath, and finally, she opened her eyes again, still looking at her fellow pilot for a moment, before lowering them, looking at the floor, "Um… Shinji..? I… I need to confess something, and I fear you'll be mad at me…"

Author Notes:

(1) The title of the story-arc was, indeed, "Panic in the Sky!" But it was not the first time that particular title had been used, it was first used for the 1955 TV series, starring George Reeves. Though the titular Panic was not an alien invasion, but a meteor heading towards the Earth.

(2) This was before the absurd editorial edict about Batman being an urban legend. He had been publicly seen both in Gotham City, a member of the JLA, and first leader of the revamped Justice League before it went International.

(3) Lex Luthor II sponsored a team of men in high-tech armor as protectors of Metropolis. Officially. Actually, they were to be his enforcers. Team Luthor debuted in Superman issue 28 (Feb, 1989), during Superman's exile into space.

(4) At this point in the timeline, Newstime was a very respected periodical, with Clark Kent as Editor, and Jimmy Olsen as a freelance photographer (both had lost their jobs at the Daily Planet). Colin Thornton, owner and publisher was actually a literal disguised devil, Lord Satanus. This version of Satanus debuted in Adventures of Superman issue 460 (Nov 1989). There was a pre-Crisis character with a similar name, Lord Satanis, but they are different enough to be considered unrelated to each other.

(5) The first two rumors are kinda close to the truth. While the third was the pre-Crisis version of Supergirl.

(6) The Hairies' Mountain of Judgement is indeed a bizarre sight. And really looks like a gargoyle riding a motorized skateboard. Back in the 1950s-1960s there were several interesting fads. Custom cars, monsters, and scale models. Plus some bizarre combinations, including literal monster cars, meaning scale models of custom cars for monsters, Dracula, the Werewolf, and even Godzilla got their own goofy looking race cars. But unlike the fun monster car kits, the Mountain of Judgement looks genuinely scary.

(7) The Mountain of Judgement really qualifies as one of Jack Kirby's most bizarre ideas. A mobile city perpetually racing in an underground network of tunnels, with a whole tribe of genetically enhanced techno-hippies on board. Even the name is stranger than usual for Kirby. The lower part was originally a missile carrier, and the living quarters shaped like a monster were built over it. The Mountain of Judgement and the Zoomway debuted in Jimmy Olsen, Superman's Pal issue 174 (Dec, 1970).

(8) Okaara is a world in the Vega System. Its inhabitants, the Worlords of Okaara, are famous for their skill in every facet of war, and train the children of the rulers of the Vega System in personal combat, strategy, etc. They debuted in New Teen Titans issue 13 (Nov, 1981). The best known student is Starfire.