WINDOW IN THE SKIES

The shackles are undone, the bullets quit the gun

Colonel Misato Katsuragi paced around the bridge of the UNN Wasp as the attack countdown continued. The United Nations Pacific Fleet, rebuilt and reinforced after the last large-scale engagement at sea was the most powerful force in the water. Except, perhaps a certain red alien-cyborg hybrid controlled by an angry pubescent teenager or two.

Those were the days. Though we lost a lot of ships and people in that battle.

The Pacific Ocean was calm this morning, with only a light breeze raising small languid waves on the surface. Five years after the defeat of the Angels and then the revelation to the world that the Human Instrumentality Project was actually a front for decrepit madmen to attain godhood (in a way that Misato still couldn't quite wrap her mind around) and the world's environment seemed to have largely returned to its pre-Second Impact normality. The oceans were now crystal blue again. The Earth's rotation had miraculously returned to its original 23.4 degree tilt to the Sun. The climate was returning to what it should be, though nobody outside of NERV and the highest echelons of the United Nations could quite work out how that had happened.

If only they knew it was because of one mopey boy and his angry offsider. Though said offsider would argue vehemently it was angry girl and mopey offsider instead.

Ahead of the UNN Wasp was her sister ship the UNN Essex, both ships appropriated from the United States Navy. The UN Pacific Fleet also included ships from other navies; Japan, China, Australia (though that place was devastated by Second Impact). The fleet was centred around the largest and most impressive ships; the enormous battleship UNN Sagarmatha and the fleet carrier UNN Over The Rainbow.

Sagarmatha was originally USS Missouri, the World War 2 battleship that had laid in Pearl Harbour as a museum ship for decades. However, the desperate wars following the devastation of the Second Impact meant the United States Navy had dragged whatever archaic ships it had back into service. Still painted a drab grey, the ship had been heavily modified with nuclear propulsion, vertical missile launchers and its original triple 16-inch turrets replaced by two massive single barrel railguns. The behemoth was immensely powerful. Misato wondered if it was powerful enough to defeat an Angel without an Evangelion's help.

A lot of chatter was happening in the background. The fleet's combat air patrol was monitoring for any signs of attack as a planned coordinated strike on the former metropolis of Brisbane unfolded. Australia had effectively ceased to exist as a nation after Second Impact as the mega tsunamis washed away its people, its landscapes and its cities.

As the world returned to normal though, the isolation and the emptiness of the continent drew lots of pirates, seeking a quick and easy way to strike it rich. The former city of Brisbane was now the largest pirate base in the world and regular attacks were launched from there. With massive disruptions to shipping and trade occurring and dulling the pace of economic recovery, the UN could take it no more, and dispatched the entire Pacific Fleet to deal with the problem.

The pirates weren't a sophisticated bunch, and their equipment was predictably whatever they could get their hands on. It was largely old Soviet era junk, but beggars couldn't be choosers. And their explosives were still effective when fired against cargo ships, though their radio chatter leaked everywhere and was easily intercepted by the fleet.

[Oi ya f*cking drongo. There's ships there mate. F*cking launch those missiles!]

[F*ck! How'd those c***s f*cking sneak up on us like that?!]

[Let's sink 'em and break open the VBs!]

[F*** off, VBs are a***! Bring out the Fosters!]

Misato turned her attention away from the intercepted messages. There wasn't much to be gleaned from them, apart from the fact the pirates had rubbish taste in beer. Yebisu all the way. All the intelligence the fleet was acting on had come from Agent Blackbird, who had infiltrated the hive of scum and villainy for months.

The UN's attack was proceeding as planned. Landing ships from Wasp and Essex were already on the way to shore, packed with troops, vehicles and ammunition. With any luck, the next stage of the attack would minimise the need for any of those to be used.

[Sagarmatha actual to fleet. Firing solution acquired. Sixty seconds to launch. Stand clear, repeat. Stand clear.]

[CAP reporting multiple incoming fast movers. Ready anti-missile systems.]

[CIWS active and scanning. EW suite active. Chaff launchers on program one.]

The chatter remained calm and reassured despite the incoming fire. Misato looked at the radar screens. Indeed, there were about thirty missiles on their way to the fleet. They seemed to be old and slow, nothing like the modern supersonic beasts the fleet was using.

[Firing solutions acquired on incoming fast movers. Interceptor missiles launching.]

On cue, dozens of missiles roared out of the fleet's vertical launchers, tasked with intercepting the incoming missiles. Radio chatter tracked their progress as they streaked towards their targets in front of fluffy grey trails.

\\\\\

Agent Blackbird had picked a good spot to watch. He hoped. He'd set out early in the morning, sneaked out of the base and climbed up to the summit of what was Mount Coot-Tha and brought all of his equipment with him; mostly laser guidance equipment, which was heavy and cumbersome to boot. He hoped the powers that be at the UN Intelligence Agency would let him out of their clutches and back to a civilian life after this mission. He was sick and tired of being a method actor. He'd even gained an Australian accent for this mission. Hopefully, the ladies back home would appreciate it.

The equipment was set up now and working. The pointers were lighting up the first targets; the pirate base's docks and garage. He pressed the ready signal and waited for the cavalry to arrive.

Blackbird took a breath. The trek up Mount Coot-Tha tested his fitness. The equipment and the rugged terrain took a toll on him. But the view really was quite spectacular. The Brisbane River wound its way through the landscape, and nature was reclaiming the land that used to be the sprawl of the city proper. The pirate base was the only thing marring the pristine scene. They had taken over the old airport, which was logical; there was lots of space, buildings like hangars could easily be rebuilt and the tarmac was largely undamaged. Vehicles like tanks and jeeps were parked on the apron, with a small road joining the airport part of the base with haphazard docks in the river populated with small gunboats.

It really was a nice setup.

Pity it's going to get blown up soon.

\\\\\

[Ready signal received, Sagarmatha. You are weapons free.]

[Acknowledged CAP, main guns charged. Opening fire]

The morning turned electric purple as the two massive rail guns on the Sagarmatha completed their charging and hurled slugs to twenty times the speed of sound at its targets. It sounded like the was being torn world apart, just like when…

Unit Two was in trouble. Though NERV had easily repelled the first wave of attackers – conventional forces – the second wave of nine Mass Production Evangelions were a much tougher task. Asuka was a much better fighter now than when she started piloting, and her training had come to the fore. She had dispatched them three times each now, but these Evangelions could heal themselves, and were controlled by some absolutely feral Dummy Plugs. Despite Unit Two's S2 engine, it looked like it would be a losing battle.

That was until an ungodly roar descended upon the world. A cyclone of purple and green and electric golden wings ripped its way from out of the ground in the Geofront and landed back to back with Unit Two, massive pike at the ready.

Misato smiled. Two Evas would finish the job effortlessly. And the pilots had the advantage of being very much stupidly in love with each other.

Misato shook the memory from her mind. It was history now. The world was safe, and this was her doing her new job. The first of the Sagarmatha's slugs would arrive in a minute, with final guidance provided by one Agent Blackbird. Whoever he was, he was a master at infiltration and espionage. She wondered if she'd ever get the honour of meeting him. In that moment, a second broadside was fired from Sagarmatha, again shrouding the fleet in purple fire. The noise was so intense, like the world was screaming death at their foes.

The missiles launched by the pirates at the fleet were arriving at the same time. Evidently, a few of the pirates' missiles had gotten past the fleet's own salvo. The tension on the bridge increased a notch as it was clear a closer intercept was on the cards. Chaff flared from their launchers, casting a bright, hot set of targets on the side of the fleet facing the missiles. Two of the missiles were fooled by the chaff, but the rest ignored the countermeasures.

[Missiles approaching CIWS range, locking on…firing.]

Thousands of rounds of tungsten and tracers lanced out at the missiles from the destroyers and frigates guarding the centrepieces of the battlegroup. The few remaining missiles didn't last long against the hail of fire, all of them falling short of their intended targets.

[Fast movers neutralised. Sagarmatha is continuing to fire its main guns. Stand clear, fleet.]

\\\\\

Blackbird had received the confirmation that the packages were on their way. He had heard of the effectiveness of the Sagarmatha's main guns but he would be witnessing them first hand. He didn't have to wait long.

The sky turned electric purple in a matter of seconds as the first two slugs dove down from the sky along parabolic paths. The base had some of their own point defence cannons, but they were too slow and too old to properly intercept the projectiles which were still hypersonic. At one thousand metres above sea level, the slugs exploded, spraying hundreds of internally held cluster munitions all over the ground. The pirate base was a sea of fire within seconds. There would be more on the way, no doubt, to make sure that the job was properly done.

Blackbird got up from his viewpoint, and proceeded to report his part of the mission was a success. As he did so, the clear blue sky flashed a brilliant white as if a thunderbolt had struck the world.

Oh can't you see what love has done?

Shinji Ikari was somewhat used to unfamiliar ceilings. Hospitals, dungeons, tents, bedrooms of queens, even closets, he'd woken up under them all. Five years ago, he was satisfied with simple things like waking up in familiar surroundings and hanging out with a few friends. But his adventures in another world had awoken his sense of self.

Now just six months shy of his twentieth birthday – and having filled out his rapidly growing frame – he felt more confident that he wasn't some useless piece of meat to be disposed of once used up. Ever since Misato had re-enlisted in the United Nations Marines, using her experience at NERV as a foot in the door, she stayed at her Tokyo-3 apartment a lot less. Shinji had been left to his own devices, which was fine with him, since he was used to being given space for himself. Memories of being alone sometimes drew up memories, pleasant and unpleasant…

"I'm sorry…Shinji," his father said to him at the start of the Final Battle of Tokyo-3. It was odd, Shinji thought, that he had been summoned to see his father in his office. It was just as he remembered it; spartan would be too kind a description for the cavernous and imposing space. There was just darkness, barely enough lighting, Shinji's father and the small desk behind which he sat, always contemplating. Shinji had been so angry last time he was here, Toji could have been killed had his mother's soul accepted the Dummy Plug's input. Thankfully Shinji also came to his senses and the battle was won, saving the pilot of Unit Three.

Shinji could tell something was different. In fact, his father had been different for the last few weeks and months. To put it succinctly, he was less of a prick. He almost seemed…human. And his father had never ever apologised for anything before. So why start now?

"I…I've been so focused on getting your mother back…rebuilding our family to my own utopia that I forgot that you and I are family. If…when this is over, I hope you won't think it's selfish of me to want to start again…"

Those were words, nay, sentences he'd yearned to hear but gave up upon after eleven years in the wilderness.

"Yes," was all he could say as tears streamed down his face.

"Th-thank you. I do not think I deserve it…but," his father trailed off, but slid quickly back into his Commander poker face after a few short seconds of hesitation. "Then, fight, save the world and then, we can talk."

A few subsequent long conversations couldn't quickly make up for over a decade of neglect. But it was a first step. The next steps would be slow though given his father was in a maximum-security prison. At least they were talking, which was better than only ever being on the receiving end of emotionless glares.

Which reminded him; he was suppressed to visit his father today.

It was then he was aware of something very warm, soft and fragrant in contact with his skin.

Wait. In contact. With his skin. He never slept naked.

He opened his eyes and his heart skipped a beat at finding a brunette tangled snuggled comfortably against his shoulder. She was very pretty and by the pressure on his chest, her chest was very big indeed. But it wasn't her. He ignored a pang in his chest but relaxed somewhat. There wouldn't be any needless dramas this morning at least.

Shinji slid out from her embrace, careful not to wake her. Looking around the room, he found his clothes from the night before and his phone buried under his watch, her green rimmed glasses and hair ties. There were posters of some obscure rock bands on the walls. Quite why anybody would name their band U2 was weird. It was just so cryptic. Even Coldplay was a strange name. How could one play when they were cold? Didn't the guitar strings seize up?

Not wanting to dwell on it too much further, he put on last night's clothes in record time and silently left the apartment before bolting down the stairs into the lobby. Hopefully he still had time to make the train for the weekly visit with his father.

Shinji had no time to react when he opened the lobby door and there was just a familiar shimmering light instead of a scene of a busy road outside.

He fell through the door but did not emerge from the other side.

You let me in your heart and out of my head

Asuka Langley Soryu enjoyed shopping. It allowed her to focus on the singular need to accumulate stuff. And she was good at accumulating stuff. After moving back into her father's massive mansion, she realised just how empty it was. The wide halls with fancy wooden furniture and giant portraits and still lifes were very nice indeed, especially compared to the bare walls of Misato's apartment. And the expansive dining room with the servants and chefs were nice, but sitting at one end of a table meant for a village felt so unfulfilling.

Then there was her cavernous bedroom. Sure, it was her room and the insulation against both the second law of thermodynamics and noise was better than in Japan. But Asuka could spend an entire lifetime buying things for this room and never fill it up. Some part of her brain – the part that actually listened to her therapist of four years, six months and sixteen days - knew that she wasn't missing anything material and that it was a hole in her heart that needed to be filled. But she shut that thought down before it could even be fully processed.

Berlin was beautiful on this spring day. Families were out in droves, their children darting between their parents' legs playing games of imagination. Young couples took their time enjoying being out and about, completely oblivious to everything but each other. Even the birds were singing to each other. Asuka smiled at the scenes, ignoring a pang in her heart, and continued to saunter along the high street admiring the fashion and knickknacks in the shop windows.

Asuka was in a good mood. Classes had finished for the day, all her paperwork was done and her PhD students were slaving away at the work she'd delegated to them. It was days like this when her mind wandered through her memories…

Today was a good day, Asuka had decided. She was shopping with Hikari and her ape of a stooge. Asuka had long accepted that the girl had awfultaste in men, but so long as the boy made her friend happy, she would not castrate him.

She was quite well trained in many combat techniques after all, and she was not afraid to use that training.

Next to the stooge was the stooge who Asuka was forced to live with. Ever since he'd come back from that weird shadow Angel's grasp, he had been less of a stooge. But he was mostly still a mopey little boy that she met on that aircraft carrier.

She was sceptical of Shinji's claim that he'd spent months in some other world fighting monsters and saving the world. It sounded like some infantile fantasy that all teenage boys indulged themselves in.

But if he hadn't, it didn't explain how suddenly he was just a little bit taller than her, whereas before Asuka could still look down on him, both literally and figuratively. She still looked down on him figuratively, but every time she looked down on him literally now, all she could see was that his butt was very nice indeed.

Asuka mentally slapped herself. Today was about shopping, and torturing boys.

"Alright Hikari, on to the next stop!"

Asuka was shaken from that pleasant memory as she walked past a shop selling brand new televisions. She normally didn't watch the news, but the headlines were shouting that an entire United Nations fleet had disappeared without a trace while on a mission. Underneath the main picture, the ticker scrolled past:

BREAKING – MAXIMUM SECURITY PRISONERS ESCAPE FROM NEO-FUCHU PRISON. NO KNOWN METHOD OF EXTRACTION FOUND AFTER INVESTIGATION.

Her previously good mood was gone, replaced now with a barely held breath. Misato was supposedly on that fleet. They had spoken rarely since Asuka's return to Berlin – there was a rift there – but she kept track of her a little. It felt, funnily enough, like she was spying on her big sister.

Asuka would never acknowledge that it was part homesickness, and part familial love.

But there was no time for that now. She had to hear what was being said by the talking heads. She walked to the shop's front door and charged in. Except the door opened to a shimmering weirdness instead of the interior, and before she could react, she fell into the weirdness.

AUTHOR'S NOTES

Hey all, these scenes have been brewing in my mind for a while now as the start of a sequel to Mopey Boy. I'm still sorting out the structure of the story and how it will all unfold. Take this as a teaser trailer for the upcoming tale.

Hope you all enjoy it!