Sokila watched with curiosity as Theodore fiddled with...something.
"What'cha doin'?"
Her senpai quietly looked up from what he was working on: a cylindrical MP3 player, colored a shade of red which was both familiar yet haunting.
"Ah...your first method of letting your Guest enter the Velvet Room...inspired me, so to say."
Sokila rested her chin on the table, peering directly at the tiny little device. "...you mean with the tape?"
"Indeed. I believe this can be used to similar effect..."
"...where'd it come from?"
Theo-senpai didn't answer: however, the sadness on his face said plenty.
"...you don't have to answer if you don't want to," Sokila whispered.
"It is fine, my dear kouhai. I would be remiss to ignore you...though your presence is far more agreeable than..." Theo paused, looking over his other shoulder. "...other individuals I could name."
Elizabeth, literally hovering over Theodore's shoulder, simply grinned. "I have to ensure you won't mess it up, dear Theo! After all, women's ears are different from men's!"
Theo sighed. "But sister, why would our ears be different...?"
"Well, if they weren't different, thenwhy would it be a different color than the one my Guest used? My logic is flaw-proof."
Theo and Sokila shared a look, unable to find a fault in her logic. "I suppose," he murmured, turning back to his task.
The faint haze of blue began to brighten-
xxxx
/Wednesday: September 23, 2015/
/Courtyards, Hakone Academy/
Autumnal Equinox Day—the last free day of the extended weekend before school started back up—started with overcast skies.
"More rain," mused Shinji Ikari, holding his hand out. "I wonder if we'll be getting a typhoon soon..."
"They've mostly kept to the southern part of Japan this year," remarked Kensuke Aida, stretching idly to get the kinks out. "So...what's on the agenda today?"
"Ghost missions tend to be of higher priority on this day," remarked Rei Ayanami.
"Then you and Third can deal with those," said Asuka Langley-Sohryu with a huff. "I'm going to stick with stuff in the CPC today."
Toji Suzuhara arched an eyebrow. "Why?"
As Mana Kirishima and Mayumi Yamagishi approached the group — for they had spent the night at Katsuragi's apartment — Asuka answered, "Because you guys can't fight Ghosts. And I'm not going to get much practice with...teamwork...if most of my comrades can't even hit the enemy."
"Did you have to sound like you're pulling teeth by admitting it?" griped Kensuke.
Hikari Horaki stepped in to play peacemaker. "Now now, Sohryu-san has been doing pretty well...and so have you." She lightly bowed. "Thank you all for helping me."
"It's not a problem, Horaki-san," said Mayumi. "I think you've done very well for yourself!"
"...so, we ready to start?" asked Mana Kirishima. "I'd rather not get rained on again."
And so did the team of six—Asuka, Kensuke, Toji, Mana, Mayumi, and Hikari—depart, leaving only Shinji and Rei.
"We should begin with the nearest graveyards," remarked Rei.
Before she could leave, Shinji — noting that there was no one within earshot — had to speak up, in light of what he had previously spoken to Asuka about. "Ayanami-san...I think Sohryu-san and Horaki-san deserve to know the truth."
The blunette slowly turned, looking at him with cool eyes; however, she did not answer him.
(Little did he know, that she was looking through and beyond him; little did he know, that Kaworu Nagisa—leaning against a tree, far away—was watching them both, as if waiting in judgment of their decision.)
(Oh, how little Shinji knew...)
Shinji continued his plea. "I know there's a risk to it...which is why I'd like your advice, Ayanami-san."
"...let us discuss this later," she replied, turning away.
Shinji grimaced, nonetheless following her.
(Little did he know, that Nagisa still watched them as they vanished from sight: giving no outward signs of what was going through his head. Ultimately, he stuck his hands in his pockets and walked away, smiling to himself...)
xxxx
/Room 4, 3rd Floor, Vulcanus Dorms, Hakone Academy/
"-still no word on what precise anomaly has gripped the country of Paraguay-"
Ren frowned, eyes still closed.Why is the TV on?
"-NERV's Second Branch has announced that their Prometheans have now been successfully deployed in over thirty countries-"
He opened his eyes in response to the continued sound of their dorm's television set. Kind of wish we hadn't splurged from our part time jobs to get that thing...
"-in response to Strega being repelled from the MAGI facility outside of Naples, Director Kirijo of NERV's Third Branch has proclaimed that the Prometheans are a hard counter to cognitive threats of all types, stating-"
...especially given how much of a newshound Narukami is.
(Yu Narukami had returned yesterday afternoon, just before the rain began its downpour in earnest. When asked about the results of his impromptu vacation, Yu had simply remarked, "Just making sure I was still able to endure. I won't waver." Minato had rolled his eyes, but said nothing more; he likewise decided not to press on Yu's story or his motives.)
Ren sighed, finally sitting up. Minato quietly nibbled on a small granola bar; Yu, sipping from a large cup of soup, was sitting in front of the television with a strange sense of solemn duty. "You know that sitting that close is bad for your posture, right?"
"It worked fine for my little cousin, and she was one of the most powerful people I had ever known," Yu replied without an ounce of irony.
Minato and Ren shared a look, unsure as to whether he was joking, or if his use of 'most powerful' was facetious in some way.
"In a related story, the Council of 47 have issued a collective demand to the United Nations that the current freeze on normalizing relations between the world's nations and Japan be lifted, as Strega's public moves have been concentrated solely outside of Japan: they argue that the threat of Strega breaking their so-called détente with the rest of the world seems to lack any meaning when Japan is the only nation not being attacked by them. Some advisors at the UN, speaking under condition of anonymity, have professed skepticism as to whether Strega is truly leaving Japan alone, given that all documented instances of the Yellow Fog have been restricted to Japan ever since Tohru Adachi's attempted assassination of Pope Thomas..."
"It's honestly a shame that I never developed a Social Link with Namatame," mused Yu. "I'm sure he's a lot nicer than Adachi on average."
"Comes with being a Wild Card, it seems: even if you invest all sorts of effort in your relationships, whether or not those relationships turn sour can feel like the luck of the draw," mused Ren, thinking about how Akechi was doing. "At least our senpai doesn't have to deal with that," he joked, flashing a grin over at Minato.
The blue-haired boy, finishing the last of his granola, seemed to mull something over before quietly sighing. "...had a surprising conversation with Kaworu Nagisa the other day."
Ren blinked, trying to recall why that name felt familiar. "Isn't he that kid who most students call a pervert...?" he mused aloud.
Yu, however, looked back with outright alarm. "When?"
"This past Sunday, while I was fishing. I've had a lot to think about," said Minato.
"...oh yeah, he was also that kid in Shinji's class who fought in the boxing tournament...and somehow beat Sho Minazuki in a yakuza fight club when Shinji couldn't...oh." That was why the name felt so familiar.
"What did he say?" asked Yu, outright demanding answers, to Ren's surprise.
If Minato was offended by his ostensible kouhai's impertinence, it completely washed off. "I'll summarize." He covered the basic details: the fact that Kaworu had openly divulged his past identity as the avatar of Nyx; his revelation that Minako's duel with Phanuel would probably end on the 27th (that was mere days away...!); and, speaking of Minako, the fact that she had apparently been Minato's sister.
"...I can understand why you waited to talk about it," admitted Yu, doubtless thinking of scenarios wherein Nanako Dojima would have been under the Usurper's control, and used as a weapon against them.
"Why did you seem alarmed by Kaworu Nagisa's name?" asked Ren, still trying to parse the fact that the Usurper's pet Wild Card was apparently Minato's sibling.
Yu blinked, pulled out of his internal ruminations. "Ah. Can't recall if I mentioned it during our first meeting in this timeline," he said, referring to their three-way conversation back in 2011, courtesy of Rei Ayanami. "But I spent quite a number of lives looking into NERV. And although I never made it far enough to personally meet Kaworu Nagisa when I was directly employed by NERV, I had enough stints with military intelligence to know that he was an Evangelion Pilot: the Fifth Child...and, as I would find out later when learning the Truth from Ayanami, the being called Tabris, classified as the Seventeenth Angel."
"...hard to believe that an Angel would have willingly bound itself with a human, then, given their current animosity," murmured Minato.
"As far as I'm aware, Tabris has always been the one who's most fond of humanity...which makes me wonder what he's playing at, talking to you out of the blue," wondered Yu.
That is a very good question, wondered Ren. "We know he's got some sort of power, judging by how he saved Ikari from Minazuki right before the snafu at the Olympics. Is he playing his own game?" As far as he could recall, Akechi hadn't said anything about Nagisa's presence...nor had a certain cat. "And given Morgana's ties with the Angels, you'd think Nagisa would be more involved."
"...I imagine Ayanami would have done something by now, if that was the case," Yu concluded. "If Nagisa truly represented a threat, I doubt she would have tolerated him being roommates with Ikari."
"Maybe whatever plan Nagisa's got going on requires him to start being more overt?" said Ren, offering a suggestion.
"If that were the case, he would have actually tried being more open with us much sooner." Minato huffed, exuding a rather melancholy air. "From the sounds of it, he's simply a rogue Angel."
"A fallen Angel, raging against the heavens that he descended from?" Ren observed.
Minato shook his head. "More like one who refused to abandon his principles, even as his kin fell to their own hatred of humanity...at least, that's the sense I got. Pharos and Ryoji were always rather enigmatic...and Kaworu Nagisa is no different, it seems."
Ren pondered that aspect of Tabris being a player with his own agenda, and wondered what Angel's actions would result in. (Inwardly, he wondered what would happen if he tried to prod at the distant sensation of his Magician Confidant...only to recoil, at the sense of overwhelming power: clashing somewhere, far away and far below...) "What do you think he's going to do next?"
Minato shrugged. "His only concern is that Shinji Ikari gets stronger...and apparently, that involves staying on the sidelines, this time around."
"...an Angel acting on Ikari's side so openly would instigate higher stakes...so being more of a side character at this juncture might make sense if he's resigned himself to being only a Social Link...but then why approach you at all?" Yu frowned, looking downright puzzled. "I wonder what his ultimate goal is..."
"...either way, it seems like we're running out of time," remarked Ren, glancing back at the television: the news was now running a piece on the upcoming constitutional elections next week on the 29th of September, when the people of Japan would decide whether or not to make the current 'temporary' model of a prefectural confederacy the norm, going forward. "If our mutual enemy's eyes are going to turn back to the world at large after the 27th...we need to have something in place to actually give Ikari a leg up on the competition."
"Beyond excellent life advice?" asked Yu.
Minato answered by throwing a pillow at Narukami's face.
Ren snorted. "You know what I'm getting at."
And that's what the Wild Card Trio spent the next hours trying to figure out.
xxxx
Ghost activity had been relatively heavy in the cemeteries adjacent to Hakone; so much so, that Shinji and Rei had not actually left the city limits of Tokyo-3.
Through it all, Shinji had yet to get Rei to talk about his proposal to bring Asuka and Hikari into the loop. Would it be truly such a risk, at this stage? He couldn't help but wonder...but without knowing the full motivations and character of their unseen enemy, he lacked understanding as to what would be considered 'crossing the red line'.
The Beast chuckled.
"What fear do you have of any red lines? Your power is supreme...if you would simply let go."
A light, misty rain had begun to fall around the southern side of Lake Ashi; despite their lack of umbrellas, their A.T. Field made up for it in a pinch. (It was odd, to look up, and see the translucent field of orange: palpable evidence that his soul was real, that he was more than mere flesh...)
When setting down at the periphery of another cemetery, their eyes set upon a single woman holding an umbrella. When getting closer, her religious habit signified her identity. "Makinami-san?"
Mari Makinami—Sister Mary—turned towards them, holding up a finger in front of her lips. "Be still."
The reason why became apparent: a Ghost was quietly hovering on the other edge of the cemetery, looking around with blazing red eyes.
Rei made a movement that Mari quickly halted with a hand. "...you are interfering with our duty?" she wondered aloud, visibly surprised.
Sister Mary shook her head. "Just...wait."
"...what are we waiting for?" asked Shinji.
"...back when Ghosts first started appearing after Second Impact, the most common tactic was to simply evacuate everyone within their vicinity, if it was feasible. After all, our collective knowledge of manipulating A.T. Fields was so much less complete, at the turn of the millennium...and the spiritually gifted who had natural talents weren't quite easy to identify..." The rain pitter-pattered upon her umbrella, forming fat droplets that rolled over the rim. "...if the circumstances allow for it, I prefer to handle Ghosts the old-fashioned way: to let them pass on..."
Shinji focused his eyes upon the distant Ghost, which seemed rather listless. "...that's a possibility...?"
"...the spiritual energy by which Ghosts maintain their form is finite," admitted Rei. "However, at sufficient numbers, they can still be deadly...and the closer they manifest near populated areas, the more likely they are to fall into a frenzy."
Which meant this one, singular Ghost would likely not be an issue. "Do you...know who it is?"
"An older woman who attended the parish I'm now stationed at," explained Sister Mary. "She passed away during the last new moon: physical exhaustion from the 'dancing fits' that temporarily gripped a lot of people in the city," she explained. (Shinji inwardly winced, looking at a tangible consequence of Israfel's attack on Tokyo-3.) "Her funeral was just this past Sunday." With a melancholy tone, Mari audibly pondered. "I wonder...are Ghosts strictly those who belong to the damned? Are they those who linger in Purgatory? Or have they been pulled from Heaven itself?"
"...I suppose there is no way of knowing for sure," calmly remarked Rei, not committing to any definitive answer.
Mari sighed. "It is a question for theologians...but as for me, I can only consider them a pitiable sort, regardless of the state of their soul." Her bitter smile was visible underneath her umbrella. "I once told Miss Sohryu that I consider the dead beyond our help...which is a statement that needs a lot of qualifications, but in the context of these Ghosts, I think it's a safe proposition to make. After all, we can only sunder their spectral form...actually changing the circumstances of their final resting place is beyond our power..."
Rei said nothing. Shinji wondered if it's because of what she knew about the true nature of the world...and so he kept silent as well.
"...Miss Sohryu was in a rather uncharacteristic mood, after the battle against the Angel." Mari looked over at them with a stoic expression, revealing nothing. "There's very little that can get under her skin...so the things which can tend to be rather serious. Is it something I need to be aware of?"
Rei remained silent, so Shinji simply said, "Well...I'm not really sure if it's something I can speak about." Whatever was going on between Asuka and Rei was something he still lacked a full understanding of. "But...I did have dinner with Sohryu-san last night...and we talked about some things."
"Oh?" Mari sounded rather intrigued.
"...we're trying to come to an understanding of each other," he finished.
"...that's good." Mari turned back towards the Ghost; it was slowly meandering towards them. Whether it would go berserk was not yet known. "It's been hard, not being attached to Miss Sohryu at the hip, and having to let her act without being her constant companion. I've had to get used to remembering what I can change, and what I can't...and thinking of my own limits has always been a humbling act." She briefly paused, gathering her thoughts. "Consider what happened to Pope Thomas: there's a part of me that wants to find this 'Tohru Adachi'...and kick his bloody arse." The cursing, filled with vitriol, was honestly shocking to hear. Judging by how the Ghost suddenly turned towards them, the feeling was mutual. "...but what would that accomplish?" As Rei and Shinji prepared to strike, Mari held up her hand to bid that they cease. "If Adachi were to approach me? I would fight to my utmost, in spite of the futility...but seeking him out? That would be nothing more than an elaborate form of suicide." As the Ghost's agitation became more visible, Mari calmly approached the specter. "I'm sorry: you shouldn't have to bear witness to my anger."
The two Evangelion-users quietly watched as the Ghost — charging towards Mari with a ravenous fury — was dispelled with a single, soul-infused punch by the nun.
"...there are many mysteries to this world...and the enemies you children must face are monstrous in more ways than one." Looking back towards them, Sister Mary rested her umbrella against her shoulder, smiling sadly. "Don't forget that you can only change that which is within your ability to change...trying to do more than that will only cause you to falter. And that applies for everyone...even Evangelion-users who are far more powerful than my lowly self."
Given the context of Shinji's many dilemmas, it was still nonetheless a good reminder. I can't control how the Usurper will respond...I can only control what I can do, mused Shinji. "...it's a good reminder. Thank you, Makinami-san."
The religious practically waved them off. "You'd best hurry along; you still have quite a bit of daylight left, after all."
Rei made to depart without another word. Shinji—giving one last look over his shoulder at the older woman, thinking about the lesson she had imparted to them both—turned to follow.
xxxx
It happened around 3:00 PM.
Whilst Shinji and Rei's anti-Ghost activities had moved beyond Kanagawa Prefecture, Asuka and the others were still working on missions within Tokyo-3's Cognitive Protection Center.
Due to the mission load, the teenagers had been split up to provide assistance to other Anti-Terror Agents as needed.
Asuka's was rather simple: one particular Shadow, belonging to a certain salaryman, was being served a judicial warrant on behalf of the Summary Court of Hakone.
This Shadow was not long for this world.
xxxx
"-do you contest these accusations?" asked an older A.T. Agent with a haggard face, having just recited a rather lengthy list of crimes related to drug smuggling.
The Shadow, looking like a robot in samurai armor, simply stared back with anger.
Asuka, standing at the edge of the impromptu arena — sitting amidst an ancient dojo, which seamlessly merged with a corporate office environment — resisted the urge to yawn. This is boring.
Matilda, sitting on Asuka's shoulders, idly fiddled with her red barrettes. "Not everything can be exciting..."
The lack of 'excitement' in this particular mission wasn't the point; rather, it was the lack of conversation and banter from her 'peers' that had become a sort of pleasant white noise in the background.
"Oh?" Matilda prodded at her cheek. "You enjoy their company? I'm sure they'd like to know that..."
Asuka remained silent.
"After all, it's not like they can read minds...except Mayumi." Matilda paused. "Wait. She's a telepath. Not a mind-reader. Yet!"
Asuka twitched, wishing her Other Self would shut up.
"It's not like it would be a bad thing for them to know."
Not the point, she groused, conceding her own internal argument with herself. It was the principle of the matter, more than anything: she'd be 'buddy-buddy' with them only when she was good and ready for it!
"At least you're not denying you want to make friends..."
"Can't you talk about how much I want to punch Kaworu Nagisa in the face?"
Matilda grinned. "I can!" It was an act of mercy on her part, because there was only so much Asuka could talk about touchy-feely things in a single sitting...
xxxx
Meanwhile, in reality: the man the Shadow belonged to was in the restroom at the logistics company he worked for. No one was present.
Which is why, when a strange fog colored yellow drifted under the stalls, he blinked with alarm. "What the-?"
"You know, it's a funny thing...how procedural stuff can get: following protocol, making sure there's a paper trail...boring bureaucratic bullshit." Without warning, the stall door was pried open, revealing an unassuming man whose face was nonetheless recognizable. "Which is how anybody with a brain can find out that your Shadow had a warrant issued, with today being the date of service," said Tohru Adachi with a grin. "Sucks for you."
"Wait-!" Adachi's hand clamped down over his mouth, silencing him.
"But look on the bright side: there's a bunch of brats on the CPC today...and unfortunately, my normal ways of working aren't exactly effective in this damn city. Thank Gendo Ikari for that." Adachi smirked, even as a multicolored eye flashed behind him. "So you're going to be my ticket in."
The poor soul tried to scream, but was unable to...
xxxx
There was a sudden convulsion on the part of the Shadow: one that got Asuka and Matilda to look up with alarm. What the-?
Without warning, the Shadow suddenly exploded in yellow fog, overwhelming the A.T. Agent.
"Yellow fog?" said Asuka, her hand impulsively reaching for her Stiletto-
It happened in an instant. The Agent, his voice muffled by the fog, roared "PERSO-!"
BANG!
A single gunshot rang out, courtesy of a pistol; the Agent's cry was muffled in an instant. Matilda was already on her feet, ready to attack at a moment's notice: her trowel, cultivating fork, handheld shears, and leatherbound book hovered about her head like angry bees.
Moments later, the Shadow slowly hobbled forward, dragging the A.T. Agent — dead from a single bullet to the head — by the leg. His right arm had seemingly burst apart from within, courtesy of an all-too human arm holding a revolver. The Shadow's face, once metallic and covered in a samurai helm, was partially covered by the avian mask of an Acolyte...save for the fact that one eye wasn't a blank void: rather, it bore a multi-layered iris, flashing multiple colors. Yellow fog continued to leak from it, as tears would from a normal eye.
"Was zum Teufel," mouthed Asuka with disbelief.
Then the damned thing spoke. "So that's what making Acolytes feels like? Freaky." The colorful eye turned towards her, and the voice took on a mocking tone. "And Lady Luck just keeps on giving! I didn't think the schmuck would get me an audience with the Second Child, of all people."
The yellow fog could only mean one person. "Let me guess: Tohru Adachi?"
"The bitch has a brain! Bravo." Asuka's lip curled with disgust, even as he continued talking. "I wanna see just how tough you actually are." He raised his revolver and fired.
The bullet was blocked by Matilda's book, even as Asuka already went on the move. "Eat this, you jackass!"
The Adachi-infused Acolyte—Aco-Dachi? Adachi-lyte?—sneered as an Agilao and a Zionga crashed into him. "And already, you're doing more than Ikari!" The Acolyte unleashed a hollow roar and charged.
xxxx
At a cemetery on the Izu Peninsula, nearly sixty kilometers south of Lake Ashi, Shinji Ikari suddenly turned to the north.
"...Ikari-kun?" wondered Rei aloud, even as Unit-00 finished brawling with a particularly brawny Ghost.
"...I have an odd feeling," he murmured, wondering why it felt so familiar.
The Beast smiled, even as it parted the currents of fate.
"After encountering that power so often...is it any surprise that you're slowly becoming familiar with it...?"
His Other, looking a faded photograph, disagreed.
"Or perhaps it is being brought to bear against someone of import...?"
"...I think we need to head back to Tokyo-3," he said, with an alarming conviction.
"If you insist," acquiesced Rei.
xxxx
Asuka dove to the side, barely dodging the Acolyte's downward punch. Matilda, skipping from afar, launched Freila at the corrupted Shadow.
As the tangible radiation burst across the Shadow's back, Adachi continued flapping his proverbial gums. "So, how long have you been at this gig? Five years? Six? How long have you had your Evangelion?"
"Why would it matter to an Arschloch like you?!" retorted Asuka, bringing up her Stiletto to parry the revolver. As she struggled to keep the gun's barrel from lining up with her, Matilda latched onto the Shadow's other arm, using her teeth to bite down on the hand, while her garden tools lashed furiously at the limb.
"You've clearly never done an investigation. You gotta ask questions to get to the bottom of a case!" The Acolyte kicked Asuka away, then used his revolver to fire point blank into Matilda's torso.
For some reason, the sheer physicality of the weapon was harsher than it should have been. Asuka impulsively reached for a spiced meat stick from her pocket, tearing into it with ferocity. That weapon's not purely cognitive...is he somehow bringing aspects of physical reality into the picture? "Well what are you investigating? How to be a jackass with no friends?!"
"Real cute. So clever!" snarked Adachi, even as the Acolyte swelled to an even larger state. "Did you spend all week coming up with that one, sugartits?!"
Seriously, what kind of insults are these?! wondered Asuka, feeling the heat of the processed meat translate directly into rejuvenated health. "If you're looking for the Third Child, he's not here!"
"I know. Kind of the point!" The Acolyte pulled up a chunk of the floor, tossing it like a baseball. As Asuka and Matilda scattered, Adachi continued gloating. "Surprisingly, he seems like one of those self-sacrificing noble types..."
Asuka huffed, deftly casting Sukukaja and Masukunda in quick succession. As she and her Persona accelerated, the movements of the Acolyte became ever so slightly sluggish. I have to get him off-kilter, she growled, inwardly wishing that she was able to break the rules like the Third Child and just manifest her Evangelion in the Metaverse-!
Her Other slapped her on the back of the head.
"No time for envy! Focus!"
Asuka snorted, gripping her knife as Matilda likewise gripped her trowel and mini-shears. Without a word spoken, the plan was enacted.
"Mind Cutter," said Matilda, unleashing her dual Psy-Physical Skill with swiftness. Asuka moved behind her Persona in tandem, ready to deliver a follow-up blow-!
PAIN.
The word screamed through Asuka's mind as the Acolyte's left fist barrelled through Matilda's attack, flinging the Persona away and crashing into Asuka's torso.
(The only reason Matilda hadn't been utterly pulverized by the blow...was thanks to Endure...)
The redhead impulsively winced from the collision, hissing as her back slammed back into the ground. Damn it...he feinted...?!
"Strength and durability of an Acolyte, but with an actual mind to use it," taunted Adachi, his voice brimming with smugness as the Acolyte reached down. With a contemptuous snort, he flicked away her eyepatch. "You've still got your eye? Then what's the point of wearing an eyepatch at all? Trying to show off how much a badass you could never be? Pathetic."
Asuka snarled, doing her best to not let go of the Stiletto in her right hand. Focus. Focus. Focus. Focus. She couldn't pass out. She couldn't pass out. If she did, then this bastard would win, and she refused to let him win...!
The Acolyte held her up by the neck with the left hand, whilst raising the revolver with his right. "I wonder...would it anger him more if I left a permanent wound...or if I just killed you?" An improbable smile broke out across the avian mask, cracking through the bone itself. "Maybe I'll actually make that eyepatch worth a damn!"
Her Other listened to a referee counting her down...
"...not..."
As the Acolyte took aim, Asuka—willpower bursting with desperation—raised her knife and stabbed it into the rainbow-colored eye.
Although this stopped the fog, the corrupted Shadow seemed otherwise unaffected.
"...yet...!"
...and took a stand.
Matilda, eyes gleaming with newfound power, looked up from where she lied and pointed. Her leatherbound book flipped open in a flash, unleashing not Agilao, but Agidyne.
A pillar of fire erupted from the ground, blasting the Shadow away; Asuka fell to the ground, resisting the urge to curl up in response to the ache in her torso.
To her dismay, the possessed Shadow stood up: singed, yet still alive. "Still got some gas in the tank, eh? Well, I hate to disappoint-"
The entrance into the Shadow's former Realm suddenly exploded, as Misato Katsuragi and Tokoyo led a team of four other A.T. Agents into the fray. "GET HIM!" she roared, as the entire cell suddenly burst into activity.
Asuka barely registered Mana Kirishima running in from behind the Agents to grab her; once Matilda finally dispelled herself, the siren call of unconsciousness took her.
xx
"Nagase! You're heating up!" called Misato, as Tokoyo cast Heat Riser on all four of her comrades.
"Got it!" acknowledged Daisuke Nagase, snapping at his three teammates. "Kou! Yumi! Ayane! Formation Football!"
Kou Ichijo, Yumi Ozawa, and Ayane Matsunaga moved about in a staggered manner, their respective Personas — a sickly pauper in rich, courtly vestments; a woman made of paper, whose costume constantly changed; and a humanoid seemingly formed out of multiple brass instruments — peppering the Acolyte with elemental attacks.
Adachi's voice erupted in an audible sneer. "More chumps, huh?" He raised his revolver-
Daisuke's Persona — an athletic individual with a flaming red hair, holding a sphere of fire in his palm — promptly kicked his proverbial football at the firearm, knocking it out of the Shadow's hand. The ball bounced around, passed by the other Personas until Kou's Persona kicked it at the back of the Acolyte's head, where it exploded.
"Bitch," snarled Adachi; the rainbow-colored eye still bled profusely, yet the Shadow still stood tall, demonstrating a seemingly exaggerated version of an Acolyte's typical durability. "You've gotta be tougher than that!"
Misato snorted, looking over her shoulder as Mana carried Asuka out of the cell. She's safe.
(There had been an odd sense of 'unfeeling' in the air, as Misato checked on the status of every kid's missions; for some reason, the Shadow in the cell that Asuka was working in had been registered as 'deceased'...why hadn't that bothered her? Only the latent realization of cognitive manipulation, and the sight of yellow mist leaking out of a specific door in the Panopticon, had forced Misato to act as though something was wrong.)
It seems the effects of the Fog become less effective with more exposure, thought Misato. Or maybe it's because this is just a Shadow that got 'possessed' by Adachi, and it's not Adachi himself. Which was a thought to be processed later, because how the hell was he pulling this off? "Let's put him down." Tokoyo unleashed Garudyne, surrounding the Acolyte with a torrential windstorm.
Daisuke immediately followed up. "Team! Annihilation Station!"
The quartet of Agents immediately unleashed a combined Megidola upon the Acolyte: four Heavy Almighty blasts consumed the entrapped Shadow, battering it relentless.
And yet...it still remained standing. "Heh...not bad...now it's my turn!" The Shadow took a step forward...and then, without warning, the light in its eye went out. The Shadow, suddenly bereft of life, collapsed; the Fog dissipated; the fallen revolver dissolved into nothingness.
"...cool, we won," remarked Kou.
I'm not sure, thought Misato with a grimace. What happened...?
xxxx
In reality, Tohru Adachi had suddenly stepped away from the bathroom stall, barely dodging an Evangelion's fist tearing through the wall. "Ooh, scary."
Rei Ayanami peered through the wall, with Unit-00's eye gleaming with genuine anger.
Shinji Ikari stepped into the bathroom through the door, with Unit-01 ducking inside behind him. "Adachi."
Adachi looked back and forth between the two, feeling slightly irritated by the fact his fun had been ruined.
The Angel of the Sky burned with intention.
"IT IS BEST WE DEPART, FOR NOW."
Yeah yeah, I hear you. But first! "You sure tracked me down pretty quickly. Guess you're not completely useless..." With a smarmy grin, he slyly added, "Then again, that redheaded girl put up much more of a fight than you. What was her name? Ah-soo-kah?"
Rei's eyes narrowed, whilst Shinji's impulsively widened in a manner that said so very much. "What did you do to her?"
Bingo. That was confirmation enough. "Gee, I wonder..." With a flick of his palm, he summoned vast quantities of Fog in a torrent that swarmed the two Evangelion-users. "Later!"
xx
As the yellow fog swelled and roared, Rei Ayanami unleashed her A.T. Field; with a decisive act of will, the mist was pressed down and smushed to the floor. Alas, Adachi was nowhere to be seen. I think I hate him, she idly mused to herself.
Her Other and the Beast both nodded in agreement.
She looked over at Shinji, who was looking solemnly at the corpse of the poor man in the stall: his eyes had rolled to the back of his skull, and blood leaked from his ears, eyes, and nostrils. "...we should report," remarked Rei.
Shinji startled, brought back to awareness. "...right. We need to find out if Sohryu-san is okay."
xxxx
/Hours later, at NERV's Medical Ward.../
Asuka Langley-Sohryu lied on her cot, a mulish expression on her face. "This sucks."
"Bruised ribs are no joke, Miss Sohryu," remarked Mari Makinami, who had headed for NERV the instant she had heard of Asuka's injury. "From my understanding, you're lucky to get away with that much."
"Because the bastard was toying with me," she griped, staring at Misato Katsuragi. "How the hell did he pull that off?"
Misato, staring down at her phone, remarked, "Based on what we've ascertained from Shinji-kun and Ayanami-san? He attacked one Koji Kotori, and somehow used his real body as a vector for turning Kotori's Shadow within the CPC into an Acolyte. How he manifested a damn revolver is something we're currently chalking up to...well, Angel bullcrap." With a sigh, she added, "He proceed to kill Agent Hajime Suruga before fighting you...and the rest is history."
The names didn't mean much to Asuka, if anything at all, to be honest; even so, casualties were casualties. "...the guy liked to talk. He's a jerk and an asshole."
"Language," tiredly admonished Sister Mary. "...but I would agree that it's an accurate description." The nun gripped at her habit, as anger flashed across his face. "What in the world are his motives?"
"Good question," grumbled Asuka, staring at the door leading out into the hall; her...allies...were waiting outside. "A damn good question..."
xx
"...so, Adachi got away?" asked Mana Kirishima.
Shinji nodded, looking around at the concerned faces of his allies...save for Rei, who was simply staring into space, a cool and distant expression on her face. "He's...crafty."
"No kidding," grumbled Kensuke, slumping in his borrowed chair. "The fact he infiltrated the CPC through someone's Shadow is...scary."
"They'll be able to track it though, right?" asked Toji.
Mayumi, hands clenching on her knees, said, "According to what Katsuragi-san was saying, the traces of the Fog are...making more of a cognitive impression, now. Whether they'll be able to stop the memory-altering effect entirely is...uncertain."
Mana audibly scoffed. "I can't believe it's taking so long. It's fog colored yellow. Why is it so hard to recognize?"
"Passive cognitive manipulation is no joke!" retorted Kensuke.
"...he attacked Ikari-san and Mana-san...and now he's attacked Sohryu-san," murmured Hikari. She looked up, conflicted and confused. "Yet both times, when he could have killed...he didn't. What is he trying to accomplish?"
Shinji, deep down, knew he was at the center of it all. (The thought that Adachi had intentionally hurt Asuka just to get to him? It felt both wrong...and darkly appropriate, in a way he couldn't describe.) Yet Adachi's actual goal, the reason behind why he was acting in such a way, was still a mystery. "...I wish I knew."
"...can't believe I'm going to say this, but I'm glad we've got school tomorrow." Everyone slowly turned towards Toji. Even Rei! "What? That shit's normal. If nothing else, it'll distract us from...whatever this is."
"You shouldn't call school a mere distraction," griped Hikari.
Even so, the point had been made: the day was almost over, and its own evils would go with it. Tomorrow would have its own troubles...
xxxx
END OF 9/23/2015
xxxx
Author's Note: Shinji's Social Link with Mari—Temperance—is now at Rank 3.
And Matilda upgraded from Agilao to Agidyne, so at least that's something!
Also, I did a manual overview of my notes while writing this chapter; counting Hamlet, Shinji currently has 50 Personas in his Compendium. He'd be relatively close to a third of the way to 100% in P3/P4, but he wouldn't even be a quarter done in P5 Royal.
Elizabeth: Clearly, he needs to 'get his sigma grind' going!
Sokila: What does that mean?
Elizabeth: I am not sure! I am sure there is some utility in being able to use Greek letters for construction work. But why 'sigma'? Its shape is so inefficient for the purpose! Now, "omicron" or "theta" would so much better...Power Slash! Whoosh!
Sokila: *tilts her head confusedly* What does grinding have to do with Personas...?