Interludes After the Sixth Angel, Part 1

Note, the parenthesis indicate languages other than Japanese, in this case, English, German, and Interlac.
Please Read and Review. I'd like to know what I'm doing right (to keep doing it), and what I'm I doing wrong (to correct it).

New Yokosuka
Docking Bay

A convoy awaited the arrival of the Pacific Fleet to the port. In a jeep, Dr. Ritsuko Akagi chatted amicably with her old friend, Ryoji Kaji. The perpetually scruffy man was sitting on the top of the seat, his feet on a cloth extended over the seat itself; enjoying the sea breeze, looking at the unwieldy mass of the Over the Rainbow, being dragged and pushed by a small fleet of tugboats. Over the now ruined flight deck, rested the huge Evangelion he had been traveling with. The carrier was notably listing on account of the tremendous weight.

The man was about to lit a cigarette, when Ritsuko pointed at a No Smoking signal, without even looking up from her notes. "Oh, sure." he said, putting cigarettes and lighter back into his pocket. "Say, is Misato still single? I had no time to ask her in the ship."

"Single, yes; available, I doubt it. At least where you are concerned." Ritsuko kept her eyes on the readings. "Hmm… This is strange… There are energy spikes all over the readings, but no apparent source."

Kaji looked around, watching the recovery crew getting their rigs ready. "You will unravel this, Ritsuko, You always were the brains of our little group."

She looked at him pointedly, "Hmhmm, then, Misato was the heart and you..?"

He shrugged, "I guess I am the dumb muscle."

"Trying to woo Misato again would certainly prove the dumb part; she´s over you, Kaji."

"Maybe, maybe not. It´s hard to admit, but I haven´t really gotten over the break-up. There were many things left unsaid. At least, I want some closure." He slid back down on the seat, and checked into the glove compartment. He fished out a small lunchbox he had bought at a vending machine in NERV HQ. Opening it, he took out a couple of sandwiches, offering one to his friend. She took it and unwrapped it. "Thanks, I barely had chance to eat some breakfast."

Kaji began to eat his own sandwich. "Anytime. You haven´t changed that much since the last time. Still skipping meals when your scientific interest is piqued; I guess that´s the secret of your gorgeous figure. Pure, focused science!" He chuckled. She tried to stop herself, but she smiled anyway, a bit. Kaji changed subject before it could get embarrassing for both. "So, what´s going on with that?" he pointed at her notes.

"I´m not sure." She went back and forth a couple of pages, "That stunt Asuka and Shinji pulled off shouldn´t be possible, even under ideal circumstances; even less in combat, with no preparation. The best I can guess at is that they somehow found a way to synchronize with each other and the EVA at the same time. A three-way synch! If we could implement this on other EVAs…", she pushed her glasses up her nose, "But we are short on pilots as it is. And anyway, it would be a tremendous drain on the internal batteries if the umbilical cables were damaged. The amount of energy the A-T-Field consumed each time Shinji ´pushed´ Unit-02 around is astounding." She sighed.

Kaji simply looked at her. The Over the Rainbow was getting close to the dock. From the railing, an exhuberant Asuka waved at him. ´Ah, well…´ he thought, freezing a smile on his face.

"Hmm… Rits. I need a favor."

Akagi lowered her glasses and looked at him from the side. "No setting you up with Misato. No personal info about her. Apart of that, I might consider it."

"Ah, no. I was thinking more along the lines of NERV arranging a small, very small, apartment for me. Just for one person, please."

She stared at him for a moment, followed his gaze, and realized why he had asked for that particular favor. "Sure. I´ll talk to Vice-Commander Fujutsuki. No need to bother the Commander with this."

"I owe you a big one, Rits."

"Don´t you forget it."

September the 14th, Year 2000
Ruins of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
(Spiritual Plane)

"(What happened?)" Tora Olafdottir had no idea of where she was or how she had come to be there. She was surrounded by debris, all kinds of broken pieces of buildings, cars, trees, even... even people... Everywhere around her, she could see water, receding slowly, back to the sea.

She heard a groan behind her. She turned around, her hands ready to project the cold that was her legacy. Lying in the wet ground, she saw a mop of green hair that belonged to her closest and dearest friend.

"(Bea! Are you alright?)" She knelt to help her stand.

"(Gnngh… I feel like I have the worst hangover of my life...)" Beatriz DaCosta held up her hands and rubbed her temples.

"(What happened? The last thing I remember was that we were trying to stop a tsunami headed for Rio de Janeiro...)"

"(Yeah... I thought we were going to die...)"

A third voice pierced the darkness. It was at once young and old, full of joy and sorrow. "(Sorry, you did die.)"

Tora and Bea looked behind them, facing an extremely pale girl with a vaguely Egyptian-looking make-up in her eyes and a rebellious mane of black hair. She was dressed in a simple thin strapped top, tight pants, fingerless gloves, and leather boots. Her clothes were black, except for a golden pendant shaped like the magical blast Dr. Fate manifested around his/her/their hands when casting spells. Over her left shoulder she was spinning a black umbrella with white lace. All very goth, except for her warm smile and the sparkle in her eyes.

"(DEAD? Are we dead..?)" Tora looked at her hands. "(I don't feel dead...)"

"(No one does, really. Nice to meet you.)" The pale girl extended her right hand towards them. "(I am Death.)" Tora shook her hand gingerly.

"(You don't look dead either...)" Bea was still rubbing her temples, but also shook the strange girl's hand.

The girl smiled, as if that was an old and confortable prívate joke. Actually, it was. "(No, not dead, as in corpse. Death, as in Grim Reaper. Well, not exactly like that, the bit with the skeleton in robes with a big scythe is not my style. I'm more like a guide. See that point of light over there?" She pointed at a bright star in the dark sky. "Well, you must go to it, and you will pass to the Other Side and to whatever Afterlife you have earned.)"

Some distance away, a big figure knelt in the rubble. It was a powerful green-skinned man, wrapped in a long blue cloak. He held two broken bodies in his arms, sobbing. Both women recognized themselves in the dead bodies.

Their hearts wept for their friend. The Martian Manhunter had been a good friend to both of them. Almost family…

He kissed their foreheads, like a proud father about to send his daughters for their first day of school. He murmured a prayer to the Gods of his long dead world, asking them to guide and protect them in the Other Path. Still cradling the bodies, he took flight. The group walked to the point of light.

"(...Could we...)" Tora asked, despite knowing the answer. Bea just covered her mouth and nose with her hands, trying not to cry.

"(Sorry, but you must go. Your Afterlife awaits. Now, this is where we part. He will guide you on the next part of the trip.)" She gestured to a floating apparition, it was a lean but muscular man, dressed in a red suit, his face and the visible part of his chest were deathly pale, but his eyes held a spark of mischieviousness.

The man bowed deeply in the air. "(Hello, ladies. Pleased to meet you. My name is Deadman, Boston to my friends.)"

Germany (1965)
Kiehl Manor

"(My condolences, Kiehl.)" The man shook Lorenz Kiehl's hand. The man was an old college friend. They had been in the archaeology class together, and had been in several digs for the Berlin University. "(I guess you are head of the household now. Should I call you Herr Kiehl now?)"

"(Thank you, Lindemann. Yes. I have to take control of our family assets. There's a lot to do. And yes, I'm Herr Doktor Kiehl now. But only in public.)"

"(Certainly. Herr Doktor Kiehl.)" Lindemann looked at the huge portrait of Elise Kiehl, hanging at the far end of the study. "(She was a remarkable woman. Strong in her faith and convictions.)"

"(She will be missed.)" Both entered the private chapel Elise Kiehl had ordered built in the Kiehl Manor, sixty years before. They knelt and prayed for a long time.

Afterwards, they went back to the study. After they had a glass of brandy at hand, they went to business.

"(Any progress?)"

"(Not yet, Lorenz. The scrolls were written in an unknown language. Without any context to extrapolate from, we cannot even start to translate them, the most we have now is mere speculation. We do know a bit about the structure of the language, but that is like trying to understand a computer program using the plans to build the computer itself.)"

"(I see. We need a Rosetta Stone.)"

At that moment, the phone rang. Kiehl picked it up. "(Kiehl here. Yes, bring it. Now.)" He hung up the phone. "(It was one of my agents. It seems we just got the breakthrough we needed. He found a series of tablets with signs common to our mystery language, and ancient summerian.)"

Almeracian Empire, Throne World
Royal Palace of the Ruling House of Almerac
August the 18th, 2003 (Earth Calendar)

"(Congratulations, My Prince. You are a father. Lady Maxima is resting now. Do you wish to see the heirs?)"

"(Yes, Doctor.)", the Prince Consort stood up. The last few hours had been exhausting. Not only he had to fight through an enemy fleet to arrive on time, Maxima's labour had been long and difficult. Despite the compatibility between almeracian and kryptonian genes, the pregnancy had been longer than usual for almeracian women, and shorter than kryptonian biological pregnancies had been. More than once, he had wished to have a matrix chamber available. But with one exception, all had been lost when Krypton exploded. And that last matrix chamber had been lost in space years before.

The doctor who had attended Queen Maxima during the birth was a squat humanoid, with three arms, purple skin and a crown of short horns around the top of her head. Her race was reputed to be the best doctors in the sector, and Dr. Kas'rr and her team were the best of the best. Her services were not cheap, but the Royal House of the Almeracian Empire wouldn't ever settle for second best.

They walked through a set of double doors, into the royal nursery. A squad of guards stood vigilantly around the cradles, ready for any hostile action. The captain saluted the prince consort. "(Prince El. Congratulations. Lady Maxima will be pleased to know her sons and daughter are strong and healthy.)"

"(Thank you, Captain Gamyll. I will pass your congratulations to her as soon as I can see her.)" He lowered his gaze to the cradles. "(May I?)"

"(Of course, My lord.)" He stepped aside. In any case, Lord El, as Prince Consort and Admiral of the Almeracian fleet, was in his right to see his newborn children, by force if he wanted. But one of the reasons he had earned the undying loyalty of his subjects was that he never abused his power, be it borne from his royal station, military rank, or his own physical strength. He always treated his subjects with the utmost respect; he made any commoner feel like a noble, and every noble feel like a king.

And he was a very good influence on Queen Maxima.

With infinite care, the Prince Consort caressed the faces of his heirs. The babies were sleeping now, their birth had tired them. But they stirred at the caress, and opened their deep blue eyes, looking at their father with innocent curiosity.

"(Welcome to the world, my children. It is more wonderful than I could have imagined three years ago.)"

Ruins of the Second Branch of NERV
Somewhere in what used to be Nevada, USA
A Possible XXVIth Century

"By the Creator!" Doctor Canus exclaimed, looking at a cyclopean effigy, standing tall in a metal platform that could house the whole tiger cavalry of King Ceasar, and still have some space left.

Kamandi stood behind him, jaw on the floor. "What is that thing? It looks like a monstrous version of the God Oscar we saw in Ho liw od! But made of silver instead of gold."

The giant effigy stood proud, its arms hanging loosely at its sides. Its silver skin/armor gleamed in the lights. "There's a catwalk just in front of its head, we could get up there with no problem." Dr. Canus pointed at a point in the structure. "We can jump and grab that tube, and climb up to reach the stairs. I have to see that statue up close."

"Doctor, I think it's something else. I have seen too many things left from the Great Disaster that looked like statues or junk, and then jump to life without warning."

"Duly noted, my friend; if it starts moving, we run, okay? Come on, give me a leg up, will you?"

Minutes later, Canus and Kamandi had reached the high platform.

Just as the explorers were looking at the face of the colossus, a shot rang in the place, startling them. A bullet bounced from the platform. The pair looked down, they had been followed by a platoon of beligerant gorillas! There were about 30 apes, armed with rifles and machetes.

"There they are; Boys! Let's show them how the gorilla tribe deals with intruders!" A gorilla sergeant spurred his soldiers to the attack. Not that it was really needed, the gorilla tribe was fiercely territorial, and to keep the tiger army at bay for decades, they had to be excellent fighters.

"Damn! We are trapped here! Quick! Grab those pipes and be ready, Dr. Canus!" Kamandi drew his gun, once more checking it was loaded. "When I run out of bullets, give me one pipe!" He aimed carefully from behind a panel full of old instruments, and shot at the hands of the ape on the lead. The gorillas weren't bothering to get up the stairs or even firing their rifles; they simply climbed up the gantry structure. The bullet flew true, and hit the gorilla's hand. He dropped to the floor, crashing heavily over two of his mates, dragging them in his fall.

While Kamandi aimed and shoot at the soldiers, Doctor Canus weighted the pipes in his hands, and took the lighter one. He knew Kamandi was very strong for a human, and he himself wasn't in the best physical shape. His young friend could get a better use of the heavier pipe.

The gorilla soldiers had taken advantage of the empty gun. Once Kamandi had run out of ammo, they hurried their climb to the top of the structure. Canus and Kamandi went back, putting as much distance between them and the ape soldiers, ready to sell their lives at the highest price they could.

The gorilla sergeant waved his soldiers back. He had been humiliated when the pair had escaped from his jail, in the ruins of old Las Vegas. "Now," he growled, "you will learn a new trick. PLAY DEAD!" and went at them, waving a club that was as wide as one of Kamandi's thighs, ready to pulverize their bones and turn their flesh into bloody paste, right in front of the silver idol. He walked slowly, savouring the moment.

Behind Kamandi and Canus, a growl echoed through the chamber, deeper and louder than the biggest gorilla in the tribe could ever dream of doing. The pair turned fractionally towards it, wary of both the gorillas and the silver armored colossus.

The sergeant looked up, beyond the intruders, and saw the eyes of the effigy lighting up, like twin searchlights. The armored head came closer to the platform. The idol was moving! It was alive! ALIVE! The gorillas dropped to their knees, worshiping the strange new god. The sergeant dropped his club, and knelt too. "Forgive us, Oh, Great One! We are only protecting your temple from intruders and heretics!"

The statue's head moved from left to right and back again, examining all the occupants of the platform. It's eyes fixed on the two intruders. The eyes went from Kamandi to Doctor Canus, who received an uncomfortably long gaze from the giant. Slowly. Trying not to call attention to themselves, the gorillas crawled backwards, putting as much distance between them and the intruders as possible.

A female voice was heard, her accent was strange. "PUPPY!" The voice was full of joy, like a child who has just found a strange new toy.

The gorillas looked at each other for a couple of seconds, and reaching an unspoken agreement, scrambled down to the floor as fast as they could.

NERV
Commander's Lair, two days before Gaghiel.

"The First Child will be moved into a new apartment. She will share living quarters with the Second Child. The address is in this card. All documents related to her new residence are here. Attend to it, today. Dismissed." Commander Gendo ikari signed the documents, and pushed them towards Captain Katsuragi.

"I will supervise the moving immediately, Sir." Misato put the papers in a folder, and left the lair.

Behind Ikari, Sub-Commander Fuyustuki asked. "I noticed that you put them in the same building Captain Katsuragi lives in."

"Yes. I want Rei's score to rise, she will be a better asset in combat. But I also want to limit her interactions with the Third Child. Having Rei living with the Second Child will be a good distraction for all three pilots. Their personalities will inevitably clash. Rei herself will ask to return to her current quarters."

NERV
Commander's Lair
Spiritual Plane

"Oh, I don't think so. That might have worked before red, pale, and acrobatic; plus tall, dark, and mysterious showed their faces around here, but not anymore, you big rube." Deadman rubbed his chin, still sitting, cross-legged, over the Commander's desk.

NERV Berlin, Unit-02 Cage (Spiritual Plane)
2005. Six minutes after Contact

Unseen, a strange girl danced rythmlessly upon Unit-02's left shoulder pylon. Her skin was white as snow, she wore a firefighter's uniform, far too big for her slight frame; her face was stained with badly applied make-up, and her unkempt orange hair stuck out in every direction. In her right hand she held a thin thread, that was tied to a bright red hermit crab, big as a basketball, floating in the air above her, walking on the air. The crab somehow had occupied a football player's helmet.

She stopped her crazy dance for a moment, watching curiously as a technical crew recovered a human body from the Entry Plug. It was a woman, with long reddish blonde hair. Her eyes were completely unfocused, and her hands twitched weakly.

Next to the dancing girl, a grotesquely obese woman appeared sitting at the top of the shoulder pylon; her skin was pale, like a bloodless cadaver. She was completely naked, partially covered with filth and grime. Her face was round and flat, with a nose that was broader than it was long. Her teeth were pointed fangs, protruding like columns from her lower lip. Her beady black eyes were perpetually open, with not even a hint of white, they were orbs of absolute darkness. She leaned down, looking at the frantic crew below, playing endlessly with a rusty fishing hook. "(Now they have done it.)" she said, "(She split up! One half for me, the other for you, dear sister. What do you say?)"

"(Noooo…)" the girl moaned. "(I don't wanna share!)"

"(Oh, pipe down, Delirium.)" Despair rolled her eyes. "(We can take turns if you want. With both halves. See how long they last before our Big Sister comes for them. But I call dibs on that one.)" She pointed at the body just taken from the plug. The woman, Dr. Kyoko Zeppelin Soryu, was babbling words no one could understand.

"(You will have only one to share. The other half now lives in my realm.)" A third voice joined them. It was a young man, his skin was as white as the full moon; and his hair held the faintest hint of blue. He was dressed with a loose fitting white shirt, a strange white tunic with high shoulder-points, loose pants, and soft leather black boots. His eyes were black too, but instead of the black of dark despair of his sister's, his were black as the night sky, full of stars.

"(Big Little Brother!)" the girl barely focused her eyes in the latecomer. "(You wanna take our toys? I thought it was raining honey colored lullabies in your house.)"

"(Not today, Sister. Maybe tomorrow.)" Daniel, or Dream as was his title, said softly. He had long ago gotten used to the meandering thoughts of his adoptive sister; after being granted the title and domain of Dream, or Morpheus as his predecessor was sometimes called. "(Still, Dr. Soryu found her way to my realm by her own free will. At least, half of her did. I am granting her refuge for a few years. Her dreams are interesting too; there are similar but very different to the dreams of my other guest.)"

Despair shrugged, "(What about the other half, Brother?)" getting half a toy was better than nothing.

"(I have no part in what happens to it.)" Daniel disappeared, like a daydream.

Author's Notes

Continuing from the Adventures of Superman Annual, I wanted to see what had happened to Superman after the events of that story.

Dr. Kas'rr is inspired by Dr. Gym'll, the long suffering doctor who takes care of most of the Legion of Superheroes medical needs (and always insist on his bills to be paid). Captain Gamyll is my little homage to Kerry Gammill, one of my favorite artists.

I always wondered what had happened to the Second Branch in Nevada, and just who was the pilot of Unit-04. A few weeks ago, I thought of a crossover Evangelion/Kamandi, using the proven way to connect Evangelion to any other franchise, Leliel and the Sea of Dirac; but after discussing it with my Beta Reader (thanks, Arkbeth), we decided Shinji was really the worst character to end up in the Kamandi world, so I discarded the idea. Plus, there are the logistic problems of getting Shinji to America or Kamandi and Canus (maybe others) to Japan.

After watching the Rebuild movies, well… let's just say I have a soft spot for a certain character who will be appearing in future chapters, alongside Kamandi and Doctor Canus. But as Leliel will be occupied with not sending anybody to other universes, I thought I could send the whole Second Branch to Kamandi's future, via the malfunctioning S2 Engine in Unit-04. I made not much of an effort to hide just who Kamandi and Canus will be dealing with; but I really had fun setting up the scene! Conveniently, Nevada was the setting of one of the first Kamandi comics published, and again, the setting for a Batman/Kamandi team-up in The Brave and the Bold (amazingly drawn by the late, great, Jim Aparo).

This fic was originally an Evangelion/Vertigo crossover. I had a few scenes planned and/or written with the Phantom Stranger and Deadman (plus another character, who should have been upgraded to the Vertigo line; but mentioning that character now would be an awful spoiler, I already wrote that part), who still are one focus of this story; but had no idea of how and where I could put the Endless. I had read the Sandman trades a friend lent me a few years ago (thanks again, Arkbeth!), but didn't buy them for my personal collection. Last week, I bought the Mexican reprint of Volumes 6 and 10; and now, Death, Delirium, Despair, and Dream have decided to grace this humble story with their presence. (I actually had only plotted Death´s appearance).