Usurper, Part 5
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).
Note. My laptop had to go through a good deal of purification rites with our friends in the Adeptus Mechanicus, so this week´s chapter has to be delayed one week.
I am reposting the chapter, adding the location notes, minor editing, and a couple of new author notes at the end.
Military Route Tokyo-3/Matsushiro Secondary NERV Base
Unit-03 Plug
"Join me. Be one with me. No more alone, no more hurt." The childish voice repeated, the echo of its words overlapping with itself multiple times. "Together, forever. Never alone."
"No." Shinji replied. "I am alone in a way, but I have feelings for others… Bonds with them and they have bonded with me."
"They are alone too. Join me, they will join us/me too. We won't be alone anymore. Many in one, one made of many, all together. It will be as it should be. Wonderful!"
"No." Shinji insisted. "I am one, but by my feelings for others I am not really alone."
"But they can go away any moment." The Angel explained, was that sadness in its voice?
Shinji licked his lips, thinking. "Yes. But for as long as I remember them, I won't be truly alone."
"But then they die. They stop. They won't function anymore. Their loss won't matter! Because when you die, their memory will die with you…"
"It will matter to me. And if it is me who dies…" He looked around in the dark void he was floating in, that gradually was replaced by the interior of a train car, for some unexplained reason. He seriously doubted the Angel had ever been in a train car. He bet to himself the Angel had to be accessing his memories. "I know they will remember me. The good and the bad." He said, sticking to his point.
The Angel kept on insisting. Shinji kept on denying it.
'I can feel Unit-03 walking. Nothing I've tried has even delayed it… The only thing I have managed is to make it stumble a bit.' Shinji though, silently asking his mental representation of the original Robin for help.
After a long time, Inner Robin had worked it out. First, he couldn't hope for the Phantom Stranger's help. Shinji refused to believe the mysterious man could be…
No! That was a matter for later, Inner Robin argued. The current situation had priority. Inner Robin insisted on analyzing the situation. Second, Shinji´s will was not enough to stop Unit-03, only to interfere a bit with the movements… the movements… focus on what you can do… What could Shinji do?
Sure, he couldn't stop Unit-03 from moving at its will, but if he could interfere with major movements, maybe he could control minor movements.
He focused on the right index finger, feeling the air rushing around the digit.
And flexed.
Unit-03's finger moved with a jerk.
'Yes!" A twitching finger wouldn't be a big obstacle in a fight, but could be used to comunícate with the outer world. The pilot grinned widely. All those hours practicing Morse Code were close to do something useful. The message had to be short, so he could repeat it again and again for as long as possible, and hope it would be understood.
"Thank you, Dr. Palmer." He whispered to himself. The Atom's Farewell not only was a great reading, it had a lot of stuff about how knowledge and ingenuity had worked in the heroes favor. And it seemed any self-respecting hero, or at least, the JLA members, had to know Morse Code!
Military Route Tokyo-3/Matsushiro Secondary NERV Base
Nobe Mountain Pass
Unit-02 Plug
"Plug kill?" Asuka grumbled through clenched teeth, for a moment, she thought things would have to be terrible inside Unit-03 if Shinji was asking for…
"No! I refuse to kill him. There must be something we can do!"
Military Route Tokyo-3/Matsushiro Secondary NERV Base
Nobe Mountain Pass
Unit-00 Plug
"Second Child." Commander Ikari's voice rang inside Unit-00's comms. "Unit-03 has been contaminated by the Thirteenth Angel. Allowing it to proceed to Tokyo-3 would result in Third Impact. It must be destroyed, if not by you, by the First Child."
Inside Unit-00's plug, Rei's blood froze in her veins, 'It can't be!' She thought, 'I am replaceable, he is not!' She thought frantically.
Military Route Tokyo-3/Matsushiro Secondary NERV Base
Nobe Mountain Pass
Unit-00 Core
In the one-eyed Evangelion´s core, two disembodied entities clenched their fists. Rei whispered, anger tinting her soft words. "I don't like him. No more, never."
"Kid, you and I are in the same page." Deadman squeezed Rei's shoulder, "If I ever get the chance, I'm going to go to town on the Commander. Driving a big truck. Loaded with gravel and rocks!"
She didn't understood the part about the truck, but nodded emphatically.
Unit-00 Plug
But before Rei could say something, her friend and colleague retorted sarcastically, "Oh, is that all, Sir? You're asking us to… to…" Huntress interrupted herself. That nagging feeling scratching at the back of her mind again…
Suddenly, she exclaimed, "Misato! Is that all? Is that the whole message?"
"Uh?" Misato's head shot up, hope replacing the cold hand around her heart. "Ooi, replay the camera feed, quickly." She ordered.
"Yes, Major!"
Unit-02 Plug
A moment later, Misato breathed with the deepest sense of relief she could ever imagine. "Thank the Kami for your genius, Asuka! He is saying 'P-U-L-L—P-L-U-G—K-I-L-L—A-N-G-E-L"
Relieved, Asuka exhaled the LCL infused breath she had been holding in. "That actually makes sense, Control. Back to Plan A, Wonder Girl. I hold, you cut!"
"Understood." Rei answered with more emotion than she had shown in public, ever.
Tokyo-3
Japan
GeoFront
NERV HQ
Central Dogma
Up in his perch, Commander Ikari fumed silently, that damned girl had noticed something everybody else had missed due to both surprise and emotional impact, and she was willing to fight to rescue the Third Child.
Had she refused, he would have the perfect excuse to implement the use of the Dummy Plug.
As things were now, he would wait. Yes. There would be a certain, subconscious reluctance to attack her fellow pilot. The Angel would have no such reluctance, forcing the other two pilots to either retreat from the fight, change their tactics to a deadly level, or risk dying.
Rei would fight the Angel, that was for sure, knowing she would be replaced. But Unit-00 had not been fitted with a Dummy Plug. He had considered it unnecessary. Unit-01 had it installed, but without a pilot, the only way to justify its use would be if the Angel got too close to HQ. And even then, the Dummy Plugs had not been used with a real Evangelion Unit. Akagi had scheduled the first live test for a week after Unit-03's activation.
His attention returned to the immediate matter at hand. According to his informants, the Second Child had shown little restraint during the regular boxing matches against the Third. She had pummeled him with strength and ferocity. So far, the Third Child had not won a single match. (1)
For now, he would watch and wait. If the Second Child were to be either incapacitated during the fight… well… then he would have his excuse. And alibi.
Two steps behind, Professor Kozo Fujutsuki could almost hear the gears turning inside his pupil's head. A noise that never brought anything good.
Military Route Tokyo-3/Matsushiro Secondary NERV Base
Nobe Mountain Pass
Unit-03 movements became more fluid with every step. It looked as if the cool air of the afternoon had cleared its head. It was just a comparison, of course, but very apt. Shinji had stopped interfering with the Angel's movements, except for the finger used to send the message.
He felt the EVA stopping. The stance of the body tall and decisive.
'This is it,' he thought, 'time to fight.' Either the possessed EVA had arrived to Tokyo-3 unopposed, or had arrived to wherever the other Units were posted to stop it. The second possibility was the one he expected.
Unit-00 Core
"Ready, kid?"
"Ready, Boston-san."
Both mimed cracking their knuckles, a little gesture Rei had copied from her red clad friend. Boston grinned at her. In all his years as a wandering ghost, he had never felt like he had a family of his own. Sure, there were his twin brother Cleveland and his niece, Lorna, but it was not exactly the same. That was Cleve's family, and Boston himself was the cool uncle; in his own opinion, at least.
Now Rei had become almost like a daughter to him, and may the gods have pity on anybody who dared to harm her, because he wouldn't. And Gendo Ikari had earned the top spot in Deadman's hit list.
Slowly, Rei I raised the synch rate with her big sister. In the plug, Rei II felt herself wrapped in warm feelings of fondness and acceptance. A feeling she had been sorely lacking before the other two pilots entered her life. To be honest, even her only positive interactions, with Commander Ikari, paled in comparison.
Unit-02 Plug
Asuka sent her thoughts into the red EVA's core. 'Time to rescue the Baka, Mama.'
Ferocious Agreement answered. To her surprise, the two half-souls seemed to be getting closer together.
Huntress adjusted her grip on the control yoke, and EVA-02 shifted its weight from one foot to the other, loosening its muscles the way Wildcat had taught them.
Military Route Tokyo-3/Matsushiro Secondary NERV Base
Nobe Mountain Pass
Unit-03 stopped at the edge of the ride fields between Tokyo-3 and Matsushiro, its finger still twitching the message.
Unit-00 and Unit-02 stood in its way, and neither seemed inclined to let it pass. Bardiel roared, trying to scare them off. To no avail. Neither the one with four eyes nor the other, with only one, moved a single microt.
Bardiel noticed that the right index finger stopped twitching. Good, the One Apart in its core must be finally tired.
Unit-03 squatted suddenly, resting it's hands on the ground for a split second, before extending its powerful legs, jumping like a grasshopper, twisting in the air, and falling over the One Eyed, knocking it fase-down to the ground.
Bardiel clicked its jaw open and closed, holding the One Apart's face down on the ground. One hand pressing at the neck, the other pushing the left pylon down.
"What's this? An opening? Hello, will you be Us?" It pinged, the sound inaudible to human senses.
However, in the core, the words resonated clearly.
Unit-00 Core
"Hey, Buddy! Be a pal and knock it off! You're scaring my friend!" Boston reacted swiftly to the intrusion.
"Oh, sorry." Bardiel answered, it's voice lower, "Better? Be one with Us! Apart hurts!" (2)
Unit-02 Plug
In shock due to the sudden attack, Asuka needed a few seconds to register the pink goo flowing from Unit-03's arm over Unit-00's wrist.
Rei's scream brought her out her surprise. Unit-02 ran towards its companion, three souls guiding it with singular purpose.
Unit-00 Core
Inside the core, Rei I screamed in pain, grabbing her arm at the same place the black EVA attacked.
"It hurts! It's burning me!" She cried. Her scarlet eyes squeezed shut in pain.
Military Route Tokyo-3/Matsushiro Secondary NERV Base
Nobe Mountain Pass
Unit-00 trashed on the ground, pinned by Bardiel's weight. A hand pressing on the neck, the other pushing down the left pylon.
Suddenly, Rei felt a sequence of shockwaves on the ground, and a moment later, the weight over her disappeared as Unit-02 tackled the enemy off, colliding against it with the force of an avalanche.
The goo still slid inside the fallen EVA, no longer directed by Bardiel's will, but still following its last instructions.
The synch rate fell down to zero. Rei II shook their control yoke, trying to will the blue Evangelion to move again.
Her voice trembling due to residual pain, Rei reported. "Control. I have lost connection to Unit-00."
Unit-00 Core
"Rei! Rei! Stay awake!" Lightly, Deadman shook Rei's shoulders. The little girl's eyes fluttered.
"It… it… Burns… Boston-s-s-San! Hurts and burns!"
Gently, Deadman hugged her, "Let me take your pain, Rei." His eyes glistening with unshed tears. Rei nodded, unable to speak, trusting him.
Deadman fused with the soul.
Unit-03 Core
Inside both plug and core, Shinji felt every movement. He focused on extrapolating what was happening outside.
Inner Robin had plotted a simple strategy.
He could not stop the Angel from moving the body of Unit-03, and Shinji couldn't help but compare it to Deadman's power, with one crucial difference.
Unlike Deadman's, Bardiel's control was not complete. The times Boston had hijacked his own body, Shinji had absolutely no memory of what was happening, it was just a blip of awareness, and he knew it was the same for whomever Deadman hijacked.
It was as if somebody else was driving while the former driver slept on the backseat.
Bardiel? The hijacker pushed the victim to the backseat and tied him up. But he was still awake, and could kick the driver's seat in the most inoportune moments.
And thanks to Wildcat's training, he had a mean kick, though he was now mixing metaphors.
Shinji exerted his will on the titanic body of Unit-03/Bardiel.
Tokyo-3
Japan
GeoFront
NERV HQ
Central Dogma
Lt. Tamaguchi reported, "We lost synch with Unit-00, Comander Ikari!"
"What? Repeat that!"
"Unit-00 synch rate is zero, Sir! Wonder Girl is awake, but the core is… wait!"
Unit-00 Core
"AAAAAAAAAARRRRRGHHH!" Rei I's blue dress changed into a small copy of Deadman's circus outfit. Her crimson eyes turned completely white, and her blue hair flattened against her scalp as a white latex mask covered her head.
The tiny hands closed into fists. Her whole body language changed.
"Okay, Blue…" DeadRei grunted, her voice now rougher and deeper. "That really hurt."
They shook their head, powering through the pain. "Your sister needs you. Now… synch rate…"
Tokyo-3
Japan
GeoFront
NERV HQ
Central Dogma
"Synch rate climbing!" Lt. Yamaguchi reported. "Nerve system contamination! Left arm and forearm!"
"Cut off the left arm. Immediately." Commander Ikari ordered, his mouth hidden behind his laced fingers.
Lt. Yamaguchi hesitated, but only for a second. The synch-rate was climbing fast, but it was not enough for sympathetic pain to affect the pilot. She Input the detonation sequence, priming the explosive bolts set at the shoulder pylon. "Wonder Girl, emergency amputation of left arm, in 3, 2, 1, NOW!"
Unit-00 Core
"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaahh!" DeadRei grabbed their shoulder. They swayed for a moment, holding on to consciousness with metaphorical claws and teeth.
"Damn you, Gendo! That hurt!" They hissed.
Tokyo-3
Japan
GeoFront
NERV HQ
Central Dogma
"Synch rate rising, 23%, 25%. Wonder Girl, be ready to reactivate."
Military Route Tokyo-3/Matsushiro Secondary NERV Base
Nobe Mountain Pass
Meanwhile, Unit-02 and Bardiel rolled away from Unit-00. Bardiel tried to right itself, but Huntress pushed it with effective grapples, punches, and the ocassional kick.
"Control! Reinforcements needed! ETA?"
As they rolled, Bardiel had no chance to release its goo.
Slowly, Unit-00 pushed itself up with its one remaining hand. "Control. Synch rate is high enough. Unit-00 operational. Instructions?"
Major Katsuragi spoke with measured calm. "Deploy Prog Knife, and be ready to cut the tendrils that hold the plug. Huntress, try to immobilize the Angel!"
" Was zum Teufel glaubst du, ich versuche zu tun? Im blassen Mondlicht tanzen?" (3) She retorted angrily in German.
Unit-02 managed to stop their rolling via a well applied foot against a big rock, taking the chance to twist the ankle of the enemy, she put the monster in a classic wrestling leg lock. "Hurry up, Wonder Girl! I don't know how long I can keep it down!"
Unit-00 ran towards the pair, deploying the Progressive Knife from its storage place at the left pylon.
Bardiel raised its head as the other One Apart came closer, missing an arm. It's head turned back, and threw its right arm back, only to whip it forward. Impossibly, the arms bones seemed to vanish, as the appendage stretched towards Unit-00, the hand closing on the blue Evangelion's neck, squeezing the throat.
For a long moment, no one moved, no one spoke.
Author Notes
First of all, a tip of the fedora to Author0fIntent, for correctly guessing the plot twist!
Now, onto the notes:
(1) Not in sight of NERV agents, in any case. The score in Nanda Parbat is very different. Asuka has the lead there, but it's not overwhelming.
(2) I'm basing Bardiel's personality in the Beasts of Nurgle, from the Warhammer Fantasy/Warhammer 40,000 settings (plus Age of Sigmar, the sequel to WHF). They are slug-like ambulatory vectors for deadly plagues, about the size of a horse, and with the mind and temperament of playful puppies! They can't understand why their new playmates play with them for only a few seconds…
(3) After the original versión of this chapter was published, I got a better line, thanks to Captain Bardiel. It adds a very classic Batman reference to Asuka´s answer, meaning: "What the Devil do you think I'm trying to do? Dance in the pale moonlight?"