Interludes After the 13th Angel, Part 3

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

Tokyo-3
Japan GeoFront
NERV HQ
R&D Section
Next Day

While she waited for the MAGI to finish their analysis of all the samples submitted, Dr. Akagi reviewed the data she had collected during the last Angel Battle. "Just as I expected…" she sighed, "The anomaly has set firmly in Unit-00."

She rubbed her ribs, she hadn't realized during the fight, but she had gotten a bit banged up during the explosion, she had a large bruise over the left side of her torso, she had no idea what exactly had caused it. But considering that two of her co-workers in the Mobile HQ had been seriously injured, and one of them had died, she counted herself lucky.

She bit the end of a pen, thinking. A bad habit she only indulged in when she was sure to be alone.

Without bothering to knock at the door, Commander Ikari entered her domain and sat down on an empty chair. "Have the MAGI finished with their analysis?" he asked directly.

"Not yet, Sir. They are still working. It seems one of them is doing a much more detailed analysis than expected, and is consuming extra computing cycles."

"I see. Run a diagnostic on all three. I don't want to have to deal with any residue from Iruel."

She nodded, and set a note to remind herself of that task.

"Keep the Third Child under close watch. I won't have him on board Unit-01 without a complete certainty he has not been contaminated by Bardiel. His own report supports the idea that the 13th Angel worked like a parasite or symbiont."

"All preliminary reports show he is still human." She tapped on a set of keys at her keyboard, and turned the screen for the Commander to see. "We have found no traces of any Blue or Orange Patterns."

"Neither did Unit-03 before Bardiel showed itself." He noted acidly.

"Point taken." Akagi noted.

Commander Ikari rose from the chair, "Inform me immediately of any development."

Tokyo-3, Japan
GeoFront
NERV Hospital
Recovery Room 16

A nurse entered the room, Shinji watched her apathetically as she checked every piece of equipment, barely acknowledging his presence. He had gone through the same routine every single time he had needed to spend time in the Hospital. However, just before the woman gathered her stuff to leave, she went stiff for a moment, and as she reread her clipboard notes, she tapped on the side of the bed.

A preagreed code, meaning, "We are being watched. Don't react."

Shinji kept himself from reacting too much when the nurse spoke, "Hey, kid, it's me, Boston. You okay?"

The young pilot barely barely dared to move his lips as he answered. "I'm okay. Is… is the Stranger okay?" (1)

"Haven't seen him yet. I thought it best to stay with you and your pal. The Commander has you under surveillance, so I cannot stay for long. Your buddy Toji got a few broken bones, and got himself a few new screws installed, but he's okay. There were a lot of casualties at Matsushiro, lots of people in the hospital, from what I've heard, but most managed to escape before things went to hell. Major Katsuragi dropped by to check you, but Akagi didn't let her in. Something about 'possible Angelic contamination' and 'Commander Ikari's orders', she said. Back to the fight, things got really dicey with your sis. I had to take over Unit-00 to help, but between her and Red, they got the Angel killed dead after they rescued you."

"I think the Stranger… I think he died in the explosion."

"He's really hard to kill, the guy is not indestructible, but I've seen him get up from things that could kill… Well… not Superman level stuff, but really destructive things. I was just waiting for you to wake up. I'll go check Red and then I'll report with the Stranger, okay? I'll release the nurse in a moment, something to add?"

"No. Thank you, Boston-San."

"Anytime, kid. Leaving now."

The nurse relaxed almost imperceptibly, lowered her clipboard, and left.

Shinji was left alone with his thoughts for a long time.

A Possible XXVIth Century
Close to the Ruins of New York.

A mismatched group of heroes prepared to set camp, night was falling and they had a little time to talk and plan. Their missing member finally arrived, he sat down on a rock, and massaged his calves. "(Okay,)" Kamandi pointed at the west of their position. "(King Tuftan has agreed to help us. He can spare a couple of infantry platoons. They will arrive tomorrow about midday, they just arrived from a long term patron and need rest.)"

"(Are you sure he will help us?)" Blue Beetle asked, lifting the right goggle of his mask to rub his eye. "(I mean, you know, all these tribes are at each other's throats. The only thing they hate more than each other is us humans; no offense, Dr. Canus.)"

Canus shrugged, "(None taken, it is the truth. Though Kamandi has the strange talent to befriend some former enemies.)"

"(Tuftan and I go way back.)" Kamandi said, "(Dr. Canus was the scientific advisor for King Caesar, back when Tuftan was the heir to the crown. And I had just come out the bunker I grew up in. My gramps had just died and I thought there was nothing to keep me here.)"

A respectful silence and murmurs of condolence followed; Beetle tapped the young man's shoulder in solidarity.

"(We had a rocky start, when Kamandi arrived. There were some misunderstandings.)" Canus said diplomatically, but not elaborated.

Booster pinched the bridge of his nose. "(Did it involve fleeing for your life, pursued by the tiger army?)"

"(Misunderstandings. Yes. How did you know?)"

"(Long experience. Beetle and I have been in many similar situations.)"

Blue Beetle slapped Booster's back. "(Usually trying to get rich quickly.)"

"(Not exactly an option anymore.)" Booster tried to grin.

Skeets relayed Mari's comment, though his holographic interface, "(Blondie, I'm not sure how far into the city I can go. The buildings were not designed to withstand an Evangelion's passing. I… I'll have to wait at some distance, but if there's trouble, I'll go running.)" She was not willing to exit the plug in the presence of enhanced, LCL smell tended to turn them into berserkers. Dr. Canus discovered that effect back when they had first met. And if fighting a mostly intellectual, relatively small dog enhanced was scary, fighting a whole army of berserking tiger enhanced troops would be on a whole different level.

Still, Skeets could use his handy holoprojector for long enough, as long as he was connected to the power outlet of the silver coated Evangelion his batteries were charging, and he could be away for short periods. Longer if somebody carried him and kept the comms in passive mode.

"(Brother Eye?)" Mari transmitted, "(We are at the outskirts of New York. We will wait for King Tuftan and his troops. To be honest, normal-sized rats creep me out. I can only imagine one of my size would set my phobias off.)"

The well-modulated voice of the sentient satellite answered, "(The Rat gangs occupy most of the lower levels of buildings, plus the sewers. They occasionally clear blockages, the sediments show intermittent discharges of larger volumes of water. I had hoped the Wolf clans would keep them busy while your group enters the old S.T.A.R. Labs building, but it seems the two groups have an uneasy and tense truce at the moment. It could detonate any minute.)"

Kamandi's brow furrowed, "(As long as it doesn't detonate close to us…)"

Beetle snapped his fingers. "(What if we give them something to focus on?)"

Mari's image smirked, "(Like, say, I don't know, maaaaybe a big and shiny, EVA unit piloted by a cute girl wearing a hot pink plugsuit?)"

"(Yup, but where could we find one of those; here, in the ruins of New York… at this hour?)" (2) Beetle smirked, checking the charge of his BB Gun.

Mari laughed. Eva-04´s shoulders shook in synch with her laughter.

"(Ted. Old buddy, old friend.)" Booster said solemnly, "(Promise me you won´t ever, ever, ever make Mari laugh like that at the controls of Unit-04 again. It is disturbing at a whole new level.)" (3)

His words only made her laugh harder, until Unit-04 knelt down, holding it´s ventral area.

Almeracian Empire
Throne World
Crown City
Royal Palace of the Ruling House of Almerac
Empress Lois Max-El Private Audience Room

After the ceremony, Superboy and Sensor were called for a private audience with the Empress.

"(Your Majesty.)" Superboy bowed as instructed, while Sensor simply nodded respectfully.

Empress Lois dismissed the servants, and rose from her private throne, flying low, her feet almost touching the floor. "(Cousin, Princess Jekka, follow me.)"

They entered a private Trophy Room. Banners, weapons, and multiple suits of armor lined the walls. Relics of battles fought and won, spanning thousands of years. At the very center of the private museum, a Kryptonian Battlesuit stood proudly, tended by a golden, floating robot. Empress Lois looked up at it. "(This, Honored Guest, Cousin, is the Battlesuit Prince Consort Kal Max-El used to fight the monstrous Doomsday after his own death and rebirth. A thousand years ago, when he began his exile away from the world of his birth (4), he was found and rescued by Princess Maxima, and both founded our dynasty. Prince Kal tempered Princess Maxima's impetuosity and misguided pride with his compassion and common sense, while she stoked his determination to protect the Almeracian Empire with her honor and love for her empire. In the last battle of the Vega Invasion, their eldest son, Crown Prince Jor Max-El, used this battle suit to fight the hordes of Apokolips when his powers failed him, thanks to DeSaad's treacherous attack.)"

She traced the old insignia with her fingertips. "(Since Kal-El's arrival, Almerac changed from a warmongering Empire into a bastion of heroes, coming from many worlds and backgrounds, the Custodians. Each and every ruler of the Empire has to endure a period of service as a Custodian before even being considered for the throne. My Father did it, my Grandmother did it, all the line to Jor Max-El himself. We have held the line against many would-be tyrants and conquerors in our side of the Galaxy, much like your own Legion of Superheroes does for the United Planets. The arrival of that robot did catch the Empire by surprise, but not me. That's the reason I am granting you custody of the second moon of Kryptare III.)" She pushed a button in her bracelet, and the battle suit projected a hologram.

"(This is Kal Max-El, Prince Consort of the Almeracian Empire.)" The hologram said. "(This recording is for the reigning Emperor or Empress of Almerac.)" The famous hero stood proudly in the air, wearing a very modified version of his blue and red uniform, evidently not tailored for battle, but for a very different battleground. The field of diplomacy. His face showed his age, and his temples were lined with gray. Until then, Superboy had not believed his adoptive cousin had kept on living his life after his own disappearance. His mental image of Superman was still the same than the last time he had seen him.

While Superboy ordered his thoughts, the hologram kept on speaking. "(After a visit to Earth, once the Apokoliptian invasion to the Vega System was repelled, and Darkseid faced his destiny on Armaghetto at Orion's hands, I was notified of the need to preserve a particular form of technology. The new Justice League of Earth asked for a safe place to put part of this technology; and my beloved, Empress Maxima granted the use of a worthless, barren moon in an out of the way system to store it. Kryptare III's second moon was turned into a trophy world, to keep samples of the technology of multiple races, some of them extint.)"

A star chart appeared in place of Superman marking the place and the route to arrive to it. Superman continued, "(The battle suit has been prepared to open the secret chambers that hold the technology you'll need to retrieve the content of the robot. Kelex, my faithful robot butler, has the required knowledge to use the stored tech.)"

The Golden robot descended, and bowed to the Empress and her guests. "(With Empress Lois' permission, I am at your service, Young Master Kon-El.)"

"(Hey! Looking good, Kelly!)"

The insectoid robot bowed, "(So do you, Sir. Your time with the Legion has served you well. I shall begin to prepare our departure. Four person diplomatic ship with amenities, food and drink, and the required cargo space. It will be ready tomorrow morning." With a bow and a series of clicks, Kelex departed.

Lois put a memory crystal in Sensor's robotic hands. "(The Crystal contains the coordinates and the codes needed to enter.)"

Superman continued, "(The battle suit will recognize only three individuals. Kon-El, AKA Superboy, AKA Conner Kent. Next is Matrix, AKA Supergirl, AKA Linda Danvers. And finally, Lar Gand, AKA… V…)" Superman hesitated for a moment, "(…AKA M'Onel. All three were sent a thousand years into the future, and are, or will be, part of the Legion of Superheroes. I ask of the future Empress or Emperor of Almerac, to deliver this battle suit to them when the second part of this technology arrives to Almeracian space.)"

A new hologram replaced Superman, Sensor studied it, while Superboy scratched his head. "(Wait, isn't that the robot that…)"

Sensor completed the thought, "(The one found by the miners, indeed it is; currently in UP territory. In the Sol system.)"

"(You know what this means, don't you, Sensor?)" Superboy pointed at the hologram with his thumb, arching an eyebrow.

"(Yes. It means we are now part of a plan that still continues after a thousand years. And with possible diplomatic repercussions that could take years to settle down.)"

Empress Lois nodded. "(Prince Kal Max-El put all his trust in you, Cousin. And on his word, so do I. To do anything less would be the ultimate insult to one of our founders.)"

Superboy shook his head. "(I meant we have to drag that thing back from Sol aaaaaaaall the way to the second moon of Kryptare III… wherever that place is.)"

Empress Lois looked at him incredulously, and laughed. "(I must say you do cut to the point!)"

Once she calmed down, she said. "(Dear Lana shall be appointed as Almerac's liaison with the United Planets. It is time she earns her colors as a fully acknowledged member of the Royal Family. She will manage the diplomacy in our name. Cousin, I'd love to keep you in the Royal Court, as both a relative and an heir to Prince Kal Max-El, but I fear you are not prepared to reclaim your rightful place. And also, though your behavior has been very good despite the short time you had to learn, I doubt you have the required temperament for the Court. I think you would do so much better as Almerac liaison with the Legion. You'd not have any official power, but we could sometimes ask you for your opinion or help in matters related with 20th Century Earth.)"

"(Yeah, about that…)" Superboy rubbed the back of his neck, "(Mr. Brande warned me about not causing any interstellar incidents, I think I'll ask him for advice before signing anything.)"

"(Very wise. You value your elder's advice, as it should be. So, it is decided. I'll prepare things for both possibilities. In the meanwhile, the curator of our Museum would love to ask you some questions about your original time.)"

"(Sure, though I don't know everything and there are some things I would rather keep secret. Ah… um… mostly because I was asked to.)"

"(A thousand years promise! Of course, it's a matter of both honour and respect. Worry not. She will understand. Now, would you accompany us for an evening coffee? Completely informal, I would really appreciate some company with no interest in trying to gain concessions or make trouble.)"

Sensor bowed her head, "(Certainly! It is a refreshing and welcome rest, one of the first things I learned during my own pilgrimage.)"

Lois gestured with her hand, and a door opened.

A humanoid dog entered the room, and after the required bow, she began to blab. "(Oh, boy! I can't believe it! Superboy in person! You must tell me everything! I have so many question to ask!)"

"(Dr. Canus?)" Superboy asked without thinking, the new arrival was the living image of his old friend. (5)

"(Professor, actually. Though Mom calls me Doctor! I worked my tail off to earn my title as a historian, and the 20th Century has always fascinated me.)"

Now that he looked carefully at the newcomer, Superboy realized this was not his old friend, it was female to begin with; she was smaller, and her fur had a different pattern. "(I knew a Dr. Canus back then.)"

"(Oh, yes, yes! My distant ancestor. I have read his memoirs a lot of times, and he always looked up to you.)"

While the two kept on speaking, Lois signaled to Sensor, and both went to the small table at the secondary room. "(Canus will keep asking questions for hours. We can call them in say… half an hour? Let them revisit old times?)"

"(Splendid idea, Your Majesty. Kon has been a bit down lately.)"

She nodded, "(Can't be easy to be displaced in time. Thank Rao, that's one thing I didn't have to face as a Custodian.)" She changed subject, "(I understand the robot has been stationed in Saturn orbit.)"

"(Mr. Brande managed to convince Earthgov to move it there. Saturn Girl, as one of the best UP telepaths, was about to start her analysis of the robot; according to Mr. Brande; they were only waiting for M'Onel's arrival. By now, they must be working on it.)"

"(She will find a set of instructions engraved into its processing matrix. Prince Kal was very clear in his instructions to me. I'm not aware of what the instructions in the robot are, but he was very insistent that the robot itself had to be returned to Sol. Kryptare III is at the very edge of what back then was the limit of Almeracian territory. Now it is in a system well inside it, though the space routes don't go near that system. Not having any valuable minerals or strategic position, it has been left alone for centuries. It was considered worthless. Not even space pirates are interested in it.)"

Author Notes

(1) Shinji thinks he dreamt his encounter with the Stranger. And just to clear things up, it really was a dream.

(2) Almost the only joke that actually made me laugh in the Airplane!'s sequel; Blue Beetle must have seen that movie too…

(3) A reference to Shinji and Warhammer 40k, by Charles Bhepin: It is one of the first NGE fanfics I read and a big reason why I began to write my own. Tough unfinished, it is very good. At some point, it is mentioned that there is nothing as disturbing as an Evangelion trying to laugh.

(4) Post-Crisis Kryptonians gestated inside artificial wombs, and Kal-El was sent to Earth inside one. So, he really was born on Earth. It was one of the changes enacted to streamline the character during the 1986 reboot of Superman in the miniseries Man of Steel (six issues miniseries, dated October to December, 1986).

(5) During the Reboot Era of the Legion, there was a candidate for the Legion by the name of Cannus, with two Ns (he debuted in Showcase '95 issue 6, Jul 1995; and applied for Legion membership in Legionnaires issue 43; Dec 1996, but was rejected). He was a humanoid dog, but his background wasn't really explored. When I was rereading the books as research for this story, I realized that he could very well descend from the enhanced animals from Project Mureau/Wild Lands (Just as the inhabitants of Orando, both snakes and raccoons, could be!) So, in my head canon, the enhanced animals Superboy met in the Wild Lands were the ancestors of Cannus and the whole planet Orando. Professor Canus is another descendant of the same Doctor Canus who debuted in the Last Boy on Earth story arc in Superboy. Science does run in the family!