Vertigo, Part 1

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).

Notes, the parenthesis indicates languages other than Japanese, in this case, Ancient Greek, and English.

Day One

Quintessence Plane

The floating body flexed the fingers of his right hand, once again covered by the white gloves. He was weak, and would need some time to recover before resuming his full duties. Still, he could manage a partial astral projection.

It would be weak, and very obviously an illusion, but still effective for communication with his allies. Even one so recalcitrant as the now premier practitioner of magic on the mortal world.

London, England
John Constantine's Flat

"(Holy Freaking Mother of Profanity! Don't do that!)" The Englishman exclaimed, almost dropping the towel in his hands. "(At least let a bloke get dressed or sumthing!)"

"(My apologies, John.)" The image said from the bathroom mirror. It had manifested as a reflection, it was easier to maintain it. "(It won't happen again.)"

"(It better not, especially if I'm in the loo! Now, what do you want? You don't use these cheappies unless you have no other option.)" Constantine rubbed his hair with the towel, and put on a bathrobe, tying the belt with two loops.

"(I was grievously injured by the 13th Angel, Bardiel, and I'm still recuperating. It will take almost a week for me to resume my duties.)"

"(I'm not going to wear your clothes, I look lousy in black.)" Constantine smirked.

"(Won't be necessary. The reason I'm contacting you is to ask you about your preparatives.)

The cursed magician dropped the towel in a hamper, and lit a Silk Cut cigarette. "(On schedule. Detective Chimp has been working with the Russian to procure the items, Chimp says they have collected about two thirds of what we need. He expects to get the rest soon, no problems on that front; I'll manage the ritual on the colonies. Rasputin (1) promised to get the beacons to Tokyo-3, I'll get the keys to Kansas before Christmas.)"

"(You've done well, John.)"

Constantine waved a hand dismissively, "(Yeah, yeah. That and 10 quids will get me a coffee with caramel. Anything else?)"

"(Not at the moment.)" The image disappeared.

Constantine grumbled something, and pulled out a set of semi-clean clothes from the pile in the bedroom. He sniffed them, and decided he could stand to wear them for one more day before sending the lot to the washers.

Tokyo-3
First GeoFront Level
Early Morning

"What a mess." Vice-Commander Fujutsuki summarized the situation. He had some difficulty with the full-face filtering mask. The dust created by Zeruel, first as he invaded the GeoFront by demolishing the very center of Tokyo-3, and then when he blew himself into smithereens would need a few days to settle completely. At least the masks included comms. Still, having to wear rubber suits and boots was both awkward and uncomfortable. But he had to inspect the damage in person.

Lt. Mogami wrinkled her nose, trying to pull her glasses up, and clicked her pen. "Yes, sir. Practically the whole lake was thrown to the air. The dirt and loose rocks in its way were displaced. We are lucky HQ didn't flood. The frigate was a complete loss after Pilot Soryu used it to… whack the Angel's head with it. The forest and all civilian structures were swept by the water. We lost some electric towers too. The solar mirrors are misaligned, but still working. Once they are cleaned we will have close to 76% of sun light."

Fujutsuki facepalmed, "And once again, we have to redraw the maps." He sighed, "At least most of the damage was contained."

"I didn't know an AT Field could be manipulated that way. Pilot Ikari manifested a fully functional arm for Unit-00."

"Even for a few minutes, that was truly impressive. Not counting that he contained most of the explosion with it."

"Unit-02 managed to endure it, I've heard. I guess the same way Unit-01 did in its first sortie."

Fujutsuki walked carefully over the less slippery sections of ground. "Completely different level. The Third Angel damaged a couple of buildings as it detonated. The Fourteenth was much more powerful. Had it detonated on the surface, Tokyo-3 would be a crater. Not a single thing would have remained."

"So… you mean…?" Lt. Mogami gasped.

"That Unit-02 should have been destroyed in the explosion? No. Vaporized is what I mean." The Vide-Commander leaned on a rock to stabilize himself.

"Oh, my goodness…" She exclaimed, trying to cover her mouth with a hand, though the mask stopped it.

"I fear the next Angels will be even worse. The Fourteenth is proof each Angel is more powerful than its predecessor. Though there can be outliers, like the Ninth. Fairly weak AT Field, though you weren't here with us back then."

"No, sir. My fellow techs and I were setting up the Matsushiro Base." She shrugged.

"So much wasted effort, I know."

"Don't get me wrong, Sir. I'm very thankful Pilot Ikari gave us time to evacuate the base. Our casualties were minimal."

"He does good work." Fujutsuki conceded. Leaving unsaid that it would be even better if he wasn't deliberately sabotaged. "Well, let's go back to work, this damage evaluation won't write itself."

Tokyo-3, Japan
NERV HQ
Commander's Lair

Gendo Ikari sat in eerie immobility. His hands in front of his face, fingers interlaced. The meeting with SEELE the previous night had been tiring. He knew he would be under heavy scrutiny during the next weeks, at a minimum.

Zeruel had been horrifyingly close to reaching Lilith. That was the naked truth.

The Dummy Plug System had been of very limited use during the battle. That was the naked truth.

Unit-02 now possessed an S2 Organ, freeing it from the constrains of the umbilical cable, and it had absorbed the pilot, just like Unit-01 had absorbed Yui before his eyes. That was the naked truth.

Somehow, Shinji had been able to wake Unit-00, freeing it, temporarily, from the umbilical cable. That was the naked truth.

Even piloting Unit-01, the most powerful Evangelion, Rei had been defeated. That was the naked truth.

Tokyo-3 had received grievous damage. The first level of the GeoFront had been devastated. NERV HQ was partially destroyed. Central Dogma was irrecoverable. Terminal Dogma almost exposed. That was the naked truth.

SEELE had dictated terms for his continuing command of NERV Japan. That was the naked truth.

Now, the question in his mind was "What's the way to recover from this?"

Tokyo-3, Japan
First GeoFront Level

Ryoji Kaji moved slowly over the mud and wood splinters. According to his GPS, he was right on his little plot, his watermelon patch.

There was nothing left. His patch, his cabin, everything was gone.

Once again, he had lost his home. The place he felt more himself than everybody else.

Heavily, he sat down on a rock. His head hung heavily on his shoulders.

Somewhere beyond mortal senses, a morbidly obese figure played with a rusty hook, waiting for her chance.

However, Kaji found hope in his heart. Sure, he had lost his garden, the place where he made things grow, but the people he cared for was okay. Would be okay. He raised his head, and pushed himself up, ready to go back outside.

Despair growled in disappointment. But there was nothing she could do, her enticement had been rejected. She left for easier prey.

Kaji turned to leave the place, when a voice called his name. It was a Caucasian man, with NERV's Administrative uniform. "Inspector Kaji? I'm Mr. Weatherbee. Could we talk for a minute? I have some information I think you'll find useful."

"Why not? My agenda is clear at the moment." He smirked.

Tokyo-3, Japan
NERV HQ
Hospital Wing
Room 6

Slowly, Rei Ayanami opened her eyes, the steady beeping of the medical sensors connected to her body was the only thing she could hear for a few moments, overpowering the blabber coming from the TV set on the wall.

She ignored it, taking stock of things. 'I'm alive.' She thought, closing her eyes against the soft light coming from the window. 'NERV stands. The Angel must have been stopped.'

A minuscule smile appeared at the edges of her mouth, barely visible. 'That means my friends must be okay.'

Tokyo-3, Japan
NERV HQ
Hospital Wing

"Say, what happened?" Toji Suzuhara asked the nurse, "Are the pilots okay? Can I call outside?"

"I'm not privy to details, beyond that the damages are being evaluated. We are in lockdown until the brass gives us green light. I'll let you know as soon as I get any news."

"Uh, thanks, I'm just worried for my family and my friends."

"I understand, I have family in Tokyo-3 too. And I can't even call them to check." She sighed while she began to change the sheets.

Tokyo-3, Japan
NERV HQ
Science Section, Dr. Akagi's Lab

"Maya, I want you to supervise the reattachment of Unit-01 arms. Schedule the other techs to study Unit-00 tomorrow morning, under my own supervision." The Chief of the Science Division rubbed the bridge of her nose, she was close to 26 hours awake, and caffeine wouldn't sustain her for longer. "I'll crash at my office couch, I'll relieve you in…"she looked at her watch, "five hours, send me an orderly to make sure I'll come. I'm dead on my feet and if allowed to, I'll sleep for twelve hours or more."

Maya yawned discreetly at the mention of sleep. "Sure, Dr. Akagi. I'll organize everything." She hesitated, "What about Unit-02?"

"Keep it in deep freeze until ordered otherwise. A block of Bakelite should do. Use cage 5, it's the least damaged. I don't think there will be any leaks." She answered as she was about to close the door.

Dragging her feet, Ritsuko Akagi arrived to her office, and after taking her shoes off, turned off the lights, laid down on the comfy couch, and drifted into a dreamless sleep.

Tokyo-3, Japan
Katsuragi-Ikari Apartment

Shinji woke up to an empty apartment. Mechanically, he showered and prepared a simple soup as breakfast. He downed one of the tablets prescribed, and sat down to eat.

His eyes wandered around the place, until they stopped at his cello case. He smiled sadly. Playing a duet with Asuka had been one of the best moments of his life. Now, she was inside Unit-02's core, with her beloved Mama. He was happy for her. But missed her deeply.

He didn't know when, or even if, she could come back.

His hands itched for something to do. Physical training was out for the time being. Playing the cello would lack something without Asuka's spark. So, he took one of his favorite books from the bookcase, and began to read.

"(The Atom's Farewell)"

Once again, he wondered what had happened to the Atom. The small hero had disappeared without trace sometime after Second Impact.

The book itself had no clues, as it was a first edition hardback, and stopped as the Atom left the USA to live with a tribe of diminutive aliens in the Amazon jungles of South America. He had been very close-mouthed about them in interviews after he rejoined the JLA as a part-timer.

Shinji suspected something really bad had happened to the tribe. Sadly, he remembered how South America had been affected by Second Impact. They might have died then.

He set down a note to remind himself to check with Mr. Hayashibara about any updated editions. Once the city was cleared to go back to normal.

He put the book back in its place. And chose another, "(A Nose for Mystery)", by Ralph and Sue Dibny. He needed the lighthearted prose of a man who didn't take things too seriously.

He would like to meet the pair. Dibny could be still around.

Shinji hoped to have the chance some day.

Somewhere in Greece
An Abandoned Crossroad
The Past

"(Well, well, well…)" a sinister cackle broke the silence of the dark night. An old woman stepped from the shadows, stamping a rough staff on the ground with each step. She wore a threadbare black robe, with a hood covering her head. Her eyes glinted in the shadows, while her long and crooked nose cast a shadow over her mouth. Her back was bent and the mouth had only a few teeth, but her grip on the staff was strong, and didn't look as if she actually needed it to walk. "(It's been a long time since the last time, Zeus. I'm a bit surprised you even remembered how to call for us, I have to say.)"

Zeus straightened, raising his head. It would not do to approach the Hecatae (2) as a weak mortal, even disguised. "(I come in search of counsel, wise…)"

The crone wagged a bony finger, interrupting Zeus, "(Ah! Ah! Ah! Not the old names, Lord of Lightning! Call me Mordred.)" She mumbled something that could have been "(Should be Morgaine, pfah!)"

A rotund middle-aged woman appeared at Zeus' left, her hair was almost grey and her eyes brown. She wore a light blue dress and a dark blue cloak, both well worn but also, well kept. "(I am Mildred, you look like something worries you, Zeus. You wouldn't have come looking for us otherwise.)"

To the god's right, a beautiful young woman giggled, "(Something grave, I'm sure. Well beyond your ken, I think!)" Her hair was long, the color of the purest gold, and her voluptuous figure a temptation barely covered by a new dress, tinted in royal purple.

Mordred stamped her staff on the ground, "(Decorum, Cynthia! Decorum!)"

Chastised, the blonde lowered her eyes for a moment, and the three women spoke with a single voice, "(Ask your questions, Lord of Olympus.)"

Suppressing a shudder, Zeus opened the sack he had left at his feet. "(An ally brought some writings to me, looking for the knowledge contained within. No one in Olympus recognizes the sigils. Not even the other Skyfathers or their subjects do. So, I come to you, to ask for you to share your wisdom onto me.)"

Mordred nodded, "(Three questions you shall ask, three answers we shall give; but there will be a price.)"

"(What will it be, wise ones?)"

Cynthia smiled, "(Ah, that's one question we shall not answer. Not yet.)"

Mildred shrugged, "(That's the way of things, I'm sure you understand.)"

Zeus gulped, "(I… I do.)"

Mordred leaned forward impatiently, "(Well? I don't have all night.)"

Zeus extended his hands, and the images of the Dead Sea Scrolls floated in front of the trio. "(What language is this?)"

Mordred rubbed her hairy chin, "(Very old. Oh, so very old! Older than even the Titans!)" She cackled, "(That is the language of the gods of old, young man.)"

Zeus nodded, "(What does it say in these pages?)"

Mildred looked at the pages, "(It's a… There are no words for it that would mean something to you.)" She tilted her head, "(It is the way to destroy and create, to unmake and make. To give life to dead matter and to turn lightning into thought. And to bring forth the ones to do so.)"

Cynthia smiled at Zeus, waiting for her turn. Zeus asked her, "(What to do about it?)"

She walked around Zeus, almost touching him with her delicate hands. "(Wait for your friend to come back from the last wall, from the infinite frontier. With him he will bring the knowledge you seek from us. He has not been idle, and found somebody to unravel this riddle. Now, go back to your lofty throne, and wait for him to call upon you and your fellow Quintessence.)"

"(And your price?) Zeus barely dared to ask.

"Diaspora." Cynthia whispered in Zeus ear.

"Diaspora." Mildred nodded, extending her arms, reaching for the horizon.

"Diaspora." Mordred cackled, raising her staff and pointing to the sky.

A cloud parted on the sky, revealing the dark tapestry of stars.

Zeus looked up, and when he lowered his eyes, he was alone once again. A cold wind swept across the crossroads.

Author Notes.

Personal note: In a strange turn of things, I have just discovered a little prank my own subconscious mind played on me. I named the magical artifact the Phantom Stranger traded with Barter as "The Render of the Veils", thinking it was a properly ominous name for a relic, with some Lovecraftian flavor. Well… I stand surprised.

I was checking some books to store, and found a Call of Cthulhu RPG supplement I never got to play, read once, and left in a drawer. The book is "Unseen Masters", written by Bruce Ballon; for the subsetting "Cthulhu Now". The adventure "The Truth Shall Set You Free" includes an eldritch entity called, precisely, "The Render of the Veils"! So, I aknowledge the Unseen influence of the book in my choice. Interestingly, there's also an homage to the Dimensia 5 episode of the 1960s Spider-Man cartoon. BTW, the game is really good, and one of the easiest to understand and play, it is very intuitive. Plus, the rules are retro-compatible! You need to make some minor adjustments to the stats, and you can play any supplement with any edition of the game! Yes, even port stuff from 1e to and from 7e! (And the game itself will have an Impact in my End of the Future story; as Marty McFly and Shinji are players in a home brew campaign).

(1) Rasputin is one of those minor characters in the DCU that pose a mystery. He looks like a relatively young man, tall, with reddish brown hair and a short, bifurcated beard. He doesn't claim to be the mad monk of legend, but doesn't deny it either. He has few appearances in the DCU, beginning with his debut in Firestorm issue 84 (Apr, 1989). He was created to cover for John Constantine, as back then, the separation between mainstream and Vértigo titles was enforced. However, he was much more personable than Constantine.

(2) The Hecatae are one of the versions of the triple goddess from multiple mythologies. In the DCU, they are mostly encountered in the form of the Three Witches. Cynthia, the Maiden. Mildred, the Mother. And Mordred, the Crone. In Greek myth, they were also encountered as the Moirai, respectively, Clotho, spinner of the thread of life; Lachesis, who weaved the tapestry of Fate; and Atropos, who cut the thread. The Three Witches debuted as narrators of horror tales, in their own title, The Witching Hour issue 1 (Mar, 1969). They were originally just three witches, and largely forgotten until Neil Gaiman updated them as the Kindly Ones, setting them as the modern version of the triple goddess, in The Sandman, issue 2 (Feb, 1989)