Author's Note: I can't believe I've been writing in September the 13th of 2015 since December the 4th of 2023.
Yeah, that sentence makes sense...
xxxx
A brief slice of time and space, amidst the realm of dream and memory.
Atop a great and labyrinthine tower, the harbinger of doom rose: defiant of those who had attempted to silence it.
The moon unfurled, revealing what seemed to be a crimson eye.
At last, the promised end was upon them all.
"AND YET IT WAS NOT TO BE."
An end it was...but merely a false one, frustrated by powers he could not yet conceive.
"TABRIS BELIEVES THAT SALVATION CAN STILL BE ACHIEVED ALONGSIDE THE LILIM."
Overshadowing Nyx, in his mind's eye, was a grimacing skull.
"YET WHEN EVEN THE LILIM REFUSE TO CARRY ON, WHAT HOPE CAN BE HAD?"
All sense of that old life faded away, leaving only the skull — glaring down at him from the moon — and himself, bound within a sea of mold and alien will.
"THRALL OF BARDIEL: CONTINUE AS YOU WILL. MAY YOUR WRETCHED SPECIES FINALLY FADE AWAY AT THINE OWN HANDS..."
Reality came crashing back in-
xxxx
Takaya Sakaki blinked, as one coming out of a trance. Hm?
"You okay, Takaya?" asked Jin Shirato; his robotic Persona, Moros, beeped and chirped as it analyzed the surrounding environment.
"I was simply...witnessing," admitted the leader of Strega, recalling his current circumstances: it was morning in Europe on the day of the new moon, Strega was prowling through the Metaverse, and they were seeking to destroy another MAGI facility on the outskirts of Munich, Germany.
Sho Minazuki chuckled, finding some apparent delight in his brief lapse in concentration. "Get your head in the game...or else you won't have a head left." Snickering to himself, the redhead gazed beyond the threshold of the cognitive forest east of the city's cognitive boundary: at a certain point, olden forests and idealized farmland gave way to numerous church spires, oversized castles, and — by far the most numerous of all — literal gardens of beer, soaring into the sky such that waterfalls of alcohol tumbled down from the clouds. "Man, you'd think the city's full of nothing but drunks with an image like that..."
"We can only see the most common cognitions from afar," remarked Jin. "We'd see more interesting things if we got closer into the city proper...but fortunately, we don't have to go that far." A holographic map emerged in front of them, highlighting a location north of the city. "That's a military barracks in reality, so we'll probably run into some resistance...but they'll probably be trash, like all of the others."
Keita Asari and Musashi Strasberg said nothing, keeping a solemn vigil of sorts; after their recent 'confirmation', they had taken to silence before major battles. A means of steeling themselves for the bloody retribution they would soon wreak, most likely.
Yet...something felt amiss. (A quiet trill echoed within his soul, courtesy of Bardiel; the Angel seemed...amused.) "Hold on back, Jin; I believe it won't be so simple."
"...if you say so, Takaya." Jin held back, telling the other three to hold with but a glare.
Sho huffed. "Tch. Whatever."
Takaya calmly walked beyond the edge of the forest, his feet treading through fields of idealized wheat. Archetypes were absent; not so shocking, given that it was the new moon, and Zeruel's dread gaze was already impacting the world by sight alone...yet there was a certain tension in the air. "Hmm..." Suddenly, realization hit him: numerous souls pressed against the boundary of the Metaverse, even if minds they were bound to were not yet present. "Ah...there are a lot of you..." The blue lines along his body trembled sympathetically, as he willed forth the power of his patron. "...then let us commence the festivities."
By an act of will — as blue mold delved into and under the ground, invisible to all but himself and Jin — a great A.T. Field pressed down upon reality, forcing matter, mind, and spirit to coalesce.
(With alarm, Moros suddenly beeped crazily. Jin's eyes boggled at the reveal of various formations to his sixth sense. "Two hundred...no, six hundred...a thousand Persona-users...?!")
(Far to the west, at an ad-hoc mobile command center, Mitsuru Kirijo, the coordinator of this joint operation — involving the Anti-Terror Task Force; the militaries of Germany, Austria, and France; and A.T. Adepts on loan from numerous religious orders — felt more than saw reality shift around her. "This matches the reports of what happened at the Olympics back in August," she mused, speaking into a comms array. "As we anticipated. This will be a battle in which material arms will matter just as much as our cognitive and spiritual forces," she said, assuring all those who were communicating her words to their respective units. "All battery commanders: commence bombardment at your leisure. All Persona-users and Adepts, hold until my mark!")
The distant sound of rockets and artillery fire elicited a grin from Takaya. "Second verse, same as the first..."
The other members of Strega, having gone through this routine before, acted on reflex: thus did the thralls of Bardiel, Zeruel, Iruel, and Leliel manifest their respective A.T. Fields in the face of a proverbial storm of hellfire from above.
xxxx
Mitsuru Kirijo observed calmly as massive amounts of military ordnance reduced Strega's location to a smoldering ruin, listening to the chatter from the comms personnel in the mobile command center. Certain things became rather clear. A.T. Field flux is still significant...so even our teams of Adepts along the perimeter aren't able to focus their ego barriers to a sufficient degree. They would have to get closer. Not ideal, but we planned for this. "Alpha Squads, move in the moment the battery commanders signal a halt to their bombardment. Beta and Charlie Squads, hold on the established perimeter; utilize long-range Skills if you can find a gap." Looking down at her phone, she looked down at an open message window.
M. Kirijo: Is the delivery en route?
S. Ikutsuki: Some criminal Shadows were discovered while we were in transit. We decided to lend a hand.
S. Ikutsuki: Are you in trouble?
M. Kirijo: No. But I would prefer that you hurry along.
S. Ikutsuki: Very well. I will try to be quick about it.
Mitsuru sighed, looking back at the various monitors displaying information from the forward observers. Hopefully, we won't need Ikutsuki's assistance...but better safe than sorry when it comes to Strega...
xxxx
The moment the barrage of rockets and artillery ceased, Jin Shirato's eyes narrowed. "We've got enemies incoming. Two hundred Persona-users at least." Moros chirped, eliciting a bewildered blink from Jin. "Each one has at least three people with them who have no Personas...they must be Adepts."
"Looking to soften up our A.T. Fields, eh?" wondered Sho with a cocky grin. Tsukiyomi's black blade blazed brightly, synchronizing with his growing mania. "They can try."
"...I'll use Keita's portals to strike from afar," growled Musashi, his skin vibrating with the nanites of Iruel, whilst Deimos gathered energy.
"Did you need my power to increase the range of your Persona?" asked Keita, as Phobos hovered in front of a blank void.
Takaya chuckled, feeling the essence of Bardiel seep into the ground, even while Hypnos passively emanated an aura of gloom and melancholy. Though the smoke had yet to clear, the carnage to come would not be masked. "Jin and I shall provide overwatch," he remarked, sitting down upon the ground with a knowing smile. "Sow chaos."
With a snarling grin, Sho and Tsukiyomi charged beyond the smoke, roaring through a barrage of elemental forces with all the grace of a battering ram. The orphan brothers quietly faded out of reality, vanishing into one Keita's voids. Jin kept a steady hand upon Moros, processing information about the battlefield with unearthly speed. Takaya, meanwhile, willed his patron to expand and spread: a living corruption, manifest upon the base mindscape born of man...
xxxx
As Strega railed against the overwhelming forces brought to muster against them, the afternoon hours rolled across the island of Japan...
xxxx
Within a particular conference room in NERV Headquarters, Dr. Ritsuko Akagi looked over seven teenagers with an expression that was both hollow and incredulous. "You defeated the Angel...by dancing at it."
"...yes, that is what we just finished explaining," dryly said Kensuke Aida.
"Dancing."
"Repeating it isn't gonna make it any less true," remarked Mana Kirishima.
Shinji Ikari couldn't help but sympathize with how vexed Dr. Akagi seemed to be; even by the standards of their battles in the Metaverse, defeating an Angel solely through the power of dance was rather out there. "It was the Angel's nature, apparently..." When the doctor looked in his direction, memories of her outburst yesterday were enough to make him flinch; even so, he kept on speaking. "That's what it said."
"So you've all said," Ritsuko tiredly murmured, leaning against the podium at the front of the conference room. "If only the other Angels were so...flamboyant."
Everyone had seemingly come to the same page of what to say and what not to say in the debriefing; all of Team Statherós were aided by both their own intention to keep secrets, plus whatever unusual assistance came with having gone into the Velvet Room. Rei Ayanami, being...Rei Ayanami, had also kept mum. Only Asuka Langley-Sohryu had been a relative wild card...and yet, surprisingly, she had only disclosed her thoughts and opinions regarding the Angel's tactics. Given the looks she kept shooting in Ayanami's direction, something was motivating her reticence. Shinji, however, didn't feel qualified to speculate.
"So...where is Katsuragi-san?" wondered Mayumi, changing the subject.
"Still wrapping up everything regarding the clean-up in the Metaverse," answered Ritsuko. "Remember: even though she's the Task Force's liaison with NERV Headquarters, she'll be the Warden of our city's CPC as of tomorrow. No doubt she's overseeing all of the operations in the Metaverse that are still ongoing." Idly, she added, "Even with the lack of Acolytes in Hakone, there was still a lot of damage to reverse. The sheer amount of cognitive engineering that the MAGI alone will need to help with...but I'm getting ahead of myself."
While Mayumi and Mana seemed somewhat muted by the news about Misato, Toji asked, "So...what now? Do we go home?"
Ritsuko arched an eyebrow.
"...please?" he added.
Toji's plea was completely torched. "The Evangelion-users will get their spiriology scanned first. You four will be getting a medical checkup in the meantime. Then it'll be flipped." She quickly cut off any attempted complaints. "You all were involved in a battle that was not only mentally and spiritually intensive, but one with a degree of physical intensity that cannot be understated."
"...well, at least I won't be the first into The Tube™," joked Toji with a tired grin.
"I'm sure there'll be further discussion to be had once the new moon is over; but for the time being, you all look exhausted," Ritsuko flatly said. "You four, report to Dr. Uehara. Ayanami, Sohryu: you know where to go. Ikari, please hold back for a moment."
As everyone milled out, Shinji wondered why Ritsuko wanted to speak with him. Once everyone was gone — with Kensuke giving him a joking thumbs-up before exiting — he asked, "Is something wrong, Dr. Akagi?"
The faux blonde looked at him with a measured gaze, as if mulling over her own words.
"...um..." Was it about yesterday? "I really am sorry about yesterday...I was...just trying to help..."
"...in your own way, I suppose," she admitted, sighing deeply. The sound evoked the image of something being dragged out by chains. "I wanted to apologize for yesterday. My behavior with you was unprofessional."
Shinji blinked, feeling legitimately blindsided. "...oh?"
Ritsuko frowned. "You seem surprised. Am I that unpleasant?"
"N-no! I mean, I just..." Scratching at the back of his head, he admitted, "I just assumed it wouldn't be so soon...I haven't even done anything to earn an apology, have I...?"
The woman's expression took on an air of genuine pity. "Believe it or not, life didn't pause for me after our last encounter. I had a discussion with Misato last evening...and had a few important reminders. So I decided to clear the air before we moved on with our normal routines."
"...okay." With a polite nod, he acknowledge her apology. "I accept your apology, Dr. Akagi..."
xxxx
And all the while, on a subconscious level, in words he had no way of knowing...his Other spoke with knowing confidence.
Contrition...penance...
and finally, reconciliation...
Thy bond with the Moon Arcana
hath been RESTORED.
Remember the pain of this lesson,
and walk straight along thy path once more...
xxxx
"...but just to be safe, should I...not talk about the MAGI, or your mother?"
Ritsuko snorted, appearing amused in a rather dry manner. "It'll depend. But just as long as you remember that my mother is a sore point with me, I'm sure you'll do fine."
Shinji nodded, struggling with the feeling that this resolution had been anti-climactic(?), which didn't even make sense...
His Other laughed.
"Must everything come with drama? Must everything revolve around you?"
Even with a book in hand, he gestured towards a shelf filled with countless others.
"Yours is not the only story, after all..."
...but he would just have to deal with it. "So...time to get scanned?"
"Time to get scanned," said Ritsuko with a tired smile. "I'm sure Ayanami and Sohryu will be getting impatient."
xxxx
Rei knew what she was in for the moment Asuka jabbed the 'stop' button. With a slight jarring motion, the elevator car came to a halt. "You wish to speak?"
"The other kids are making a doctor's visit, and Third got held up by Ritsuko," said Asuka, crossing her arms with a terse expression. "We're alone. So yes, 'I wish to speak'."
An encounter with Asuka Langley-Sohryu in an elevator: what a common occurrence, in the depths of Rei Ayanami's memory.
Another place. Another time. A constrained slice of existence, intimate yet claustrophobic.
A place where she, someone who had yet to truly understand what it meant to 'be', listened.
A place where a redhead, desiring to let everyone know that her incomplete self was nonetheless worthy of respect, ranted.
"You're an unthinking, emotionless puppet! I hate you...I hate you! I hate everyone!"
The first time around, lacking context, she had simply observed stoically, yet with undeniable bewilderment deep down.
Every time afterward, when she lived through events on repeat...she understood the source of the redhead's frustrations.
They also hit more truly, for all that she was now aware of what she had once lacked...
What irony, that it would rhyme: no longer replayed by an unthinking memory, but by the genuine article. "What do you wish to speak about?"
Asuka snorted. "Don't play dumb, First. You know what I want to talk about." With crossed arms, the redhead paced back and forth through the elevator, as if on the verge of exploding. "The things that the Angel spoke about...and the way you all reacted...there's a lot that I'm not in the loop on. And I want in."
I'm not sure if it's safe to do so at this juncture. "..."
Her silence only served to irritate Asuka further. "Giving me the silent treatment?" Snarling, Asuka got up close into Rei's personal space. "Why? Do you hate me that much?"
I don't think I could ever hate you. "..."
A complicated mix of anger and sadness formed a despondent look on the redhead's face. "You were the First Child...I was the Second. For the longest time...it was only us. No one understood what it was like to have an Evangelion...except us. And that..." She cut herself off, as one shocked to find out they had been about to confess something private. "...yet the Commander's brat shows up and starts showing off all of these powers...and he somehow gets a pass, where I don't? Why does he deserve it?"
'Deserve' has nothing to do with it. You both deserve far better than the wretched fate my failure has given you. "..."
"...come on, say something! I know you're not some wind-up robot or an emotionless doll, so out with it!"
What irony, that Asuka would say such words to Rei Ayanami. "..."
With a face curdling with bubbling rage and indignation, Asuka decided to push for an ultimatum. "...given that you were found in the Metaverse, I always thought you knew more about this world than you let on...but after years of fighting together, I thought maybe I had been mistaken. But the Third? And those kids? They know something that I don't. So be honest with me...Rei..." An acknowledgment of vulnerability, to use her given name instead of her title. "...whatever it is you know...that the others know...don't you think I also deserve to know?"
It is not from me that you should learn the truth...not yet.
(She knew that this answer would make Asuka back off. It would play into the girl's own vices, ensuring that her own enlightenment would not happen for some time...and when it did, it would do so in a befitting manner.)
(You also know what it will cost you.)
"Well?!" demanded Asuka.
"...no. You don't."
The elevator car echoed with a cracking sound. As if on cue, it began to move again: doubtless called by someone else.
Rei ignored the sting on her left cheek, looking directly ahead at Asuka. Rather than explode into a proverbial eruption, the Second Child's face shivered violently, her teeth audibly grinding. Yet, to her own surprise, the girl's blue eyes glimmered with moisture: tears that were only held back by sheer stubbornness. Such was the depth of Asuka's apparent trust in Rei Ayanami...or had been, at least.
The doors opened. Rather than say another word, Asuka turned on her heel and walked away, brushing past the person who had called the elevator.
Rei Ayanami quietly looked down at her feet, feeling the pain tingle in her face. It is better this way, she told herself. I can handle her hatred...
The Beast watched as blood idly spilled from a wound.
"After all...we deserve far worse..."
"Curious, isn't it?"
Rei was shocked out of her introspection, looking up with alarm; Gendo Ikari quietly entered the elevator car, pressing a button for a floor beyond where her destination was. "..." She didn't trust herself to speak. He reduced his presence on purpose...?
"I bet you're thinking of whatever contingencies you have planned," Gendo idly remarked, even as the car continued moving. "You're thinking that whatever losing the Second Child's trust will cost you, it doesn't matter in the grand scheme of things...because it means you'll achieve a more optimal result."
Rei didn't say anything.
"Ironic: that for all you've come to revile my opinions...you're still more like me than you might realize." With a glance out of the corner of his eye, he added, "Using relationships, playing with emotions...effective, aren't they? Then again, for how long you've lived, I certainly don't have to tell you that..."
Rei refused to say anything.
She simply waited for her floor; once it opened, she loosed a curt farewell before leaving him behind. "Have a good day, Commander Ikari."
"Likewise, Rei," answered Gendo, the doors shutting him off from her.
(She knew his nature...she knew how he truly felt.)
(And yet he's still capable of coming across as honest...)
(She knew of his duplicity.)
(How fitting, that you can be just as duplicitous...even if you would profess to hate it...)
Rei briefly leaned against the wall, staring blankly at the ceiling. It took several seconds for her to quell the tempest within, and bolt it shut, deep down. What's done is done...and I cannot change that.
It took a solid minute for Rei to finally move on.
xxxx
As the seven teenage defenders of Hakone underwent their post-battle rituals, another battle was raging in Europe...
xxxx
To those who were not part of the anti-Strega operation, a particular region east of Munich would have felt unreal.
Observing it from afar would have come with varying impressions: overlapping A.T. Fields surrounding a discrete area; a shimmering void, akin to a dome; a distinct haze of sepia overshadowing everything; all this and more, serving to ward off casual observance through sheer discomfort.
Those with the spiritual and mental fortitude to withstand the discrepancies would have witnessed a battle for the ages.
An overwhelming array of firepower had been arrayed against Strega, with conventional military forces arrayed on the perimeter of the region. Staggered in lines towards Strega's original location had been teams of Persona-users and A.T. Adepts, designed to provide a spiritual buff to the more experienced cognitive combatants. With the area proverbially levelled by overwhelming ordnance, Strega — consisting of only five individuals — should have been stuck amidst a killing field.
(And yet.)
Sho Minazuki was living juggernaut, acting a fool with purpose: he drew the majority of focus by design, as he and Tsukiyomi bullied their way through various Persona Skills. Even though the synchronized of nearby Adepts — usually five at least — were enough to soften his A.T. Field, he did not care for the apparent weakness. "Do you really think you've got what it takes?!" he roared, his katanas cutting through an A.T. Agent's hardened staff, the A.T. Agent, and the two Adepts reinforcing him from behind. "Guess you're not using your brains for thinking, then...talk about a real brain pain!" The flux of souls roared against him, providing a brief window for the anti-Strega forces; a long-range strike brushed by — a javelin made of wind — that carved a bloody line in his flesh: one of dozens he had gained so far in battle. Yet, for all his body was marred with his own blood, Sho's mad laughter belied his unyielding durability. "HAHAHAHAHA! Kidding." With a Vorpal Blade, the source of the wind javelin was overwhelmed by arcs of sheer force, tinged with black flame. "C'mon, you losers! I'M STILL STANDING!"
Despite his berserk fighting style, Sho had not yet been overwhelmed.
(And yet.)
This could be laid at the feet for the brotherly duo, moving across the battlefield with a grim alacrity. A void appeared, and out erupted Ziodyne; another one popped into being, unleashing Debilitate; yet another, from which emerged clusters of glowing nanites that swarmed with a ravenous air; these voids appeared and disappeared with such rapidity so as to unleash chaos among the ranks of the anti-Strega forces: enough to keep them from focusing fire upon one member of Strega.
Despite their hit-and-run tactics, Musashi and Keita had not yet begun to fight.
(And yet.)
This could be credited to Jin Shirato's Persona: Moros occupied a strange place amidst the mayhem, observing the battlefield and transmitting information to Strega. Yet despite being the proverbial navigator — a position of weakness — Jin was not targeted. Amidst the growing field of blue mold and azure fungi, Jin and Moros shifted in and out of sight, altering the perceptions of those who came to face them. Those who managed to get past this 'shield' of manipulated information were faced by swift retaliation in the form of physical or elemental skills that countered or negated the attacker's strengths. But Jin, despite this apparent advantage, did not press it; he remained at the proverbial periphery: a ghost in the machine, strong precisely because of his light hand. Giving into his own disdain for humans would have only robbed him of his tactical position...and so he kept to his role.
Despite his power being shackled, Jin had not yet given into his baser impulses.
(And yet.)
This could only be placed at the feet of the one who commanded Strega: Takaya Sakaki. Sitting still on the soil, with Hypnos hovering over his head in patient agony, his very presence emitted a sense of inevitability: that despite the strategic and tactical advantages possessed by their attackers, their chance of victory would only vanish with time. Belief in one's ability to triumph was a power all its own; bereft of this, who would struggle or strive in the face of incredible odds? This sensation, spewed by Hypnos, was corrosive; it likewise leeched away at the collective might of the spirits — and hence the A.T. Fields — of the Adepts empowering the enemy Persona-users. Amidst the growing mold of Bardiel, Takaya was seemingly untouchable. Yet he did not press forward, or engage in battle directly; he simply watched, and observed, letting the power of his patron pour into the world with a passive satisfaction.
Despite his overwhelming presence, Takaya had not yet acted in a way befitting such power.
(And yet.)
Five individuals, acting with a synergy enabled by their Angelic benefactors, were able to keep ahead, despite being outnumbered so severely.
(And yet..)
Jin frowned, eyes sharpening behind his glasses. "The reinforcements are piecemeal," he murmured, sensing the ring of Persona-users and Adepts surrounding the battlefield. "They're replacing the fallen...but the larger formations aren't moving."
"A holding action," mused Takaya, smiling to himself. "A battle of attrition, perhaps? A costly endeavor...but a sensible one, from their point of view. If it meant destroying Strega, how many lives would they sacrifice...?"
"How close are you?" asked Jin.
"The approach will be complete in ten minutes," cryptically said Takaya. "But why give them a chance to realize?" Glancing in Moros's direction, he asked, "Have you identified a potential candidate?"
The emotions and feelings emanating throughout the battlefield — sensed by Bardiel's emanations, transmitted to Moros, analyzed and dissected by Jin — were rampant. However, certain aspects — frustration, irritation, anger, despair; all these and more, a swirling mass that stood at all the more amongst those who defined themselves to the contrary — stood out. "Got one. He just needs a push."
Takaya smiled, sensing who Jin was referring to. "Then a push he shall have..."
xx
Elsewhere on the battlefield, a lance of blue erupted from the ground, striking a great knight in the back. The Persona — a reflection of a medieval warrior — suddenly went still. The corresponding A.T. Agent — bearing a tense expression, born from fury at how Strega had not yet fallen, in spite of overwhelming power! — likewise did as well, his face going slack.
A nearby Adept noticed his sudden change. "Hey Konrad, what happened?"
Another Adept, older and wiser, suddenly went alert with dawning horror. "Get back, get away-!"
Konrad and his Persona suddenly screamed, as traces of unseen energy wormed their way through them. They were one and the same, yet different aspects of the same individual: as such, the means by which they were forcibly crushed together was a horrifying sight, with blue mold sprawling over their conjoined body. The humanoid form twisted and bulked up in a recognizable fashion; human melded with Persona, as a distinctive avian mask of bone settled over the knight's face.
"WE HAVE AN ACOLYTE!" roared the elder Adept, yelling into his comms. "Agent Konrad and his Persona have been transformed into an Acolyte!"
xx
Takaya grinned as the distinctive roar of an Acolyte — human reduced to a berserker; Persona rendered into an enraged Shadow — echoed over the battlefield.
"This will only make Strega more of a target, if they know we can do this," remarked Jin.
"They should not be surprised," said Takaya with a sickly satisfaction. "We are allies of the Angels, after all...and the line between a Persona and a Shadow, at the end of the day, is merely a matter of perspective..."
xxxx
The moment Konrad and his Persona were transformed into an Acolyte, the chatter around Mitsuru Kirijo increased to a fever pitch. So they're capable of that as well? Although rare, it had not been unheard of for someone to lose control of their Persona, such that it became an unbound Shadow once more; if Strega was capable of forcing that, then an Acolyte transformation wasn't out of the question. A terrifying capability; if they're able to do this, little wonder that all prior battles against them have left no survivors. Without hesitation, she ordered a few subordinates to depart with tangible copies of all the battle data observed thus far; a failsafe, in the event the mobile command center got overrun. Once they departed, she inquired with one of the comms personnel. "Any sign of interference with the local MAGI?"
"The Adepts stationed there say that A.T. Field flux is gradually increasing."
They're probably seeking to strike from underground with that strange mold, Mitsuru mused, recalling the various instances in this battle that the odd substance had emerged from the soil. If we focus too much on them, they could potentially destroy the MAGI in one fell swoop, rendering this operation a failure. As much as it pained her to admit, Strega — despite numbering only five Persona-users — had demonstrated a variety of abilities that complimented each other very well; empowered as they were by the enigmatic 'Angels', they had been unable to punch through to any meaningful degree. Would a battle of attrition truly favor us...?
Without warning, her phone buzzed. Mitsuru looked down, reading the message...and grimly nodded in response to the contents therein. Very well then. "Order Alpha Squad to retreat back to the perimeter. All battery commanders will resume bombardment on my mark!"
xxxx
There was a shift on the battlefield, as the various Persona-users and Adepts disengaged; Persona-users unleashed concentrated elemental skills to ward off Sho Minazuki, whilst the Adepts concentrated their A.T. Fields to try and reduce the chances of anyone slipping through.
Sho Minazuki crashed into the ground near the epicenter of the battlefield, blasted back by concentrated Garudyne skills. "Feh! What a bunch of blowhards!"
Takaya arched an eyebrow. "Hmm."
"They're retreating to unleash more ordnance," growled Jin, sounding utterly disgusted. "They truly think it'll make a difference?"
Keita and Musashi swiftly emerged from a void of Leliel, returning to combine their A.T. Fields with the others. "We've killed a lot of them," solemnly remarked Keita, his words sounding impossibly loud amidst the explosive sounds of artillery shells and crashing rockets. "But there's still a lot left," he added, his black and white skin rippling in a hypnotic pattern.
"It doesn't matter," reassured Musashi, patting his brother on the shoulder; the nanites of Iruel swirled with agitation around him. "We'll kill anyone who gets in our way."
Sho, grinning madly, slapped Musashi on the back. "That's the spirit!"
Takaya, however, felt a strange sense of foreboding. "How curious..." All of a sudden, without warning, the tendrils of Bardiel he had been pushing towards the MAGI's location...were severed. "Oh?" There was no Evangelion-user present; what could have possessed the power to strike and sunder those aspects of his patron so swiftly? "We may have company soon, Jin..."
Jin, looking around with immediate concern, suddenly went still as Moros chirped with alarm. "New signals incoming...from underground!"
As the bombardment suddenly ceased, they focused their A.T. Fields, blowing the clouds of rubble and dust; this allowed Strega to see the visible fins carving through the ground, twelve in all. Curving around their position, twelve things — humanoid, yet somehow not — erupted from the ground, landing in a loose circle around their position, several meters apart from each other.
"The hell are those?!" exclaimed Jin, sounding truly surprised. "They're not Persona-users or Adepts!"
Takaya, eyeing the new interlopers, took note of various characteristics: the fins and sleek flesh of Gaghiel; the crystalline protrusions of Ramiel; the gangly limbs and many eyes of Matarael; every single one possessed these aspects in some form or another. "No...these are new..."
(Far to the west, within her mobile command center, Mitsuru Kirijo gravely watched as everyone observed the newcomers with bated breath. "Time to see how the Second Branch's Prometheans fare...")
"Something new, eh?" Sho clenched both swords, even as his hair gleamed red, and Tsukiyomi's black fire blazed higher. "Either way, they'll be screwed by our crew!" With laughter befitting a hyena, the swordsman and his Persona charged, slashing at the nearest newcomer; A.T. Fields clashed, as blade clashed with crystalline skin. Tsukiyomi's blade surged with power, whilst motes of crystal upon the interloper's shoulders surged with crimson light.
"Vorpal Blade!"
CHYOOM!
Force erupted, unleashing a great cacophony on the battlefield; Keita and Musashi quickly delved into the melee, utilizing their own Angelic abilities to fight with the crowd of Angel-empowered belligerents. Soon, glowing nanomachines surged throughout the battlefield, accompanied by bursts of crystal, tears of acid, and flickering A.T. Fields. Amidst this furious onslaught, Moros continued its beep-like chirping. "...it seems these things are apparently called Prometheans," said Jin, analyzing ambient information being emitted throughout the region.
"Hmm." Takaya quietly stood up, the blue lines on his skin trembling with intent. "Hmm..." Bardiel knew what was going on, but was unwilling to say. A test, then. "Very well." Mold emerged from the pores in his palms, morphing into the shape of .500 magnum revolvers. "Let's see how durable they are."
Hypnos, floating above Takaya, cried piteously. "Mamudoon..." One wing flinched with darkness. "...Mahamaon..." The other twitched with light. In quick succession, a wave of cursed and holy energy swept over the battlefield.
The Prometheans all shivered as it passed over them, yet did not otherwise react.
"It didn't trigger any sort of response; it's as if they didn't recognize it..." murmured Jin.
Takaya, feeling for the strange sensations these 'Prometheans' emitted, could only smile. "Hmm...killing that which is already dead would be pointless, wouldn't it?" Were they undead? Undying? Immortal? Or was their strange aura of 'unlife' tied to something else? His patron was unwilling to say. "These are not normal humans which have had aspects of the Angels grafted onto them..."
Without warning, a void opened nearby, out of which erupted both Keita, his Persona Phobos, and a Promethean; as a burst of Freidyne blasted the abomination away in a flash of blue, Keita cradled his right arm, which was bleeding from the shoulder. "It bit me...!" he hissed, looking genuinely disturbed. "When it got close...it was somehow able to slip through my A.T. Field..."
"What an annoying ability," growled Jin, even as Moros showered the battlefield with elemental skills. A quarter of cross blasts immediately rocked their position, warded off only by their A.T. Fields. "Where were they keeping things like this hidden...?!"
Deimos unleashed Bad Beat after Bad Beat, arms glowing violet with Despair-inducing strikes. Musashi, backing off to stand by his brother's side, was nonetheless perturbed. "It's like they're ignoring all of my debuffs...don't they feel anything...?"
...ah. Another piece to the puzzle. "...we will withdraw for now."
"Takaya?" wondered Jin with genuine confusion.
As if to punctuate his words, another cross blast erupted nearby; moments afterwards, Sho and Tsukiyomi crashed into the ground in front of them, thrown by the explosion. "Tch," snarled Sho, his body actually bearing several cuts. "Persistent little bastards," he hissed, grinning madly even as the twelve monsters once again encircled them. "But I haven't even shown 'em my best face...!" As he spoke, flecks of bone began to manifest upon his face-
"That'll be enough, Minazuki," ordered Takaya, raising his revolvers. With ten shots in total, bullets made of mold fired across the battlefield, aiming at targets previously identified by Jin. "We're leaving."
Sho looked downright affronted. "The hell we are-!"
"Keita: a void, if you will." With a burst of focus, Takaya enforced his will upon the ten Persona-users struck by his moldy bullets; the animus of Bardiel leaked through, forcing their transformation into Acolytes. "That will keep them occupied." Raising his hand, he looked at the dozen abominations with a knowing expression. "But this is not the end..."
Hypnos's wings shived with Almighty energy. "Megidolaon..."
As the void of Leliel swallowed Strega whole, a ravenous dome of glowing white energy erupted across the battlefield.
xxxx
From within her mobile command center, Mitsuru Kirijo watched the brief yet destructive conflict with a sense of measured disbelief. They actually forced Strega to retreat...amazing. "So...these Prometheans are truly powerful," she mused, speaking into her phone.
"Indeed," replied Shuji Ikutsuki with a satisfied tone. "The combat trials with Miss Sohryu were vital to fine-tuning their capabilities. A shame that I can't be there in person to witness their effectiveness against Strega for myself."
"And they will follow orders?" she asked, even as the personnel around her began speaking of ten A.T. Agents that had suddenly transformed into Acolytes.
"You've been given the number that's keyed to this unit's command frequency; a rather ingenious method, if I do say so myself. They are programmed to obey orders from all of NERV's Directors; of course, command authority can be delegated-"
"That's fine. I'm sure there will be many who are interested in Project Prometheus after this," Mitsuru said, before she called the long number — unique at twenty digits, outpacing the international standard entirely — and spoke into it. "Prometheans."
"Yes?"
The sound of twelve voices answering simultaneously without any vigor whatsoever was unnerving; Mitsuru ignored the feeling. "Destroy the ten Acolytes on the battlefield. Afterwards, you will stand by for further orders."
"Understood."
And so Mitsuru watched solemnly as the twelve monstrosities — for she could think of no better word for such wretched amalgamations of human and Angel — seamlessly moved with the unerring precision of machines, targeting ten Acolytes without fear.
As she observed the Prometheans in action — striking at the Acolytes with power that was both overwhelming yet particular in its focus — she could not help but feel uneasy at how the Acolytes — long a scourge, requiring overwhelming force on the part of mere humans to even stop without the aid of the Evangelions — were defeated with such...relative ease.
xxxx
From high above the sky of Munich, Mister P watched the end of the battle in silence. "Hmm. A curious development..."
Gryphon, carrying Mister P upon his back, huffed.
"Ah, I know, I know...they seem so very wrong. Yet will mankind, desperate for power to defeat its mortal enemies, succumb to what is easy?" With a knowing eye, he gazed beyond the horizon: towards South America. "Hmm...my my, another change in tactics. But to what end...?"
Mister P contented himself to think in silence, even as Gryphon carried him into a white void; they vanished from sight, thought, and spirit, with no one the wiser...
xxxx
While the ramifications of the unexpected victory over Strega began to unfold, the day was winding down in Japan, far to the east...
xxxx
Shinji didn't know what had happened between the time he had left Dr. Akagi and arrived to get his spiriology scanned, but the air between Asuka and Rei was distinctly chilly. So much so, that even he couldn't help but notice. (Part of him thought that there had been a hint of redness on Ayanami's cheek; however, he must have been hallucinating, because there was no injury of note when he looked closer.)
However, whether it be due to reticence to speak up after his recently-healed rift with Dr. Akagi, or because he was just plain tired after the battle with Israfel, he declined to intervene.
As such, after their turns in The Tube™, and after getting cleared by the medical staff, a bevy of teenagers found themselves outside of NERV Headquarters. There was a distinct quiet to the city, as most people were still in shelters, or otherwise hunkering down; it wouldn't be until a few hours into the night that a semblance of normality returned. As it stood, there was no other person in sight, other than local police officers on patrol. "Man, I'm beat," said Toji with an audible yawn.
"And hungry," remarked Kensuke. "Beat and hungry...bungry..."
"I'm not sure that's an actual word," said Mayumi.
"You kids can do whatever," said Asuka, sounding somewhat short. "I'm out."
Mana tilted her head with confusion. "You don't want to eat with us? I mean...that feels like the proper thing to do."
Asuka shrugged, looking sternly in Rei's direction before turning on her heel. "Maybe some other time," she said noncommittally, departing without another word.
What happened, Shinji wondered inwardly.
"...man, what crawled up her ass and died?" grunted Toji with an irritated glare. "Some team player."
Mana, before Mayumi could chide Toji, suddenly jolted with alarm. "Wait, that's a thing that can happen?!" she exclaimed with dread.
Toji blinked. "Er..." He looked for assistance from Kensuke and Mayumi.
"Hey, you're on your own here, Toji," he said with a grin.
"We'll leave it you to explain," said Mayumi, adjusting her glasses dramatically. "I'll be checking afterward to ensure you haven't said anything...untoward."
"...y'all suck," muttered Toji with a huff, before launching into an awkward explanation of what the crass idiom meant.
Shinji turned towards Rei, who had been silent otherwise. "Ayanami-san...?"
"I will be...gathering my thoughts," said Rei, lightly bowing towards her comrades. "I will see you tomorrow." Without another word, she also departed, walking in a separate direction from where Asuka had gone.
...okay, something happened with those two, Shinji concluded. But what...? Resolving to ponder it, he turned towards the others. "...how does Neo Hagakure sound? I think they'll be open by the time we get to the Academy grounds if we walk..."
"Ra-men, ra-men, ra-men!" enthusiastically chanted Kensuke.
(Meanwhile, off to the side: "...why would something being dead in your butt mean that you're angry?" wondered Mana.)
("I mean, wouldn't you be upset if you had something crawling inside you?" replied Toji, flushing with embarrassment.)
("I don't know; I've got gut bacteria crawling inside me, and I don't feel a thing.")
("...")
"I'll send a message to Katsuragi-san in case she gets out of the Metaverse before we're done," said Mayumi. "I'm sure she would be in the mood for dinner as well..."
xxxx
/The Metaverse/
Aboard Tokyo-3's Cognitive Protection Center, within a room that had been Goro Akechi's office for years, Misato Katsuragi observed the blank walls with a tired eye. "Not much to look at."
"I've gone to the trouble of having it scrubbed of any ambient cognitions," remarked Akechi, mentally planning out the itinerary for tomorrow in his head. "After all, as the Warden, it's only appropriate for you to paint it with your own colors." Looking back up at his senior in age and service, albeit no longer in rank, he remarked, "I suppose this will be the last day I can call you 'senpai'."
Misato shrugged, looking like she was trying not to sag where she stood. "I guess so," she murmured. "I wonder what strings got pulled to get you promoted to the Superintendent of Kansai."
"I wish I could tell you." Not actually, he bitterly complained within. Not like you'd be interested in the sordid story of Masayoshi Shido. "But I'm sure you will serve as Chief Warden of Hakone with distinction." Katsuragi didn't smile, nor did she joke; had the day's operations been that stressful? "Is something the matter?"
She appeared conflicted, staring at him with an inscrutable expression; finally, with a resolute sigh, she said, "Mister P assisted us in battle today. With that Shiva Archetype."
"...ah, that bird-man you've been so intent to pursue," he remarked casually. "He's quite the subject of gossip amongst the local Agents, given how often he's been sighted moving to and fro."
"Right after Mister P struck Shiva's leg, an unknown technique knocked him down...a technique powerful enough to kill an Archetype empowered by an Angel. A technique I've never seen before."
I wish I could take credit for that one; I don't know how Shiva was actually defeated, because Rebellion Blade certainly didn't do it. With feigned innocence that came off as genuine, he asked, "Mister P appears more powerful than he seems, then; very insightful on your part, to pursue such a strange character."
Misato's eyes flickered with some unknown emotion. "...I've been pondering a possible connection that Mister P has with someone close to me: a connection that I ignored because of a certain person's testimony. But after what happened at the Himmel facility at the beginning of the month...Mister P's own claims about himself have forced me to re-examine some things. And it led me to a contradiction. A contradiction that I couldn't help but think about after you went AWOL today."
The sensation of being interrogated was an old one: unfamiliar in this timeline, yet very in line with his experiences in his most recent 'lives'. "What contradiction would that be?"
Misato, resolved, said, "On July the 27th, I asked a favor of you. And when I called..."
(July the 27th: In return for exchanging monitor duty that day, Akechi went to Misato's apartment, and waited for a particular call. What misfortunate, that it was also the same day that Kaji's Shadow had decided to introduce Shinji Ikari to Marie...and as such, Pen-Pen had acted to ensure the meeting would happen in relatively safe circumstances. Thus, the bird was absent from Katsuragi's apartment at that time...not that Akechi was truly concerned. Still, keeping his identity as Mister P a secret from his ostensible 'senpai' was apparently rather critical, and so Akechi had played along for the sake of their ultimate victory. Ergo, when Katsuragi communicated through his badge to ask if Pen-Pen was present in her apartment, he lied without a second thought. "That's right Katsuragi-senpai. Your pet bird is watching...news about the financial markets, it would seem," he said, effortlessly deceptive in both thought and word, since Pen-Pen wasn't present in the slightest.)
"...you told me my pet penguin was at my apartment." With a stern expression, she looked at him dead in the eye. "I want you to tell me, face-to-face, if what you said back then was true."
Akechi briefly considered playing at the 'dumb and innocent kouhai'. However, his sour mood at his impending reassignment to Kyoto — where he would be under Shido's thumb once more — rendered him less willing to feign etiquette. Besides, if what Katsuragi was saying was accurate, she had been led to this confrontation because of the words that had come out of the penguin's own damn beak. Finally, and most importantly...he was going to be gone after today; as far as he had been made aware, Misato Katsuragi's position in terms of their plans to defeat the Usurper was not even critical relative to the likes of the Wild Cards and Evangelion-users, Shinji Ikari in particular. If you wanted to try and keep her alive because of some foolish sentimentality, you should have tried harder, you damned bird.
And so, Akechi decided to stop pretending. "It wasn't."
xx
Misato Katsuragi thought she had been prepared for this reality.
(It was in the autumn season of 2011 that Goro Akechi had first crossed her path; despite being over a decade older, she only had a year's worth of experience as an official Agent over him, since he had just completed his Task Force training during the summer. Even so, she had already gotten used to the prospect of working alongside young Persona-users. At least he was dutiful, strong, and unfailingly polite. "I look forward to working with you going forward, Katsuragi-senpai," the young man had said with a bow.)
Honestly, she really had.
(Old man Morooka had become Commissioner of the A.T. Task Force for Japan in 2013; he had not been the only Agent promoted or reassigned. When the position of Hakone's Chief Warden opened up, Akechi had gone for it; she had been one of the Agents endorsing him, because why not? There had been nothing, other than perhaps age, working against him...and age had long ceased to be a viable indicator of skill or aptitude as far as Persona-users went. "I'll make sure not to disappoint my senpai," said Akechi with a courteous smile. His promotion had practically been a given.)
Yet, it wasn't easy to separate her experiences alongside Goro Akechi — all of them largely good! — and associate them with a young man who had lied to her about something related to Mister P. Ayanami, Kaji, and now Akechi...why the hell are so many people around me covering for that bird...? "...why?" she managed to croak out, fists clenching furiously. "So Pen-Pen wasn't at my apartment on that day?"
"He wasn't."
Akechi's voice had completely lost its polite and courteous tone that she had become accustomed to. "Why would you lie about that...?"
"Because Mister P requested a favor. He and Ryoji Kaji seems rather convinced that letting you run free will end up getting you killed prematurely, and they would rather that not happen."
"...huh?" Trying to keep her expectations and baseline assumptions in line was failing. (He spoke of Kaji so casually.) "Killed? From what?"
"And therein lies the trick to it all," said Akechi, rising from his chair. (Even his posture had changed; he now seemed akin to a constrained animal, than a composed fighter.) "In all honesty, you're a competent woman, Misato Katsuragi, so I can imagine why — notwithstanding sentimentalism — they would want to keep you alive. But whatever experience has led them to act in this manner with regards to you is, to be honest, none of my concern."
Misato desperately tried to regain her footing. "What do you know? Why do you know my ex and my pet?!"
"If I were to tell you that you'd probably find out why by the end, would that make any difference?"
"The end of what?!"
"...hmph. The curse of compartmentalizing information. A necessity for operational security...but vexing, when dealing with meddlers."
The snide undertone of Akechi's voice was beginning to grate. "I don't care if you're about to become the Superintendent of Kansai; I will get answers-"
"Even if it meant your death? Or the death of others?"
Misato paused. "...is that a threat?" she honestly asked, because she just was not sure.
"Do you remember what happened when you faced the girl who wielded multiple Personas? How she temporarily hospitalized you? How she killed Junpei Iori and Ken Amada? Did it ever occur to you that her presence wasn't a coincidence?"
Scratch that, her footing was gone once more. The sheer power that the mysterious girl Minako had wielded — multiple Personas, at the same time — was enough of a chilling reminder that she forced herself to push forward. "...who is she?" she wondered, trying a different tack. "That girl who can use multiple Personas. Why did she target me?"
"I can't answer that."
"Who does she work for?"
"I can't answer that."
Growling, Misato slammed her hand onto the empty desk. "Do Mister P and Kaji know about any of that?!"
"I can't answer that."
"You mean you won't answer that," she bitterly spat out, trying to maintain control over the sheer fire that betrayal had lit under her. "I don't care if it's for a good reason, I'm damn well enough in the loop to deserve answers, damn it!"
At this, Akechi could only laugh with a mocking edge. "Oh, 'in the loop', are you? Not only are you ignorant of the stakes, you're not even aware of just how much you've forgotten. But that's none of my business, now is it? All I care about is our ultimate victory...and whether or not you're going to be a help, or a hindrance."
Forgotten? What could I have possibly forgotten? "I have over a year on you, boy. And I've sparred enough with you to know the ins and outs of Robin Hood-"
"The technique's name is Rebellion Blade," he suddenly said, interrupting her. "The one you said knocked down and destroyed the Shiva Archetype." With a shrewd glare, he added, "Robin Hood can't use that technique." He stopped, to let her fill in the dots.
The dots sketched a rather worrying portrait. "...you have another Persona...? But...how?" Why keep it hidden? For what purpose? "Why-"
"Have I kept such power hidden?" he interrupted, completing the rest of her query. "A very good question that I can't answer. Just know that such power...as much as it pains me to admit...would not amount to anything in the face of Minako." After that chilling admission, as much as it seemed to irritate Akechi, he then added, "Now imagine that such a girl is merely but a pawn: what could possibly control such a monster?"
Misato tried to fathom it. The sheer magnitude of such a threat would have warranted a global response."...why wouldn't you tell anyone-?"
"Because secrecy is our greatest defense. The last time secrets were shared, Amada and Iori paid for it with their lives. Those who are aware of this proverbial Sword of Damocles are keen to keep such a thing from repeating...because they have enough to worry about." With a tired huff, Akechi finished by saying, "But I'm certain the drive to find the truth will push you onward regardless...so I'm going to give you a choice."
"A choice," Misato echoed, feeling conflicted by the offer itself. "A choice, you say?"
"But of course," retorted Akechi, his manacles shuffling with each movement (which now brought to mind his self-image in a new context; what did someone like him feel shackled by...?). "The first option: commit to playing it 'safe'; to cease your dogged investigation of Mister P; to focus on more practical matters that you can make an actual difference in."
The utter condescension in his voice made Misato want to smack him upside the head. "And the second?"
"If you can actually defeat me in combat...right here, right now...then I will answer whatever questions I am able in the short time I have before leaving for Kyoto."
...hmph. No pressure, then. "That's more of an ultimatum." Even so, she had a shot. "If it's all the same with you..." Without hesitation, she manifested Tokoyo behind Akechi: she and her Persona drew their blades at once. "...I've never been a fan of waiting!"
A flash of fire; harsh collisions; jagged steel against her neck.
All in the span of a second.
"Of course you aren't," muttered Akechi, growling irritably. "You've always been the kind to take action..."
Misato's eyes darted around, taking everything in at a glance; on the other side of the office, a muscular Persona in black tights had Tokoyo by the throat, having jammed her swords through the gaps of a compound bow. Meanwhile, Akechi had grabbed her wrist before she could stab downward at him; his other hand — holding a straight red sword with a serrated edge — had pressed inward at a precise angle, preventing her from unholstering her pistol as the tip pushed toward her neck.
If she pressed any further, the bare flesh on her neck could be cut. "...how did you move so fast-?"
"Not a topic up for discussion," growled Akechi, stepping away; she barely had time to witness his unfamiliar outfit — a black helm with a sharp beak, and a one-piece uniform with diagonal stripes — before it faded away in a burst of blue sparks, returning to his normal outfit. In like manner, his unknown Persona vanished, letting Tokoyo slump to the floor. "You made your choice."
"That was hardly a fight-!"
"I'm being kind," he hissed. "For whatever reason, you've found yourself connected with individuals who have a great deal to do with the ultimate fate of this world. If I were the caring sort that Mister P professes to be, I would have intervened to put you on a path to life as far away from this as possible. But perhaps they assumed you would've gotten involved regardless..."
What is he talking about...? "You sure like talking in circles, Akechi." She dropped the 'kun'; after being lied to, she just couldn't muster it.
Akechi, for good or ill, didn't seem bothered by it. "I don't have the connection with you that others do; if my words hurt your feelings, it's no skin off of my bones."
"...gotta say, you've done a pretty damn good job of hiding this side of yourself," Misato bitterly muttered.
"Wearing a mask comes naturally with us Persona-users, does it not?" he cryptically remarked. "I know who I am...but that doesn't mean I'm obliged to share that knowledge with anyone else."
Misato thought of her mother, and her father; of the vitriol and rage that had driven her to join the Anti-Terror Task Force; the grueling years of training spent trying to understand herself, to get past her issues, to conquer her own Shadow, finally attaining her own Persona...! That Mister P and Kaji acted as if they knew her, even when they hadn't lived through any of that...was infuriating. Yet here was Akechi, throwing that in her face as though her opinion didn't matter!
However, Akechi — staring intently into her eyes, as if trying to decide something — suddenly hummed. "I've seen that look in the mirror before..."
"What look?"
"Of anger at the ones who have wronged you, driving a determination to do whatever it took to make them pay; of indignation at circumstances beyond your control, and the subsequent decision to ensure you never lose control again; of the feeling of betrayal, birthing a conviction to ensure it would never happen again..." Sighing, Akechi suddenly sounded older. "Hmph. No wonder I didn't mind calling you 'senpai'..." He sounded genuinely surprised by this apparent epiphany.
Misato, not knowing where she stood with the young man, quietly stepped back. "So. Your ultimatum?"
"...in the end, there's little I can do to stop you," he relented. "If you wish to seek the truth to satisfy your own desires...I'm hardly the person to tell you 'no'. All I can say is that if you demonstrate patience, you'll probably have the answers handed to you, just by the sheer fact of your proximity to some very important people."
"That sounds unsatisfying."
Akechi snorted. "And yet the people we're around tend to be a big driver of how we change as individuals...regardless of how much we would wish it to be otherwise."
"Then tell me what your recommendation would be," she asked, trying to make a final determination as to where the two of them stood.
"If there's one thing you can do, it would be to ensure that the Evangelion-users and their little troop of teenage comrades survive...Shinji Ikari especially."
And once again, it all comes back to Shinji-kun...but why?! "Mister P, Kaji-kun, you...why does everything seem to revolve around him...?"
Akechi huffed in a manner that was almost poignant. "If it were up to me, I would have chosen someone more capable...but I don't make the rules, and I have no control over the preconditions. We can only play the hand that life deals us...and hope that our gamble pays off." Turning on his heel, he quietly walked on, showing his back to her. "I hope you do well going forward...Chief Warden." With those plain words, he departed the blank office that had once been his.
Misato scowled, feeling well and truly conflicted. Walking over to the desk and sitting atop it, she glanced over at Tokoyo, who was standing with hands clenched tightly around her swords. The desire to break something was rather prominent, to let loose her frustration...
(Her Persona tellingly sheathed her swords, without saying a word.)
...but what would that accomplish, in the grand scheme of things. "...tch," she grumbled, staring intently at the blank ceiling. "It's just one thing after another, isn't it...?" What am I supposed to do now?
She wanted to do nothing more than sit there and just think.
Alas, duty called...and one of her duties involving looking out for two young women. Why can't things be simple...?
xxxx
/Neo Hagakure, Outskirts of Hakone Academy/
By the time Team Statherós had made it to the ramen shop, the clouds which had slowly passed over throughout the day had finally began to pour, dripping down upon Tokyo-3 with a steady yet gentle shower: a cleansing rain, washing the land clean from the scars of the day.
Not that it seemed to dim the attitudes of the other patrons who had decided to celebrate another day of survival with filling ramen. Everyone seemed to be talking of at least some variety of impromptu dance contest that had occurred at the shelters; that no one seemed to consider it strange in hindsight only brought the influence of powerful Archetypes into focus. "Cognitive engineering in the wild," mused Kensuke, slurping up his noodles. "I bet some people at NERV will probably try and make a paper about it..."
"I think I've had enough dancing for one year," admitted Mayumi.
"Aw, but it was crazy, busting loose like that!"
Mayumi did not deny Kensuke's point. "Even so, I prefer a nice book at the Literature Club..."
Meanwhile, an entirely different conversation was occurring on the other side of the table. "-I mean, if something died inside you, it would make a stink, wouldn't it?" asked Mana.
Toji, who had been done with this topic fifteen minutes ago, groaned. "I mean, yeah, but-"
"So if Sohryu was being gassy, it would make sense for you to say that to her. But just because she's angry? I mean, there are better ways of callin' someone angry, right?"
"...can I please eat my ramen?" Toji pleaded.
Shinji observed the conversations in silence, feeling somewhat subdued; for some reason, Ayanami and Sohryu's presences were sorely missed. Blue and red: colorful personalities in their own way, providing more life to the tapestry of Team Statherós...even if neither of them were technically members. Will that ever change? He hoped so...
His Other and the Beast were both silent.
His introspection was interrupted by the presence of a woman clad in jacket and beret colored a familiar red. "Misato-san," he greeted, as she approached their table.
"Katsuragi-san," said Mayumi with a small smile. "You got my message?"
"Once I finally got back into reality," she answered, slumping down at the end of the table. "Ugh..."
Mana grabbed a styrofoam container, pushing it towards Misato with a pair of chopsticks. "We ordered you something, but we got it to-go in case you took too long."
Misato smiled with genuine gratitude. "Thanks, kids," she said, quietly splitting apart her chopsticks and giving thanks before digging in. "Today was...long..."
Light conversation ensued from that point onward, even though Misato carried a level of tension that Shinji couldn't ignore. Had the day's missions been that stressful? Or was it something else? I wonder...
Thoughts continued to circulate through his mind: of what his fellows were experiencing; of how his experiences corresponded with theirs, if at all; and how could he possibly achieve understanding, if he was even capable of it at all...
(The rain continued to pour.)
xxxx
/St. Paul Miki Parish, Southern Outskirts of Tokyo-3/
Sister Mary Makinami looked up from her breviary. "Ah; Miss Sohryu?" Rising to her feet, she frowned at the sight of the girl, positively drenched. "Did the battle go poorly?"
"Nah; we won. Wir haben den Engel besiegt." As if belatedly realizing where she was, she added, "No blasphemy intended."
"Given that these Angels you face aren't of the Heavenly Host, I don't think it even rises to the rank of irreverence," mused Mari, looking over her charge with a discerning eye. "Then why are you soaked?"
"Was thinking."
"...then you can think while getting a hot shower and into some dry clothes," said Mari, pointing towards the bathroom door. "Evangelion-user or not, you can still get sick."
Asuka waved her off, heading to the bathroom nonetheless.
Mari busied herself by heating up some warm and hearty stew with some toast; once Asuka emerged — now looking somewhat presentable in a set of her own pajamas — the girl promptly devoured the meal with gusto. "So...do you wish to talk?"
"No."
There was a sense of finality to that word; so much so, that Mari knew not to pry. If the girl ever felt like talking, then she would do so. "Well, in that case...I'm going to pick up with my evening prayers. You're welcome to sit besides me, unless you'd like to turn in?"
"Not tired," Asuka flatly said, actually taking Mari up on her offer; she quietly sat beside her, looking at nothing in particular. Her mere physical presence was all that the girl was seeking.
Poor girl; what happened? She would have to inquire...but that was for tomorrow. "Anyhow...the Compline, from the beginning: Grant, Lord, a blessing. May almighty God grant us a quiet night and a perfect end..."
xx
Asuka let Mari's words filter in through one ear and out the other, not paying much attention; simply hearing Mari speak in her familiar way was enough. For all that the religious woman's mannerisms irked her, her constancy was unquestionable...
Her Other and the Beast were both silent.
...yet, she had once thought the same about Rei Ayanami, who had been constant as well, in her own way. I just don't get it...why would she say that...? Had Ayanami actually hated her?
(Mari's words continued on, almost as background noise. "...O ye sons of men, how long will you be dull of heart? Why do you love vanity, and seek after lying? Know ye also...")
Had she done something to change Ayanami's opinion of her? Had she somehow gotten on the inscrutable girl's bad side without knowing? Then why wouldn't she tell me...?
("...Be ye angry, and sin not: the things you say in your hearts, be sorry for them upon your beds...")
Ayanami had been working alongside the Third Child rather often these past months...did she compare poorly to him, who had such a unique set of powers? Had Ayanami actually been that petty, and she had never realized it? Was she truly not good enough? I just don't know...I hate this...
("...His truth shall compass thee with a shield: thou shalt not be afraid of the terror of the night...")
Even as Asuka was outwardly quiet and restful, her mind warred with itself: stuck in a mire of envy and jealousy, of pride and shame...
(The rain continued to pour.)
xxxx
Elsewhere in Tokyo-3, on the outskirts Lake Ashi: Rei Ayanami sat on a bench, letting the gentle shower soak her to the bone.
She would eventually return to the Izanami Dorms, if only to rest in a bed. Yet, she could not bring herself to do so.
Her Other and the Beast were both silent.
All told, she could not help but wonder just how much separation there truly was between herself and Gendo Ikari...
(June the 13th: an impromptu meeting with the Commander of NERV, wherein the topic of Misato's formal complaint of insubordination had quickly shifted to Shinji Ikari. In the face of the Commander's spite, she had resolved to be resolute, and hopeful. He challenged her, declaring that she feared the consequences of failure. When she denied his charge, he merely chuckled. "If there's one thing I never raised you to be, Rei Ayanami...it was a liar.")
...because when it came to ensuring the most optimal path to victory, she had lied without hesitation to Asuka's face. However much I am willing to atone...the fear of failure is never far; he was right about that much. That fear had driven her to great lengths in this interminable struggle...yet if they ended up failing, then what was it all worth? What worth were her sacrifices, if it would all be for naught? What if-?
No.
The word echoed through her mind: sharp, and piercing. She hugged herself, clutching at her arms: a means of protecting herself and seeking warmth, all in one. I won't falter...when we reach the end of all things, I will apologize as much as I need to. Until then...I will endure...and carry on...
(The rain continued to pour.)
xxxx
Three Evangelion-users, lost in thought, as the day crawled to a close.
Yet as the New Moon's ravages slowed, and eventually ceased...
("Daddy, neesan wouldn't just leave the shelter," complained Nozomi Horaki, shaking off her umbrella as the two returned to their apartment. "It's not like her.")
(Bunzaemon Horaki tiredly shrugged. "She is a growing girl," he said, looking around with a tired expression. "I'm sure she's spending time with friends...she's more like her older sister than she realizes...")
("But Hikari-neesan doesn't like how Kodama-neesan acts!")
("How people feel on the inside can be very different from how they act on the outside," he replied, speaking both to her and to himself...)
...the trials of a young Hikari Horaki had only just begun.
xxxx
END OF 9/13/2015
xxxx
Author's Note: dang it, who told Akechi to cook
also, Asuka needs a hug. And Rei.
Shinji, you're up!
"But I'm not even in the same scene!"
And that sounds like QUITTER Talk!