A Gold Power
By StraightedgeWingZero
Summary: Darkness comes over Tokyo-3 as the battle against the Angels continues. But one boy finds a golden light to cut through the darkness as he becomes the new Gold Ranger.
Beta read TOAT
I own nothing
BOLD= Trey, computer speaking
Italic thinking, Freya speaking
Chapter 19
Shinji stood in stunned silence at the new arrival. The Silver Ranger came out of nowhere and attacked him. In truth, he briefly forgot about her since his mind was consumed with NERV and the mysterious monster that attacked.
Now she was right in front of him, catching him off guard. The two rangers just stood there in silence until the Silver Ranger spoke.
"Gold Ranger, at last we meet, or rather we meet again at last," said the Silver Ranger.
"Again, at last?" Shinji repeated, getting confused." Trey, what does she mean?"
"I…do not know," replied Trey.
Without a word, the Silver Ranger lunged at the Gold Ranger, causing him to go on the defensive, using his staff to block her trident. Shinji pushed her back and used a quick snap kick, taking her by surprise.
"Show me what you got, Gold boy," the Silver Ranger remarked.
She hit back with her trident, which clashed with Shinji's staff. To Shinji's surprise, she hit him with a double kick. Shinji used a back fist strike, which she countered with an arm block. Both jumped back to create separation distance and then clashed weapons again. Deadlocked, both rangers struggled to get an advantage.
"Come on! Even the White Ranger put up more of a fight!"
"Oh, you'll see, I'm full of surprises," Shinji replied, breaking the deadlock.
Shinji hit her with a leg sweep, taking her down. He brought the staff down on her, only for the Silver Ranger to block it. Then she kicked up and struck back with her trident, which Shinji blocked using the power of his staff. Shinji slipped to the right and did a bicycle kick, sending her to the nearby wall.
"Oomph, not too bad," the Sliver Ranger complimented. "See if this surprises you."
The Silver Ranger charged, pulled a feint, and did a somersault kick, sending Shinji flying upward and causing him to crash into a large vent.
"Gah!" Shinji grunted.
CRASH!
"Okay, I was not expecting that." Shinji groaned, getting up.
He rolled forward, avoided a heel stomp from her, and struck her a straightforward gut punch, knocking the wind out of his opponent.
"UGH!" The Silver Ranger coughed within her helmet.
But he followed it up with a quick myriad of rapid punches to the helmet and body. The Silver Ranger blocked the last punch with a high knee, followed by a quick snap kick with her left leg, pushing her gold opponent back.
"Not bad."
Shinji avoided a straight kick and countered with a corkscrew kick of his own, sending her to the ground.
"Ugh." Silver grunted in pain.
"Have you had enough?" Shinji asked, hearing a chuckle.
"Oh, what you have isn't enough," Silver said, rising to her feet.
"I know you're holding back. But that's enough for now."
"Who are you?" Shinji asked.
"Someone like you, a Power Ranger from Triforia," she replied.
"Triforia? I…I…I thought I was the only one."
"Believe me, I've existed way before you came along to protect our world, although now, there's not much left to defend anymore, is there?" she asked.
Shinji felt Trey stir at the mention of his now destroyed home planet.
"Now the monsters that destroyed our world are here. This is our last chance to stop them."
"What are you saying? You're here to fight alongside me and White Aquitar Ranger?" Shinji asked.
"More like a step in when you screw up." Silver Ranger replied.
"How do I know that's not Asuka under that helmet?" Shinji thought lamely, his eye twitching.
The Silver Ranger stepped onto the building's ledge.
"Times are only going to get tougher, Gold boy, and you'll need to find a way to level up." Silver Ranger said.
"Level up? How do I-"
"You'll have to find that out on your own, till we fight again," replied Silver, leaping off the ledge.
Shinji ran over to the ledge and gasped.
"She's gone," he said.
"And good, really good, " Trey said.
"Trey, you never said there were other Power Rangers on your planet, "Shinji thought.
"There was not. As far as I know, I was the only one chosen to wield the gold power from my father, the previous ruler of Triforia that preceded me." Trey explained.
"Your father was a Power Ranger?" thought Shinji.
"Yes, he was. He sought out Ninjor and Zordon centuries ago, looking for the power to defend Triforia from a terrifying evil called Ivan Ooze. Once he had proven himself through various trials and tribulations, they bestowed upon my father the Golden power to defeat Ivan and drive him from Triforia."
Shinji looked over the city and digested what he'd been told. He had a snippet of his predecessor's past. And the Silver Ranger… Who was she? Another Power Ranger from Triforia? How did she come to be here?
"Well, one thing is certain: having extra help is good. The monster we fought was strong, and we barely beat it alone. Worse, it's still out there somewhere."
"Then there's Hydrax, Delphine's enemy. We will have to contend with him as well."
"And there's NERV. They weren't happy when I lopped Unit 01's head off. I won't lie; I enjoyed doing it way too much."
Shinji looked out into the city, seeing it was all too peaceful. Deciding to head home, he leaped off the rooftop. Had he stayed around longer, Shinji would have noticed something shining falling from the sky.
(Shinji and Rei's apartment in the morning)
RING RING RING
"Hm wha?" Shinji woke up groggily, seeing his phone vibrate on his bed.
"Hello?"
("Shinji, it's Sensei Kenshin.") Kenshin spoke.
"Sensei."
("Sorry, did I wake you?")
" No, it's fine. So, what's up? Is it regarding training…"
("It is, but would you and Ayanami mind training under Jian?")
This surprised Shinji, fully waking him up.
"Mr. Rhodes?"
("Yes, your, Major Katsuragi forbade me from training you two, but White Tiger has another sensei. A Master Sensei at that. He continued to train after the original White Tiger Dojo shut down. He studied various martial arts from across the globe.")
"Sounds great, but Misato…"
("Ah, she said I couldn't, but he can. You got to love those loopholes.") Kenshin smirked.
Getting out of bed, he asked, "So will we be all training or just Rei and me?"
("All of you will. Remember, the dojo is just a place. You are all tigers, so it doesn't matter where we go; we stay together.")
"I understand. So, we'll head to Kyoto, then?"
("Jian will be expecting you. And just a fair warning, he's a next-level fighter. I've been taking it easy on all of you so far. But Rhodes is going to kick your asses into high gear.")
"We'll be ready, sensei," Shinji assured.
("You had better. Talk later.")
With that, Kenshin hung up. Shinji walked out of his room, and, to his surprise, Rei was asleep on the couch.
"Rei?" asked Shinji, shaking her awake.
"Mmm… Sh-Shinji," she groggily answered.
"Are you alright? What are you doing on the couch?"
"Hmm, I am fine…I… Rei trailed off.
Vivid flashes of her fighting the Gold Ranger appeared in her mind.
"What?"
"I…don't remember."
"Yeah, sorry. That was my fault. I took over your body, and we had quite a night breaking up gang fights after we met with the Gold Ranger, " Freya said.
Rei steadily got up from the couch.
"Maybe I should take you to see Ritsuko."
"No, I'm fine. I do not want to see her," Rei replied, almost disdainfully
"Okay. Are you hungry? I'm just about to make breakfast."
"Yes, I am."
Rei groggily walked over to the table and sat down while Shinji began making eggs and salad. While cooking, Shinji informed his roommate that Sensei Masaki would be handing over teaching duties to his friend. They were going to Kyoto later that day to meet with the rest of the dojo.
Rei looked forward to seeing Yakumo again. She's really formed a connection with the girl, considering her a friend. After a hearty breakfast and a quick change of clothes for Rei, the two set off.
"Shinji, what do you make of this martial arts tournament?" Rei asked, walking alongside him.
"It's supposed to be pretty intense here in Japan. Other countries have martial arts events, including America, but theirs are more watered down." Shinji replied.
"Do you think we'll be ready for it?"
"Sensei has faith we will be."
"Sometimes, faith is enough to push one forward," Freya spoke up within Rei's mind.
The pair boarded the train headed for Kyoto. Sitting together, Shinji contemplated the human/Angel monster that attacked days ago. He knew it was still out there somewhere. With the extra training, Shinji might stand a better chance of taking it out for good next time.
When the train reached its destination, Shinji and Rei disembarked, and the pair took in the sights of Kyoto, having never traveled there before. After an hour of walking, Shinji and Rei rounded a corner to see their fellow White Tigers, Koji and Yakumo, in front of a large temple with students at the front doors.
"Ayanami! Ikari!" Koji called.
"Hey, Koji," Shinji greeted.
"So, you got the call from Sensei to come here, too, huh?" Koji asked, getting a nod from Rei.
"Sensei Masaki said that a friend of his was going to take over our training," Rei answered.
"Any idea who this guy is?"
"His name is Jian Rhodes. According to Sensei, he's supposed to be one of the best martial artists in Japan." Shinji explained.
"Better than sensei?" Yakumo asked.
"Yeah."
The large doors opened by themselves, interrupting any further conversation. The students walked into a large courtyard.
Shinji looked on in interest and followed the rest of the students to separate changing areas. The girls were on the left side and boys on the right side. After changing into their respective training Gis, the White Tiger students assembled in front of the sparring deck, falling in line while Jian appraised them from his position.
"Good afternoon, White Tigers," Jian said.
"Good afternoon, Sensei Rhodes," they all replied.
"Now, in case it wasn't clear, I have been asked by my friend, Sensei Masaki, to take over your training to prepare you for the competition ahead. You've been at level one so far. Welcome to level two. When I was your age, I was known as the Tournament Blaze because I blazed through every martial arts tournament in different parts of the world. Tearing through every competitor that was unlucky or stupid enough to get in front of me."
Jian looked at his students and continued with a heavy sigh of regret.
"I wish I could say my tournament days ended gracefully. That was not the case. I grew arrogant and foolish. I've made mistakes and blown my chances at the big one. I am going to ensure that you maximize yours."
"The Beast King Tournament is a grand spectacle, one of the biggest competitions in Japan next to STARDOM wrestling. The top five dojos showcase their top fighters at the Toyko Dome, five fighters total. I have been asked to determine which of you is most qualified to represent White Tiger as our top five fighters. But long before that happens, White Tiger has to win the qualifiers in a week to gain entry. So, today, we're kicking it up a notch. 'Because the competition you'll be facing will be fierce."
The students murmured amongst themselves.
"Now that that's out of the way, let's begin. Follow me."
Sensei Rhodes stepped off the sparring deck and went right, with the tigers following him.
"What do you think he has planned for us?" Koji whispered to Shinji.
"No idea," Shinji answered. "Keep your eyes open."
Sensei Rhodes led them to a large part of the courtyard, where a vast variety of training equipment was scattered. Rhodes began improving the tigers' speeds for the first few hours. The tigers were divided into groups. They had to catch chickens and pull tires in a circle with statues.
For the second hour, the group took turns climbing up a tall, wooden pillar to retrieve an arrow at the top, using weights with kanji representing "Determination" and "Strength", both of which were needed to recover the arrow. The students tried individually, sliding down in failure, making Sensei Rhodes sigh.
"We've got a long way to go," Rhodes murmured, rubbing his hand through his hair.
Next, the students scaled the monkey bars with weights attached to their ankles, with many struggling and falling. Then, the students were tasked with carrying buckets of water on a pole on their shoulders. Rei struggled the most, causing Rhodes to step in and take the pole from her with one hand.
Then came a mix of Shotokan karate and kung fu combat training, with Shinji adapting quicker than the others. A little later, the students took a lunch break and sat around the courtyard underneath a tree.
"Man, Sensei Kenshin wasn't kidding when he said Mr. Rhodes was at the next level," Yakumo commented, rubbing her shoulders.
"You said it. I'm gonna be sore until Christmas," groaned Koji, rubbing his sides and taking a bite of his bento box lunch.
"Every inch of me hurts. My body can't decide whether to stand or keep sitting down," Shinji added, sitting beside him.
Rei remained silent, not giving any indication that she, too, was feeling the results of their training.
"You could pipe in, you know. You're feeling the effects of the training, too, "Freya said, inside her mind.
"I am aching…a lot," Rei said uncertainly
"Welcome to the club. We've got hats." Koji sarcastically joked.
"See, you're fitting in already."
It made Shinji smile briefly at Rei. She had come a long way from the girl who blindly followed NERV's orders and felt her only purpose was to pilot Eva. Now, she was more open and making friends, walking her path. All this began when he saved his roommate from her apartment fire more than a few months ago. Perhaps that day gave Rei a new appreciation for life, mainly her life.
Rei glanced up at the pillar with the arrow at the top while the rest of the students conversed. No one has been successful in retrieving it.
"There's an old saying: If you don't succeed at first, dust yourself off and try again. Try again. " Freya said in Rei's mind.
Rei picked up the weights and remembered what Sensei Rhodes had said. To retrieve the arrow, she needed both strength and determination.
"You have both strength and determination. The strength to push forward and the determination to make your own future." Freya stated.
"My own future," she whispered.
With that in mind, Rei tied both weights together and began her climb, inching her way up, little by little. The words of the commander and Ritsuko echoed in her head.
"Your sole purpose is to the Eva Rei and nothing else," Gendo echoed.
"You are only a tool for us to use. A toy doll and no more than that." Ritsuko echoed.
Their words made the girl slip, but she still held on to the pillar
"There's more to life than Eva."
"The smallest acts of good can fill others with hope."
"Hey, guys, look at Ayanami!" one of the students exclaimed.
The tigers looked to see Rei climbing the pillar, inching her way up, bit by bit. They quickly gathered and shouted to give her encouragement.
"It's not for anyone else to decide if you should have a future. Only you get to decide."
"You can do it, Ayanami!"
"Come on, Rei!"
"Go, Rei!"
She climbed up another inch, stopping to look down at the others who cheered her on. Her red eyes landed on Shinji, who smiled back and nodded, mentally urging the First Child to go on. Dragging herself up further, Rei was inches away from the arrow. Reaching for the arrow, she felt the presence of past female Power Rangers push her forward as she grasped the arrow, hearing a soft voice echoing in her mind saying:
"Your future is yours. Reach out and seize it."
That was the last piece of encouragement the First Child needed, pulling the arrow from the top. Meanwhile, Jian came from around the corner, and the arrow landed on the ground away from him.
WHOOSH
PLUNK!
Looking up, he saw Rei Ayanami at the top of the pillar. She was the only one who retrieved the arrow and tossed it to the ground.
"I don't believe it," Rhodes whispered.
"Yeah!" the group cheered.
Rei smiled as she held on, elated after completing the difficult task. She had never felt anything like it before. Was this what it was like to achieve a well-earned success?
"Well done, Rei," Shinji praised.
"Awesome, Rei!"
"Great job!"
Sensei Rhodes appraised the girl on the pillar and smirked.
"Alright, now the real work begins," he said
(In the vastness of outer space)
Hydrax was sleeping in his ship's cockpit, his arm hanging down and snoring. The monitor from his console rose and beeped.
BEEP BEEP BEEP
"Hm…what?"Hydrax mumbles, waking up.
"Unknown energy signature approaching," the computer spoke.
"Bring up the image, "Hydrax orders.
The screen showed a massive yellow energy swirl barreling towards the planet, specifically towards Japan. Fortunately, Hydrax's ship was a little way out of its range.
"Zoom in and magnify."
The image uncovered a large, bulky humanoid creature headed toward the earth.
"This creature carries the same energy signature as Angelus, except it is more massive. More powerful, perhaps."
Suddenly, a dark, feminine figure approached from behind. She wore a revealing red and black bodysuit with grey padding, glowing red lights, open cleavage and hips, and matching knee-high boots.
On the arms were sharp-clawed gauntlets with single blades on the forearms. On the figure's head was a dark helmet with a T-shaped visor and a set of horns on top of the helmet, two on both sides and two in the back. Her name was Enrinys. Sensing her presence, the bounty hunter turned to face his newest creation.
"Ah, Enrinys, up and about, are we?"
"Yes, Master Hydrax." She answered, kneeling before her creator. "What is your will?"
Hydra pressed a few buttons on his chair, and an image of a hidden mountain passageway came onto the screen.
"There's an errand I need you to run for me, dear Enrinys. Inside NERV's base, where I found you, they have data on the Gold and White Ranger's previous sightings. I need you to go there and get it."
"Yes, Master," she nodded, rising to her feet and turning to walk away.
"Enrinys, the Power Rangers cannot know of you yet. We still maintain the numbers advantage and the element of surprise. Kill any you come across." Hydrax ordered.
"I understand, Master."
With that, Enrinys departed, and Hydrax looked at the approaching entity. Recent data showed that humans had the means to deal with these creatures with their own massive but primitive organic machines. Hydrax pondered whether he should let them deal with it, and then the hunter would swoop in and collect the remains.
But another thought occurred to the bounty hunter. Since he revealed himself, the arrogant man Gendo Ikari may dispose of the creature entirely as a way to spite him or make sure none collected the remains
"Although a wise hunter patiently awaits his opportunity, a strong hunter keeps his skills sharp. Computer, do we still have Astromena's Satel-lasers onboard?" asked Hydrax.
"Affirmative," the computer answered.
"Good. Let's see if that old tech still functions. It was a pain getting it from Sentari-4. I wonder why she never used it on herself. Estimate earthfall?"
"28 earth hours"
"Hah, more than enough time."
"Rarggh," Angelus grunted, making his presence felt.
"Don't fret, my minion. You won't be idle. I'm sending you down to find this Silver Ranger. And if you find her, destroy her." Hydrax commanded.
"Rarggh," Angelus nodded.
That said, the hunter rose from his seat, opened his gauntlet, pressed a couple of buttons, and beamed himself down to the Earth.
(A day later, Kyoto)
The White Tigers continued their training under Rhodes's watchful eye. Practicing one of the kata of Shotokan Karate, Taikyoku, all in perfect sync. Not one person was out of place. The students started the chicken chase again, and Shinji successfully caught it.
Yakumo scaled the monkey bars with the weights attached to her feet without falling. Koji hauled the most statues, pulling ahead of the rest.
Rei managed to carry the water buckets on her shoulders this time. Next came Jo staff training under Jian's watchful eye, nodding in approval on how well the white tigers progressed. The evening soon set, and the tigers assembled in front of the sparring deck, with Shinji and Koji preparing to spar and Sensei Rhodes refereeing. Both students took their spots, bowed to their sensei and each other, and got into their fighting stances.
"Hajime!" Sensei Rhodes called.
Koji started with a forward punch, which Shinji blocked, a leg sweep, and a light punch to Koji's side.
"One point, Ikari!" Sensei Rhodes called.
"Nice one, Ikari. You won't catch me slipping again," Koji assured, getting up.
"Begin!"
Shinji went for a front kick first, but Koji blocked it. Then, he blocked two knife chops and used a low elbow on Shinji's left side, sending him to his knee.
"One point, Shirahama!" Rhodes called.
Both combatants returned to their respective sides. Sensei Rhodes kept a keen eye on them.
"Shirahama is a wild one. He's got a lot of raw energy but is unfocused. Ikari has some measure of skill. Not surprising since he's Kenshin's first student. But I sense he's holding back his real strength," thought Rhodes.
"Hajime!"
Koji attacked furiously this time, with Shinji barely blocking. Shinji anticipated his rhythm and knew where to strike. Blocking a back fist, Shinji hit a front snap kick.
Koji retaliated with a front thrust kick, but Shinji remained on his feet. Koji went for a front jab punch, and Shinji dodged it and countered with a dragon claw to the face.
"Impressive," Rhodes murmured.
Koji went for a side kick, with Shinji matching it, and both collided and separated.
"Yame!"
Both students stood at attention in front of their sensei.
"Impressive display, both of you. Ikari, I admire your level of concentration control. Not many fighters have a skill like that. Normally, it takes years to acquire. Shirahama, you have a raw wild style that makes it hard for opponents to predict. We will sharpen these skills as the tournament approaches. Fall in."
Both students bowed and rejoined their classmates. Before Sensei Rhodes could call up the next pair of students, two men in dark suits entered the courtyard. Shinji and Rei recognized them immediately and groaned inwardly.
"Can I help you?" asked Jian.
"We are here for Shinji Ikari and Rei Ayanami," the first man said.
"About what, if I may ask?"
"A matter of global security, sir,"
"It's alright, Sensei. We'll go," Shinji said, stepping forward.
Rei merely followed suit. Both teens accompanied the men without another word. The tigers murmured worriedly among themselves, knowing their status as Eva pilots. Jian silently prayed for the two as the alarms rang out, signaling the arrival of another Angel.
(Tokyo-3)
"What's Shinji and Rei's ETA?" asked Misato, furiously driving to headquarters.
…
"Not good enough! You get those two on the underground express train right now! Goddamn it!"
…
"Are the Eva Units combat-ready?"
…
"Just Unit-02. Unit-00's arm hasn't regenerated, and Unit-01 suffered more damage from the last attack than we thought. The Gold Ranger did a number on Unit-01, didn't he?"
Misato looked to the side to see a large, vaguely humanoid creature with a bulky body and a prominent core appear on the outskirts of Tokyo -3 and begin its march into the weary city.
"Just great," the major groaned. "I see the Angel right now. I'm on my way."
From the hillside stood a familiar, armored bounty hunter looking at a large creature with interest. Already, the humans had dispatched their meager military to contend with the monster, only to fail miserably.
"Let's see if you can provide a challenge. Computer, fire the Satellaser on my position!" Hydrax ordered.
Above the atmosphere, the ship locked onto Hydrax's location and fired the green beam. Hydrax grew to the size of a building, catching the Angel's attention. Hydrax pulled out his double-crest blade weapon in a challenging manner. The Hunter struck the Angel vertically, followed by a heavy kick, pushing the Angel back. In response, the Angel fired beams from its eyes, hitting Hydrax but barely dinging his armor.
"Is that your best?" the hunter mocked, striking back.
(NERV HQ)
"Is Unit-02 ready for launch?" asked Gendo, looking at the screen and watching Hydrax fight the 14th Angel.
"Almost, sir," reported Maya.
"The First Child and Third Child have entered the facility," Shigeru reported.
"First, the Gold and White Rangers, and now this thing! What in the hell is going on?!" Ritsuko exclaimed.
The doors opened up to Misato rushing in.
"Hey! Do we have any idea what the hell that thing is?" asked the Major. "Or why it is fighting the Angel?"
On screen, the unknown, metallic humanoid being (to the NERV bridge staff) slashed the Angel in its upper torso. Like arms, the Angel's arms of paper suddenly popped out of their sockets and engaged the being in close combat. Gendo watched the being he encountered, called Hydrax, fight the Angel and glared at him, remembering their first encounter.
"Commander, do you still want to launch Unit-02?" asked Maya.
The commander remained silent before nodding.
"Launch Unit-02!" Gendo ordered.
"Launching Unit-02."
"Sir?!" exclaimed Ritsuko. "We don't know-"
"Irrelevant, Akagi. We have a chance to neutralize two threats at once." Gendo argued.
"What's the status of the other units?"
"Unit-01 is rejecting the Dummy Plug System."
"Unit-00 still isn't combat-ready."
"Yui, why are you refusing me?" Gendo thought.
"Launch Unit-00, anyway."
"Y-yes, sir,"
(Outside)
The red Evangelion rose from its holding place and surveyed the two beings engaged in battle.
"Which one do I go after first?" Asuka questioned.
As Unit-02 stepped forward on the field, Hydrax glanced at it from his peripheral vision and fired an energy shot from his double crest-shaped scythe at the Angel, damaging its body. He then pointed his weapon at the intruding unit.
"Stay out of this, machine!" Hydra growled, his voice echoing. "This prey belongs to Hydrax!"
Asuka was stunned, but her bewilderment turned to anger. First, the Gold Ranger and his lion robot saved her, and now, whatever this alien dared to interfere and order her around. The Second Child had just about had it with the disrespect. She flexed her fist in anger, making her raise her rifle and fire.
BANG!
The bullet didn't even ding Hydrax's armor. But it was enough to get his attention.
"If you're that eager for destruction, I will oblige you," Hydrax spat, firing his crest scythe at Unit-02.
ZAP!
Unit 02 put up its AT field in time, blocking the shot and sparing it from damage.
BOOM!
The field held but barely, and Asuka fired back, but this time using two rifles, neither affecting Hydrax. Suddenly, the 14th Angel recovered from the previous attack and retaliated against Hydrax, firing its eye lasers. But the hunter raised his right arm, materializing his shield, and deflected the shot. Hydrax looked between Eva Unit-02 and the 14th Angel and chuckled mirthfully.
"This might be worth my time after all," Hydrax chuckled, twirling his blade.
"Now, which one to destroy first?"
(NERV HQ)
Shinji and Rei were watching from inside the locker room. Their fellow pilot was in a standoff with the Angel and Hydrax.
"Asuka," Shinji worriedly whispered, looking at the screen.
"Yes, she's in a difficult situation. We must help her." Trey said.
"First Child, report to the Unit-00 cage, immediately!" the intercom spoke.
Rei gasped in reluctance but nodded and went on ahead.
"Rei," Shinji said, stopping her mid-step.
"Yes, Shinji?" Rei asked.
"Please be careful," he told her.
"I will. I promise to come back to you," she responded, her eyes flashing, her cheeks turning red from embarrassment.
Shinji's eyes widened as he blushed. Rei quickly made haste towards the Eva cages.
"Freya!" the First Child thought.
"What? Your feelings for him are growing every day. Don't deny them, Rei. Let yourself feel for Shinji." Freya replied.
"D-do you think he feels the same?"
"I suspect he cares for you deeply. The smallest acts can often have the biggest impacts."
Shinji watched Rei's retreating form, his thoughts shifting to Hydrax. Delphine said he was powerful, one of the strongest foes she had ever fought against, and still struggled, even with the help of her team.
"Third Child, report to the Unit-01 cage," the intercom spoke.
" I knew I should have done more than cut off Unit-01's head," Shinji murmured.
Shinji made his way to the cage. Unbeknownst to him, a simmer passed through the halls. Shinji briefly looked back, getting an odd feeling. Shaking it off, he went along. The simmer revealed herself briefly before vanishing again.
(Ouside)
"Now, who to destroy first? Decisions, decisions," Hydrax mused, looking between 14th Angel and Eva Unit-02.
However, the 14th Angel made the choice easy for the hunter, firing its eye beams at Hydrax, who blocked it. Asuka refused to be ignored and attacked the Hunter and the 14th Angel. Hydrax twirled his blade and pointed it at Unit-02. The blades began to glow blue, and waves were forming behind Hydrax.
WHOOSH
WHOOSH
WHOOSH
WHOOSH
"What?!" Asuka gasped.
"Let me show you how outmatched you are! Wave Crest!" Hydrax exclaimed.
Hydrax swung his weapon, and multiple water energy blades shot out of both ends. Asuka tried to evade and raise her AT-Field, but the blades hit dead on target, cutting off the body's left arm and leg, causing blood to squirt out, bringing Unit-02 down to its knees.
"Argh!" Asuka yelled, feeling the pain through her neural clips.
Hydrax turned his attention back to his intended prey, the 14th Angel, and attacked, striking the Angel on its body. Chipping away chunks of its flesh, the Angel retaliated with its eye beams, this time directly at Hydrax's face.
"Gahh!" the hunter yelled in pain, making him stumble backwards.
This visibly infuriated the alien bounty hunter. Hydrax increased the ferocity of his attacks, hitting the Angel much harder.
"Alright then, I have now had my fill. It's time to finish you off!"
Hydrax raised his crest blade in the air, powering it up with lightning, and swung vertically on the Angel, breaking through its AT-Field and slicing through the core first. Next, he slashed the body horizontally. Electricity surged all through its body, and then the Angel fell sideways and…
BOOM!
The angel was annihilated. Hydrax stood above his fallen prey, hefting his bladed weapon over his shoulder.
"It was a good hunt," Hydrax said in amusement
Another Eva Unit rose from underground, but this one only had one arm and a positron rifle in its hand.
"Ah, another one. I must say, this is getting interesting." Hydrax commented.
Unit-00 raised the rifle, but Hydrax appeared in front of the blue Eva unit and instantly disarmed it.
"What?!" Rei gasped.
Hydrax pulled his head back and slammed it into Unit-00 (a head-butt).
BANG
"Argh!" She yelled in pain to her head.
But Hydrax wasn't done there; he grabbed Unit-00 by its remaining arm and tossed the Evangelion onto the downed Unit-02 with such ease, taking them both down.
BANG BOOM.
"Argh!"
"Argh!"
"How utterly disappointing. If this is truly the best this planet has, then it is doomed."
Just then, Unit-01 rose from its holding place, ready to face off against the alien bounty hunter, armed with its rifle. In Unit 01's cockpit, Shinji stared warily at Hydrax, seeing that he had just taken down the Angel, Asuka, and Rei simultaneously without breaking a sweat. No wonder Delphine was so frightful of him.
"Oh, another one," Hydrax said in a bored tone.
"Long-range weapons won't work against him," Shinji said.
"Agreed. We may have a better chance in close combat. Let me take over from there." Trey responded.
Unit 01 rose to Hydrax's surprise, discarded the rifle, and took out the Prog knife, holding it in a reverse grip.
("Shinji, what are you doing?! Pick up your rifle, immediately!") Misato ordered.
"I'm doing this my way," he replied, eyes flashing.
"Alright then, come at me!" the hunter shouted.
Unit 01 went in close, attempting to cut at Hydrax, who blocked with his scythe. Unit-01 jumped back from a swing, ducked another, and collided with his scythe, creating a deadlock.
"Of all the prey I've had, purple machine, you might be worth destroying," Hydrax said.
"Not today," Shinji replied, breaking the deadlock, and delivering a swift spin kick to the abdomen, pushing the hunter back.
"Ha, ha, ha, I like you, purple one, yes," Hydrax chuckled as his body glowed green.
BEEP BEEP BEEP
"What? Computer, what's happening?" Hydrax muttered into his comm.
"The effects of the Satellaser are beginning to subside. Advise returning to the ship," the computer responded.
"It's your lucky day. Thank you for the workout. We'll have to do this again sometime. And give Gendo Ikari my regards, then curse him for his foolishness." Hydrax spat, vanishing in a purple light.
"Next time we meet, it'll be a different story and a different robot," thought Shinji, looking up at the sky.
(Undisclosed Location)
"This is getting out of hand. Now, there are three rangers plus this new menace." SEELE 02 said.
"The Angels were more than enough of a concern. Now, there is this Hydrax, as he's called." SEELE 03 said.
"Did this creature state why he's here or where he comes from?" asked SEELE 04.
"It is unknown. Either way, it's become a problem," said SEELE 05.
"Or maybe this Hydrax is a solution," SEELE 01 spoke
"Elaborate."
"His technology is far beyond anything on this planet. If we could acquire it or him, it could further Instrumentality, then we would not need Gendo Ikari."
The members mulled over this and agreed.
"Then shall we send our asset?" asked SEELE 03.
"Yes, we will send him to find Hydrax and bring him to us."
(Hours after the battle, NERV)
"A workout," muttered Fuyutsuki, looking at the state of all three Units. "That's all we were to him."
The first two Units would now take even longer to repair. Unit 01 relatively escaped unharmed, so that's a small victory they would have to take. Thanks to the Third Child's careful discretion in engaging him.
"It's a miracle no one was killed, but only because Hydrax was playing with those kids," Kaji said, flanking the sub-commander.
"Yes, had he been serious, they wouldn't be alive now."
"We tempted fate too many times, agent, now fate is striking back."
"I'd never taken you as a believer of fate, sub-commander," said Kaji.
"You have to believe in something, Kaji."
"This is going to take some explaining to the committee."
"Yes, in the meantime, there are some things I need to see to," Fuyutsuki said, walking away.
"Like what?" asked Kaji.
"In case Hydrax returns, we need to reach out for some assistance from the Power Rangers."
"You're joking?! Aside from the silver one, we're not exactly their favorite people right now," replied Kaji.
"I know, for this instance, what choice do we have? This is becoming more than we could handle," said Fuyutsuki, departing the cage.
(With Rei)
Rei started to stir in a hospital bed, opening her red eyes and staring at the ceiling.
"I'm alive," she whispered.
"Of course, you are," a familiar voice said by her bedside.
Looking to her right, she saw her roommate and friend, Shinji, sitting by her bedside.
"You gave me quite a scare there," he said.
"Hmph," the First Child grunted, attempting to sit up, but Shinji gently pushed her back down.
"Take it easy. You took quite a beating from that thing," he said.
"What of pilot Sohryu?" Rei asked.
"Asuka got it worse, but she'll recover and be even more temperamental than ever," Shinji informed.
Rei laughed a bit before covering her mouth.
"Finally, looks like I got her to laugh," thought Shinji.
"This reminds me of the time I got shot by the Fifth Angel, and you were right next to me."
"Now it is in reverse order. You're the one in a hospital bed, and he's beside it, caring for you." Freya said jovially
"I- I-Indeed," she stuttered.
Just then, Doctor Akagi walked in, and, to her surprise, Rei was awake, with Shinji sitting beside her.
"Oh, Rei, you're up already," said Ritsuko.
"I am alright, Dr. Akagi," Rei informed, sitting up again.
"That's for me to determine," the Doctor replied, beginning her examinations.
"You want me to stick around?" asked Shinji. She nodded
"Yes, please stay, Shinji. We are the White Tigers. We need to stick together," she replied.
"Alright, Tigers stick together," he said, unconsciously clasping his hand in hers, and her hand tightened around his.
This didn't go unnoticed by Ritsuko, who frowned secretly.
End chapter
End Notes: Here is Chapter 19 of a Gold Power. There is a lot of plotting and scheming going on here. Hydrax was scheming, Sub-commander Fuyutsuki was scheming, and SEELE is still scheming. It's not what I had in mind when I wrote the chapter, but what serious anime doesn't have behind-the-scenes schemers? The Beast King Tournament will essentially be the WrestleMania of Karate in Japan. With Shinji finishing his story, it is inspired by Cobra Kai, the final season, the Sekai Takai, and expect a major brawl at some point. And the White Tigers are gonna need a fifth member. I have ideas on who it should be, but I always take suggestions. The arrow scene. Well, inspired by Mulan, the animated movie. Back when Disney was in its golden age. It was more about Rei on her way to being her own person away from being NERV's doll. Hydrax was getting a workout. If he wanted to lay Shinji and Co. out, he would have. And I'm sorry for pushing the Shinji and Rei hook-up further back; I kept coming up with different ideas on how they would confess their feelings, but RL has waylaid me. Now, on to the next chapter:
"What if I know someone who could be our fifth guy?"
"I warned you about Hydrax."
"So, you're the one responsible for this commotion."
"Who are you?!"
"This could be how we level the playing field."
"Katsuragi, you're an idiot because you don't see."