Alternate Future By James Lee Disclaimer: Ranma and Evangelion characters are not mine. Part 6 The 14th Angel Ritsuko and Ranma were eating breakfast in the kitchen. Nether seemed to be in top shape. They had both spent the night listening to Asuka bang on the door, so they didn't get much sleep. As Ranma ate he eyed the kitchen nervously. He still couldn't figure out what in the apartment was making him so nervous. Finishing his breakfast Ranma started for door to go to school. He stopped however just short of the door. Ritsuko noticed this and watched as Ranma moved away from the door over to the window. "Ranma? Is there something wrong?" "Nothing. I'm just not ready to deal with Asuka yet." Said Ranma as he jumped out the window. "RANMA THIS IS THE FIFTH FLOOR!!!" Yelled Ritsuko. She ran up to the window afraid to look out expecting to see street pizza. Instead she saw Ranma land on a tree branch then jump down to the fence to run to school. *He doesn't need a guardian, he needs a leash!* Ritsuko grabbed her things and headed for the door to go to work. When she opened the door she was surprised to have a sleeping Asuka flop down on the floor. In an instant Asuka's eyes shot open and she bolted upright. "Where is he!?" "He's already left Asuka." "No he hasn't! I would have woken up if he opened that door!" "He went out the window." "Yeah right Ritsuko! You think I'm stupid? This is the FIFTH floor!" "I know Asuka. I do live here." Asuka not satisfied, quickly did a room to room search of the apartment. Finding no trace of her target Asuka went back to the living room. "Stupid hydrosexual. Hey Ritsuko, what time is it?" "It's 7:30." "WHATT!! I'll be late for school!" Asuka ran out of the apartment grabbing her bookbag on the way. "Well at least your still dressed for school." Said Ritsuko locking the door and heading for work. As she entered the elevator her cell rang. "Hello?" [Hello Ritsuko? Have you seen Asuka? She didn't come home last night.] ***** When Asuka sat down at her disk she was already in a bad mood. Not only was she late, but rumors about what had happen yesterday had already began to circulate. Most of them saying that Asuka and the "Pigtailed girl" were lesbian lovers. Asuka glared at Ranma who was at the moment talking to Toji. "Look Toji. The girl ain't going to change. Ah I've tried. She likes girls and that's it." Said Ranma. His little plan was not working out as he'd planned. Sure Hikari had stopped caring about the Pigtailed girl, but Toji would not give up. It was getting to the point where Ranma wanted to scream in Toji's face that he was the Pigtailed girl. "That's just because she hasn't meet the right guy yet Ranma." "And I suppose you're that right guy." Said Ranma in a tired tone. Ranma then looked at Rei, who was being helped to her seat by Shinji. Rei had just gotten out of the infirmary and Ranma made a mental note to see how she was doing. Despite what he said the other day, Ranma did feel that what happen to Rei was partially his fault. "Stupid Hydrosexual." Muttered Asuka as she got her books out. Asuka looked up as Hikari sat down next to her. For some reason the girl seemed uneasy to Asuka. "Hi Hikari what's up?" "Umm Asuka?" "What?" "I want you to know that I'll always be your friend." "What are you talking about?" Hikari became very nervous "Y-You and the P-Pigtailed Girl. I-I didn't know things were l-like that." "WHAT!? Not you too! Listen, that bitch had no right to kiss me. I'm NOT LIKE THAT!" In an instant Asuka's mind went into targeting mode. TARGET KENZUKE: OUT OF RANGE TARGET TOJI: OUT OF RANGE, RESTRICTED TARGET RANMA: TOO FAST TARGET SHINJI: TARGET LOCKED Asuka quickly closed range with Shinji and grabbed him by his collar. She then dragged the surprised boy up and crashed her lips into his. *Hmm not as good as Ranma.* Asuka thought. Asuka's subconscious mob quickly lynched this thought and hanged it from the nearest imaginary tree. Disengaging from Shinji and turned back to Hikari. "There you see!" (SLAP!) The entire room became deathly quiet. A stunned Asuka watch as Rei lowered her hand and sat back down. She (as well as most the class) was surprised that Rei could do anything emotional, let alone strike out. Asuka's surprise however was quickly replaced by anger. Balling up her fist, Asuka pulled back to strike but didn't get the chance as someone grabbed her arm and dragged her out of the room. "What the hell!!?" Asuka turned to see Ranma letting her arm go. "I'm not going to let you beat up on Rei, Asuka. She's in no condition to fight." (CRACK!) Ranma rubbed his now slightly sore jaw. "What you do that for!?" *Ritsuko wants me to apologize to this girl!?* "You know damn good and well what I did that for!!" "And that makes you feel better!?" "You bet it does!" Said Asuka shaking her hand. *OWW... What's he made of, rock!?* Ranma just looked as Asuka walked back to the class room. "Why do you have to be such a mean witch?" Asuka turned. "What did you say!?" Unfortunately(or fortunately) both Ranma's and Asuka's cell phones rang before Ranma could answer. Answering the phones the two pilots just nodded and mumbled yes at the voice on the other end. Closing her phone Asuka looked at Ranma as warning sirens started. "Well it looks like your saved by the bell this time Hydrosexual. Hey Shinji move your ass! They want us at headquarters!" ***** "What we got?" Asked Misato running into the control room. "It enter Japanese airspace an hour ago. It's already broken through all the outer defense lines. We should have visual anytime now." Said Hyuga. "There it is!" Misato looked up at the screen to see a large black and white angle approaching the center of town. The angle had a wide body with stubs that appeared to be arms and legs. It also had a face that looked somewhat like a skull. The second line defense units, a group of UN MLRS launchers, opened fire with the usual results, no effect. Suddenly the eye sockets on the face glowed and shot a burst of energy. "It just penetrated eighteen layers of armor! Eighteen layers in ONE SHOT!" Yelled Hyuga. "We're not going to have time to stop it on the surface. Deploy the EVAs for combat inside the geofront! Are you guys ready?" Misato asked the pilots. "Ready ma'am." Replied Shinji. "Yeah I'm ready." "Ready and able! Just keep the Hydrosexual out of my way." "Hey what ya mean by that!?" "I mean stay out of my way and watch how a real EVA pilot handles an angle." "Enough!" Misato yelled "You two can have a lover's quarrel later. Launch EVAs!" "WE'RE NOT LOVERS!" Screamed Asuka and Ranma at the same time as they were rocketed up to the geofront. "Unit 01 didn't launch!" Yelled Aoba. "The launch pad isn't working!" "Well hurry up and fix it! I want all three units up there!" Suddenly the control room shook and Misato looked up at the screen to see debris falling from ceiling of the geofront. *OK Ranma, Asuka it's up to you.* Ranma and Asuka watched the debris fell from the ceiling. Various polearms and weapons had been placed around the geofront. Asuka had armed unit 02 with two machine guns while Ranma had grabbed a rifle for unit 03. With a final explosion, a large part of the geofront ceiling collapsed and the 14th angel began to descend through the hole. As the angle appeared both Asuka and Ranma opened fired on it. The rounds seemed to be having no effect however. "Aren't we neutralizing it's AT field!?" Asked Ranma. Apparently they weren't as both EVAs emptied their weapons with no apparent effect. Asuka became enraged. Grabbing a pair of rocket launchers, she renewed her assault. "Damnit! I can't lose again! NOT AGAIN!" Still the angel did not seemed to be effected by the intense bombardment. Suddenly the angel's seemingly stubby arms unfolded and lashed out at unit 02. Asuka howled in pain as both of unit 02's arms were severed. The intense pain only served to enrage Asuka more. "DAMN YOOUUU!!!" Asuka screamed as she charged the now armless unit 02 at the angel. "Oh no Asuka! Quick cut her nerve connections!" Yelled Misato, but she could see that it was too late as the angel lashed out again. Asuka saw the bladed arm headed strait for unit 02's head, but continued to charge. Suddenly there was splash of blood and unit 02 crashed down onto the ground. At first Asuka had thought that the angel had cut off unit 02's head and that they had managed to cut the nerve connections. As she looked up however, she could see unit 03 staggering off unit 02, blood gushing from it's left leg. "R-Ranma? You idiot! What are you doing!?" "Keeping you from getting your head cut off!" Grunted Ranma in obvious pain. Unit 03 then hopped away from unit 02 drawing the angel away with it. Asuka watched as unit 03 jumped away. "Dumkopf." Once they were far enough away, Asuka tried to get her EVA to stand up again. The EVA however wouldn't respond. "What the hell!?" Misato's voice came over the comm channel. "Forget it Asuka." "WHAT!? Damnit Misato unlock my controls!" "What are you going to do? Kick the angel to death! It's over Asuka, your out of it." Asuka screamed and brought her fist down on the controls. "DAMNIT!" Misato sighed in relief. Deep down she was beginning to worry about Asuka. Despite all Asuka's criticisms of Rei, Misato was beginning to see that the two girls seem have one thing in common, a seemingly disregard for their own lives. However were Rei displayed this disregard by simply obeying any order, no matter how dangerous, Asuka displayed it in the form of reckless courage. This last time it was almost if she wanted to die. That scared Misato, knowing Asuka's past. She would have to talk to Asuka sometime. Misato put aside these thought's, there were more important matters at hand. "What's the status of unit 01?" "It's no good! We're transferring the unit to another pad, five minutes!" Said Aoba "We don't need it in five minutes, we need it NOW! I don't how long Ranma can hold that thing off!" Up in the geofront Ranma was beginning to get frustrated. Despite the sever damage to his unit's leg, he was able to avoid the angel's attacks by using his good leg to hop around. None of his attacks however, were getting through. He thought about closing to hand to hand range, but if the guns weren't getting through the angel's AT field why would his fist? Another idea came to him as he fought. He didn't know where it came from and it sounded crazy even to him. *Well nothing else is working.* That in mind Ranma began to jump unit 03 away from the angel. "Unit 03 is moving away from the target." "Ranma, what's wrong?" Asked Ritsuko. Maybe the damaged leg was giving him problems. "Nothing. I want to try something." Misato looked at Ritsuko. Ritsuko just shrugged. Jumping outside the presumed range of the Angel, Ranma brought unit 03's hands together. Maya looked at her display. "What!? UNIT 03'S AT FIELD IS CONDENSING!" Misato turned to Maya. "What did you say!?" "Unit 03's AT field is condensing to one point!" "Condensing where!?" Asked Ritsuko. Maya looked at her display, then looked up and pointed at the screen. "There!" Misato and Ritsuko looked up to see an orange ball of AT energy forming between unit 03's hands. The whole unit seemed to glow with energy, feeding the ball. Asuka looked at the orange ball forming in between unit 03 hand's with a puzzled espression. *What is he doing!?* With a cry, that some said could be heard from unit 03, Ranma launched the ball at the 14th angel. The concentrated AT energy flew strait at the angel. There was a bright flash as the ball impacted the angel's AT field seeming to hover at that point for a few seconds, it then punched through. The angel's left arm and shoulder were blown off in a very spectacular and gory explosion. Asuka watched all this in shock. "Mein Gott!" *What the hell was that!?* Thought Misato. Turning to Ritsuko, Misato could see her pouring over the data readouts. *Guess she doesn't know either. Well whatever that was it got through!* Misato yelled. "Ranma, the AT field is down! NOW's your chance!" Ranma didn't hesitate. Grabbing a nearby axe, Ranma hopped unit 03 over to the wounded angel. Standing over it, Ranma brought the axe down onto the core with all unit 03's power. Ranma had been told that this was the most vulnerable spot on an angel and a hit there would kill the angel. The axe didn't make it however as an armored plate slide over the core stopping the weapon cold. Suddenly the angel's right arm lashed out and severed unit 03's head. There was no time to cut the nerve connections. "We've lost contact with unit 03!" Yelled Hyuga. "THE PILOT'S HEART HAS STOPPED!!" "WHAT!? NOO!!" Ritsuko screamed. "Give him a heart massage, NOW!" In an instant a charge of electricity went through Ranma's plug suit causing his body to convulse. "Nothing!" "Do it again!" "Charging...charged!" Once again Ranma's body convulsed. "Just a spike that's all!" "DO IT AGAIN DAMNIT!" *Don't you die on me, Ranma!* "Charging...charged!" Ranma's body convulsed once more. "We got heartbeat." Ritsuko's heart also started beating again. "OK, he isn't breathing though. We can't wait for this to be over. If he doesn't get medical care now we'll lose him. Maya contact EVA Rescue(1), tell them we need a rescue team sent out NOW!" *God, hope he doesn't get brain damage from this!* "On it!" Said Maya. "Make sure they have a portable respirator." Misato looked a little surprised at her usually cold hearted friend. It wasn't like Ritsuko to lose it like that. *Maybe Ranma's presence is having an positive effect on her.* Misato was shaken out of her thoughts by a loud noise. A now regenerated 14th angel was restarting it's attack. "The target has renewed it's attack! It's penetrated NERV headquarters and headed for Central Dogma!" "It's headed here! All personnel evacuate..." Misato's orders were interrupted as the angel came through the front wall of Central Dogma, crouched on all fours like a giant bulldog. Misato gasped as the angel's started to glow, preparing to fire a blast that would destroy the control room. Suddenly unit 01 burst through the side wall. "SHINJI!" Shinji wrestled the angle back through the wall into the EVA cages. Even as the angel fired a blast at unit 01, blowing off it's arm, Shinji continued to fight screaming all the way. All Shinji could think about was getting the angel out of Headquarters. That in mind Shinji pushed the angel onto a launching pad that he hoped worked. "MISATO NOW!!" Misato caught on a turned to Aoba. "Launch Pad four NOW!" The angel and unit 01 shot back to the surface. The two life forms went up a two hundred feet before crashing to the ground. Unit 01, which had now lost it's grip of the angel, began to pommel the monster relentlessly. The EVA then grabbed hold of the now armored core, began trying to pull it out of the angel. Suddenly unit 01 stopped. "Unit 01's battery power has run out!" Said Maya looking at a portable display. Misato, Ritsuko, and the rest of the control crew were now in the elevator headed up to the surface. There was no point in staying in the control room with most of the equipment now ruined. *Damnit not again!* Thought Misato. The angel, seemingly sensing the unit 01's loss of power, wrapped an arm around the head of unit 01 and threw the EVA away from it. With a crash the unit 01 landed onto the NERV pyramid. Inside unit 01, Shinji was beginning to panic. "MOVE! MOVE! MOVE DAMN YOU MOVE!!" Misato and the others came outside just in time to see the angel blow off unit 01's belly armor to reveal a dark red core. "What is that?" Asked Misato. Straiting it's arms, the angel began to pound on the core relentlessly. Inside the EVA the entry plug was beginning to crack and Shinji really began to panic. "OH YOU GOT A MOVE NOW! MOVE! MOVE! MOVE YOU GODDAMN FILTHY MONSTER!" Suddenly everything seemed to become calm for Shinji. The entry plug became quiet and Shinji could almost hear someone's or something's heart beating. Unit 01 grabbed one of the angel's arms and pulled the angel up to it's face. Growling the EVA then kicked the angel, sending it flying and ripping it's arm off at the same time. "How can unit 01 move without power?" Asked Misato. "Impossible! How could Shinji's sync rate be higher than 400%?" Asked Maya looking at her portable display. Ritsuko watched as unit 01 put the remains of the angel's arm up to it's own damaged arm. The remains morphed into a new arm for the EVA. "Oh God! It's finally happen! She's aware!" Grunting like a wild gorilla, unit 01 advanced on the wounded angel. As the EVA got closer the angel tried to ready another blast. This was stopped as unit 01 slammed the angels head back down. Unit 01 then began to gorge on the angel. Misato watched horrified. "I-It's eating the angel!?" "She's taking the S-2 unit into herself!" Said Ritsuko. Maya was now too busy throwing up to read the display. As the EVA finished eating, it stood up and howled. The armor plates the unit's chest and arms burst off. "She's broken free!" Yelled Ritsuko. "Broken free!? Broken free of what!?" Asked Hyuga. "Those plates weren't just armor. They were also restraints. Those restraints binded the Evangelion to our will. Now that they're gone the beast that is the EVA is now FREE!" Gendo and Fuyuzuki watched from Gendo's office as EVA unit 01 roared in defiance. "Was this in your plans Gendo?" Asked Fuyuzuki. Gendo grimaced at the sight of unit 01. If asked that question two weeks ago, Gendo wouldn't have been concerned, maybe even glade that this had happen. Now, after talking with Yui, he wasn't too sure. It was too late however, to do anything about it now. "Whether it was in the plans or not we'll have to deal with it. As will SEELE." *It ought to give the old bastards something to think about.* To be continued. Notes: (1) EVA rescue: This is a special pilot rescue unit like a air, land, sea rescue. They are specially trained to rescue EVA pilots.