Chapter 52 - Filthy Gaijin
[Ranma][NGE][HPL][AMG][Fusion][Fanfic] Sic Semper Morituri Chapter 52 -
Filthy Gaijin
The character Janice Berkley was created by Rory McLean, and is used with
his full permission.
Disclaimer:
I do not own any of the characters from Ranma 1 / 2, Neon Genesis
Evangelion, Ah My Goddess, or the Lovecraft Cycle involved in these stories.
C&C, MSTs are welcome
E-mail: dan_s.comments@worldnet.att.net
Stories are available in Rich Text Format and HTML at:
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(these are the most updated versions)
Stories are available in Plain ASCII at:
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ftp://ftp.cs.ubc.ca/pub/archive/anime-fan-works/Ranma/Sic-Semper-Morituri/
http://www.cs.ubc.ca/cgi-bin/ftp/archive/anime-fan-works/Ranma/type/Sic-Semper-Morituri
(these are the original versions)
What has gone before:
About Book 11 of the Tankoubon Manga, Akane and Soun Tendo throw Ranma
out of the house. Nabiki, in the guise of a wish, follows him. They meet
EVA pilots Shinji Ikari, Rei Ayanami, Asuka Soryu Langley and Jeffrey Davis.
Shinji destroys the Mi-Go's moonbase, but cannot see them and isn't
affected by their counterattacks. He releases many of the minds in their
containers. On Yuggoth, he meets with Jeff and Sharon, getting some
insights into the real nature of the pilots.
The troops of the Bennington, who will accompany NERV forces to U.S.S.
Boxer, give `Brown Bess` a flint to put between her teeth.
Ranma begins developing individual arts for each pilot to incorporate
their natural inclinations, strengths and weaknesses.
The Scholarly Dragon and Jeff are thrown out of the Council of
Dragonmages for their plans to teach Nabiki.
Toji has a nightmare just before the school day begins. Rei
investigates the school, diagrams the security aspects. Misato is pardoned,
ending the Senator's inquiry.
Nabiki infiltrates Jeff's dreams, first she is defeated by the Urchin
and the Monolith, then she sees Jeff becoming a Master mage, she goes deeper
into his past to learn the breakthrough that enabled him to achieve Master.
Lastly Nabiki and Ritsuko relive and are traumatized by the murder of
Ritsuko-Nabiki and Jeff's massacre of the Phoenixi.
Several of the students are revealed. The initial meeting between the
pilots and Usagi's group does not go as Usagi planned. Rei is also shocked
that some students insist she is the pilots' leader, her shock deepens as
Asuka facilitates the error. Rei then confronts and defeats Tomoe using
Ranma's tactics and training.
Ranma tells Asuka that he's sensed something new, something he doesn't
understand, he also admits he can't live up to people's expectations.
Jeff awakens from his stupor on the train, he and Nabiki tease each
other. Nabiki is feeling extremely homesick. She is also extremely
uncomfortable with the insights she's gotten into her fellow pilot.
Jeff begins developing two new weapons to use against the Mythos
enemies when the train is attacked by the Brothers of Chaugnar Faugn, lesser
versions of the Great Old One.
Ritsuko and Maya race back from an aborted meeting with Jeff's parents
to organize the resistance, the search for the pilots, and the repair of the
EVAs for later use.
The tensions between the pilots in Tokyo and the cultists begin
ratcheting up. The cultists haze the pilots and their allies, and pilots
plan to strike back, including Asuka going head-to-head with Usagi, the
cultist leader.
Ritsuko leads a rescue force, recovering Nabiki and searching for Jeff.
Nabiki has been severely wounded, but desperately wants back in the fight.
Nabiki unease about how she is perceived versus the reality begins to grow
Rei detects that another force is intervening in the ongoing conflicts.
Later Ranma detects the same enemy and helps Sammi engage it.
Sammi realizes that situation is more complicated, the enemy is more
sophisticated and there are possible allies she hadn't considered.
Admiral Simson begins taking a more personal interest in the pilots and
their development.
Toji and Shinji repulse an attack on Ranma's dreamscape, both show
unexpected aptitude.
Sarah, in England, learns that the situation in the Severn Valley has
deteriorated beyond what she had known, she offers her services to bring the
pilots to aid operations, her offer is accepted.
Undertaker - They say he isn't fit to be buried there.
Salesman - What? In Boot Hill?!
Henry - There's nothing up there but murders, cutthroats and derelict old
barflies, and if they ever felt exclusive, brother they're past it now.
Undertaker - They happen to be white, friend. And old Sam . . . old Sam was
an Indian.
Henry - Well I'll be damned. I never knew you had to be anything but a
corpse to get into Boot Hill. How long's this been going on?
Undertaker - Since the town got `civilized`. Oh it's not my doing, boys, I
don't like it, no sir. I've always treated every man the same, just as
another future customer.
The Magnificent Seven - William Roberts
Mislike Me Not For My Complexion
August 6, 1947
"The key to using magic is the application of power," Jeff told
Ritsuko, Nabiki and Maya as the four of them sat within the protective
circle, "The Great Old Ones used a series of mental disciplines and
attitudes to generate certain effects. The spoken words of most spells are
mnemonics to create these mental attitudes automatically. The problem is
that humans aren't Great Old Ones, and neither are dragons, that's one
reason that magic isn't the great, grand showy thing you read about in
novels."
"They aren't compatible," Nabiki said, "But you touched the source of
all magic."
"So did you," Ritsuko said angrily, "That's why you nearly _died_!_
Both of you!"
"That means you two both received close encounters second-hand, so you
have no excuse not to master the entire process," Jeff replied.
Ritsuko squirmed and stared daggers at Maya's swiftly hidden giggle.
"That explains why _I'm_ here," Ritsuko asked, "Why is _Analyst_ Ibuki?"
"He wants to see if the lessons give Maya a chance to learn," Nabiki
said.
"No, we need someone who isn't experimenting, to keep an eye on us
all," Jeff said, "For reasons which should be obvious."
"I won't let anything happen to you, Sempai," Maya said, taking
Ritsuko's hand, causing the scientist to blush furiously.
"And don't give us any of this 'I can't learn' business, just because
shoggoths aren't typically spell casters," Jeff said, "Universit� Ren�
Descartes issued a diploma to _Ricardo_ Akagi, so while Misato and Kaji were
in Germany, you were in France getting your doctorate, disguised as a man."
"Very well," Ritsuko said, "How _did_ you find out?"
"Spirits, deals," Jeff said, "SEELE has left a path of dead bodies as
they manipulated things, many of those killed were left with business
undone."
"So you did their business, so you can give SEELE the business,"
Ritsuko said, "So how do you avoid that?"
"Don't leave people willing to do you some last injury when they die,"
Jeff said with a shrug.
"Why is everybody looking at me?!" Nabiki shouted at the others as they
stared at her. She frowned at all of them in turn.
"I invoke the protection of the 5th Amendment," Jeff said, Ritsuko and
Maya nodded.
"Are you _sure_ the Constitution isn't a suicide pact?" Nabiki asked
sweetly as she cracked her knuckles.
"Do you know how to cause your teeth to spontaneously detonate?" Jeff
asked, just as sweetly.
"No."
"I - do."
Nabiki gave them a tightlipped smile. "Okay, I won't kill you," she
said, "Until we're back in International waters. Isn't that generous of
me?"
"The lesson here is a simple scrying spell," Jeff said, "Being able to
view things and people at a great distance. Or hear, or smell, or even
taste, but that's going beyond the limits I want to deal with this time."
"That would be one way to see if a restaurant really lives up to its
reputation," Maya smiled and suggested.
"The reason I called you all here at 22:30, is that I had one thing I
think all of us would like to look in on," Jeff said.
"Ranma and the others," Nabiki said eagerly.
"Exactly," Jeff said and nodded.
"They are going to a new school," Ritsuko said, "Can the spell
compensate for the distance?"
"The spell will home in on people we know, rather than a set location,"
Jeff explained, "So we don't have to know their coordinates."
"Let's try it," Nabiki said, "How do I cast it?" She rubbed her hands
together eagerly.
"You don't, I do," Jeff said sternly, ignored Nabiki sticking her
tongue out at him. He began making passes and speaking words none of the
others recognized.
Maya covered her ears and hunched her shoulders.
"You okay?" Nabiki asked quietly, leaning towards Maya.
"Something about those words is just . . . wrong," the woman admitted
in frightened tones, she lowered her hands, but still looked uncomfortable.
"Okay, school's coming up. It's raining." Between them a large sphere
formed, hazily showing the sights of an afternoon in faraway Tokyo. "It
will take a moment to clear up, then . . . "
----------------------------------------
Ranma hit them first, eight men clustered around Asuka. Sammi and
Tomiyo hit them right behind him. Mirei and Hikari held back at the edges
of the fray, with Rei ready to move where she was needed. Erin lay on the
pavement, her hair stained red, the red patch beneath her spreading in the
rain water.
"What's happening?" Maya asked, looking from face to grim face around
her, faces both here and in Tokyo.
With the guards' arrival and victory, the crowd that had gathered,
turned their attention elsewhere. Ranma had finished three opponents by the
time Sammi had finished two, Tomiyo a sixth. While one of the more foolish
had seen the three girls hanging back, and decided he needed a hostage. Rei
had taken exception to this. Even through the sphere, his screams indicated
he'd more than learned his lesson. The last of the eight men still held
Asuka off the ground by the throat.
"Where are the guards?" Ritsuko growled, seemingly ready to leap
through the sphere and into the fray.
"Back off or she suffers!" the man bellowed. Asuka's blackened eyes,
torn school uniform, and bruises told them all that she'd already suffered.
Ranma growled, Rei advanced, drew her pistol and calmly pulled the trigger.
The few stragglers of the crowd scattered.
"Where the Hell are the minders?" Ranma shouted as he lifted Asuka, who
was trying her best not to cry or react.
"They were . . . they said . . . " Asuka shook her head, covered her
face.
Maya saw the fury on Jeff's face, his hands clenching and unclenching,
his ferocity was mirrored on Nabiki and Sempai. Thousands of miles
separating them from any ability to affect the events.
A jeep drove onto the scene. "NERV SAR, Janice Berkley," the woman
said and held up her ID, before she climbed from the jeep. She looked as
terrified by the expressions of the guards and pilots as Maya was.
"Let's get back to NERV," Janice told them as she pulled a wirebasket
stretcher from the jeep. She gestured for Hikari and Rei to follow her to
Erin.
Asuka had burrowed into Ranma's shoulder while he looked around for
something, anything, that might be a threat. Sammi and Tomiyo also scanned
the area with their eyes and their weapons.
"Get her into the jeep," Janice ordered as she positioned Mirei and Rei
around Erin, "_ON_ three, lift. One, two, three." They placed Erin in the
stretcher. Hikari looked on the verge of hysterics. She kept looking at
the blood she was standing in, even as the pouring rain washed it away.
"NERV Headquarters," Sammi ordered, while the other pilots and guards
piled into the jeep. Rei moved to stay, once she had set the stretcher in
its mounting points. Mirei gently pushed her back into the jeep. She
pulled her hand back as Rei stared sharply at her. Mirei glanced at her own
guard, who had stayed out of NERV business.
"We'll do that later," Mirei promised. She looked frightened by the
mood of the NERV people.
Maya looked desperately at the stricken faces around her. I'm as
scared as the girl, she thought, Look at them. What can any of us do?
"Shinji wouldn't do anything, Ranma will just beat them up," Nabiki
said as she icily analyzed the unfolding events, "But Rei, Jeff and I - we
play by an entirely different set of rules."
The girl's tone terrified Maya even more. The four of them silently
watched the pilots and guards ride in equal silence. Only Asuka's
occasional whimpers broke the quiet in both places.
I don't know why she doesn't cry. I would be sobbing by now, Maya
thought, she looked around again, and found no emotion, except anger. She
tried to shy away from all three of them, It's confounding. I guess they
remain silent for their own reasons. Rei is Rei, Sempai and I don't know
what to say. Jeff and Ranma seem to be caught between fury, and tenderness
to Asuka. Ranma made the girl comfortable, Jeff longs to, but both are
simply smoldering, Maya thought, I too wish I could do something, both for
them and us here.
No people awaited the group at the public entrances to the NERV med
center. Maya watched Asuka insist she could walk. But she didn't divest
herself of Ranma's arm, Maya noted silently, She's still leaning on it while
they walk, and poor Ranma doesn't know what to do, except what she's doing.
"That's it I won't watch anymore." Jeff broke the spell and charged
from the room.
"Jeff, Jeffrey!" Sempai leapt to her feet and raced after him.
Maya glanced at Nabiki, who stared hatefully at where the images had
been. Maya decided not to say _anything_. What are you thinking? Maya
wanted to ask, but held her tongue.
----------------------------------------
The arrival at the medical bay caused a controlled madness. Ranma
objected to being separated from Asuka. He and Rei were quickly
interrogated about what had happened. As soon as they were released, Rei
ran off at her best speed, before Ranma could escape, he was caught again.
Misato was furious that the girl had left.
"What did you think you were doing? You are supposed to remain here!"
Misato reminded him.
"Why?!" Ranma shot back, "Your Security really helped us today." I
don't care what she says or does, Ranma fumed as he marched away, I want . .
. I want to charge out of here, hunt down those bastards and drag them back
here for Stoneface to work them over. He stopped walking and glanced
around. But even here, I can't trust Asuka will be safe, he thought in
frustration. He looked around, tossing his mane of red hair, he took a long
deep breath to calm down, Since I'm stuck as a girl, I can stick close to
Asuka, and hope whatever Rei is doing works. I wish Nab-chan, Rit-chan and
Raccoon knew about this, they'd know what to do, this is their kind of
fight, not mine. Ranma stormed through the halls, circling where Asuka was
being treated. On one pass, he spotted Rei's pistol and her NERV I.D. card.
She left them behind, he realized. The .45's cylinder was empty, and the
pistol's action was open neatly, almost aesthetically place alongside her
I.D.. What are you doing? he angrily demanded of the missing pilot, Such a
simple, quiet day. Bored in school, again. Ranma remembered that the only
harassment had been classroom cleanup duty for the pilots all together.
Except Asuka traded a day with Hikari, so she left early, he thought
morosely, I thought she was going to go watch Rei get into the orchestra.
Something about Asuka not being with us bothered me, but I thought the
guards would be ample protection. They always said I'm stupid,
proof-positive today. Can't trust them, can't trust _any_ of them! He
looked at the new divots in the concrete walls, then down at his dusty
knuckles which fit perfectly in the dents.
Then I heard the scream, Ranma remembered as he resumed circling,
looking for any threat, anything that would hurt Asuka anymore, something to
vent his frustration on. I almost wish something _would_ show up. But on
the off-chance I _couldn't_ stop it, better nothing happens.
I wouldn't bet I heard Asuka's scream with my ears, but I heard it
clear enough. We dropped what we were doing and ran out, the cleanup job
half done. Rei plotted the course, speeding ahead of the rest of us. I
thought they hated each other, but the way Rei was moving - there was
nothing going to stop her. We ran to the rescue. Asuka and the Meliorist's
lessons, us attacking with perfect coordination, without any signal as soon
as we came in sight. We did it perfectly, she might have been proud.
Didn't do her much good though.
----------------------------------------
Ritsuko's search found Jeff sitting next to Unit 04. She wondered,
When did those macabre monstrosities become a source of comfort for the
pilots? He simply stared out into the darkness, not watching the terrain
race by. Most others would have missed him in the darkness, Ritsuko
thought, But not me.
She approached carefully, looking for some signal that she was welcome
or unwelcome. I've got a plan to deal with either reaction, she thought as
she closed in step by step. She sat next to him, he didn't react to her
presence. Might as well be a statue, she thought. She raised a hand to
touch him, then dropped it back to her side.
Instead, "There's nothing we can do, until we're back in Tokyo," she
said flatly.
"Of that, I am aware," he replied without emotion.
"Other than the bruises, and the bad hair cut, I doubt she was
seriously hurt," Ritsuko said. You've got plans, just not one that would
work without too high a cost, she realized.
"Erin will be dead within the week," he replied quietly, "And Asuka
will blame herself for that. There remains nothing I can do about that
either. I certainly can't change the hearts and minds of those who merely
stood by and did nothing. I must say, it does graphically explain how the
militarists took control."
"I don't think that they did anything wrong," Ritsuko said. What I'd
like to know is where was NERV security? Under no circumstances should they
have allowed the pilots to walk into that ambush, and the pilots and their
personal guards shouldn't have been the only available rescue force.
"They did nothing, except enjoy the show," he coldly replied, "While
all I _could_ do was watch. Somehow it doesn't balance." He dipped his
head to his knees.
"It isn't your job to protect her from everything." She put a hand on
his shoulder, wishing she could draw out the emotional poison in him
"Ha!" he said mirthlessly as he looked at her, "You should know
different." He extended his hand. "As I sat in a hospital bed in Wyoming,
I stretched forth my hand and plucked her and Anna out of Communist-held
Germany." He closed his fist on the empty air. His smile became a frown as
he stared at her in the darkness.
I know he did this, from my memories, Ritsuko thought, And I know how
he longs to do it again. But he can't, and there's nothing I can say to
make it better. Even if we were _there_, there's nothing we could do,
except what appeared to be going on.
"This time I can't fix it. No spell, or stolen memory, or ancient
power, or ally can undo what was done. So the idea these powers are for
anything other than fighting and killing . . . just another stupid idea I
had." He stood up suddenly. "I don't feel like talking, I want to be left
alone."
She reached out, but he easily evaded her grip and headed back
`inside`. She glanced at the EVA. "You certainly were a help," she
complained as she stood. And being alone is a _terrible_ idea, she thought
as she stood to pursue him.
----------------------------------------
Maya walked behind Nabiki as she rolled. It's so strange, I know it
happened thousands of miles away, but because I _watched_ it, I've got this
irrational desire to call out security, she thought as the girl in the
wheelchair sat unmoving outside her cabin, Is she afraid to go in? Or does
she want to do something? As I do.
Why can't I just _say_ something, anything? she thought to herself, Say
something! "I don't understand why Asuka was attacked." She nearly slapped
her own face. That was stupid, she thought.
"They did nothing," Nabiki said coldly, as if discussing a newspaper
article, "I suppose because she is different."
"You mean, the guards . . . or the crowd?" Maya asked carefully. I've
got lots of experience `being different`, Maya thought, I got 'the tallest
nail is hammered down' speech I don't know how many times. Until I started
to believe it. Then I met Sempai, the Commander . . . and you pilots . . .
you all would break the hammer, then beat up the wielder. Maybe it isn't
the best way, but it's a different way.
"The crowd . . . our countrymen," Nabiki said, "When they needed her .
. . when they didn't . . . "
"You're taking this to heart, I don't think you should. We don't know
all of what transpired," Maya said. That sounds foolish even to me, she
thought, What could Asuka have possibly done to face off against eight,
large men? Why _her_ and not someone else?
"You're right, we follow orders," Nabiki said, "That reminds me, I need
to be at the Teikoku Bank in Shiinamachi at 15:00 on January 26, 1948."
"What's going to happen?" Maya asked in shock.
"A bank robber is going to walk in, identify himself as a public
official, fill the staff's teacups with cyanide, and the employees of the
bank will drink it, as ordered, and die."
Unfortunately, I can see too many people I know who would go along with
that, Maya considered as she pushed Nabiki along, Most of my family would.
Maybe that's why Major Katsuragi has such trouble with the pilots. Only Rei
might go along with such an order, if the Commander gave it, even Shinji
would resist automatically. "How do you know about this?" Maya asked as the
initial shock wore off.
"I'm one of the Children," Nabiki told her, waving her hands
theatrically.
----------------------------------------
Rei knelt in the alley where they had fought. It was still raining,
harder now. None of that affects the tracks I am seeking, she thought as
she opened herself to the world unseen. She noted that Mirei and several
`gorillas` as the others called them, waited. As soon as Rei had arrived,
one walked over and unfolded a large umbrella to keep the rain off Rei. Rei
had thanked him and gotten on with her work.
I write my findings in my notebook, she thought as the paths left
behind led her to the answers, My powers have revealed to me the names of
the attackers, and linkages to the people attacked. She glanced at the
guard. "What has occurred is Secret."
"I only stood in the rain, seeing nothing," the man answered nervously.
I know he will not reveal what he saw and heard, Rei thought as she
stood, No one would believe him, and the Commander's reputation for
'plugging leaks with lead' is not unfounded. "I will require a telephone
directory," she said to him, "To complete my investigation." And to have
targets, she kept to herself, They will be destroyed. They have impaired
the Commander's plan, they have damaged the Second Children, they _will_ be
destroyed! She stood in the rain, shaking with rage, unable to react to
anything, even Mirei leading her under an overhang out of the downpour, did
not penetrate the maelstrom that consumed her entire being.
When she came back to herself, she was aware of a blanket draped over
her shoulders. An old threadbare, itchy thing, she considered, But warm.
She focused on Mirei holding her hands. "My thanks, you took an unnecessary
risk," she told the girl.
"I think it was necessary," Mirei told her, "I had to do something . .
. after I couldn't help Langley-san."
"That is not your job," Rei explained to her, glanced at the huge and
very frightened man with a telephone directory. He is much larger than I,
he is armed, she considered, Yet he is as full of fear as I was of rage. I
must control myself, or I will be of no use. To the Commander, or anyone.
Why am _I_ doing this? Why am I not assisting Security, or Nabiki-kun, or
Roku-kun? All I can do is observe. I cannot collate, I cannot analyze . .
. I cannot trust those who should.
She glanced around, at Mirei in front of her, at the girl's guards
standing scattered around, a dozen meters away, all watching her. "I have
recovered, enough to continue. Why did they take her hair? The hair shorn
from her head?"
"Souvenirs?" Mirei offered quietly, "It was all gone by the time I got
more men here. I'm sorry."
"That will not help," she told Mirei, "But you have done what you
could." I have too little skill at reassurance, and I will soon need all I
have, Rei thought, nearly losing herself to a vortex of anger and
uncertainty. She took a moment to focus on what she knew, rather than on
what she felt. I have resources, my memories, the actions and words of
others, she reminded herself, That will have to be enough. But I am
frightened, and alone. Who and what I have depended on, has been chipped
away, now I am alone.
"Do you know for certain what they were doing?" she asked coldly,
loudly enough for the men to hear, as she stepped out into the rain. The
rain seemed not to touch her, as if it feared her anger.
"Vengeance," one man told her, he tried to disappear as Rei looked at
him.
Then that is my guide, not vengeance, but justice, Rei told herself.
"I require answers. This was not supposed to happen, it should not have
happened," she told the men, the wind and the rain, "I need to know why that
which failed, did so, to prevent it from happening again."
"Is that why you killed him?" Mirei asked warily, leading Rei back
under the overhang.
"Perhaps," Rei said grimly as she stood and gathered her wits and
control. Mirei nodded.
----------------------------------------
Misato looked at Ranma, and the guards who were waiting with varying
degrees of impatience in the briefing room. Dammit Rei! Where did you run
off to? Only the promise of news got Ranma to sit still in here, she
thought, He . . . she's ready to go charging off, but to where? Where Rei
is? Somewhere else? "She doesn't have any broken bones, and all they did
was bruise her. She has been asking to see you, Ranma." Ranma stood
silently, her pretty face a mask of rage. She headed to Asuka's room with
Tomiyo in tow, with an expression that said she'd go _through_ any obstacle:
wall or human.
"She wasn't raped, was she?" Sammi asked pointedly, once Ranma was
gone, "They were threatening that, when we intervened."
Misato scowled, then squirmed under the larger woman's intent gaze.
Ritsuko should be doing this, Misato thought sourly, Not me. Just thinking
about it makes me want a bath. "There was no evidence of that. They
apparently wanted to inflict fear, not damage."
Sammi and Juri nodded, then glanced at each other, cutting Misato out
of their silent conversation.
No questions about their colleague, Misato noted, Do they already think
she's dead? Or are they fixed on something else? Kaji wouldn't even answer
the phone, this place should be swarming with Security, instead we have
Army, Marine and even Navy troops at practically every intersection, Misato
thought, None of them are talking, and I want some answers. "Why would they
do something like that?" Misato demanded.
"She's a filthy gaijin, that's what they said, and the locals seemed to
agree," Sammi said flatly, "And the FUBENS did nothing. I'd like to know
about that. If it takes thumbscrews and hot irons, so be it."
Now Misato shifted uneasily at the larger woman's fury. "Ah, where's
Rei?"
"Doing Security's job, I'd bet," Juri murmured, staring at Misato.
Doing your ex-lover's job, Misato interpreted from the stare. He's not
mine, and I never could control him, Misato thought in her defense, And it's
not my job to look after him.
----------------------------------------
The car pulled up near them as Rei made notes from the phone book.
Mirei's guards tensed instantly, several taking defensive positions. Rei
ignored it, finishing her work.
A man climbed from the car. "NERV Security, please come with us." The
man held up a proper I.D.
"If what you found is true," Mirei bent close to Rei and whispered
urgently, "Don't trust them."
Rei was again lost. If this is the truth, she thought urgently, Then
who _can_ be trusted? My connection to Mirei is through the Fourth, tenuous
at best. The Commander is not here . . . there is another source I can
trust.
"Or what?" Rei asked, looking at the men, she freed the anger that had
so frightened Mirei's guards. She let them see it, took a step towards
them, and the men of Security retreated a step. "You did such a good job
this afternoon," she intoned flatly, her gaze on them, ignoring the rain and
the others.
The Security men gave ground and stared at each other in utter
bewilderment.
"Don't make us force you," the first man said desperately and reached
into his coat. He froze as a dozen weapons were suddenly leveled at him by
the `gorillas`.
Rei wanted to scream, You can no longer hold us by respect, or by
reason. So, you think you need a gun to arrest me. Betrayers! The thought
enraged Rei more than she believed possible, I serve the Commander's
purpose, not the whims of those who have failed it, she wanted to shout.
This was not the random battering that drove thought from her mind. She had
the clarity she always strove for, and so rarely achieved. I know what I
must do now. For that, I thank you, and gift you with your lives. She
turned to Mirei, handing the girl her notebook. "The names of all the
attackers. All of them have a brother, cousin, or father in NERV Security."
She could see she was frightening the girl with her rage. "That is not a
coincidence, that is a conspiracy. I choose not to participate. The
Commander must know," she paused, considered, then added, "I trust you with
delivering this - to - the - Commander."
"Yes." Mirei nodded as she shielded the book from the rain with her
body.
Rei left, walking in the most direct route towards her next
destination. A Security man grabbed for her, his hand closing on air. The
man stared in amazement. 'I would have sworn I grabbed her shoulder' is
practically written on his face, Rei thought. He moved to pursue.
----------------------------------------
Mirei watched Rei depart, as Mirei stepped into the waiting car,
"Contact Major Katsuragi. Nobody is going to reason with or capture
Ayanami-san, except the Commander or Ranma-san."
A Security man pursuing Rei into an alley, came sailing out at
shoulder-level, he descended and rolled into a stop in the middle of the
street, he got up very slowly and painfully.
"Nobody at all I think," Mirei said as she glanced at the book.
----------------------------------------
Ritsuko was not happy about this. Security will have no answer why
they had failed to protect Asuka, or to maintain surveillance on the
Children, she fumed at the excuses they would offer, And for some reason
Gendo will protect them yet again, why I wonder? she thought as she moved
through the train, Jeff didn't go to his cabin, and I have a guess of what
he _could_ do if he decided to. The question is: will he?
"What am I doing?" she asked herself, "I don't even know what I'm going
to do when I find him." She'd turned out the Marines to locate him, and
assigned Maya to stay with Nabiki in the girl's cabin. Because I didn't
know what _else_ to do, she thought in frustration. Through the window in
the door of the barracks car, she spotted a Marine outside the armory car.
The man saw her and waved her forward, but put his finger to his lips. She
nodded, as he opened the door, the man pointed to a corner blocked by
several of the sonic glaives. Ritsuko nodded and stepped inside, closing
the door behind her. Once she was alone, she walked the distance, stopping
a short distance away from the figure huddled in the darkness.
"If you want to sleep in here," Ritsuko said in a flat tone, "I can
have a cot set up." She looked around, with practiced nonchalance.
"Thank you, Doctor, I don't think that will be necessary," he replied
in English.
"Do you want to talk about it? _I_ want to talk about it. Talking
about it is the only thing we can do . . . unless you want to send Asuka a
telegram," Ritsuko offered.
"I can't fix this with words. And what actions can I take?" he asked
without emotion.
"You could tell me what is really bothering you," Ritsuko suggested as
she sat down.
"About what? Should I apologize for polluting your sacred soil?"
Ritsuko went pallid at Jeff's tone and gaze.
"Even burakumin are above gaijin, aren't they, Doctor, and only Koreans
and Chinese are below Americans, right? Although we have the same stupid
kind of thing here, do you realize the word `quadroon` refers to someone who
is one-quarter Negro, there are even words down to one-sixty-fourth, you
have to be pretty psychotic to insist on separating people by that fine a
gradation. I was actually disappointed in Boston when I found out the water
fountains marked 'Colored' dispensed the same water as the ones marked
'White'. Only the recipients were different, supposedly," he said without
emotion, "That's why they beat her up, just a loudmouthed gaijin, put the
uppity, fool-foreigner girl in her place. Doesn't matter who or what she
is, all comes down to what they assume she is."
Nobody cares about that, she wanted to tell him, but with the total
failure of NERV Security, it died before she could say it, Neither of us
know what happened, neither of us can fix it, and I will need to check on
the events that occurred. But that isn't my primary concern.
"Thirty-five people, civilians, stood around and did nothing. The
eight were conspirators, the 35 were merely coincidence, random bystanders,
ordinary citizens. She's a good friend, sometimes I don't like Langley's
mouth either. However, _nobody_ deserves what happened to her, Doctor.
Thirty-five civilians, you'd think somebody would have called the police,
you'd think the Security troops would have been there or called for
reinforcements, if Search and Rescue hadn't had a worker stationed, there
would have been no ambulance either. It didn't happen. As it was promised,
contracted if you will. If some batch of yahoos can simply take out a
pilot, why continue the illusion of a normal life? Why bother trusting any
of our `protectors`?"
"They have to be looking into it," Ritsuko replied, it sounded weak,
even to her.
Jeff continued to stare at her, he wore a faint frown. "Oh yes, that
makes me feel _so_ much better. What are _you_ really concerned with? That
I'll do something stupid, like going after your countrymen? That a stupid
gaijin cowboy will carry out a little Wild West justice?" He stood and
walked away from her, "These aren't the Phoenixi, I'm not going to let it
loose, and let it nuke Tokyo, if that's all you're worried about."
That's not fair, and you know it, she thought. "It's not like that,"
Ritsuko replied. Although that one reason I'm is why I'm here, she thought,
But I do know you'd be more selective.
"Yeah." Jeff turned away and covered his head, "Just leave me alone, or
hit me over the head and take me back. It's not like I could fight you
effectively."
Ritsuko felt a flash of cold, then anger at the unspoken implication.
She was torn. I should drag you back to your berth, or leave you where you
are! No, my job is to protect the pilots, she thought as she stepped away
to give both of them some emotional distance, Relax, I can outwait him.
Normally he's more patient, but if he's acting like this, I might be able to
wear him down with time. He's just striking out, as I want to. I keep
forgetting they are all kids, incredibly mature _most_ of the time, but
occasionally they will act their age. After the stresses of the past weeks,
they're both at the end of their rope. She waited and wondered.
------------------------------------------
Misato was out in the rain, in her car. She worried that the world had
come off its axis. I don't believe what the Commander told me: Rei
discovered that the attackers were all relatives of NERV Security; that she
clobbered several of the agents who tried to take her in. That had to
mystify those agents, it certainly mystifies _me_. What's gotten into her?
She never used to act like this, she thought as she searched the road she'd
guessed Rei was headed down, Now it's my job to find her and return her to
NERV. Maybe sounding an alert? Rei would come running, and when she found
out it was a fake, then what? The white blouse of Rei's school uniform
practically glowed in the headlights, the rain had soaked Rei to the skin.
Misato pulled up alongside her, "Hey, little girl! Want a lift?" she
called in a jaunty tone. From Rei's expression, Misato immediately realized
it was the wrong action to take.
"Thank you, Major, but no thank you," Rei replied quietly as she
walked.
"Aren't you worried about walking in the rain?" Misato asked, tried to
remember something that might sway her, "If you get sick, you won't be able
to pilot."
"The weather is warm, so I will not catch cold," Rei replied evenly.
"Security failed to protect Mein Grossfeldmarschall, so I am in no greater
danger out here alone. I have yet to hear an alert, have I forgotten
anything?"
"Maybe you want to talk?" Misato asked brightly.
"No," Rei replied with some vehemence.
"We're looking into the failings with Security," Misato told her as she
drove alongside Rei as she walked.
Rei stopped so abruptly, Misato had to stop and back up, "That is not
sufficient."
"It's all we can do," Misato replied.
"Yes," Rei said and turned away and began walking again, "It is all you
can do. I am not so limited."
Misato was flabbergasted by Rei's casual dismissal not only of Misato's
orders, but of Misato herself. "Then maybe you'd like to tell me what to
do," she said as she started pacing Rei again.
"Tradition requires a meaningful apology."
Misato felt incredibly queasy at Rei's behavior and her suggestion.
She can't mean seppuku! Misato thought, But . . . maybe she does.
--------------------------------------
The Hate of Those Ye Guard
"You took action without my approval!" Usagi insisted as she confronted
Yuki in front of all the girls of the 'innermost' circle as they met at
Usagi's house.
"I released SEELE operatives, a sleeper cell they had planted that
could have been used against us, once we took control," Yuki replied calmly,
disdainfully, "There is no connection to us."
"Are you certain?" Tomoe shouted, "If we were dealing with humans, I'd
agree, if we hadn't just riled up a hornet's nest. For weeks they'll
suspect us no matter what we did. But I have the bruises to prove we
_aren't_ dealing with mere humans!"
"We will not be implicated," Yuki insisted far too calmly, "They will
concentrate their efforts on SEELE, not us. We all know that SEELE has
other sleeper agents, that will be the focus of their search. We have no
reason to be concerned. They will be so busy searching out further moles,
that if we offer sympathies and apologies," she said mockingly, "We will
vanish from their radar so quickly . . . they won't be seeing _anything_ of
us. You wanted to bring them in," Yuki told Usagi condescendingly, "Now is
the perfect time to do it. Even if they suspect anything, if we put even a
hundredth of our powers and connections at their disposal, we win. Our
pranks, while hurtful, are trivial compared to this attack. This is far
beyond anything they would consider we would do." Yuki smiled to the other
girls, swaying them to her side.
"Because it _is_!_" Usagi insisted as she struggled to keep her temper.
You've overstepped your bounds this time, she thought, This wasn't a
misinterpretation, this was and is a mutiny. There will be a reckoning at a
time of my choosing. If you cannot serve as a worshiper, there are other
ways. "This action will make them clamp down on all _possible_ threats.
The plan was to strike once, then play good, little girls and lull them into
a careless state. Then and only then, strike with full force before Tendo
arrives. With this, they may even expedite her return. Your action has
cost us options and it has cost us time! Even the Goddess cannot grant us
more time," Usagi didn't shriek, however much she wanted to.
"You haven't borne the brunt of her insults," Yuki raged, then mastered
herself, "Besides, she wasn't seriously hurt. Her only serious injury was
to her hair. That's hardly enough to launch a vendetta."
Usagi noted many of the other girls touching or stroking their own
hair, proving Yuki's assertion was a lie. "_You_ launched one due to _your_
pride," Usagi bit off each word, "You think they will not react the same?"
"Aren't _you_ the one always telling us they are gods and goddesses?"
Yuki asked innocently.
I should just kill you, and leave your broken corpse on NERV's
doorstep! Usagi thought as her fists clenched and unclenched on empty air,
instead of around Yuki's throat.
Yuki turned to the others. "I say now is the time to move against
them!" Yuki insisted.
"_WHAT_!_" Usagi shrieked as she took a step towards Yuki, intent on
murder.
"We can break their pride now," Yuki announced, directing her comments
to the others, ignoring Usagi and the threat she posed, "We can bring them
to heel. Force them to be _OUR_ servants, not us there's!" The others
nodded sagely.
"They are to be an offering to the Goddess!" Usagi insisted, "We aren't
strong enough - "
"We are _right_now_!_" Yuki countered smoothly, "They are weak and
confused. If we attack their weakest member, the whole rotten mess will
come down! Ranko managed - "
"Ranko managed to repulse our attack!" Usagi shouted.
"Those simulacra drove us off, but Ranko never dared come out. Ran_ma_
should be our target. One of his women was hurt, he will be blaming himself
and unable to counter a decisive attack," Yuki continued as if Usagi hadn't
interrupted, "We can take him down, then Ranko, then we finish Miss Langley,
then Ayanami, and we'll be ready for Miss Tendo and `Raccoon`. When we hand
them over to the Goddess, they will be amenable to control."
Usagi hung her head when she saw the others nod among themselves. They
would be a greater gift to the Goddess if they came to her willingly, not
dragged to her on a leash, Usagi silently lamented. She raised her head,
her expression fixed and defiant. "What say you all?" Usagi asked, making
it seem she was still in control.
"All for my plan?" Yuki insisted. There was near universal
acclimation. Usagi noted that Tomoe wanted nothing to do with it. "Very
well. Yuki, you will lead them into battle. Neither I nor Tomoe will
interfere, you clearly are beyond any argument against you."
"That's right, I will not be swayed," Yuki told Usagi confidently.
"Then go with the Goddess's blessing," Usagi intoned and watched her
once-loyal followers, her one-time friends troop out.
"Are you out of your mind?" Tomoe asked, once the others were gone,
"This is nothing more than an attempt to seize control, and you know it."
"Yes," Usagi said tiredly, "Perhaps Yuki's plan is blessed by the
Goddess and I have been too cautious."
"Or her ego and cunt are getting the better of her!" Tomoe insisted
while pacing furiously.
"Yes, perhaps, but I will let the Goddess make that determination,"
Usagi said passively, wrung out by the battle and her failure, and the
abandonment.
"You know something," Tomoe probed, "What?"
"Those were no simulacra," Usagi told her.
Tomoe's mouth dropped open. "You set them up!" Tomoe realized.
"Perhaps not," Usagi replied smoothly, sighed and hung her head,
"Perhaps the Goddess will smile on their foolishness."
"I somehow doubt it," Tomoe said as she paced and frowned. "What
happens when none of them come back?" Tomoe asked.
"We will elevate some of the other girls. I will console Miss Langley
and you will make peace with Ranko."
"Like Hell I will!" Tomoe confronted her sister.
"You _will_, you will ask her to help you deal with your anger. Her
ego will not allow her to refuse. Once we have Ranko and Miss Langley, we
will have the others. Patience. It is the lesson you've never understood."
"Patience Hell. I'd rather go hit something."
----------------------------------------
While she waited for the Marine guards just outside Asuka's room to
check her I.D, Janice gingerly assayed both Asuka's surface thoughts and
deep emotional aura, while she apparently paused in thought. Then she
waited for the Marine guards to verify with her boss that she was
authorized.
Asuka stood by and watched out the window, watching the rain come down
and the world go by. Janice probed beneath the seemingly placid surface.
'I'm not vain,' Asuka thought, 'But I hate looking like this. I hate
not being as `pretty` as I was. I hated being leered at, but I don't want
to be stared at as a freak. I _am_ a freak, to these people, that's why
they attacked me. Can I kill them? Would they have raped me if they'd had
more time? If Horseface and the others hadn't intervened? Has Erin died?
Has Erin died because of me? What can I do? Stay here and hide? Ask to go
home? Give up being a pilot? I couldn't live if I wasn't a pilot, but do I
want to live any longer? Who can I trust? Did they come charging in to
rescue me, or because an enemy was before them?'
Janice broke contact with the stream of consciousness and quailed as
the magnitude of the task that faced her: the warring emotions within Asuka,
all the dangers it involved. As it all became clear to her, her gestalt
shattered.
----------------------------------------
'She will require this,' Face explained to the others.
'You just want to meet her again,' Ear complained, 'We should wait.'
'We _should_ be going after the ones who did this,' Main `shouted` at
the others, 'You stopped me from attacking them, I could have slain them
all.'
'We would have been discovered,' Ear replied, 'An AT field powerful
enough to have done any good would have been detected.'
'You just couldn't decide on how to do what was necessary!' Main told
them.
'We shouldn't ignore how this affects the others?' Face asked them
quietly.
The mental silence descended as they all `looked` to Poll, who was the
final arbiter, and the only one the other three all respected.
----------------------------------------
'We will go ahead with Face's plan, but we won't ask Asuka to have ice
cream,' Poll told them, 'We can also find out a little about the people who
attacked her. But our most important mission is to restore Asuka to the
best of our ability. We'll need her, so will the plan. Face be charming,
but don't be _too_ charming. Main, if anything comes at us, no holds are
barred. It could be blamed on a subconscious manifestation of Asuka's
powers. Ear, listen, analyze. I agree with Main, we need a target, to
attack or to defend against. Agreed?'
----------------------------------------
Janice opened her eyes as the gestalt reasserted itself. She nodded to
the Marine outside the door as he finished checking her I.D., and her
purpose, while another checked through what she carried.
Chasing out `Horseface` wasn't the smartest thing. Especially after
you asked for him, Janice thought, But you want to be alone, but you need
someone around. And Horseface gave in to your demands, even if you didn't
really mean them.
"Yeah, it is my fault," she heard Asuka say as the girl pulled a short
length of her hair and stared at it. "Stupid thing to be worried about,"
she said, she shuddered as soon as she said it.
Janice looked through the opening door. "Miss Langley?" she asked as
the Marine held the door for her and the kit she carried.
Asuka turned, back in `character`, her anger and fear invisible, for
someone she didn't know. "You were the woman on the jeep," Asuka said as
she stared, "Search and Rescue."
"Yes," Janice said, nodded, "I saw your hair -" She froze as Asuka
did. "I thought you might want someone to even it out. That's all I'm
suggesting." Please accept, she thought desperately, while hiding her own
nervousness.
"oh," Asuka said in a small voice. She sat in a chair, her lip
trembling, before she mastered herself.
I know you're hiding, Janice thought as she unpacked the clippers,
scissors and combs, laying them out on a table, Maybe I should have
suggested to Rei that _she_ do this, but I think she's got her own ideas.
"Now Milady Langley," she said in German, "How about a perm? She would be
so adorable in curls - "
Asuka turned and _stared_ at her. Even Main quailed at that gaze.
"That explains where they got the idea for the Schwerer Gustav,
couldn't they have just let you stare at the Maginot Line?" Janice asked,
chuckling anxiously.
"I wasn't born yet," Asuka replied as another Search and Rescue member
brought in a basin on a stand and a reclining chair. "I take it you had
this planned," Asuka accused and got out of her chair.
"In Search and Rescue, we have to be ready for anything," Janice told
her as Asuka sat in the reclining chair, "Thank you."
Asuka didn't reply as Janice began wetting her hair to begin shampooing
it.
Janice felt the slight fading of the gestalt as Asuka relaxed under her
fingers.
'This is not normal,' Face commented.
'This is not correct,' Main replied worriedly, 'She should not have
acquiesced so swiftly.'
'She desires the safety, and the contact,' Face countered smoothly,
'She merely required an `excuse`.'
As Janice returned from the brief discussion, she noted the subtle
movements Asuka made. She keeps glancing at the Marine to make sure I don't
do anything untoward, Janice thought, I doubt she'd trust the FUBENS like
that. I still wish I knew what they were doing instead of what they were
_supposed_ to be doing. "At the daily SAR briefing, I received a report on
the Azores Mission," she said, "It seems that a group called the Brothers of
Chaugnar Faugn attacked them and were destroyed. While pilots Davis and
Tendo were injured, they finished off the last ones together." She watched
Asuka's reaction carefully, examining and analyzing every aspect and nuance,
to guide her next action or word.
"How badly hurt?" Asuka asked fearfully, looking at Janice.
"You might be able to sign Miss Tendo's cast, but a broken leg couldn't
keep her out of the fight. Mister Davis has some scrapes and burns, but Dr.
Akagi and the doctors with Search and Rescue expect a full recovery before
they make it back, for both of them."
"At least that's some good news," Asuka replied quietly, again sitting
back in the chair, "We could use the help."
Janice finished rinsing Asuka's hair and set the chair back upright.
"This is going to get me stared at again," Janice said, "But I could style
it with a braid like Ranko's." She paused as Asuka twisted and glared at
her. "I'll take that as a 'no'. I'll also assume a pageboy like Miss
Tendo's is not an options."
"I'd rather have it cut like Raccoon's," Asuka murmured as she turned
back.
"I can bob it, with a bit of feathering," Janice offered.
"Sounds okay," Asuka replied listlessly.
Janice worried about the normally fiery pilot as she carefully cut and
styled the girl's hair.
----------------------------------------
"What happened?" Commander Ikari had personally interviewed Pilot
Saotome, the only pilot available. And got a good and surprisingly
descriptive idea what had happened. Despite the fact it was more gestures
and impersonations than explanations, Gendo thought, And _none_ of it was
usable in any court of law. Now he and Commander Fuyutsuki were looking at
the security guards, who were supposed have been performing overwatch for
the Children and their close-in guards at the time in question. Rei has
never lied to me, Gendo thought, hiding his thoughts even from Fuyutsuki, If
what she discovered is even _partially_ true, this is a disaster beyond
imagining. How thoroughly _are_ we infiltrated/compromised?
He listened to their explanations, shades of half-truths and
face-saving evasions. The guards have no explanation for Asuka Langley
getting away from them, he thought angrily, The others simply had not
expected the Children to bolt, and they'd lost them. And they have no
explanation for the guards posted in that area simply being 'gone.'
"Then why, once you'd reacquired them, didn't you call for
transportation?" You didn't reacquire them until after the Children arrived
back at NERV HQ, he thought, Without NERV SAR, they would have had to have
walked back, or Saotome would have run carrying Langley with Rei as close
support. "You will be interrogated under truth serum. Your final
dispositions have yet to be determined." The guards left, escorted by
Marines.
"Without Pilot Saotome's combat skills and the training he has given
the others, we could have had a disaster," Commander Fuyutsuki said as he
shuffled the reports, trying to force sense out of the insanity.
Ikari agreed, "If the Children trust and need NERV for nothing, we lose
the vestiges of control we currently have." Ikari turned to face his old
friend, "We _must_ have answers and we must neutralize this threat in a way
that sends an unequivocal message to the Pilots and everyone else." He
stared at the Sephiroth incised in the floor, it seemed to be mocking him.
Fuyutsuki spoke, "Commander, you are worried that Rei might be the next
logical target, and that she shot one of the attackers. There is no report
of a body, or that she shot any except the one. Although she did resist
Security's attempt to return her to here."
I can only hope she's still loyal to me and the plan. Her loyalty to
NERV may have been damaged, he thought carefully, It seems that the
Admiral's suggestion is also a warning. How do I deal with the possibility
that Rei will act in what she believes is in my best interests, without
orders? What do I do if she acts in my interest, in opposition to someone's
orders, including my own? "I am also concerned what we will tell our
`masters`," Ikari joked.
Fuyutsuki nodded grimly.
----------------------------------------
Misato stared at the white shirt in the rain. Bored, bored, Bored,
BORED, _BORED_, she thought, Following Rei for nearly half-an-hour and she's
been walking steadily in the rain. For what? The headlights illuminated
the spotless white shirt some 75 meters ahead of her. She's probably
expecting me to run her down, Misato thought angrily, And after what
happened to Security, I'm not getting into a wrestling match with her.
Suddenly Rei darted off the road and into the woods. Misato slammed on the
brakes and shut off the car. She looked into the dark woods. Staring at
that white shirt killed my night vision, Misato thought angrily, She could
be 20 meters away and I'd never see her. She knew it, she _planned_ it!
Outsmarted, by Rei, I hate being outsmarted. "I should have dragged you
back to the base and to Hell with the repercussions," she growled quietly.
"Rei! Get back here," belatedly she added, "That's an order!" As if
that would do any good, she thought. She got back in her car and drove back
to NERV headquarters, there she found Ranma waiting for her.
"Well?" Ranma asked.
"She ran away," Misato told him as she marched into NERV.
" 'She ran away'," Ranma repeated, "I think we've got a problem." She
turned on her heel, leaving her red pigtail lashing like an angry cat's tail
as she marched away.
I should point that out, Misato thought, Just to spread the misery.
----------------------------------------
Ranma caught up with Sammi as quickly as he could. "Let's go to Rei's
place, we can pick up a spare set of clothes for her and her school books."
Sammi stared at him.
Ranma shook his head. "Look, I don't know where she is, but I know
where she's gonna end up," he paused. It's obvious, but . . . how do I put
it in words? "When someone gets attacked, they retreat to somewhere they
feel secure. Asuka can't retreat to Germany. But Rei can make _here_ seem
secure again. I don't know how, but I know she'll do something." He looked
at Sammi. "What are you grinnin' about?" he asked in anger and confusion.
"Your analysis, and faith in your fellow pilots," Sammi said, still
smiling, "Imagine Ranma the loner, actually being the team player. And
being subordinate to Rei of all people."
Ranma frowned as he considered that. I _don't_ have a crush on her,
Ranma wanted to shout, But I _know_ she's got a plan, all I have to figure
out is how to help her along the edges.
"The Naval Base!" Sammi realized, "Rei probably made her break close to
the base entrance. I bet Misato hasn't even considered that." Sammi's
triumph was short-lived. "What would she need on the Naval Base? Captain
Ramsey and the Admiral are here."
Ranma shrugged. "Who knows? She's got cars and trucks, if an alert
sounds. Clever really." Ranma smiled evilly. "Wonder why Misa-chan didn't
order her into her car and drive back here?"
Sammi grimaced. Ranma smiled in reply. Sammi explained, "I think I
know that, let's go." They got to Sammi's jeep and raced back out of the
headquarters.
"So what do we do after we get the stuff from Rei's place?" Sammi
asked. She glanced back, so did Ranma. A small truck with a pedestal
mounted .50 and a small tank fell in behind them. When Ranma looked
forward, another small tank was leading the way. "I can make plans too,"
Sammi told him.
"We set up a hospital room for Rei, near Asuka's," Ranma said, he saw
Sammi's confused look, "Rei has always tried to - I don't know - look after
Asuka."
"Rei seems the one who needs looking after," Sammi replied.
"I know, just because you need something yourself, that doesn't mean
you don't want to do it for someone else . . . if that makes any sense."
"Perfect sense," Sammi said as she drove.
Ranma couldn't understand Sammi's continuing grin, for a moment. "You
just can't figure out how _I_ figured it out," Ranma said angrily, "I'm not
stupid."
"Right on both counts, I hope _you_ understand your methodology, so you
can replicate your success."
"Can you repeat that in Japanese? I don't speak `Asuka` so good."
"Can you do it again, on purpose?"
That is the question, Ranma considered, It just came to me, seeing
patterns of behaviors, like a kata, and applying them to something else.
I'm not sure I could do it again, I think I can.
"Look," Ranma began, "All the pilots - " Except me, he silently added.
" - are important to Rei. She'll defend any pilot with her life, they're
more important to her than she is. So wherever she's gone, it's to get the
means to defend Asuka, and maybe the rest of us."
Sammi nodded as she drove.
----------------------------------------
"_Two_ clubs," Mrs. Simson told her friends, and hoped her partner
understood.
"Three Diamonds," Mrs. Samuels, another bridge-fiend, bid, "Does anyone
know what's going on? Gerald and I were supposed to be going out tonight.
Suddenly there's an alert and poof, and he's gone to the office."
"_Four_ clubs," Mrs. Martin replied, eliciting a faint mou from Mrs.
Simson, "Something involving NERV. You must know, it is your husband's
command."
"Five Hearts," Mrs. Witter said, "The entire base and base housing is
under heavy guard, would an Angel attack cause that? I haven't seen one
yet."
"Believe me," Mrs. Simson said, "You'll know an Angel attack when you
hear one. Pass." There was a knocking at the door before Mrs. Samuels
could bid. "I'll get it."
She walked through the house to the Marine who'd let the girl in. Rei
Ayanami, soaked to the skin and looking positively furious, stared at her.
"I am here to discuss being raped," she told Mrs. Simson, "Something I have
no experience in."
"I should hope not," Mrs. Simson said, "Please come in, we'll get you
some dry clothes and something hot to drink."
"I require the information," Rei told her, not moving, but shaking,
almost imperceptibly.
Not with cold, poor thing, she thought, But with rage. I've heard this
girl is hard to `read`. But it's not _too_ difficult, compared to any other
teenage-girl, you have to pay attention. She glanced at the girl staring
strangely at her. She's used to orders and logic, she thought, According to
my husband. "You will do it my way, it will enhance the information
transfer and ensure you are healthy enough to utilize, not just use, the
data received," she told Rei imperiously, "Now, why do you require the
information?" Mrs. Simson led her to the bridge party, who had overheard
enough that they were all pasty-faced at the possibilities.
"It is a simile to the attack on Pilot Langley," Rei said flatly,
"Lacking an effective counter, I came here to learn one."
"Well, Darlene," Mrs. Simson addressed Mrs. Samuels, "Since you're the
psychiatrist's wife, I'll let you start, while I get the tea."
"Thank you, I could use some," Mrs. Samuels turned to face Rei, she
smiled, when Rei's intense, nearly-blank stare continued, she dropped it,
"Tell me _exactly_ what happened, don't leave out any detail that might be
significant."
That was a mistake, Mrs. Simson thought as she listened to Rei relating
the tale.
----------------------------------------
Maya followed Nabiki out onto the railcar, where the EVA was stowed.
Even though it's double-wide, she thought as she looked over the car, and
the desert racing past in the darkness, I'm still afraid of falling off, or
her rolling off the edge.
They stopped beside the EVA. Nabiki wedging her chair within the arm
of the huge war-machine, relaxed Maya's worries somewhat. "How did you
know?" Maya asked.
"I followed him on one of his late night walks. There's a tavern that
has a piano," Nabiki explained as she sat, running a hand over the armor of
the EVA and staring at it, like petting a large animal, "He played there for
almost an hour. He had dozens of rough, tough soldiers and sailors crying
in their beer from the skilled playing and the songs he chose. Real
sorcery. Ha ha. 'Have I ever heard him play the piano?' If I only knew."
Nabiki chuckled, then added wistfully, "Tam's Tavern, the sounds of a piano
dominated all the other sounds. The strains of American, British,
Australian and Canadian patriotic songs rang forth, impassioned piano. For
a little over an hour the piano played, the voices sang. The final tune was
a cacophony, the same piano but the voices disagreed on the words,
alternating between 'God Save the King' and 'My Country Tis of Thee'."
Nabiki laughed mirthlessly, " 'Langley' got beat up, so he ran back to
the 'States and found out the same could happen here." Nabiki turned to
face Maya. "Tell me, if it was your family, what would you want to do?"
Maya nodded, "I thought so. So we keep an eye on him?" She looked at
the darkness around them. "We'll send him to `school` with you in the
morning?" she asked, "The lessons will divert him. More important, do you
want to talk?"
"About what?" Nabiki asked.
"You know. We aren't in the friendliest territory. What happened in
Boston - to you - with that crowd. And we are both 'Japs'."
"I think we're both combat soldiers," Nabiki said calmly, hiding all
she felt, "Somehow, that makes us part of the soldiers' fraternity. We may
look funny, but we're part of the prevalent `us`, `them` are people like
Gendo and Misato, REMFs, civilians. No, what worries me is the same thing
that worries him: who is there to help? If I was there, would - could I
have made a difference? It isn't worry, it's guilt. I can't imagine anyone
actually doing that here, trying to hurt either of us, any of us, without a
dozen Marines tearing the attackers apart. At home, the same _should_ be
true, it _shouldn't_ have happened, but who should have stopped it and who
failed to stop it? How do you think the troops around us are going to
react? They are going to wrap us all in cotton batting and anything short
of a Great Old One or an EVA trying to get at us will be shot, chopped to
bits and stomped on."
"Then they'll get nasty," Maya added.
Nabiki nodded. "We have to let him be. He's safe, more important, he
feels safe. It's the guilt that we have to deal with."
Maya glanced at Nabiki. She could barely see her expression in the
faint starlight/moonlight. But I know what it looks like, she thought, It
isn't just _him_ who is feeling guilty, it's you too.
"Perhaps we could arrange for a German Beer Hall for one night," Maya
suggested, "To let Asuka feel at home, when we get home?"
Nabiki smiled for a moment, teeth flashing in the darkness, but it was
quickly gone.
"You're convinced he's safe, at least for one night?" Maya asked,
"Sorry, early morning."
"Not really," Nabiki said and started rolling across the flatcar
towards the door to the barracks, "But I don't think I want to challenge
both you and Ritsuko. Or you'll sedate me, until we arrive in Tokyo."
"Wise," Maya said stepping behind Nabiki's wheelchair, in case she was
needed.
----------------------------------------
Honi Soit Qui Mal Y Pense (Evil Be To Him Who Evil Thinks)
Wondergirl walked into her room, Asuka sat in the middle of the bed and
just ignored her. She didn't feel like dealing with Ikari's robot and her
stupid questions. Asuka was surprised when Wondergirl took her hand in both
of her own hands, and placed it against her cheek.
"Draw me, we will run after thee: the king hath brought me into his
chambers: we will be glad and rejoice in thee, we will remember thy love
more than wine: the upright love thee. Behold, thou art fair, my love;
behold, thou art fair; thou hast doves' eyes," Wondergirl said.
Asuka yanked her hand loose and backed away across the bed. Wondergirl
knelt on the bed, and peered at Asuka who stared back in confusion.
"Thou hast ravished my heart, my sister, my spouse; thou hast ravished
my heart with one of thine eyes, with one chain of thy neck. Thy lips, O my
spouse, drop as the honeycomb: honey and milk are under thy tongue; and the
smell of thy garments is like the smell of Lebanon. Who is she that looketh
forth as the morning, fair as the moon, clear as the sun, and terrible as an
army with banners?"
Asuka slid off the bed and backed against the wall, fear slowly
overwhelming her confusion. "Have you gone _insane_ Wondergirl?!"
Wondergirl smoothly slid off the bed, blocking Asuka's quickest route
of escape, but didn't close in. "A garden enclosed is my sister, my spouse;
a spring shut up, a fountain sealed." Then she took a step towards Asuka
and stopped. "Thou art beautiful, O my love, as Tirzah, comely as
Jerusalem, terrible as an army with banners. Behold, thou art fair, my
beloved, yea, pleasant: also our bed is green. I am the rose of Sharon, and
the lily of the valleys. As the lily among thorns, so is my love among the
daughters."
Wondergirl took another step towards her. "_Get_away_from_me_!_" Asuka
shouted, "What do you want? This isn't funny."
Wondergirl cocked her head in seeming confusion, then continued her
uninflected recitation, "Thou that dwellest in the gardens, the companions
harken to thy voice: cause me to hear it."
"You're nuts!" Asuka shouted at her. This _can't_ be happening, she
thought. Asuka pointed at the door. "Get out of here now!" she shouted,
her voice quavering.
"My beloved spake," Rei replied, "And said unto me, 'rise up, my love,
my fair one, and come away'. For, lo, the winter is past, the rain is over
and gone; The flowers appear on the earth; the time of the singing of birds
is come, and the voice of the turtle is heard in our land."
"Yeah, be nice to the turtle! It may take you to the dragon palace.
But if you come any closer - " her voice trembled. Asuka raised her fist.
"I'll send you there air express!" Wondergirl took a step closer, Asuka
swung, Wondergirl caught her fist with both hands, and softly rubbed it
against her cheek. Asuka's flesh crawled as Wondergirl's expression at the
contact became sentimental.
Then she continued her toneless words, "Behold, thou art fair, my love;
behold, thou art fair; thou hast doves' eyes within thy locks. O my dove,
that art in the clefts of the rock, in the secret places of the stairs, let
me see thy countenance, let me hear thy voice; for sweet is thy voice, and
thy countenance is comely. My dove, my undefiled is but one; she is the
only one of her mother, she is the choice one of her that bare her. The
daughters saw her, and blessed her; yea, the queens and the concubines, and
they praised her."
Asuka felt her flesh squirming at the monotonous recitation and
Wondergirl rubbing her fist against her cheek. She couldn't pull her hand
free, so she kicked out at Wondergirl as hard as she could, but like the
fight against Tomoe, Wondergirl wasn't there when the blow landed. Asuka
let off a long string of curses, in every language she knew. Something's
got to offend her! Asuka thought desperately.
"Thy lips are like a thread of scarlet, and thy speech is comely: thy
temples are like a piece of a pomegranate within thy locks. Thou art all
fair, my love; there is no spot in thee. How fair is thy love, my sister,
my spouse! how much better is thy love than wine! and the smell of thine
ointments than all spices!" Wondergirl intoned dreamily.
Rather than continuing to fail to pull loose, Asuka instead closed,
trying to hit Wondergirl with her free elbow, or knee the other girl.
Wondergirl ducked and twisted, and the pair went down on the floor in a
tangle of limbs. Wondergirl pivoted so she took the force of the landing,
protecting Asuka. Asuka found herself lying on top of Wondergirl, her nose
on Wondergirl's breastbone, Wondergirl's arms wrapped around Asuka's
shoulder and waist, holding her in a protected position.
"How fair and how pleasant art thou, O love, for delights! This thy
stature is like to a palm tree, and thy breasts to clusters of grapes. I
said, I will go up to the palm tree, I will take hold of the boughs thereof:
now also thy breasts shall be as clusters of the vine, and the smell of thy
nose like apples;"
In terror, Asuka tried to headbutt her crazed, fellow pilot. She
managed was to receive a chaste kiss on the lips from Wondergirl.
"And the roof of thy mouth like the best wine for my beloved, that
goeth down sweetly, causing the lips of those that are asleep to speak. I
sleep, but my heart waketh: it is the voice of my beloved that knocketh,
saying, 'Open to me, my sister, my love, my dove, my undefiled: for my head
is filled with dew, and my locks with the drops of the night.'"
"Let go of me!" Asuka struggled but only managed to roll both of them
under the bed, with her winding up underneath Wondergirl, who laid her head
on Asuka's shoulder.
"I am my beloved's, and my beloved is mine: he feedeth among the
lilies. Set me as a seal upon thine heart, as a seal upon thine arm: for
love is strong as death; jealousy is cruel as the grave: the coals thereof
are coals of fire, which hath a most vehement flame."
"AUUUGH!" Asuka finally arranged the leverage to wrench herself free,
she scrambled out from under the bed and stood, backing towards the door.
She cast about for a moment, only the decanter of water presented itself as
a deterrent to Wondergirl who'd stood up slowly. Asuka drenched the other
girl, who clasped her hands under her chin.
"Many waters cannot quench love, neither can the floods drown it: if a
man would give all the substance of his house for love, it would utterly be
condemned."
I recognized that, Asuka suddenly realized, I recognize all of it!
"Wait a second!" Asuka shouted suddenly, fury boiling up and advancing on
Wondergirl, who stared curiously back at Asuka.
"Make haste, my beloved, and be thou like to a roe or to a young hart
upon the mountains of spices."
"Knock it off!" Asuka shouted at Wondergirl, grabbing her shoulders and
shaking her, "That's all from the Song of Solomon! You've been quoting the
Bible at me!"
She nodded. "Yes," Wondergirl said, back to normal and apparently no
more poetry forthcoming.
"What the Hell have you been doing?" Asuka shouted right into
Wondergirl's face while she shook her, "What were you trying to prove?!"
"I still love you."
Asuka felt a cold shudder course through her as she released
Wondergirl, and took a fearful step away from a very serious-looking
Wondergirl. "You . . . I'm not that kind of girl!" Desperation had
returned full force.
"Nor am I," Wondergirl said, walking over to sit on the bed, "Are you
not worthy of being admired, and loved?"
Asuka relaxed ever so slightly, the distance between them making it
possible. "So . . . what kind of love are we talking about?"
"I do not desire sexual congress with you," Wondergirl said, "But you
are comforting." Wondergirl bowed her head. "Very comforting."
"All I do is insult you," Asuka said quietly.
"Yes, and insist I be `better`," Wondergirl countered, "I am afraid
that I have disappointed you." Wondergirl slipped off the bed and stood
next to Asuka, taking her hands. "I have admired you . . . for a long time
. . . since we first met. Your first act was to save my life. You did not
know me, you saw . . . what I was, and you comforted and defended me, when I
was lost, and alone, and very frightened." Wondergirl had stepped slowly
towards Asuka, she stared into Asuka's face. "I have loved you since then."
She stepped back, pulling a numb Asuka with her. Wondergirl sat back in the
middle of the hospital bed, pulled Asuka up to sit facing her, only then she
released Asuka's hands.
----------------------------------------
"I remember," Rei reached up and touched the Second's much shortened
hair, "A knight, my savior. I remember the hair, the feel of silk, the
color and scent of warm cinnamon. I thought it odd, the mage with a sword,
the knight healing my wounds." She could see she had confused Asuka, and
intrigued her.
"Like so many of the moments that changed my life, it was a dark and
stormy night," Rei began.
----------------------------------------
Rei looked up at Gendo-kun, he and Fuyutsuki-san looked so tall. She
wondered, Will I ever be as tall as them. Or as pretty as Yui-san?
Gendo held her hand, to keep her from getting lost on the bustling
streets of Celephias in the Dreamlands. She used the grip to jump over the
mud puddles. The whole street was muddy, but Yui-san had always scolded her
when she jumped in mud puddles.
She's gone, but I didn't like being scolded, Rei thought. She pulled
her cloak down over her head a little more, to keep out the rain.
But there are so many things to see! little Rei fumed inwardly. I'm
six, she thought, I'm a BIG girl, I'm six! She still held on, Gendo-kun
knew best. That included the spell to change her hair to black. She didn't
understand, Why do only I have blue hair? That makes me special, like
Gendo-kun and Yui-san said. Doesn't it?
"So, Ikari and his pets, where's the other one," a man stepped out in
front of them.
I don't like him, Rei thought instantly.
"Probably got lost," another group of men had stepped in behind them,
"You've really gotten ahead of yourself."
"Get ready to run," Gendo-kun told her quietly, she knew from that tone
that she shouldn't say anything.
The moment dragged on, Rei saw the sweat on Gendo-kun's face, and on
the other men's. The flash of lightning was the trigger. The men pulled
swords, Gendo-kun and Fuyutsuki-san spoke words that hurt her ears. I have
to run, she thought as she darted down a narrow alley and away. She had
gotten lost a few times before this. But Yui-san or Gendo-kun had always
found me, she thought, So I'm not worried. He's something to worry about.
The man with the knife who was squeezing through the alley after her,
spurred her on. She ran.
She knew there were places she could hide, except there seemed to be
these bad men _everywhere_!_ They didn't expect her to be so fast, that was
her only advantage. The forest of legs flashed by as she ran.
She soon found herself at the doors to the Knights' Hall. Gendo-kun
told me they would provide sanctuary, she thought, I learned the English
word, its meaning. Now she pounded on the door. "Sanctuary! Sanctuary!"
Her answer was a crossbow bolt that missed her head by a handsbreadth.
She didn't wait for the cursing man to reload, she ran, looking for
someone, anyone to help her.
The knife which lashed out of the darkness was not what she expected.
It cut through her cloak at the shoulder and cut her to the bone. Her
shoulder blade had saved her from a fatal wound, but the pain and bleeding
meant she couldn't run much farther. She stumbled, a hand grabbed her
cloak.
"No where to run little girl," a rough voice told her. "Red eyes! A
monster!"
She released the throat clasp and left the man holding just the cloak.
She ran on. Getting tired and dizzy, she thought as she stumbled again,
Muddy roads slippery, thunder hurts my ears. She ran as fast as she could.
Her lungs burned with fire, matching the ache in her shoulder. She stumbled
again, rolled to avoid the downward arc of a sword, and scrambled up to run
again, her feet slipping on the mud. She could see more men had joined the
chase. She knew she couldn't outrun all of them forever.
She stopped before she could slam into the wall that made this alley a
dead end. She turned, more than a dozen men closed in, drawing their
swords. A flash of lightning lit the upraised sword. A dead end, she
thought, Soon I will have a dead end. She felt the tears streaming down her
face for the first time. I failed Gendo by failing to escape, she thought
as the tear fell, another drop in the rain, Now I am failing to be brave.
"_STOP_!_" One word that seemed to have the force of Universal Law.
The man stopped moving, the men behind him looked around with uncertainty.
Strong hands gripped Rei's waist and picked her up. The woman's angry
expression should have frightened Rei. But Yui-san sometimes looked like
that, Rei thought, touching the woman's face and her expression softened,
When she was mad, but not at me. One arm supported Rei's weight, the other
held her tightly against the woman's shoulder. One finger traced the cut in
her shoulder, the pain eased, Rei could feel the wound closing. Then the
soft hair closed over her, as if it were a third comforting hand. Warm,
soft, the look and smell of warm cinnamon, Rei thought quietly as she
snuggled into the woman's arms, This woman isn't mommy, but she saved me.
Rei heard the words, she didn't care to turn and look at whoever spoke
them. He sounds _so_ mean, she thought.
"This is no demon, you have spilt her blood for no reason."
"I have warrants, diplo - ," her attacker said.
"You can lie to others," the voice took a tone that make Rei shiver in
fear and nestle herself more tightly in the woman's arms, "But not to _me_,
death comes for you now, are you immune to that?"
"Easy little one," the woman who held her murmured, as she gently
rocked Rei while holding her firmly, "His bite is worse, but - " then she
raised her voice clear and angry, "She is under my protection."
Rei glanced up, brushed the soft hair away for a moment. She saw the
beautiful, stern face, the eyes like sapphires in color and hardness, and
high above . . . dragons, looped and played in the lightning far overhead.
Rei's attackers were glancing up at the dragons and muttering among
themselves. Rei buried her face in the woman's neck in fear, both of the
dragons and her attackers. The woman continued rocking, crooning a soft
song in a language Rei didn't recognize. The angry murmurs and promises of
retribution faded. Rei felt a cape close over her, dry, warm, and safe, she
slipped into sleep. She was aware of a comment from the voice, in a very
different, almost friendly tone. From the woman carrying her, the comment
elicited a growl, then delightful laughter that eased Rei into sleep.
----------------------------------------
Rei looked at Asuka, who was staring back at her in amazement. "You
were that knight who saved me, and Roku-kun was the voice."
"That's why you followed me all those years?!" Asuka asked in a soft
voice, clearly amazed, but bereft of fear.
"Some, I had orders . . . some, I wanted to," Rei admitted, embarrassed
by the admission, "I was with the rescue force at Valarion Rock, I am very
good with a crossbow," Rei blushed at that.
Asuka nodded, "Thank you," she said, obviously remembering the sudden
death of an archer who would have killed her, if he had lived an instant
longer.
Rei moved close again, saw the flash of wariness as she took Asuka in
her arms. `Mein Grossfeldmarschall` will not permit herself to cry, Rei
thought, Not with me in the room. But her fellow pilot laid her head on
Rei's shoulder. "I do not think you are any less beautiful than when I
first saw you," Rei said, remembering how she had held and soothed
Nabiki-kun, "Or that you are any less worthy than you were when you rescued
a little girl you did not know. Please allow me to continue to love you,
the magnificent Asuka Soryu Langley, my Mein Liebling Grossfeldmarschall."
Asuka snorted in laughter at that, as Rei intended. "You are nuts."
"As are you," Rei replied more seriously, "Or you would not desire to
pilot. I cannot undo what has been done. I cannot guarantee it will not
happen again, but I will do my best to see it does not."
"Thank you."
"I ask that you do not send me away. Strike me, say what you will,
demand my excellence, if that is your need, but do not abandon me."
"You need to bask in my magnificence?" Asuka asked.
"You are . . . warm, in a way I cannot understand," Rei admitted, "In a
way I lack and need."
Asuka was silent for a while before she broke the hug. "I could have
hurt you."
"Only by sending me away," Rei assured her, "I will be in my room
across the hall." Asuka appeared perplexed. "The Fourth established it,
most curious." Then she said softly, "If you need to speak, or an audience
while you throw things and yell - "
"Why you - !" Asuka began and was interrupted by Rei kissing her on the
nose.
"I like apples," Rei said as she slipped off the bed, "My room is
across the hall." She walked out of the room through the door, closing it
quietly behind her. She didn't know if Asuka would seek out her
companionship, or anyone elses'. I had felt terribly alone in that alley,
enemies on all sides. Then I needed a safe rest, she provided all, Rei
thought, It was a debt I had to at least try to repay.
She entered her room and found the Fourth waiting for her. "Is she
okay?" the Fourth asked as she dropped out of the handstand she had been
doing.
"No," Rei answered, "This process will require time. Rather than
Nabiki-kun, who required sympathy and reinforcement, Asuka requires
diversion and problems or puzzles to solve."
" 'Asuka'?" the Fourth asked.
"That is her name," Rei replied.
The Fourth retreated, waving her hands placatingly. "Gahhh! I didn't
mean anything by it!" the Fourth offered desperately.
I have a use for you, Rei thought, Better to have you within the plan
than outside it. "You will play the clown," Rei told the Fourth, "You are
both well-suited and highly skilled."
"Gee, thanks," the Fourth said with a smile, "I think."
----------------------------------------
Misato drove by her apartment. She had discovered Asuka had _not_
pestered the medical staff into letting her out of the infirmary, and had
chased Ranma out. Yet both Ranma and Rei remained close to Asuka. Nobody's
explanation of what had happened made any sense. Rei remained behind, just
outside the room, Misato thought as she looked around the garage, peering
into the shadows for any threat, Probably as much by her desire as Commander
Ikari's request. What's she going to do? I don't know. Maybe Rei thinks
she's 'flying close escort' for Asuka. But what about Ranma?
As she headed up the stairs, she considered what little she had learned
and what little she could do. "Ranma should already be at Sammi's
apartment, once they checked it out, and since Ritsuko and company won't be
coming home soon, a quick sweep of her place is all that's needed there.
And I spend the night alone in my apartment." I should turn it into a
party, she thought, but was too glum. She opened the door and saw Penpen
looking downright grim. And how did _you_ find out what's happening? she
wondered as she closed the door and swept the empty apartment in case there
was a surprise waiting for her.
"Misato-san, I'm going to bed," she said in a tone like Shinji's.
"It's still early!" Misato replied in her own voice as she went to the
refrigerator and extracted a beer, sat at the table in the darkness and
drank it. She looked at the illuminated clock, then headed towards Shinji's
room.
Misato looked at the dark, empty expanse, feeling only a void. Then at
the empty can in her hand. I want more, but I have a job in the morning,
she thought, All morning, and probably all day. "You'll stay in my room
tonight," she told Penpen as she stood, "Maybe I should call Hiro. I really
don't want to be alone tonight." She walked to her room.
----------------------------------------
Rei walked slowly through Asuka's dreamscape. I wanted to speak with
her, she thought, Privately, but this . . . She glanced around at the
carnage. The neat little workshop/library that had always been both the
Meliorist's and Asuka's sanctuary, had been destroyed. Tools, books, papers
lay scattered with bits of the outer walls that had enclosed them. The
landscape was more like a moonscape: barren rock, gravel, all hard planes
and sharp angles. She glided over it with a delicacy she singularly lacked
in the Waking World, with each step she seemed not so much to touch the
ground as abide above it for an instant, before moving on.
"Something exploded within. I believe I know who," Rei said, and
listened for the echo. In this barren place, there should be one, but there
is not. I know who, but I do not know how or why. She walked through the
ruins. A slight breeze stirred the occasional loose page, but no other
sound came to her. My senses normally assault me with too _much_, here
there is almost nothing. Faint sounds, no smells, even the wind is almost
too faint to feel, she thought as she picked her way through the tumbled
masonry. She breathed deep, trying to smell the charred odor that should
have lingered after such a blast. She smelled nothing. As she passed among
the tumbled boulders that had once been the outer walls, she struggled to
keep her footing on the shifting gravel. It is wrong that there is so much
emptiness and so little to feel, she thought, the beginnings of fear began
to gnaw at her resolve. She considered retreat, What would I do then?
Return with the Fourth? Wait for Shinji-kun to return? No, that is not an
answer.
One rock, in particular, drew her eye and her curiosity, and where her
curiosity led, all of her would necessarily follow. I do not know why, she
thought as she approached it slowly, Perhaps because it is the only large
structure to have escaped destruction. Yet . . . it is oddly compelling,
yet I feel I should avoid it, even as I feel it would provide all the
answers I require to this mystery. She edged towards it, examining it
minutely with her mundane and supermundane senses. It is stone, sculpted to
appear as a half-finished copy of Rodin's 'The Thinker', half hewn from the
stone. What does it contemplate? she wondered as she stepped in front of
the statue, Some complex thought, some memory of time's past, some new and
profound philosophical insight? Or as the Fourth insisted, are you merely
considering lunch?
But I can also feel . . . it does not belong here, it is alien, wrong.
Was it left here? she wondered as she made her tentative approach, her
growing fear focused on it, gnawing at her, A trap while Asuka lamented her
lost refuge. She felt the anger welling within her, altogether replacing
the fear, she knew she did not, and had not, shown either. There must be
something I can do! she thought as she approached.
In a flash, its eyes opened, twin balls of fire. Rei couldn't suppress
the memory, of Nyogtha facing Cthugha, after the Elder Gods had driven away
the latter's reason. There was the same fiery, all-consuming madness in
those eyes. Rei forced the memory down, and stepped back from the unfolding
figure.
"You are not Asuka, nor are you the Meliorist! You are an invader and
unwelcome!" Rei said as she drew back, back in fear and from the growing
heat. The creature did not crack and ooze as lava would, but moved with
smoothness as Fire would, expanding and growing with each step.
Rei dodged the first blow, and ran at her best speed. The now colossal
figure vomited forth a bolt of pure heat, destroying stones, masonry and
other debris, everything it touched and setting everything nearby ablaze.
Rei changed course randomly. To present as difficult a target as possible.
I do not need to turn and watch, she thought, I can _feel_ its approaching
footsteps.
A mad cry of rage echoed across the debris, the first echo Rei had
heard. A blast landing directly ahead, forced her to turn, another in her
intended path and one behind her denied retreat. She looked around
desperately. I have never died in dreams, she thought of the huge creature
whose outstretched arms seemed to reach from horizon to horizon. She
watched as its mad eyes fixed on her.
The madness in those eyes held no anger, they only sought to destroy by
fire.
"I will not so easily fall before you," Rei told the creature of black,
veined with fire. Then as it drew back to strike, she began to sing.
------------------------------
Ranma was in a quandary. They were all masked, so he hadn't been able
to see who they really were, nor could he yank the masks off. An attack
during my sleep isn't unexpected, he thought as he glanced around the city
he was in, But this isn't my dream dojo, it's a street. It doesn't help
that all my opponents are girls. The tight leotards they all wore made it
clear they were girls.
He danced out of the reach of an armed opponent and tried to dodge
towards those who only attacked hand-to-hand. In a normal fight, all of
them together wouldn't have had a chance, he thought as he bobbed and wove
through the battle field, But they're all girls, and some can twist dreams
better than I can. I doubt the Meliorist or the Dragon will be here. One
of them got a weapon in close, and he was on the defensive. But I know more
about fighting than you do, he thought as he maneuvered, getting two of them
close enough, and angry enough, to hit each other, while he got out of the
way, That _is_ acceptable. One girl went sailing away from the fray.
Another touch by one girl on another, not even a solid blow, and the
victim went sliding across the pavement. That's going to hurt a lot, he
thought without sympathy.
"Keep it up!" he teased, "Two down, eighteen to go!" He backed towards
another girl as his target charged.
----------------------------------------
Yuki came to a stop, from Harumi's blow, at another boy's feet. He
stared down at her with placid eyes as he leaned against the building she'd
almost crashed into. Yuki winced at the injury the blow and the `road rash`
had inflicted, it had torn her sleeve and the skin beneath. In the real
world I would be horrified by the damage, in dreams I can repair it. Given
some time, she thought as she looked up at the boy in a uniform from another
school. "Aren't you going to help me up?" she asked the boy, extending her
hand, "A gentleman would help a lady up."
"You hurt Asuka," he replied in a controlled tone, staring down, making
no effort to move.
Yuki stood up on her own, cursing her unsteadiness. She towered over
the boy, he gave ground slightly, pressing against the building. "Yeah,
she's a loudmouthed, arrogant, self-important bitch who needed to be taken
down a notch. So I did, and there's nothing you can do about it." She
poked him in the chest, he drew back a little from her actions. Then she
recognized the boy as she stared at him. Ikari Shinji, she thought, He's as
wimpy as I was told, yuck, his girly can _have_ him! "I haven't touched
your precious Rei, so there's nothing you can do." She looked him over.
"Especially considering how important it must be for you to hold up that
building." Ikari smiled and stepped away from the building.
----------------------------------------
Shinji watched 10 floors of brick facade descend on the girl, who'd
orchestrated the attack on Asuka. No, I don't love her, Shinji thought,
Sometimes I hate her, but Asuka didn't deserve what happened to her. The
faint moan from beneath the bricks told him he'd done enough. Rei or
Raccoon might have finished you off, he thought, But I'm not a killer, yet.
"Enjoy healing those injuries though," he told her, then turned to look at
the fighting, "I think Ranma just needs one little change, then he can win."
Shinji closed his eyes and concentrated fully. The truths he had learned on
his journey coursed through his mind. Not that I fully understand them, he
thought as the environment changed at his order, But I am learning. And I
am eager to talk to the others about what I have discovered. He opened his
eyes and examined the remade world. I doubt Toji will be happy about it, he
thought, And Kensuke will feel left out. But he's the lucky one.
----------------------------------------
I Do Begin To Have Bloody Thoughts
Ranma heard the scream from behind him. He turned in time to see the
face of the building drop on one of the girls, like the fist of an angry
god. Shinji stood there, he waved at Ranma and vanished. Another odd,
pitch-changing scream from the girls around him returned Ranma's attention
to the present. The skin-tight leotards revealed the truth. The girls were
girls no longer, they were clearly guys, who were discovering their clothes
were tight in the worst possible places.
Shoulders too wide, they'll bind up on you and slow you down, Ranma
thought as he cracked his knuckles, That's why I wear loose clothes. He
prepared to `explain` things to these `boys`.
Stop, he told himself, As fun as it would be . . . that isn't what I
have to master. If I'd finished my work on the martial arts for the others
. . . but I think I can give them a nightmare.
"_DIE_FOUL_SORCERER_!_" chorused from a dozen throats, ringing through
the alley, along with the ring of drawn steel.
"Go get'em big guys," Ranma said as he strained to maintain control
over the apparitions he'd created, and was ignored by the advancing wave, as
he intended. They, who he'd summoned from another dream, passed by him as
if he weren't even there. "Let's see, what or who do I send in next?"
Difficult to hold, but . . . that's what training is about, he thought as he
strained, shutting out the screams, both the idiotic warcries, and the pain
that followed them.
----------------------------------------
"Listen Spymaster Tendo," Maya told her as she tucked her into her
bunk, before climbing into the upper bunk, "It wasn't your fault what
happened, nor is it your fault that you are here on a mission, instead of
there. Who knows what would have happened if it had been one of the others,
instead of you two. They might have tried to fight it out."
"Analyst Ibuki, it wasn't the failure of Security, or the attack itself
that hurt him, and Asuka. It was the thirty plus onlookers who wanted to
see the show, that is what hurt them. Thirty or so otherwise normal,
law-abiding citizens, who couldn't wait to see a white-skin get beaten up
and raped. Thirty people, just like the ones around _you_and_me_ every day,
every hour, every minute. Think about that, Analyst. Think about suddenly
being surrounded by enemies, who smile and bow, and hate you with every
fiber of their being." It isn't true, she thought tiredly, But I bet that's
what it feels like to them. It's a feeling I know a bit too well, lots of
the people back home would have loved to see me in the same situation.
Humbled, humiliated, beaten, even raped, as long as they could watch or
listen. Nabiki sighed, pulled the curtain aside and stared out the window,
"Concentrate on why the attackers had a connection with Security, that's the
only way they could have gotten so close without being cut to pieces.
That's the other factor. Here you and I are, surrounded by U.S. Marines and
U.S. Navy, safe. Until that same guarantee can be extended to the pilots in
Japan, you won't get them back, you won't get their full trust." 'Get them
back,' Nabiki thought, Even I don't know if I mean revenge or the trust of
the pilots . . . or both.
Nabiki was exhausted, but still wide awake, listening to Ritsuko and
Jeff talking quietly in Jeff's cabin. She lay there until she couldn't hear
them. I wonder what's going on, Nabiki considered, Is it mother and son, or
chaste lovers? And why am I jealous? What I really wish was that Ranma was
here, so I could protect him, and I could feel better.
----------------------------------------
August 7, 1947
The footfalls were heavy, swirling the dust and ash as they fell.
Claws scratched through the debris, yellow eyes searched the utter
devastation. Where have you gone? the Scholarly Dragon asked of the
Meliorist, wherever she was. I know what has happened, he thought, But if
you disappear, I can't help you.
Eyes are useless, nothing to see except ash and stone, ears only good
for hearing my footsteps, he thought as he raised his head above the
drifting dust and ash, and breathed in, slowly, deliberately. Mixed in the
melange of burnt paper, scorched wood, molten metal and calcined stone,
there was the odor of seared flesh. . . . and tears, he wondered as he
headed in the direction his nose led.
He tried to step down as carefully as he could, to stir up as little as
possible. A gnat flying over this would stir up fly-ash, he thought, trying
to let his nose guide him, Trying not to sneeze.
The lump was nondescript, as gray and ash-covered as everything else.
But it's different, he thought as he reached down and nudged it lightly with
his armored nose, Resilient, not rock or a pile of ash. He breathed on the
lump, just warm air, rather than his much more potent breath weapon, sending
the ash flying, leaving more details revealed.
The ash-gray face turned towards him, staring. The tear-filled, blue
eyes stared out of the ash-gray face. Even her much-shortened, red hair was
so covered with gray ash that it blended seamlessly with her skin. She said
nothing, looking away in shame.
He breathed on her again, again just air, sending more of the ash and
dust flying, enough so her tears could cut through some of the layers of
grime. She turned to look at him, staring into his eyes, something most
people assiduously avoided.
"You did not kill her," he said quietly, wishing he was the boy
instead, being more comforting, he also noted the places where the ash had
caked. Ayanami was not the only one wounded it seems. "She did flee," he
continued, "But she was very much alive."
"She . . . she said - " Asuka flickered, shifting among Asuka's, the
Meliorist's and a baby-Asuka's forms, before settling as Asuka. "She said
she lo - " She bowed her head. "And I hurt her. I was so . . . angry . .
. I just wanted to hurt someone back."
"I could carry you to the front lines. There _are_ reports of the
spiders massing, driving the men of Leng before them."
"I could, but I hurt her," Asuka whispered, "She tried to help, and I
hurt her."
"Then it is forgiveness you need. To give it for her not getting out
of your way quickly enough, and to receive it for what you did after," the
Dragon said as he picked her up, unwilling to accept any excuses or
refusals. Not that she is capable of resistance on that level, he thought
as he cradled her form and leapt aloft, winging his way between the
dreamscapes again.
The vast field of glowing, opalescent pearls failed to interest Asuka
as it always had in the past. The one dead, gray sphere, like a missing
tooth, still bothered him. But I have a different destination, and no time
to mourn what has been lost, he thought as he entered a sphere and landed
among the cutaway drawing, half-buildings and many incomplete concepts that
littered the place. He picked up Ayanami's scent, the `active` one's. He
carried his package in that direction, walking on three legs, Asuka cupped
in his remaining hand. He set Asuka down, as the others, dozens of Reis of
various ages, came out of their places. Some followed along, some reached
over to touch Asuka's hair or her hands as she walked. One or two of the
`older` ones ran to some place and returned with buckets of soapy, warm
water and bundles of soft cloths. They walked alongside, gently wiping away
the grime and soot from Asuka as she walked. Poor girl doesn't know how to
take that, the Scholarly Dragon thought as he followed the throng, Have to
be ready to restrain Asuka should she break and run. But I think she's too
frightened even to do that.
Instead, Asuka suddenly fell to her knees, buried her face in her
hands, broke down and cried. The cloud of Reis knelt with her, taking the
opportunity to lay a hand on her, look at her with curiosity and sympathy.
The youngest Rei sat in front of Asuka, looking at her with rapt intensity,
as if seeing who and what Asuka was for the first time. Asuka couldn't look
at her.
Two more Reis approached, operating together rather than as the
independents that surrounded Asuka, touching, washing or staring at her.
Constant movement, constant activity, but little noise and no talking.
Asuka's quiet grief mingled with the sursurrations of the Reis' movements.
The pair stood at the perimeter, looking at Asuka, looking at the Scholarly
Dragon, as if unwilling to break the tableau, as if understanding that Asuka
desperately needed the attention/affection, without strings, without
remuneration or reciprocity expected.
The cloud of Reis drew away, leaving Asuka somewhat clean and wrapped
in a clean sheet, as Rei approached with her mirror-image companion.
"Are you all right?" Rei asked as she knelt before Asuka, exactly where
the littlest one had.
"Am . . . I . . . ?" Asuka whispered as she looked at Rei, then looked
down at her own hands on her legs. "Am I . . . ? I thought I'd killed
you." She looked up, gave Rei a wan smile. "It seems there _is_ a
side-effect of the 'Make me mad to make me happy' operation."
"Yes," Rei agreed, "The dosage and application must be monitored more
carefully."
"I . . . I'm sorry. I didn't . . . actually I _did_ try to kill you,"
Asuka said, "But I . . . "
"You did not succeed," Rei said, "I fled and was not injured. You
failed, but do not regret it," Rei added, "Something to consider."
"Yes," Asuka said, smiled for an instant as Rei often did, "I guess my
first failure wasn't as bad as people warned me it would be."
"I am pleased it has not destroyed you," Rei commented, "I did not
realize you were the statue."
The other 14-year-old Rei knelt behind Asuka, wrapping her arms around
Asuka's waist and shoulders, then laying her head on Asuka's shoulder.
Asuka looked as if she'd been stabbed and the knife was twisting in her now.
By slow stages, Asuka relaxed again, Rei watching closely, the Rei
behind her neither tightening nor relaxing her grip. Asuka grew used to the
figure just holding her. Asuka looked up at Rei who looked back passively.
"After all I've done to you," Asuka asked quietly, "Why don't you hate
me?"
------------------------------
Rei considered the question in confusion. "Why should I?" she asked.
There is neither purpose nor point, she thought as she considered the
question further, And many contraindications that occur frequently. Rei was
still mystified by the question.
"Because I . . . " Asuka began, then fell silent.
"You attempted to hurt me?" Rei asked, trying to probe the tangle
further, "You did not succeed." Rei thought again, I do not understand.
But Mrs. Simson suggested looking at the problem from a completely different
`agnal` to gain additional insights. "You were angry," Rei said quietly,
"There are times when my rage consumes me, reason flees and all I can do is
stand and let it burn itself out."
"_You_ get angry?" Asuka seemed completely shocked, her tone,
expression and cocked head indicated that.
"And then I must be still," Rei admitted, "Or I fear I will lose
myself - forever." In reply Asuka simply stared at her with her eyes and
mouth wide.
All you could do to truly anger me, Rei thought Would be to take
Shinji-kun away from me. It seems I have already accomplished that. If he
were to return, I would again be complete. She noted the other Reis
returning, approaching in fits and starts. Like a school of fish, or a
flock of birds. I will not react to them, Rei thought, I will let Asuka
react as she wills.
She noted that some closed on the Scholarly Dragon, who shied away.
Perhaps that is the answer to the impasse among the Fourth, Nabiki-kun and
Roku-kun, she thought as she watched the huge creature step gingerly out of
the `trap`, then take to the skies.
"Interesting," Rei murmured about the fleeing monster, then returned
her attention to Asuka, who seemed to be studying her with equal intensity.
The other Reis closed in on Asuka, slowly, carefully as if fearing to
frighten her away as they had the Scholarly Dragon. Those who were closest,
laid a single hand on her, again, extremely carefully. As if they fear she
will shatter or flee, Rei thought as she watched patiently.
Then the littlest one began to sing, a song Rei recognized and had
taken great pains to learn. The one you first sang to me, Rei thought of
Asuka. The little one wove a Song of healing into the music, a feeling of
peace and safety was picked up by each Rei in turn. A Song to heal Asuka's
battered body wove in and out, undetectable as one Rei then another took it
up and relinquished it. The touches also soothed the fiery redhead, the
song Asuka had sung to another frightened little girl long ago brought her
to tears. Tears of joy and nostalgia, which Asuka wept unashamedly.
------------------------------
"Are you asleep?" Maya asked.
"No," Nabiki answered, uncharacteristically laconic.
She doesn't want to talk about it, Maya thought, She doesn't want to
_think_ about it anymore. But I have to talk to _somebody_ about it.
"What happened, what really happened? I haven't read the reports yet,
but what do you think is going on with Asuka and Jeff?"
"They aren't safe and nobody but the other pilots gives a damn," Nabiki
told her, "Not Security, not the crowd, not you, not anybody at NERV. It's
not accurate, but a couple of coincidences make _me_ suspicious, and I'm not
likely to be the next victim. Raccoon would be, Ayanami and Asuka _are_.
I, I'm protected by distance and the color of my skin. Oh joy. That isn't
the truth, but I bet that's part of what's going through their heads. And
who _is_ there for them? Stoneface? Our resident lush? The Admiral? No,
just each other, the pair most poorly suited to subtle human interaction.
And you wonder why Raccoon has been beating his head against the walls."
Maya shivered at the emotionless recitation. I've been through the
mess of proving myself as an officer, instead of being just a woman, Maya
thought, I still have to prove myself continuously. My family still doesn't
understand why at my age, I'm not married with a bunch of kids. Sempai and
the others at NERV ignored that out of necessity, especially with the
pilots. 'The Children' was the singular and collective noun used, we never
separated them into groups by gender or nationality. I guess that's
bothering me too. I _do_ have a bunch of kids, two on this train, four more
in Tokyo. If I was _there_ instead of here, I could help. Asuka has been
valuable property, first to the Axis, then to the Allies; Jeff is an
American, who are kings of the world if you listened to some. To have that
shattered and their difference and defenselessness thrust on them, must be
jarring in the extreme. I'm not in the command hierarchy, I don't have to
maintain the separateness the Commanders, the Admiral, and Major Katsuragi
do. I can be `big sister`, like I have for Nabiki and Raccoon. "What do we
do?"
"Is there anything you can do?" Nabiki replied, "They had trust, and it
hurt them. We non-Aryans didn't keep our word. Asuka's no Nazi, and what's
left of Jeff's hatred is political, not racist or cultural. The hatred of
unreasoning hatred, that's what the war was about in his mind. Asuka hates
_anyone_ better than her, regardless of race, color or gender. But she
strives to make sure they're _close_ to her skill level. She's surprisingly
open-minded, the whole world is equally beneath her, and should try to catch
up. Now they get this: Langley isn't good enough to protect herself, Jeff
couldn't protect her and . . . " The silence dragged on.
Nabiki can't bring herself to say it, Maya realized, 'It's just words,
no it's the thought that drives them.' "They, the pilots, put their lives
and sanity on the line for the people at home, and it didn't matter, doesn't
matter, not to anyone."
"Just dirty gaijin," Nabiki said flatly, "What happens tomorrow?"
"What about it? Lunch for us, it already is 'tomorrow'. We go where
we're ordered to, not as if we have a choice to jump off the train."
Nabiki was silent for a while, as if considering, "Rei and Ranma are
the wildcards. Has she ever disobeyed direct orders?"
"Never." Maya couldn't conceive of Rei going against orders. And it's
hard to imagine her acting _without_ orders, Maya thought.
"Then I guess I'll have to run interference for him, and pray there's
someone for her."
"For what?" Maya asked.
Maya heard Nabiki shaking her head, "Think about it in military terms.
His ally has been driven from a secure location, flanked on both sides, what
do you do when that happens?"
"Counterattack, retreat or dig in somewhere," Maya told her, "If you
can."
"That's what happens when it's _you_ getting hit. What do you do when
it's somebody else? We can't do the first or the last. We can't 'march to
the sound of the guns' either. That leaves retreat, or waiting. Which do
you want to do?" Nabiki asked innocently.
Maya considered, I don't have an answer. I can only do what I can.
She rolled over and went to sleep. Her dreams were distinctly unpleasant.
----------------------------------------
Shinji watched, feeling the inevitable approaching. I don't want to
understand what's happening, he thought sadly, People . . . _I_ shouldn't
know when someone is going to die. But . . . I do know, I can see it. He
watched the sheet covering the wounded woman's chest rise and fall. The
oxygen tent assisted her shallow breathing in keeping her alive. But it
isn't enough, Shinji thought, Something is wrong, I wish I could describe
it. Raccoon couldn't, but we both watched Sharon go through it. And the
rest . . .
"Shinji?" Erin asked as she sat up.
Part of her sat up, he thought as he took a step back.
"I thought you were unconscious," Erin said, as she frowned in
confusion.
He was disturbed by her slowly increasing transparency. "I am," Shinji
replied, "Sort of . . . I'm not _really_ but . . . it's . . . complicated.
I . . . I don't think you really want to understand it."
"Then . . . oh God," she sobbed as she covered her face.
He wanted to comfort her somehow, but he had no idea how. "I . . . I'm
sorry," he stammered, "I just . . . "
"It's all right. It's all right," she told him, tears still streaming
down her face, "I just . . . wanted more out of my life, not that I regret
what I've done. I just wanted more."
"Yes." It's all I can say, he thought in his misery.
"Please tell Asuka it wasn't her fault. I volunteered. I knew what
the risks were, and have Admiral Simson wire my folks. See if the wild
child - " she stopped, fading slowly into transparency, when she began
again, it sounded as if she were miles away. "Tell them that I served my
country, and I hope I made them proud."
"I will," Shinji promised, but he knew she wasn't there anymore. She
found her own way, he thought, I didn't have to lead her, that's something
_else_ I wish I didn't know. Damn you Raccoon, I don't need to know any of
this! "Paradise, punishment, or a new life," he murmured, "But I know
that's forever closed to me, to us, to the Children. We will live or die,
and that will be the end for us. Suddenly, it makes a difference." He got
up suddenly, and marched to his next destination.
It was a railcar he found himself in. Very different from my dream,
Shinji thought, And this time I'm not alone. "It isn't your fault," he
said.
Shinji smirked as Raccoon started and stared at him in shock.
Raccoon exhaled. "Okay, I'm dreaming, not daydreaming. I keep
forgetting what fast learners the Children are," Raccoon groused, "One time
and suddenly you're an expert. What brings you here?" He rubbed the sleep
out of his eyes.
"Asuka," Shinji replied, watched Raccoon freeze and his face darken.
Shinji took a step back. "She - "
"I know," Raccoon cut him off with a word and a wave, "I picked that
time to teach Miss Tendo a scrying spell, I watched - I felt - the whole
thing. And what can I do, teleport the distance?" Raccoon stood and paced.
"And do what? Spend a month locked up explaining how I got there, before I
saw her? Kill whomever did it? As if that would help anything." The room
expanded to accommodate the two boys.
Shinji watched Raccoon warily. I got that angry each time the Angels
attacked, every time I fought them, he thought, But I had a target, he
doesn't . . . except maybe me.
"So there is precisely _nothing_ I can do that won't make it worse.
Except wait. That's the same as doing nothing," Raccoon fumed and
fulminated.
He's acting more like Asuka than Asuka usually does, Shinji thought and
hid a smile. "You could trust Ranko and Ayanami-san," Shinji suggested
quietly, then felt Raccoon's stare practically burning a hole in him, "That
wasn't what I was going to ask about. Those thrones. One of them has my
name carved in it, in a language I didn't recognize or understand, until I
laid eyes on it, now I understand it completely." I'm glad I've got him
working on a puzzle, Shinji thought, It means I'll probably live through
this. "Asuka's name is carved on another. I'm guessing the decorative
carvings on the others are all names, some I can read, although I don't
recognize the names, some I can't even recognize as words. What are they?"
He watched Raccoon continue to pace.
The question seemed to have sapped the anger out of Raccoon. "Yes, you
would ask me to solve one of the deepest mysteries of the universe first
thing in the morning." He stopped, stared at Shinji.
"Sorry."
"And that makes it better?" Raccoon's temper flared for a moment, but
as subtly and furtively as Rei-san's. "You say 'sorry' when you step on
your own shadow, and you expect an apology would make the slightest - " He
stopped speaking, frowned and took a deep breath. Then he drooped as if he
couldn't sustain his anger, however deeply he tried to hide that he was
angry. "I _am_ sorry . . . Asuka is . . . my oldest friend, the _only_ one
left from the old days. Do you . . . no, you don't know how rare that is.
She's in trouble . . . and there's _nothing_ I can do." He paused to let
himself calm down again. "I in no way mean to take it out on you, if I
have, or I do, you have my sincerest apologies."
"You even apologize better than me," Shinji teased, smiling "She _does_
have friends in Tokyo too."
Now Raccoon looked embarrassed, as he rolled his eyes.
Odd, now I'm not afraid of him, Shinji thought as he watched the other
boy start pacing again, Once I knew he wasn't mad at _me_. I hope this goes
away when I wake up, it's too weird guessing how people will react, and
always being right.
"It's my responsibility, not theirs," Raccoon said as he walked past
Shinji.
"You should let it be their responsibility," Shinji suggested and
backed away from Raccoon's seemingly innocuous stare and frown, because he
somehow knew it wasn't. "The chairs," he suggested to change the subject.
Raccoon threw up his hands. "Nobody knows. They and the rest of the
tower were here before the universe, supposedly they'll be here after it's
gone."
"With _our_ names on them?" Shinji grimaced. I don't like what that
implies, he thought, As if all this is fixed and fated, and we have no say
in the matter.
"_My_ name isn't there," Jeff corrected, "Although maybe I just can't
read it, but then, neither could anybody else, until now."
"So, the names might . . . change?" Shinji asked hopefully. I can get
out of this? he wondered.
"Maybe, or perhaps Shinji Ikari has saved the universe over and over
and over again." Raccoon raised himself to his full height, before bowing
low. "A true and shining hero."
Nobody would believe _I'm_ a hero, Shinji thought as he idly considered
kicking the prostrate Raccoon, Or useful. "He only wants to use me," Shinji
shot back, realizing Raccoon was trying to divert him. I've learned
something of that too, he thought. "All he cares about is that I can pilot
the EVA," he continued with his near-mantra.
"Funny that," Raccoon said as he stood, "He could have summoned me,
Jason, Sharon, Asuka or Anna, as pilots. But the guy with all that pressure
bearing down on him," he told Shinji as he stepped close, "Calls up Shinji
Ikari. The guy who demands precision and excellence from everything and
everyone, and the only pilot _he_ specifically calls up is _you_." He poked
Shinji in the chest with his finger. "Ranma was an accident, Asuka and I
were foisted off on him, Nabiki was called up by order of MacArthur's
command. Maybe he is a hard-driving, humorless monomaniac. But when he
really needed reinforcements, he called _you_. Maybe he doesn't love you,
but he has high expectations for you. Think you can live up to them?" he
asked, with an `all-knowing` smirk.
Shinji hid his own smile as he thought, Got you! "Think I'm good
enough to look after Asuka for you?" Shinji asked as innocently and shyly as
he could, and treasured Raccoon's shocked expression that he'd been
outargued.
"Try that again when I'm awake," Raccoon growled as he turned away and
resumed pacing.
"So what are those thrones?" Shinji persisted, "Are there 28 Children?"
"Have you heard of any of the others?" Raccoon asked, "The other names
you could read?"
"I . . . " Shinji stammered, "Our class, some of them . . . Hokari
Hikari, Suzuhara Toji, others." Shinji shook his head. "I don't want them
to be like us. To know what we have to know . . . to do what we'll have to
do . . . I . . . couldn't do that to them," Shinji said shamefully and bowed
his head, clenching and unclenching his fists in frustration. I can't run
away from this, he thought, Because it . . . _I_ would be wherever I ran
away to.
"That still leaves the question of 'who', and no one has gotten, or
should I say, recorded an answer," Raccoon explained.
"So there's more like us, or did they make extras?" Shinji asked.
"Maybe, maybe it's a metaphor for something else. Maybe it's a
practical joke, something to gnaw eternally at the overconfident and
supposedly omniscient," Raccoon suggested, shrugged, "I do know that the
Mi-Go won't go near those three towers and are terrified of the city around
them. The Cthulhi record their existence, but no occupation was even
attempted, and since they'll take any uncontested real estate, especially
presized for them, it is even more mysterious. The Great Race have no
record, beyond that the place exists. You may have been the first being to
walk there in nearly a hundred million years. All the ancient races mention
prominently that the place is unimportant and they didn't stay there." He
stopped and turned to face Shinji, who gulped and took a step back.
"Ancient maps used to have 'There be Dragons', this place has 'It's boring
DO NOT GO THERE!' stamped on it. I find the whole thing curious, and it
appears in the Dreamlands of no race I've ever heard of. So, it's a riddle,
or an enigma, or a joke. Nobody knows." He shrugged again.
"Maybe we'll find out," Shinji suggested.
Raccoon shook his head, "Maybe. I'm going to deeply investigate the
effect of sleep on wounds."
"I'll see you when you get back to Tokyo," Shinji said as Raccoon and
the railcar faded from sight.
Shinji woke and glanced around. He recognized the ceiling. That's a
too familiar ceiling, he thought of his only source of amusement when he lay
in the hospital bed, imagining shapes and patterns in the uneven paint.
He carefully climbed out of bed, unhooking the IV stand that had fed
him while he was unconscious. Boy am _I_ hungry! he thought as he walked
along. He headed almost instinctively towards one room in particular. He
saw none of the night staff. Either they're invisible or they're on break,
he thought as he walked. He pushed open the door and walked in. Rei looked
up from where she was sitting with Asuka sleeping soundly, practically
curled up in Rei's lap.
Rei smiled, the smile that always seemed to brighten the whole world
for him. Just as quickly it was gone. But I saw it, he thought, then froze
as Rei put her finger to her lips and pointed at Asuka. Shinji nodded as he
approached as quietly as he could, hooking the stand into the bracket on the
bed. Asuka's asleep? Shinji wondered, What all has happened since . . . ?
He looked closely at his sometime nemesis as she moved slightly, as if
sensing another presence in her vicinity. Rei laid a hand on Asuka's
shoulders, quieting whatever nightmares plagued the redhead.
Asuka was still crying in her sleep. Shinji covered his mouth and nose
so his breath wouldn't disturb `Mein Grossfeldmarschall`. He stared in
amazement at puffy cheeks and the occasional tear that slipped from the
sleeping girl's eyes.
"Mutti," she murmured quietly. [Mama]
Shinji straightened up and smiled, Rei gave him another of her too
brief world-illuminating smiles. So, she's as much a kid as the rest of us,
he thought, glanced at Rei, who nodded slightly, as if she had the same
thought. Shinji leaned closer to Rei, Rei leaned closer to Shinji. Rei
closed her eyes, waiting.
----------------------------------------
I Am Free Of All Prejudice
Asuka woke from a bad dream, into a nightmare. Wondergirl was leaning
close to Spineless, and blushing. Then they kissed. The pair simply
touched lips and stayed there.
Gott in Himmel. I've got to get a better class of nightmares, Asuka
thought of the two robots blushing and smiling at each other as they finally
broke off their kiss. She went back to sleep.
----------------------------------------
Asuka woke slowly. "Guten Morgan," she heard, more through her bones
than her ears. She suddenly realized what or who her `pillow` was. She sat
up and instantly regretted it. Wondergirl held her upright as the room spun
through all four dimensions around her. Asuka was mortified and nauseated.
"What - I didn't - Oh God!" Asuka buried her face in her hands.
"Are you well?" Wondergirl asked.
"No, I'm permanently disgraced."
"You do not appear damaged," Wondergirl told her, looking her over
carefully.
"I told Yuki . . . I'm not going to repeat what I told her," Asuka
said, "Then I slept with you."
"There was no sexual congress, you did not set the bedding aflame,"
Wondergirl said as Asuka's soul curdled, "You were wounded in body and
spirit, there are serious differences."
"That's not the _point_,_" Asuka whispered.
"Only you and I would know," Wondergirl quietly assured her, "I can
keep secrets."
"Then I want you to keep this secret." Asuka nodded at Wondergirl.
"Keep what secret?" Spineless asked as he walked in with breakfast:
eggs, sausage and toast.
"I'm doomed!" Asuka moaned and hung her head.
"You seemed to enjoy watching us kiss," Spineless said, blushed as he
glanced at Wondergirl.
Asuka felt sick. "That _wasn't_ a nightmare, this is!"
"You enjoyed watching," Wondergirl told her calmly, "You slept more
soundly afterwards. Perhaps, we both should have kissed you."
Asuka blanched and tried to pull away at that.
"Maybe you'd feel better sleeping with us, in the same room I mean,"
Spineless said shyly, taking Wondergirl's hand, who nodded.
Asuka's eyes narrowed. "This is more of that stupid 'Making me angry
so I can be happy' junk!" Spineless wilted slightly under her assault, she
turned to Wondergirl. "Improper dosing."
"It is not having the desired effect?" Wondergirl asked, staring at
Asuka.
"Of course not!" Asuka shouted in fury, "I feel worse than ever!"
Spineless and Wondergirl simply stared at her with matching blank
expressions.
Asuka sighed and `surrendered`. "Terrific, stupid through binoculars.
You two look exactly the same."
"Say! Is that breakfast I smell?"she-Horseface asked as she entered,
grinning ear to ear.
"God, just kill me now!" Asuka lamented, and hung her head again, "This
_can't_ get any worse."
"Would you like something to eat?" Spineless asked tentatively.
"Sure, shovel it up," Horseface answered before Asuka could.
"As you can see," Asuka told Spineless as he served, "Since you left
us, we haven't improved its manners. Despite elaborate - _HEY_!_"
Horseface had snatched a morsel off her plate with a pair of chopsticks.
"Where'd you learn your manners?" Asuka shouted, "In a ba - "
Horseface silenced her by flipping the food into Asuka's mouth. "I
think she's quieter with her mouth full," Horseface said sagely.
"I agree," Wondergirl said, nodded as she waited for Spineless to dole
things out.
Asuka glared at them, raised a fist. "I oughta - " A piece of sausage
silenced her.
Asuka chewed slowly on the sausage, and moved her plate out of
Horseface's reach, glaring at _IT_ the entire time.
"Oh, a challenge," Horseface said as she bounced from foot to foot,
chopsticks tapping out a rhythm like a telegraph key. Asuka took a large
forkful of the eggs and shoveled it into her mouth before Horseface could
move in. Asuka glared at Horseface's eagerness while she fed herself.
Spineless gave a plate to Horseface, a plate of toast to Wondergirl and
lastly served himself.
Sammi, Tomiyo and Juri entered. The obvious lack suddenly depressed
Asuka. "She died . . . didn't she?" Asuka asked.
Sammi's embarrassed silence told Asuka everything she needed to know.
She turned away.
"Are you going to school with us?" Spineless asked hopefully.
Asuka dropped her gaze to the floor. "No." It's cowardice, she
thought, If it were an Angel, I wouldn't hesitate. But going to that stupid
school wasn't worth Erin's life. I can't go back, it's pointless.
"We must go," Wondergirl said, "They will want medical tests before you
can return. And the Fourth and I must change our clothing."
"Aren't you afraid the same will happen to you?" Asuka asked Wondergirl
quietly.
"No, I would kill them, you would not," Wondergirl said flatly,
frowning slightly as she left. "Perhaps _that_ is why you were chosen,
because they would survive making the attack."
"Rest," Sammi told her, glancing worriedly at Wondergirl, "There are
Marines guarding this wing." Sammi added something vehement under her
breath. The spoke louder, "There was nothing you could do, none of this was
your fault."
"Then why is Erin dead?" Asuka asked.
"Because of _enemy_ action," Tomiyo told her as they led the other
pilots away.
"But if I'd run a different way . . . " Asuka said to the now empty
room, "It would have been different. I wouldn't have led her into an
ambush. I'm an experienced officer, I should have _seen_ it myself."
They might have been waiting there too, a voice told her, one she had
dreamed about, over and over, last night, the good times and the bad.
Momma, she thought back, she started as Juri entered the room.
"Pilot Langley. Pilot Ayanami plotted the possible ambush points in
the school, and in the vicinity. Somebody else did to, and they were
probably covering all your likely paths."
"I could have waited. It's still my fault."
"No," Juri corrected, "Not this time it wasn't. Not your fault at
all."
----------------------------------------
Outside the room, Rei heard Krasnyzamok's, then Juri's words, and
Asuka's replies. I did plot such a possibility, she thought, Security
should have held those positions in force. It would have controlled access
in and out. Yet they were not there. Were they covering _any_ of the
locations? Or they did not act as they should have at just that location,
she wondered about that, Perhaps it _is_ time to consider removal of the
'FUBENS', the Commander's plan does not include the negligent loss of any
pilot.
She walked through the medical wing, feeling the warmth of Shinji-kun's
return and feeling guilty she felt so good.
"Did you get the word on your tryout?" Krasnyzamok-san asked her.
"No, the alarm cry . . . I did not await the results."
"How well do you think you did," the Fourth pressed.
"I believe they would have allowed me in, if I simply expressed an
interest," Rei replied, trying to distance herself from the Fourth.
"Yeah, they were pretty taken with you. I'm just a little surprised
you didn't do that," the Fourth said. "Or do you feel the need to prove
yourself to them?" she added with an unusual tone and expression.
If the Fourth were Roku-kun or Nabiki-kun, I would say he/she is
analyzing my reply, she thought of the Fourth's expectant look, An odd
impression. My _words_ would not be part of the Fourth's interest, only my
actions and movements. "I would not do that," Rei said flatly, "I am
complete." Shinji-kun completes me, I have my function within the
Commander's plan and then what will come after, she thought, she found the
intensity of the Fourth's gaze disturbing, in its forcefulness and its
singularity to her experience.
She left Shinji-kun to the doctors, and continued to the vehicle that
would take them to their apartments to dress, then to school.
"I can't believe she didn't react to Shinji's return," the Fourth said
while slouching along.
Yes, she did, Rei thought, Just not that you knew of. She saw him and
slept peacefully without bad dreams for the rest of the night. If that is
not a reaction, I do not know reactions. Rei smiled briefly as she
considered the effect of Shinji-kun's return on the current situation.
----------------------------------------
The lunch had been quiet. The stewards brought our food to my cabin
without the usual byplay, Nabiki thought, They must have heard. They all
seemed as angry as the rest of us, strange.
Ritsuko read the report to the three of us, Maya, Raccoon and me. Rei
was still at NERV HQ, watching over Asuka. Who would have thought? she
thought, What was Ranma doing? Doing his katas, inhaling breakfast and
leaving for school? Because it was easier than dealing with the real
problem? Because he wanted to beat up whatever and whoever did this?
Nabiki remembered Maya making several attempts at conversation, with her and
Raccoon, They were met with desultory responses from Raccoon. It answers
the question of what it takes to shut him up, it's information I'd rather
not have. Of course none of us seemed eager to talk.
The city passing by the train windows was of only vague interest to
Nabiki. Only on the curves did the sight out of the window attract her
attention. Two carriers, she thought, What do we need _two_ carriers for?
The others were packing, she could hear them. Except me, she thought of the
neatly packed suitcases and parcels waiting to be transferred to the
carrier, Like I'm helpless. She frowned at being waited on hand and foot.
All I wanted back `home`, she thought, But it's no fun when they won't _let_
you do something. I'd like the right to do some things _myself_.
"Oh good, you're all packed," Maya said as she poked her head into
Nabiki's cabin.
"Are you sure you don't want to pack me in batting so I won't get
chipped or broken during moving?" Nabiki asked archly.
"Oh, what a wonderful idea!" Maya chirped, "I'll get on it!" She
turned to leave.
"NO!" Nabiki shouted, practically lunging out of her bunk.
Maya looked back sheepishly. "No?" she asked innocently.
If I _could_ get at you . . . Nabiki thought angrily. "Can't I do
_something_?_"
"I'm afraid not . . . " Maya said quietly, then brightened, "I could
pile all the luggage in here and you could guard it with your life. But . .
. I don't think Dr. Akagi would approve at all, so no I can't do that."
Maya shook her head sadly.
"I can't even be an inventory clerk," Nabiki complained, "How
wonderful. Raccoon of course is turning handsprings and taking care of
everything himself."
"No, he's still in bed, grousing about it almost as much as you are,"
Maya said chirpily, "He's just a better sport about it than you are." Maya
caught the thrown pillow and ignored Nabiki's warning growl as she began
fluffing it up, with every appearance that she was going to put it behind
Nabiki's head. "Well, you can't have everything."
"Yes I could," she complained, "I just have to ask for it and half a
dozen people will trip over themselves to get it for me." Nabiki frowned
and shook her head.
"Don't you like being pampered?" Maya teased.
Nabiki sighed, tired of the game. "A little is good," she admitted,
"But this . . . what have I done to earn it? How many others died in that
fight, and how many were hurt worse than I was?"
"Most of those hurt worse than you were - they all died," Maya said
seriously, "And most of them would have sacrificed their lives to keep a
pilot safe. The mood on this train is ugly. Everybody has heard about
Tokyo. If the Brothers attacked now, everybody would be in on the fight.
If you are getting angry at being cooped up and being treated as a Tang
dynasty porcelain vase, your colleague has been getting lectures about not
putting himself in danger. From soldiers to the conductors to the stewards
bringing him tea and orange juice. The implication is that he should have
turned his pistol and yours over to a heavy weapon's team and let them fight
it out. Keep stacking bodies between yourselves and the enemy until they
were all killed," Maya told her harshly. "I think you can imagine how _he_
feels about those lectures."
Nabiki nodded, subdued for a moment. "What about the transfer to the
carrier, and why are there two carriers?"
"The second is carrying the families, a reverse of Operation Magic
Carpet," Maya explained, "It's fast enough, and it can keep everyone safe.
There's a third to provide air cover."
"And after what we saw, that we weren't supposed to," Nabiki said,
"They are in a hurry to get us back to Tokyo."
"I think they're also eager to get more U.S. troops over there," Maya
said, "Especially security troops. I thing Kaji-san and the FUBENS have
made their last allowable mistake." She glanced from side-to-side. "I've
had more than three dozen men asking me for a recommendation to be Security.
If I wanted to raise a personal regiment, I bet I could. It isn't any
easier for me, or for them. Nobody on this train doesn't understand the
odds, and what the Angels are capable of. None of them understand why only
pilots can fight them, yet they had proof that it is so. So, if bringing
you two tea and juice is all they can do, that's what they'll do. It scares
me too, with my broken English I can only understand about half of what
they're saying to me, but I recognize a salute, and respect. I didn't do
anything to deserve it either, except my job."
Nabiki had felt like squirming during Maya's entire lecture. She
changed the subject, "So our carrier isn't going to be crawling with kids?"
"_Our_ Carrier?" Maya asked impishly, "My, how proprietary!"
"Oh shut up!" Nabiki threw her pillow at Maya again. Again Maya caught
it, fluffed it, and approached. Maya let Nabiki lunge, before she slipped
it behind her. "All better. I doubt they'll have _our_ carrier for
anything other than combat troops. We'll be training them in EVA support
and other operations. Frankly, the Navy isn't overjoyed at using
Essex-class carriers as transports, but it is the fastest, largest ship they
have. Also, as I said, there will be a third Essex-class carrying aircraft
to protect us, as well as surface ships and submarines. Quite a battle
fleet," Maya said, then pointed out the window, "Oh look, a crowd."
Maya slipped out of the cabin while Nabiki stared in open-mouthed shock
at the people, the crowd, the throng, all standing there waving U.S. and
NERV flags, some carrying placards. The signs ranged from professions of
love and respect, for her, for Jeff, for the EVA, to marriage proposals for
the pilots. The onlookers were universally screaming their lungs out.
Me . . . Nabiki thought with a bee in the pit of her stomach. She
happily noted that the train rolled on, so the crowd was there and gone.
Except there was another, larger one further on, and another, and another
growing steadily in size and ardor as they approached the Navy Yard. She
dropped back in her bunk. "Oh GOD!" she murmured, "All those people.
What's gotten into them? It was mostly kids, shouldn't they be in school?
No, it's still summer vacation in the U.S., isn't it?" She considered the
tableau in fear. Ranma is the one who gets the screaming hordes, she thought
anxiously, Not me. I'm on the sidelines!
The train entered and continued through the Navy Yard, the
double-tracked road led right to the edge of the docks.
A knock on her door brought her around. "Enter!" she shouted, shook
herself out of the apprehension and shock that had gripped her.
"I hope you're ready to suit up. We'll need to move the EVA to the
carrier, and traveling by EVA is going to be less embarrassing than having
the wheelchair winched up to the carrier deck," Raccoon said, smiling
broadly but leaning heavily on his cane.
And hiding something, Nabiki thought, Probably several somethings.
"Did you see the crowds?" she asked, managing to keep her voice level.
"I saw them," he replied as nonchalantly as she tried to sound.
"I hope you understand that despite my hairstyle, I'm no singing
Liverpudlian," Nabiki said.
He shrugged. "True, but doesn't this outpouring of love and adoration
from people you've never met fill you with adulation? Doesn't the idea of
throngs waiting hours to possibly get a glimpse of you just buoy your
spirits to the stars? Doesn't the fact that the only reason they didn't
shower your path with cherry blossoms and rose petals is that it would have
knocked the train off the track, and that they wouldn't have feared the
resulting capital sentence for a moment of being near you, but they didn't
want to slow your appointed rounds? Doesn't it just elate you without
limit?"
"No, no and - no!" Nabiki said quietly. With each of his assertions, I
could feel my spirit curdle a little more, she thought as she glared at him.
Anyone from Nerima would be cowering and begging my forgiveness, and you
just stand there, immune.
"You shouldn't feel bad," Raccoon told her with a smile, "Everybody in
Jerusalem turned out to cheer Jesus. A little while later, he was flogged
and crucified. People are fickle that way." He dropped her plugsuit on her
bunk. "Put that on over your cast, and wear a jacket, it's breezy out
there. I'll meet you at the EVA in 10 minutes." He left her alone with her
thoughts and fears.
She glanced outside at the knots of cheering servicemen and their
families. As the train sat, and all the preparations needed to move the EVA
were underway. Nabiki sat up and looked out the window. Someone pointed
and the crowd went completely nuts. Nabiki nervously smiled and waved, the
crowd went even crazier: chanting, jumping up and down, screaming love and
her name and waving their flags furiously. She watched them pass by as the
train moved slowly into position. Once through the security fence, the
crowds were left behind. Oh crap! she thought, What have I gotten myself
into?
----------------------------------------
She had gotten `dressed`. I never thought a shipyard would be so noisy,
she thought of the noises of repairs to the ships and the unloading of the
train, Just have to ignore it.
She'd peeked out of her window and saw only the trucks bringing food
and other supplies to the carriers. She glanced at the jacket she'd gotten
out. It's the middle of August, I'm not wearing a jacket, she thought as
she headed out of her cabin. She hobbled on crutches through the now-empty
barracks and stores cars towards the last car before the double-wide EVA
flat car. She paused and steadied herself. This cast keeps throwing off my
balance, she thought, And the sprained wrists makes using the crutches
awkward and painful. She took a deep breath and thought defiantly, But I am
_not_ going to show weakness in front of _him_!_ She exited through the
door, and froze in shock and dismay.
The wall of sound that struck her was the first surprise. The second
was seeing Raccoon sitting on the edge of the flatcar, in NERV SAR
coveralls, while she was standing there in just her plugsuit. That _fink_!_
she thought angrily, as the noise of the crowd washed over her. Raccoon
pointed at her and said something, and the force of the noise doubled. She
smiled to the crowd and shot Raccoon a LOOK, because she didn't have her
pistol. Oh . . . I am going to _KILL_ you! she thought as she waved weakly,
All those sailors and Marines, and I come charging out in a plugsuit. She
kept her temper as dozens if not hundreds of flashbulbs went off. It covers
more than a swimsuit, but its not how I'd like to be remembered. She
considered retreating. No, I can't move fast enough with my injuries.
Besides, he probably had someone lock the door once I got out here, she
thought angrily as she struggled to keep her look determined, rather than
pained.
Raccoon hobbled over, leaning heavily on his cane.
"The only reason I can't kill you, is all these witnesses," she told
him, smiling broadly.
"I did tell you to wear a jacket," he whispered pleasantly. He turned
to the crowd and announced in a loud voice, "Miss Tendo is delighted you all
turned out to see her. She wishes her injuries didn't prevent her from
shaking hands and signing autographs, but she assures you that you have her
profound thanks and affection."
The noise, including a huge number of wolf-whistles, drown out the
noise of the shipyard.
"You - you - you -!" she murmured in Japanese, her rage and frustration
growing.
"Careful, they might understand that much, and isn't 'you' what wives
call their husbands?" he said as he smiled and waved to the crowd, "Just
play the good soldier and remember, it isn't every day that people see a
bona fide hero." He stepped out of range before she could clobber him with
her crutches.
He walked to the edge of the railcar, "Miss Tendo apologizes for not
speaking with you, but her injuries prevent it," Jeff told them, the sounds
of disappointed understanding were manifest. "And she asks you to step
back. We'll be moving the EVA soon and we don't want anyone injured."
There were murmurs as the Shore Patrol troops got between the crowd and
the railcars, and pushed the crowd back.
"And I thought _I_ was a skilled liar," Nabiki told him in Japanese as
he helped her up to the entryplug.
"Just anticipating what you would say."
"I guess that's why one side, _my_ side of the train was empty. Did
you plan it that way?"
"Oh no, I didn't see them either, the other line of cars blocks my
view. You should feel privileged, all I got to look at during the trip was
the outside of another railcar," he told her with a smile.
That didn't answer my question, she fumed silently. Once they were
both in the plug and floating in the L.C.L., she could confront him. "Do
you think this is funny?" she asked angrily, once they were both hooked into
the EVA.
"You need to learn that saying 'I love you' isn't a bad thing," he told
her seriously, all joking aside, "Unlike the people of Nerima, they will not
use a show of affection on your part as a licence to hurt you."
The impact of her fists against his chest reminded her that her wrists
were still very tender. "You rotten bastard, you unfeeling, selfish,
self-absorbed, brutish, callous - " She stopped as she realized she was
yelling at him in a language she couldn't possibly know. "Oh my God!"
"You rang?"
"That's not funny," Nabiki shouted, "That's not funny at all." She
shivered at the resonance that went through her as he said it. He's just
using that to tease me! she rallied and faced him.
"Now you understand a little," he told her calmly.
"Yes, I killed one - sort of."
"I'm glad you are able to handle it. I wanted to throw up, but you
also see the problem."
" 'Problem'? You call it a 'problem'? I have memories, thoughts,
feelings . . . _that_aren't_mine_!_ I want to tear your heart out . . . or
I want to . . . " She centered herself, put the roiling emotions aside as
best she could. "The Brothers of Chaugnar Faugn wanted to either kill him
and take his place, or return to a more balanced rule before he ascended
from first-among-equals to absolute-god-king. They loved him, they hated
him, they wanted things to be better between them. Now _you're_ Chaugnar
Faugn and I'm the Brothers, _all_of_them_, and I can't - I don't - " She
struggled not to give in to the ferocity that was only partially hers.
She found herself in his arms, being held, and felt the alien rightness
of it. Now I'm betraying Ranma, she thought as she returned the hug, I
should be wanting to do this with _him_. But does Ranma want to do this? I
know Ranko does, but not with _me_.
"It's all right," Raccoon soothed, stroking her hair, "All of us went
through it. All of us survived and recovered. You're as strong as any of
us. You'll hold on to who you are."
She gently pushed him away. "I don't _know_ who I am. Everything on
this trip has undermined who I am," she insisted firmly.
"No, it's stripped off the outer layers." He put his hands on her
shoulders. "Do you honestly think the 'Ice Queen of Furinkan' would have
survived around here? Asuka, or me, or even Rei would have torn her to
pieces and scattered the ashes to the four winds. Nabiki Tendo is no
quitter, you're caught between whom you thought you had to be, for your
sisters, your father, your family and its honorable survival; and who you
really are. Now who you need to be, is more like who you are, with all the
brakes off. And it scares you, that you would be so admired for doing
things that in peacetime you would be ashamed of. All of us went through
it, and all of us had our doubts about ourselves. Whether we could do what
is necessary for humanity to survive, and that we were still good people.
Even Asuka."
"Yeah? When did you go through it?" Nabiki asked archly.
"When Jason, Sharon and I, and 27 others, decided we had to slaughter
our 770 brethren. We faced a choice. Were we to stand with our 'people',
or our creators? We understood it might mean our deaths, it also meant we'd
be killing mercilessly, perhaps killing the innocent along with the guilty.
We were . . . different then. My talk with what was left of Sharon . . .
helped remind me, brought up old memories, old ways of thinking that we, and
the Project's doctors and scientists, buried as deeply as they could be.
Now I have them again, but like absorbing Chaugnar Faugn, and the rest, they
are available to me, but they _aren't_ me. That's your problem. Brown Bess
and the Ice Queen are available to you, but they aren't you. The difference
is that you never liked Nabiki Tendo, she was never enough to get the
attention, and dare I say it, love you needed. Suddenly, Nabiki Tendo is
all you've got left, and people you've never met, people who don't know you
love you, automatically and completely."
He threw up his hands. "Maybe like Saotome, you were born for another
time, a time when someone hard-edged and cold-hearted would make them a
hero, rather than a villain."
"When did you become such an expert on Tendo Nabiki?" Nabiki asked, her
anger gone, instead she felt very small and vulnerable.
"Several months in a single dream, watching you cry yourself to sleep
in the arms of a boy or girl you clung to as if someone would steal one of
you away. Listening to the soft cries as you faced your nightmares, crying
out to your mother, or Kasumi, crying out against Akane, or your father.
Watching a socially-inept, slightly-petrified martial artist tell you that
he and I were there and we would stay with and uphold you. Then you'd quiet
down and slip into a restful sleep. There were nights we literally slept in
shifts, so we could keep an eye on you the entire night," Raccoon explained.
"Terrific, make me feel real good and useful," Nabiki lamented, "So I
cried myself to sleep every night, clinging to my Ranma/Ranko cuddle toy."
"What makes you think I am complaining? Neither Ranma nor Ranko had a
problem with it either. None of the three of us begrudged the effort," he
said as he smiled, "If you must put this in a negative light, all three of
us deeply resented that we couldn't get at whatever was causing it.
Assuming it wasn't Nerima as a whole, both your memories and the current
realities of the place. Ranko especially hated that none of us could fix
it, she took it as a _personal_ affront. But none of us _blamed_ you, Ranko
just wanted to help you."
Nabiki felt like curling up in a ball, it was the only way to retreat.
"Sorry." She felt Raccoon grab her shoulders and shake her.
"Would you kindly listen to what I _actually_ said, instead of assuming
I was complaining!?" he asked angrily. "Part of the reason I `nuked`
Saffron and his worshipers was because I had proof that they didn't listen,
never changed from their preconceptions. Are you the same, or can you
learn? Like Ranko and Ranma can?"
She glared at him, her anger returned, shoving away her
self-consciousness. "Rotten - "
"Good," he said happily, "Back to normal. Neither Ranma, nor Ranko,
nor I minded looking out for you. The only thing we didn't like was we
couldn't really help you. Someone important to us was being hurt, and we
were standing around - helpless." He jerked his thumb at the outside. "The
others out there, the ones we're are supposed to protect, they saw the
newsreel footage, they heard about the battle. They heard about a
14-year-old Japanese girl getting torn up and then charging back into the
fight to protect and defend United States territory, and you don't think
that's worth some respect?"
"I just wanted to hurt them back." She considered punching him in the
chest, then remembered the pain in her wrists last time. "Like somebody
else. You know I'm getting tired of this lecture."
"Oh, others have said the same thing? And you haven't listened to them
either? I'm honored."
Nabiki remembered her teeth were undamaged. No, I don't want to _bite_
him, she thought. "You tell me," she firmly `requested.`
"Like I said, Nabiki Tendo has never been valuable to anyone. You
weren't the heir to either your father's or your mother's way of thinking
and skills. Don't frown, Shinji felt the same way. There are only a
handful of people who can pilot. Do you have _any_ idea what we could
demand?" He smiled at her. "None of us have, not even you. We just do the
job. You think that doesn't earn respect?"
Nabiki looked away. I've got no answers. I'm getting more money than
I ever wanted or could dream of, and less to spend it on. But I never even
considered _asking_ for more, she thought, Why does it bother me so much?
There was a buzz and Raccoon looked up. "Davis here."
"Why are you just sitting there, and the EVA is growling."
"Miss Tendo and I are both chewed up, we're trying to smooth out the
interface to ignore our injuries."
"Oh, okay."
"External phone." Raccoon cut the connections. "And you also speak a
language you share with only one other person alive."
"Great," Nabiki said, remembered she was still speaking a language she
hadn't been able to speak a short time ago. "Crap," Nabiki exclaimed, in
frustration at the reminder.
"See, nobody knew you were being unladylike, except me."
If I tear his heart out and eat it . . . she thought, Would anyone
notice, or could I blame it on an accident? "Oh, let's get moving!" Nabiki
said in English, and saw warning signs going off all over the interior of
the entry plug.
"We have to both use the same language," Jeff said in English as he
adjusted some settings, "Anything to avoid dealing with the problem. As you
wish."
She shook her head. I'm my father's daughter all right, avoid, and run
away, Nabiki thought disgustedly, I haven't learned his demon-head/river of
tears techniques to force someone else to deal with it, but I have mastered
'you fix it, I can't be bothered.' Not the wisest course when I want
something. She put that thought aside as Jeff drove the EVA after the jeep
with the flashing lights.
"What's that? All those posts laying across the carrier's deck?" she
asked as she turned to get a better view.
"I don't know, some kind of reinforcing, I hope," Jeff replied, clearly
curious himself, "Raise Doctor Akagi and ask."
The rest of the short walk was spent in finding out no one was
monitoring any of the EVA radio frequencies.
"'Up Simba, up!'," Jeff joked half-heartedly at the deck handler's
gestures, "Keep your mind quiet, I need to use the speakers."
"And who are - " The EVA blared before Nabiki caught herself.
"Do I step on or avoid the concrete pieces?" Jeff asked, cut the
connection, "Now you can tell me what you think of me. The concrete pieces
look like 1 by 4's on their wide edge."
"They're laid clear across the carrier's deck," Nabiki commented as she
examined them, "I think they're supports."
"On it is," Jeff responded to the man's orders.
"I've got a question," Nabiki said, "What are those things they're
loading on the foredeck? They looked like EVA-scaled knee mortars."
"The Little David, a 36.25 inch mortar. I thought there was only one,
I guess I was wrong. But you are right, an EVA could use those as small
mortars," Jeff replied as he climbed up on the carrier and down the rear
elevator opening into the hanger.
"Well, that concrete worked. I don't think we broke the deck this
time," Jeff said as he spotted Master Chief Cole in the hanger and waved him
over. "Should the EVA help with the loading?" he asked, "Standing like
this, we can pass the loads from hand to hand," then he added, "I'm off."
"So you stand while I play conveyer belt. Thanks," she joked.
Chief Cole picked up the external, ground-crew phone built into the
EVA. "Sorry, you two are to get this thing stowed below and proceed
directly to your cabins, and the bunks there in. Sorry, Dr. Akagi's
orders." He gestured to the teams standing by with stretchers.
"You have _got_ to be kidding?!" Nabiki exclaimed angrily the EVA's
speakers echoing her anger, and the troops drew back.
"You do realize we're _in_ this EVA, don't you?" Jeff asked warningly.
Chief Cole just stood there, staring defiantly.
"Very well," Jeff said, "We'll do it." He cut the connection.
"Are you out of your mind?" Nabiki asked angrily, turning him to face
her.
"They don't have the decontam shower set up," Jeff said with a smile,
"And we'll climb out of here, soaked in L.C.L., remember your first reaction
to that singular smell?"
Nabiki returned his evil smile. "Oh, it will be so wonderfully good to
let them get a good whiff. There is a time, a place, and a setting for
_proper_ negotiations."
----------------------------------------
I was _so_ nice asking them to get me some lemon juice, Nabiki thought
exultantly, Once they smelled L.C.L. they would have agreed to _anything_._
Especially something that eliminated the stench. Nabiki quickly found the
room Jeff was in, after she'd thoroughly showered twice. Right across the
corridor, she thought as she peeked out of her room, How original, and
convenient. She pulled her head back inside her room and closed the door as
a patrol walked by in a cross passageway, but didn't walk towards her cabin.
Okay, time for a little subversion of authority, she thought as she hobbled
into his room and closed the door behind her. She was glad he seemed to be
awake, lying on his bunk and staring at the ceiling.
"You okay?" Jeff asked as he turned to look at her.
"Fell asleep after such strenuous exercise," she paused, "While you're
weak and drunk from fatigue, I'm going to point out a few things. How much
of what you were saying was you projecting your feelings, thoughts and
_fears_ onto me?"
"Interesting theory," he replied, "Maybe. Maybe it was just me talking
about how I have been able to look after somebody, and that I can't look
after someone else."
"You don't think Ranma - " She gritted her teeth. "And Ranko - can
look after her?"
"No, you don't intimidate Ranma or Ranko as much as Asuka does," he
told her as he sat up, "Who else is there?"
"Rei, Misato, Asuka's friend Hikari, a few others," Nabiki said, sagged
into a chair with a grimace.
"Possibly, unlikely, maybe. Including Shinji he woke up," Raccoon
replied.
"When did this happen?" She leaned forward, then painfully sat back as
her body complained.
"Today," Raccoon said, "He talked with me before he said he'd look
after her. Maybe with what he learned - maybe he can."
"What did he learn?" Nabiki asked eagerly, restrained herself from
reacting.
"Nothing that concerns you, yet," he replied, "You have other lessons I
believe. Unless you aren't interested."
"I'm interested, because you need a back up, magically, and even you
can't be in two places at once, and you'll need to be." She was glad he
smiled, she'd passed another test. "And if you aren't at least half as
bored as I am, you aren't half as smart as I think you are, and that isn't
anywhere near as smart as _you_ think you are."
"I don't think I'm that smart, I just think it's important for everyone
to think that I think I'm that smart."
"Now that I have a headache, I think I'm going to go take a nap,"
Nabiki teased, then grew serious, "Since I went looking around in your
memories, there's a few things you need to know. My sisters and my father
hurt Ranma, it's not important how, and 'why?' is too stupid to talk about.
That's why he doesn't remember. Suffice it to say, that weird Nerima we
found ourselves in, except for the people having faces - often several -
that's exactly where my home was, how it was. I pushed myself forward,
because I didn't want him to be alone. My younger sister . . . Akane . . .
I don't think she _meant_ to hurt him, but she's the Worlds' Champion for
jumping to conclusions, and then acting as if those conclusions were
reasonable. She could take two plus two and come up with nine, to the 47th
power."
"Yes, I lived with Maya as her, for longer than you lived with the
original. He isn't . . . I don't like him, but I wouldn't abandon him." He
sniffed, "It just isn't done, Honor of Harvard and all that." He gestured
loftily.
"Since I'm asking you to share secrets, I have to share one. I was
born in 1975, Ranma and I came from 1992, we'd never heard of the Great Old
Ones, or EVAs, or anything like that, before we came here." She stared at
him, he seemed to be digesting this.
"Another Universe," he murmured, "Different physical laws."
"I don't know. I never was much of a scientist. The people were
different in attitude, but we'd been at peace since 1945."
"I assume the technology was vastly different?"
"Jet aircraft, desktop computers, rockets to other planets, cures for
smallpox, measles, rubella, others. Just like the weird Nerima in the
dream, that _was_ the . . . future I guess, and my past or present."
"Then why would you want to learn my tricks? I can't match many of
those things."
"I'm _here_," Nabiki told him, leaning forward, and fighting to not
react to the pain. "I'm going to stay here until the job is done."
"Then go home?" A personal, rather than professional question, he was
asking.
Nabiki had no answer, "I don't know. Home is . . . " She shook her
head. "Home is home."
Jeff considered, "Have you ever seen the Sorcerer's Apprentice or heard
the story? From Fantasia or elsewhere?"
"Yes, and I get the message: 'Don't fool around with the Master's
tricks.' Or at least be careful enough that you don't get caught."
"The latter is by far the most accurate," he explained, "An incurious
mage is useless, mages _need_ to stick their noses where they shouldn't, and
where they aren't wanted." He got up and knelt next to her chair. "Here
more than anywhere else I've been." Jeff pulled out the collar of his
shirt, took her hand to trace her finger over the scar over his heart, it
was freezing cold to the touch. "I lied when I said someone tried to -
cut - my heart out. They tried to - rip - it out, after slicing me open.
Such may be the fate of an incautious mage."
"I've been good at watching my back," Nabiki told him earnestly, "And
other peoples." Leaving her hand where it was, feeling the difference in
body temperatures. Trying to ignore the implications, Nabiki told herself,
And you think this is a reason that proves you don't need back up, rather
than the exact opposite?
"Except this morning. God, was it all only this morning?" he asked,
staring at the bulkhead.
"Yes," Nabiki told him. "You still need someone to watch your back, I
. . . "
"I watch my own back," Jeff snapped, spinning away, breaking contact,
"That's the first lesson. Trust no one, not me, not Ranma. Illusion,
possession, domination, shape changing, are all possible," he said coldly,
"Leaving out simple coercion. Your enemies are vastly more flexible and
capable, and ruthless. Magic is selfishness, you are forcing _your_ view of
the world on the real universe and everything in it, to avoid walking
straight into evil, you have to be extremely careful. Those who don't care,
can descend to a depth of evil - It was widely speculated that his evil and
fascination with the occult . . . "
"Hitler was a fallen mage. He wasn't was he?" Nabiki gulped and
relaxed when Jeff shook his head 'no', "So bad mages aren't bad news,
they're the worst news."
"Ordinary humans can do things that would send most demons screaming
for their mommies. Mages scare even those people." Jeff paused, breaking
the darkening mood, "Avoiding _becoming_ a bad mage isn't as easy as it
sounds. That is also a major concern. Consider it, sleep on it, and ask me
again in the morning."
"I've already made up my mind," she told him.
"I'm too tired to teach you anything tonight, or is it early this
morning?" he joked, "Let me take a short nap. Then I'll start in on the
basic lessons."
"I'm not going far." She considered, he was fading. And so am I, she
thought as she struggled to stand up, Shampoo and the others alienated Ranma
by pushing too hard, I will not make that mistake. She walked over to the
other bunk in the cabin and settled in, covered herself with the pair of
coats.
He sighed, "Things were never easy, that remains." He frowned and
stared at the ceiling, "You are having too much fun on my account," he told
it.
Weird, Nabiki thought,But what _hasn't_ been lately.
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